Hello! Thank you for finding this website. My name is Omar Mamoon, and I’m a writer based in San Francisco. You can find my work in publications like The San Francisco Chronicle, Resy, Condé Nast Traveler, and Esquire Magazine, where I also help compile the annual Best Bars, Best New Restaurants, and Best New Hotels in America and Europe lists. I’m not a critic, but rather a curator, an enthusiast who highlights what I find interesting, unique, beautiful, and most importantly, delicious. My work includes everything from trend pieces to recipes and profiles, and I also wrote, co-produced, and co-directed an award-winning docuseries called PFG. A quick read through my FAVORITE PIECES below will give you a good sense of what I’m about.
When I’m not consuming copious quantities of food, I’m running a small cookie dough business based in San Francisco called DOUGH XX. You can find my sweet treats at random spots all around. I also run a non-profit that provides children’s books to California public schools called LIBROS PARA TODOS and volunteer for The James Beard Foundation.
Below are some of my favorite pieces over the last few years. Enjoy!
-om.
FAVORITE PIECES
An Ode to Mom’s Breakfast, San Francisco Chronicle*
At Swan Oyster Depot, a secret menu built for regulars, San Francisco Chronicle
Why I’m going to Miss Lucca Ravioli so much, San Francisco Chronicle
5 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Business, Huffington Post
Five Lessons From A Food Symposium, Huffington Post
5 Things To Eat Right Now: Summer 2019, Edible San Francisco
SF now has soft and crushable basket tacos, a Mexico City street food mainstay, SF Chronicle
The L.A. Taco Travel Guide to San Francisco’s Best Taquerías, L.A. TACO
Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2021, Esquire
Why Do We Crave The Best?, ChefsFeed
Is Tijuana Restaurant in Oakland The Best Old Restaurant in America?, SF Chronicle
The Patty Melt is Back, Esquire
Eater's Guide to Eating Burmese in the Bay Area, Eater
A San Francisco cocktail for quarantine that transports you to Spain, San Francisco Chronicle
PFG VIDEO SERIES
Why You Should Try This 20-Course, Two-and-a-Half-Hour Tasting Menu in San Francisco, SF Standard
San Francisco has a Hot New Pizza Place, SF Standard
Prepare to Sweat at San Francisco’s Halal-Chinese Mom-and-Pop Favorite, SF Standard
Friends Only in Nob Hill is the ‘Dark Knight’ of San Francisco’s Sushi Scene, SF Standard
Well-Loved San Francisco French Comfort Food Restaurant Returns After 2-Year Hiatus, SF Standard
San Francisco’s Pakwan Serves Up Pakistani Flavor, 365 Days a Year, SF Standard
Zuni Cafe Turns 45 Next Year. Here’s the San Francisco Institution’s Story, SF Standard
Secrets of a San Francisco Institution: How to Order Off-Menu at House of Prime Rib, SF Standard
San Francisco’s 7 Adams is the Perfect Restaurant for Date Night, SF Standard
LATEST PIECES
Pre-Shift with Quince’s Lindsay Tusk, Punch
Michael Mina: My Egypt, Cooking From My Roots, Moderator, Commonwealth Club
The 7 Best Tavern-Style Burgers in America, Esquire
4 Best Mail-Order Steaks, Esquire
The Bear’s Matty Matheson’s Toronto Restaurants: A Guide, Esquire
The Bear’s Matty Matheson Shares His Favorite Chicago Restaurants, Esquire
This cult favorite S.F. wine destination is opening up a new seafood restaurant, SF Chronicle
The Best Bars in America, 2024, Esquire
The 10 Best Oyster Bars in America Right Now, Esquire
All Things Consumed, SF Standard
In Defense of Pineapple as a Pizza Topping, Esquire
The Best New Hotels and Restaurants in the World: 2024 Hot List, Conde Nast Traveler
The 41 Best New Hotels in North America and Europe for 2024, Esquire
QR Code Menus Are a Bummer. It’s Time for Restaurants to Move On, SF Standard
The Best Martinis in America, 2023, Esquire
Historic S.F. bar with famous views reborn with new drinks, SF Chronicle
Best New Restaurants in America, 2023, Esquire
You’re not drunk. You’re just at the most surreal bar in San Francisco, SF Chronicle
Take a Peek Inside Tracy Goh’s Malaysian Pantry at Damansara, Plate
San Francisco has a Hot New Pizza Place, SF Standard
5 Zero-Zero Natural Wines You Need to Get Wild With, Esquire
This one man makes millions of tacos at S.F.’s most famous taqueria, SF Chronicle
How this one-of-a-kind S.F. restaurant keeps prices remarkably low, SF Chronicle
Natural wine will flow by the keg at this new S.F. bar, SF Chronicle
How an artist and a chef created the coolest, craziest Mexican restaurant in S.F., SF Chronicle
Best Bars in America, 2023, Esquire
Fresh, bouncy noodles star at this new S.F. restaurant, SF Chronicle
New S.F. restaurant is shooting straight for Michelin Stars, SF Chronicle
How a pizza co-op created the ultimate Berkeley vibe, one free baby slice at a time, SF Chronicle
The Best New Hotels in North America and Europe, 2023, Esquire
The Anatomy of Taqueria Cancun’s Super-size, Pollo asada stuffed Mission Burrito, Eater
Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza is Sweeping America, Esquire
The oven. The piano. The bar. How Zuni Cafe built its timeless S.F. vibe, SF Chronicle
This Tequila Enthusiast Just Found Out His New Favorite, Esquire
How this treasured coastal enclave became a culinary hot spot, SF Chronicle
The Best New Restaurants in America, 2022, Esquire
Closed since the pandemic, wildly popular S.F. restaurant re-emerges with new look, SF Chronicle
Three Bay Area Restaurants Showcase The Power of Cumin, The ‘Lingua Franca’ of Spices, SF Chronicle
David Yoshimura Expresses the Harmony of Washoku Cuisine at Nisei, Plate
What to order at this buzzy S.F. pizza restaurant form a former Mister Jiu’s chef, SF Chronicle
Best Restaurants for Yucatan-style food in San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle
The Best Bars in America, 2022, Esquire
Chaat: The Best Indian restaurants to find the popular street Food, SF Chronicle
The Best New Hotels in North America and the Caribbean, 2022, Esquire
Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2021, Esquire
9 Destinations for cooling, inventive shaved ice desserts in the Bay Area, SF Chronicle
The L.A. Taco Travel Guide to San Francisco’s Best Taquerías, L.A. TACO
Shawn Camacho and Shawn Naputi of Prubechu Talk Chamorro Community — and Food, Resy
Five Things to Know About Jo’s Modern Thai, Now Open in Oakland, Resy
Best Bars in America, 2021, Esquire
Bay Area’s next wave of pizza pop-ups has arrived. Here’s where to go, SF Chronicle
Bay Area chefs still having fun with new fried chicken sandwiches. Here are 6 to try, SF Chronicle
Everything You Need To Know About Ernest, Now Open In The Mission, Resy
Yoshika Hedberg of Fish & Bird on Tom Waits, Sousaku, and The Future, Resy
An S.F. pastry chef with Michelin cred is making a solo pastry box, SF Chronicle
A Slate of Bay Area Chefs is getting inventive with a classic: bubbly, crispy focaccia, SF Chronicle
100 Restaurants America Can’t Afford To Lose, Esquire
Four ways to eat a samosa in the Bay Area, SF Chronicle
How Quick Dog in S.F. keeps its fries Shatteringly crisp — even for delivery, SF Chronicle
Fluffy new S.F. cinnamon roll gets its flair from a lava flow of coffee-laced frosting, SF Chronicle
An ode to the chef’s salad of Cafe Mezzo, a Berkeley symbol of healthy eating, SF Chronicle
SF now has soft and crushable basket tacos, a Mexico City street food mainstay, SF Chronicle
What’s Next for House of Prime Rib, the City’s Ultimate Celebratory Restaurant?, Resy
Hoagie heaven at San Francisco wine shop, SF Chronicle
This rotisserie stands out amid San Francisco’s intoxicating restaurant aromas, SF Chronicle
Tomalley Butter Lobster Roll is like a summer vacation in Maine, SF Chronicle
The Best Bars in America, 2020, Esquire
Bay Area pizzeria makes New Haven-style pies that are worth the journey, SF Chronicle
A San Francisco cocktail for quarantine that transports you to Spain, SF Chronicle
How Bay Area Restauranteurs find meaning by giving back during the pandemic, SF Chronicle
The 7 Best Chip Flavors You’ve Never Tried, Esquire
The case for frying chicken at home amid shelter in place, SF Chronicle
5 Things To Eat Right Now: Winter 2020, Edible San Francisco
Is Tijuana Restaurant in Oakland The Best Old Restaurant in America?, SF Chronicle
Q&A with master sushi chef Jiro Lin of Hamano in San Francisco, SF Chronicle
Yeasayer and Sinkane Prefer Shake Shack Over In-N-Out Burger, SF Weekly
Why I’m going to miss Lucca Ravioli so much, San Francisco Chronicle
Hip to Be Square: Detroit-Style Pizza Is Conquering America, Esquire
Eater's Guide to Eating Burmese in the Bay Area, Eater
The Power of feeding others, no matter the scale, San Francisco Chronicle
A Relic on Rye, San Francisco Magazine
How adversity helped launch Native Sons BBQ in San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle
RESY HIT LISTS
Lists, guides, and other Bay Area restaurant insider info.
FIVE THINGS TO EAT RIGHT NOW
5 Things To Eat Right Now: Winter 2020, Edible San Francisco
5 Things To Eat Right Now: Fall 2019, Edible San Francisco
5 Things To Eat Right Now: Summer 2019, Edible San Francisco
5 Things to Eat Right Now: Spring 2019, Edible San Francisco
5 Things to Eat Right Now, Edible San Francisco
10 Things to Eat Now Winter 2018, Edible San Francisco
SECRET MENUS
La Taqueria’s Secret Menu, SF Weekly
La Taqueria’s Secret Menu: Part Two, SF Weekly
House of Prime Rib Has a Secret Menu… and It’s Delicious!, 7x7
At Swan Oyster Depot, a secret menu built for regulars, San Francisco Chronicle
BUSINESS-Y, MOTIVATIONAL-ISH WRITING
5 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Business, Huffington Post
Successfully Unsuccessfully Funded: How A Failed Kickstarter Helped My Business, Huffington Post
The Only Advice That Helped My Business Become Sustainable, Huffington Post
Five Lessons From A Food Symposium, Huffington Post
The Hardest Part to Starting a Business, Huffington Post
RECIPES
An ode to mom’s breakfast, San Francisco Chronicle
Tasty Breakfast Potatoes From Plow, 7x7
How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Pho, Esquire
How to Make the Salsa Verde from America’s Best Taco Joint, Esquire
Learn to Make Locanda’s Classic Cacio e Pepe, 7x7
INTERVIEWS/PROFILES
Meet the Oakland Potter on the Speed Dials of the Bay Area's Buzziest Restaurants, 7x7
Meet the SF Consultant Behind America's Best New Restaurant, 7x7
Pastry Chef/Artist Leah Rosenberg Brings Color to Local Restaurants, 7x7
We Wanna Be Friends With Jim Denevan, Found of Outstanding in the Field, 7x7
We Wanna Be Friends With Chris Ying, One Lucky Peach, 7x7
Dan Giusti Wants to Change the Way Our Kids Eat, Esquire
MISCELLANEOUS
Pizza 101: A crash course in regional pizza styles, San Francisco Chronicle
Living for the lunch break, San Francisco Chronicle
Chef Gabriela Camara's Guide to Mexico City, 7x7
Tender Is The Night, San Francisco Magazine