Tuesday, December 30, 2025

The Best of the Best 2025

Tuesday, December 30, 2025    No comments

 Which are the best restaurants, spas, and travel destinations? 

At the end of 2025, I will rate the following (in order from best to worst) based on my personal experience.



Restaurants

Even though Michelin has not rated it, Mama's Fish House on Maui is our favorite restaurant worldwide. It combines an authentic Hawaiian atmosphere with exceptional cooking and a magnificent tropical setting (overlooking Maui's North Shore, near the famous Ho'okipa Beach) to create an unforgettable dining experience. The restaurant uses only the freshest fish caught on Maui.

At the end of 2024, I will rate the following (in order from best to worst) based on my personal experience.

  1. Mama's Fish House, Maui, Hawaii 
  2. The Plumed Horse, Saratoga, CA  (1 Michelin Star)
  3. Lagoon Restaurant by Jean Georges, St. Regis, Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 
  4. Manresa, Los Gatos, CA (3 Michelin Stars) (closed)
  5. Solbar, Calistoga, CA  (1 Michelin Star)
  6. Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA  (1 Michelin Star)
  7. Ristrot Guivol, Turin, Italy
  8. La Foret, San Jose, CA (Michelin Rated)
  9. Bouchon, Napa, CA & Las Vegas (Michelin Rated)
  10. Weinstube Baldreit, Baden-Baden, Germany 
  11. Plachutta, Vienna, Austria
  12. Mistu, Porto, Portugal
  13. Humuhumunukunuku'apua, Maui Hawaii 
  14. Solo, Portland, Maine
  15. Araxi, Whistler, BC
  16. Cucina Rustica, Sedona, Arizona
  17. Lenda Viriato, Unhais da Serra, Portugal
  18. Eataly, WTC, New York City (and Munich)
  19. Tatte Bakey, Boston
  20. La Toque Restaurant, Napa, CA

SF Bay Area Restaurants

  1. The Plumed Horse, Saratoga, CA  (1 Michelin Star)
  2. Solbar, Calistoga, CA (1 Michelin Star)
  3. Bouchon, Napa, CA  (Michelin Rated)
  4. Foreign Cinema, San Francisco (bad neighborhood)
  5. Naschmarkt, Campbell
  6. Ettan, Palo Alto
  7. Lele Kitchen, San Jose
  8. JOEY Valley Fair, San Jose
  9. ASA Restaurant, Los Gatos
  10. Côte Ouest Bistro, San Francisco
  11. Chez Philippe, Los Gatos
  12. Napizza, San Francisco
  13. Red House Cafe, Monterey
  14. Sotto Mare, San Francisco
  15. Passionfish, Monterey
  16. Café Beaujolais, Mendocino, CA
  17. Cracked & Battered, Marina, San Francisco
  18. Teleféric Barcelona, Los Gatos

SF Bay Area Coffee Shops

  1. Philz, Los Gatos, CA
  2. Captain + Stoker Cafe, Monterey, CA
  3. Equator Coffees, San Francisco, CA
  4. Blue Bottle, Los Gatos, CA
  5. Alta Bakery & Cafe, Monterey, CA

SF Bay Area Bakeries

  1. One65, San Francisco
  2. Tartine Bakery, San Francisco
  3. Bouchon, Napa
  4. Arsicault Bakery, San Francisco
  5. Schubert's Bakery, San Francisco (Cakes)
  6. Fleur de Cocoa, Los Gatos
  7. Croissante Bakery, Los Gatos
  8. Alta Bakery & Cafe, Monterey, CA

Dishes


Pizzeria

We have had pizza everywhere in the United States (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, etc.), as well as in France, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Japan. So far, our favorite pizza restaurant is Pizzeria D'Angeli in Naples, Italy. We also had fantastic pizza in Japan - at Pizzeria Mar-de Napoli in Tokyo.

  1. Pizzeria D'Angeli, Naples, Italy
  2. Pizzeria Scugnizzo, Turin, Italy
  3. Waikiki Pizza Restaurant, Bardonecchia, Italy
  4. Bricks Restaurant Pizza, Turin, Italy
  5. Don Kilo, Barcelona, Spain
  6. Napizza, San Francisco, CA
  7. Keste Pizza, Greenwich Village, New York City (Keste #1)
  8. Eataly, World Trade Center, New York City ("Capricciosa" pizza)
  9. Eataly Lingotto, Turin, Italy
  10. Pizzeria Mar-de Napoli, Tokyo, Japan ("DLC winner" pizza)
  11. Juliana's Pizza, Brooklyn, New York City (#1 Special)
  12. Hearthstone in Red Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Gelato and Ice Cream

We loved Fresco Gelateria in Sorrento and tried many exceptional gelaterias in Florence, Siena, Lake Como, Venice, and Lucca.
  1. Fresco Gelateria, Sorrento, Italy
  2. Gelato in Bologna, Italy (near Piazza Maggiore)
  3. Gelato in Florence, Siena, Lake Como, Venice, Lucca (Italy) 
  4. Fresco Sorrento Gelato, Sorrento, Italy
  5. DelaCrem, Barcelona, Spain
  6. Bacio di Latte, Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA
  7. Gio Gelati, San Francisco, CA
  8. Bella Gelateria, Vancouver, BC 
  9. Grom Gelateria, Turin, Italy
  10. Grom Gelateria, New York City (also in Florence and Siena) 
  11. Kamakura Gelato, Kamakura, Japan
  12. Eataly, New York City (and Munich)
  13. Gelateria La Romana, Turin, Italy
  14. Dolce Gelato, Laguna Beach

Spas

Our favorite spa is Aquadome in Langenfeld, Austria (near Tyrol), but we also really liked the thermal baths in San Montano, Ischia, Italy.
  1. Aquadome, Langenfeld, Austria
  2. San Montano Resort & Spa, Ischia, Italy
  3. H2otel / Aquadome, Unhais da Serra, Portugal
  4. Friedrichsbad Therme, Baden-Baden, Germany 
  5. Caracalla Therme, Baden-Baden, Germany
  6. Alpentherme Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Austria 
  7. Miri-Miri Spa by Clarens, St. Regis, Bora-Bora 
  8. Scandinave Spa, Whistler, Canada 
  9. Tabacon, Costa Rica 
  10. Spa LaQua, Tokyo, Japan
  11. Spa World, Osaka, Japan
  12. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma, CA
  13. Solage, Calistoga, CA 
  14. Indian Springs, Calistoga, CA 

Hotels

Our favorite hotel is the St. Regis in Bora Bora, Tahiti.
  1. St. Regis, Bora Bora, Tahiti, French Polynesia
  2. San Montano Resort e Spa, Ischia, Italy
  3. The Four Seasons, Punta Mita, Mexico
  4. Nayara Springs Relais & Chateaux, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
  5. Makanda by the Sea, Costa Rica
  6. Torel Palace, Lisbon, Portugal
  7. Hotel zur Pfeffermühle, St. Anton am Alberg, Austria
  8. Aquadome, Langenfeld, Austria
  9. H2otel / Aquadome, Unhais da Serra, Portugal
  10. Tabacón Thermal Spa, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
  11. Hotel Davanzati, Florence, Italy
Books (all-time)
  1. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
  2. Night by Elie Wiesel
  3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  4. The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
  5. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
  6. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  7. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
  8. The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
  9. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
  10. The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
  11. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
  12. Shogun by James Clavell
  13. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
  14. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
  15. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
  16. Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
  17. 1984 by George Orwell
Miniseries (all-time)
  1. The Winds of War (1983)
  2. War and Remembrance (1988)
  3. Band of Brothers (2001)
  4. The Pacific
  5. Pride & Prejudice (1995)
  6. Shogun (1980)
  7. Masada (1981)
  8. The Thorn Birds (1983)
  9. North & South (2004)
  10. Black Mirror (2011)
  11. Shogun (2024)
  12. A Gentleman in Moscow (2024)
  13. Queen's Gambit (2020)
Rock Concerts

My favorite rock concert was Elton John's Made in England Tour at the Tacoma Dome. It was my first Rock concert, and it was a truly fantastic experience. I have also attended his other concerts, such as the Red Piano in Las Vegas, but they had a different atmosphere and intensity.
  1. Leonard Cohen, HP Pavilion, San Jose, 11/7/2012. 
  2. Hauser: The Rebel is Back Tour, San Jose Civic, San Jose, on 6/1/2025
  3. Elton John's Made in England Tour, Tacoma Dome, Washington, on 9/9/1995
  4. Hauser: The Rebel is Back, 6/1/2025
  5. The History of the Eagles, HP Pavilion, San Jose, 1/29/2013 
  6. James Blunt: Back to Bedlam 20th Anniversary, The Masonic, 6/26/2025
  7. Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road SAP Center, San Jose, 10/19/2018
  8. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Harrah's Hotel and Casino, 5/30/2015
  9. Carlos Santana, Shoreline Amphitheater, 2002
  10. Elton John's Million Dollar Piano, The Colosseum, Las Vegas, 10/13/2011
  11. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Uptown Theatre, Napa, 2/23/2019
  12. Postmodern Jukebox, The Warfield, San Francisco, 12/13/2015
  13. The Gipsy Kings, Mountain Winery, 8/27/2014. 
  14. Sarah McLachlan: Better Broken, The Masonic, 11/28/2025
  15. Lara Fabian 50, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 9/20/2019

Opera

My favorite opera is Carmen by Georges Bizet, due to the fantastic music and dramatic story. I am also partial to Puccini, especially Madame Butterfly.
  1. Carmen, Houston Grand Opera
  2. Madame Butterfly, Houston Grand Opera, 1993
  3. Marriage of Figaro, San Francisco Opera, 6/21/15
  4. Barber of Seville, San Francisco Opera, 11/23/13
  5. La Traviata, Houston Grand Opera
  6. Don Giovanni, San Francisco Opera
  7. La Boheme, San Francisco Opera,  11/22/14
  8. The Magic Flute, San Francisco Opera
  9. Lucia di Lammermoor, Houston Grand Opera
  10. Elektra, Houston Grand Opera
  11. Salome, Houston Grand Opera

Musical Theater

My favorite musical is Chicago (most recently seen at the Ambassador Theater on Broadway), but I am a massive fan of Kander & Ebb musicals (including Cabaret, Liza with a Z, and Fosse). I also like most Cole Porter musicals (Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate!) and George Gershwin (Crazy for You).
  1. Chicago, Ambassador Theater, Broadway, New York City 12/18/2016, 9/25/2018
  2. Fiddler on the Roof, Broadway Theater, New York City, 12/23/2016 
  3. Cabaret, Orpheum Theater, San Francisco 
  4. Anything Goes, Golden Gate Theater, San Francisco, 1/19/2013 
  5. Grease, Orpheum Theater, San Francisco 
  6. Monty Python's Spamalot, Orpheum, San Francisco 
  7. My Fair Lady, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 9/22/2018
  8. Kiss Me, Kate!, Orpheum, San Francisco 
  9. Saturday Night Fever, Orpheum, San Francisco 
  10. 42nd Street, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, 7/15/2017
  11. Mary Poppins, Orpheum, San Francisco, 5/12/2013 
  12. The Book of Mormon, San Francisco, 1/7/2014 
  13. Showboat, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 6/13/2014 
  14. Aladdin, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 4/17/19
  15. Mamma Mia, Orpheum, San Francisco
  16. Phantom of the Opera, Orpheum, San Francisco, 8/21/2015
  17. Cats, Neil Simon Theater, New York City, 12/24/2016 
  18. The Lion King, Orpheum, San Francisco
  19. Les Misérables, Orpheum, San Francisco
  20. Avenue Q, New World Stages, New York City, 9/24/2018
  21. Hello Dolly!, Orpheum, San Francisco
  22. Mathilda, Orpheum, San Francisco, 7/23/2015
  23. Wicked!, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 8/31/2019
  24. Fosse, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
  25. Hamilton, Orpheum, San Francisco, 8/17/2019
  26. Miss Saigon, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 11/15/2019
  27. Evita, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
  28. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
  29. Annie, Portland, Oregon

Theater (Drama & Comedy)

I am particularly fond of William Shakespeare's dramas, especially Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear. Having seen them long ago, I have yet to encounter more recent productions.
  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Geary Theater, San Francisco, 11/20/2019
  2. Emma, TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, 12/4/2015 
  3. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, New York City, 12/22/2016 
  4. Disgraced, Berkeley Rep, Berkeley, 12/12/2015 
  5. Cyrano, TheatreWorks, Mountain View, 4/24/2016 
  6. Outside Mullingar, TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, 10/7/2016 
  7. The Hard Problem, Geary Theater, San Francisco, 10/19/2016 
  8. Daddy Long Legs, Lucie Stern Theater, Palo Alto, 12/3/2016 
  9. Oleanna, Houston, 1992

Hiking Trails

Half Dome was the longest and most challenging hike I have ever done. It has fantastic overlooks of Yosemite Valley. However, the other hikes in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, are also excellent.
  1. Half Dome, Yosemite, CA 
  2. Little Horse Trail to Chicken Point, Sedona, Arizona
  3. Silver Falls State Park, Oregon 
  4. Dipsea Trail, Sausalito, CA 
  5. Devil's Bridge, Sedona, Arizona
  6. Big Basin Redwoods, Boulder Creek, CA 
  7. Sanborn County Park, CA
  8. Castle Rock State Park, CA 
  9. Mt. Shasta, CA 
  10. Point Lobos Natural Reserve, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 
  11. Lassen Volcanic National Park, Mineral, CA 
  12. Huddart County Park, Woodside, CA

Ski Resorts

My favorite places to ski and snowboard are St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria and Whistler in British Columbia. Whistler usually has great snow with minimal elevation gain, excellent, inexpensive restaurants, and a tremendous youthful vibe (with many other nearby activities such as tubing, ice skating, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, & snowmobiling). It also has a fabulous Scandinavian Spa! In addition, I also enjoy the fantastic powder at our local Mammoth Mountain.
  1. St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
  2. Whistler/Blackcomb, BC, Canada
  3. Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, CA (best California powder)
  4. Verbier, Switzerland
  5. Solden, Austria
  6. Kirkwood, Lake Tahoe, CA (best local powder)
  7. Mount Hood Meadows, Mt. Hood, Oregon
  8. Palisades Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, CA
  9. Alpine Meadows, Lake Tahoe, CA
  10. Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe 
  11. Mt. Bachelor, Bend, Oregon 
  12. Mt. Rose, East Lake Tahoe, NV 
  13. Sierra-at-Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, CA
  14. Bardonecchia, Turin, Italy (the most delicious food of any resort)
  15. Sugar Bowl, Lake Tahoe, CA (closest resort) 

Mountain Biking Trails
  1. Soquel Demo Forest, Santa Cruz, CA
  2. John Nicholas Trail, Los Gatos, CA
  3. Almaden Quicksilver County Park, San Jose, CA
  4. Saratoga Gap & Long Ridge, Saratoga, CA
  5. Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose, CA
  6. Joseph D. Grant County Park
  7. Limekiln Trail, Los Gatos, CA
  8. Monte Bello OSP
  9. Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz, CA

Off-Road Motorcycling Trails

My favorite place to ride off-road dirt bikes is in Hollister SVRA. I have taken classes with Brian Garrahan and have ridden multiple 4-stroke and 2-stroke motorcycles.
  1. Hollister Hills SVRA, Hollister, CA
  2. Carnegie SVRA, Tracy, CA
  3. Metcalf, San Jose, CA (nearest local riding spot)

Windsurfing/Wing Foiling Spots

My all-time favorite place for windsurfing is Spreckelsville Beach on the northern shore of Maui. However, windsurfing on Lac Bay in Bonaire is outstanding and ultra convenient! I also enjoyed windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge ("The Gorge" near Hood River, Oregon) at Sherman Island in Rio Vista, Coyote Point in San Mateo, and Crissy Field in San Francisco.
  1. Lac Bay, Sorobon, Bonaire (most convenient)
  2. Spreckelsville, Maui, Hawaii (best waves)
  3. Kanaha Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
  4. Crissy Field, San Francisco, California
  5. Sherman Island, Rio Vista, California
  6. Coyote Point, San Francisco, California
  7. Swell City, Hood River, Oregon (strongest wind)
  8. Rowena, Hood River, Oregon
  9. Event Site, Hood River, Oregon
  10. 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA
  11. Waddell Creek, Santa Cruz, California

Surfing Spots
I really love the convenience of SUP surfing on Kalapaki Beach, Kauai (despite the smaller waves and shallow water).
  1. Trestles, San Clemente, CA
  2. Ala Moana State Park, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
  3. Rockpile Beach, Laguna Beach, CA
  4. Huntington Beach, CA
  5. Surfer's Point at Seaside Park, Ventura
  6. "The Hook", Capitola
  7. Newport Beach Pier
  8. Dolores Beach, Laniakea Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
  9. Pismo Beach Pier, Pismo Beach, CA
  10. Pleasure Point, Capitola (great beginners' spot)
  11. Steamer Lane, Capitola (experts only)
  12. San Clemente Pier, CA
  13. Manresa State Beach, Capitola
  14. Kalapaki Beach, Kauai (for SUP surfing)

 

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