Features reporter

John Metcalfe

John Metcalfe is a features reporter for The Mercury News and East Bay Times, covering nature, food, the arts, and notable things to do in the Bay Area for the Eat Drink Play section. He lives in Oakland with no pets unless you count a thoroughly embedded family of backyard raccoons. Follow him on Twitter at @citycalfe or on Facebook.

Diamond Head is Oahu’s most famous landmark. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The top 10 island destinations for 2025, from Aruba to Sardinia

August 6, 2025 at 6:51 a.m.

Whether it's adventure, food, weather or posh accommodations, here are Expedia's picks for island getaways.

Visitors to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco climb the arched drum bridge in 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

What are America’s best cities for sober traveling?

August 2, 2025 at 6:20 a.m.

These are Time Out's suggestions for 2025's sober-friendly cities.

Buddy’s in Detroit claims to have originated the square pizza — with crispy, caramelized edges — in 1946. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

America’s 10 most destination-worthy pizza joints

July 3, 2025 at 9:47 a.m.

New York, Chicago and more are on this Food & Wine magazine list.

New Orleans is the best food city in the U.S. as rated by its residents in 2025, according to Time Out. (Thinkstock)

The world’s top 10 food cities, including a Southern fave

May 20, 2025 at 8:55 a.m.

Where to travel in 2025 if you want to eat well, according to the readers of Time Out

Umaro Foods CEO Beth Zotter is photographed at Bakar BioEnginuity Hub & Bakar Labs in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday, March 24, 2025. Umaro makes bacon and other products out of seaweed. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

The startup behind Shark Tank’s seaweed-based bacon

April 23, 2025 at 10:54 a.m.

Umaro Foods is betting that soon, the world's going to be eating a whole lot more seaweed protein.

Tuscany is included in Lonely Planet’s 2025 list of Top 15 best places to visit in Italy. Pictured: San Miniato, Pisa. (Getty Images)

Lonely Planet: The 10 best places to visit in Italy in 2025

April 21, 2025 at 12:15 p.m.

Sardinia for gorgeous beaches, Pompeii for history and the thrill of an active volcano.

Boise Idaho skyline

10 family-friendly, budget-conscious US vacation destinations

April 1, 2025 at 12:31 p.m.

National Geographic picks its top places to visit with the family in 2025.

Owner Dylan O’Brien looks on at the Prizefighter Bottle Shop in Emeryville, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. The new store specializes in artisan liquors and wines connected to the longtime bar called the Prizefighter. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

3 winter cocktail recipes

December 27, 2024 at 11:53 a.m.

Drinks to make winter and New Year's Eve feel special.

Owen Han is a TikTok cooking star and author of 2024’s “Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich,” published by Harvest, an imprint of William Morrow. (Photo by Ren Fuller)

Recipe: Shakshuka breakfast sandwich from TikTok’s Owen Han

November 9, 2024 at 6:40 a.m.

The classic tomatoey-egg brunch dish becomes a sandwich in this recipe from the "King of Sandwiches" himself.

Owen Han is a TikTok cooking star and author of 2024’s “Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich,” published by Harvest, an imprint of William Morrow. (Photo by Ren Fuller)

5 questions with Owen Han, TikTok’s King of Sandwiches

November 9, 2024 at 6:36 a.m.

Owen Han is a 'sandwich influencer' with millions of fans and a new cookbook out this fall.

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