As is almost always the case, there was some excellent writing from the latest issue of Esquire. Fortunately, the best was available on http://www.esquire.com/ (which is not always the case) and I'll have to make do with simply mentioning some of the other things of note from the issue.
Contained within was a series of summer movie previews and the most interesting was "The Road Is the Most Important Movie of the Year". Written by Tom Chiarella, it covers his screening of not yet fully edited version of the Cormac McCarthy book turned film. The writing itself in the review is excellent, but the movie as described is what's truly compelling. Chiarella writes that viewers will tell people "you have to see it, really", but also not want to see it twice themselves. Not because it's bad, but because it's... well, just read the Chiarella review and this will likely make sense.
Also from the summer movie previous section was mention of a few different movies that sound solid: Funny People from Judd Apatow, Terminator Salvation, and (500) Days of Summer.
A different section of this issue was on Esquire's Best Bars in America and featured mention of two San Francisco (which is close to me) watering holes, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant on Geary Blvd and Alembic on Haight Street. Included in this section as well was Esquire's Drink Every Man Should Know How to Make... the Old-Fashioned.
Finally, mention was made in this issue of an accolade for what I probably found to be the best written and most memorable magazine article I've seen. Chris Jones piece "The Things that Carried Him" has been nominated for a National Magazine Award, the industry's highest honor.