Shotski’s Alpine Lodge Permanent Vacation cocktail. Photo by Virginia Miller. Six San Francisco cocktail bars or restaurants serving cocktails — and good vibes — that should be more well known than they are. But lucky for us, these are “just between you and me” (wink, wink). Olde Fashioned. Photo by Virginia Miller. What a Neighborhood Cocktail Bar Should Be: Olde… Read more →
10 Top Bars in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia Read more →
Bourbon Steak crab cake “pop tarts.” Photo by Virginia Miller. These five restaurants — two new, one recently reborn, two quietly holding strong — do comfort food right. With a strong side of booze, whether exemplified in martini carts or martini menu sections. They might be a classic or modern steakhouse that also runs heavy on seafood, or a comfort… Read more →
In the midst of tumultuous change, the beverage industry has faced a very tough year. Numerous factors have contributed, from decreased alcohol consumption and health concerns to tariffs and shifting consumer desires. This story examines many of the most salient 2026 bar and cocktail trends, and struggles facing the spirits industry, as well as how those forces translate to creative adaptations in the on-premise space: Read more →
Happy Crane firecracker shrimp, my favorite dish. Photo by Virginia Miller. Dining at The Happy Crane just one month after it opened on August 8, 2025, it was packed on a weeknight, already booked weeks-ahead. The intimate restaurant glowed, though minimalist, centered by the bar, with glass walls framing a colorful Hayes Valley alley mural outside. What is clear immediately… Read more →
Reviewed in this article:
— Modern Lebanese and Levantine Pop-up at Buddy: Ilna
— New Neighborhood Spot Ideal for Groups & Families: Fifty Vara
— Cocktails & Bites with Seafaring Touch: Bar Maritime
— Persian Mexican Lounge: Movida
— Japanese Hot Pot Lunch Go-To: Potto
— SF Chron’s #3 Keeps On Wow-ing: Rich Table
— Two Top Female Chefs Keep This 32-Year-Old Shining: Boulevard
— Killing It With Bold Veggie Dishes: The Progress
— The Farm-to-Table Legend Since 1971: Chez Panisse Read more →
My article on 10 of Guadalajara’s best bars Read more →
Waterbar’s oyster bar. Photo by Virginia Miller. These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from restaurants with views and good food to a modern German beer hall and Spanish sherry and tapas gem. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews — Bar Iris, The Wild, Che Fico Pizzeria, overnight in Sausalito — these seven are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve… Read more →
Bar Iris’ Akadama cocktail. Photo by Virginia Miller. Since Michelin-starred Nisei opened in August 2021 and its neighboring Bar Iris in October, the one-of-a-kind modern Japanese duo has been faced with great loss as beloved Iris bar manager Ilya Romanov died tragically at the end of 2022. As Nisei evolved, proving why it’s one of the nation’s most forward-thinking Japanese restaurants,… Read more →
Causwells. Photo by Virginia Miller. These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from classic French to a neighborhood comfort food and cocktail classic that just turned ten. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews — TIYA (modern Indian), Hed11 (Thai), 10 top brunches, KoThai (modern Thai Korean), Alora (Mediterranean) — these five are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve personally vetted… Read more →