“One of the hardest things to make a child understand is, that down underneath your feet, if you go far enough, you come to blue sky and stars again…” — Anne Gilchrist to Walt Whitman in The Letters of Anne Gilchrist and Walt Whitman
Dear Inga’s pierogi (in “The Latest”)
These are scary times and my heart goes to those around the world facing loss and illness from this dreaded coronavirus.
As a citizen and lover of the world, I hate to back off travel out of fear and remain ready to go. But for obvious reasons, my weeks of travel in Hong Kong and Japan this March have been canceled. I know there will be time to return to those most special of places.
In the meantime, I’m ever grateful for time home to catch-up here, renew and pack in more local research and short trips. Hope to see some of you at the James Beard Taste of America SF gala dinner on March 6th? In the meantime, stay well, everyone!
Mastro’s SF seafood tower
THIS ISSUE:
The Latest — Best New Bay Area Restaurants & OG Dining Greats of the Month: My Bob Cut column explores cuisine rarities from Guam, Eastern Europe, other standout newcomers and classic “best kept secrets.”
Wandering Traveler — 12 of the World’s Most Inspiring Bars: My latest print feature at the UK’s Cocktail Lovers magazine.
Top Tastes — 1760 Reborn: Changing themed tasting menus traverse the world on Polk Street (currently Tuscan; next up, Filipino).
Imbiber — Jeremy Allen of MiniBar: Why this unassuming Hollywood bar (hidden inside a Best Western!) draws in music industry with its retro-yet-modern vibe and beautifully-crafted cocktails.
As your personal concierge who tells it like a good friend would, I create personalized itineraries; provide food and drink consulting for restaurants and bars; and classes at companies for the layperson wanting to dig deeper in food and drink (more info at virginia-miller.com).
Virginia