“Leisure is not the attitude of the one who intervenes but of the one who opens himself; not of someone who seizes but of one who lets go… almost as someone who falls asleep must let himself go… The surge of new life that flows out to us when we give ourselves to the contemplation of a blossoming rose, a sleeping child, or of a divine mystery – is this not like the surge of life that comes from deep, dreamless sleep?”
— Leisure the Basis of Culture, Josef Pieper
Big Sur inspiration
I write you now from NYC, back exploring girlhood haunts with my lifelong best friend, working and researching the latest.
In the meantime, we talk Berlin, Big Sur and the Bay Area. And here is my latest Liquor.com feature article on the Bay Area’s top 10 bourbon bars.
This issue:
Imbiber – Top 8 Cocktails of the Month: Whether quinine and pine-laced refreshers or deli-influenced cocktails, here’s the best of what I’ve been tasting lately.
Wandering Traveler – My Top 10 Meals in Berlin: Back to Berlin for the first time since 1999, here’s what made an impression, from 2 Michelin star Asian-influenced dining to Turkish street food.
Black Sands’ cocktails
Wandering Traveler – Berlin Coffee & Cafes: The best coffee and cafes in Berlin now.
Around the Bay — Weekending (Affordably) in Big Sur: The best ways to eat and sleep well in Big Sur at a reasonable price.
As your personal concierge who tells it like a good friend would, I also create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (under “Services“).
Virginia
CLICKABLE LINKS to Social Media & Articles:
Food Republic
Zagat SF Editor (2014-2015)
Liquor.com
Editor, Distiller Magazine
SF Bay Guardian Critic (Weekly Column: 2009-2013)Spoonwiz
Freelance: Whisky Magazine UK, The Times London, Eater, PureWow, Drink Me Magazine, Citysearch, NBC’s The Feast, Blackboard Eats, Tasting Table, Grubstreet, Where Magazine