“And yet you can see it from every movement that the child makes; from his every expression you can find that he is realizing life now. So it is with the soul; when the soul begins to realize the life above and beyond this life, it begins to show. And although the man who realizes this may refrain from purposely showing it, yet from his expression, his movement, his glance, his voice, every action he does and from every attitude, the wise can grasp and others can feel that he is conscious of some mystery.” — The Inner Life by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Staying at Courvoisier, one of many châteaux I visited in Cognac, France
Straight off of Hawaii in December, the first half of January has already included a weekend jaunt to Napa to stay at Harvest Inn to visit Charlie Palmer’s Harvest Table and other Napa Valley spots. I just returned from a week in LA, savoring the luxury of Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire and Hotel Casa Del Mar, ideal bases for catching up on the latest food and drink in Los Angeles (more on both trips later).
I dug into my magical explorations and Cognac “studies” in France this November in my Tasting Panel article, with more photos in my newsletter below.
This issue:
Best Of — The Best of 2015 in Restaurants, Drink, Hotels & Travel: My picks at Food Republic covering the US & internationally.
Imbiber — Top 10 Cocktails of the Month: From Joe Pesci-themed cocktails to a margarita without tequila, here are the top drinks on menus around the Bay Area this month.
Wandering Traveler — Welcome to Paradise in Cognac, France: My Tasting Panel article on how key Cognac houses differentiate their brandies and other facts learned during my adventures in Cognac.
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
Liquor.com
Editor, Distiller Magazine
SF Bay Guardian Critic (Weekly Column: 2009-2013)
Where Magazine
Freelance: Whisky Magazine UK, The Times London, Eater, Tasting Panel Magazine, PureWow, Spoonwiz, Drink Me Magazine, Citysearch, NBC’s The Feast, Blackboard Eats, Tasting Table, Grubstreet