“I am a staunch defender of moderation in all things. But I fully intend to continue to eat. And drink. And be as blissfully merry as my old bones will allow. I count eating and drinking among the chief pleasures of life and without pleasure who wants to live to 102.” – Craig Claiborne It’s my favorite season… the time… Read more →
Author: Virginia Miller
The Latest: Turkish Gem in the FiDi
TURKISH GEM in the FiDi Photos and article by Virginia Miller With the Guardian’s recent move to the Financial District, I’ve frequented downtown haunts, returning to old favorites, discovering new gems. Humble, tiny spaces like La Fusion, delight with Peruvian-influenced Nuevo Latino dishes, including rotisserie chicken and warm bread salad, vivid ceviches, cinnamon-clove inflected sangria, and fried empanadas dipped in… Read more →
Notable New Fall Whisk(e)y Releases
I’ll take whisk(e)y year round… but as summer evolves to fall, it seems all the more appropriate enjoyed on crisp nights, preferably fireside. Thankfully, WhiskyFest approaches this Friday, October 5, in the usual massive, underground Marriott ballrooms. Recapping past years, VIP early pours of rare whiskies and seminars tend to be highlights. There’s another seminar this week with the legendary,… Read more →
Top Tastes: Lasagna, Millionaire’s Bacon, Buratta Spaghettini, Explosion Burger
There are restaurants weaving together the whole package, a melange of atmosphere, service and most importantly, memorable food. Sometimes there’s the overarching solidity of a menu… other times, one walks away dreaming about that one specific item. Here are four such dishes from four locations, worth going out of your way for. MARCELLA’S, Dogpatch (1099 Tennessee St. between 20th &… Read more →
9 of New Orleans’ Best Food Destinations
Returning to my beloved New Orleans, a city I’ve explored extensively via a path laden with jazz, Dixieland, Zydeco, Ramos Gin Fizzes, Sazeracs, Cajun and Creole food, there were ever more finds, both new and classic. The sweltering humid heat of July during Tales of the Cocktail is not ideal weather to fill up on po boys and boudin, but… Read more →
September 15, 2012
““Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi Weekending in Healdsburg, I’m reveling in harvest time in Sonoma County with Alice Waters and Carlo Petrini at a Slow Food Picnic. I return home to SF Cocktail Week, an ever memorable week… Read more →
Beer For (And With) Dinner at Abbot’s Cellar & St. Vincent
Craft beers are in their heyday, alongside craft everything (coffee, spirits, food, etc…) From Anchor Brewing’s Fritz Maytag pioneering quality beer in the ’60’s, to the latest generation like Almanac Beer Co.‘s Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan brewing farm-to-barrel seasonal ales and their new line of grocery store-ready (but still lively, fresh), bottled California table beers, San Francisco – and… Read more →
Around the Bay: COCKTAILS with DINNER in Napa
Judging a cocktail contest in Calistoga and sampling Wine Country cocktails early in 2011, I witnessed a rise in quality congruent with the cocktail renaissance exploding across the nation, beyond longtime torchbearers like SF and NY. This is especially notable in Wine Country where the god of wine dominates. Despite growth, making a dent in the all-consuming wine culture is… Read more →
Fall Wine Round-Up: Urban Wine, Sonoma Events, Jordan Winery, 7 Bottle Recommends
From recommended bottles and fall events in Sonoma to urban wine classes, here’s a few wine tips to start the fall right. Watch Virginia Miller’s Appetite column for restaurants making some of Napa’s best cocktails and more Wine Country dining reviews. Urban Wine SF WINE CENTER, 757 Bryant St. between 5th & 6th Sts., 415-655-7300, www.sfwinecenter.com An in-house wine club,… Read more →
Searching for (and Not Finding) Southern Comfort at Dixie
A fledgling new restaurant is a work in progress, an evolution. Often visiting restaurants in opening week, I’ll return 3-4 weeks later, noticing a marked improvement in rhythm and flow, if not a dramatic change in food – often first food impressions prove to be consistent. Returning 2, 3, 4 months into a restaurant’s life, if things are heading the… Read more →