“You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by… but some of them are golden only because we let them slip.” – J.M. Barrie It’s February… a month that will take me to Kentucky, Denver, and Monterey. Meanwhile, I am grateful to be right here at home in San Francisco, savoring its endless treasures. In Around the… Read more →
Author: Virginia Miller
Molecular Experimentation Is Alive & Well at BAUME, Palo Alto
There are meals that live on in memory: a diorama of conversation, heartwarming food, and that misty glow from a fine bottle of wine. Then there are the game changers, meals that are an elaborate tapestry, weaving complex threads of creativity into an unexpected whole. True: experimentation is useless if it is not also delicious. But if the food is… Read more →
Fighting Irish: The Launch of Concannon Irish Whiskey
An Irish whiskey with a Bay Area connection… Livermore, to be exact? It’s true. January saw the release of a brand new whiskey, not a common occurrence in Ireland. What better way to initiate this new release than with a Bon Vivants’ party? My recent travails through Ireland, particularly exploring whiskey production in County Cork (from pot still beauties like Redbreast,… Read more →
Science of Cocktails 2012 at the Exploratorium
Though Science of Cocktails may be on hiatus next year due to the Exploratorium‘s big move to the Embarcadero, this year’s party is worth highlighting. Attending since the inaugural event three years ago (my review here), Science of Cocktails gets better each year. I’m not sure if the new VIP area added much other than a bird’s-eye view from above… Read more →
The Face of Bordeaux’s Wines: Meeting Winemakers Around the Region
The Face of Bordeaux Photos & article by Virginia Miller Watch out: Bordeaux will surprise you. Many wine industry friends and sommeliers I talk to think of Bordeaux wines as pricey, out of reach, inaccessible…. or as some of the best in the world. Visiting numerous winemakers throughout the region during their recent harvest, I was surprised by the number… Read more →
January 15, 2012
“… in a time lacking in truth and certainty and filled with anguish and despair, no woman [or man] should be shame-faced in attempting to give back to the world, through her work, a portion of its lost heart.” – Louise Bogan As you receive this, I’m returning from the snowy regions of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, exploring icewine during… Read more →
3 First-Rate Cheap Eats Spots
Our city is loaded with amazing cheap eats. Here’s three new places worth adding to your go-to list. CHUBBY NOODLE, North Beach (570 Green Street between Columbus & Jasper Place, 415-361-8850) Chubby Noodle easily counts as a best cheap eats opening of 2011. In the back of comfortably retro Amante bar, order at a kitchen window (illuminated in neon by… Read more →
Drinking Destination: EAST BAY
It’s true: the East Bay cocktail scene is growing by leaps and bounds lately, with a slew of new bars (many opened by San Francisco bar stars) popping up from Albany to Alameda. Two comfortable, new hang-outs just debuted January 3rd serving cocktails for the geek and casual imbiber alike. Both claim noteworthy bartenders covering various shifts. I spent an… Read more →
Winter Weekend Escape from Sonoma to Healdsburg
Sonoma’s meandering, laid back roads soothe me. One of my top weekend escapes, I’m hard pressed to choose a favorite region of the massive county. Downtown Sonoma, however, is my favorite town in the county and staying near its leafy, green square surrounded by historic architecture, from Spanish mission to Old West storefronts, is a welcome combination of small town… Read more →
Fifth Floor Cocktail Delights
Food and wine are the draw at Fifth Floor (read here and here), but bartender Brian Means (formerly of Zero Zero) has created cocktails worth a stop all by themselves in the mellow lounge. The unassuming Mr. Means creates some of the more promising recipes I’ve tasted from an up-and-coming bartender. As I judge multiple cocktail contests, his entries consistently… Read more →