“The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite. Without this, it is impossible to accumulate… enough experience of eating to have anything worth setting down. Each day brings only two opportunities for field work, and they are not to be wasted minimizing the intake of cholesterol.” – A.J. Liebling, “Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris” “Other… Read more →
Author: Virginia Miller
Coffee & Toast, Italian Brunch, Bacon Lattes, Oaxacan Eats, Lunch Hour & Notable Cocktails
As always, a taste-rich month in my city. Visited old favorites like Tommy’s for champion margaritas, Little Delhi’s savory Indian in the Tenderloin (glad they now have chaat on the menu), brunch and cocktails at classy, retro Presidio Social Club, hit-the-spot cheeseburgers at Sam’s, and Pho Ga at Turtle Tower. Then there’s new spots that didn’t quite grab me upon… Read more →
Spanish Authenticity: Contigo in Noe Valley
Contigo 1320 Castro Street (at 24th)San Francisco, CA 94114415-285-0250 www.contigosf.com www.inpraiseofsardines.com My cozy ‘hood of Noe Valley hasn’t had a truly noteworthy restaurant opening in some time. Though we have one-of-a-kind places like Incanto and Firefly, we lack in top-notch ethnic food (which makes me sad) or a slew of above-average options the amount of which some ‘hoods have. But… Read more →
Japan in Napa: On Dashi & Japanese Technique at Worlds of Flavor
A couple Spring excursions up to Napa this month meant more “Top Tastes” for me from new and not-so new restaurants. But first… an event that brought me up for a day was a rare afternoon of Japanese food at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). With a cadre of visitors, including the Consul General of Japan, and speciality food… Read more →
Eating Through New Orleans’ French Quarter
Back to incomparable New Orleans… I continue to share of my long list of finds after recently renting an apartment on the edge of the Quarter, exploring every neighborhood I could (here’s my last installment, more to come). The French Quarter, touristy though it may be, is everything it’s reputed to be and more (next time I’ll share fave jazz… Read more →
March 2009
“Three hundred small pleasures make people happier than one magnificent one.” – Daniel Gilbert, Harvard Professor I have to let you know of some important changes this month… ones I’m excited to share with you. First, I just started writing a weekly online food/drink column for the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper – subscribe to it by RSS feed or bookmark the… Read more →
Top Tastes
“We… became aware that we have higher quality conversations at restaurants than at home. It’s as though we rise to the occasion by selecting worthwhile, less mundane subjects to discuss when eating out…” – Mimi Sheraton, “Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life” SAVORY – VEGETARIAN Since Inner Richmond’s classic Clementine was taken over last year by chef of the… Read more →
Dive Bar Southern Joys at Broken Record
BROKEN RECORD 1166 Geneva Avenue (between Edinburgh and Naples Streets) San Francisco, CA 94112 415-963-1713 http://brokenrecordsf.com If you can’t hang with dive bars or aren’t willing to venture into the far reaches of the Excelsior, Broken Record may stay off your radar. But you’d be the one missing out. Parking is easy, so why not? Go, and you may, like… Read more →
Imbiber
RETRO BARS, Part Two It’s no secret I’m sold on all things retro. Besides calling me Renaissance Woman, some friends say I was born in the wrong time. I shoulda been a 1940’s/1950’s siren… at least in my dreams. I’ll take the freedom and independence of today, though in an ideal world (and I do try!), I’d fuse the modern… Read more →
Talking Pastrami, Cocktails, Coffee, Ice Cream & BBQ in LA
Having lived in Orange County/LA area a good portion of my life (with family still there), I head down South regularly, exploring LA haunts as much as I can, struggling much more in OC to find high-caliber food and drink but always on the hunt. My recent visit provided yet more experiences worth sharing… DRINK Seven Grand – This is… Read more →