Reviewed this issue:
— Calvados Armagnac Blend
— Spanish Vermouth/Vermut
— Fernet from Brooklyn
— Organic Dominican Republic rum
—Mississippi and El Dorado Hills, CA, gins
… and more Read more →
Author: Virginia Miller
Retro-Chic Lounge with Secret Cocktails & Stellar Food: The Madrigal
You’d be tempted to call The Madrigal an upscale cocktail lounge with elevated bar food, ideal for pre-and post-show imbibing near the San Francisco Symphony, Opera, Ballet, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and SF Jazz. And it is. But it’s much more. Debuting on Van Ness Avenue in December 2021 from Hi Neighbor Hospitality (Trestle, The Vault Steakhouse, The Vault Garden), The Madrigal feels like what the space should have always been. Read more →
Low-Key Molecular: Talking Science of Cocktails with Ted Kilgore of St. Louis’ Planter’s House
This issue I talk the science of cocktail mixing and low-key, behind-the-scenes molecular techniques with Missouri cocktail pioneer, Ted Kilgore of Planter’s House and Small Change in St. Louis.
Buzzy (Yet Hit-or-Miss) Marina Italian at Norcina
We weren’t exactly short on Italian restaurants serving Neapolitan pizzas and housemade pastas. But chef Kaitlynn Bauman’s Norcina, which opened in August 2021, is a sunny, tiny slice of Marina real estate that doesn’t feel like other countless restaurants serving similar food. In the same neighborhood, there is already popular local chain Delarosa focused on Neapolitan pizza and antipasti, a similar pizza focus at new Napizza, intimate, old school, pasta-centric Roma Antica, and, of course, pioneering A16. And that’s just within the same couple of blocks.
Review here: Read more →
May 1, 2022
— April Eats Checklist: From tortas to Salvadoran food, six under-the-radar restaurants, cafes and eateries.
— Turkish Time at Taksim: Reviewing SF’s new modern Turkish (and raki) newcomer.
— Sustainability in California’s Distilleries: My Edible LA magazine feature talking to craft distillers across the state.
— Unexpected Tasting Menu Delights in Petaluma: Table Culture Provisions reviewed.
Turkish Time at Taksim
Taksim is named after a historic Istanbul district lined with 1800s architecture and global chains. The food here follows suit: it’s Turkish, to be sure, adhering to tradition but taking a modern approach… Read more →
April Eats Checklist: From Tortas to Salvadoran Food
These six newcomers (or new menus) cover the gamut, from Mexican tortas (sandwiches) to neighborhood Salvadoran, with bagels and cafes in the mix. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews — Birch & Rye, Nari, ROOH SF , Table Culture Provisions — these newbies are worth visiting: Read more →
Sustainability in California’s Distilleries — My Edible LA Feature
Published in the Spring 2022 print issue of Edible LA magazine, I write about and talk with craft (small batch) distillers across California on sustainability and environmental practices, including St. George Spirits, Griffo Distillery, Sonoma Distilling Company, Spirit Works, Humboldt Distillery, Greenbar Distillery, Hangar 1, The Spirit Guild, Pacific Coast Spirits and Corbin Cash Distillery. Read more →
Unexpected Tasting Menu Delights in Petaluma: Table Culture Provisions
I present to you (arguably) Petaluma’s top tasting menu. The cliche goes that good things come in small packages and this treat is downright tiny. Blink and you’ll miss the Petaluma Boulevard storefront housing intimate, cozy, 10-table Table Culture Provisions (TCP) opened in the former Chili Joe’s towards the end of 2021. Read more →
April 15, 2022
THIS ISSUE:
— Tributing Thai Cuisine, Women, Culture & Bold Deliciousness: One-of-a-kind Thai restaurant, Nari, from Pim Techamuanvivit and team, the full review.
— Modern Indian Food (Still) Inspires: At ROOH SF, the full review.
— Distiller Bottle Column: I review rum, Cognac, gin, liqueurs, tequila, Irish whiskey, bourbon, vodka, RTDs (canned/bottled cocktails, tonics, syrups).
— A Modern Russian Oasis in Noe Valley: My full review of the new Birch & Rye.