This article was first published at Zagat on February 1, 2016. All photos and article by Virginia Miller. Our Wine Country neighbor up north may be (thankfully) a much slower pace, providing no end of day trip and weekend escape options, but the wide open spaces and country lanes — plus busier downtown Napa — are still filled with urban-quality… Read more →
This article was first published at Zagat on January 25, 2016. Photos and article by Virginia Miller. Whether grabbing excellent sandwiches at brand new Artizen in the Hawaii State Art Museum, third wave coffee at The Curb, dreamy black sesame ice cream at Via Gelato, bean-to-bar local chocolate at Madre Chocolates, or cocktails (with a stunning view) from former SF… Read more →
This issue:
— The Best of 2015 in Restaurants, Drink, Hotels & Travel: My picks at Food Republic covering the US & internationally.
— 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.
— 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.
My editorial best of the year picks were published at Food Republic over December 2015 and January 2016 in a series of articles covering the best in US and international travels, hotels, meals and drink — here is a link to each article I contributed to and my favorites summarized below: – Best Drinking Experiences, International– Best Drinking Experiences, West… Read more →
From mid-December to mid-January, here are the 10 standout cocktails and new menus I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. 1 & 2. Bear Vs. Bull’s (at Alamo Drafthouse) Surf Club Mangareva & Great Silence Isaac Shumway (who formerly made the revamped Tosca Café worth visiting for his drinks) has worked his magic at brand new Alamo Drafthouse bar, Bear… Read more →
This article was first published at Tasting Panel Magazine in January 2016. All photos and the article by Virginia Miller. The romance and history of Cognac is unparalleled. As one who has visited distilleries from Japan to Scotland, Oaxaca to Bassano del Grappa, I thought I’d seen it all. True: the rolling vineyards of Cognac more than slightly recall my… Read more →
My Winter 2015-2016 feature for Distiller Magazine on San Diego, with a 10-page print spread, my photos and two articles: My article on 10 of SD’s great bars An interview with Coin-Op Game Room bar manager, Leigh Lacap Both articles here. More of my SD recommends here. ______________________________________ Past issues (top 10 bars, local distiller and bar manager interviews in… Read more →
This Issue:
— 10 Most Important Bay Area Restaurant Openings of 2015: My top 10 of the year – and key honorable mentions.
— 8 NYC Newcomers: Cheap eats (sausages, grilled cheese, bakery, Japanese) to dining (New Zealand, upscale Mexican, Acadian, Roman-Italian) highlights around Manhattan.
This article was first published at Zagat on December 17, 2015. All photos and the article by Virginia Miller. 2015 has been another banner year in Bay Area restaurants. New openings remain quick and steady and often of such high quality, it’s tough to call out the most notable. While the East Bay brought us a range of openings from… Read more →
During my fall return to New York City, which was my shining beacon across the Hudson during my teen years in New Jersey, I stayed with my lifelong best friend who lives on the Upper East Side/Yorkville and caught up on plenty of new – and a few older – bars, restaurants, coffee shops and food markets, like the new… Read more →