Carmel coast. Photo by Virginia Miller. Despite its chichi, tony edge, the idyllic, walkable town of Carmel-By-The-Sea is a fairytale village set on the windswept sea. Stunning, moody California/Monterey cypress trees and vivid flowers line the rocky coast, while the Hobbit-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland architecture defines Carmel’s unique look. Like much of California, it’s gorgeous, but the coastline around Carmel is vastly enchanting,… Read more →
Eos & Nyx mezze/dips. Photo by Virginia Miller. For 24 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to the moniker Silicon Valley. San Mateo County can suffer from suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San Francisco. But this… Read more →
From Spanish and Cal-French newcomers to a foodie, cocktail and coffee geek’s hotel… where to eat, drink and stay in San Mateo County now… Read more →
From modern Turkish or Indian to Italian x2 (including alpine Germanic-Italian), where to eat in San Mateo County now… Read more →
Published March 5, 2025, in my Medium column: The village of Mendocino is an enchanted, National Register of Historic Places Victorian village jutting out into the sea. About a 30 minute drive South of the town of Mendo is a sleep slip of a stretch called Elk. Not so much a town, although it was a major logging community in the 1800s,… Read more →
I relish an overnight in my City, never tiring of seeing it from different angles in all its endless beauty and complexity. I’m also glad when my media visits lead me to a place I’d recommend to visitors — and speaks a bit to my retro soul. Opened in November 2023, The Jay hotel exudes 1970s chic with a lean, clean Danish design aesthetic: Read more →
Healdsburg has long been the favored Sonoma town square, packed with charm, shops and great food. Over the 24 years I’ve been visiting, it has grown into a destination for world travelers and foodies since SingleThread opened in 2016. Earning one, then two, and eventually three Michelin stars, Healdsburg has attracted upscale resorts, hotel remodels, pricey condos and a chic reputation.
Alternately, Sonoma’s larger town square has remained steady, even old-school, the past 24 years I’ve visited. With Enclos opening December 5, 2024, in a cozy Victorian cottage a half block off the square, the town is set to change: Read more →
In my series of Bay Area/NorCal overnights (like these recent visits to Sonoma, Napa, Yountville), it’s a joy to hit somewhere so spectacular less than 20 minutes from home. Enter The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito. This enchanting seaside community village…
The Inn Above Tide is one of our most special local getaways (or destinations if you’re coming from afar) for Bay views and an intimate respite in the City’s backyard that feels worlds away in a Mediterranean-esque village. Here are three places to eat nearby: Read more →
In this article:
—Stay & Dine at Michelin-Starred Auro at Four Seasons Napa Valley
—Still One of Napa Valley’s Very Best: Michelin-Starred Press, St. Helena
—Kansas City-Style BBQ in Napa Valley: Stateline Road Smokehouse, Napa
—New Napa Steakhouse: Ember Steak at Meritage Napa Read more →
One of many things I adore about living in my beloved San Francisco for 23 years, far above my bi-coastal upbringing in the suburbs of LA and NYC and midwest Oklahoma and Kansas City roots, is the endless layers and beauty of tiny SF. Thus I am ever experiencing my City anew and rarely get “staycations.” I travel so much for dining and drink research, judging and consulting, it’s a gift when I am home, relishing the world class and unique joys abundant all around me.
However, it’s a privilege when I get a media invite to stay overnight to check out a hotel minutes from home after checking out a new menu or chef at said hotel. I recently visited two notable SF hotels offering feasts creative (Luce) or comforting (MKT). What worked (and didn’t) at each: Read more →