Like many a US city these days, Third Wave coffee has taken over Philadelphia. No longer relegated to the pioneering West Coast that launched this wave as far back as the 1960’s when Peet’s first opened in Berkeley, CA, Philly has had its own key pioneer since 1994: La Colombe. When even NYC was still a wasteland for great coffee — not… Read more →
My May 26th Oakland Magazine feature article ran in both June print issues of Oakland and Alameda Magazines, covering two romantic escapes in Beverly Hills and on the beach in Santa Monica as well as where to eat and drink nearby. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles include going well beyond wine in the Willamette Valley with beer, spirits, ciders,… Read more →
Philadelphia is as much the food lover’s town as you’ve heard — or maybe you haven’t and need to get schooled. There are some seriously fantastic eats here, whether you’re going old school and hunting for cheesesteaks or hitting up some of the best Middle Eastern and hip, Jewish-influenced restaurants in the country. While the cocktail scene has a few… Read more →
This article was originally published here at Food Republic on May 19, 2016: With its waterside setting, educated demographics and crisp, New England weather, Boston has long been a draw for seafood, historic restaurants and even claims key 1960’s years when California-born Julia Child lived in Cambridge, where she researched and tested recipes from her years in France. Despite even… Read more →
As I continue to call out OC food gems (more here) from a County I partly grew up in — but one known more for its chain restaurant blandness and mall-mentality than its culinary gems — here are a few more places worth seeking out in the endless, freeway-laced suburbs of LA. PLAYGROUND, Santa Ana Yes, I finally made it… Read more →
Last month, I wrote a Zagat feature article on hot, newer restaurants in Hawaii, including a number of standouts during my fantastic 2 weeks in December on Oahu and Kauai to end 2015. In my Zagat feature, I cover a number of recommended restaurants — The Pig & the Lady (my top choice), Pint + Jigger, Mud Hen Water, Koko… Read more →
Last month, I wrote a Zagat feature on hot, newer restaurants in Hawaii, including a number of standouts during my fantastic 2 weeks in December on Oahu and Kauai to end 2015. Here are some of my favorites this visit in Oahu, while now I dig deeper into coffee, food, restaurants and drink spots in Kauai. Magical Kauai is still… Read more →
This article was first published at Food Republic on February 9, 2016. All photos and article by Virginia Miller. In Hungry Concierge, we travel the world to spot hotels that operate with their guests’ food and drink needs squarely in mind — hotels, both big and small, that are located in neighborhoods rich with bar and restaurant options. Because there’s… 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 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 →