A warm welcome, oppressive summer heat, animals skipping across remote dirt roads, heavy German influence and old world architecture, BBQ, wineries and whiskey… just a few of the adventures had in Texas’ wild Hill Country. The Renaissance Man and I took a road trip this August, stayed in one of only two guest rooms at the utterly remote, retreat-like, peaceful… Read more →
There is a vibrant range of quality bars in Houston (my top 10 Houston food recommends here), a city whose drink scene is on the rise, whether the cocktail bar that finally ushered in the cocktail renaissance here in 2009, Anvil, to the city’s strongest Italian amaro selection and cocktails at Coltivare. Some spots didn’t quite work for me: the… Read more →
With its hot and heavy air, Houston is redolent of Gulf spirit that at moments recalls New Orleans, albeit without all that romance, music and beauty. But that Gulf influence peeks out in some of the scenic neighborhoods where I appreciated homes lined with front porches and palm trees. Houston is the most international of the Texas cities and it… Read more →
Last issue we talked Dallas, which is full of food and drink surprises these days… Austin gets all the love in national press, and among many I know. As music is the first love of my life, Austin certainly gains points there (although New Orleans remains the ultimate music city in my book). But I found all three Texas cities… Read more →
Last issue we talked Dallas, which is full of food and drink surprises these days… Austin gets all the love in the national press, and among many I know. As music is the first love of my life, Austin certainly gains points there (although New Orleans remains the ultimate music city in my book). But I found all three Texas… Read more →
Last issue we talked Dallas and its many food and drink surprises these days… This issue I dig deep in Austin — food (restaurants, tacos, BBQ, ice cream) and cocktails/bars. All that intense research, part of a two week road trip across the state, means I required morning fuel for days of tasting and exploring. Here are the six Austin… Read more →
My October 2015 article at Food Republic covers a hotel with Old Hollywood history in San Diego and a range of top spots for food, coffee, beer and cocktails near the hotel. My feature here. Save Read more →
I’ll be brutally honest: Oklahoma-born, with even my parents briefly living in Dallas, it’s long been one of my least favorite American cities. I had a job in my younger years that brought me there almost every month and after many visits, I never found its charms. Even though I sought out “artsy” areas like Deep Ellum, it was the… Read more →
I wrote this article for Food Republic, originally published September 22, 2015. Here is the unedited article with an additional 5 bars at the end and also Berlin shops selling rare spirits. The article and all photos are by Virginia Miller. Not having been back to Berlin since 1999 when the city was flush with cranes, construction and raw energy,… Read more →
Though I drove briefly through Germany’s stunning Berchtesgaden region in the Bavarian Alps recently during a second and third return to Austria and Switzerland, when I spent 8 days this May in Berlin, I actually hadn’t been back to Germany since 1999. At that time, when I was backpacking around Europe for 3 months, Berlin was all cranes and construction… Read more →