Since my last visit to Denver in the Fall, I’ve had another visit with brother, sister-in-law, and dear friends this winter, finding even more reasons why Denver’s dining and cocktail scenes are small but vibrant, growing by leaps and bounds… more interesting a scene than some cities that get more press. Cocktail Haven WILLIAMS & GRAHAM, Highlands (3160 Tejon St.,… Read more →
Edinburgh is a haunted, romantic city of greys and browns, greens and the blue of the sea. I had not been back to Edinburgh and Glasgow in a decade so my trip this past fall was welcome on the heels of a visit to the breathtaking Scottish Highlands and Speyside. Returning to Edinburgh, it was obvious dining and cocktail scenes… Read more →
Photos and article by Virginia Miller Scotland and scotch are enchanted. Sipping a balanced Highland or peat-heavy Islay scotch takes you to places boggy, misty and wild… rather like the Scottish Highlands themselves. In the Fall, I made an unforgettable journey to Speyside, in northeast Scotland, as a guest of the Macallan, one of the most revered, elegant Scotches. I… Read more →
Call it dessert wine if you will, icewine (eiswein in German) is definitely sweet. But winemakers prefer to call it “rich and concentrated”, an apt icewine description, which, when produced well, retains enough acidity to keep it from being cloying. Icewine’s intensity comes from frozen grapes, allowing greater flavor concentration. Unlike in Sauternes, Bordeaux, icewine is not sweet from botrytis… Read more →
Spending nearly half my life in Southern California, I continue to explore LA’s best foods, often miles – and hours – apart. My latest return, staying in a modern, neutral-toned suite with retro spirit at the new, peaceful respite of Hotel Wilshire, yielded more edible hits (and a miss). Last issue I explored more LA cocktail havens. This issue it’s… Read more →
Over the holidays and family visits, I branched out to a few new spots, curious if massive, suburban Orange County finally is entering the gourmet realm long ago the standard in areas far less populated. Multiple visits a year (since the days I lived here) and an exceptional meal is still quite rare. Though I finally found one intriguing cocktail… Read more →
After years of hunting, the day finally came when I could find proper cocktails in LA, even if it was years behind NY or SF. I’ve covered LA cocktail bars in recent years as the quality has rapidly grown, with my latest visit yielding the most consistent drinks yet.Their cocktail renaissance is coming into its own, even if a local… Read more →
Edible Adventures in the city of BORDEAUX Photos & article by Virginia Miller A week loaded with fatty duck, foie gras, canneles, and, of course, wine… such was my time in Bordeaux (see last issue on Bordeaux winemakers). Try tasting numerous wines from morning till night in weather just shy of 90 degrees. Though I was craving a good cocktail… Read more →
The Face of Bordeaux Photos & article by Virginia Miller Watch out: Bordeaux will surprise you. Many wine industry friends and sommeliers I talk to think of Bordeaux wines as pricey, out of reach, inaccessible…. or as some of the best in the world. Visiting numerous winemakers throughout the region during their recent harvest, I was surprised by the number… Read more →
West Cork is known, according to an article in Bon Appetit back in May 2008, as “the California of Ireland,” due in part to its striking coastline and artisan foods. Though I see a far wider range of produce in Northern California than I did throughout County Cork, it’s clear Cork leads the way in Ireland. The wealth of produce… Read more →