As I await the opening of the likes of NINEBARK in Napa (a preview that yielded stellar tastes from chef Matthew Lightner formerly of 2 Michelin-starred Atera in NYC, Mugaritz in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen), I’ve also enjoyed healthy, high tech, cheap eats at the new eatsa. Here are my top 10 September dishes and new openings, some from… 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 →
Almost daily, I’m tasting a wide range of spirits, wines and beers, whether at restaurants, bars, distilleries, wineries, breweries or as samples crossing my desk. This Summer, here are 10 memorable wines I tasted on menus around the Bay Area, best for different purposes from value to uniqueness. 2013 Terlan Quarz Sauvignon Blanc at Michael Mina The wine list at… Read more →
Through September, here are the standout cocktails and new menus I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. This is an article I wrote for Blackboard Eats, published September 22, 2015. 1. Black Sands’ Quinine & Pine Brand new Black Sands is a brewery and restaurant (with a killer cheeseburger and bites) but thanks to a cocktail menu created by Nicolas… Read more →
This issue:
– Top 8 Cocktails of the Month: Whether quinine and pine-laced refreshers or deli-influenced cocktails, here’s the best of what I’ve been tasting lately.
– My Top 10 Meals in Berlin: Back to Berlin for the first time since 1999, here’s what made an impression, from 2 Michelin star Asian-influenced dining to Turkish street food.
– Berlin Coffee & Cafes: The best coffee and cafes in Berlin now.
— Weekending (Affordably) in Big Sur
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 →
As in so many of the world’s best cities these days, coffee has risen to an art form, whether influenced by the hot, flat white-driven coffee scene in Australia, or the decades-long history of superlative coffee on the US’ West Coast (Oregon, Washinton and California), whether pulling from Italian coffee drink perfection or Japanese equipment precision (Hario, siphon, etc.) Berlin… Read more →
I wrote this article for Zagat, originally published September 4, 2015. The article and all photos are by Virginia Miller. For many, Big Sur is a spiritual place: that sparsely populated coastline of Central California cradled by the Santa Lucia Mountains, with redwoods and dramatic cliffs lining the Pacific. Being as remote (and stunning) as it is, restaurants are few,… Read more →
This Issue:
– Top 10 Dishes of the Month: From SF to Oakland, I’m getting excited about veal sweetbread tacos, a katsu-drowned fried chicken torta and miso peach sticky buns, to name a few.
– The Top 10 Spirits Releases of the Summer: There are new whiskies, rums, agricole, vermouths, gin and even cinnamon liqueur to please a range of palates.
– High-Tech, Cash-Less, Healthy, Cheap Fast Food? Enter eatsa.
August was quite a month for notable new openings from Oakland to SF, including restaurants like The Keystone in the Mosser Hotel (my Zagat feature on the opening here). I also visited months-old spots, like the solid-though-not-overwhelming Buttermilk Southern Kitchen, or savored old school torta comfort (a steal with massive tortas) at Tortas Boos Voni. On the cheap eats front,… Read more →