From mid-April to mid-May, here are the standout cocktails and new menus I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. 1. Alembic’s SF Confidential A newcomer on the menu at the excellent-for-a-decade Alembic is bar manager Larry Piaskowy’s new SF Confidential ($13), on the chalkboard. What makes it special is the harmony and balance of the ingredients and its easy drinkability.… Read more →
Where Tokyo is expanse, towers, lights and endless depth, Kyoto is the stillness of gardens and temples bearing a silence unlike anywhere else, encompassing and lush. It’s the charm of an ancient village, shockingly intact, yet with the offerings or range of a mid-size city. Amsterdam meets Japan in Kyoto’s canals (particularly magical at night) and its temples, gardens and… Read more →
Where Tokyo is expanse, towers, lights and endless depth, Kyoto is the stillness of gardens and temples, bearing a silence unlike anywhere else. It manifests the charm of an ancient village, shockingly intact, yet with the range of a mid-size city (my coverage on Kyoto dining, coffee and food here). While the Kyoto cocktail scene is tiny compared to the… Read more →
This issue:
– My Top 5 Dishes & New Openings of April.
– Weekending in Mendocino: Anderson Valley wines, coastal organic fish, vegan ice cream and more.
– 3 New Spirits of the Month: Talking Colombian and Minnesota gin and 3 unique rye whiskies aged in wine casks.
When not enjoying cheap eats from hole-in-the-wall favorites like Mexico-authentic chilaquiles from Dona Mago or fantastic xiao long bao, sesame balls and dumplings from Dim Sum Club, I am out exploring new openings, new chef’s menus and returning to places, most recently Amoura, Schroeder’s and Boxing Room. These two low-key newcomers work well for takeout, though no one dish initially… Read more →
Mendocino remains one of our most magical NorCal getaways. The craggy coast, majestic redwood forests, the Victorian village of Mendocino itself — a weekend in Mendo, as locals call it, is always a relaxing proposition. The pace slows down, and the spirit of the hippies who popularized the town in the ’60s and ’70s remains, while dramatic vistas from forests, farmlands and hills to the rugged shore and deep blue sea all refresh from city life and a long work week.
Almost daily, I’m tasting a wide range of spirits, wines and beers, whether at restaurants and bars, distilleries, wineries or breweries or as samples crossing my desk. For March, here are recently-released spirits standouts. WhistlePig Old World Series: Sauternes, Madeira, Port ($117.99) WhistlePig’s Old World Series was just released, showcasing WhistlePig Rye aged in three different types of wine casks… Read more →
This issue:
– My Top 8 Cocktails of the Month: Journey through amaro pours to shiso cocktails.
– 12 Exceptional Tokyo Bars: This city like no other boasts incomparable bars and the rarest selections of whiskies by-affordable-pour in the world.
From mid-March to mid-April, here are the standout cocktails and new menus I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. 1. BDK’s Shiso It’s always good news when Kevin Diedrich is back manning a bar. At brand new BDK (my Zagat feature on the restaurant here), his two pages of cocktails ($11 each) are named after a single leading ingredient or… Read more →
This article I wrote for Food Republic, originally published on February 18, 2015. The article and all photos below are all by Virginia Miller. I also wrote extensively about a range of Japanese whiskies, bars and distilleries in a print feature article in the December 2014 issue of Whisky Magazine UK. You might have heard about the hand-carved ice. Suited… Read more →