“I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had courage to go forth into its expanse…” – Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre July is here… and the year is already half over. Didn’t it just begin? I’m excited to be part of a just-launched website, Spoonwiz,… Read more →
Get Thee to Oakland for Fried Pizza, Amaro & Wine at A16 Rockridge
There’s only a few places in the country where one can find fried Neapolitan pizza, a twist on Italy’s perfect pies. There’s Forcella and La Montanara in NYC, and now A16 Rockridge. Even in Naples, there are few restaurants making this style of pizza. The owners of A16, included Wine Director/Sommelier Shelley Lindgren, fell in love with fried pizza in… Read more →
MEXICAN TALES: 5 New Mexican Spots
MEXICAN TALES: 5 New Mexican Spots Article & Photos by Virginia Miller Mexican food of all regions and categories is not only commonplace in California, it’s essential to our culture, intertwined as we are with our Mexican heritage. One can find Mexican food of every stripe across this massive state, whether San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District taquerias, the farming communities… Read more →
2 New Spirits: California Agricole Rum & High Proof Tequila
Perfect for summer cocktails (or neat pours), here are two new spirits I’m rather crazy about. ST. GEORGE’S CALIFORNIA AGRICOLE RUM, $50 It’s back! Sporting a new label aligned with their gins, St. George Spirits released its California Agricole Rum this week. Formerly Agua Libre (first released in 2010), it’s no surprise, given that agricole is my favorite rum category, that… Read more →
On the Road in Kentucky Visiting Bardstown, Frankfort & Lexington Distillers
Recently catching up on new restaurants, bars, and breakfast spots in Louisville during my second visit in two years, I also trekked to eight distilleries from Bardstown to Lexington, a mixture of “the big guys” (Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace) alongside small batch, craft distillers, including Kentucky Bourbon Distillers/Willet, Limestone Branch, Town Branch, and Barrel House Distilling Co. Here’s a photo journey through my two days… Read more →
5 Edible BRECKENRIDGE Delights
Breckenridge is a striking mountain town. More laid back than Aspen or Vail, its Main Street is not so much hip or chichi, but a welcoming center from which to explore the mountain glories surrounding the town. Less than a 2 hour drive from Denver, it’s all too easy to make a quick jaunt. Breathtaking views from my home base… Read more →
June 15, 2013
“… the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-Up It is sweet to be… Read more →
A Literary Drinking Lounge Debuts
NOVELA, SoMa (662 Mission St. between New Montgomery and Annie Streets, 415-896-6500) Enter lounge-like Novela (“novel” in Spanish), a new book themed bar and lounge in SoMa, and you are swept into an elegant-yet-comfortable respite in a space designed by Jacek Ostoya (who designed nearby Harlot). Black and white colors represent ink and paper in dramatic floor tile, gold accents and lighting evoke gold… Read more →
Aperitif Hour at Range
RANGE, Mission (842 Valencia St. between 19th & 20th, 415-282-8283) Range has been one of the Mission’s great restaurants with strong wine list and stellar cocktails since opening in 2005. Maintaining its quality across the board, they have retained staff for years – many since opening – a rarity in the restaurant/bar business. On July 10th, they launch a new concept.… Read more →
MARIN TALES: Coffee, Beer, Italian Feasting
Join me at three Marin stops in coffee, beer and food, including one newcomer as of this week, another that opened in 2010 – now coming into its own, and one classic that remains great for a decade. EQUATOR COFFEE at PROOF LAB SURF SHOP, 244 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, 415-209-3733 Equator has long been a favorite Bay Area coffee, with 18… Read more →