Reviewed this issue:
— St. George American Single Malt Whiskey Lot 25
— Charbay Blood Orange Mandarin Vodka
— Silencio Mezcal
— OISHII Sake Spritz
— Bomberger’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon & Shenk’s Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey
… and more Read more →
Nyhavn. Photo by Virginia Miller. Though my largest percentage heritage is Sicilian (specifically Aeolian Islands), my second biggest before my third German, is Scandinavian: split between Danish and Swedish, with one grandparent each having roots in those countries. So it’s no surprise that the earthy, sensual, visionary, free spirited Sicilian-island side of me is tempered with my eldest child, orderly,… Read more →
Nopa Fish’s killer seafood chowder. Photo by Virginia Miller. Chef Laurence Jossel and Holly Rhodes’ Nopa is an SF institution since 2006, still packed nightly, a tough seat to snag. It has remained quality, from food to wine and cocktails, for almost 20 years. So there was no question Nopa Fish, which opened June 17, 2025, would be a priority… Read more →
Five are new-er, two are celebrating two or twenty years, from killer Laotian food or Italian comfort to Tatarstan Russian food. These seven are worth visiting. Last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Mattina canederli. Photo by Virginia Miller. Cal-Italian, All-Day Neighborhood Joys: Mattina, Pacific HeightsSince 2007, SPQR is one of the nation’s great pasta… Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Veso Tomato Vermouth
—Vetus Distillery Plum Brandy
—Koloa Single Batch Rum Aged 5 Years
—Starlight Distillery 10-Year Bourbon, Bourbon Honey Reserve & Indiana Uplands American Single Malt Whiskies
… and more
Read more →
Four Seasons Napa Valley view from lobby deck. Photo by Virginia Miller. North Block scallops. Photo by Virginia Miller. Napa’s gifts to the world are many, not the least of which is changing wine forever by being the first to put New World wine on the map in the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Writing about idyllic Napa nearly two… Read more →
From an affordable Michelin-starred to top Korean, private dinner parties to fish and game perfection, these five restaurants exemplify why SF remains a wonderland of upscale innovation that is simultaneously soulfully delicious: Read more →
Published in the Summer 2025 print issue of Distiller Magazine:
—My interview with Dan Garrison of Garrison Brothers Distillery
—My interview with beverage director Robert Rodriguez of James Beard-nominated Cured Read more →
Reviewed in this article:
—Cuban Rooftop Party: Cubita, Mission
—Tiny Gem Turns 10 with Steal of a $52 4-Course Menu: Trestle, North Beach
—Tyler Florence’s OG Restaurant Reborn After 14 Years: Wayfare Tavern, FiDi
—Longing for More at Modern Ethiopian-Dominican Meski, TenderNob
—Modern German Beer Hall with a View: Radhaus, Fort Mason
—New Vietnamese Coffee and Bánh Mì Go-To: Angiday, Upper Haight
—Don’t Go Out of Your Way But Fun Finger Foods: Bar Darling, Marina Read more →
Starting in 2010, I’ve been writing about Guadalajara since my first visit with the great Fortaleza tequila when it was a small cult brand and, as founder/distiller Guillermo Sauza tells me, I was one of the first people writing about them. Every time I’m consulting in or on a press trip in the Highlands or Lowlands of Tequila, I get at least a night or two in GDL… and I’ve been smitten with it as the underrated second biggest city in Mexico. Its restaurants, bars, culture and people is the “real” Mexico on so many levels. I’ve been impressed by its steady growth in range and depth over the 15 years I’ve been visiting and working at distilleries where I consult in Arandas. Read on… Read more →