South Lake Tahoe: Where to Eat, Drink & Stay Now

Lake Tahoe has long held the enchantment for me it has for many: stunning beauty, expansive blue, snow-capped mountains on all sides, dense pine and fir forests. It’s the Switzerland of California, complete with wood cabins and cozy restaurants.

Granted, much of the food caters to tourists or the basics — city-worthy food, this is not, only slightly improving in the 20 years I’ve been week-ending in Tahoe. But there are gems and here’s a guide to a few, from dining to coffee to cocktails, in South Lake Tahoe.

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January 1, 2022

THIS ISSUE:
— TBI’s Top 12 New Restaurants of 2021: My Bold Italic feature on the top 12 new restaurant openings of the year + top new bars, best of 2020 (the “lost” year) and honorable mention new openings.
— Le Fantastique: Your New Music, Wine & Bites Hangout: My full review of a new Hayes Valley restaurant that marries McIntosh amps, vinyl and a smart team with raw, cured and aged fish, small plates, white Burgundy and Champagne.
— 5 New Restaurants of the Month Worth Visiting, December 2021: These five notable newcomers cover the gamut, from fine dining pop-ups to Peninsula food halls housing Michelin-starred chefs.
— Flavors of the Big Screen: Three global bars’ cocktails inspired by film & TV — in Los Angeles, Guadalajara and Hong Kong — my latest feature in Gin Magazine.
— 12 Standout Wines (To Suit All Palates) for the Holidays: 12 bottles to suit a range of palates, meals and occasions from low-key, cozy meal to celebratory splurge, champagne to red wines, natural to elegant.

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5 New Restaurants Worth Visiting Before 2021 Wraps Up

Anomaly’s Beets + Blood Orange, tarragon yogurt, nasturtium, crumble — Photo Credit: Virginia Miller Like the year prior, 2021 has tested us all (on so many levels). So suffice to say that we’re all deserving of a treat-yo’-self gastronomic outing before the year comes to an end. San Francisco’s Uma Casa Serves Up the City’s Most Authentic Portuguese CuisinePortuguese white wines are incredibly… Read more →

Le Fantastique Is Your New Favorite SF Hangout Spot That Has Great Music, Wine, and More

Le Fantastique cured, aged and raw fish/sashimi — Photo Credit Virginia Miller They had me at McIntosh. True, my husband Dan and I have vintage McIntosh amps at home, which we stumbled upon unexpectedly in an estate sale in Sebastopol years ago at a crazy-good price. Listening to records through this gorgeous system beloved by audiophiles the world over (vintage McIntosh is almost… Read more →

December 15, 2021

THIS ISSUE:

— La Bande: Mid-Market’s New Tapas Slice of Spain With Art Deco Vibes
— 5 San Francisco Bars to Visit Now: Three new bars, one classic with a view, one intimate, reopened bar
— Besharam: Female Indian chef goes vegetarian, my full review of the evolving Dogpatch restaurant
— Weekend-ing: Affordable, Hidden Gems in Nevada’s Capitol, Carson City
— Distiller Bottle Column

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