The Perfect Spot – Page 84 – a writer's passionate quest for the best food & drink around the world

June 15, 2017

by Virginia Miller on June 15, 2017 in Intro Letter

This issue:

— Top 3 New Restaurants of the Month: A modern day luncheonette with an old school lunch counter vibe, a hip dumpling haven and a smart pasta outpost where most dishes are $15 or less.
— 8 Top Places to Eat Oklahoma City: Whether a Japanese small plates treasure or an unexpectedly good (for central landlocked territory) seafood restaurant, you now have choices in OKC.
— 8 Top Bars Now in Oklahoma City: From a roadhouse with a killer music playlist to a rooftop cocktail haven, OKC is on the rise.

Top SF Openings — May 2017

by Virginia Miller on June 15, 2017 in The Latest

The notable restaurant openings of May were City Counter, Tahini, Chris Cosentino’s Acacia House in Napa, A Mano, Miller’s Rest, Dumpling Time, Le Marais Bakery’s second location in the Castro, The Catamount in Los Gatos, The Castro Fountain (the second location from Ice Cream Bar owner), Reem’s in Oakland. I have yet to make it to Reem’s (soon), Acacia House or The… Read more →

OKC On the Rise: 8 Top Places to Eat Now

by Virginia Miller on June 15, 2017 in Wandering Traveler

Since my parents moved from New Jersey back to the town my mom grew up in — Edmond, OK — a decade or so ago, I’ve had more opportunity to visit the land of my birth: Oklahoma City. We left there when I was one so I have no actual memories there other than occasional visits to my extended family… Read more →

OKC On the Rise: 8 Top Bars Now

by Virginia Miller on June 15, 2017 in Wandering Traveler

Digging into the food scene in the city of my birth, Oklahoma City (article here), I now share my top OKC bars in a scene that keeps getting better each year. While you won’t find cutting edge cocktails/bars in this city, a couple of these spots (WKSY Lounge and O Bar) are competitive with great bars nationally, one (Power House) combines… Read more →

Power House OKC: A Bar With the Ideal Mix of High-Low

by Virginia Miller on June 1, 2017 in Wandering Traveler

Published May 25, 2017, at Liquor.com, my feature on one of OKC’s best bars — which ideally mixes high, low and excellent music with a warm, Oklahoma welcome. Article here: www.liquor.com/articles/power-house-oklahoma-city/#gs.r9qirs One of a kind: Power House Cocktails by the patio fireplace at Power House Read more →

June 1, 2017

by Virginia Miller on June 1, 2017 in Intro Letter

This Issue:

— Top 11 National Cocktails of the Month: From Tulsa to Vancouver, here are 11 cocktails worth drinking around North America now.
— Where to Eat & Drink (& More) in Monterey: From my top (rooftop) spa to a haunted restaurant in an 1833 adobe house, my Thrillist feature on 11 non-touristy things to do in Monterey.
— 11 Top National Vodka Cocktails: Vodka can be a tough one for us spirits geeks. These bars/bartenders nailed it.

11 Top Cocktails Around the US Now — June Edition

by Virginia Miller on June 1, 2017 in Imbiber

Covering the 11 hottest cocktails of the month around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my bar and drink recommends this month at these bars/restaurants (click on each for the featured cocktail): June is the gateway to Summer. And with it come inventive refreshers from Vancouver to Tulsa that show off the warm weather (or the promise of) to fine… Read more →

11 Top Vodka Cocktails Around the US Now

by Virginia Miller on June 1, 2017 in Imbiber

Vodka is a tough one — a favorite of those who “don’t like the taste of liquor” and oft-maligned by spirits geeks, in the right bartender hands, vodka cocktails can still be standouts on a given menu. Here are 11 around the country that impressed me lately from my regular Liquor.com articles: Read more →

The Most Awesome Things to Do in Monterey That Won’t Make You Look Like a Tourist

by Virginia Miller on June 1, 2017 in Around the Bay

Published at Thrillist on May 19, 2017, here are my latest recommendations of what to do in Monterey, from spa to bakery, restaurants to drinks, park to beach: www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/san-francisco/things-to-do-in-monterey-california Read more →

May 15, 2017

by Virginia Miller on May 15, 2017 in Intro Letter

This issue:

The Latest — Top Bay Area Openings: Talking Japanese beer and small plates and about an Irish pub and gathering place in Oakland. Here’s what standing out from the new openings of April.
Imbiber — 11 Top Tequila Cocktails Around the US Now
Wandering Traveler — West Maui: Hotels to coffee, shave ice to affordable food outside the resorts, here are 10 of my West Maui recommendations from my recent return.