This article was first published at Tasting Panel Magazine in January 2016. All photos and the article by Virginia Miller. The romance and history of Cognac is unparalleled. As one who has visited distilleries from Japan to Scotland, Oaxaca to Bassano del Grappa, I thought I’d seen it all. True: the rolling vineyards of Cognac more than slightly recall my… Read more →
My Winter 2015-2016 feature for Distiller Magazine on San Diego, with a 10-page print spread, my photos and two articles: My article on 10 of SD’s great bars An interview with Coin-Op Game Room bar manager, Leigh Lacap Both articles here. More of my SD recommends here. ______________________________________ Past issues (top 10 bars, local distiller and bar manager interviews in… Read more →
This Issue:
— 10 Most Important Bay Area Restaurant Openings of 2015: My top 10 of the year – and key honorable mentions.
— 8 NYC Newcomers: Cheap eats (sausages, grilled cheese, bakery, Japanese) to dining (New Zealand, upscale Mexican, Acadian, Roman-Italian) highlights around Manhattan.
This article was first published at Zagat on December 17, 2015. All photos and the article by Virginia Miller. 2015 has been another banner year in Bay Area restaurants. New openings remain quick and steady and often of such high quality, it’s tough to call out the most notable. While the East Bay brought us a range of openings from… Read more →
During my fall return to New York City, which was my shining beacon across the Hudson during my teen years in New Jersey, I stayed with my lifelong best friend who lives on the Upper East Side/Yorkville and caught up on plenty of new – and a few older – bars, restaurants, coffee shops and food markets, like the new… Read more →
This issue:
— Top 10 Dishes & New Openings of December: Whether herring interpretations that journey across Scandinavia or mom’s coconut mochi, here are 10 standout dishes on menus now.
– Top 10 Cocktails of the Month: From a hot toddy influenced by Thai soup to pork fat-infused mezcal and Cynar, here’s the top drinks on SF menus now.
– Where to Drink in NYC: 10 bar greats & best openings of 2015.
It’s been another month of excellent food from the 10 plus meals I eat out a week, ever hunting for the best. I’ve been enjoying bahn mi sandwiches and Vietnamese coffee in the sunny, new-ish Soapox Cafe on Russian Hill, while I have mixed feelings about VeganBurg, a Singapore vegan burger spot that just opened its first US location in… Read more →
From mid-November to mid-December, here are the 10 standout cocktails and new menus I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. 1 & 2. El Capitan’s Port of Call & Maximon Recently returning to El Capitan (festive on a Friday night with Christmas lights and a convivial crowd), the food is better than ever, from silky crudo to fry bread tacos.… Read more →
I wrote this article for Food Republic, originally published December 10, 2015. Article and all photos are by Virginia Miller. The holiday season is here, and you need a drink. Maybe it’s the stress of travel, visiting family members, gift shopping or a heavy end-of-the-year workload. Or you’re just seeking warmth and a break from the winter cold. You seek… Read more →
This issue:
– Top 3 Dishes & New Openings of the Month: From Italian dishes to Spanish paella, what’s new and delicious in SF now.
– Top 10 Food & Drink Books of 2015: In time for holiday gifts, some of the best cookbooks and cocktail/spirits books released this year.
– 5 Things to Love About Texas Hill Country: Retreating in the Texas countryside with bourbon, wineries, BBQ and German history.