After countless weekends in Napa over the years (and at least five excursions lately), I could easily recommend worthy restaurants and hotels. Napa isn’t always the most affordable town, but recent visits north have revealed a number of delightfully reasonable options within the bounds of Napa and Yountville, both new and established. They’ve also uncovered a few unexpected dishes… or… Read more →
Article and photos by Virginia Miller Kauai… dreamy island respite, painfully beautiful, truly relaxing (other than East side traffic!) Last issue, I covered restaurants and cheap eats on the island. This time it’s best places to stay and drink (read the 5/15 issue for best cocktails on Kauai). HOTELS GRAND HYATT KAUAI, Poipu Beach – Do yourself a favor and… Read more →
Weaver’s Coffee: if you aren’t drinking it, you should be. Based in San Rafael, Weaver’s has a chill, little shop serving and selling their coffee and teas. The shop fronts their roasting facility and offices, which I had the privilege of touring recently. John Weaver, master roaster and founder, was Peet’s master roaster for over 20 years, working directly with… Read more →
Fancy Food, the largest showcase of specialty foods in North America (held annually in NYC and SF) returned to the Moscone Center, January 16-18. Again I explored thousands of products from around the world, with the limits of my stomach to slow me after hours of sampling. Fancy Food showcases trends in food, which there’s been much talk of… Read more →
Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), are among the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. A MEAL CHABAA THAI’S Pork Neck Larb, Inner Sunset – I am transported straight back to… Read more →
On the cocktail tip, here are a few recent stand-outs: The Alembic, Upper Haight – Leave it to Louie (Danny, that is) for another beauty: Vasco da Gama is one of his creations last year. A smoky-spiced concoction, it’s lush with Buffalo Trace bourbon, smoky with Caol Ila 12yr scotch (they were out last week so he used Bowmore 15yr… Read more →
Cheesy puns aside, Ma’velous is truly that. Kudos to Phillip Ma and his new coffee/wine bar which I’d be ecstatic to have in my own neighborhood. This coffee haven on Market Street (near Civic Center) is worth heading out of your way for. No, there is nothing else like it, even in a city of fabulous coffee. The space is… Read more →
In a world-class city like New York, I’ve always been shocked that a proper coffee, whether it be straight-up cup, a cappuccino or espresso, is in such short order, especially given NY’s Italian influence. From that Italian perspective, coffee is as crucial to daily life as wine. One would not dream of serving Folgers or Sanka (!?), which even local… Read more →
Top Tastes is my usual run-down of favorites. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS At the start of a new year, I visited some… Read more →
BEER • Attending a media-only Sam Adams Utopias dinner was a real treat at Monk’s Kettle on 11/19. Monk’s chef, Kevin Kroger, created a four course dinner of luxurious comfort food, each course paired (and some cooked) with a Sam Adams brew. I must digress to food for a moment: medium rare, ultra-tender Beef Tenderloin Tournedos in classic green peppercorn… Read more →