From my MontRubi deck in Penedes, one of the best sunsets of my life. When I Fell in Love with Catalonia For food and restaurant lovers, Spain’s Catalonia (aka Catalan region) is first and foremost known for El Bulli, the birthplace of molecular gastronomy. The surprisingly humble cliffside restaurant is now a museum I visited, lined with experimental plateware, dish… Read more →
Published in the Summer 2026 print issue of Distiller Magazine: Read more →
Brunch is one of the weekend’s most sacred rituals. Here are seven notable brunch experiences, from retro 1970s diner to modern Indian or Peruvian. As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Read more →
It has been quite a year for Sons & Daughters already. In these initial months of 2026, they’ve garnered a rare spot in the second annual North America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, a returning two Michelin stars and a James Beard finalist nomination for Best Chef California for Harrison Cheney. In November 2025, S&D moved from its tiny original space — now housing already-Michelin-starred modern Filipino Restaurant Naides — to San Francisco’s Mission District in the gorgeous, wood-walled space that was home to Michelin-starred Osito… Read more →
Eldorado Hotel lakeside setting. Photo by Virginia Miller. I finally made it to the Okanagan, after drinking — and increasingly — loving the wines for the past 15 years. Defined by the Okanagan Lake and Okanagan River, the Okanagan Valley is the famed British Columbia wine region of Western Canada, producing the larger portion of my favorite wines in all… Read more →
Bourbon Steak crab cake “pop tarts.” Photo by Virginia Miller. These five restaurants — two new, one recently reborn, two quietly holding strong — do comfort food right. With a strong side of booze, whether exemplified in martini carts or martini menu sections. They might be a classic or modern steakhouse that also runs heavy on seafood, or a comfort… Read more →
From celebratory New Year’s bubbly to wintery whites and reds, here are 20 bottles to suit a range of palates, meals or occasions: Read more →
Casino de Monte-Carlo cacti view. Photo by Virginia Miller. Realizing I’m among the privileged who can say I’ve been to the French Riviera three times, the Côte d’Azur is as romantic and dramatic as you’ve imagined. Bustling “big” city Nice is more hectic, while crossing over to the Italian side offers a blessedly more humble, low-key coast — like the… Read more →
Maria Isabel’s sea urchin tamalito. Photo by Virginia Miller. Talented husband-wife chef duos are a special dynamic and business-life partnership common across the restaurant industry. In San Francisco alone, powerhouse couples run some of the best small restaurant groups in the city, like Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Anchovy Bar), Michael and Lindsay Tusk (Quince,… Read more →
Mendocino coast by moonlight from Inn at Newport Ranch. Photo by Virginia Miller. The term “thin place” is an ancient one, referring to places where heaven and earth come close or the veil between life now and the afterlife is especially delicate and permeable . On California’s breathtaking Mendocino Coast, easily some of the most dramatic, mystical coastline in the world,… Read more →