Hamburguesa Bar. Photo by Virginia Miller. These 10 new(ish) restaurants — plus two bonus takeout/delivery spots — offer affordable, sometimes fun and delicious casual eats. These 12 cover the gamut: burger bar, Korean-Japanese katsu and udon, Mexican and New Mexican, hoagies, vegan Filipino, Chinese, Middle-Eastern, Indian and Tunisian-influenced wraps. Coffee shop tip: my favorite new neighborhood cafe is Yardsale Equipment… Read more →
The Fin Hotel Oceanside. Photo by Virginia Miller. San Diego has perfect weather, palm trees, beaches, “navy city” status (as the principal homeport of the U.S. Pacific Fleet) and is the eighth-most populous city in the entire U.S. SD’s sprawling network of busy downtown, chill beach towns and citrus grove-lined inland cities is, as you might guess, most heavily caucasian… Read more →
Saam crudo. Photo by Virginia Miller. My first trip out of the country over 25 years ago was the two months I spent in Thailand, followed by a month in Vietnam. Barely out of my teens, it was an intense trip in orphanages and hospitals around the country, in tough conditions (mostly sans bed or bath), but with the privilege… Read more →
Vicinity’s Half Moon Bay course. Photo by Virginia Miller. For 25 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to Silicon Valley. San Mateo County can exhibit suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San Francisco. But this is also… Read more →
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 →
Chotto Matte. Photo by Virginia Miller. 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 (my last brunch feature here). As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Goldenette milkshake. Photo by Virginia Miller. Retro 70s-Style Diner: Goldenette, Nob HillSad as I was to see… 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 →