The Perfect Spot

09/08/2026

Retro all-day, breakfast-y diner that glimmers in gold and pink with old school floor tiling and a 1970’s vibe that’s fully “my jam,” down to rosy pink bathroom walls with sparkly gold flooring.

And on the drink side, local, female-founded Lady Falcon Coffee Club espresso drinks and coffees, banana cold foam cold brew, Vietnamese coffees and espresso tonics...

Goldenette, from WesBurger's Wes Rowe & Eddie Naser of Toast Eatery...

Reviewed in my 7-spot brunch/breakfast guide:

https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/7-brunch-spots

09/07/2026

Making friends with a moose and falling in love with the historically-preserved design across 200+ year-old cottages around the The Inn at Little Washington village... and all those striking wallpapered or painted ceilings!

Including a gorgeous house in tribute to — and lived in often by — Craig Claiborne, the The New York Times' first dedicated restaurant critic starting in 1957, credited with inventing the modern food critic.

When I first became a restaurant reviewer at the Bay Guardian, followed by Zagat and Time Out editor and reviewer roles, I read every historic critic I could get my hands on, from the pre-critic food writing of A.J. Liebling and my lifelong hero, M.F.K. Fisher, to Mimi Sheraton and, of course, .reichl.

I also dug into bios on Claiborne and have first editions of some of his NY Times cookbooks. What a joy to walk through this stunning house, lovingly tributing him, and hear a bit of the many storied, famous guests who have stayed here, part of chef Patrick O'Connell's wonderful world.

09/06/2026

What a special time this past week with the (gracious)legend himself, chef Patrick O'Connell, a pioneer of American cuisine since he opened Michelin-starred, Relais & Châteaux The Inn at Little Washington in the village of Washington, VA, in an old abandoned garage in 1978.

He's also a gay icon who pioneered in dining and design, creating an enchanting world of beautiful style, preserved history with quirky flair, an array of animals, environmental foresight and a winning community of "misfits" crafting beauty and superb hospitality in bucolic Virginia countryside abutting Shenandoah National Park.

Named for three historic streets in the town, I just started reading his just-released memoir, "Main, Middle & Gay," about his remarkable life feeding diners from everywhere and celebrities devoted to his restaurant and inn.

https://celadonbooks.com/book/main-middle-gay/

Celadon Books

09/05/2026

Regional Spanish dishes reinvented at Michelin-starred Villa Retiro in Spain's Catalonia region, like this pig's feet stew with black pudding (blood sausage, which I've long loved) and sea cucumber. Or steamed langoustine tall in béchamel, artichoke and American sauce (a mayo-ketchup sauce in Spain).

Where to eat, drink & stay in my guide to Spain's Catalan region, incl. a bit of Barcelona:

https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/catalonias-gifts-to-the-world

09/05/2026

Around the nearly 50-year renowned restaurant and The Inn at Little Washington "campus," the Roman-inspired pool is a peaceful respite compared to many hotel pools...

Though I rarely get to sit by the pool in any of the great hotels I'm blessed to briefly stay in for work around the world, I luxuriously took a full 30 minutes here with colleague and friend Xanthe Clay to linger poolside for a dip and an herbaceous gin cocktail:

https://youtu.be/sw0IMcME_r8

09/04/2026

With The Inn at Little Washington chef legend Patrick O'Connell & dearest Xanthe around the magical town of Washington, VA...

From the Field of Dreams and Garden of Scents to the llamas and goats, O'Connell and team have created a special world in this historic village these past nearly 50 (!?) years.

(Feeding the llamas, goats & sheep + hanging with the incredible Sharon, who has been caring for the animals for decades: https://youtu.be/fmhv7nF37ic)

09/04/2026

Ducks, geese and The Inn at Little Washington Michelin green star farm time with Farmer Andy and my dear Xanthe.

The daily town Goose Walk. And the longest tomato vines ever.

https://youtu.be/uQ014LvSpd8

09/04/2026

As a judge in Nola SpiritsComp, a big congrats to all the award-winners from our blind judging, announced at Tales of the Cocktail and here via Imbibe:

https://imbibemagazine.com/announcing-the-winners-of-the-2026-new-orleans-spirits-competition/

Heaven Hill Distillery Mendocino Spirits , Tierra de Agaves , Bluecoat American Dry Gin Commerce Brewing Maison Ferrand Bluegrass Bitters

Announcing the winners of the 2026 New Orleans Spirits Competition's Spirits of the Year and Distillery of the Year.

09/04/2026

Proud to be part of the US Taste Advisors for the first annual Chinese Restaurant Awards in the US (already been going strong in Asia and Canada)...

The first US top 20 announced here with 8 of the 20 in San Francisco: https://chineserestaurantawards.com/2026-elite-12-united-states-top-20-honourees

****Top 20 Honorees — Finalists for the Inaugural Elite 12 United States Awards (alphabetic order)

Array 36 — San Gabriel, CA ｜ Northern Chinese
Birds of a Feather — Brooklyn, NY ｜ Sichuan
Bistro Na's — Temple City, CA ｜ Imperial Chinese / Beijing cuisine
Dian Xin — New Orleans, LA ｜ Northern and Cantonese dim sum
Dumpling Home — San Francisco, CA ｜ Shanghainese / Northern Chinese dumplings
Four Kings — San Francisco, CA ｜ Cantonese-inspired
Fu Hui Hua — San Francisco, CA ｜ Shanghainese / Jiangnan Chinese / Japanese
HK Lounge Bistro — San Francisco, CA ｜ Cantonese dim sum
Kato Restaurant — Los Angeles, CA ｜ Taiwanese-inspired, Tasting Menu
Lei — New York, NY ｜ Contemporary Chinese, Wine Bar
Mister Jiu's — San Francisco, CA ｜ Modern Chinese, American Chinese
MOTT 32 — Las Vegas, NV | Modern Chinese
Red Sorghum — Long Island City, NY ｜ Szechuan and Hunan
Riverside Seafood Restaurant — San Francisco, CA ｜ Cantonese seafood
Shu Jiao Fu Zhou — New York,, NY ｜ Fujianese casual
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen — Cambridge, MA ｜ Hunan
The Happy Crane — San Francisco, CA ｜ Modern Chinese
Wenwen — Brooklyn, NY ｜ Taiwanese
Yingtao — New York, NY ｜ Modern Chinese, Tasting Menu
Z & Y Peking Duck — San Francisco, CA ｜ Northern Chinese, Peking duck

09/03/2026

From breakfast and high tea in that gorgeous sun room, to the moon rising over our Cardinal's Nest house while soaking in our hot tub (or at least, putting my feet in since it was too hot to do more!)...

The rhythms of my The Inn at Little Washington respite were sweet.

09/03/2026

I always love a Caesar salad prepared tableside. Especially one as perfect — and as laden with generous, freshly shaved Parmigiana Reggiano — as at Patrick O’Connell’s Patty O’s Café across the street from The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA.

09/02/2026

This is a seabass and smoked salmon–infused gin cocktail! Lacto-fermented cucumber, dill, and silky chile oil make it a shockingly delicious and savory yet subtle drink.

Michelin-starred Indienne Restaurant Chicago's bar manager Akshar Chalwadi designs cocktails so original and delicate as to keep step with the food, making the bar as much worth a visit as the restaurant.

10 US bars showcasing craft spirits in balanced cocktails:

https://distilling.com/distillermagazine/10-top-u-s-bars-showcasing-craft-spirits

American Distilling Institute

09/02/2026

Mackerel skin shimmers amid cockles, razor clams, Kalix Caviar. Seaweed surrounds a pool of dende oil gazpachuelo soup with essence of tomato. Dry-aged brill fish in its skin is cooked in sherry, bergamot & butter, mingling with almond piccata, watercress & lovage.

50 Best Discovery, 3 Michelin Hermanos Torres is as the name suggests: a fine dining wonder from Sergio and Javier, the Torres twin brothers, serving food that is beautiful, inspired but approachable.

In my Catalonia/Barcelona, Spain, guide: https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/catalonias-gifts-to-the-world

09/02/2026

Oh, blessed window seat! I had one growing up in one of our SoCal homes (we moved a lot) as a girl where I'd read for hours a day... I've longed for one ever since. Loved my window seat, lush bathroom & this birds, trees, plants & butterflies wallpaper in my room in our 1700s Cardinal’s Nest cottage at the enchanting The Inn at Little Washington.

09/02/2026

Ask and ye shall receive...

Or rather, manifest it and it appears. We talked of the English-rooted, American tradition of cherry bounce driving through the rolling hills on the way to the colonial village of Washington, Virginia.

Cherry Bounce is a cinnamon-nutmeg-spiced brandy and sour cherry liqueur beloved by George & Martha Washington, where George spent time in the 1700s. The talented, hospitality+ crew at The Inn at Little Washington surprised us with cherry bounce in our cottage post-dinner.

Perfectly balanced and delicious with cookies, the ideal Virginia nightcap.



(Reminded me of drinking cherry bounce at sadly-gone SF bar great, Benjamin Cooper, for the release party of Steven Grasse's "Colonial Spirits" book back in 2016! www.abramsbooks.com/product/colonial-spirits_9781613122211)

09/01/2026

Virginia in Virginia!

A fairytale hamlet at the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park. Little Washington is listed on the National Register of Historic Places... a movie set of a village with no stop lights in the entire county, set amid rolling green farmland and trees (even Robert Duvall used to live nearby).

I was privileged this weekend to finally visit The Inn at Little Washington & chef Patrick O'Connell's beautiful, well-designed, historic world. After driving through the lush, green countryside singing Dolly with lovely Bonnie & my dear Xanthe Clay, our arrival to the Inn...

09/01/2026

I’ve been writing about Niku Steakhouse since it opened in 2019 & garnered its first Michelin star in 2021. Chef Dustin Falcon still makes some of the best crispy pig ears in the universe.

Red-and-green onagadai (red snapper) crudo tastes like summer in a tomato strawberry dashi with shiso, fresh strawberries & basil oil...

Also, Max Headway's killer cocktails. My review:
https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/beyond-steak-seafood-and-martinis

08/31/2026

THIS is how you do an espresso martini !

Go visit my Italian brother Jacopo Rosito at the new Septimo upstairs in Four Seasons Hotel Miami if you want some of the best hospitality in the nation (seriously)... and great cocktails and bites.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

08/31/2026

I prefer savory brunch, but these French toast “soldiers” or strips dissolve in the mouth, dipped in strawberry and chocolate sauces... a surprising highlight for a “not-a-sweet-tooth” like me at 2010 modern-day classic Marlowe:

https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/7-brunch-spots

08/30/2026

Soaking up the old Havana vibes in the little car alongside the amazing live Cuban band playing at Miami's Cafe La Trova last Friday...

08/30/2026

This view & great food, too... Set on the Okanagan Lake with sweeping mountain and lake views, CedarCreek Estate Winery had the broadest range of wine labels (affordable to higher end) of the wineries I visited in Kelowna, known for their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatic white wines. The winery is also home to a strong farm-to-table, wood-fired restaurant, Home Block.

The restaurant sources from on-site gardens, local farmers, foragers and ranchers, centering dishes around a wood-fired grill. This was the strongest winery meal I had this visit, in touch with local ingredients, striking plating and dishes like one centered around the underrated onion: a caramelized, salt-baked sweet onion with truffled cheese fonduta, wilted greens and lightly fried lion’s mane mushrooms.

Where to eat, drink & stay in Canada's Okanagan Valley:

https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/canadas-okanagan-valleys-gifts-to

Tourism Okanagan

08/30/2026

Ever proud of my sister Justine Martinez and her art, deeply rooted in spirituality and faith...

Her upcoming gallery showings: www.justinemartinez.com/events

08/29/2026

Ají panca shakshuka, a vegetarian play on the Middle Eastern favorite of poached eggs, tomato red pepper sauce, queso fresco, arugula and avocado, given Peruvian flair with ají panca, a Peruvian red pepper...

Rooftop views, sake & cocktails in downtown SF at Chotto Matte SF. 7 sunny brunch spots for your weekend:

https://virginiamiller.substack.com/p/7-brunch-spots

08/29/2026

My Miami crew... and friends from New Orleans to England I savored sweet (+hot & humid) times with last week in FL.

Thanks, my precious brother Jacopo, my girl Cheryl, my longtime friend Naren & Gaby, for making me feel so welcome!

And to my new Nola kindreds, Andrea & Erik! And my friend Xavier of Mermaid Gin, all the way out from the Isle of Wight!

08/29/2026

Yea, The Shelborne By Proper, from beach views to room… keeping me cool on Miami Beach last week. I loved the seafood downstairs at Pauline & sweetheart staff.