Virginia Miller
San Francisco Contributor
Virginia is a writer and editor based in San Francisco whose work has been published in over 60 international outlets, including Bon Appétit, Time Out, Whiskey Magazine, Distiller Magazine, and more. She was Zagat’s SF editor, the SF Bay Guardian restaurant critic, and Table8’s VP of Content. In 2007, she founded The Perfect Spot, followed by her Substack. She’s a recurring judge for international spirits and bars awards, sits on the James Beard Awards’ beverage committee, and is academy chair for the World’s and North America’s 50 Best Restaurants — as a result, she’s visited over 30,000 restaurants and bars worldwide. She consults in food and drink, develops and blends spirits (like co-creating Avión Cristalino Tequila), and curates menus (she created the cocktail menu for Dominique Crenn’s Paris restaurant, Golden Poppy).
Fun Facts
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Lives in
Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco -
Favorite food movie
“Big Night” forever, followed closely by “Babette’s Feast.” -
Best high-low pairing
Absinthe and root beer (together, trust me) alongside popcorn with various toppings. -
Your Ratatouille moment
Mama’s pasta nights, cooking my Sicilian grandpa Marchese’s pasta sauce, which would simmer on the stove for hours. -
Hot take
All I’ll say is that I’m living proof that you can train yourself to like anything, especially foods you once hated. -
A spot you’d almost gatekeep
Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro. -
Pro tip for diners
Monday or Tuesday are way better nights to dine out. Especially if you’re sitting at the bar, so you can chat with your bartender and fellow diners.
