S. Irene Virbila has been named The Times' restaurant critic.
Virbila has written extensively about food, wine and restaurants and was a contributing editor and columnist at San Francisco Focus magazine. She was also a regular contributor to the Wine Spectator and other publications. In addition, she has written or co-written several books, including "Cook's Marketplace, San Francisco."
Virbila has extensive experience as a caterer and food consultant and was one of the owners and cooks at the Swallow Restaurant at University Art Museum in Berkeley for five years and a chef and co-manager of the Inn Season Restaurant in Berkeley for a year.
Virbila has a bachelor of arts degree in design from the University of California at Berkeley, College of Environmental Design. She grew up in Southern California and is currently a resident of Berkeley.
