Grand Central Oyster Bar

The husband and I are both suckers for old New York. Which is why, I think, we refuse to give up on Grand Central Oyster Bar. We have a tradition, that once a year we will go to GCOB for oysters, soup, and a couple of beers. This order is usually pretty safe - other menu items are pretty inconsistent. But the oysters and soup are typically very good and when you add in the atmosphere (we only eat at the bar) - it is usually great.



So that is what we did a few weeks ago. And sadly, it may be the last time. Everything was very mediocre. The soup wasn't bad, just nothing special and a little gloopy. The beer we ended up with was pretty good but that was after being told that they were out of the first two we asked for. They were also out of crab cakes, so we ended up with fried shrimp with a remoulade - they were fine. Here's what the oysters looked like. Some were uneatably huge. I guess we could have asked for small ones - we just asked for whatever was freshest.



I haven't given up completely - but it isn't a yearly event that I am looking forward to as much as I once did.

Shanghai Cuisine

Last weekend the husband and I had a lunch date at Shanghai Cuisine.



It was a cold day and really the only thing that would help were soup dumplings. I had been to New Green Bo a week or two earlier and was disappointed, so I was wary.

Was my relationship with soup dumplings over? Doesn't anyone say goodbye anymore?


Alas, there was no need to worry, the relationship is strong.

In my mind, soup dumplings are truly a genius creation. Up there with the paper clip, and the wheel. If you haven't had them, dumpling filled with pork and soup served with vinegar and ginger.

Go to SC now - eat soup dumplings.

The pea shoots were also good.

As was the chicken and taro root casserole.

Beppe Review and Camera Struggles

I tried to post the pictures from my new camera this morning and was able to download them but then couldn't get them onto blogger. Grrrr.

My frustration is mellowed with the delicious muffin, (corn or polenta I think) I am eating right now courtesy of Beppe Restaurant on 22nd between Park and Madison.

I was treated to a lovely dinner there last night. It had been on my list of places to try as Tuscan food is high up there on favorites.

The reviews I've read suggest that people either love or hate this restaurant. My opinion falls just a hair slight of "love" and lands in the "I REALLY, REALLY like" category.

For starters, we split the CRESPELLE, a chestnut crepe filled with stewed duck and black trumpet mushrooms. This has to be one of my favorite appetizers of all time. There were hints of truffle, and "stewed duck" was an understatement - it tasted like it had been slow cooked for ages and then just a little more for good measure, and the mushrooms had the perfect amount of bite.

For the next course we split the NORCINO, butcher’s spaghetti with crumbled pork, garlic, Chianti, rosemary, and tomato. Again, this didn't disappoint. It was basically a ragu, and the spaghetti was thinner and more delicate then I expected, a pleasant surprise. Though a bit on the salty side, I would definitely order this again.

On to the entrees, I had the PESCATRICE, Pancetta wrapped monkfish medallions with beets and mixed local potatoes. I didn't love this. The beets were good, but it is hard to screw up beets. The fish was just bland. Not much too it for me. Luckily I was pretty stuffed from the first two dishes.

My dining companion had the GAMBERONI, spicy large shrimp with blood orange, fennel, and puntarelle salad. This was very good. The shrimp was nicely grilled and definitely spicy. I think she had the perfect meal with this one.

Oh, I almost forgot, we split the special fries which I had read about. I could recommend this restaurant for the fries alone. Not only were they perfectly crispy, but they were loaded with flash fried herbs. They begged for a delicious burger topped with Roquefort cheese...but that's another meal.

No room for dessert, but the espresso was very good.

Of course, the Beppe experience is topped off this morning with the muffin I referenced above. A great touch when a restaurant sends you home with a treat.

So, if not for the monkfish and the slight saltiness of the pasta, I would have said that I loved this restaurant - but hey, it is Valentine's Day so maybe I will forgive these shortcomings and drop the L bomb on Beppe.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Anyone have special plans?

Book Recommendation: Life Is Meals

I've been reading this book that I got as a gift for Christmas.



I do get gifts that aren't food related, but they are few and far between.

This is a great train book, or one to pick up between books, as it basically a diary of days with short stories, facts, and tips about food. Each day no more then a page or two.

It is also a great gift because it is beautifully illustrated

Today's entry is an exchange from the play, The Importance of Being Earnest, tomorrow is about the benefits of chocolate, and when I randomly picked a page just now - July 21 is about Hemingway, the daiquiri, and its origin. Clearly, something for everyone.

In other news, I bought a small digital camera this past weekend. A little frustrated at all the extras you need to buy, i.e. a $40 memory stick. But I have a few pictures saved on the internal memory from a Chinatown lunch this past Saturday. Will post as soon as I figure out how to download onto my computer.

Superbowl Party

As promised, a post about the Superbowl Party we threw on Sunday. I love cooking for the Super Bowl because there is nothing fancy about it. I also tend to make things that I don't make any other time of the year.

Like Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip.



Recipe:
Poach 2lbs of chicken breast and shred. Place on the bottom of a large lasagna pan or casserole dish. Pour an entire bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce (it is important that it is Frank's). Mix well.

On stove, mix 2 8oz boxes of cream cheese with a bottle of ranch or blue cheese dressing (I used blue cheese ranch)over medium heat until smooth and bubbly.

Pour this on top of chicken. Top with about 1 cup of chopped celery. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 375 and then top with Cheddar or monterey jack (or both) and bake covered for another 20 minutes.

Use celery or carrot sticks for dipping. The joy of chicken wings without the wings!
Is there another time of year when this would be appropriate?

I also made Spicy Nuts.

This is one that I actually make often.



So easy. Buy raw nuts (any combo is fine). Toast the nuts on a pan at 350 degrees until slightly browned. Meanwhile melt 2 tbsp of butter, add about 2tbsp rosemary, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp brown sugar (I really eyeball these and you can pretty much up the quantities or reduce as you like). Pour nuts into a bowl and mix with butter mixture.

Also on the menu was 7 Layer Dip (I only did 6) - refried beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheese, jalapeno slices.

Potato chips and onion dip and cheese and crackers of course.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke dip from Food Network.

White Chili Surprise also from Food Network. This is a new favorite recipe by the way. I think it was because of the lime and tequila marinated chicken. I will probably add this to the repertoire for during the year as well. If you don't add the cheese at the end, it is pretty low fat and still tasted great. I also used canned beans which were fine. And I chopped the chicken into pieces and mixed it with the marinade and then sauteed it before adding to the chili. The recipe calls for grilling the chicken whole - I don't have a grill, also I think the chopped chicken absorbed more of the marinade.

Cocktail Meatballs. Made the meatballs first and cooked them in the oven to brown. Meanwhile had brown sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire cooking on high in the crock pot. Added the meatballs and cooked for about two hours. Have been enjoying these for lunch the past few days.

There were Roasted Artichokes that a friend brought over (loving them for lunch this week also). Tomato and mozzarella salad - the only semi healthy thing on the menu. And it was all topped off Cinnamon Brownies with caramel and pecan topping (a little undercooked in the middle).

Here is a picture of the appetizer table.



I might have gone overboard considering what is still left in the fridge. Here is the fridge after the party. Ummm, I hope I don't actually finish all those beers...



Here is me, putting my feet up after the party, drinking the left over champagne from the champagne and bourbon cocktails that the husband expertly made.



Here is what happens the next night when you forget to run the dishwasher. That's right, you eat brownies with chop sticks.



Good food. Good friends. Good enough game. Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

All the makings of a successful Super Bowl Party.

Drake's Apple Fruit Pies

I have an embarrassing confession to make.

Every now and again, the vending machine at my work features Drake's Cakes.



That's not the embarrassing part. The embarrassing part is how excited I get when I see them.

I rarely go to the vending machine, and they rarely put the pies in there, and even more rare is when it is the apple pie. To have all those stars align, well, you can see how I would consider myself to be very lucky that day.

Yesterday, I passed by when the vending machine man was reloading and I saw that he had Drake's Pies. He was taking forever, and I think my lurking was making him nervous. I considered buying one off of him directly, but I felt like it would seem too desperate, so I didn't buy one.

This morning, I hoped my luck had continued. I approached the vending machine this morning with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The end of the story is that I just finished both pies. I did it quick so no one would see me.

They are the worst snack I think you can eat - healthwise. But I love their fake deliciousness. And I'm going to the gym later.

When I was looking for a picture of the cakes. I found a website (links below) which is worth at least a few minutes of procrastination for those of you who do that. I imagine if you are reading my blog, then you probably do....

Snacks

Drake's

Superbowl pics tonight. Got home late last night and never made it off the couch to post.

Restaurant Reviews: Assenzio and Mamlouk

Big foodie weekend for me. Two lovely dinners out (both on 4th Street) and a Super Bowl party at the apartment. I'll post about the SB tonight - I finally have pictures to post.

For today, a recap of two dinners.

Friday night: Date night with the husband at Assenzio on 4th Street between A and B - a Sardinian restaurant that gets very good marks for great food at pretty inexpensive prices.

We had a shaky experience to start. We arrived at about 9:15 and were told the wait was going to be 10 minutes. Surprised because the place was packed, we sidled up to the bar. Fifteen minutes later we decided to get a drink and were told the wait would be another 15 minutes. A little frustrated because I would rather just be told the actual time then be strung along. Then the bartender asked if we wanted to eat at the bar since it would be another 30 minutes at least. OK, so now it is nearly 10pm and we still haven't been seated.

The husband decided to talk to the manager who asked us not to leave, promised he would seat us soon, apologized profusely and bought us each a glass of prosecco. Good first step to get us back on track.

We were seated shortly thereafter. The manager was also our waiter and was ridiculously attentive - he apologized about 10 times, the 11th might have been too much.

On to the food. We started with fried calamari and zucchini - very good, not different then expected. We also had a tuna carpaccio salad with arugula, cannelloni beans, and oranges. This was fantastic. Really fresh and perfectly dressed.

For entrees we had the mini pasta dumplings with wild boar ragu and the pappardelle with mushroom and truffle sauce. The pastas were fresh and the sauces were rich and delicious.

We split a bottle of red wine from Sicily - I wish I wrote it down because for the price, it was pretty unbelievable. I may call and get the name.

The meal ended with tiramisu which was the only thing that didn't hit the mark, it was a little wet for my taste - too much coffee.

We paid, very happy with the meal, and then the manager came over and asked us not to leave yet. He came back with 3 shot glasses and a bottle of honey grappa. We all did a shot - and all former wrongs were righted.

Saturday night: Girls night out at Mamlouk, also on 4th Street between A and B. This is a truly great restaurant block. There are at least 2 other spots that I want to try.

I had heard good things about this Middle Eastern restaurant. It is a $40 price fix and there isn't a menu, you just get dish after dish, after dish...after dish....

Really, this went on for over 2 hours.

I can't remember everything that we had but some highlights were the hummus, the cheese that came with the pita, the lentil soup. the salad with spicy pita chips, the lamb meatballs, the sauteed white fish, the spinach with tomatoes, and the avocado spread. Again, these are just highlights - there were probably another 5-10 dishes that were great.

The real winner was the baklava. It was drenched in butter and was perfectly sweet and flaky, and the cinnamon really shone through. This typically isn't a favorite dessert of mine, but I have definitely changed my opinion. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The decor is exotic and cozy at the same time - lots of pillows, intimate booths, low light, copper tables, lots of red and yellow, etc. The kitchen was open and added to the notion that we had walked into someones home and were being treated to a feast. Adding to the experience was a belly dancer who performed midway through the meal and the hookah pipes that other tables were enjoying.

Earlier in the night, we were deciding between this restaurant and Moustache - a favorite of mine with locations in the West and East Village. As I was doing a little research this morning, I found out that Iraq-born chef/owner Salam al-Rawi also owns the Moustache restaurants. So, it all makes sense that Mamlouk's was as good as it was. It is worth noting, that unlike Moustache, it wasn't a cheap restaurant. Four of us had the price fix and we split two bottles of wine - we got out of there for $75 each. But, it is a great experience and never once did I doubt that we got our money's worth.

Back too work now and looking forward to my lunch of leftovers from the Superbowl Party last night.

All Over the Place

I have completed my membership application and have fully joined the mac cult. I was a little frustrated with blogger lately because when I was at home I couldn't really post with all the features and I haven't had much time at work to post using a PC. But, I went for one of my brainwashing sessions --- I mean tutorials --- that come with the purchase of a new mac (and a donation of $100 to the needy mac folks). They taught me how to use blogger on my new computer - so here I am, blogging happily at home. On to something about food...

On Friday night I made French Onion soup, fitting for the ridiculous cold day we were having. I sauteed 3 large onions in butter for about 45 minutes until they were nice and brown. Next, I added 1/2 cup of wine, a few splashes of brandy, 3 cups of beef stock, and a cup of water, some salt and pepper. All was left to simmer for 30 minutes. I got a bunch of saffron for the holidays (my family knows me well) so I added some of that as well.

The best part of FO soup of course is the cheese and crouton. I toasted a few slices of French baguette. As they were toasting, I ladled soup into my FO soup bowls (you know the brown ones with the little handles on the side). I layered the toast on top, and the best part, put a few slices of Gruyere and a sprinkle of Parmesan and placed for a few minutes in the broiler.

Delicious if I do say so myself, although I am going to experiment a little with the soup - I think I want a little more depth of flavor.

Because soup always needs a salad, I made a chopped salad with roasted beets, radishes, arugula, watercress, carrots, and celery. A little Dijon vinaigrette and we were good to go.

And having enough veggies for two more meals of salad is always a plus.

I'm sorry not to have pictures, the camera is out of batteries. I got a $5 coupon from Duane Reade today so I am going to buy a camera battery tomorrow and I'll be back with some photos.

I am also looking for a new, inexpensive, small camera that has a rechargeable battery since the one I have is pretty big and I feel weird bringing it to restaurants. Any suggestions? It doesn't need to be fancy, because the one I have has a lot of functions. This would just be supplemental.

No eye deer

I have no idea what to write about today. I am stumped. Let's see the most exciting thing food wise this week - I bought honey wheat english muffins yesterday and I'm heating water right now for Mariage Frere tea. One of my resolutions, eat breakfast before work. Sadly, I had to miss my train to do this.

Hopefully, I'll have something a little more interesting tomorrow.

This might be the worst post ever.

While I have nothing to post about and as I dream for the Farmer's Markets to return and for time to actually start cooking again, here are some photos that have been waiting patiently to make the blog.

Boston Highlights

Back from Boston. Swamped at work. So quick post.

1. Friday night in Boston, checked into Westin lounged on heavenly bed. Had to drag myself off for dinner. Friend and I went for a Guinness at an Irish bar nearby. For some reason, Guinness always tastes a little better in Boston. Then on to a splurge at Abe & Louie's for steaks. I love having a girl friend who isn't afraid to eat steaks with me....and creamed spinach. I had a rib eye which is hard to mess up - and they didn't. The spinach was as good as I have ever had. The grilled asparagus was also good, but as you know creamed vegetables go down a little easier for me. A highlight was the bottle of Flora Springs Cabernet that we split. Delicious, but pretty much everything I've had from this vineyard is great.



2. Saturday went to dinner at cousins in nearby town. Loved the cream cheese, wasabi, and soy sauce hors d'ouvre that she had out. And the "ugly cake" for dessert (her description, not mine) was lemony and sweet and a great topper to a great meal.

3. Sunday I came home to a houseful of football fans just in time to partake in their order of Carl's steaks. I need to buy more Frank's hotsauce - it really is the best for steak sandwiches. As you probably know, this is what makes Buffalo chicken wings taste as fantastic as they do. Which reminds me, I haven't had wings in ages. Who's up for wings this week?

Follow Up

My crappy day cocktail last night: Old Fashioned.

Food to make me feel better: Pork Soup Dumplings and Gui Zhou Spicy Chicken from Grand Sichuan.


It all worked. I'm off to Boston. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Vacation in NYC

I took a mini vacation from work last week and took a trip to...

New York City.

There is nothing better then living in a city where you can actually take a vacation and not go anywhere.

Here are a few highlights from my "trip"

1. You already heard about Paquito's - that was Friday night

2. Saturday night I discovered the best semi-cheap way to feel like you are going to an expensive restaurant. The husband and I went to Keen's Steakhouse and ate in the pub. The room is dark, white tablecloths, thousands of pipes on the ceiling just like in the main dining room. A fireplace off to the side. It is a true old New York room. We started with a Cesar Salad for me and Cream of Mushroom for the husband. The salad was perfectly dressed, a few hidden anchovies, and a great start to a steakhouse meal. The mushroom soup creamy with fresh mushrooms, and Gruyere topped croutons. This was washed down with two pints of stout beer. We moved on to a burger with Roquefort cheese and prime rib hash with a fried egg. There is nothing good for you on these plates, which makes them that much better. The cheese was the expensive stinky kind. The burger was great, although the bun wasn't my favorite, it was a little big. The hash was crispy, loaded with pieces of prime rib, and perfectly laced with onion. No dessert for us. Just another beer. All this for $90. Not cheap, but for the feeling of eating in an expensive old school steakhouse, it isn't bad.

3. Sunday I achieved one of my resolutions. Trying a new recipe. This one came from the Silver Spoon cookbook, although I really only used it as a guide. My new recipe was Lasagna Bolognese. I achieved another resolution by bringing leftover lasagna to work this week. I liked the recipe, which called for a Bolognese sauce, a béchamel sauce, and Parmesan as the key ingredients. I added a bit of mozzarella - but otherwise followed the recipe. I would try again, but would add a little more tomato sauce. I also made sausage and peppers and a quick salad - not bad for a Sunday of crossword puzzle solving, football watching, and more poker playing.

4. Monday morning I was off to the Guggenheim with a stop for brunch at Sarabeth's on Madison and 92nd. I have to be honest, the clientele wasn't my favorite - a little snooty upper east sidey. But, I had the best soup in recent memory. Note to all of you and to self - go to Sarabeth's often for the tomato bisque. I know, it sounds boring, but it is so rich, creamy, and delicious that it is worth the fake smiles, disapproving looks, and elbows in the side while waiting for a table. The spinach and goat cheese omelets wasn't bad either.

5. Monday night I was treated to dinner at db Bistro. I've wanted to go here for a while and it didn't disappoint. First, the breadbasket was impressive with the highlight being a great pretzel stick. Basically the taste and texture you always hope for and never get with a pretzel on the street. We had a crab and lobster bake with saffron potatoes and a beet salad to start. The beets were sliced so thin they looked like tuna sashimi and were so delicate. They were scattered with baby lettuces and varied nuts with an abundance of hazelnut. Ideas were popping around my brain for how to use my hazelnut oil as I savored all of the flavors. The bake was ridiculous good. Creamy, cheesy, saffrony, crabby, lobstery, etc. For dinner, I ordered the suckling pig - this continues my trend of ordering whatever challenges me a little. I didn't really understand the waiter when he described the dish so was surprised when I was faced with a charcuterie. Pleasantly surprised. It was almost too much pork...almost. The others at the table had the chicken with artichoke and mushrooms and the venison ragu with orichietti. The chicken laughed loudly at my rule not to order chicken for fear of boringness. The ragu was delicate and heavy at the same time. Finally, perfect coffee and a chocolate mouse cake with passion fruit cream. A perfect topper.

So that was my weekend.

I know, I am spoiled.

But I was on vacation.

I'm off to Boston tomorrow. Trying to decide what to order for dinner. I'm rewarding myself after a tough day. Maybe cheesesteak...maybe Chinese.... I’ll let you know tomorrow what I order. I'm also going to Campbell Apartment tonight to celebrate my crappy day. I'll let you know what my cocktail choice is as well. I should have more crappy days....

Shocked!

Is this really true?!?

Do you all not care what I had for lunch?

By the way, I had leftovers from lunch on Arthur Avenue yesterday. Chicken with mushrooms, peperoncini, and a white wine sauce. I also had a bag of Doritos - spicy buffalo and ranch flavor - and a can of gingerale that I got for free the other day at the deli near me.

Do you care now?

If you only knew how much I care about what you all have for lunch....

What DID you have for lunch?

Burrito

Lat night I finally found a good burrito in New York. In California, eating a bad burrito is almost unheard of but in NYC, I had almost stopped trying - Chipotle was sadly the closest thing I found to good.

Last night I was in a pinch because I needed to pick up dinner quickly before a poker game that I was already late for.

Across the street from where I was going was Paquito's (1st between 8th and 9th). Despite my hesitation, it looked like the real deal so I took a gamble.

I got a chicken burrito and it came with sour cream, guacamole, rice, cheese, black beans, and cheese. It was very similar to the mission burritos in San Francisco. Perfect amount of meat (well flavored), enough sour cream without overwhelming the rest of the ingredients, great beans and rice, plenty of salsa fresca on the side.

I won with the burrito and lost with poker. I feel like it was an even trade...

Quick Restaurant Review

Have you ever been to a restaurtant where the food is good, the service is good, the ambience is good and yet something didn't click - leaving you with a mediocre experience? That's what happened this Saturday night at Taralluci e Vino on 18th between Broadway and 6th (this is the 2nd location, the first is in the East Village).

The husband and I were looking for something new, inexpensive and Italian. T e V fil the bill. We also wanted someplace that felt like we were going to a much more expensive restaurant - i.e. nice ambience, creative menu. Again, T e V seemed like the perfect choice.

We walked in and immediately the decor and vibe seemed perfect. Very New York City without being too trendy. We were seated quickly at a table right next to the waiters station - not ideal, but not the worst.

The wine list was good, but compared to the prices of the food, it seemed a little expensive, though certainly not unreasonable. We ordered a bottle of Italian red, something called Fontaveccio somthing or other. It was great.

For starters we had "Screppelle m'Busse" - parmesan cheese filled crepes with hen broth (or chicken soup). This restaurant is known for this soup and it didn't dissappoint. The crepes were so delicate they melted as soon as you put them in your mouth and the soup made you sort of wish you had a cold to cure.

We also had "Vitello Tonnato con Caramello al Limone" - cold veal roast with tuna-caper cream and lemon caramel sauce. Our waiter highly recommended this, so we ordered it even though it wasn't really popping off the menu to us. It was ok, the flavors didn't make any sense to me. The tuna was very canned tuna-y. And the veal didn't have much flavor. I have no idea what the lemon caramel sauce was doing there.

On to the entrees. "Capriolo Ripieno ai Pistacchi e Pinoli con Spatzli alle Castagne e Pere al Forno" - pistachios and pinenuts stuffed venison, chestnut spaetzle and roasted pear. This was delicious. The venison was so tender and the pistachios and pinenuts really shone through the other flavors. The only complaint here was the small portion size. It wasn't like a french restaurant where the flavors might warrant it, it just seemed like that was how they kept the price down.

We also shared "Ravioli al Guanciale Affumicato con Brasato di Coniglio e Scaglie di Grana Padano" - house smoked pork cheek tortelli with braised rabbit and grana padano shavings. Again delicious, but small portions. The sauce was very light and you all know how I love anything braised. So we were fine with the flavors.

The thing is, I felt like the chef didn't really believe in what he or she was cooking. That sounds like the most ridiculous foodie thing to say, but that's the only way to describe why this restaurant didn't work. All the other pieces were there.

We got out of there for a cool hunny ($100) and stumbled home a bit lighter on our feet from the wine. It was that really warm Saturday night and unlike the restaurant, the city clicked for me.

Food Related New Year's Resolutions

I haven't had too much time to think about these so I might amend them later this week, but here they are for now -

My Ten Food-related Resolutions


1. Eat breakfast at home not on the way to work, and don't skip breakfast. (Is that 2?)

2. Don't eat dinner on the coffee table, sit at the regular table and try to not turn on the TV (I say try, because let's be realistic here.)

3. Record the recipes I've tried and liked into my recipe book.

4. Plan for and try one new recipe each week.

5. Bring lunch to work at least 3 days a week.

6. Try recipes from cuisines that are outside of my comfort zone.

7. Use the crockpot and panini maker more regularly and for more interesting recipes.

8. Make a list of restaurants and food items to try this year - and then try them.

9. One for friends - have more dinner parties.

10. And one for mom - eat more fruits and vegetables.

What are your food related resolutions?

California - The Rest

I am back from a holiday break and am back in work hell now as I am sure the rest of you are as well. One more California post and then moving on to new topics.



After we left Mendocino, we headed down the coast and then inland to Napa. We decided to take the scenic route which took us down route 1 and past some of the most amazing coastline I have ever seen. We stopped in a small town called Point Arena. This is one of those towns that takes down any directional signs to keep people from discovering and ultimately spoiling it.

And this is what I love about California, the town was really small, in the middle of nowhere, and yet we were able to stop in a deli (The Record) on the almost non-existent main street in town and have a ridicuously good lunch. I had a reuban with neiman-ranch pastrami and soft and spicy dark rye bread. I chased this down with a home made gingerale.

We then headed inland on what looked like a road on the map we had. It would hardly call it a road - it was like hiking with a car, and a minivan at that. The road curved and rose up the hills of Sonoma and it was scary and exhilerating and stunning and surprising. For 1 1/2 hours we passed two other cars and saw what I think was the most beautiful part of the country I have witnessed to date. I didn't take pictures because even though I wasn't driving, I thought somehow me not concentrating on the road would make us fall off the huge cliff on either side of the car.

When we finally came down on the other side of the mountain and peeled our fingers out of the seat cushions, as if an oasis, Ferrari-Carrano wineries appeared ahead of us - and we had five minutes before closing. We literally ran through the gate and up the long drive to arrive breathless as the staff was cleaning up. They graciously let us taste their wines not knowing how much it helped to calm our nerves. I don't really remember the wines, just how good it felt to be drinking wine, and not driving.

We checked into the Best Western Elm House Inn just of Route 29 in Napa which was one of the more affordable and surprisingly nicest hotels I have stayed at. I would highly recommend it. On to dinner at the Bounty Hunter which is named for the owner who finds and distributes rare and unique wines. As to be expected the wine list was long and interesting. Not as expected, but definitely welcomed was a high quality of the food. We shared beer can roasted chicken, a pulled pork sandwich, artichoke dip, and ribs. All was delicious.

The next morning we ate complimentary Belgian waffles at the hotel and then headed to Miner Vineyards on the Silverado Trail for a private tour. The was the highlight of the whole trip. Not only did we taste 11 plus wines (I lost track after a while) the quality of each varietal was pretty amazing - usually you go to a winery and one or two wines that they are known for stand out and the rest are just ok. We even got to try pinot noir right out of the barrel. The riedel stemware that was used for tasting certainly added to the experience. We left 3 hours later, a little drunk and a bottle of chardonnay richer (we drank it at Christmas and it was as good as remembered.)

On to a picnic lunch at V. Sattui, a regular stop for us where you can get cheese, salads, cured meats and a cheap bottle of wine and sit outside at one of their many picnic benches. Also, their tasting is free which is a plus.

With not much soberness left in us, we decided to hit two more vineyards. First was Plumpjack which is known for their screwtop wines. They were fine, but at this point the taste buds were a little dull. We skipped out on the $5 tasting fee because the woman behind the counter didn't get off the phone the whole time we were there and we went to Silverado Vineyards as much for the view as for anything else. Again, the wines were good - but hard for us to taste.

Some pictures from the trip...







Back to San Francisco that night. An evening of bar hopping in North Beach with stops at Specs and Vesuvio's - both high on the character charts.

The next morning it was off to New York with a quick stop for shrimp tempura udon at Ebisu in the International Terminal of SFO before boarding (again, only in California - even the food at the airport is great.)

California Part 2

After the weekend in LA, we hopped in the car and drove up route 5 to San Francisco. Route 5 could be the worst highway in the US but the company was good and we had one of those ipod hookups so we were all set.

The husband and I lived in San Francisco for 6 years so it was a little embarrassing when we nearly drove right by SF. We turned around and arrived in the Richmond District around 8:30pm to visit with good friends. After some delicious cheese and beer we headed out to dinner at King of Thai Noodle house on Clement between 4th and 5th (they have other locations as well).

I know everyone says they have good Thai near them, but something about the places in SF are just so much better. I will say that Sripraphai in Queens was pretty freakin good, but that's about all I have found.

On the order for 6 people was chicken satay; fish cakes; tofu in green curry; noodles with egg, soy, and broccoli; chicken with chili; chicken with eggplant; 8 beers and I know I am missing a dish or two. You want to know what the bill was?

A whopping 65 dollars - for 6 people - after tax and tip.

It kills me when people talk about cheap eats in New York. It just isn't the same.

The next morning we headed up to Mendocino, a favorite weekend getaway of ours - and about every other couple in SF. Winter is a great time to go because it is really quiet up there. The ride up is windy but stunning and a sense of calm hits me every time the ocean reveals itself in all its angriness as you pull out of the redwoods and hit the coast. The town is about 3 hours north of SF.



This is one of about two dozen pictures I took while there. I'll post more tomorrow.

On the way, we always stop at Navarro Vineyards, the best producer of Gewurztraminer in CA, at least in my opinion. Their tasting is free and they offer all their wines for tasting. We bought a bottle of Gewurtz and a bottle of Pinot Noir for our night in Mendo.

After checking in to the Mendocino Hotel we went for a long walk on the cliffs. Walking is big is Mendocino. This was followed with some cheese and the bottle of Guwertz on the porch of the hotel which overlooks the cliffs and ocean.

Then on to dinner at Cafe Beaujolais. This is a must stop. And when you go, someone must order the Sturgeon, it is sort of famous - at least in my head.

We all started with Aperitifs, for me the Lillet Rouge which reminded me of a not too sweet sangria. For appetizers we split pumpkin soup which was so fresh that there were chunks of pumpkin; crab cakes that were all crab no breadcrumbs; and Nimon Ranch ham with a chile cream sauce and poached egg, obviously this had no chance of being bad. A great start to dinner.

Of course two people got the sturgeon which is pan roasted with truffle emulsion sauce, served with house made tagliatelle, wild mushrooms, beets and snap peas. This is one of the more perfectly balanced dishes I have ever tasted.

I had the lamb shank. Of course I loved it as I do anything that is braised.

The fourth person in our group had the duck which came with a pepper risotto. The risotto was almost too peppery on its own, it really tasted as if you were chewing on a peppercorn. However, with the sweet wine reduction sauce that was on the duck it worked like magic. I love when that happens.

For dessert, an apple crumble and a chocolate gooey thing that I can't remember. The wine was starting to kick in...

After walking back to our hotel (no need for a car in this town) we grabbed the bottle of pinot we bought earlier and played hearts in front of the fire in the lobby. I know this is so cheesy you want to puke but somehow when you are there it makes sense. I dare you not to do the same when you are there.

The next morning - more walks and a stop at the local bakery for blackberry danish and coffee to be eaten on the cliffs and then off to Napa. If only every morning started this way.

One other mention, there is a tea from the Mendocino Tea Company that rivals my favorite Mariage Freres tea. Here is a link to a picture of their booth at the local farmer's market. Very grass roots. They claim to have a website but it doesn't work. The tea you want (if you go to Mendocino it can be found in the grocery store in town) is the purple label, I think called Mendocino Sunsets.

Tomorrow, California Part 3 Napa and the Airport

California Part 1

Two weeks ago the husband and I were in LA for a wedding (which was lovely by the way). Here are some notes from that portion of the trip. After the weekend, we drove with the brother and S-I-L to San Francisco, Mendocino, and Napa. I'll get to the 2nd and 3rd leg of the trip later in the week.

Because the wedding was in downtown LA, we decided to stay at the Standard Hotel which is a ridiculously trendy hotel (although, it is very 5 minutes ago from what I read in my People magazine.) I loved the Foosball table in the lobby even though I was only able to wrangle one game out of my co-travelers. I loved the bathroom that was bigger then my living room at home, I loved that the bed was too far from the TV to make the remote control work. I didn't love all the drunk people in the hallways (until I was one of them) or the bass coming from the rooftop bar until 2 am. But I did love the roof top bar during the day when no one was there. And I loved the silly water bed pods on the roof. The breakfast in the diner was great and I had some of the fluffiest pancakes I've had. I'm no pancake connoisseur but these were really good.

On Saturday we ventured to Malibu and decided to try Moonshadows Restaurant which I had heard about in additional People magazine reading. The weather was a perfect LA 74 degrees. We had a beautiful booth outside overlooking the ocean which sadly will soon be in the ocean because of all the SUV's and Hummer's that we sat in traffic with on the way there. But come on, they are really a necessity in the snow drenched, unpaved, streets of LA. Of course, I was able to forget about worldly concerns as I sipped on the best Bloody Mary I've had in recent memory and enjoyed the breeze coming off the water.

On Sunday we met a friend for lunch at Phillip's for the french dip, a classic LA foodie stop. It was a very cheap lunch which I appreciated. (Coffee is 10 cents). I thought my beef was a little fatty, which I usually secretly enjoy, but this was a little too much for me. I think I would get the pork or turkey next time. We ordered the cherry pie because it was one of those gooey fake cherry fillings that, like canned cranberry sauce, is better then the real stuff if only for the kitch value. It worked for me.

That night we went to a great hole in the wall sushi place in Little Tokyo that was recommended to us. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the place (bad blogger). I'm admittedly a bit of a sushi idiot. The husband has historically not liked sushi so we never go and so I've never really understood all the etiquette. We sat at the bar and the chef and waitress gave us a little sushi lesson - presumably because our idiotness was so obvious. I'm sure they laughed at us after we left, but they seemed really nice while we were there and they gave us a sushi calendar to take home. I learned that you always order tuna or salmon first and if you like the quality then you can trust the chef, if not, play it safe.

Tomorrow - California Part Two (San Francisco and Mendocino).

A New Look

Do we like the new look of the blog? They made me change the template and I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Let me know what you think, I might try some new ones on this week. I'm also trying to figure out the new system which has been a pain in the a@#. So bear with me.

Ok, so I know it is a little late but here are my Thanksgiving pictures with some comments...am I the only one who thinks this fall came and went too soon. I refuse to give in to the natural progression of "time." I'm going to pretend like Thanksgiving was yesterday. Play along with me.

The day started (and always starts) with my Mom's famous crumb cake which is pretty much all crumbs.



Drinking began at 12:30 with Champagne Cocktails. Easy drink with a lot of complexity. Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne glass. Add 2 or 3 dashes of Angostoura bitters. Top with champagne. The drink gets better with every sip.



Then on to appetizers from Arthur Avenue. Some prosciutto bread and green olives.



A well made antipasta is a true art form.



There is nothing better then the smell of turkey cooking.



Except a well carved turkey.



Ok, who can honestly admit that they like real cranberry sauce better then the canned kind? The canned stuff is one of the true great wonders of this world in my opinion. Sorry for the sideways picture, I can't really figure out the new blogging instructions.



Here is the table, beautifully set.



And here is my plate. How good does all of this look?



Finally, to cap off the weekend in my family's fantastic tradition of eating way too much cured meats, turkey sandwhiches on Friday with thick cut bacon.



Thanks to the brother and sister-in-law who put on a great T-day.

Tomorrow I post about California.