Christine Vallejo's Profile
Bellingham: Dashi Noodle Bar
I've had the house made ramen with pork and ramen dashi several times but I actually prefer the beef steam bun with hoisin - thought it was the best thing, especially since it was a late lunch and they delivered to the office - that was fabulous.
Deconstructing Casa Sanchez Salsa
We love Casa Sanchez salsa (NOT the restaurant) and always bring home several containers to WA State when we visit my in-laws in Hollister.
Having said that, imaging my surprise when I was at the local Cash 'n Carry and spotted a gigantic container of the medium salsa in the deli area (they also had pico de gallo but we make our own). So I brought some home ($8) and knew my husband would say "Why didn't you get the hot stuff?" - which he did - but we've managed to put a dent in its 64 ounces.
Haven't written much since we moved here but we finally have a decent assortment of taco trucks, owners of which in turn open restaurants that are no match to the truck food. Haven't been back to Napa in almost 5 years. Miss Buckhorn tri-tip among other things.
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Casa Sanchez Restaurant
2778 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
yikes, really edible Indian food in Ferndale
Food at the Curry House can be spotty, but the owners are so nice. There's also an Indian restaurant on Meridian near the new location of Deward & Bode - Indian Flavors. I wouldn't go near the Indian restaurant that is located in downtown Bellingham - Indian Grill IIRC.
Harry's Bar in Cernobbio?
We were there in March and had no problem getting a table. Nice, mild weather and a view of the lake. We walked over to Villa d'Este afterwards and asked if we could come in and tour the grounds. No, not unless we were staying there. I asked if we could come in and have lunch. Sure, no problem!
I'll have to remember that next time we're in the area.
Edison, WA - Farm to Market Bakery
We ate lunch at the Farm to Market Bakery in Edison today and split a huge bowl of fabulous pozole plus a turkey/provolone sandwich. It was great. We go to Edison mainly to shop at Slough Food a couple of times a year and we get bread at the Bread Farm next to SF. We buy the salumi soppresata and a baguette and nosh away.
Someone carried an enormous pecan roll by us as we were eating outside Farm to Market - looked great.
Harry's Bar in Cernobbio?
Was there on my last trip to Italy and it is not the same as the Harry's Bar in Venice. There's also a Harry's Bar in Florence, no relation either, pricey place but we usually dine there once during each trip.
We had a great lunch in Cernobbio - I had carpaccio and a pasta - sat outside, great service, nice people. I've since heard that George Clooney is a customer but I'm sure he patronizes a lot of places in the area.
Online Source for Blenheim Apricots [Split from San Francisco "Royal Blenheims" thread]
Note: this thread was split by the moderators from this thread on the SF Bay Area board: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/304485#2894864
I don't know if I can add to this thread or if I should start another, but I do miss Blenheim apricots up here in the Pacific Northwest. After reading through all of the responses, I discover my new best online friend, The Apricot King, after just taking delivery of 3 - 3# bags of dried 'cots, is mentioned throughout. They are the King; when we are visiting relatives in Hollister, they deliver whatever we want to my ma-in-law's home (they're just a few blocks away).
But nothing beats fresh apricots and what we were able to get here just weren't the same.
Royal Blenheims!
Stopped by Erickson Ranch this morning and they will not have apricots this season. The rain totally wiped out the entire crop.
They do have a wide variety of peaches that ripen weekly. We bought some Flavor Crest peaches. When we got home, I peeled and sliced one up for my husband. He accused me of putting sugar on the peach, it was that sweet.
Raymond, the owner of the ranch, suggest that we try Puget Gold or Tomcot apricots when we move north.
Royal Blenheims!
I just called Erickson Ranch (707-864-0557) and they have a recording that will be updated as needed. Currently they have Brittany Lane peaches available. Due to the wet winter, stone fruit is ripening later than usual, and they will only be open on weekends for a while until more produce is available. There was no mention of Blenheim apricots but I left a message inquiring about them.
[SEA] Where to buy oysters
The bakery is called the Bread Farm. We visited both the bakery and Slough Foods in May and were very impressed by the food offerings at both.
Royal Blenheims!
First things first: as soon as I notice the Blenheim alert at Erickson, I will post immediately.
Secondly, yes, can you believe it's been probably more than 10 years? The Jim, not Jeff, Leff days at the winefo on CServe? Wow.
Lastly, we're hoping to move to the Bellingham/Blaine area where my longest-known online pal (JS) lives now. I fell in love with the Seattle area years ago and feel I should have lived there all of my life. My parents were married there right after WWII and lived in Langley for a year before they took a brief trip back east and wound up staying in Ohio for a decade. I visited Jenise in 2004 and starting thinking that maybe we could retire there. Finally got my spouse there this past May, and he's raring to go NOW, like yesterday.
We're still 10 or so years away from retirement, but we will make this work.
In the meantime, foodwise, there won't be much that I'll really miss about this area - yes, the In and Out burgers will be a tough one. But there are new places to find and explore and adventures to be had.
On our way into Bellingham in May, we took a side route through Skagit County, off the I-5 to a place called Slough Food and what a great find - extraordinary cheeses. Had some Pilota from Spain to accompany a mole salami from Armandino Batali's Salumi in Seattle and picked up a chunk of Cabrales blue to take to Jenise, along with an organic baguette from the Bread Farm next door. This is all located in a tiny place called Edison. We loved it all so much that we had to stop on our way out of town, found they didn't open until 11:00, and just cooled our heels listening to the quiet with the occasional bird.
Jenise wrote an article about this place. They have wonderful wines, an extraordinary assortment of chocolates, and ice cream from the Lopez Island Creamery that was sinful.
Anyway, we'll be around for probably another 3-4 months and then, with luck, I'll be posting on the Pacific Northwest board. Thanks, Melanie!
Royal Blenheims!
For the past 7 years, I've bought my Blenheims at Erickson Ranch, 2482 Cordelia Road, in Suisun. They put out a sign when they're available, 10-14 days, and then they're gone. I've made gobs of jam over the past 3 years from the 'cots. Erickson also has at least a dozen different types of peaches, all ripening at different times. This heat might hasten the availability.
Someone else can have my future Blenheim share, and I will miss them, but we're pulling up stakes and heading up to the Pacific Northwest. Berry country!
