Sam B's Profile
Sonoma: Favorite Purveyors?
Artisan Bakers no longer has retail storefront in Sonoma - their bread is available at every market in town
Sonoma: Favorite Purveyors?
Also wanted to add The Rare Wine Co - It's on 8th street east in Sonoma's warehouse row. A mail-order retailer of great wines (huge selection of Barolo/Barbaresco, Spanish rareties, Chateauneuf, Chablis, Champagne, with a smattering of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Northern Rhone etc) They are happy to sell store door, but bear in mind this is high-end if that is of interest to you. Sonoma Market has a large local selection at more down to earth price points
Sonoma: Favorite Purveyors?
Will try to follow up with specifics like addresses before your trip, but here's a list purveyors/merchants/markets in the area...
FARMERS MARKETS
Sonoma
On Fridays at 9:00am off the plaza. Excellent little market that time of year. Mike the bejkr makes great bread especially the Yecora Rossa. Great lamb and beef, eggs, and Sept will be perfect for summer fruit and veges.
Sonoma Tuesday Night Mkt
More of a party meets farmers mkt, lots of prepared food, music, etc. I avoid it like the plague
Glen Ellen Farmers Mkt
Sunday a.m. - very small, sort of quaint I guess
FARM STORES/STANDS
Oak Hill Farms
Very good "boutique" produce. Expensive but top quality weds-sun 10:00-6:00
The Patch
Just off the Plaza great tomatoes, amazing sweet onions
Strawberry Patches
There is one south of town on Watmaugh Road, and another north of town on Hwy 12 in Kenwood
GROCERIES
Sonoma Market - Far more extensive that Whole Foods, with a better selction of virtually everything except maybe supplements (I do think that WF cheese department is better), better service. Really first class meat and fish.
VARIOUS PLACES WORTH A VISIT
Sonoma Homegrown Bagels - still better than anything I have found in many trys in Manhattan
Sonoma Springs Brewery
Jalisco Tortilleria
Vellas Cheese (mostly for Dry Jack - ask if they have any CA Gold)
Crisp Bakery has some intersting "american" baked goods (their description) but sadly not much of anything yeasted here - all about baking powder and soda leavened items
El Brinquito Market - In Agua Caliente - you'll see them grilling chickens out front
The taco-trucks of The Springs area - La Bamba is still the best
The Fremont Diner - best breakfast in the county! artisinal "diner-style" food
If you're into taking a day-drive - skip Napa and head west to the sonoma/marin coast. Oyters from Hog Island, beef from Marin-Sun Farms, and Point Reyes National Seashore
Bon Appetit
Whole Foods Seafood Policy a little Fishy
Exactly my point (see original post) and thus my question. Why the exception for farmed fish if it is red-rated?
Whole Foods Seafood Policy a little Fishy
They list Atlantic farmed salmon as Red-Avoid. WF is selling Atlantic farmed salmon
Whole Foods Seafood Policy a little Fishy
Having heard a few news stories stating that Whole Foods no longer carries "red-rated" seafood, I was a little puzzled to see farmed salmon at our local WF. Understandably some of the reports got it wrong. In fact, Whole Foods no longer carries WILD red-rated seafood. Whole Foods continues to carry Farmed Atlantic Salmon, which is red-rated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, and labeled "artificial color added"
No one at our store knew why they made an exception for Farmed Atlantic Salmon, and e-mails to WF received an automated "thank you" response.
Does anyone know the story here?
Wines of les Baux de Provence
Not sure where you are, but North Berkeley Wines (and others I'm sure) imports the wines of Mas de Gourgonnier - an excellent producer from the area you mention
recommendation for a good value Burgundy cote du nuit to drink now?
The Cote de Nuits is not exactly a "value" oriented area. You might consider looking at the Cote Chalonnais, a region excelling in value priced Bugundy these days, and since you mentioned DRC, you might want to consider the wines of Domaine de Villaine. The proprietor, Aubert de Villaine is co-owner and director at DRC. His reds, Mercurey Montots, Bourgogne la Digoine, and Bourgogne la Fortune are compelling values - great purity, focus, and enough stuffing to age. They outperform their appellation consistently, and retail in the $30 range
Josephine Chez Dumonet $$ question about wine
Had a wonderful meal there about 3 weeks ago - my favorite of the trip. They do indeed serve wine by the glass. In fact you're likely to receive a glass of white when you arrive at no charge. Liked it well enough to follow with at carafe of the same, at 15 Euros. The list is odd, and overpriced, save for some real bargains in Sauternes and Barsac, presumably to acompany the huge slabs of Foie Gras streaming out of the kitchen.
El Molino Central, Sonoma
They have added some bench seating in the parking lot behind the store
El Molino Central, Sonoma
It's a little north of the SMI, but I think they are banking on the proximity of the hotel for their clientele, because the pricing is definitely not geared towards locals. Tortillas are $3.50 per dozen! We tried a few things - chicken mole tamales in banana leaves - a plate of 2 was $8.00, a pork tamale $4.50 (both accompanied by only a ladle of sauce), a mamela $5.00. The pork tamales were also available by the dozen from the "grab and go" case $18.00 All three items were good, but they've got some service kinks to work out (in fairness it was opening day). Also, I'm hoping the Blue Bottle folks provide some training, as my coffee experience was not as good as Davina's. A cup of drip was weak, and not sufficiently hot.
Everything is to go, as their is no seating.
-----
Blue Bottle Cafe
66 Mint St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Paris - Rech, Drouant, and Chez Dumonet!
Thanks to all of you Paris hounds the wealth of information regarding dining in your lovely city. Thought I’d report back on our experiences…
Café Cassette
This was our local brasserie – desirable for its location just a short block from the hotel, and frankly pretty good. The first night I dined here alone as my wife was recovering from a 204 kilometer run at the 24 Hour World Championships in Brive. I followed a salad of haricots vert/Spanish Chorizo, with roasted filets of Bar w/rosemary. Both were delicious. Was particularly impressed with the quality of the fish for a place like this. Washed it all down with a couple of glasses of Chablis and left altogether happy with my dinner. With my wife nearly crippled we found ourselves there again for lunch the following day duck confit with sautéed potatoes, and a glass of Fleurie hit the spot.
Rech
Saturday night was dinner at Rech. Both my wife and I chose the Menu at 52 Euros. An amuse of a fried crab ball and parsley puree was a welcome salty bite with our apertif. The pace here seemed a little rushed, not just at our table, but all around. An entrée of Artichokes Bariguole stuffed with a mince of shellfish, and topped with a few sweet little crevettes was a real hit with both of us, and one dish I plan to knock off at home. For mains, a simple piece of poached Barbue with Champagne sauce (poured over at the table) and green asparagus seemed very classic, and spot on delicious. We drank a Fevre Chablis Bougros with dinner which was perfect with the fish. A note about the wine list here… While a little on the expensive side, more so than anyplace else we ate, there was obvious care in the selections. The list was clearly designed to complement seafood, and it was an easy to manage couple of pages, something I really appreciate. Wine also complemented Mr Rech’s famous Camembert – perfectly ripe. Dessert was a Raspberry Mille fleur with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. The Sorbet was stunning, and the mille feuille (really a deux feuille, missing 998 layers) was an utter dud – looked beautiful, tasted like cardboard. Mignardise of a couple of chocolates and two small wedges of buttery cake. All in all a fine a meal, save for a rather sophomoric dessert.
Drouant
Sunday night found us at Drouant. While the atmosphere there is a bit fussy, the food is very pure and simple, an interesting juxtaposition. We began with a glass of the house Champagne, a grower whom I do not recall, but quality was first rate. Sadly no amuse. For starters we chose (she) “the classics”, a four-way combo of pate de foie gras, jambon persieille, ouefs mayonnaise, and leeks vinaigrette, and (I) from the “ Exceptional ingredients of the moment”, a fricassee of morels and white asparagus – the classics were indeed classic, and the fricassee indulgent and delicious. A squiggle of tamarind with the foie was an inspired touch. For plats, my wife had the simmenthal beef, perfectly a point, and I from the “grand classics: category, veal Viennoise ( I always thought it Milanese) both accompanied by thick frites, and a simple green salad. We drank a lovely, if just a bit tired bottle of Volnay, ’88 Lafon Champans from the unusual list, which apparently drew from a previous cellar. We shared a dessert, strawberry gariguette, which was translated as “pie our way”. A plate of berries on the stem, a bowl of crème Chantilly, and a scoop of praline ice crème – just the sort of thing we eat at home. Coffee and mignardise of two small truffles, and some candied orange wedges. A request for a Chartreuse (green) produced a snifter of yellow, but it did the trick. Delicious meal start to finish.
Le Nemrod
We stumbled upon Nemrod while on a walk, and I recalled reading that it was a great place for a substantial salad – Indeed it was, and a welcome break from 3 course meals. Salade ouefs mollet – greens, haricot vert, tomatoes, croutons, pine nuts, and LOTS of lardons – delicious, and very satisfying. A ¼ of Rose de Anjou was the perfect accompaniment. If only there was a place like this in my neighborhood !
Chez Dumonet
Why is it so often that the best comes last? Walking into this place, I knew that we had arrived, literally and figuratively at the Bistro of my dreams. The look, the feel, the crowd, and the food! We were greeted at the table with a glass of white wine, gratis, and a warm hello from the Chef. No rush here – lovely casual pace, warm staff, all very welcoming. My wife began with a salad of endive with Roquefert, and I a plate of langoustines roasted with butter and thyme . The genuinely bizarre wine list led us to continue with the white they poured en carafe (something Spanish said the waiter). For mains my wife splurged on the omelet with truffles, bathed in truffle cream – she swooned. I had a ½ order of beef bourguignon , with a side of thoroughly buttered tagliatelle – notable for its texture and remarkably deep sauce – best ever version of this for me. I had a glass of house red with that which, so busy enjoying myself didn’t ask or care what it was. Having drunk simple wines with dinner, decided to take advantage of the one strength of the wine list – an incredible selection of aged and reasonably priced Sauternes/Barsac, and opted for a ½ bottle of ’71 Doisy-daene. A perfect bottle from a legendary vintage. We had pre-ordered dessert, a crème brulee with raspberries, and the mille feuille . Wife loved the crème brulee, and I must say that the foot-long mille feuille was spectacular. Obviously made a la minute, it was the perfect combination of crackly pastry and rich custard – splendid with the Sauternes. Mignardise of chocolate covered grapes, chocolate cups with raspberry, tuiles, and coconut macaroons. Ended with a Vieille Prune, and waddled back to hotel to pack our bags. A perfect last meal in Paris, and one I’ll remember for a very long time.
Thanks again for the recommendations,
Cheers,
Sam
Lunch Near Gare d'Austerlitz?
My hope is to drop bags at the station, and then venture out. So I suppose a short metro ride or taxi would be fine, time permitting.
Thanks!
Lunch Near Gare d'Austerlitz?
Arriving CDG at 11:00 am and departing from Gare d'Austerlitz at 4:00 pm. Should our arrival and trip to the station go smoothly we may have enough time for Lunch. My luck dining in the vicinity of train stations has been consistently poor, and wondering if anyone has any recommendations within walking distance of the station. Or, if time is short, somewhere we can get a baguette, a wonk of cheese, bottle of wine to take on the train.
Thanks!
Paris Bistros with Great Wine Lists?, May Seasonal Items, and Austerlitz area
Thanks Parigi - we're staying at the Hotel L'Abbaye Saint Germain - 10 Rue Casette.
Cheers,
Sam
Paris Bistros with Great Wine Lists?, May Seasonal Items, and Austerlitz area
Excited to spend 4 nights in Paris in the middle of May and have been pouring over the many posts on the topic on this board. Thank you to all of you in France for sharing your obvious wealth of knowledge – I am truly humbled by the amount of information you provide, and the time you must spend sharing it with the rest of us.
It occurred to me as I was making plans, that this could possibly be (god forbid) my only trip to Paris. So for a short time I considered a 3*** experience or two. Truth be told, my preference is for simple bistro food, and a more casual environment.
While the Bistro question seems to have been covered many times over, I have some particular interest in wine, and am hoping to get some insight on which places suit me best. Based upon what I’ve read on this board, places like L’Ami Jean, Astier, Le Cave Beavau, Chez Genouille, Café Constant, maybe Rech fit the bill for food, but haven’t been able to glean much info on the wine lists
So, with that said can you share any insight on bistros where the food swings in the rustic direction, with excellent wine lists (burgundy in particular). We are staying in the 6th, and keeping fairly local is a plus, but not a must.
Additionally, given that we will be there in the middle of May, are there any particular seasonal items to be on the lookout for?
And lastly, will be taking a train south from Austerlitz station – any rec’s on places in the area for a quick lunch, or perhaps pic-nic supplies for the ride?
Thanks!
Sam
Lunch between Keahole Airport and Kamuela?
Will be driving from Keahole airport to the Kohala coast next monday - will have 3 hungry kids after the flight from SFO. Any good lunch spots along Queen Ka'Ahumanu hiway?
Brive La Gaillarde?
I have a hunch this might a somewhat obscure request - but it never hurts to ask. I will be in Brive La Gaillarde for a few days in May, and wondering if anyone knows anything about the dining options there.
Thanks
Gallo "hoodwinked" by Pinot Noir?
I did indeed read carefully what you said. If you had done the same, you would of course have noticed that I wrote in the PRESENT tense. Thank you none the less for the history lesson.
To accuse me of singling out Gallo is utterly ridiculus - the thread was ABOUT Gallo
I was merely making an observation that might explain why ibstatguy might find this story amusing (as I do)
I never said Gallo was the inventor, the first one, the only one, and I never challeged the legality of the issue- these are inferences you drew, which if I may say so, are quite a reach.
4:30 on Friday - time for a glass of......Prosecco
Cheers
Gallo "hoodwinked" by Pinot Noir?
Your analysis of my position is correct.
Of the brands you mentioned, I think that the best , Schramsberg has the integrity to call their wine what it is – “sparkling wine”, something that I think you’ll find is true of most all high quality producers of American sparkling wine (of which there are many). The rest are/were (Kornell closed years ago) marketing on the good name of the French region, and while it may be perfectly legal, it is not right
The folks at Gallo know the importance of names, trade dress and the like – just ask the people at the cheese company formerly known as Joseph Gallo, or the group formerly known as the Consorzio Gallo Nero.
Gallo "hoodwinked" by Pinot Noir?
While I'm certainly not condoning fraud, there is certain amount of humor and irony in the fact that Gallo, which has willingly sold fake "Champagne" for decades (much to the consternation of the French) finds itself in the business of selling fake Pinot Noir.
A glass of vinuos Karma perhaps?
Great Dinner at Le Garage - Sausalito
Each year we bring in our sales team into CA for a two day meeting, and this year we holed up at Cavallo Point (which was great) Murray Circle handled the catering and the food was super, as was the service of the catering staff – perhaps I’ll review that later.
Our second night we did a book-out at Le Garage at Schoonmaker Point and really had an outstanding experience.
The restaurant is in a pseudo-industrial sort of space at the marina there, and boasts a roll-up door (which the weather prohibited us from using) opening onto to boats bobbing in the water. The staff wears mechanic’s shirts. Outside of that, it’s pure French – the staff, the wine , and the food!
For our group of 30, the chef, Olivier, proposed a menu comprised of an amuse, a choice of 4 first courses, a choice of 2 second courses, 4 mains, and 3 desserts.
Our rather rowdy group happy to be done with a 9 hour meeting milled around for an hour drinking a few glasses of wine.
The wait staff was first class, pulling off friendly, professional service in spite of the cacophony that was us. When I was able to convince everyone to have a seat the food began to arrive
Amuse – One perfect fried shrimp, with a brushstroke of cilantro avocado aioli across the plate. Sweet and fresh, it was the best bite of seafood I’d had in some time, and perfect with a glass of a mysterious white from Penedes. It did its job of firing up our appetites
First Course – Lobster Ravioli with Sauce Americaine. One very large, loosely constructed ravioli, filled with chunky sweet lobster, sitting atop the sort of sauce only the French can put together – rich, buttery, and tasting intensely of lobster. This was absolutely spectacular. There were quite a few wines running around the table, and as it happened the one stopped in front of me was a Louis Latour Pouilly Fuisse, as all of their wines are it was clean and focused, if maybe a bit simple. It let the lobster show its stuff – all the better. Other choices included a Torchon of Foie Gras (tasted my neighbors – wow!) a Voul a vent with sweetbreads, truffles and chestnuts which looked great and got rave reviews, and a vegetarian Mille-feuille with porcini and a pea coulis (didn’t see one of these)
Second Course -Russet potato and peppercress soup with Roquefort and crispy prosciutto or Arugula salad with extra virgin olive oil, Meyer lemon and garlic croutons. I tasted both of these - presentation of the soup was beautiful, handsome china , garnish etc. Salad was properly dressed, and greens sparkling fresh.
Main Course - Beef Tenderloin served with a potato-parsnip gratin, and a marchand de vins sauce. This was a perfect piece of meat, and the gratin was excellent. Went great with a 2005 Vieux Telegraph (out of Magnum), and a few other reds floating around. Other options included Sea bass with sunchoke purée, Hedghogs, brussels sprouts, baby amaranth & a caviar champagne beurre blanc, or roasted quail stuffed with chard, piquillo peppers and pine nuts. Sadly I didn’t get to taste the latter two – no one was motivated to share!
By dessert, our group had left their chairs and were milling around, so the staff asked about how to serve – we decided to spread an assortment of all of the around the tables and let people grab what they wanted – the strategy worked well, because I got to taste them all. Pear and chocolate tart was a grand slam, Isle flottant a nostalgic walk down memory lane, and espresso pots de crème with a financier on the side delicious .
All of those in attendance work in the wine industry have been to countless restaurants in the course of work. Everyone, and I do mean everyone raved about this dinner . This was four-star cuisine in a fun, casual atmosphere, served forth by a warm and talented wait staff, overseen by co-owner Bruno – a real pro
I highly recommend Le Garage, and can’t wait to go back
Those of you in Sausalito are lucky indeed.
-----
Le Garage
85 Liberty Ship Way Ste 109, Sausalito, CA
Bottles w/o government warning label
From TTB...
"The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), regulates the importation of beverage alcohol products into the United States for commercial use. Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, any person engaged in the business of importing beverage alcohol products into the United States for commercial use must have an importer's basic permit and obtain a Certificate of Label Approval (COLA). Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the importer must also pay internal revenue taxes and any applicable duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
When a person imports beverage alcohol products into the United States on a one-time basis for personal use, the above requirements (other than the payment of Federal excise tax and any applicable duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection) do not apply. In exceptional cases, individuals who import beverage alcohol products for personal use on a repetitive or continuous basis may be required to obtain an importer's basic permit and possess a COLA for these imported shipments. As a practical matter, it is usually at the discretion of the CBP District Director at the port of entry to make the decision of whether or not a particular importation is, in fact, for personal use only. In certain unusual circumstances, TTB may exercise joint jurisdiction with CBP in making this determination.
If CBP and/or TTB decide that imported alcohol is for personal use, an importer's basic permit is not required, nor is it necessary to obtain a COLA; however, all federal, state and local taxes must be paid. In addition, other state, local or CBP requirements may apply. It should be noted that some states prohibit the direct shipment of beverage alcohol products to individuals. Anyone interested in importing alcohol for personal use should contact their state liquor control agency. A list of State Liquor Control Boards is available on our web site at http://www.ttb.gov/wine/control_board.shtml.
If the beverage alcohol products are to be given away as personal gifts to friends, neighbors, or relatives, etc., or are to be similarly distributed, the Federal Government health warning label requirement is applicable. A gift of beverage alcohol products connected with the solicitation of orders for, or the sale of, such products constitutes commercial use and can only be conducted by a federally licensed Importer.
Finally, the determination whether or not a shipment is for personal or commercial use cannot be decided solely on the size of the shipment but must be determined on a case-by-case basis considering the circumstances surrounding the importation. However, the size of the shipment may give rise to a question resulting in the need for an investigation by CBP or TTB."
Arizona/So-Cal style flour tortilla in SF
If you ever make it up to Sonoma, try Tortilleria Jalisco. Their flour tortillas are thin, translucent, and definitely high in fat. They are not as big as what I have had in AZ, but of similar texture and taste.
Breakfast by the DeYoung
The last time we went to the Academy of Sciences we had a great breakfast at...
The Irving Steet Cafe
716 Irving St
(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-1366
Hearty, quick , cheap, great hash browns!
The Brass Rail - Alturas, CA
Recently spent a couple of weeks on a camping/fishing trip that took us from the Bay Area to central Idaho and back. Our path took us through Alturas on the way up, and on the way back, providing the opportunity to eat at The Brass Rail. I had read about this place, an old-school Basque restaurant a couple of times and was anxious to try it, plus there are really only a couple of options in town, and this one seemed like the most fun. The restaurant is in a rustic, cinder block building, devoid of windows, no doubt to stand up to the frigid winter, and blistering summers.
The menu is pretty typical, family style, soup, salad, bread, entrée, side, ice cream, coffee, wine, all included. Nothing fancy here, ingredients (save for the lamb) are commercial, and come off of a Sysco
truck. I have always felt that context has a great impact on the enjoyment of food, and here, in the middle of nowhere, it all tasted pretty darn good – indeed I have to say I really loved the whole experience.
Upon sitting down the waitress plonked a ½ bottle of ice cold red wine, and returned immediately with a large tureen of noodle soup – spaghetti in a tomato-tinged chicken broth. It was really hot, which I appreciate, and we wolfed it down. My three kids 14, 11, and 9 especially liked this, and I have to say it appealed to the kid in me as well. Soup was accompanied by a basket of thickly sliced, homemade white bread which was just great, and followed by a platter of green salad – chopped iceberg with vinaigrette – another crowd pleaser.
After salad the waitress returned to take our entrée orders. The menu is short, Rib-Eye, Sirloin, Lamb Chops, Lamb Steak, Fried Chicken, Fried Scallops, Fried Shrimp, or a mix of Shrimp and Scallops. The owner at the motel tipped me off to order the lamb steak, and to ask for it with garlic, which I did. The waitress confirmed that while the other meats all came from Sysco, the lamb was local. What I got were two shoulder chops seared on a griddle, with a pile of sautéed garlic slivers on top. I grew up raising sheep and eating a lot of lamb, and this dish really took me back. The meat was chewy, the fat was delicious, and it was very “lamby”. Came with a baked potato and sour cream. My wife had an immense rib-eye, two kids had sirloin steak, and one had fried shrimp.
On Saturdays the side dish is “Spanish Rice”, paella really, with sausage, chicken wings, and lamb chunks. While this was hearty, and tasted pretty good, it was made with converted rice which I just don’t understand.
Dessert is ice cream, a choice that day of Spumoni or Cookies and Cream, and I have to say that the spumoni was actually pretty good.
We left full to the gills.
Dinner for 5, 1 cocktail, wine, dessert, etc - $81
Next time I hope to hang in the bar for awhile ( my Old-Fashioned was spot on)
If you’re passing through Alturas around dinner time, it’s worth a stop if you enjoy this sort of place.
North Carolina wines
At this year's Hot Brand Award ceremony I was really pleased to see that a NC Winery (Duplin Winery) won one of Impact Magazine's Hot Brand awards for 2008, having sold 275,000 cases. It was all based on the Muscadine grape, and probably not up to most of our qualitative standards, but it was pleasing none the less to see something other than multinationals on the stage.
Bread flour in bulk - north bay
My wife used to buy 50lb sacks from Artisan Bakers in Sonoma. They were perfectly happy to do so. I'd suggest you contact one of your favorite bakers in the area and simply ask if they'd be willing to do so
