JoanneFB's Profile
Suggestions for Loire Valley near Blois/Tours
We are staying in Onzain at Domaines de Hauts-Loire but will be going to Blois, Chinon and Chambord and probably Selles sur Cher. Blois is an easy drive. Thanks for the recommendations!
Suggestions for Loire Valley near Blois/Tours
Saumur is quite a drive, but we may go wine tasting near there so will keep it in mind. Thanks for the tip!
Any restaurants not to miss in La Rioja/Burgos?
We'll be there for only 2 nights but are wanting to find a good to great restaurant (but not too formal) with a great wine list with some old Riojas - any ideas are appreciated!
Suggestions for Loire Valley near Blois/Tours
We are going to be in the Loire Valley next week - any suggestions for great non - 2 or 3 star Michelins would be appreciated. 1 stars and bibs are ok. We are considering Au Rendez-Vous des Pêcheurs? Thanks!
Napa’s newest wine bar - Whole Foods … Sipping 1988 Chateau d’Yquem sauterne and dropping names like Quetzal, Riverdog, Bouchon and Model Bakery
My understanding is that Model Bakery is now open as is the Oxbow Cheese Merchant. We were there just over a week ago and there was not much "food" to shop for. You could buy steak, ice cream, spices and tea, have a glass of wine and take out some lunch. Taylor's looked like a couple of months from opening - it's beside the main building not inside of it. I'm holding out for Fatted Calf's opening to make the trek back and reserve judgement until then. It's like the heart wasn't in place yet.
Looks like the new Napa Whole Foods is a destination! If you go consider a quick lunch of ribs at BarBesQ which is across the parking lot. Hope the Napa consumers can support the vision. I gather the Sonoma store is not as well visited as they had hoped.
"kIds menu" at better restaurants
I actually hope that restaurants don't have a kid's menu which usually ends up being mac n'cheese, chicken and fries, pasta with sauce (red or cheese) and pizza (in non-pizza places). Kids like adults should get to expand their horizons enjoy the restaurant experience. IMHO. We eat out with our now 5 year frequently and his adaptability on food is really helpful when traveling. I just don't know what kid's menus don't offer soup and vegetables! or fruit and cold meats or charcuterie (not standard coldcuts). If you want to read what I have to say about dining out with kids in restaurants there's more here:
http://www.forkandbottle.com/rants/other/dining_out_with_kids_in_restaurants.htm
Bay Area Food Gems see list
And one more glaring omission from the list soon to be added: Girl & the Fig fig Jams, Chutney and Compote. The apricot fig compote is great on cold pork.
http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/store/home.php?cat=293
Anyone have any other local favorites that I've missed please let me know!
Bay Area Food Gems see list
While it is expensive, it does taste different than my other usual Ghee from Purity Farms which has a light slightly minerally flavor.
http://www.forkandbottle.com/pantry/pantry1.htm#ghee
The Ancient Organics Ghee has a deeper flavor which may partly be the straus butter and partly the technique. I might suggest trying it for a more of showcase. I can imagine it would show in a plain omelet or a Ghee based sauce.
Bay Area Food Gems see list
Thanks for posting the link Lori. The page is ever evolving so if you have any great suggestions for additions let me know. Here's a couple of notes pertinent to the discussions below:
Ancient Organics Ghee is available in Santa Rosa's Whole Foods. It's very expensive as you would imagine. You'll find it in the cold case.
Two Rock Valley Cheese is really small. They are at the Santa Rosa Farmer's Market most Saturdays.
Point Reyes Preserves is expensive but they are really well done and I doubt that you will be disappointed. The fruit in the jam has a nice freshness and it's not too sweet. My son and husband love Fiorello's if you see Stracciatella don't dare pass it by. (aka Vanilla Gelato with chocolate flakes in it).
I still love St. Benoit Yogurt but I've been indulging lately in the Bellwether Vanilla Yogurt as they are selling it at the Farmer's Market in Santa Rosa and some of the local grocery stores.
One obvious omission to the list is Andante Dairy's cheeses which should be an upcoming great cheese find profile.
Bellwether Farms Blueberry Sheep Milk Yogurt
Too bad you missed the Vanilla - Don't miss it next time! I've tried blueberry, blackberry, strawberry and vanilla and the vanilla is by far my favorite. In fact I'm eating it poured over fresh raspberries right now! I wish they would offer plain but I've haven't seen it - as none of the berry flavors were that exciting - but the vanilla... Oh and Kare - that would be St. Benoit you've been enjoying in the terracotta pots (at Whole Foods in SR) another of my favs! St. Benoit is cow's milk yogurt. Sheep milk has a slightly lemony acidity that I love. I'm liking the Bellwether Yogurt better than Old Chatham's - and as a double bonus it's local to the Bay Area!
-- Joanne
Sebastopol - West County Grill - Great
We had lunch at West County Grill and liked it enough to go again. It's not a serious meal in Sebastopol but a casual pleasant stop for lunch or dinner. I liked that they were utilizing local ingredients but the tomatoes on the pizza failed my local test. We skipped dessert but the semifreddo sounds like I'll be trying it next time!
My review here: http://www.forkandbottle.com/restaurants/sonoma/west_county_grill.htm
Dinner at Angele - Napa (Long)
We went again to Angele recently and was not as entranced as our first lunch there - but it's still a nice spot - and possibly a romantic choice in Napa.
http://www.forkandbottle.com/restaurants/napa/angele.htm
North Lake Tahoe Fine Dining
We really enjoyed dinner at Moody's in Truckee. Plumpjack at Squaw is good but expensive and we were not fond of Grahams. We'd happily return to Moody's on another trip. Here is my review:
http://www.forkandbottle.com/restaurants/squaw_valley/moodys_truckee.htm
Need Vancouver Suggestions
We really liked Rare when we visited in May 2007. There were some issues with how the menu was constructed but the food was great (and good value). Here's my review...
http://www.forkandbottle.com/restaurants/vancouver/rare.htm
Odyssey Restaurant in Windsor?
We were there a few weeks ago. We liked it overall and would return to try again - but there is room for improvement. The non-rez policy is a thorn as it's such a tiny spot.
My review is here: http://www.forkandbottle.com/restaurants/sonoma/odyssey.htm
3 Day SF/Sonoma Whirlwind
I would choose The General's Daughter over the girl and the fig. Girl and the Fig is much more casual and can be a nice lunch spot - although our last experience there is not memorable in a positive way, we have eaten there many times.
Russian River Valley/Sonoma County Restaurants and Wineries? Also, sept 22-25 events?
The Farmhouse Inn is right where you are and worth the trip. The General's Daughter is a nice destination in Sonoma. Try Porter Creek for some great burgundian style wines (their own vineyards are biodynamic. Taste at Rochioli as well further down the road.
Clam Chowder @ Spud Point Crab Co. in Bodega Bay
You know I may be confusing it with that fish shack it replaced - as we haven't been there in a while. I noticed your photo doesn't show fried oysters as an item and the menu overall looks different than my recollection. We'll make a point of (re) visiting it.
Outdoor Pizza Oven
We have a woodoven from Mugnaini in Watsonville, CA. Pizza takes alot of experimentation and alot of prep time - especially if you don't use the oven regularly. It takes about 4-5 hours of fire maintaining. Getting the perfect crust is an art. I've known people who have built their own with great results - but it is a time consuming process and requires lots of hands.
http://www.mugnaini.com/
Farmhouse Inn or Seaweed Cafe?
We went to the Blue Water Bistro in Bodega Bay for lunch on Thursday. We had fish n chips, fish tacos and a BLT. All were ok but nothing spectacular. Fish was very crunchy and the fries were very crispy. No Oysters on the lunch menu. The special was ravioli. Soup was chicken something - no clam chowder. The BWB is at the Bodega Links golf course so lunch has ringings of good country club food. Edible but not fantastic. It has a poor wine list by the glass so if wine is required expect to order a bottle. The food might be better at dinner - the menu was more promising.
Clam Chowder @ Spud Point Crab Co. in Bodega Bay
We've eaten at Dee's and haven't found it special in any way. The Fried oysters are huge but not particularly notable and lack in flavor. Orders are large and tend towards the greasy. The salads we've tried were just ok.
Crane Melon Barn Update
I've seen Crane Melons for sale off and on since June in Santa Rosa grocery stores. They started to appear at farmer's markets in August - they are around. If you manage to get one try eating slices with squeezes of lemon juice. We were served Crane Melon that way at the 1st Slow Food Fast Food Picnic and it's amazing how much the lemon enhances the flavor. We've visited the Crane Melon Barn a number of times and their melons on average do seem superior to most. Happy Hunting.
