Bon Vivant's Profile
Yet another "Rate My Napa Weekend Itinerary"
My favorite more casual restaurant in Downtown Napa is Azzurro Pizzeria. Although I haven't been, Graces's Table is getting a lot of great reviews. A really fun place is The Bounty Hunter which offers some interesting wine tasting options (I haven't had the food but I have done tastings there).
If you end up staying at Gaia (which is actually a nice place on weekdays - weekends the guests tend to get a little loud - there is a casino next door - and the walls are very thin) you may want to check in first and then explore Downtown Napa/Oxbow rather than go back and forth.
I might get flamed for this suggestion but I always enjoy tasting at Domaine Carneros. Yes, it's the Disneyland of Napa but that doesn't take away from the fact that they have good wines and the view is beautiful. I always take out of town guests there and they love it. You also have the option of NOT paying a $25 tasting fee; there are cheaper flights or you can get a single glass of wine.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
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Domaine Carneros
1240 Duhig Rd, Napa, CA
So Restaurant Closed?
SO reopened in SOMA. The address is 1010 Bryant Street. They don't have a website but a Facebook fan page instead.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Very Specific Napa Wineries
Liparita's Stags Leap Cab is 13.7% and it can be tasted at Napa Wine Company. The same day that I was tasting at NWC (last Friday to be exact) I also paid a repeat visit to Sullivan Vineyards. Their winemaker is French, and they have a table red that is 13.5% and some of their blends are just slightly over 14% (I bought a bottle of their Couer de Vigne which is 14.1%).
I too have been looking for lower alcohol reds but they are hard to find in Napa.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
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Napa Wine Company
7830 40 St Helena Hwy, Oakville, CA
Napa Trip - May 2010 and some questions
You didn't mention in which city you are staying, but in some cities(such as Napa) there is no such thing as a "late" dinner since many places close at 9 pm. You may want to research restaurants that you are interested in just to make sure that they'll still be open.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
House of Dumplings, Union City w/ pics - Recommended!
Great pix. Thanks for posting; I'm currently on a quest to find an insanely good dumpling house in the Bay Area a la San Gabriel Valley.
Ad Hoc major disappointment/meh!
I've had very good meals there but most of them lean towards the meh. My problem with AdHoc is that I eat vegetables all the time at home and when I go there I'm served mostly vegetables for which I have to end up paying nearly $100 out the door. How about a potato or some mac n cheese? My last meal there was quite good ($96) but the sauteed mustard greens were nothing compared to mine - if I'm paying that price I want the food to be better than mine.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Favorite Oakland Korean Restaurant Dishes?
China Village on Solano.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/613746
I wasn't at the lunch for this particular write-up but it did inspire me to go since I'm a fried chicken slut. I've been there several times for the special fried chicken and it's always a treat. In the video you see two orders of chicken on the platter.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Favorite Oakland Korean Restaurant Dishes?
Sweet potato noodles and vegetables such as green onion (lots), brown onion, zucchini, and enoki mushroom. Also, one piece of fish cake.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Favorite Oakland Korean Restaurant Dishes?
Another vote for Ohgane strictly for a dish called Dduk Baegi Bulgogi that is hard to find on restaurant menus (even with all of the Korean restaurants in LA, I know of only one that had this great dish - it's a better version of sukiyaki made with bulgogi - on the menu.
I went there last Saturday and here's a video of the dish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-MTpa9azuc
REVIEW (w/Foodie Porn Pix and Flix!): A Noodle Whoring Weekend - Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe and Santouka Ramen
Who knows, it could have been the day that I went(Sunday); the last time that I went to Santouka on Centinela on a Sunday the broth was so-so. Although the San Jose broth was slightly less good than SoCal's broth it was still pretty damn good.
REVIEW (w/Foodie Porn Pix and Flix!): A Noodle Whoring Weekend - Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe and Santouka Ramen
For foodie porn pix and flix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com
A preview of coming attractions - oodles and oodles of rice stick noodles:
I'm continuing my quest to find insanely good noodles in the Bay Area. Recently I partook in a noodle centric weekend, and went to one new restaurant and one favorite noodle joint from Los Angeles that just opened in San Jose. Both places did not disappoint.
So far the only pho place that I had been to previous to Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe was Turtle Tower which has been hailed as the best pho in the region. Although it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as what I was used to getting in LA. Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe has been on my radar for quite a while and it was time to check it out.
Below, the incredible (and I mean incredible) green onion ginger dipping sauce for the pho ga:
I had heard that Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe was better than Turtle Tower simply because of this sauce but overall I thought that the broth and noodles were far superior to Turtle Tower's. Also a plus is the rather varied choice of pho ga with different types of noodles and different cuts of chicken (boned or with bone, all white meat or a mix of white and dark, etc.)
I almost ordered this wonton soup with ho fun:
But instead I ordered boneless chicken (yes, yes, I know, I'm normally a bone person but I didn't want anything to interfere with my ability to get as much dipping sauce as possible; however, someone next to me ordered her chicken with bones and her dish looked really good) with ho fun. Next time though I'm going to try the pho ga with rice stick noodles.
Not only was the pho ga insanely good, but we averaged just over $7 person all inclusive (my iced Vietnamese coffee to-go almost cost half that amount). Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe is a noodle whore's paradise!
Those who know me know that I will whore for a big bowl of shio ramen from Santouka Ramen. The gods were watching over Bon V. when Santouka finally opened a store in the Mitsuwa Marketplace in San Jose.
Gratuitous photos of shio ramen with "special" pork (jowl meat):
Was the shio ramen as good as I remember? Yes, but the broth was slightly different, just a tad less rich. Also, the pork was sliced thinner in San Jose than in LA and the noodles seemed a bit thinner as well. Still, these differences did not hinder my enjoyment of my shio ramen. I was worried about what my fellow noodle whore, Noah, would think of the ramen since I had built it up so much, but by his exclamation (censored) when he first tasted it, I knew that he really liked it. Now, if only my other favorite, Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen, would come up here...
A sampling of yummy sides - rice bowl with salmon roe and chopped stewed pork, respectively - that you can get along with your ramen:
With the good sometimes you have to take the bad. Case in point: a spaghetti bun that I bought at a bakery in the same mall. Don't ask, I couldn't even bring myself to eat it.
Pho Ga Houng Que Cafe
1228 7th Avenue
Oakland, CA 94606
Santouka Ramen
Mitsuwa Marketplace
675 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, CA 95129
REVIEW (w/Foodie Porn Pix and Flix!): Fremont Diner - a Gem in Sonoma
I drove by this morning and the parking lot was pretty full so Sundays are obviously working for them.
Looking for a good rehearsal dinner place in Healdsburg, CA
Last June I hosted a retirement party for my mother at Seghesio in Healdsburg. I was very, very happy with the food, wine, atmosphere, and service. The party was for 32 people. We did it at lunch which is a bit cheaper than dinner; we had passed apps and wine tasting for an hour before the lunch and then we had a four course meal with wine pairings. I think that the price came out to about $110 per person all inclusive. Their chef, John, is really fabulous (I often go to their food and wine pairings and have always enjoyed them so that's what gave me the idea to host my mom's party there.)
REVIEW (w/Foodie Porn Pix and Flix!): Fremont Diner - a Gem in Sonoma
I haven't heard anything to the contrary so I assume that they are still open on Sundays. I'll be driving by next Sun morning on my way to the city so I'll check it out (I would love to stop by and have breakfast - I've heard that their breakfasts are divine.)
REVIEW (w/Foodie Porn Pix and Flix!): Fremont Diner - a Gem in Sonoma
For Foodie Porn Pix and Flix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
A preview of coming attractions: a close-up of the insanely good pulled pork sandwich.
How many times have I driven by the Fremont Diner on my way to SF or Petaluma and wondered, "hm, I wonder what that place is?" Many. Recently I noticed that the old wood shack (which used to be Babe's Burgers) that looked a drab Army barrack had been painted a fresh bright white and there were a bunch of yuppie cars in the parking lot. Swore to self that I would definitely check it out. Didn't even have time since on the same day I was invited to join Peggy for lunch later that week.
Another view of the ridiculously good pulled pork sandwich with the best onion rings I've had maybe ever.
I had done a little research ahead of time and discovered that the thing to order is the Nashville Hot Chicken (fried chicken served on a piece of bread that soaks up all of the grease from the chicken - divine!) Uh, oh, the chicken was not on the menu but there were twenty other things that I wanted to order (I believe that the menu changes daily).
I limited myself to only three items and asked about the Nashville Hot Chicken. The lady at the counter was so nice and she offered to have the kitchen make me an order. This was the best fried chicken that I've had yet in the Bay Area! Although it was a tad bit greasy, the crust was uber crispy and flavorful and the chicken tender and juicy. The ultimate test was that it tasted even better the next day.
Salad or macaroni and cheese as a side? What do you think this noodle whore ordered?
My only complaint was the the mac n cheese didn't have enough cheese in it but I took home the left-overs and added a bit more cheese before heating and it morphed into extremely good creamy mac n cheese.
The charcuterie platter speaks for itself:
From left to right: Prosciutto with wine marinated prunes; chorizo with Mahon, pistachios, and chopped quince; bresciola with fresh grapefruit and balsamic drizzle; and sopressata with pickled onions.
Not only was this one of the most fantastic tasting charcuterie platters that I have in a long time, it was also one of the most beautifully presented.
Well, I felt obligated to order something "healthy" and opted for the Gardner's Open Faced Sandwich instead of the Cincinnati Chili. While this sandwich did not have the cajones of the pulled pork sammie, it was still quite lovely (to look at and eat!) Shaved fennel, radish, and onion with a hint of dill were served over some great bread slathered with goat cheese. Definitely a great option for a vegetarian or someone who wants to eat light.
Fremont Diner
2698 Fremont Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 938-7370
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Fremont Diner
2660 Fremont Dr, Sonoma, CA
REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Kara's Cupcakes in Oxbow
For foodie porn flix and pix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com
A preview of coming attractions – cupcakes galore:
Like a lot of people, I had been waiting for Kara’s Cupcakes to open up in Oxbow for a long time. Finally, this week I received an email from the good folks at Oxbow informing me of Kara’s grand opening – that day.
I was hesitant at first since I’m uber picky about my cupcakes. Down in my former domicile, Los Angeles, cupcake stores are everywhere and most of the cupcakes are dreadful: dry, tasteless cake and frosting that is over dominated by sugar and lacks any nuance of flavor. But I was pleasantly surprised by Kara’s cupcakes.
My favorite cupcake thus far:
This is the Spring Chick, a vanilla cupcake filled with passion fruit cream and topped with a vanilla frosting adorned with coconut. Great flavors (all of the components were really balanced) and the texture was lovely.
A close-up of the Meyer Lemony Lemon which seems to be one of their more popular flavors:
The grand tour of the platter of cupcakes:
Both chocolate cupcakes, the Chocolate Velvet and the Fleur de Sel, were really good! The Fleur de Sel was one of my favorite cupcakes: the cake was very dense and the chocolate ganache was fabulous. Added to this was a caramel filling which I felt was somewhat unnecessary considering how rich and delicious the cake and frosting were.
And finally, a pic of the “normal” chocolate cupcakes:
Kara’s Cupcakes
Oxbow Public Market
610 First Street, Suite 19
Napa, CA 94559
Check Please 3/27/09: Shanghai Dumpling King, Farmerbrown, & Caesar's Italian Restaurant, SF
All you can eat.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com
Anyone have a favorite taco truck in Napa which will cater parties?
I've driven by this truck and have noticed the line that forms apparently right at 6 pm. Thanks for the rec, I'll have to stop there one of these nights.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Banana Island (Malaysian, Singapore, Thai), Daly City report w/ pics
Is anything good here? It appears that this place is "just ok." I love Malaysian but I like good Malaysian. Your pix made the food look pretty good though.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Buster's BBQ in Calistoga?
Buster's is not bad at all but it's not fantastic bbq either (I think that it smells better than it tastes). You do receive huge portions for the money and it's a convenient place to go after an afternoon of wine tasting up valley if you don't want to deal with a sit down restaurant.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Shan Dong
Thanks! I always like to get a shot of the inside of a dumpling but this time their were eight very hungry people so I had to shoot quickly.
REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Shan Dong
I really wanted to get the steamed pork and vegetables buns because as I walked in the restaurant, the ladies were making them up front and they looked so good.
REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Shan Dong
For foodie porn flix and pix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
The second half of our meal that day – we were doing some serious noodle whoring:
Ever since I left LA I’ve been having saudade for that certain aptly named dumpling house in San Gabriel. I’ve begun my quest to find a Bay Area alternative and first up was Shan Dong in Oakland’s Chinatown.
We got into a dumpling frenzy and ordered vegetable dumplings (boiled), Shan Dong special dumplings (boiled), potstickers, green onion pancake (ok, officially not a dumpling), and steamed veggie buns.
I think that the crowd favorite were the Shan Dong special dumplings. They were filled with ground pork and vegetables and a little something else that gave them a bit of oomph. I was really looking forward to the onion pancake and the potstickers, since I had heard that they were really good at Shan Dong, but they were just ok; the restaurant seems to do a lot better with the steamed and boiled dumplings.
Several of the many noodle dishes that we ordered:
The sesame paste noodles were actually my favorite dish. I was surprised that these were served hot instead of cold. The sauce worked really well with both the noodles and the Chinese broccoli. My only complaint was that the menu said that these noodles spicy and it turned out that they weren’t at all (but that wasn’t something that a big spoonful of chili sauce couldn’t cure.)
I haven’t had Singapore noodles in years and Shan Dong’s version was better than I remembered the dish to be. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the curry sauce had a nice spicy kick to it. Also, the vegetables, especially the onions, were cooked (there is a place for raw onions but I don’t like them in stir-fries).
The soup turned out to taste better than it looked. We also ordered a sizzling rice soup and both soups had very flavorful broths.
We went a little crazy and splurged for the hand pulled noodles in almost every dish.
Although Shan Dong wasn’t as good as my beloved SoCal dumpling house, I thought that most of the items that we ordered were good and I would probably go back and try some different noodle dishes.
Shan Dong
328 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
http://sd.222.to/
Vallejo: SacsTasty Hot Dogs - Hot dog lover parking only. All others will be hounded
Where and when is the Vallejo farmers market?
REVIEW (w/foodie porn pix!): A16 - Swinealicious!
I must try it at Ubuntu. Do you know from where they get it?
I assumed that A16 got their burrata from Gioia but it is really, really good so I'm wondering if they have another source. That or else the cheese they get is the very best. I used to get Gioia all the time in LA and it was good but not as good as I got at A16.
Vallejo: SacsTasty Hot Dogs - Hot dog lover parking only. All others will be hounded
I posted foodie porn pix here: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/
Immediately after reading this review, I knew that I had to go here. I thought that the perfect time would be when I was returning to Napa after my vegan cooking class and lunch in Oakland (I like to seek redemption before I give into temptation).
I started off with the Original Tasty Dog with mustard, relish, onion (chopped), and tomato. I really wanted to get cheese on it but I was trying to practice some sort of restraint since I knew that I was also going to get a chili cheese dog.
I loved this hot dog. The dog itself had really good snap! and I really liked how all of the accoutrements worked together. It really didn't need cheese but that is not going to stop me from ordering it with next time!
Next was the chili cheese dog. Oh man, I got so excited when I saw the gobs 'o' cheese that went on the dog.
My only complaint was that the chili that day tasty a bit pasty/grainy. I miss the days when fast food chili was emulsified by thick orange grease instead of the low-fat thickeners. Despite that, this was one great chili cheese dog.
Thanks for the rec, rworange!
REVIEW (w/foodie porn pix!): A16 - Swinealicious!
For foodie porn pix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com
A preview of coming attractions: still life at A16. In the foreground you can see my carafina of the ’03 Mastroberardino Taurasi Aglianico; in the background there is a glass of the ’04 Emmanuel Scammaca Murgo Brut (it’s Sicilian!)
I knew the lunch at A16 was going to be fabulous. Luck was on my side that day: no traffic coming into the city, I was able to avoid the Marina District hills (manual transmission, Dear Reader), and I found a great parking spot right away.
Since I had been praying to the Porcine God earlier, I planned on ordering the pork liver terrina but it wasn’t on the menu that day. So to start, I ordered the wonderfully subtle ciccioli:
Next up was the burrata with prosciutto. Yes, burrata is excellent on its own but slathered in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt it becomes amazing:
Both of these apps paired really well with the sparkling white. The Aglianico, which was HUGE, didn’t work as well (although it tasted fine with the burrata alone). I was originally going to order a bottle of Aglianico but once I put on my reading glasses the bottle that I wanted ended up being priced at $228. I had to implement Plan B.
Mumsy’s choice was the scarola pizza since she’s old school Italian and loves her sautéed escarole.
This was not my favorite dish (although it tasted pretty good the next morning with a fried egg on it.) I noticed that most people ordered pizza at lunch and the pizza of choice at A16 is the Margherita supplemented with prosciutto and arugula. I will definitely try that next time that I am there.
Two views of the utterly famous meatballs:
These were so lovely - they were almost as good as mine (nota bene: every Italian cook thinks that they make the best meatballs). The meatballs were the perfect match with the Aglianico – the meat and the sauce just brought that wine to life. When I put a spoonful of the sauce in my mouth for the first time, I tasted this wonderfully rich pork flavor; I’m wondering if the sauce is simmered with other pieces of pork along with the meatballs?
As we learned from our burrata appetizer “what doesn’t taste better slathered in olive oil and sea salt?” How about a chocolate budino tart? This was insanely good. We all know that salt goes great with chocolate but olive oil? Yes, Dear Reader, the olive oil added a new level of unctuousness to the creamy chocolate tart.
I’m looking forward to trying the expanded dinner menu.
A16
2355 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA
www.a16sf.com
Wineries with good wine + picnic area
I too love Casa Nuestra for picnics. Yes, it is a little funky but it's also quiet and there aren't bus loads of tourists pulling up to the place. The vineyard dogs will hang around but are not beggars and the goats take an interest in you as well. I like their wines as well and think that they are reasonably priced.
Japanese Skewer Restaurant?
Sakura House on Washington in Culver City is my favorite; a close second is Koshiji in JTown.
http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com
REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Ad Hoc, Street, and BarBersQ - the Fried Chicken Trifecta
Thanks for the clarification. I receive their daily menus but hadn't noticed that fried chicken is never served on Tuesdays - it just always seems to be the first half of the week.
