Davooda - thanks for the insight on Schramsberg wine club. It sounded enticing before and even more so now.

EDIT: I just received in my inbox that on October 5, 2009, Binny's Chicago is having a Schramsberg Open House sparkling tasting with Hugh Davies and it's FREE.

* * *

Snacks from Oakville Grocery

With all the hullabaloo surrounding the reputed Oakville Grocery, it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, and with way more over-priced pre-packaged foods than I anticipated. However, the olives, charcuterie (mostly Fra’Mani), breads and baked goods I sampled were top notch.







Oakville Grocery
7856 St. Helena Highway
Oakville, CA
(707) 944-8802
http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/default.php

* * *

Dinner at Rutherford Grill

Rutherford Grill is part of the Hillstone Group, the same folks who own and operate Bandera and Houston’s. Believe it or not, several locals recommended it to me and even touted it as being better than Mustard’s. I think my friend liked it better than I did; it felt very corporate to me. The food was well-executed, in that perfect, but soulless, sort of way. If they could tone down the slick steakhouse leather and mahogany decor and ditch the servers’ white shirt-and-tie apparel, I think Rutherford Grill would blend in a little better in Napa (to me). There is a casual, comfortable outdoor patio with outdoor bar that beckoned in the 80 degree nighttime weather. Still being kind of full from Oakville Grocery snacks, we tried their “famous” spinach-artichoke dip that was satisfying in a Super Bowl snack food way (and came with a very fresh, excellent tomato salsa), as well as a couple of salads. One was the “Hacked” Chicken salad, which featured their highly touted rotisserie chicken, tortilla strips, local greens, arugula and honey-lime vinaigrette and peanut sauce; the other was a Thai steak & noodle salad with avocado, mango and peanuts. Both salads were good, and get points for using a “farm box” variety of spicier lettuces, something I wouldn’t expect from a chain like this. We split an enchilada on the side, which was about as good as you’d expect a gringo enchilada to taste. The spinach portion was especially rich, as it tasted like it contained creamed spinach. Not my favorite place in Napa for food or atmosphere, but Rutherford Grill gets big points for having NO CORKAGE FEE, the primary reason why we stopped in here.


Spinach-Artichoke Dip


"Hacked" Chicken Salad


Thai Steak Salad


Chicken and Spinach Enchilada

Rutherford Grill
1180 Rutherford Road
Rutherford, CA 94573
(707) 963-1792
http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/rutherfordGrill/

September 23

Graeser Winery – http://www.graeserwinery.com/
255 Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga
(707) 942-4437

This day started with a visit to the under-the-radar Richard Graeser’s winery. This is a small winery, located in a secluded area off of Petrified Forest Road on Diamond Mountain. The property was originated by San Franciscan partriarch, Dr. Richard Beverly Cole. We were sent there upon the recommendation of the folks at Freemark Abbey (I asked him where he would go just for the wine). I loved Graeser. This is an LTH kind of a place. The winemaker is a tad eccentric and was a former lettuce farmer who inherited the property about 25 years ago from his parents, which was used solely as a weekend home. He decided to grow grapes instead of lettuce. Both Richard and his wife will tend to you; they like to chat about various subjects, pour generous tastings of their wine and give you their housemade spicy chocolate to try with their port. This is a fun visit and the wines are approachable; they are good drinking wines, not big cabs you whip out only on special occasions. Tasting notes: I particularly enjoyed their Merlot, Zinfandel, port and late harvest Semillon, a dessert wine that I think will go especially well with summer peaches. (No reservations required.) -- 5 stars


Approach to Graeser tasting room


Graeser tasting glass


View, Graeser vineyards

Robert Sinskey -- http://www.robertsinskey.com/
6320 Silverado Trail, Napa
(707) 944-9090

Sinskey is a biodynamic, organic winery that is very intertwined with food. (Robert Sinskey’s wife, Maria, is a chef.) In fact, the tasting room is adjacent to an open kitchen. We had received, as part of a package, a cellar tour with the winemaker as well as a 4 course lunch served with pairings. As such, I think my experience here was a little different than most vistors’. Although Sinskey doesn’t have an arsenal of wines, the few he produces, I like quite a bit. Tasting notes: The very versatile Abraxas is a great white, one that paired beautifully with a choucroute I made last year. I also like the Marcien, Proprietary Red (a Bordeaux-style red). –- 4 stars


Harvesting merlot grapes @ Sinskey


A peek and sniff in the barrel of fermenting red wine @ Sinskey


Cellars at Sinskey


Barrel tasting partially-aged reds @ Sinskey

Sinskey also has an adjacent organic food garden, which grows a surprising variety of vegetables in a small space, including butternut squash (which is trellised), artichokes, kaffir lime, San Marzano tomatoes, Swiss chard, arugula and hot peppers.


Sinskey’s hot peppers


San Marzano tomatoes

Stag’s Leap -- http://www.stagsleap.com/
6150 Silverado Trail, Napa
(800) 640-LEAP

The cab-heavy Stag’s Leap was a general disappointment. First, the tasting room was under construction. Second, the pourers lacked any personality and seemed fatigued and bored. We tasted 3 types of estate Cabs, 2 from different vineyards with distinct soils (volcanic and alluvial) and the 3rd estate wine, which had the best of both. One was positively okay, the lighter one (Fay) much more drinkable and the estate one the best, I think. – 1 ½ stars


Entrance, Stag’s Leap tasting room

Silver Oak Cellars -- http://www.silveroak.com/
915 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville
(707) 942-7026

Silver Oak, “Life is a Cabernet,” is known, not surprisingly, for really big Cabs. The very dry, desert-like vineyard which greets you certainly portends the bigness of the wine to come. This was an expensive tasting at $20 for two wines; needless to say, however, the Cabs were fantastic. Huge crowds meant little interaction with the pourers. A nice bonus is the free Silver Oak wineglass given as part of the tasting. (The grounds were baking in the sun on this 96° day, so we didn’t feel the need to linger.) -- 3 stars


Tasting Room, Silver Oak


Entrance, Silver Oak tasting room


View of Silver Oak Vineyards

Dinner at Mustard’s Grill

I liked Mustard’s. As mentioned upthread, several locals told me, in almost hushed tones, that they believe that the food at Rutherford Grill was as good, if not better, than at Mustard’s. I get the feeling that Mustard’s is one of those crowded, touristy institutions, not unlike our own Frontera Grill (except helmed by Top Chef Master contestant Cindy Pawlcyn and not Top Chef Master master Rick Bayless) that locals tire of eventually. Even though the preparation of food at Mustard’s was not as perfect as at Rutherford (I get the sense they're somewhat phoning it in), there was more soul in it. The woodfired grill at Mustard's is a real asset and the food seems to be more of a Napalese point-of-view, as opposed to at Rutherford, where its strengths are dictated not from its location in Napa, but from the corporate office.

Chalkboard specials at Mustard’s:



My first impression of Mustard’s was that it was smaller than I thought it would be; especially the bar, which seats about 8 people, total. We started with Mustard’s renowned onion rings with tomato-apple ketchup. I thought the ketchup with tasty enough to be eaten alone, and elevated what were otherwise, good, but kind of routine, thin-cut, flash-fried onion rings.



One of us ordered the “Truckstop Deluxe” (“always meat, usually potatoes, rarely vegetables”). This time, it was a 21-day dry aged ribeye, and while not a Mongolian sized steakhouse cut, it was a damned tasty steak. It came with roasted potatoes and peppers (the rarely vegetable) and a gorgonzola sour cream garnish. Excellent, simple dish.



We also ordered the “Mongolian” pork chop, which was served with a mustard sauce (of course), really buttery and smooth buttermilk mashed potatoes, and sweet and sour cabbage. The pork chop, which was grilled over wood fire and had a nice smoky taste, was a tad dry. However, this was a really well-rounded dish, and was a bit of an homage to MittelEurope.



We skipped dessert, but a lemon-lime tart with a sky-high meringue topping looked tempting. The wine list (a binder) is quite hefty for food this casual. Our server was knowledgeable and steered me away from a certain glass of red, which he thought too strong for my pork. There is usually an auction of a case of specially-produced wine, which comes with a piece of art paying homage to that wine painted by a local artist. Kind of a cool auction, especially in that the special wine is offered by the glass on the menu to try.

I noticed a stage of sorts on one side of the restaurant, which had strange, Western style-slatted, louvered doors going across it. At any point, it seemed like the doors would open and a can-can revue with pianist would start to perform. I noticed that, throughout the dinner, the servers were going in and out of these doors, closing them behind them. Being nosy, I had to ask my server what was behind there, and apparently, I opened a can of worms. Answer: it’s just a serving station for the servers, but it once held extra seating for the patrons. Due to a plumbing dispute with the winery next door that lasted for years in the court system, Mustard’s was forced to remove those seats as they exceeded capacity – not so much in the sense that they would create a fire hazard – but that, the folks using the extra seating might overtax Mustard’s plumbing allotment. Our server claims that if you mention the dispute to certain people at the restaurant (he didn’t name Cindy, but I imagine she’s one of them), fire will shoot out of their ears. Okay . . . so there’s the deal with the louvered doors at Mustard’s.

Mustard's Grill
7399 St. Helena Hwy
Napa, CA
(707) 944-2424
http://www.mustardsgrill.com/

Accommodations for September 23 & 24

Napa Valley Lodge -- http://www.napavalleylodge.com/: A comfortable hotel, if a bit conventional. Great location within walking distance of all the Washington Street restaurants & shops (Keller's French Laundry, Bouchon & Bouchon Bakery and Chiarella's Bottega). Above-average champagne breakfast included (with some pretty darn good biscuits & gravy) and cozy fire pit for lounging later. In-ground pool, hot tub and Bocce pit on site. Bathroom is huge. Downside: Refrigerator has a mini bar. Where do we put our wine? Someone I talked to later at a tasting suggested that, next time, I call in advance and ask the hotel to provide us with either another empty fridge, or to clean out the mini bar. He's done this in the past and it works.

I hope you’re not getting tired of my vacation reports! I found the information on this thread helpful in narrowing down to 24 from about 300+ wineries to visit in Napa, so I hope that this information will come in handy down the road for anyone visiting Napa.

September 24

Honig Vineyard & Winery -- http://www.honigwine.com/home
850 Rutherford Road, Rutherford
(800) 929-2217

It was a very foggy, cold morning. We started the day tasting @ Honig. The tasting took place outside on the patio, so I was a little chilly. I enjoyed Naomi, a relatively youthful but energetic and knowledgeable pourer. She loved to talk about the wines. We did a vertical cabernet sauvignon tasting, which was an excellent way to compare their single vineyard wines. Tasting notes: I absolutely loved Honig’s small production (500 bottles, I think) Bartolucci vineyard Cabernet. A very feminine cab, packs a velvet-gloved wallop with a lot of other flavors going on. The Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon was also impressive, though a little too “Rutherford dusty” for me. The Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine with its naturally nobly rotted grapes, stood out for me as well. – 4 ½ stars


Honig’s patio


Honig’s tasting room

Plumpjack Winery -- http://www.plumpjackwinery.com/plumpjackwinery/
620 Oakville Cross Road, Oakville, CA
(707) 945-1220

If there ever was a hipster winery, this is it. Very youthful pourers, attitude, and tasting room. I generally enjoyed Plumpjack. If Silver Oak and Stag’s Leap are producing the leather and mahogany steakhouse version of Cabs, Plumpjack, to me, is producing the modern Mado version. You also get to taste related Cade winery’s wines here. Tasting Notes: Plumpjack Merlot and 2006 Cade Cabernet Sauvignon were standouts. I thought both could use about 6 months-1 year aging before they were prime. – 4 stars



Plumpjack vines


Plumpjack wines

Cakebread Cellars -- http://www.cakebread.com/
8300 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford
(800) 588-0298

We arranged for a private tour and tasting. “Wild” Jim was our tour guide, an older fella who was not afraid to instigate debate about wine. Not much of a tour; Jim took the four of us into the cellar part, then we started tasting a lot of wine. We toured with a couple from Michigan who had very divergent, but strong, opinions about wine. Needless to say, this was a very fun tasting as the topics in our very lively conversation touched upon Wine Advocate ratings, even v. odd numbered production years, should wines be able to be called something like Merlot when in fact, it’s blended with non-Merlot grapes, whether you should ever pair a Chardonnay with a steak and, finally, whether the average American has a "history" with wine, and if so, does Canei and E&J Gallo count as that history? My sense from Jim is that he loved wine and to debate about wine more than life itself, so he was a great guide. Tasting notes: Not a dud in the bunch. Liked ‘em all, even the very strong 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grew on me after one sip. – 4 ½ stars


Cakebread tasting


Cakebread Chardonnay grapes

Nickel & Nickel -- http://www.nickelandnickel.com/
8164 St. Helena Highway, Oakville
(707) 967-9600

To me, Nickel & Nickel felt rich, oilman rich. (Incidentally, the owner of Nickel & Nickel and its higher end brother winery, Far Niente, was from Oklahoma, but was a florist. Damn, wonder how you get rich enough in that business to buy two estate wineries.) All of Nickel & Nickel’s wines are single vineyard, which means that all the wine in one type of wine comes from one single vineyard, an increasing rarity in the wine business. For me, the single vineyard schtick is somewhat of a novelty; it’s cool in that there’s more terroir evident in the wine, but on the other hand, I have no issue with Bordeaux-style blending from different vineyards. Sometimes, that blending results in a more interesting wine. In other words, Nickel & Nickel is perfect for folks who like things black and white. Tasting notes: Women will like the soft State Ranch (Yountville) cabernet sauvignon, and men will prefer either the Witz End (Rutherford) Cab (and its attendant Rutherford dust) or the Sullenger Cab (Oakville), which could use a bit of aging but is a beautiful wine as well. Someone in my tasting didn’t care for the Block 4, Regusci Vineyard Cab, as it didn’t taste to him as if it derived from the Regusci district. There ya go. I also heard great things about their Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel, but we didn’t get to try it. (Reservations required.) – 5 stars

Although the wines are damn good, I have to admit, they were overshadowed by this impeccable property. Check out the immaculately manicured and maintained grounds:



Admittedly, I’m kind of a DIY person, so while my level of workmanship is Home Depot class, I do tend to notice and admire fine workmanship. It’s in abundance at Nickel and Nickel. The great house, which dates back to the late 1800s to John Sullenger, who got rich mining gold in his 20s, was impeccably restored by N&N. It feels old but absolutely nothing is in disrepair. To give the estate and even older, more lived-in look, N&N had a barn brought in, piece-by-piece, from New Hampshire, which they converted into offices. (Interesting little story about American entrepreneurship there: Two guys reinvented themselves about 10 years ago as “barn brokers,” where they basically troll the internet, finding folks who have applied for permits to burn down their old barns that are either in disrepair, too expensive to maintain and/or for which they’re being taxed. So, they intervene, offer to dismantle the barn for free (a task for which the impoverished owners are extremely grateful), then they turn around and sell the dismantled barn for a mint to rich fellows like Mr. Nickel who, for novelty’s sake, need a barn in their yard. I wish I'd thought of barn brokering.) Anyhow, here’s a picture of the barn:



Even N&N’s wine fermenting barrels are gorgeous, in a room with reclaimed lumber, natch.



The wine cellar looks like it could be the ballroom of a mansion:




Nickel & Nickel’s wine tasting

aschie30 wrote:[i]I hope you’re not getting tired of my vacation reports!

Amazing report! I'm jealous of your trip. Glad you were able to make it to two of my faves - Reverie and Vincent Arroyo. (I think I still have a bottle of Prager Port in the wine cellar ... er basement ... too.)

aschie - the story I got from our tour guide at Far Niente was that the late Gil Nickel purchased the two estates "when the gittin was good" back in the early 1970's, if memory serves. Far Niente appealed to Nickel as it was one of two remaining "gravity" wineries extant at the time, and IMO his restoration was nothing short of marvelous. A friend here in central Illinois (and a tree farmer) got to know Nickel very well during the restoration and said the guy worked his ass off.

Did they offer a tasting of the Match Vineyard Cab at Nickel & Nickel? That was our fave from a tasting in 2006 - deep red, big, chewy mouthfeel, great balance of tannin and fruit, and a smoky element to the flavor profile that I have yet to find in another Cab from anywhere. It was a real winner, IMO. We did not care for the Nickel & Nickel Regusci but we did like the Cabs offered at the actual Regusci Winery on the Silverado Trail. And Regusci's tasting was free!

Davooda

Davooda wrote:

Did they offer a tasting of the Match Vineyard Cab at Nickel & Nickel? That was our fave from a tasting in 2006 - deep red, big, chewy mouthfeel, great balance of tannin and fruit, and a smoky element to the flavor profile that I have yet to find in another Cab from anywhere.

Davooda

Why not try http://matchvineyard.com/ Randy does a great job with his own fruit!
He's a heck of a nice guy making a great Cab for a good price.

Thanks mhill! From the website, it looks like Match has highly allocated its wines and one must be on the mailing list to even have a shot. Do you believe this to be the case, or do you feel Match wines find their way to retail shelves from time to time?

This is what turned us off to Spottswoode and I confess the concept of the "mailing list" doesn't have much appeal to me. We do participate in Schramsberg's Cellar Club because we really like their wines and I have a hard time finding them in my neck of the woods. And I participate in Sineann's All-Red club for the same reason.

Davooda

Not sure about IL distro of Match wines but there is no problem ordering direct from them.
The have some good deals and maybe some free shipping too (must look to confirm)

In the current market for fine wines, VERY FEW wine ( SE, SQN) are hard to find at release price.

Davooda wrote:aschie - the story I got from our tour guide at Far Niente was that the late Gil Nickel purchased the two estates "when the gittin was good" back in the early 1970's, if memory serves.

Far Niente was purchased in 1979, but Nickel & Nickel wasn't purchased until 1998. Unfortunately, we didn't get to taste the Match. Now I'm intrigued.

* * *

Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company – Snacks and groceries

Down a dead end street in St. Helena is the small, family-owned Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company. It is kind of like the Graziano’s of Napa. Not as comprehensive as Oakville Grocery, NVOO is nevertheless a great stop for Italian picnic snacks. I purchased a good-sized bag of marinated, fresh green olives for $4.50. They were some of the best I’ve eaten. I believe that the olive oil is pressed on site (or at least nearby) and the olives are sourced from nearby estates. (The vintage olive press is in the store.) A pint will run you about $10. There are also hard sausages, locally produced vinegars, Italian cheeses and jars of imported Italian groceries. A fun place in which to poke around. The store is surrounded by orange and lemon trees. (Cash or check only.)

It is housed in a vintage garage; I think it’s been there forever:




Dry, hard sausages


Olives, packaged cured meats


Bottles of house brand olive oil


Various imported Italian grocery items


Cheeses, more charcuterie

Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company
835 Charter Oak Ave
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-4173

We also sourced picnic food from The Fatted Calf, as written about here.

The Fatted Calf
644 1st St. #C
Napa, CA 94559-2611
(707) 256-3684
http://www.fattedcalf.com/

Davooda wrote:Thanks mhill! From the website, it looks like Match has highly allocated its wines and one must be on the mailing list to even have a shot. Do you believe this to be the case, or do you feel Match wines find their way to retail shelves from time to time?

Hi. I guess you know someone is paying attention when you join our mailing list. Someone listed this forum on how you found out about us. Very cool... I was not familiar with the forum but love the city of Chicago. Hope you don't mind if I stop in here.

Davooda, our wines are not allocated, but past customers do get first shot via the mailing list. Provided we still have wines available -- a good bet in today's economy -- the rest of the mailing list receives the offer letter. That's where we are now: stuffing envelopes with offer letters for the rest of the list. After I get done with that, I will post an order form on our website. Folks are more than welcome to join our list.

We have/had a distributor in the Chicago area but they have been really quiet for a while so I don't know if there are still any of our wines available retail.

By the way, Nickel & Nickel Match Vineyard Cab was made with grapes grown at our Butterdragon Hill vineyard in 2003 and 2004.

Randy Sloan wrote:Hi. I guess you know someone is paying attention when you join our mailing list. Someone listed this forum on how you found out about us. Very cool... I was not familiar with the forum but love the city of Chicago. Hope you don't mind if I stop in here.

We don't mind at all! (By the way, that was me - When I registered, I linked the forum in response to the "How did you find out about us?" question.)

Thanks for the feedback and information. We love to talk about all things food and wine here, so don't be a stranger!

-Wendy

By the way, Nickel & Nickel Match Vineyard Cab was made with grapes grown at our Butterdragon Hill vineyard in 2003 and 2004.

Randy - I love the way the internet makes the world smaller, more intimate and accessible. Mrs. Davooda and I were mightily impressed with the Match Vineyard offering by Nickel & Nickel, and I appreciate being able to communicate directly with an owner/winemaker!

Thanks for your post...it prompted me to join your mailing list. Hopefully, the Davoodas will make it back to Napa sooner rather than later and we'll be able to meet you.

Kind regards,
Davooda

Aschie,

I've really been enjoying your post. The only thing you missed on your trip was a jaunt over to Tahoe, less than 3 hours away. Even though we make it there a few times every summer, there are wineries and other things you've done that we haven't experienced but will file away for future visits. Thanks.

RevrendAndy wrote:Aschie,

I've really been enjoying your post. The only thing you missed on your trip was a jaunt over to Tahoe, less than 3 hours away. Even though we make it there a few times every summer, there are wineries and other things you've done that we haven't experienced but will file away for future visits. Thanks.

Thanks, Revrend! I'm enjoying recounting it but hoping more that the information would eventually come in handy for others.

* * *

September 25

We visited one last winery in Napa before heading over to Sonoma.

Domaine Carneros – http://www.domainecarneros.com/
1240 Duhig Road, Napa
(800) 716-BRUT

Domaine Carneros is a producer of mostly sparkling wine and was founded by French champagne powerhouse Taittinger. (Needless to say, they adhere to the Méthode Champenoise.) The winery contains a stunning chateau located atop a hill, and the tasting room was located on a veranda overlooking the nearby hills. We had a wait a little to get a seat and service as they were incredibly busy, so they comped us all these extra tastings not listed on the menu.

Tasting notes: Between this and Schramsberg, an excellent case is made for California sparkling wine. I enjoyed all of these wines, especially the Late Disgorged Brut, which was purchased and had a pleasant, yeasty funkiness. I think you could argue that the Late Disgorged is their best sparkling and, at about $30 or less, is a great deal. I also liked a lot the Limited Release La Rêve, but at an $85 price tag, I'm not sure I'd ever choose this over my beloved Billecart-Salmon. The Brut Rosé drank very well, as did a straight Pinot Noir, made from leftover Pinot grapes that do not go into their sparkling wines. -- 4 1/2 stars


Chateau estate at Domaine Carneros


Tasting "veranda" at Domaine Carneros


The Limited Release "Le Rêve"

As an aside, I can't help but point out this passive-aggressive French snootiness I noticed on DC's website:

Domaine Carneros wrote:Is there such thing as a "California Champagne"?
The U.S. failed to sign the 1930s labeling agreement limiting use of the word “champagne” to wines from the Champagne region of France, so some American wineries feel free to call their wines champagne.

Although our wines are made in the classic manner, "méthode champenoise", Domaine Carneros exhibits pride of place, choosing to use the name of our own great region rather than replicating someone else's name.

So, lemme get this straight: the US refused to agree that only wines from the French region of Champagne could be called "champagne," so as a result, some rogue California wineries call their sparkling wine "champagne," but because we exhibit "pride of place" (read: California is not Champagne), we won't call these sparkling wines "champagne." Y'okay. Whatever. I'm okay with the term "sparkling wine," so it's no biggie to me.

Breakfast at Bouchon Bakery

We started the day with coffee and pastries at Bouchon. I went in for the macarons, which were large-ish disks filled with a variety of fillings: blueberry, raspberry, caramel, chocolate, vanilla and espresso. Given its larger size and gooey filling, these macarons seemed less like the delicate treats they usually are and more of a child’s afternoon snack. But that observation is not to diminish their delicate meringue cookie and high-quality fillings. My blueberry macaron was bursting with fresh, unadulterated blueberry flavor and the chocolate was decadent with high-quality, bittersweet chocolate. Unfortunately, still full from the dinner the night before, I didn’t get to try anything else, although the croissants and breads looked especially outstanding.


Bouchon Bakery exterior


Bouchon Bakery pastries


Bouchon Bakery breads


More Bouchon bakery bread


Bouchon croissants

Figs were in season and everywhere and I couldn’t help but admire these fig tarts:



Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2253
http://www.bouchonbakery.com/

Quick bump.

We're Napa-bound in a couple of weeks, and I'm tearing my hair out trying to decide where to eat. It's a short trip, we're already in at the French Laundry, and I'm trying to figure out how the heck to follow that for our last night.

I've got a table at Brix, but I'm not sold on it. I was tempted to let a vegetarian place try to win me over, but Ubuntu is closed the nights we'll be there. We want to get to both Market and Bouchon, but I bumped them to the lunch list. Bistro Jeanty is out since we're already doing Bouchon. I'd love to try Ad Hoc, but with the French Laundry and Bouchon already on the list, I just can't bring myself to devote so many meals to one chef, even if that chef is Keller. Cyrus is mighty tempting, but it's a bit of a haul (we're staying in Calistoga) and that's two seriously heavy hitters back-to-back. Which narrows our last dinner down to the Martini House, Terra, standing pat with Brix, or some as-of-yet undetermined perfect place.

Anybody in a position to give me a nudge in any direction?

(Naturally, I'll be reporting back to aid those further down the thread.)

If you're in Calistoga, it will take you about 30 minutes to get to French Laundry and about 35 minutes to get to Cyrus. To get to Cyrus, take 128 through Knights Valley, then where 128 takes a right turn, stay straight on Alex Vly Road, and you'll wind up on Healdsburg Ave in Healdsburg. It's a relatively easy drive with no hills, though there are a few sharp turns between Calistoga and the start of Knights Valley.

You'll drive past quite a few notable wineries, including Schramsburg, Peter Michael, and Simi.

Dom - we weren't able to get a table here during our 2006 visit, but many of the local folks we talked to highly recommended La Toque for an upscale dinner without the wallet-impact of a French Laundry. And I believe they offer a vegetarian menu. Here's the website:

http://latoque.com/

If you wanted to try a locals joint, and were willing to make the drive from Calistoga to Napa, we found Zins Valley to be very good. Outdoor patio dining, no corkage fee, a menu that had everything we wanted and then some and good value for the money:

http://www.zinsvalley.com/

Hope these might help. Have a great trip!

Davooda

I would eat at Martini House. The food is wonderful and it's an easy drive to Calistoga. If they offer their special mushroom menu, by all means go for it. Might as well have California cuisine while in Napa. I believe it's one of the best restaurants around.

Simple Pleasures - Ad Hoc - Yountville, CA

I recently returned from a weekend with my wife to Napa Valley (and Sonoma). I report now on the simplest of the meals, dinner at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc. The group that she was with took over the entire restaurant, and so were able to select the menu - and select it well. The dishes were prepared simply (although sometimes with a wealth of ingredients), always at the peak of perfection (if one prefers down-n-greasy fried chicken Keller's chicken did not pass the southern Kentucky authenticity test).

We began with passed canapes: Sungold Tomato Gazpacho (California tomatoes are astonishing - a cross between a fruit and a vegetable), shrimp wrapped in speck ham (fine), goat cheese mousse and adriatic figs on flatbread (not so special), and pork belly in lettuce with oven dried tomatoes (the best appetizer of the night; ditto my tomato comment).

These were followed by two salads: Roasted Beet and Potato Salad with Baby Red, Golden and Chioggia Beets, Smoked Salmon, Marble Potatoes, Julienne Sorrel, Soft Boiled Hen Egg, and Mustard Vinaigrette. In its combination of high quality produce, it was fully satisfying in its straight-forward and powerful fashion. The second salad might have been too busy: Baby Mixed Lettuces with Prosciutto di San Daniele, Baby Leeks, Shaved Parmesan Reggiano, Toasted Pecans, and Tondo Balsamic Vinaigrette. I can't complain about the quality of the ingredients, but less might have been more in what was advertised as a simple green salad.

Ad Hoc - Yountville - October 2010 - Roasted Beet and Potato Salad by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Ad Hoc - Yountville - October 2010 - Baby Mixed Lettuces by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The main course was Ad Hoc's famed Buttermilk Fried Chicken, served with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, Living Arugula, Chive Biscuits, Zinfandel Grape Jam, and Red Bliss Potato Salad. If one doesn't compare this fried chicken to Southern pan fried chicken with all of its wonderful imperfections, it was, well, perfect. Should fried chicken be perfect? Perhaps. The coating was a coating as imagined by a chef who demands control and technique. So little grease that one could have wiped it with one's tie without effect. And it was juicy and luscious; well matched by the accompaniments.

Ad Hoc - Yountville - October 2010 - Buttermilk Fried Chicken by garyalanfine, on Flickr

We were also served a selection of Cowgirl Creamery Cheese (Pierce Point and Mt. Tam) and Marcona Almonds with Marshall's Farm Orange Blossom Honey. Very, very nice for straightforward cheeses.

Finally we received an uber-pretty, deeply tasty fruit tart with bursting berries, pineapple, Asian pear, and rum vanilla ice cream. Not edgy, but sweet and with a finely made crust.

Ad Hoc - Yountville - October 2010 - Season Fruit Tart by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Like French Laundry, like Bouchon, Thomas Keller doesn't like mistakes. He is the master of technique - at all price ranges. Ad Hoc is worth a dinner.

Ad Hoc - Yountville - October 2010 by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
707-944-2487

Ubuntu – Herbal Heaven – Napa, California

Some days my wife decides to play vegetarian. Unlike bunnies, carrots lack a pretty face. It is an identity that while enthusiastically held at times is not a consistent self. I am not condemned to a beef-free hell. Still she believes that being a vegetarian is a worthy identity, and often at restaurants with tasting menus, she selects the vegetable option (and as often as not she has won in our best dinner competition). But since we were visiting Napa Valley, after having buttermilk fried chicken at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc the night before, we selected lunch at Ubuntu, the combination restaurant/yoga studio in downtown Napa.

In its early days, Ubuntu was known for the skills of chef Jeremy Fox. But as often happens in the culinary biz, the magic could not last. It was reported that after a 3:00 a.m. meeting (the end of the work day for some chefs) much of the staff decided to resign en masse. I have not eaten Chef Fox’s cuisine, and have no way to compare then and now. Fox was replaced by Aaron London, who had been the chef de cuisine, but even with his experience this was surely a difficult transition following a beloved chef.

While I didn’t find Ubuntu in its current formulation a startlingly brilliant restaurant, it is a very satisfying one: filled with light and air and with light and airy food that makes a real effort to please. Many fruits and vegetables and herbs on the menu are grown in the restaurant’s biodynamic garden.


Ubuntu - Napa, California by garyalanfine, on Flickr

We ordered four dishes (each between $12-$17), and they were satisfying for a lunch. The dishes were well-composed, although in a few cases they read better than they tasted. I would have preferred big tastes, although two of the dishes were excellent.

We started with a clear cantaloupe and sage gazpacho with radish and compressed and blackened pickled melon. I imagined that this would be a powerful dish, and we ordered it thinking that it would startle us. The dish itself, although pleasant, was mild and straightforward. Each ingredient was fresh, but the combination was less than its parts.


Ubuntu - Napa, California - Clear Cantoloupe and Sage Gazpacho, Conpressed and Blackened Melon by garyalanfine, on Flickr

A traditional steamed bun stuffed with burrata chesse and coated with smoked pear dust was unfortunately doughy. The smoked pear dust was mild. It was pretty on the plate, but was the most forgettable of the four.


Ubuntu - Napa, California - Traditional Steam Bun Suffed with Burrata and Coated With Smoked Pear Dirt by garyalanfine, on Flickr

Much better was Ubuntu’s take on macaroni and cheese: garden inspired extruded pasta with spiced fiore and confit gajo de melon (a type of tomato). This clever dish was substantial while avoiding the gumminess of mom’s (or Kraft’s) mac’n’cheese. I delighted in its Gouda goodness.


Ubuntu - Napa, California - Garden Inspired Extruded Pasta with Spiced Fiore and Confit 'Gajo de Melon' by garyalanfine, on Flickr

The best of our midday repast was the “inside out” grits cooked with goat’s whey and blistered pardon peppers and beans with smoked corn husk. It was a distinguished dish, even if I couldn’t figure out what constituted the “inside-out-ness.” But the beans and peppers were dramatic counterpoints to the ricotta and the creamy grits. At the price, I could have carried home a gallon.


Ubuntu - Napa, California - Inside Out Grits Cooked with Goat's Whey, Blistered Padrones and Beans by garyalanfine, on Flickr

When one dines at a restaurant that was once canonical, it is hard to determine if it has slipped or has maintained all of its virtues. I was impressed by the confidence of Chef London, even if his bravery might have been kicked up a notch. Perhaps each dish could have benefited from bacon, but that comment is just the sort of snarky remark that those who run a combination yoga studio/restaurant must put up with from the fat and comfortable. Bacon or no, Ubuntu is worth a visit.

Ubuntu
1140 Main Street
Napa, California
707-251-5656
http://ubuntunapa.com

Vealcheeks

We just returned from a weekend in Napa and have found a few new places to wine and dine. A friend was celebrating a birthday and was generous enough to arrange a lobster boil in the vineyards at Schweiger winery. It was a great meal in a beautiful setting on Spring Mountain. A number of the family members joined us and provided the wine. Nothing like lobster, good wine, and sunset overlooking the vines in Napa.

Upon arrival in Napa we met at Taylor's Refresher for some great burgers, which work their magic soaking up alcohol in the afternoon tastings. Our only regular dinner was at the relatively new Oenotri, in downtown Napa, which has had a wonderful renewal the last few years and offers many fine restaurants and stores. Oenotri is modern Italian and has a menu similar to Flour and Water in San Francisco. Every dish was terrific and the wine list has many unusual Italian offerings, among other things. The prices are amazing, not charging more than 2x wholesale. We started with a funghi pizza, topped with hen of the woods, black trumpets, and sea breams. We shared a couple pastas including bucatini alla carbonara with egg yolk, pancetta, black pepper, and pecorino romano and semolina pappardelle with braised lamb belly, roasted garlic, and jimmy nardello peppers(whatever the hell those are). Our entree was roasted goat leg with gypsy peppers and grilled onion. We had dessert across the street at Eiko's, a japanese restaurant. They have a roving cart serving lollipops, which start with a small chocolate ganache ball which is subsequently dipped in various sauces and liquid nitrogen, providing a rich, luscious, frozen treat.

http://oenotri.com/menu.html

One of my favorite restaurants that I've recommended in the past is Martini House, which unfortunately has recently closed.

A few wineries we enjoyed were Martinelli and Benovia in Sonoma, and Cliff Lede in Napa.

Bouchon Bakery is still on top of their game.

We might have walked past each other without even knowing it! We were in Napa this past weekend as well - among other places, we lunched at Gott's Roadside (i.e. the renamed Taylor's Refresher) and had dinner at Oenotri on Saturday. Enjoyed the funghi pizza. A standout was the roasted squab, served with crispy skin and intact claws. Gamey, rich, delicious.

I did you see you. You were wagging your tail like crazy while chomping down on a burger at Taylor's.

I just concluded a great Napa trip - although it was only a few days long. I think wineries have been pretty well covered here. We went to several wineries, including Schramsberg and Rutherford Hill Winery.

Since we had a couple underage kiddos with us, we made sure to eat plenty of tasty food thought.

Our first night we dined at the Wine Spectator at Greystone, and had a nice, if not spectacular, meal prepared by culinary students. The atmosphere was very warm and inviting and I loved watching the students work at different stations.


Monterey Bay Sardines / Greystone Restaurant by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Monterey Bay Sardines - remoulade, crisp fingerling potatoes, sauce verde. Cafe Spiaggia's sardines are way better.


Pan Seared Pacific Cod / Greystone Restaurant by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Pan Seared Pacific Cod - ribbons of garden vegetables (zucchini, squash, mushrooms), pumpkin seed relish, romesco sauce. Pumpkin seed relish was interesting, otherwise this dish was entirely forgettable. Cod was pretty dry.


Pan Roasted Sole / Greystone Restaurant by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Calabrian chili glaze, arugula, sauce verde


Pappardelle with Pork and Mushroom Ragout / Greystone Restaurant by TrackBelle, on Flickr
House-Made Pappardelle - ragout of pork and mushrooms, Greystone Garden braising greens, pecorino, porcini premium olive oil.


Dessert Flight / Greystone Restaurant by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Sweet Finale Dessert Flight - the lime cilantro panna cotta was my favorite and the chocolate mousse with caramel and sea salt was a close second. The Florentine was too sticky and cloying.

Yesterday, after a couple wine tastings, we headed to a late lunch at Pizzeria Tra Vigne where we wolfed down a few different flavors. This was nice Neapolitan pizza, with a good char. Better than the pizza I had last week at Bar Toma.


Vespa Pizza / Pizzeria Tra Vigne by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Vespa Pizza - chicken apple sausage, smoked mozzarella, oven roasted onions, spinach


Ducati and Funghi Pizza / Pizzeria Tra Vigne by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Ducati and Funghi pizza
Ducati: spicy Italian sausage, capicola, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella, tomato sauce. Funghi: crimini, shiitake and beach mushrooms, fontina cheese, truffle oil and arugula

Dinner at étoile last night was good, although I had an awful bout of food poisoning after the fact, which I deduce was the from my Scottish salmon, since it was the only dish I had that nobody else ordered and I was the only one who fell ill.


Assorted Bread from Model Bakery / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Butter and Goat Milk Butter / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Rabbit Terrine Amuse Bouche / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Rabbit Terrine amuse bouche with fiddlehead fern, green garlic puree and fennel seeds


Mt. Veeder Blanc de Blancs / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Mt. Veeder Blanc de Blancs - Chardonnay 2005 Comine Chandon, Mt. Veeder, Napa. Paired wonderfully with my salmon!


Scottish Salmon / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Scottish Salmon - kohlrabi, fava leaves, sea beans, bonito and roe beurre monte. The fish was so tender, and pretty bland by itself, which worked perfectly with the salty roe and rich butter sauce. It did give me food poisoning though.


Wild Striped Bass / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Wild Striped Bass - picholine olive, tarbais beans, cardoons, nettle sauce


Sea Urchin Fettuccini / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Sea Urchin Fettucini - heirloom radishes, kumquats, foraged greens, fennel


Chocolate Marquise / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Chocolate Marquise - dark chocolate, white chocolate, topped with espresso semifreddo and with blood orange marmalade


Sorbet Selection / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Sorbet Selection - pineapple, mango and coconut with rhubarb consomme, sugar tuille


Meyer Lemon Vacherin / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Meyer Lemon Vacherin - citrus foam, grapefruit, madeleine cookies and lemon sherbet


Caramelized Pear Mille Feuille / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
brandied butterscotch, almond toffee and poached pear; the waitress said this was their signature dessert. All the deserts were fantastic.


Mignardises / Etoile by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Etoile's Mignardises - Calamansi gelee, pecan shortbread cookie, dark chocolate truffle; I didn't even know what calamansi was, but it was delicious. Looked it up afterward and it's a citrus fruit from the Philippines.

Today we started with breakfast from Bouchon Bakery. Overall, I was quite disappointed. And to think this was the only taste of Thomas Keller I got this trip. Everything, especially the macarons, just weren't as fresh and flavorful as I expected. The banana items I had, the banana fruit tart and caramelized banana macaron, were my favorites. And I don't normally even like bananas.


French Macarons / Bouchon Bakery by TrackBelle, on Flickr
French Macarons - really disappointed in these. For such pricey ($3.25 a pop) jumbo macarons I expected them all to be fresh, but alas only the raspberry and chocolate were good. The hazelnut, vanilla, espresso, pistachio and caramel were all hard and stale If you go visit, I hope they made the macarons fresh that day for you.


Caramelized Banana Macaron / Bouchon Bakery by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Caramelized Banana Macaron - the best of the bunch we ordered. Fresh, soft and pillowy, with a lovely banana buttercream and banana jam inside


Pistachio Citrus Brioche / Bouchon Bakery by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Breakfast Pastries / Bouchon Bakery by TrackBelle, on Flickr
The banana tart was the best here. The brioche with dried cherries, candied orange peel and pistachios reminded me of panettone, but was far too dry. The coffee cake and pecan sticky bun were just ok.

Lunch was at Kitchen Door after we browsed and tasted our way through Oxbow Public Market. I was really impressed with the quality of the food, up there with Lula Cafe or Jam for brunch in Chicago.


Chicken Dinner / Kitchen Door by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Chicken Dinner - green peppercorn gravy, mashed potatoes and mirepoix vegetables


Lahmajune Armenian Flatbread / Kitchen Door by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Lahmajune 'Armenian Fold and Eat' Flatbread - spiced ground lamb, cucumber, seasonal salad, harissa yogurt; this was so delicious and it was fun watching them make it right in front of me. Love their open kitchen. Plus, it was really fun to eat. Folding it up totally works and it's not messy at all.

Our one-two punch dessert started with Kara's Cupcakes, where we ordered an assortment to split amongst us. I think my favorite two were the passion fruit and the dark chocolate fleur de sel.


Assorted Cupcakes / Kara's Cupcakes by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Clockwise from top left: Passion Fruit, Chocolate Coconut, Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel, Chocolate Velvet (their bestseller), Peanut Butter Chocolate and Meyer Lemony Lemon


Meyer Lemony Lemon Cupcake / Kara's Cupcakes by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Meyer Lemony Lemon Cupcake Inside / Kara's Cupcakes by TrackBelle, on Flickr

Then, we headed to Michoacan Natural Ice Cream at 3095 Jefferson St. They do not yet have a website, but they make their ice cream daily. We tried to stop in a few days earlier when we first arrived. But we stumbled upon the owner closed in the middle of the afternoon, furiously making ice cream for the next day. It was definitely worth the wait though. I sampled lots of flavors, including a cappuccino and almond, Chongos, Mexican vanilla, Cajeta and peach yogurt that were all quite good. They did not have a horchata flavor, but when I inquired, they said they do offer it sometimes. Ultimately, I decided upon a rum raisin flavor that is brightly yellow from its Mexican vanilla base.


Rum Raisin Ice Cream / Michoacan Natural Ice Cream by TrackBelle, on Flickr
Rum Raisin Ice Cream from an adorable Mexican ice creamery - my love of rum trumped my dislike of raisins here. I should just move to some deserted island with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Been remiss posting about a long weekend is Napa/SF around the first of the month, but now that the first of the wine shipments have arrived let's get to it - a few highlights:

We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and decided to break the drive to Napa in half and eat at Poggio in Sausalito for a late lunch/early dinner. Really liked our meal, representative of the Cal-Ital school, excellent ingredients well-prepared with great service and perfect wine pairings. Sat outside on a beautiful autumn day and watched tutti di Sausalito roll by in their Porsches and Bentleys, very entertaining. My favorite item was from the Panini e Pizze section of the menu (which changes daily, I don't see my selection up there now): a crunchy, juicy roast carnita-ish pork, pesto and avocado on ciabatta sammich. I polished off every last bit of this beast, just delicious:


Upon the rec of a friend who'd recently been there, we visited Frog's Leap the next morning. Not directly on St Helena Hwy and somewhat secluded, a nice respite from the mob scene at some of the more popular wineries. Beautiful grounds and a nice relaxed tasting, you have a seat at a table out back overlooking the vineyard and gardens, then the server brings out the samples and gives you a one-on-one intro to their wines. Well made wines, we liked their zin a lot:


Cakebread was disappointing. My wife had enjoyed a visit there 15 years ago, with fond memories of a lingering tasting session in the jewel box. We opted for the red wine tasting instead of the reserve tasting, which is a major faux pas apparently - you're only allowed into the hallowed jewel box for the reserve tasting. Upon arrival we were shunted off to a curtained section in the chilly concrete floored rick house joined by two other couples. No tour, just stood through a perfunctory tasting of precisely 1oz pours of their overpriced and bloated reds and then out the door in 30 minutes.

Lunch at Bouchon was nice, but the tarriff was pretty stiff for a bistro no surprise. It's basically Thomas Keller waving his magic wand over the bistro standards. Very good and we enjoyed the room and the service and wine was excellent, but nothing life altering taking place here. Beef marrow bones; ok frites, terrine and onion soup; dessert:




Not being huge fans of high alcohol fruit bombs (when is that fad going to end please), we made sure to include a pinot noir winery to balance out our trip. So on our last morning in wine country we left Napa and crossed the mountains (via Dry Creek Road, nice drive and zero traffic) to the Russian River valley. Being partial to old world wines, we visited Littorai Wines. Totally different vibe here, nowhere near as commercial as Napa Valley. The winemaker Ted Lemon is an American who learned his craft in Burgundy, so of course his style is all about terroir terroir terroir.

Really enjoyed their tour, was just us and another couple and our guide Craig. During his presentation he kept referring to "we", so after the 5th reference to we I had to ask if he had an ownership interest. No, he'd only been working there 3 years but everyone who works there is so smitten that they feel intimately connected, it just feels like a "we" thing. Which is pretty cool, you don't see that attitude in a workplace very often. First 45 minutes or so is touring the biodynamic vineyard, which they're trying to make 100% self sustainable via composting, water recycling, pesticides/herbicides/fungicides made from their own herbs etc. I'm a geography geek myself, so it was very interesting hearing the history of how the owner went about selecting the perfect plots for his various vineyards. In their herb drying room they've got samples of the varied rock formations that sit under the different vineyards, and cutaway photos of the soil sections showing the depth of the soil and what rock it sits on top of. They've got great maps in the tasting room too, so you get a real feel for the topography and why he selected his plots, very educational without getting overly geeky.

But the real conversion was in the tasting. They're a small winery, producing just 2,000 cases a year. But each of the ~10 owned/leased vineyards gets it's own wine. So you have the same vintner using the same grape and same rootstock producing ten wines in the Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast and Russian River regions within an hour's drive of each other. Instead of imposing his own style upon the wine, he let's them speak for themselves and they're all very distinctive. Truly a labor of love, his wines taste the same way you can tell when someone in the kitchen is really committed to their cooking. Ya just can't fake it. Wine was so delectable that everyone was uncontrollably grinning while they were sampling. And our guide was helping himself to a vigorous sampling of each wine too, no hypocrisy here folks:



From Littorai in Sebastopol it's just a short hop over to the Pacific Coast Highway and the scenic route to San Francisco via Muir Woods. Just amazing, I really envy people who get to live in San Francisco, this city has everything - including the Fillmore District:

"And Callahan... I don't want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district. You understand? That's my policy."

So we're transported from God's country via the Golden Gate Bridge over to the backside of SF. How could we resist Nopa after drooling over the food porn wimperoo laid out in the SF thread? 2:00 in the afternoon when we got there and the place was densely populated with hipsters so a half hour wait for a table. But we got seated quickly at the bar and were served by a great bartender. Forget which beer he recommended but it was definitely a fine match with their burger, which was as good as advertised. I'd go back for dinner, that menu is a lot more interesting than the lunch/brunch:


The last supper we didn't feel particularly adventurous. I'd never been to Taddich Grill before, even though I'd been to SF a dozen times on business. Another place with no reservations, but we put in our name and went next door to Perbacco for a cocktail. Someone had recommended Perbacco to me, I didn't realize it was right next door until I was having a fine martini there. A few people were eating at the bar, food all looked pretty good to me so file that away for future reference. Plus a hipster was streaming the Bama/LSU game on his iphone propped up on the bar so got to watch the end of that game in an oh so Cali way which was fun.

When we finally got over to Taddich it was half empty already so we were seated right away. Had a great old school waiter, probably 5th generation Chinese-American. He's our age, so when we mentioned our experience exploring hipster central in Nopa/Fillmore/Haight he didn't pull any punches. "God damn hipsters, ruining the city, yadda yadda yadda...." Funny guy, very amusing. And he knew his menu he did. Rec'd the mixed seafood cocktail, which was incredible. I'd had a dungeness crab cocktail at Bouchon the day before, was half the size and twice the price and the crab was of better quality at Taddich. When I remarked to the waiter that I was shocked they can get their hands on better quality crab than Thomas Keller he wisely replied, "we can afford to buy the best cause we don't have no superstar chef sucking up the payroll". Quite true, quite true. There's a reason a Taddich and a Galatoire's or an Arnaud's can stay in business for 100 years+ - they put the money on the plate, not in a celebrity chef's wallet.


And voila, there goes that weekend.