12 Days of Christmas Picks for the Food and Wine Lover: SIMI’s Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon
With twelve days remaining until Christmas, I thought I would count down until the big day by bringing you a dozen holiday gifts for the food and wine lover.
I’ll kick off the festivities with day one’s selection: A bottle of 2011 SIMI Landslide Vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
We enjoyed this wine while at our home in Incline Village a few weeks ago, and we paired it with filet mignon, Andy’s wilted chard, some sweet potato medallions and a salad. It’s always so fun to be up there relaxing in front of the fire and enjoying dinner on the giant wooden table.
The recently released SIMI Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon is a food friendly Cabernet blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, & 1% Tannat. It is 100% oak-aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, 56% new. It has aging potential, but the tannins are soft enough that the wine can also be enjoyed at your holiday event in the next few weeks.
SIMI Winery was founded in 1876 by Giuseppe and Pietro Simi. They were brothers who had originally traveled from Tuscany, Italy, to California for the Gold Rush (didn’t pan out so much for them). 😉 Instead, they ended up selling fruits and vegetables in the North Beach area of San Francisco. Eventually they bought grapes from the Healdsburg area and decided to make wine in their house. The wine making went a little better than the gold finding, so they then moved to Healdsburg in 1890 to expand their growing and wine production, and bought land with a winery already on the property.
In 1904, both brothers passed away from Spanish flu, leaving the winery to Giuseppe’s 18 year old daughter Isabelle. During prohibition, SIMI Winery survived by making alter wine and wine sold for medicinal purposes. They also shelved 500,000 cases of wine during this time and in 1933 when prohibition ended, lots of thirsty customers flocked to SIMI. I can only imagine!
In 1934, Isabelle designed and opened the current tasting room (fashioned from a 25,000 gallon cask that was installed in front of the winery.
By 1970, Isabelle sold the winery to Russell and BJ Green, but kept a position in the tasting room for many years. Russell and BJ updated the wine making facility and hired MaryAnn Graf in 1973. MaryAnn was the first female enology graduate in the United States. In 1979, Zelma Long became the wine maker at SIMI. Zelma just happened to be the country’s second female enology graduate.
The Landslide Vineyard in the Alexander Valley was purchased in 1982. The Landslide name comes from a series of earthquakes and landslides which occurred in the area. The vineyard has an interesting amalgamation of soils that have shifted from the uplands, midlands and lowlands and is now home to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot that make up the Landslide Cabernet.
Here’s a photo of the full dinner we paired with the wine. Highly recommended! I hope you’ll check back tomorrow for day two of my 12 Days of Christmas Picks for the Food and Wine Lover! Cheers!
You can find SIMI on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here.
Gluten Free Menu Shines at Siino’s Pizza, Pasta and Grill in Lincoln
A few weeks ago, Andy and I visited a restaurant in Lincoln called Siino’s Pizza, Pasta & Grill. We were originally going to sample the gluten free pizzas as a part of National Pizza Month in October, but instead we decided to go with other items on the gluten free menu.
Siino’s story began in February 2011, when Annalisa Siino opened the doors of her first restaurant as a franchisee. When Annalisa took over, the restaurant was an Original Pete’s, and in just three years Annalisa turned it into her own community establishment and gave it her own name: Siino’s Pizza, Pasta & Grill. The rebranding took place in May of 2014.
Siino’s concept is to partner with local growers and feature their produce/products within the new menu. The menu also includes baked goods from Divine Desserts in Loomis, and hand-crafted brews from Loomis Basin Brewing Company & Roseville Brewing Company.
But back to that great gluten free menu. I am not sure of the inspiration for that, but I was pleased to see a restaurant with a whole section of their menu devoted to gluten free items. Patrons can order pizza, burgers and pasta sans gluten.
Siino’s also has a succinct and approachable wine list and an even more impressive beer selection. They offer a happy hour from 2-5pm, and an all day happy hour on Mondays, with a $1 off pints and $2 off wine by the glass. Then there is Wine Wednesday, that involves half off bottles and $2 off glasses of wine. Sign me up for that! 🙂
We chose a bottle of 2011 Chateau St. Jean Merlot, because of its versatility. We decided within a few minutes of looking at the food menu, we were going to both order a burger, so this wine was appropriate.
Our “appetizer” was a salad— the Balsamic Chicken salad. The salad was composed of mixed lettuce with grilled chicken, julienned salami and mozzarella cheese, red onions, roasted bell peppers and pepperoncinis. It was served with balsamic vinaigrette (easily ordered on the side). Another note: the picture below depicts half of the serving. The kitchen staff kindly split the salad between the two of us.
I loved the local touch on the menu of the Zebra Burger (lovingly named after the Lincoln High School mascot), so I ordered it. It came topped with pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a spicy brown mustard.
Andy ordered Siino’s Mushroom Burger with sautéed red onions and mushrooms topped with melted Swiss cheese. I actually liked this burger more than the Zebra burger. The mushrooms and the Swiss cheese were an incredible combination. We both enjoyed sweet potato fries with our burgers. Sweet potato fries were a nice touch and an interesting alternative to regular fries.
Siino’s has many great characteristics as a restaurant: a very local gem, family friendly, great beer selection, fun wine list, lots of gluten free options, and I did not mention this previously, but the service at the restaurant was also very good. My only suggestion is for Siino’s to incorporate some local wineries into their wine list, since they are already using local purveyors for their produce.
Thanks to the servers and management team at Siino’s for a fun Friday evening. You can find Siino’s Pizza, Pasta & Grill on Facebook here and on twitter here.
National Pizza Month Concludes with Chicago Fire’s Gluten Free Pizza
Our last yummy stop for National Pizza Month was Chicago Fire in Midtown Sacramento.
Andy and I were excited to work with Chicago Fire because it’s so close to home and we had actually been there before a few times (thanks to a $100 gift card that I won at a Christmas party my boss threw last year). Don’t ever try to win Christmas Carol Word Jumble against me. You will lose! 😉
We were able to actually use the gift card twice, so we had already tasted their fabulous version of gluten free pizza and already had a favorite wine we like to drink with our dinner (the Windy City Red blend that Boeger Winery creates just for Chicago Fire). 🙂 We already knew the service was great and were lucky enough once to have a server who had adopted a gluten free diet as well. I am seeing that more often in restaurants and it is very comforting.
It’s been a head-spinning 3 weeks since our visit (my apologies to the team at Chicago Fire for not being a little more timely on this piece–life has been absolutely crazy lately with multiple visits to San Francisco, training for a 20 mile race, working 45 hours a week, and being in the process of moving happening all at once). Still, I remember what a great time Andy and I had that night, and we always enjoy the food at the restaurant. So, here’s a recap of what we ordered:
Starter drinkys!! It was Friday night and I was ready for one of the cocktails I had seen earlier in the day on Chicago Fire’s inventive drink menu! I was interested because I saw a few descriptions that were not going to be sweet (like a lot of other drink menus unfortunately are). I picked the Basil Lemonade with Tito’s vodka muddled with fresh basil & lemon juice over ice. It hit the spot, just as I had imagined it would. Basil and lemon together in my drink, yes please! 🙂 Andy had a glass of Bolla Chianti. OK, now we’re all set…
In an effort to make the entire meal gluten-free, we chose the Baked Artichoke for an appetizer. It’s a whole artichoke, doused with lemony caesar sauce and topped with fresh parmesan cheese. Chicago Fire has quite a Greek influence in their menu and many things are flavored with lemon and garlic. That’s a plus in my book and in Andy’s, too because he is half Greek. 🙂 My favorite part of the artichoke was the cheese on top that had slightly browned and gotten crispy, and the way it tasted with fresh lemon juice on it. It was a great lead in to the salad we ordered.
Next up we tried the Chicken Pesto Salad, which is a favorite of mine. It is made of Romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, pesto-marinated artichoke hearts and red onion. We ordered the house made pesto ranch dressing on the side. Pesto is one of my favorite sauces and the dressing that comes with the salad is addictive. 😉 The chicken on the salad was grilled perfectly. I recommend ordering a large size salad because it is perfect for sharing if you are a party of two and plan on ordering a pizza as well.
I wanted to mention the wine pairing we had. This time, we did not order the Windy City Red that we usually drink, but instead went with a Greg Norman 2012 (Santa Barbara) Pinot Noir (because of the lighter nature of ingredients in our salad and our pizza). We chose the Greg Norman Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara) because it was a better value than the other Pinot Noir on the wine list (La Crema).
By now it was pizza time! We decided on the gluten free Greek pizza. The Greek is topped with Gyro meat, white Sauce, Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives, Red Onion, Fresh Tomato, Feta Cheese & Pepperoncini and served with what else? Tzatziki on the side. Love it. My favorite part of the pizza (other than the super crispy edges on the crust were the little slices of Gyro meat that had also gotten super crispy/crunchy in the pizza oven. We squeezed the lemon juice over the slices for an extra burst of flavor and the tzatziki lemon combo was just paradise. It’s a real treat for Andy and I to eat pizza/things with crust/bread at all even if it is gluten free, so it was fun to try the Greek flavor combination on a crust. Bonus points for the presentation, one slice of pizza was slightly propped up with the ramekin that held the tzatziki sauce. Beautiful!
Thanks Chicago Fire, we’ll definitely be back for more very soon! We’ll continue to work our way around the menu of gluten free pizzas. We’ve already tried and given thumbs up to the Stockyard and Chicken Pesto on previous visits. 🙂
Chicago Fire has a loyalty program called Square Points. You can points as soon as you get a Square Points card from your server. By registering online, you’ll be able to redeem your points. Then you can earn more points when you buy food, drinks & merchandise. Some of the rewards from the Square Points membership include a free Deep Dish Delight on your birthday, a free specialty pizza for every 500 points, and free corkage. Of course the term FREE CORKAGE was music to our ears, so we decided to enroll in Square Points, too!
Are you hungry for a visit yet?!?! Good news for you if you aren’t near downtown but live closer to Folsom or Roseville, because in addition to the Midtown location on 2416 J Street, there are 3 other locations: Historic Folsom (Chicago Fire made its debut on Sutter Street in Folsom in March 2003), Folsom at Palladio, and in Roseville at Sunrise/Eureka.
Thanks for the wonderful hospitality and service all the way from the marketing team to the staff at Chicago Fire Midtown. We’ll see you again soon. 🙂
You can find Chicago Fire Pizza on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
Farm to Fork Wine Dinner Series: Piatti Presents Matchbook Wines, Spectacular from Beginning to End!
If you missed Piatti’s last wine dinner for the year featuring Matchbook Wines, I feel really bad for you! It was even more than I thought it would be––even though I knew it would be amazing. Piatti is one of my long time advertisers, and I have always been a fan of their food, but I never knew it could be pulled off like this. This dinner was probably one of the best meals I have eaten there. I think it’s mostly due to Chef Lance Carlini who combines his take on Italian cuisine with Farm to Fork/seasonal and brings it to a whole new level.
And then there were my wonderful table mates. So, at the Piatti wine dinners, patrons are sat 6 to a table, so you prepare to make new fellow loving wine friends–at least for the night! I was lucky enough to sit with Sharon, Tamara, Eduardo, and James and be a fifth wheel. 🙂
We were sat fountain side with illuminated trees surrounding us. We had been welcomed with an opening glass of Matchbook’s Rosé of Tempranillo as John and Lane Giguiere (owners of the winery) were making the rounds and introducing themselves to each table.
Then it was onto the opening dish: A wood fired spot prawn with Grass Valley polenta and a hatch chili chimichurri. It was paired with the wine we were already enjoying: Matchbook’s 2013 Rose of Tempranillo, Dunnigan Hills.
As you can see. the plating was flawless on this dish. My favorite element was the chimichurri (a green sauce made of chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar) which I love on anything from seafood to chicken to beef or pork.
The second course presented to us was a Riverdog Farm Potato Gnocchi served with fall squash, Apple Hill apples, lacinato kale and cream. It was served with the 2012 ‘Arsonist’ Chardonnay, Dunnigan Hills. The upfront nose on the wine revealed aromas of toasty oak, caramel apple and crème brûlée. It was an automatic match with the plump buttery gnocchi and apples in the cream sauce. Gnocchi is the only pasta I even missed post-Paleo, so this was like eating dessert for me! Also, lots of wonderful comments from my table mates––they also loved the squash and apples in the dish. It was the essence of fall! Great pairing, Chef Carlini! 🙂
Then it was time to get serious. The third course presented to us was a Tinto Rey Red Braised Short Rib with Thyme Toasted Mushrooms and fresh Horseradish paired with the 2009 Tinto Rey Red Blend, California. The Tinto Rey is a red wine blend of Tempranillo, Syrah, Graciano, Tannat and Cabernet.
So, if you didn’t gather from the course description, the short rib was actually braised in the wine with which it was paired. We didn’t even really need a knife on this one, just a fork to pull apart the meat. Again, the plating was gorgeous and the pairing was genius.
Dessert came soon after that: A Milk Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Cake, Sea Salt Caramel and Hazelnut––topped with Pomegranate arils. It was paired with the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County. I boxed up the dessert to take home to Andy, but took full advantage of the Cabernet. 🙂 The Matchbook Cabernet Sauvignon has vibrant ripe red fruit characteristics followed by layers of spice and earth and chocolate and that’s enough dessert for me!
I was completely wowed by this wine dinner and I was seated with the best company! Thanks to the marketing and management at Piatti for the great partnership we have had over the years. And thank you, Chef Lance Carlini! Amazing job. 🙂
As of October 25 this year, Matchbook now has a tasting room located in Zamora here. GO VISIT THEM! 🙂
You can learn more about Matchbook Wines here. You can find them on Facebook here and their parent company on twitter here. You can find Piatti on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
National Pizza Month: ZPizza’s Gluten Free Takeout–Hasty and Tasty!
So picture this: I work in Roseville (as a graphic designer/life saver) from 8:30am-5pm, and last Wednesday Andy and I have to be at a Kings Pre-season game by 7:00pm. Factor in a 30 minute commute time, and 10-15 minutes to get to the game from my house, and there’s pretty much NO TIME to cook and have a meal before we go.
Enter National Pizza Month and zpizza! They have a gluten free menu and salads suitable for a busy person like me.
All I had to do was call them ahead of time and let them know I wanted to pick up my order just a little after 5:00pm. I browsed their website, and chose what looked interesting to me. I thought their website was fantastic at showing what and was not available in gluten free. All you have to do is check a little box in the upper right hand corner, and the gluten free items remain listed, while the gluten items are grayed out. See?
So two items on the menu immediately caught my eye, beginning with the Arugula Salad! The salad has cucumbers, caramelized onions, parmesan cheese, candied walnuts and guess what? Arugula! Sold! I added on some avocado and chicken breast for an extra charge.
The other menu item that grabbed my attention was the gluten free Italian pizza with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, ham, basil, pesto (yes!!) mozzarella cheese, and black olives. At first I was worried I didn’t order enough food, but as we ate, we both got really full. I guess we’re not used to having a treat as nice as pizza––even the gluten free variety––and any kind of dough is really filling. I had 3 pieces and it was so gooood. The crust was great and really crispy on the edges. The pesto was terrific and I only wish I had ordered extra on the side to dip the crust in! The crust had a nice buttery flavor and even a sort of flakey texture. I am glad I have Andy to eat the other 5 pieces, because I would have demolished them for sure! 😉
Now, onto the wine we had with dinner! 🙂
Andy brought over 2 different wines to have with dinner. The white wine he brought was a 2012 Chardonnay from Mercy Vineyards. The second wine he brought (yep, I am pretty lucky to have such premium wines with a take out dinner!!) was a Cinsaut from Miner’s Leap which is produced from 127 year-old vines in Clarksburg!
Andy said he chose the wine pairing to resist the traditional “pizza wines” like sangiovese or chianti, because this pizza had pesto on it and really lent itself to a lighter style of wine. Enter the Chardonnay from Mercy––a less oakey more fruit forward wine, but still a Chardonnay lover’s wine, and the Pinot Noir mimicky Cinsaut from Miner’s Leap. Try either of these two and you’ll just think wow.
Kind of too fancy for pizza, but hey, gluten free zpizza is pretty fancy–especially before a Sacramento Kings game, so OK I’ll take it. 🙂
You can find Miner’s Leap on Facebook here and Mercy Vineyards on Facebook here.
If you find yourself short on time, order your pizza from zpizza online by CLICKING HERE!!
You can find zpizza on Pinterest here, on twitter here and on Facebook here.
PS: The Kings won the game against the Toronto Raptors, 113-106! 🙂
National Pizza Month: Gluten Free Options Galore at California Pizza Kitchen!
Happy National Pizza Month!! Yes, October is National Pizza Month, and to celebrate, Andy and I are selflessly sacrificing being strict Paleo 😉 to try out some gluten free pizza options available in the area.
I can’t think of a more iconic place to begin the celebration than California Pizza Kitchen!
It’s been about 6 months since the renovation of California Pizza Kitchen at Arden Fair. This location of California Pizza Kitchen features The Next Chapter menu–updated with fresh and exciting dishes. We were invited to the event along with other local writers and were so impressed by the improvements that I decided I should eventually do a solo feature on their gluten free menu.
Of course, gluten free is a growing trend and a tasty gluten free pizza is in high demand. Especially for a pair of distance runners like Andy and me! 🙂
Here’s are the pizzas that now come gluten free (including the CPK classic BBQ Chicken pizza:
Andy and I decided to order two salads and two pizzas. Hey, I had planned (and completed) a 10 mile training run the next day! 🙂
There are several salads on California Pizza Kitchen’s menu that are gluten free. We chose the Cobb Salad: Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, avocado, chicken, tomatoes,
chopped egg, beets, fresh basil and Gorgonzola with housemade bleu cheese dressing (on the side). OK, so I love Cobb Salad and pretty much order it whenever possible. I have said in the past that a Cobb might possibly be my choice for last meal on Earth. I know that might sound a little odd, but the combination of chicken, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese crumbles is pretty much my favorite thing. New pizza variety perhaps? 😉
We also tried the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Salad with Roasted butternut squash, dates, avocado, toasted almonds, beets, red peppers, chopped egg, cranberries, and tossed with housemade Champagne vinaigrette.
The Morroccan Spiced Chicken salad was a refreshing take on a dinner salad. I loved the fall notes (cranberry) with the perfectly cooked butternut squash. The salads we ordered were the smaller size on the menu, so I can assure you, the portions are very generous.
Speaking of generous portions, the pizzas came out next! We ordered the Margarita pizza with Italian tomatoes with fresh Mozzarella, basil and Parmesan. Now, I haven’t had real pizza dough in as long as I can remember, but I have had about 10-20 different gluten free doughs since adopting a gluten free diet 3 1/2 years ago. I was pretty impressed with the texture and chew of the dough and the almost crispy edges of the crust. I also liked the sauce and cheese ratio on the pizza–as in, there was plenty of it! (See the slice on the lower right with the extra tomato? Mmmm. That’s the first slice I took! Sorry, Andy!)
And because we are meat lovers, we couldn’t pass up the Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage pizza with Cremini mushrooms, rustic pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, fresh torn basil, Mozzarella and wild Greek oregano. I loved the huge chunks of sausage on this pie. Andy liked the fact that the pizza was cut into real wedges as opposed to squares. I was just having fun eating pizza with my best friend, no matter how you slice it. Pizza is something we just don’t get to have a lot of anymore, so it’s a pleasure to find a good gluten free alternative.
For our wine pairing, we ordered a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. A reasonably priced, full bodied red wine that reminded me more of a Cabernet. That was not an insult to wine, because typically a Cabernet is a finer wine than Malbec. Andy is always puzzled by my wine tastes and why I like a cheaper Malbec, but my taste in Cabernet is ultra expensive. 🙂 Bodega Tamarí is part of Viña San Pedro Tarapacá, Chile´s second largest group in the wine industry, selling over 27 million cases of wine yearly and exporting wine to 80 countries worldwide.
I really loved the gluten free pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and I am so happy this restaurant is now giving gluten free people an option besides salad. With the revamped menu and new choices available along with the updated interior, California Pizza Kitchen is a perfect choice for parties or large groups of people. There’s really something for everyone on the menu and it no longer feels like a cafeteria inside the restaurant. Everything on the menu is reasonably priced, making it a good spot for family night out or even a first date.
California Pizza Kitchen has also recently begun a rewards program called Pizza Dough. For every $100 you spend, you get $5 in rewards, redeemable on your next visit. Also, as an incentive to join the program, you get a FREE small plate when you register.
Special thanks to the marketing team I worked with to produce this piece and to Brendon, the Assistant General Manager of California Pizza Kitchen at Arden Fair. I’ll have to try some of those New Zealand Pinot Noirs you told us about. 🙂
You can find California Pizza Kitchen on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
Salmon with Hazelnut Shallot Butter and a Cauliflower Sweet Potato Mash
I love September and October in Sacramento. There are so many fun events to celebrate Farm-to-Fork and harvest time. There’s an intoxicating energy all around. The wineries are busy harvesting their grapes and there gets to be a little chill in the air in the mornings and when the sun goes down.
Though the Farm-to-Fork celebration has officially come to a close, it’s certainly not over. So many local restaurants and grocery stores have adopted this theme, and it’s exciting to see the concept take off locally just in the past two years. (Even though Alice Waters was practicing Farm-to-Table 40 years ago!! and Sacramento is not doing anything new.) 😉
I know that ever since I went Paleo (3 ½ years ago), I have made it a point to eat non-processed, local and organic foods when at all possible. I was extremely blessed to meet a partner who had adopted the same healthy eating habits as me and we have continued to be Paleo/Primal in the three years since.
We have made some incredible Paleo meals together with the best ingredients from two of my sponsors: Nugget Market and Whole Foods. We have also used other purveyors: Taylor’s Market and Sunh Fish for our meats and fish.
This Salmon dish is only an example of the kinds of things we prepare on a weekly basis. There is almost always something this special, so many times, it is more tempting to stay in than to eat in a restaurant. Don’t even get me started on all the eclectic wine that we have to pair up with whatever we make. 😉
The recipe was adapted from the Salmon Hazelnut Recipe from the book It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. The cauliflower and sweet potato mash was done on a whim and is all my own.
I hope you continue to practice Farm-to-Fork/Farm-to-Table at your house and when dining out beyond this month and celebrate this incredible agricultural paradise we are lucky enough to call home. 🙂
The star of this recipe is the compound butter that tops the salmon after it has been baked. You can use all or some of it, but we had a lot left over (even after using 1/2 of it on 20 ounces of salmon).
Make the compound butter ahead of time (recipe below) and use the freezer to re-solidify it if you happen to be short on time.
For the salmon
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp melted butter
salt and pepper to season
20 ounces wild-salmon (it was easier for us to portion after cooking)
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with salt. Place salmon in the middle, skin side down. Brush salmon with melted butter and season again.
Place salmon in oven and roast it about 10 min. Be careful not to overcook. To serve, portion your filets and top each with slices of hazelnut butter and additional toasted hazelnuts.
Hazelnut compound butter
Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
4 Tbsp hazelnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 small shallot and 1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, finely minced
Procedure:
Toast hazelnuts over medium heat until golden, then set aside to cool.
Sauté shallot and garlic in 1 Tbs of melted butter until shallot is translucent. Remove from heat.
Then add shallot mixture to the toasted hazelnuts, along with the remaining butter, thyme, and some salt and pepper.
Place mixture into the freezer for about 10-20 minutes.
Then place a large piece of plastic wrap on flat surface and transfer the butter mixture (after it has set up a little in the freezer) to the center of plastic. Form a log shape like above. Wrap tightly in the plastic and chill until solid. This will take 2 hours in the refrigerator, or about 45 minutes in the freezer.
Spinach salad with red and yellow bell peppers, avocado, mushrooms, and salami from Taylor’s Market.
For the Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Mash
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (cut into small pieces)
1 large white sweet potato (cubed)
1 shallot
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
Salt to taste
Procedure:
Cook cauliflower and sweet potato in boiling water until fork tender. Drain water and set aside.
Chop shallot into thin slices and sauté in melted butter in a small pan. Add the garlic. Cook until shallot is translucent.
Place cooked cauliflower and potato into a food processor with the shallot mixture.
Add the garlic powder and chicken stock and pulse until completely smooth. Season to taste.
Last but certainly not least was the wine pairing. A 2010 reserve Pinot Noir from one of our favorite (and super local) wineries, BellaGrace Vineyards. The grapes are sourced from Sangiacomo Vineyards in Carneros. It is a fairly ripe Pinot Noir, but with the distinctive strawberry flavors unique to the region. The wine is fairly acidic, which perfectly compliments the fatty characteristics of Pacific salmon.
You can find BellaGrace Vineyards on Facebook here or visit them in person at the winery (complete with a cave cellar) at 22715 Upton Rd in Plymouth from 11:00am to 4:00pm, Fri-Sun. They also have a tasting room in Sutter Creek (73 Main St, Sutter Creek) open from 11am-5pm daily.
Cheers! 🙂
Seasons 52 Wows Us with Service and their Gluten Free Menu
I try to avoid the Arden Fair Mall at all costs. I have been shopping there maybe about 10 times in the 10 years since I have lived here and it’s always been a pain. Probably because of frustrating trips to the Apple Store and the always promising long wait therein. Even with an appointment. For those of you that have been there you know what I mean. Then there’s the abundant parking at Arden Fair. 😉 And the youngsters these days…hmmm. Nothing good can ever come from a trip to the mall. But wait!
But last Friday we did NOT go to the mall! We went to Seasons 52, a restaurant that happens to be tucked into the aforementioned mall. They have been there since January 2013, and I have been eager to come back since the media opening I attended at that time.
Eager to come back because of the concept of the restaurant and it’s direct fit with this website! 🙂
Every entree at Seasons 52 is designed to be less than 475 calories. Here’s a link to their menu. There are no freezers in the kitchen/pantry, so no meats or fish or vegetables are ever frozen. No butter or margarine is used in food preparation. Instead, extra flavor comes from natural caramelization on their wood-fired grill and brick oven. Seasons 52 also has a chef’s table for chef-hosted events and wine pairings, and features a piano bar with live music currently on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
A few months ago I was pitched to come back to Seasons 52 to try some of their new desserts for the upcoming fall season. I emailed back to say thank you and that the dessert angle was not really an editorial fit, but I would be happy to feature the gluten free menu. I knew the restaurant was popular for their flatbreads, but I was sure they could show me more. And they really did…
First, a gander at their gluten free menu. It’s got a lot of choices. So many that Andy and I ordered a starter glass of wine while we decided on appetizers and entrees. 🙂 A Borsao Rosé for me and a Selbach Oster Pinot Blanc for my man. By the way, once we were seated, it was like there was no mall. Just a romantically lit environment with several other couples and small parties dining around us. 🙂
Our server for the evening was Tanya, and she was more than delightful. Once we told her about my website and we asked to see the menu, she mentioned that she is also Paleo. I was pleasantly surprised and automatically won over. We were in the right hands!
For appetizers we ordered the Oak-Grilled Maine Lobster Tail served with melted lemon butter (above).
And the Tuna & Avocado Sushi Roll wrapped in soy mame nori, wasabi, natural pickled ginger (above). Our wines both complimented the appetizers, both seafood items. The lobster had a very pleasing texture and taste, but was tricky to navigate with just a butter knife. 😉 We survived however, and also enjoyed the sushi roll. The rice was a welcome treat. I don’t have it that often, but really enjoy it when I do.
We ordered settled on a bottle of 2012 Markham Chardonnay to drink with our main courses. And the wine selection is the only thing even slightly negative that I have to say about Seasons 52. Sadly, there was not a single bottle of local wine on the menu. That’s a shame because there are so many stellar local wines coming out of Amador, Lodi, and even Placer County. I realize that a Master Sommelier put together the list for the entire chain, but to appeal to more customers (especially real wine drinkers) in a city like Sacramento, there really needs to be an addendum to the wine list featuring local juice. I will now step down from my soapbox and tell you about what we had for dinner! 😛
I ordered the Lemon and Herb Roasted Whole Branzino (a European seabass) with Meyer lemon, thyme broccolini, and crushed roasted potatoes. The presentation on this particular dish is pretty neat. A waitstaff member presents the plate with the Branzino closed and the lemon and thyme resting inside. Then, they open the top filet and remove the lemon and thyme, resting it on the side of your plate. The entree also comes with a little olive oil on the side.
We also ordered a side of Brussels sprouts with bacon to supplement our meal–I had a race and long run planned for the next day. The cast iron container is a nice touch––it kept the sprouts very warm so we could spoon a few onto our plate at a time.
Andy ordered the Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops accompanied by butternut squash risotto, broccolini, lemon butter. I didn’t ask him to try the scallops, but he always cuts a little piece for me to try. We love ordering different entrées and eating family style. I was never a big fan of risotto and not eating a lot of rice on the Paleo diet, but really liked the risotto served with this dish. Once again, a buttery flavor is imparted without using butter.
We did clean our plates, but honestly it was the right amount of food. I wasn’t interested in dessert, but if you are there are some great options for you at Seasons 52. There are even two gluten free, but not sugar free desserts you can try from the gluten free menu. The desserts are served in little shot glasses to keep the portion/calorie count down. Each one is a smaller take on a classic dessert (carrot cake, s’mores, for example) Below is a picture of how you might end a meal at Seasons 52, just don’t eat all of what you see on the platter. 🙂
After dinner, we went into the Piano Bar for a little music, and here’s what we heard:
Thanks to the staff at Seasons 52 for their immaculate service. We’ll definitely be back. You can find Seasons 52 on Facebook here and on Twitter here. Make a reservation on Open Table by clicking here.
Farm to Fork Wine Dinner Series: Piatti Presents Matchbook on Wednesday, October 8th!
I am very excited to share this event with you put on by my long time advertiser, Piatti Sacramento.
I’ll be attending the dinner and writing about it afterwards. I am really looking forward to the pairing of some of my very favorite wines with food by one of Sacramento’s best chefs, Lance Carlini! If you want to attend, call 916-649-8885. Hurry, space is limited and will sell out!
You can find Matchbook Wines on Facebook here and on Twitter here. Piatti Sacramento is on Facebook here and on Twitter here.
Pinot on the River Runs Through Healdsburg on October 26th!
Pinot on the River is a fun filled weekend of Pinot Noir in the beautiful Russian River Valley town of Healdsburg, California. Guests of the event can sit with the winemakers and other Pinot-loving consumers as the festival focuses on limited productionWest Coast Pinot Noirs. Sunday’s Pinot Noir Grand Tasting will feature over 100 wineries plus guest Artisan Food Vendors all on the downtown Healdsburg Plaza Square, it’s a Sonoma County wine weekend you won’t want to miss.
Here’s the day’s schedule:
Sunday, October 26th
11 a.m. to 12 noon – Grand Tasting Opens –
Artisanal Pinot Noir Grand Tasting Early access.
12 noon to 4 p.m. – Artisanal Pinot Noir Grand Tasting – General Admission
Taste current releases, special bottlings and library wines from 100 top Pinot producers from up and down the West Coast at this “full immersion” walkaround tasting.
3PM
Judges will award “Special Achievement in Pinot Noir” Trophies.
3:30 PM
Giant check Presentation to Boys & Girls Clubs.
Wineries scheduled to be present at Pinot on the River are:
Abiouness Wines
Alexander Valley Vineyards
Alysian Wines
Anaba Wines
Angel Camp
Artisan Wines of California
Attune
August West
Auteur Winery
Belle Glos Wines
Benovia Winery
Benziger Family Winery
Bien Nacido Vineyards
Black Kite Cellars
Blue Farm Wines
Brassfield Estate Winery
Bruiliam Wines
Bucher Vineyard Wines
Canihan Family Winery
Camlow Cellars
Carpenter Wines
Chenoweth Wines
Clouds Rest
Comptche Ridge Vineyards
Conarium Wines
Couloir Wines | Straight Line Wine
DeLoach Vineyards
Donelan Family Wines
DRNK Wines
E16 Wine Company
Emeritus Vineyards
Failla Wines
FEL Wines
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards
Foursight Wines
Freeman
Friedeman Wines
Furthermore Pinot Noir
Geyser Peak
Gloria Ferrer
Gracianna Winery
Willowbrook
Hahn Family Wines
Handley Cellars
Hanna Winery
Hop Kiln Vineyards
Hook and Ladder Winery
J Vineyards & Winery
Jamieson Ranch
Kanzler Vineyards
Ketcham Estate
Kobler Estate
Kokomo Winery
Landmark Vineyards
L Foppiano Wine Co
La Crema
La Follette Wines
Lando Wines
La Pitchoune Winery
LIOCO
Littorai Wines
MacPhail Wines
MacRostie Winery
Maggy Hawk Wines
Martin Ray Winery
Martinelli Winery
Matrix Winery
Masut
Meiomi Wines
Merriam Vineyards
Migration
Morgan Winery
Mueller Winery
Nunes Vineyard / St. Rose Winery
Ordaz Family Wines
Ousterhout Wine & Vineyard
Papapietro Perry
Patz & Hall
Paul Hobbs Winery
Pech Merle Winery
Pellegrini Wine Company
Peter Paul Wines
Ram’s Gate Winery
Riverbench Winery
Roadhouse Winery
Roar Wines
Reuling Vineyard
Rusack Vineyards
Russian Hill Estate
Sea Smoke
Siduri Wines
Skewis Wines
Small Vines Wines
Sojourn Cellars
Spell Estate
Talisman Wines
Ten Acre Winery
The Donum Estate
Thralls Family Cellars
TR Elliott
Trione VIneyards
Valdez Family Winery
VML Winery
Wait Cellars
Walt Wines
White Oak Vineyards & Winery
Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery
Wrath
Wren Hop
Do you see any of your favorites? I am looking forward to seeing my friends from Walt! This looks to be the Olympics of Pinot Noir, so if you’re a fan, don’t miss it. The draw of this event is that it showcases very small producers that you will rarely see elsewhere!
Tickets are $75 per person and $100 at the door. You can purchase tickets here. Hope to see you there! 🙂
Pinot on the River is on Facebook here.
Kathryn Hall 2011 Cabernet Release Party: My Heaven on Earth!
The Cabernet Gods looked upon St. Helena with a smile on their faces last Saturday. It was the setting of the Kathryn Hall Release Party, and the release of the Kathryn Hall 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. The ticketed party was mostly held on the great lawn at HALL Wines, featuring several stations to taste wine and food from Feast Catering.
It was an honor and privilege for Andy and I to be guests of the party and to experience it amongst true Cabernet lovers and fans of Kathryn Hall.
I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland in the Queen’s croquet garden, surrounded by the big red vinyl couches and the delights hidden behind the shrubs on the Great Lawn.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a glass of 2013 Hall NV Sauvignon Blanc, and behind the first set of shrubs to the right of the entrance were these tuna and cucumber rolls with finger lime and wasabi in little wooden boats (pictured above). The next station we visited was even better, serving a chilled carrot soup with radish top pistou (pictured below). It was paired with a 2012 Walt “Dutton Ranch” Russian River Chardonnay. The soup was perfect for a very warm and sunny day and its flavor was amplified with a little curry and coconut. I was tempted to have a second. 😉 PS: Dutton Ranch is an excellent place of origin for a Chardonnay. Just google it and you’ll see what I mean. 🙂
Then the Bacon, Duck Fat, and Smoked Sea Salt popcorn happened! Actually, it happened just as Kathryn Hall herself officially announced the release of the 2011 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. Andy and I hustled to the nearest station pouring the newly christened cab to have a taste. AND THEN the fatty popcorn happened. 😉 It was made fresh in a large wok and served in little paper bags. I didn’t want to seem uncouth, so I took a small serving in a paper bag instead of taking the scoop and shoveling the delectable kernels directly into my mouth! 😉 Better than anything I had ever had at the movies!
Well, at least popcorn is gluten free… and for vegetarians, there was another flavor: A habanero, green onion, garlic, and chive concoction. And I think it paired a little better with the new Kathryn Hall Release because the Cabernet is still pretty young and stood up to the heat of the slightly spicy popcorn.
We also tried a different Cabernet: a 2011 “T Bar T Ranch” cab from Alexander Valley. I couldn’t say which is my favorite because I liked them for different reasons and asking me to pick a favorite is like asking someone to pick their favorite child, and I know you don’t want to do that to me. 😉
There was a DJ positioned just in front of the great lawn, and he kept patrons happy by playing some current tunes, but also many hits from the 80s. Thanks DJ Adam Bomb, you were great and loved by the crowd. Check out his website and his client list. Pretty impressive! 🙂
Then I visited the grape crushing station and contributed to the 2014 Cabernet. So, that’s a warning to all of you out there. My feet touched some of that juice. 😉 Watch and see! Here’s how you make great wine!
I was having a blast! 🙂 I still pinch myself sometimes because I think I am dreaming. This is the life I saw for myself 10 years ago. I wanted to be in the heart of wine country standing in the sun and sipping some of the best wine in the world!
Andy stayed out of the juice, and thank goodness…you don’t want to know where that guy’s feet have been. Just kidding. I think he just didn’t want to have sticky feet. 🙂 I am so happy I crushed those grapes. I will always remember how happy I was standing in that barrel! I think the only thing that would make me happier is being a judge at next year’s Cabernet Cookoff (also held at HALL Wines).
Man, all that grape crushing worked up my appetite… (ha, just kidding…) but we were looking for another little snack to try, so we headed into the workshop and dining area. It’s basically a full open kitchen with a dining area where patrons can see demonstrations of food being prepared. Today the culinary team were demonstrating how to make sopes.
They began by rolling out the dough (masa soaked in lime) into a ball and then flattening it into a disc with a little but of an impression in it. Then, post frying and draining the discs were filled with ancho chili rubbed carnitas with avocado tomatillo salsa, picked red onions & cotija cheese. They were muy delicioso!
Also in the workshop was a display and check out area where vintage Kathryn Hall Cabernets and large volumes were available for purchase.
The 2011 is available to wine club members in this allotment: 15 bottles (750ml), 1 Magnum (1.5L) and 1 Larger Format (3L or 6L). What an incentive to join the wine club! PS: You get an invite to this amazing release party!
We did a little bit more walking around the great lawn, and went back to hang out with a new friend we made that day! His name is Spencer and he’s straight out of Louisville, Kentucky! 🙂 Congrats on your position at HALL Wines, and what a great place to be so young in your life. Cheers!
After we chatted with Spencer, we found Moroccan Lamb Lollipops with Pomegranate sauce! YAY!
I had a few of the meatballs, and they were spectacular just everything else I had tasted at the party. But, I had my limits, and was pretty full by this time. Andy and I decided to get one more taste of the new release before we left and we sat down at a table in the sun. This was his heartfelt thank you! 🙂
Along with Andy, I want to thank the PR team and social media folks at HALL Wines for making us feel like VIPs. We both had an incredible time. 🙂
Take a look at the fun other guests had by viewing the social media feed from the party here.
Get social with Kathryn Hall by following HALL Wines on Instagram here, on Facebook here, or on Twitter here.
Farm to Fork Wine Dinner Series: Supper Club Fine Catering Presents Todd Taylor Wines–The Digest
Last Thursday evening turned out to be pretty uncomfortable (weather-wise) at the start of the Todd Taylor Wine Dinner at Vierra Farms, but soon enough The Supper Club Fine Catering refreshed guests with a slightly chilled Tempranillo (2012 “Holland Landing” to be exact) and a trio of appetizers: Delta Crawfish Corn Dogs with Lemon Tarragon Dijon Aioli, Bruschetta with Local Fresh Tomato Tartar, Basil, and Olive Fig Tapenade, and the Supper Club’s classic Baby Red Potato Skins with Caramelized Shallot Mascarpone and House Wild Boar Pancetta.
We sat down to one of the biggest menus I have ever seen for the $75.00 per person asking price. Look below and you’ll see what I mean:
We were seated family style at two long beautifully decorated wooden picnic tables to enjoy the first course of the meal called: “There’s a Fungus Among Us”: Wild Mushroom Latte in Demitasse with White Truffle Crema Shacking up together with Grown Up Grilled Cheese with Smoked Portobello, Gruyere, Oven Dried Tomato, and Arugula Pesto
The soup and sandwich course was paired with Todd Taylor Pinot Noir Reserve “Corotto Vineyard” 2012
Some of the guests around me were very excited about the mushroom latte, because they had enjoyed it many times before at Matteo’s (the brick and mortar restaurant owned by Supper Club Catering). The “soup” was indeed everything they described, earthy and creamy, and looked just like a small cup of cappuccino. I gave the bread on my sandwich to Andy, but not before I scraped the goodness inside. Pesto is one of the most incredible things!
Next up was the first family style course: Duck Duck Goose #5: Potato Gnocchi, Shredded Grimaud Duck Confit, House Made Duck Prosciutto, Goose Pancetta, Roasted Vierra Farms Squash, Poblanos, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Light Sage Cream Sauce, paired with Todd Taylor Zinfandel “Clockspring Vineyard” 2012.
So, being gluten-free (95-98% of the time), I never miss pasta at all, except for gnocchi. So, I took a little delight was incredibly happy 😉 to cheat on my diet with this dish. It had a myriad of textures and flavors and the soft little pillows of pasta were the star of the show!
Following the gnocchi course, we were served the second family style course:
“3 Little Piggies went to the Farm”: Crispy Pork Belly, Smoked Tenderloin and Braised Shoulder paired with Todd Taylor Primitivo “Blue House” 2012.
Above is the Colossal Runner Bean, Tomato, Fennel and grilled Fig Salad served on the side of the pork dish. This was easily my favorite dish of the night. It had all my favorite ingredients: pork, fennel, pork, fig, pork… 😉 You get the idea. I am pretty sure I could just live on pork alone, and I am pretty sure I am not alone in that sentiment!
Following the pork trifecta was the third family style course:
“Not your Momma’s Steak and Potatoes”: Grilled Lucky Dog Skirt Steak basted with Secret Recipe House Butter, served with White Truffle Asiago Russet Frites, and Garlicky Green Beans. The third course was paired with Todd Taylor Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 337 “Hagen Heights” 2012.
The fries came on a separate platter, so I apologize for not capturing them. They were the tiny matchstick kind and had a distinct truffle flavor. I really enjoyed the steak, which was sliced thin and slathered in the aforementioned “house butter”. I knew people were probably watching, so I didn’t take a second helping…although I would have really liked one! 😉
And the surprisingly savory finale:
“Waiter My Cheesecake is Stinky”: Stilton Cheesecake with Rosemary Walnut Crust and Local Stone Fruit Ginger Chutney (paired with) Todd Taylor Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Clone 8 “Alphawolf Ranch” 2010.
So I was fully prepared to just give my entire dessert to Andy after having a few bites (like I normally do at the food/wine pairing dinners we attend, but I liked this “dessert” so much, that I ate over half of it! It was not a traditional dessert or pairing for that matter. The crust and the filling of the cheesecake were quite savory and the chutney was the only thing on the plate that yielded any sweetness. And that’s why I liked the final course so much!
Finally, I asked a server to help me line up the bottles so you could see a shot of everything we were served that evening. I think the Pinot Noir was my favorite! 🙂
I want to send a thank you to the staff at The Supper Club Fine Catering for having Andy and I as guests for your inagural Farm-to-Fork Wine dinner! Chef Matt is so creative with the food pairings and everything down to naming the dishes on the menus. It was fun to meet diehard fans of The Supper Club and Matteo’s and we hope to be back again soon. 🙂
If you are interested, there are other Farm-to-Fork dinners by the Supper Club Fine Catering coming soon:
10-23-14 Farm to Fork Dinner Featuring Sean Minor Wine Dinner at the Crocker Art Museum
11-20-14 Farm to Fork Dinner Featuring Pruett Vineyards at the Crocker Art Museum
12-18-14 Farm to Fork Dinner (Winery TBD) at the Crocker Art Museum
About Todd Taylor Wines:
Todd Taylor produces single vineyard designated red wines. Napa Valley Cabernet Savingnon, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Amador County Zinfindel and Primitivo. Clarksburg Tempranillo. Aged in New Cooperage. Available for tasting Saturday and Sunday 12-5. You can find them online here, on Facebook here, and on twitter here.
For more information on the wine dinner, click here.
You can find Supper Club Fine Catering on Facebook here.
Sax on the River, a benefit for the Karla J. Williams Foundation is Saturday, October 11, 2014
If you’re a fan of listening to live smooth jazz while sitting by the water with a nice glass of wine or two, I have got the premier event for you!
Sax on the River is a contemporary jazz benefit concert held to promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds for the Karla J Williams Foundation. This year’s featured artists include Elan Trotman, Lebron Dennis, Cecil Ramirez and Cynthia Marie Douglas. There will be a live auction, raffle, food, no host bar and an amazing view of the Sacramento River. There will also be a tribute to honor a dear friend of Sax on the River lost to cancer in February, Liz Hooper Gibson.
The event will be held on the afternoon/evening of Saturday, October 11 at the residence of Barbara Walker and Chuck Kelley, 10215 Garden Hwy, Sacramento, CA
The schedule for the evening is as follows:
- 4pm – Doors Open
- 4:30-5:15pm – Cynthia Douglas
- 5:45-6:30pm – Cecil Ramirez Group
- 6:30-6:45pm – Video Tribute to Liz Gibson
- 7-7:45pm – Lebron
- 8-9:15pm – Elan Trotman
- 9:15-10pm – Artists autographs
Unfortunately, there are no VIP tickets left for purchase, but the $50 general admission tickets are still for sale. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE. The $50 ticket does not include food, but there will be food available for purchase, a no host bar, silent auction, and raffle. Tickets will also be available at the door for $60.
You can find Sax on the River on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
About Sax on the River
In 2014, Sax on the River is donating 100% of the proceeds to The Karla J. Williams Foundation. Sax on the River was conceived by Trisha Friend while enjoying a Tom Braxton show at Harlow’s almost five years ago. During the final number of the night, several local musicians; Kim Waters, Jeff Clayton and Garrett Perkins joined Tom onstage. Four amazing saxophonists on the stage at one time, playing together, made her heart skip a beat. And the rest is history. The saxophone is an instrument that brings smiles to faces and makes people’s hearts sing and she wanted to bring that to her river event.
As a breast cancer survivor she created the event to promote breast cancer awareness, to give back to a non-profit organization that helps women cancer patients and their families and to share her love of jazz, particularly the saxophone, with all her friends and fellow jazz lovers in the Sacramento area.
Event Flyer:
Nevada City Uncorked: Walk this Way for a Unique Food and Wine Tasting
Last Saturday, Andy and I went up to Nevada City for a food and wine event called Nevada City Uncorked. It was held in historic downtown Nevada City and featured a robust sampling of local Foothill wines and food studded along 40 local businesses all within walking distance.
We didn’t hit all the stops, but made it to quite a few. Our first stop was The Broad Street Inn where Solune Winery was stationed. The were pouring a 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, a 2013 Barbera Rosé (award winning, we were told) and a 2010 Barbera.
Then we walked over to the unique and quite beautiful Two Room Inn where Chacewater Winery was pouring the 2013 Syrah Rosé, their 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, and their 2012 Zinfandel. Diego’s Restaurant was serving tri-tip mini sliders with chimichurri sauce, but it was early in the game and I didn’t want to use my food tickets up just yet (you get 5 tickets included with your admission to trade in at one ticket per food item) Additional tickets can be purchased if you want more food along the way.
Our next stop was Mana Beads which featured Bent Metal Winery and Sopa Thai Restaurant. I finally gave into my hunger and got a yummy spring roll, while Andy went for a vegetable curry served over rice.
Next on our tour was Sierra Knolls Winery and Jardin del Rio placed in the New York Hotel (also home of The Truffle Shop). I thought Sierra Knolls had made a big improvement in their wines since I tried them last about 5 years ago, and I am happy to have found them at this event. Their 2011 Barbera was very good.
Next up was an actual tasting room, the home of Szabo Vineyards. They were tasting a 2010 Primitivo, a 2010 Zinfandel, and a 2010 Voila (blend). On hand to supply the food were the most gorgeous deli trays from SPD Market. So happy we stopped here, and I happily traded in another food ticket for some lovely fruit and antipasto––grapes, cheeses, olives, ham and turkey!! 🙂
After stopping for quite a while at Szabo, we made our way to Utopian Stone, a jewelry store who hosted Bear River Winery and Harmony Ridge Market. We didn’t stay long, as I wasn’t willing to trade in one of my tickets for a lemon bar. 😉
Andy had volunteered for Nevada City Uncorked back in 2011, and recalled that we was stationed at the very corner Utopian Stone sits on. There’s a big plush purple chair where we sat for a minute to watch people go by. Then we got up and headed over to Bel Capeli Salon and Spa.
Inside Bel Capeli, Coufos Cellars wines were being poured. I liked every single one. I tried a Viognier, a Rosé, and their 2009 Buffo Blanc. The food in the salon was provided by Summer Thyme’s. Andy really liked their take on a tomato and mozzarella salad––it was served on a skewer.
The picture below was taken from the balcony of the National Hotel. Pilot Peak was there with their 2009 Cabernet Franc and their 2010 Barbera. Their hotel restaurant Hoovers was serving Prime Rib sliders.
Then tucked away in the back of Nevada City Classic Cafe, and I mean wayyy in the back (had to send a search party to find her) was Jill of Lone Buffalo Vineyards.
The rest of the crew from Lone Buffalo was hustling the vineyard (it was harvest day!) so it was Jill all by herself sharing Lone Buffalo’s current Viognier and their 2011 Tatonka Tempranillo. Also available was their 2011 Where the Buffalo Roam. It was fun to see Jill and Lone Buffalo, longtime friends of cakegrrl.com and cavegrrl.com. 🙂
Speaking of friends of this website, our next stop was Crazy Horse Saloon and Grill where Fawnridge Winery was assigned and owners Stewart and Stephanie Perry were pouring their 2012 Chardonnay (yes, please!) and their 2010 Barbera (double yes, please!)
A triple yes, please for the delightful goody for which I gladly traded in two of my food tickets. Heck no, it wasn’t Paleo, but didn’t care. 🙂 It was a Reuben egg roll (the program says spring roll, but it was deep fried like an egg roll and had an egg roll wrapper. (Shown below) It was filled with house cured corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and placed on a bed of spicy mustard. Yum! 🙂
We made it to at a few other last places before time was up: Clavey Wines had their own tasting room as a stop, and we made our last stop at the only brewery on the tour: Matteo’s Public. I had the Chocolypto: a chocolate oatmeal stout which served as a fine finale.
Luckily we had an uphill trek back to the car to work off some of those tastings! What a great day in downtown Nevada City full of great people and terrific wine and food (and beer!) Thanks to the organizers of the event for having us out for the experience. 🙂
You can find Nevada City Uncorked on Facebook here.
Farm to Fork Wine Dinner Series: Sienna Restaurant Featuring Cakebread Wines
Just look at that line up! Those bottles of Cakebread Cellars were the wines featured at Sienna Restaurant’s latest wine dinner last Thursday.
Andy and I were excited to attend this dinner because we are big fans of Cakebread, especially their Reserve Chardonnay.
Pictured below is the menu for the evening, kudos to chef Moses Hernandez at Sienna for making our dinner gluten free!!
We started with the 2013 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc paired with a Scallop and Tiger Prawn Ceviche over cabbage and a mixed vegetable slaw with red chile and blue corn chips. This dish was the best pairing for a Sauvignon Blanc, as it was citrusy, light and refreshing, just as the wine was. And I was a hungry lady after a semi-stressful day at work. Andy remarked that he was transported to Mexico by this dish. Good thing we’re going in November! 🙂
The second course was a Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Forbidden Rice, Soy Poached Bok Choy, Lemongrass Broth & Thai gremolata. It was paired with a 2012 Napa Valley Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.
I was so happy to have had this as the second course, as I love Thai food and this was certainly a Thai inspired dish. Again, really refreshing and just amazingly good. The broth was so flavorful, and the rice was cooked perfectly. We had some wine left from the previous course and it went with the Sauvignon Blanc just as well.
The third course was a Roasted New York Steak with Sauteéd Fingerling Potatoes, Citrus Swiss Chard, Pomegranate Molasses, and Roquefort Blue Cheese butter. It was paired with a 2011 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was the course that made Sienna as a restaurant really shine. Not only was the steak cooked perfectly along with the accoutrements. I want to comment for a moment on the service and attention to detail I witnessed at Sienna. First, one of the servers halted service of this course for Andy and me. They were not sure if we had been served the gluten-free plates or not. Now, that was highly appreciated, because although we do not have a gluten allergy, maybe someone who requested a gluten free meal might have. The staff at Sienna made sure we were delivered the correct entreés.
Another comment is that special attention to detail was given in handling the wine, as it was going to be pretty tight tannin-wise. The bar staff at Sienna took the time to both aerate the wine and then decant it long before dinner guests arrived, so that it would give its best showing.
And the wine was pretty phenomenal to both of us, and pretty much put a spell on Andy. He loved the Cabernet so much, that he ordered a case. I am pretty excited about that, because I benefit. I get to taste the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon as it matures and develops. Softens and becomes even more magnificent. I think he said we are going to open a bottle every 6 months. Don’t be jealous, maybe you’ll get an invite for dinner to share. 😉
Then, it was on to the last course. The dessert course. Sienna made sure to adjust ours so that it was gluten free as well. It was a Peanut Butter Mousse, topped with Whipped Cream and chopped Peanut Butter Cups. It was paired with a 2012 Red Hills Lake County Cakebread Cellars Zinfandel that to be quite honest, longed to be paired with the prior course. No matter. I gave Andy all but two tastes of my dessert and I enjoyed the Zinfandel pretty much as my dessert. It was spectacular. 🙂
I could pretty much sum this dinner up as pure bliss. It was a beautiful evening under the stars with like minded people. All food and wine lovers like Andy and myself. I want to thank the team at Sienna for making this an incredible evening for all of the guests. No detail was spared and I am pretty sure no one left hungry or the slightest bit unhappy. We’ll certainly be back to enjoy dinner when we come to retrieve the case of Cakebread Cabernet, but we’ll also save the date for your upcoming dinner on October 2nd with Jordan Cellars.
PS: Sienna also does a Monday night Wine and Dine, it’s 3 courses paired with wine for $35 per person. Hook yourselves up by clicking here! Guess what… it’s Monday, you should totally go NOWWWW!!!
OK, that’s the yummy wrap for tonight. I’ll have more Farm to Fork Wine Dinner coverage later this week! Cheers!! 🙂
You can find Sienna Restaurant on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Farm to Fork Wine Dinner Series: Supper Club Fine Catering Presents Todd Taylor Wines, September 11th
presents
Supper Club Fine Catering is kicking off their Farm to fork wine dinner series featuring Todd Taylor wines at Vierra Farms.
The dinner will be held on Thursday, September 11th from 6:30-9:30pm
I am excited about this dinner because I recently had some of Supper Club’s great food at a party in Curtis Park hosted by some friends of Andy and mine.
Here’s the scheduled menu for the evening:
Passed Appetizers (6:30pm – 6:55pm)
Delta Crawfish Corn Dogs with Lemon Tarragon Dijon Aioli
Bruschetta with Local Fresh Tomato Tartar, Basil, and Olive Fig Tapenade
Baby Red Potato Skins with Caramelized Shallot Mascarpone and House Wild Boar Pancetta
Todd Taylor Tempranillo “Holland Landing” 2012
Soup & Sandwich
“There’s a Fungus Among Us”
Wild Mushroom Latte in Demitasse with White Truffle Crema Shacking up together with Grown Up Grilled Cheese with Smoked Portobello, Gruyere, Oven Dried Tomato, and Arugula Pesto
Todd Taylor Pinot Noir Reserve “Corotto Vineyard” 2012
First Family Style Course
Duck Duck Goose #5
Potato Gnocchi, Shredded Grimaud Duck Confit, House Made Duck Prosciutto, Goose Pancetta, Roasted Vierra Farms Squash, Poblanos, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Light Sage Cream Sauce
Todd Taylor Zinfandel “Clockspring Vineyard” 2012
Second Family Style Course
“3 Little Piggies went to the Farm”
Crispy Pork Belly, Smoked Tenderloin and Braised Shoulder Served with Colossal Runner Bean, Tomato, Fennel and grilled Fig Salad
Todd Taylor Primitivo “Blue House” 2012
Third Family Style Course
“Not your Momma’s Steak and Potatoes”
Grilled Lucky Dog Skirt Steak basted with Secret Recipe House Butter, served with White Truffle Asiago Russet Frites, and Garlicky Green Beans
Todd Taylor Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 337 “Hagen Heights” 2012
Finale
“Waiter My Cheesecake is Stinky”
Stilton Cheesecake with Rosemary Walnut Crust and Local Stone Fruit Ginger Chutney
Todd Taylor Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Clone 8 “Alphawolf Ranch” 2010
Seating will be community/family style.
The cost is $75 per person (+tax and service charge), so $97.65 inclusive. Reservations and pre-payment are required. Menu substitutions are not allowed. Contact Alissa for reservations at catering@supperclubsacramento.com or call 916-808-1289.
Vierra Farms is located at 3010 Burrows Ave, West Sacramento
Other Farm-to-Fork upcoming dates are:
10-23-14 Farm to Fork Dinner Featuring Sean Minor Wine Dinner at the Crocker Art Museum
11-20-14 Farm to Fork Dinner Featuring Pruett Vineyards at the Crocker Art Museum
12-18-14 Farm to Fork Dinner (Winery TBD) at the Crocker Art Museum
About Todd Taylor Wines:
Todd Taylor produces single vineyard designated red wines. Napa Valley Cabernet Savingnon, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Amador County Zinfindel and Primitivo. Clarksburg Tempranillo. Aged in New Cooperage. Available for tasting Saturday and Sunday 12-5. You can find them online here, on Facebook here, and on twitter here.
For more information on the wine dinner, click here.
You can find Supper Club Fine Catering on Facebook here.
I’ll be attending with Andy and we’ll have a post dinner commentary with pictures next week. Cheers and hope to see you out there! 🙂
Kathryn Hall Release Party Set for Sept. 13th, 1-4pm
The “Kathryn Hall Release Party” date has been set for Saturday, September 13 at HALL Wines in St. Helena where the 2011 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon will be released for a crowd filled with wine lovers, foodies, fans, members and tourists alike. The party will take place on the newly designed Great Lawn from 1pm – 4pm PST.
I have been to another event at HALL Wines, their Cabernet Cookoff, which took place in May this year, and I can tell you that they know how to throw a party, and the grounds at HALL are just beautiful.
The Release Party with feature great music from DJ Adam Jobe, farm to table seasonal fare from Feast Catering and a clutch of wine lovers, foodies and fans coming together to celebrate HALL’s winemaking excellence.
It’s HALL’s largest annual event of the year and they are setting the bar high! Get your daytime sip, stroll, and lounge on at HALL, St. Helena.
Schedule:
Vertical Tasting & Kathryn Hall Release Party
12-1PM: Vertical Tasting of 2008–2013 Kathryn Hall lead by Director of Wine Making Steve Leveque
Kathryn Hall Release Party
1-4PM: Kathryn Hall Release Party including plentiful food and artisan wines, DJ and dancing, photo booth, and special signing and photo opp with Kathryn herself.
As an added bonus: Kathryn will be available for a photo opp with you, and will be signing all bottle purchases of “Kathryn Hall” that day.
Tickets are $200 per person for the Vertical Tasting & Release Party: BUY TICKETS HERE, and $90 per person for the Release Party only: BUY TICKETS HERE
HALL Wines is located at 401 St. Helena Hwy S, St Helena CA.
You can find HALL Wines on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
2014 Curtis Park Wine Tasting, Silent Auction and Beer Garden is October 4th, 4-7pm
The 2014 Curtis Park Wine Tasting, Silent Auction & Beer Garden Event promises to be one of the best ever! In it’s 24th year, the event boasts more than 20 of the best restaurants in Sacramento, more than 50 wineries, and the always popular Beer Garden orchestrated by Pangaea Two Brews & Bottleshop. There will be special demonstrations by culinary students of American River College and Oak Cafe along with hundreds of silent auction and raffle items.
The annual Curtis Park Wine Tasting, Silent Auction & Beer Garden Event is the largest fundraising event for the Sierra 2 Center and Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. Proceeds from the event help fund artistic, cultural, educational and recreational endeavors at Sierra 2 Center and throughout Sacramento, including the operations of the Senior Center and community building events. Additional beneficiaries of this event include Bret Harte Elementary School and C.K. McClatchy High School. The event’s success helps fund many different important community activities.
If you truly love fine and eclectic wines, THIS is the event for you! 🙂
Tickets
Advance until 11:59pm, Oct. 1: $40 (SCNA Members)/$45 (Non-members) Membership can be purchased or renewed during your registration process. You can register HERE.
After Oct. 1: $50 all
Online tickets available until 11:59pm, Oct. 1. After Oct. 1, tickets available at Sierra 2 Center office and at the door the day of the event. Tickets are also available for purchase by visiting the Sierra 2 Center office at 2791 24th Street or by calling 916-452-3005. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door prior to the event.
You can follow the Sierra 2 Center on twitter here and find them on Facebook here.
Fogo de Chão in San Jose: A Meat Lover’s Paradise!
When Andy and I visited San Jose a few weeks ago, we dined at a Brazilian churrascaria called Fogo de Chão (pronounced fo-go dée shown). It’s located in Santana Row close to Hotel Valencia, our host hotel for that weekend. A churrascaria is a place where meat is cooked in churrasco style (Portuguese for ‘barbecue’), and it’s pretty much like Paleo heaven. 🙂
If you have never dined at a Brazilian steakhouse before, there is a procedure to the meal, and it’s really quite fun. After being seated, diners are given a cardboard token (looks like a drink coaster) that is green on one side and red on the other. This token is used to signal the gaucho chefs to begin meat service to your table. But first, it’s off to the salad bar!
The salad bar features premium items such as 24 Month, Aged Parmesan, Aged Manchego Cheese, Prosciutto, Brazilian Hearts of Palm, Artichoke Bottoms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Smoked Salmon, Italian Salami, Jumbo Asparagus, Tabbouleh and Shitake Mushrooms, not to mention at least large bowls full of different lettuce mixes to use for the base of your salad. It would be easy to get full on just the salad bar alone, so pace yourself.
When you are ready for the meats to be served, turn your token green side up, signaling that you are ready for our gaucho chefs to begin tableside service. This continuous service is known as “Rodizio” style.
There are 16 cuts of fire roasted meats to choose from including top sirloin, filet mignon, rib eye, bottom sirloin, beef ribs, lamb, chicken, pork ribs, pork loin (encrusted in parmesan cheese and linguica (a Brazilian-style, cured pork sausage). The gaucho chefs are very attentive and efficient. I would advise you to come not only hungry, but starving! Below are some of the meats the gaucho chefs serve on a nightly basis:
Pictured from left to right: Lamb (cordeiro), Chicken (frango) Pork Ribs (costela de porco), Pork Loin (lombo), Pork Sausage (linguica), Top Sirloin (picanha), Beef Ribs (costela), Bacon Wrapped Filet and Bacon Wrapped Chicken. Wow! So very Paleo! 🙂
When you are full, you flip the token to the red side until you are ready for more offerings.
In the photo above, Andy is being served the signature steak of the restaurant, the Picanha (pea-CAN-ya), a prime cut of top sirloin.
The meal also includes limitless service of traditional Brazilian side dishes, including: pão de queijo (warm cheese bread), crispy hot polenta (like polenta fries), garlic mashed potatoes and caramelized bananas. (not so Paleo) 😦
Fogo de Chão is a recipient of the prestigious Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence for eight consecutive years. I chose a reasonably priced Cabernet made by Trapiche (a label I had at least heard of before). It was quite good.
Below, the gaucho chef serves Andy a bacon wrapped filet mignon, and a bacon wrapped chicken.
Someone looks happy! Ask him how many lamb chops he had! 😉
Then, after we had signaled we were done with our meal, one of the gaucho chefs brought out this cake to celebrate Andy’s birthday. What a fun dinner! Thanks so much to the staff at Fogo de Chão, San Jose for taking such good care of us! 🙂
Lunch at Fogo de Chão San Jose is $34.50 | (Salad Bar Only – $24.50) and is served Mon-Fri 11:30-2:00.
Dinner is $54.50 | (Salad Bar Only – $29.50) and is served Mon-Thur 5:00-10:00, Fri 5:00-10:30, Sat 3:00-10:30, and Sun 12:00-9:00.
Children 6 and under are complimentary. Children 7 to 12 are half price. Any beverages, desserts, tax, and gratuity are additional. An 18% gratuity is added to all parties of 6 or more.
You can like Fogo de Chão on Facebook here, and follow them on twitter here.
Farm to Fork Legends of Wine is September 18th, 6:00-8:30pm
I can say in all honesty that out of the whole year, I love the months of September and October most. There are several reasons for that. One of them is the weather. It starts to cool off just enough and the mornings are perfect for running. Another reason is that it is harvest time–more importantly to me, crush time in the vineyards. It’s also getting to be around the time I met Andy, and I am very excited to celebrate our 3rd anniversary this year.
September is also California Wine Month and the month Sacramento celebrates Farm-t0-Fork week from September 13th-28th, featuring several events to celebrate the local sustainability and food production of the Sacramento region by featuring the farmers, chefs and culinary community that make the Sacramento region the Farm-to-Fork Capital of America.
One of the not-to-be-missed events is Farm-to-Fork Legends of Wine featuring wines selected by Darrell Corti and David Berkley. It takes place on Thursday, September 18th 6pm – 8:30pm on the State Capitol West Steps.
Darrell Corti, who was recognized by Saveur magazine as the man “Who knows more about food and wine than anyone else in the world,” and David Berkley, once recognized as “the man behind the White House wine list,” will host an evening of great wines and cheeses during Sacramento inaugural Farm-to-Fork Week.
Paired along-side artisan cheeses and breads, this event will offer free tastes from some of the region’s most celebrated wineries listed below:
Andis Wines
Legendre Cellars
Sierra Starr Vineyard & Winery
Boeger Winery
Matchbook Wines
Six Hands Winery
Bogle Vineyards
Michael David Winery
Sobon Family Wines
Bokisch Vineyard
Miraflores Winery
Spoto Wines
Casey Flat Ranch Winery
New Clairvaux Vineyards
Terra d’Oro Winery
Dancing Coyote Wines
Putah Creek Winery
Terre Rouge & Easton Wines
David Girard Vineyard
Rendez-Vous Winery
Uvaggio Wines
Feist Winery
Revolution Wines
VanRuiten
Family Winery
Jeff Runquist Wines
Scott Harvey Wines
Vino Noceto Winery
LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards
Seka Hills Wines
To purchase tickets ($50 per person) head over to the Farm-to-Fork website and the Legends of Wine event page (click here).
You can keep up with all the events during the Farm-to-Fork celebration by liking their Facebook page here and follow SacFarm2Fork on twitter here. If wine and fancy dinners aren’t your speed, there is a free festival on September 27th featuring food demos and fun for the whole family!
Lake County People’s Choice Wine Tasting to be Held Saturday, June 14th, 2014
Lake County is a wine region that might not have the cachet of Napa Valley, but I can definitely tell you they are making wines of Napa Valley caliber. Currently, Lake County has over 8,400 acres producing winegrapes. There are now 167 growers and 32 wineries in Lake County. I was first exposed to a large cross-section of wineries who call Lake County home at the Wine, Tunes & Classics event held at the California Automobile Museum last year.
The event combined a showcase of classic cars, music, and featured wineries from the Lake County Winery Association. There, I was able to taste and find several wines I really enjoyed. I was also told about the People’s Choice Wine Tasting that was held in 2013, and unfortunately already had plans for the weekend.
This year, however I am excited to attend the People’s Choice Wine Tasting this coming Saturday at Guenoc & Langtry Vineyards (21000 Butts Canyon Rd, Middletown, CA 95461). The event will begin at 1:00 PM and ends at 4:00 PM.
It will be an afternoon of wine, music, and fun. Music will be provided by the popular band “The Special Guests”. The Yuba College Culinary program will be featuring some of their sweet treats, and food trucks will be onsite to satisfy your culinary cravings and stop by the photo booth to create a lasting memory of the event.
Tickets are $35 per person ($25 if you buy before June 10th with a special promo code–see below). Designated drivers encouraged and will be admitted for free. You must be 21 or older to participate in this event.
The Lake County Wine Competition is open to wines that contain at least 75% Lake County winegrapes and bear a Lake County appellation on the label. Lake County’s reputation for both high-quality wines and high-quality winegrapes continues to grow. The 2013 competition drew more than 120 wines to be judged. This number is expected to increase this year.
People’s Choice Wine Tasting – Special Offer
Treat your favorite Dad to an afternoon of wine, food, music, and fun and celebrate Father’s Day at the People’s Choice Wine Tasting on Saturday, June 14th. Eighteen of Lake County’s premium wineries will be pouring their award winning wines at Langtry Estate and Vineyards. Use promo code “4dad” to get $10 off the ticket price. This offer expires on June 10th. Tickets will be available at the door for $35. For complete details or tickets, go to www.lakecountywineries.org/choice
To purchase tickets, follow this link. For more information on the Wine Awards you can visit the website here. Don’t miss your chance this year to be a wine judge!
You can find the Lake County Winery Association on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.
Dametra Café: Mediterranean Fusion at its Finest in Downtown Carmel
Faisal Nimri and Bashar Sneeh own what is currently the most popular restaurant in downtown Carmel: Dametra Café.
Since mid-2009, the restaurant has been booked solid (see above photo of line outside the door) for dinner every night, and after our meal there during our second night in Carmel, I can see why. When Andy and I walked into restaurant, we were greeted by Faisal and seated promptly. I thought that perhaps we were being given special treatment (as I had arranged our dinner with the Carmel Chamber of Commerce as part of our trip). But as I watched from our table, I saw him treating all the incoming customers this way––like welcoming a family member into his home.
The name Dametra Café (which opened in 2008) is a combination of their homelands: Damascus plus Petra (the ancient Jordanian city near the Dead Sea carved of rose-colored stone. By 2010, the Carmel Chamber of Commerce named Dametra Café Business of the Year. The Café’s menu is a delightful amalgamation of Mediterranean foods Nimri (from Jordan) and Sneeh (from Syria) loved during their childhood: spanikopita from Greece, calamari from Italy, smoked salmon from France and hummus from Lebanon.
Why did I want to eat here? I certainly did not know the 14 table restaurant was so popular until we arrived. Andy and I actually found Dametra Café passing by the restaurant on foot while wine tasting during our last visit to Carmel a year ago. I remember someone standing outside and beckoning us to come in for dinner (again, very hospitable). We had already made plans for the evening (Fandango in Pacific Grove), but vowed to return to the Café on our next visit to Carmel. We finally made it!
I kicked off my dinner with a split of cava, and Andy had a glass of Malbec (that’s one of his favorite varietals). 🙂
During the meal, one of the servers serenaded us and the other guests in the restaurant, accompanied by Faisal, strumming a six-stringed Greek oud.
It was truly so much fun. As we left, we were greeted again with a sincere “thank you for coming”. Andy and I were more thankful to the owners and the staff for such a memorable meal and music. 🙂
Return to Mundaka: A Spanish-Style Tapas Restaurant in Downtown Carmel
It was less than a year ago when we last visited Mundaka, a small plates restaurant nestled in the heart of downtown Carmel. Since then, the restaurant has continued to thrive and recently celebrated its 5th anniversary!
During our recent stay at The Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites Andy and I were honored to be invited back to Mundaka for dinner to try some new items on the menu, as well as some of our favorites from last time.
Please excuse the photos in this post. They are rather dark as was the room in which we were seated. 😉
We began the meal by ordering the Bravas: Fried potatoes, brava sauce, aioli. It happens to be one of the most classic tapas in Spain, and a must try at Mundaka.
Of course the Bravas were excellent, but I think the Crudo was the first new thing on the menu that caught my eye. When the plate came out, I was surprised to see such a beautiful presentation of multi-colored julienned vegetables: Carrots, Brussels sprouts, beet purée, candied walnuts.
The juxtaposition to the Crudo dish was the Charcuteria! Time to get our fat on! The plate was composed of Serrano ham, Iberico sausages, house cured lomo. Slice upon slice of meaty goodness. And there was more to come!
I guess you could say our main event was the Carne: Hanger steak, truffle fries, free foie butter. The hangar steak was tender and flavorful, and cooked a perfect medium-rare. The fries were the very skinny variety–like matchsticks, if you will–they soaked up the foie butter that had melted onto the plate from the steak.
Next up: A pan fried sole, salad of baby poached potatoes, grapefruit, arugula, saffron vinaigrette. This was probably my least favorite dish of all, but I still liked it, so that’s not much of a complaint. I just felt like the potatoes were a little clunky and didn’t belong on the plate with the fish.
By this point, we were getting full and decided on a few non-dessert items to close out the meal:
Dessert #1: Huevo: Fried duck egg, crispy Iberico bits, toast. It was such a simple dish, but the quality of the ingredients and the richness of the duck egg combined with the Iberico was very rich and indulgent. Highly recommended as a starter dish or for a grand finalé!
Dessert #2! Again with the eggs, ha! Tortilla: Potato, egg, onion, sea salt.
So maybe we worked backwards, but my one of my favorite foods is egg, so these plates were like dessert to me. If you’re more into sweets and coffee for your finalé, Mundaka has a dessert, coffee, and digestives menu, pictured below:
What to drink? Mundaka serves a “Party Wine” house wine (red blend) poured from a giant bottle for $5 a glass (if you don’t ask what is in the blend). We enjoyed 2 different cavas (one, a rosé) and switched over to the Party Wine later in the meal. (Below is a photo of the bottle of sparkling rosé that Andy ordered and the glass of cava that I ordered).
Mundaka uses organic, local, free-range, line-caught, sustainable, fair-trade ingredients, and DOESN’T use ingredients containing hormones, pesticides, high fructose corn syrup, or anything artificial. That’s so Paleo!
Mundaka is located on San Carlos Street between Ocean and 7th Ave and open daily from 11am-5pm for coffee/lunch/pintxos and open daily at 5:30pm for Tapas/pintxos. You can download a sample menu here. You can find Mundaka on Facebook here. You can make a reservation at Mundaka via Open Table here.
A big thanks to Mundaka for their hospitality during our second visit. Always a delicious and memorable meal! 🙂
To finish, a shot of my stunning dining companion. Love that guy! 🙂
Wine Wednesday: Don’t Miss TAPAS Grand Wine Tasting, April 27th, 2014
So I am pretty sure that the wine event I am promoting today was specifically designed for me. See, Tempranillo is my favorite red varietal, and the most extensive tasting of domestically produced Tempranillos and other Iberian varietal wines, featuring nearly 40 TAPAS member vintners is about to take place at the seventh annual Grand Wine Tasting held at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio in San Francisco on Sunday, April 27, 2014. I’m in! 🙂
Trade and consumers will be able to taste Tempranillos, Albariños, Garnachas, Verdelhos, Tourigas, and many other varieties, in a casual walk-around setting where they can chat with the growers and vintners. Explore the diversity of grapes and styles produced across the western United States. Many TAPAS members are limited-production, family-owned wineries and will be pouring small lot wines that are not widely available. Many of the wines will also be available for sale at this event.
This year’s event will highlight Tempranillo’s aging potential with a Kickoff Seminar comparing pairs of Aged and New Tempranillos from the same vintner. See one of the reasons why Tempranillo is the fastest growing variety worldwide!
The event schedule is:
Tickets are $95 and include early admission to the Consumer Tasting.
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Consumer Tasting. In conjunction with the walk-around tasting, the TAPAS Wine School (included with admission) will feature these informative consumer-oriented seminars and guided tastings:
Tickets to the Consumer Tasting are $60.
TAPAS President Stuart Spencer noted, “The TAPAS Grand Tasting is a unique opportunity for you to discover, savor and celebrate this treasure chest of exotic and delightfully food-friendly wines. You will gain appreciation for what some visionary winegrowers are doing here on American soil. Don’t miss it!”
About TAPAS: TAPAS started at the 2004 Unified Symposium, when Tempranillo winegrowers from California, Oregon, Washington, Texas and Arizona met for the first time to discuss their avocation. Since that first visionary group pointed the way, the organization has incorporated and grown to over 100 members. The first Grand Wine Tasting was held at Copia in Napa in 2008, and has continued annually since then, as one of many initiatives to promote Tempranillo and other varietal wine grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula and wines produced from them in North America.
To purchase tickets, click here.
You can find TAPAS on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here.
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