Le Garage

Le Garage is a popular French bistro located along the harbor in Sausalito, offering fantastic weekend brunch and dinner every day of the week. On a sunny day by the bay, they open the garage-like wall so you can feel the warmth of the sun and smell the fresh ocean air. Today it was a little cold and foggy but it also happened to be Mother's Day so the chilly weather did not stop the crowds. 

To pass time, we posted up at the bar, ordered some drinks and ogled every plate that came out of the kitchen - the wait went by fast. I was tempted to order the warm smoked salmon sandwich with tomatoes, red onions, butter lettuce, Bleu d'Auvergne, capers and crème fraiche on ciabatta, served with fries and aïoli (the guy seated next to me had it and it looked delicious) but the waiter convinced me to order the following:

An egg white omelette with organic baby spinach, heirloom tomatoes and Laura Chenel goat cheese served with mixed greens. It was so good! I'll get the salmon sandwich next time. Reid, true to form, can never turn down a burger, so he ordered the Masami Kobe beef burger: 1/2 lb of Kobe, Morbier cheese, tomatoes, butter lettuce, grilled red onions & aioli on ciabatta served with a side of fries. He was in heaven. 

Le Garage, 85 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 109, Sausalito, CA 94695.  

Be sure to try their sister restaurant, L'Appart Resto, in San Anselmo, too!

Pizza!

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I thought I was a true pizza lover until I read this recent article on Eater, The Ultimate San Francisco Pizza Glossary. Out of the twenty-four pizza restaurants and trucks located in San Francisco, I have only tried fifteen. I was shocked! They forgot my beloved Piccino but otherwise, a very strong guide to anyone looking to consume some pies. I can't wait to try the other nine places on the list...

Round Pond

On a gorgeous day in early May, I was on a wine tasting excursion through the Napa Valley. I arranged for the group to stop at Round Pond for the Il Pranzo Lunch. As we ascended the stairs to the second floor wine tasting area, I was stunned by the gorgeous build-out of the space. It was absolutely beautiful...everything I aspire my future home to be! The room is a mix of both contemporary design with rustic influences (i.e. the antler chandelier below).

The open, airy wine tasting room spilled onto a outdoor patio, complete with a fireplace and breathtaking views of the Napa Valley vineyards surrounding the estate. After a brief background on the history of Round Pond, our tour guide led us through the wine facilities, the barrel room and their biodynamic garden.

Afterward, we were seated on the patio for the Il Pranzo Lunch. We began with their red wine vinegar tasting; trying both the Cabernet-Merlot blend vinegar and the Sangiovese-Nebbiolo Petit Verdot blend vinegar. Have you ever been vinegar tasting? This was a new experience for me so in case anyone isn't familiar; you take a simple sugar cube and pour a dollop of vinegar on the cube, then gently suck the cube to absorb the vinegar flavors. Who knew? 

Now on to the olive oil tasting (also a first for me). We tried three types: their extra virgin, blood orange and Meyer lemon olive oils. I highly recommend branching out from your typical extra virgin olive oil and trying different flavors. The citrus olive oils are a great way to add different flavors to a meal, especially when drizzled over salads or vegetables. 

Finally, we tasted the wines which accompanied our lunch. We tried three of their Estate wines: the 2010 Sauvignon Blanch (my personal favorite), the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. Lunch was served family style. Each platter beautifully displayed trays of fresh fruits and vegetables (straight from their garden), along with a variety of cheeses and meats.

Everyone was in awe of this farm-fresh-to-the-table experience and we couldn't have picked a better day to dine al fresco. Bon appétit!
 
Round Pond Estate, 875 Rutherford Road, Rutherford, CA 94573.

All wines, vinegars and olive oils can be purchased through their website.

The Grove

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The Grove is a quick-bite food staple of San Francisco. Each location is reminiscent of a remote cabin or lodge in the mountains; with its exposed wood beams, pine tables, large Navajo rugs covering the wood floors, rustic pillows scattered everywhere and a huge stone fireplace, which remains the focal point of most locations. You feel like you are stepping into a living room, not so much a restaurant. 

Berkeley Bowl (a delicious vegan salad), Spinach Artichoke Dip and Breakfast Burrito (hangover cure) 

Students are usually scattered amongst the tables, with laptops propped open and a cup of coffee by their side. Others are found leisurely reading the paper in an over sized chair, sipping their morning latte or nibbling on The Grove's American comfort food (think sandwiches, salads, breakfast, baked goods).

The four locations are conveniently located near prime shopping areas throughout the city; Hayes Valley, Fillmore Street, Chestnut Street and the Yerba Buena Gardens, so I often stop by The Grove after a strenuous day of shopping :) Our most recent visit concluded our Mother's Day shopping excursion. We each ordered a cold Hefeweizen and some very unhealthy/delicious spinach artichoke dip. We sat at a table near an open window to take advantage of the rare sunny day in the city. Sipping our beers while devouring the spinach artichoke dip; it was the perfect way to unwind after a long day fighting the retail crowds of downtown San Francisco. So if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by The Grove to escape the hustle and bustle for a few minutes and just relax. 

The Grove, 2016 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115.
The Grove, 690 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
The Grove, 2250 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123.
The Grove, 301 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94123.

Redd

Last year Reid and I dined at Redd for my birthday. It was one of the best meals I've ever had - no exaggeration. Since then, I recommend Redd to anyone and everyone venturing to the Napa Valley to wine and dine. I love the modern, minimalist décor (think Room & Board) and if the weather is nice, you can sit on the patio, near the fireplace (Romantic? Yes.).

Thus, when I asked my mom to meet me for lunch in Napa, it was any easy decision. Let’s go to Redd! She had never dined at this culinary hot spot so she was definitely excited, especially after I had hyped up the restaurant. To make the most of our experience, we opted to share multiple appetizers so we could taste a little bit of everything. And of course, ladies who lunch can’t lunch without a glass of champagne! A glass of Schramsberg Brut Rosé, anyone? While sipping champagne, we started with the asparagus soup with lemon cream and a petite smoked salmon Gruyere panini (the restaurant split the order into two servings - the presentation was impeccable). The soup and panini: delicious, rich and creamy! 

Next came the yellowfin tuna and hamachi tartare, with avocado, chili oil, fried rice and cilantro. I think this was my favorite of the three dishes just because I love tuna tartare. 

We finished the meal with lettuce cups filled with stir fried chicken, eggplant, and scallions.

The lunch was obviously delicious; more than satisfying the taste buds, just as it had done a year ago. So try Redd or try their new sister restaurant, Redd Wood, an upscale pizzeria located on the Northern end of Washington Street. Redd Wood combines one of my favorite restaurants with my favorite food (pizza, of course!) – what could be bad about that? These restaurants are culinary staples in the Napa Valley dining world.  Be sure to try one or both next time you’re in Yountville. I swear you’ll fall in love!

Redd, 6480 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599.

The Slanted Door

Slanted Door is one of those Ferry Building staples. It's always bustling with people; locals and tourists alike. It offers delicious modern Vietnamese food in a contemporary, open, airy space. If you don't happen to have a reservation (highly recommended for both lunch and dinner), they do take walk-ins. So one sunny Saturday morning we cruised the Farmer's Market and after eying the fresh produce and inhaling the delicious food aromas, suddenly we were hungry. We put our name on the wait list and 20 minutes later, we were seated overlooking the bay. That's the great thing about this restaurant - no matter where you sit, you can view the fabulous San Francisco Bay. And on a day like this (warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky), it was perfect for a window seat. 

It's always fun to try as many things as you can at any restaurant. Slanted Door's menu is conducive to sharing. So that's exactly what we did. We ordered the following:

• crispy vegetarian imperial rolls, taro root, cabbage, glass noodle, roasted peanut 
• grilled organic chicken, rice vermicelli noodle, imperial roll, cucumber, mint  
• star route farm baby spinach, garlic, caramelized shallots

Everything tasted delicious and refreshingly healthy, aside from the "crispy" (a.k.a. fried) imperial rolls. They have a quite an expansive selection on non-alcoholic beverages, so instead of the typical weekend Bloody Mary or Mimosa, I opted for their twin girls pomegranate spritzer and Reid tried their lychee-infused iced tea. Such a great Saturday...I love long, leisurely lunches!

Slanted Door has become quite a staple in the city. It is so popular, in fact, that they started a chain of to-go restaurants. Out The Door offers selected dishes from Slanted Door, as well as new menu additions, so you can still sample the delicious Vietnamese cuisine, even if you don't want the complete dining experience. With three locations in the city, it's hard to miss. Grab and go for dinner or lunch. It's so easy!  

Slanted Door, 1 Ferry Building #3, San Francisco, CA 94111.

Oxbow Public Market

We spent the weekend in Napa recently, celebrating a friend's birthday. On our way out of wine country, we stopped at the Oxbow Public Market to check out the upscale "food court" I have heard such good things about. It was so much fun walking around this expansive warehouse, perusing the restaurants, gourmet foods, gifts and wine. Since it was early AM, we opted for brunch at C Casa, a Mexican eatery. We both ordered the Huevos Rancheros, two white corn tortillas smeared with black beans, 2 eggs over medium, pico de gallo, roasted corn relish and chipotle aioli. Order, pay, find a seat and wait for them to call your name. It's a simple, no fuss way to grab some gourmet eats. 

Ritual Coffee (location in SF, as well), had quite a line, with everyone in need of their early morning java kick. If it had been later in the day, we could have taken advantage of Hog Island Oyster Company and Oxbow Wine Merchant & Wine Bar...sample some cheese, have a glass of wine, maybe order some oysters. I guess we'll save that for next time.

In case you are craving sweets, Kara's Cupcakes set up shop in the Market. Kara's is a cupcake staple in SF, so for those who can't venture to the city, now you can sample them in Napa!  I was tempted to have dessert for breakfast. I mean how yummy do these look?

Check out Oxbow if you are planning a visit to Napa anytime soon. If not to eat, you can always buy food gifts for friends and family. I was tempted to buy some olive oil from The Olive Press for my mom. There were so many different olive oils to choose from...who knew? 


Oxbow Public Market, 644 First Street, Napa, CA 94559.

Norma's

The first time my mom visited me while I was living in New York, we brunched at Norma's. Tucked away in Le Parker Meridien hotel; it truly is a brunch gem. She could not stop raving about the meal (nor could I), so going forward, anytime she was in town, we made a stop at Norma's. I have since moved out of New York and I deeply miss my brunch visits.

Norma's Doughnuts

But I stumbled upon some great news. There is another Norma's...on the West Coast! It is located in the Parker Palm Springs (same affiliation as the New York hotel). Although we tend to stay in La Quinta and it is a 45 minute drive to PSP, I convinced Reid it was a great idea to make the trek because the brunch is that good. He suggested we bring our moms. Perfect! My mom was beyond thrilled when she heard the news.

Mod entrance to the Parker

We picked the perfect day to brunch. It was sunny and warm so we sat outside, shaded under brightly colored awnings and paper lanterns. The restaurant was bustling with LA hipsters who appreciate the hotel's mod 60's decor. All of us perused the menu, salivating over the options. I forgot Norma's had such an expansive menu...what to get, what to get? We shared Norma's Doughnuts, with lemon custard and blueberry jam and ordered the following:

Waz-Za: Waffle – Fruit Inside Fruit Outside, Crackly Brûlée Top

Artychoked Benedict With Truffle Porcini Sauce

Truffle anything, artichokes, mushrooms and benedicts - everything I love, packaged into one amazing dish! I think this might be my new favorite benedict. Instead of an Engligh Muffin, Norma's uses an artichoke heart. Umm...yum.

 Normalita’s Huevos Rancheros

Who doesn't love huevos?

Chicken and Wild Mushroom Omelet with fire roasted peppers

Needless to say, we all had to nap afterward. 

Norma’s, 4200 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92264.

Hideaway Passover

It has been rather dreary in San Francisco so Reid and I were more than excited to get down to La Quinta for the long Passover/Easter weekend. The weather was absolutely gorgeous which made it hard to come back to rainy SF. We spent three blissful days indulging in some much-needed R&R: lounging by the pool, playing golf and eating delicious meals with the family. Friday was Passover so Reid's Mom, Robin, decided to cook dinner to celebrate the holiday. Although it wasn't your traditional Passover meal, it was still a great excuse to get the family together. And who doesn't love a home cooked meal? I, for one, am never opposed.

We started out the evening with cocktails (grapefruit and Grey Goose, anyone?) and some Chardonnay (Rombauer and Talbots). As we drank the tasty libations, we nibbled on some apps: Trader Joe’s edamame hummus (the best edamame hummus, hands down), Trader Joe’s kale dip (their healthier version on spinach dip…I highly recommend it) and cheese (!), of course.

Then we feasted! To start: A crisp romaine salad with fresh veggies.

The entree: Chicken Marbella (recipe below).

Sides: Roasted potatoes and carrots sprinkled with truffle salt (truffles…need I say more?), couscous and Matzah!

Desert: Macaroons and a trio of Talenti gelatos. Have you ever tried Talenti? If you haven't, you must - you'll be hooked on Talenti. My favorite is their Caramel Cookie Crunch.

 L'Chaim!

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RECIPE: Chicken Marbella

Ingredients

4 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

The Cheese School

In case you hadn’t already figured it out, I will say it once again. I love cheese! So, Reid, being the best boyfriend in the whole world, bought us tickets to The Cheese School, a school dedicated to teaching students about all things cheese. Wednesday night we attended the class Locavore: Cheeses of Marin, Sonoma and Napa. For two hours, we sampled a plate of locally made cheeses, learned about each cheese, the cheese makers and drank some vino. Obviously, I was in heaven. Our instructor was insanely knowledgeable, as she just recently finished writing the book, Cheese for Dummies.

A few takeaways from Wednesday’s class:

If you like to peruse the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, I recommend searching for Andante Dairy and sampling their Cavatina, a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese. It was, by far, my favorite cheese of the night.

Both wines were great picks and reasonably priced around $20/bottle so they are worth checking out:

·       2011 Waterstone Winery Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon

·       2009 Twenty Rows Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheese needs accoutrements! The Panevino breadsticks and the Panforte, a Tuscan honey nut candy (purchase at these locations), were quite a hit.

This class is a great way to mix up your traditional wine and cheese night. It’s a unique date idea or a fun girls night out. The Cheese School offers a variety of cheese classes, instructed by different cheese enthusiasts, multiple times a week, at their cute, homey nook in North Beach. Sign up for a class soon!  

The Cheese School, 2155 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94133.

The American Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is quite trendy in San Francisco right now. With restaurants like The American Grilled Cheese and The Melt, popping up left and right, it is apparent that others enjoy grilled cheese as much as I do. Turn this simple comfort food into quite the culinary experience by adding flavorful cheeses and crème fraiche (to the tomato soup) and you’ll soon have a cult following. Reid and I visit The American Grilled Cheese, located in SOMA, quite often; (1) because it’s conveniently located walking distance from our apartment (score!) and (2) it is simply delicious!

The majority of the seating is located outside (a pitfall for chilly SF days), but there are plenty of bar seats indoors, in case you forget your Patagonia. This cheese heaven offers seven types of grilled cheeses and two soups so you can vary your order a little bit each time. They also have a breakfast menu, mimosas and a few beers on tap…not too shabby for a grilled cheese restaurant.

I've sampled three American Grilled Cheeses: the Mousetrap (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Monterey jack, on sourdough), the Mushroom Gruyere (fontina, gruyère, roasted wild mushrooms + gold potatoes, melted leeks, caramelized onions, thyme butter on levain) and the Jalapeno Popper (chèvre, Monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, apricot-jalapeño relish on levain). All are phenomenal but my go-top is the Mousetrap.  If you like spice, order the Jalapeno Popper. It is sure to leave your mouth burning.

Reid always orders the Club Turkey (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Willie Bird smoked turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, Sierra Nevada stout mustard, roasted tomatoes, arugula) but last weekend he ventured out and tried the Foghorn Leghorn (Point Reyes blue cheese, creamy havarti, Zoe's Roasted Chicken, arugula, dill-dijon mustard on whole wheat). Although you can't go wrong with either, he's definitely more of a Club Turkey kind-of-guy.

Definitely take advantage of The Red, White & Blue Plate Special, which offers you a cup of soup and half of any of their grilled cheeses - allowing you to sample a little bit of each. We always order the tomato soup to accompany our sandwich; with crème fraiche and croutons, this tomato soup has won a place in our hearts.

The Mousetrap with tomato soup

The Foghorn Leghorn with tomato soup

The American Grilled Cheese, 1 South Park Avenue, Suite 103A, San Francisco, CA 94107.