Beind Closed Doors...

...and papered-over windows. Yes, that was the scene yesterday as yours truly was in a top-secret, never-happened meeting with _____, who is in the process of opening a new restaurant in downtown __________. Topic of conversation? For _____ to use my marketing services for the creation, launch, and ongoing marketing of her restaurant, named _______. Needless to say, wheels-are-in-motion and my mind is already racing with ideas, etc. I think that _____ has a great concept and a great restaurant name; now, of course, it means putting together both a great team and a great marketing program. _____ has promised to have another conversation with me by the end of next week. I will keep Every Meal A Feast readers updated on what transpires behind the closed doors at soon-to-be-opened __________ in downtown __________. Ciao.

Viva la Tortilla! (my way)

As FROTB know, I'm big here at Every Meal A Feast on authentic. For my tortillas, for example, I'm not big on flour -- a little too fluffy for my taste. For me, give me corn tortillas, and cooked my way.

Which is? Toasted on a gas burner. That's right. I buy white corn tortillas, get the burner going low, and gently toast the tortilla on both sides. The heat gives the tortilla that charred flavor that feels so... well, so Mexican, and thus authentic.

A couple of tips, should you decide to do this:

1. Keep the gas low.

2. Don't drop the tortilla on the burner (it knocks out the gas)

3. Don't wander away; it only takes 30-45 seconds per side

4. Use tongs when changing the tortilla from side to side (tortilla will be hot)

Enjoy!

Hog Wash

Still thinking about the awesome oysters I had recently from Hog Island Oyster Company. Summertime, and especially with this warm-for-us stretch of late, lends itself so well to oysters and, say, a nice (and not too cold) chardonnay. Anyway, one of the fun parts of oysters besides eating them is trying different things with them. I'm partial to either a couple-three dabs of Crystal Louisiana hot sauce or a drizzle of Hog Island Oyster Company's very own Hog Wash. I was able to wrestle away the Hog Wash recipe just for Every Meal A Feast readers (well, it's on the back of their biz cards, too). Anyway, here tis. Enjoy.

Hog Wash

1/2 cup natural rice vinegar

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

Mix well and drizzle over fresh oysters. Superb!

The Still on the Hill

Man does not live by beer and wine alone--there's Vodka, too! Tomorrow at the Wine Country Inn I'll be quite happily participating in a 'Spirits Appreciation' event with our friends from CHARBAY Winery & Distillery. Distiller/winemaker Marko Karakasevic is part of a 13-generation wine making family. His CHARBAY distillery, located high up in the mountains on Spring Mountain Road above nearby St. Helena in the Napa Valley, produces aperitifs, fruit vodkas, rum, and more. At the event, we'll learn about the finer points of fine spirits, see (and taste!) some CHARBAY drinks (perhaps a Meyer Lemon Drop, or maybe a Pomegranate Cosmo), and of course taste at least three of the company’s signature fruit-flavored vodkas.

If you can't make it to the event, by all means, go check out CHARBAY sometime; they do tours by appointment.

CHARBAY Winery & Distillery

4001 Spring Mountain Road

St. Helena, CA 94574

charbay.com

707-963-9327

But I Still Want to Dine Out!

Top of mind today: how most restaurants (I'd say all, but then again, I've been to LoCoco's twice of late and each time it's been a zoo) have been impacted by the economic downturn. Today while talking with my chef friend Monica Sallouti (no web--yet), she mentioned several restaurants that she's heard are hurting. And there's a big article in today's Press-Democrat how more business workers are brown-bagging their lunch (bringing their own) as opposed to eating out (even a $5 sub sandwich... with a drink and a bag of chips... adds up if done 3-4-5 times per week). But in Every Meal A Feast land, I still want to dine out! So here are some of my thoughts and what I do to help my dollars go farther and still eat out.

1. More and more, before a nice meal, I like to eat a small appetizer (usually some cheese and crackers) and drink half a glass of wine AT HOME, before going to the restaurant. Not only does this help keep the bill low (less wine, I usually skip an appetizer), it helps take the edge off my hunger, which allows me to relax and enjoy the meal more, particularly if I've caught the restaurant at a busy time or when waits are long.

2. I've stopped buying bottles of wine. Instead, I order the best wine-by-the-glass that they have and try to have just one glass. By savoring one glass of a high-quality wine, my bill stays low... and I usually feel better too. (And if I don't particularly care for the wine, I only have to drink one glass, as opposed to being "stuck" with a bottle.)

3. I'm much more apt these days to have dessert and a glass of port AT HOME after the restaurant. Again, two benefits: keeps my restaurant tab low, and stretches out the meal, aiding digestion and incorporating, I like to think, the 'slow' food movement of not rushing through a meal. (In fact, this concept can almost become like a progressive dinner: appetizer at home, entree at the restaurant, dessert at a coffee shop or back at home, etc.).

Anyway, I still want to dine out OFTEN... and the just-mentioned ways help me do so. Cheers.

Feast on the Coast

The Every Meal A Feast "summer of food and wine" continues this Friday and Saturday with a food and wine event at the Sonoma Coast Villa. Certified natural chef Monica Sallouti (no web site) will be preparing several “healthy, nutricious, and delicious!” recipes, explain the state of the local Gravenstein apples, and answer our food and wine questions. Wines will be provided by our friends at Balletto Vineyards. The times for each event are 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., and tickets are $18.95 per person. Again, simply mention that you're a guest of Every Meal A Feast, and you can join for free! The Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa is located at 16702 Coast Highway One, Bodega 94922, approximately 5 miles south of Bodega Bay. Hope to see you Friday or Saturday!

WOW! Paella and Oysters Score

Things are great in Every Meal A Feast land, as we had nice turnouts at our first two Wine Country Inn food and wine events last week. On Thursday, we had a paella party with chef Gerard Nebesky of Occidental, and on Friday it was oysters and port from our friends at Hog Island Oyster company and Prager Port. MAN, good stuff. I especially enjoyed watching how the paella was made: layering things in at different times, etc. See some pics below.

And more info on this next time, but you're invited to a food and wine event this Friday or Saturday (Aug 15 and 16) at the Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa on Coast Highway One. Each event takes place from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Celebrity Chef (OK, not YET, but we're working on it) Monica Sallouti (no web site) will be there preparing several recipes, talking about the state of the Gravenstein apple, and leading us in some wine and food tasting. Cost is $18.95 per person. Mention Every Meal A Feast, though, and you get in for FREE. (I'm not kidding; trust me on this.) The Sonoma Coast Villa is located at 16702 Coast Highway One, Bodega, 94922. Ciao.

Summer of Fun

Whew, much going on in Every Meal a Feast land.... Last night, the "locals" dinner at Santi in Geyserville: meatballs and mashed potatoes. Today, Gerard's paella (see pic), then tomorrow Hog Island oysters and Prager port. These two events are the first in a new series of food and wine events I'm putting together for my friends at the Wine Country Inn. Everything is in place, invitations sent, food... and wine ordered. Now, the question comes down to this: Will anyone show up? Stay tuned....

I Get My Boar On

I used to have a thing about dining alone: I HATED it. I felt uncomfortable, couldn't enjoy myself, hurried through things, etc. Now, though (God, I hate to think this) perhaps maturity has set in a bit.... I no longer dislike dining alone. In fact, I've grown to love it. While I still love a meal with family or friends, dining alone has its own allure. You can concentrate on the food and wine. And you can make friends with someone else, however fleeting. Some of my best Every Meal a Feast meals of late have been eaten at the bar of a restaurant while chatting with some new friend.

Case in point: My visit recently to Lo Coco's Cucina Rustica, in Santa Rosa's Old Railroad Square. I sat at the bar and had a blast. Not only did I get to meet J. from Salt Lake City, I was close enough to the "action" to watch the waiters rushing around, yelling in Italian... while the buys boys dissed everybody (in Spanish)... and the cooks slaved away over flames leaping from the stove tops... It was, literally, dinner and a show.

I had the pappardelle con cinghiale: pappardelle pasta with wild boar sausage and forest mushrooms. WOW -- great. I loved the pappardella: which is a wide noodle, like a lasagna. And the wild boar sausage: great! Meaty with a great texture but not overly strong or gamey. And of course, you say mushrooms and noodles, and I say when?

Now, LoCoco's has a cautionary note. It's regarded as one of the best restaurants in Santa Rosa, and thus is PACKED most of the time... which means that the service can be spotty, the waits l-o-n-g. It seemed to take forever for someone to take my order... and then for my food to come. (At least the waiter acknowledged this, and gave me a free glass of house red.) So don't come here in a rush or expecting a calm evening. It's noisy, hectic, narrow, tight, and old-school Italian. Which is why I love it.

LoCoco's

117 4th Street, Santa Rosa

523-2227

(don't bother to make a 'reservation'; they don't really do them....)