Every Meal A Feast

What Makes a Meal Special

2011-04-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've been drawn to Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin (see pic) in New York City for the simple fact that: (1) I've been researching other web sites, as I'm helping a client re-design their web site and (2) I think Le Bernardin has a KILLER site: fantastic photography, great navigation, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "background sounds" on the Cuisine page. Killer, killer, killer.

I also saw Chef Ripert in a cooking show episode last night, and he said something during a meal that really hit home. He said (and I'm paraphrasing a bit, but the essential ideas are here): That people really want during a great meal "...to be surprised, and to have an experience." Yes and yes! One of the great delights I have when going to a restaurant is to see something new/different on the menu. And when I try this new "thing" and it's wonderful -- yes! (I recently had this experience at the French Garden Restaurant, in Sebastopol. I tried, for the first time, the Salmon Rillette, and WOW -- fantastic...to the point where I've sought out the perfect glass of wine to go with it, for the next time I visit.)

Best of all, this applies to almost EVERY customer-interaction. People want to be (pleasantly) suprised (at the quality of customer service) and have a (great buying) experience.

Want your restaurant -- or business -- to grow? Create surprise and a great experience for your customers, and it will.

Oktoberfest 2010!

2010-09-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Oktoberfest 2010 at Silverado Brewing Co. runs September 28 through October 3. Come join us for great German food, our Oktoberfest Lager, live German music, and FUN! Click here for the complete event schedule. Prost!

Falafel's Drive In, San Jose CA

2010-01-31T11:01:00.001-08:00

Falafel's Drive In

In the Kitchen: Part 2

2010-01-22T14:00:00.001-08:00

Still on a high from the fantastic New Year's Eve dinner I hosted/ran this past December 31. Chef Diane and I knocked out a complete four-course dinner with wine pairings for 22 folks. Was a fantastic success... and now a jump-start for MORE restaurant/meal plans in 2010.

That's right: Am working on as I write this a 2010 restaurant plan. Will be meeting with JS soon to review/discuss/decide. Several ways this can go, including -- if we get CRAZY with this -- an authentic Italian pizza oven, for the outdoor patio.

And I even have chef 2 lined up: Domencio, who is C's husband. I had dinner with them the other night and D rocked the house! Stay tuned, I will announce which direction(s) we are going with this shortly....

In the Kitchen

2009-11-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

FROTB (Frequent Readers of This Blog) know that I have a restaurant fantasy that occasionally rears it's creative head (see right-hand side of the blog, My Restaurant Fantasy). Well, I'm happy to report that this Friday, my itch will get scratched... at least a little bit.

Myself and chef Diane De Filipi will be creating a four-course Italian family-style meal for up to 16 people as part of the Wine Country Inn's Ode to the Olive Celebration this weekend. Diane and I have crafted the menu, found wine pairings, and come Friday, we'll be cooking, serving, and pouring. (She'll take the lead, of course, but hey -- I'll be apron clad, too!).

This is an idea/fantasy I've had for quite some time: to serve dinners to Wine Country Inn guests in the Inn's common room, family style (one long table), with a roaring fire going. Should be quaint, cool, and, we hope, fantastic food and wine. Anyway, here tis the menu:

Antipasti Course
"La Panzanella"
Tuscan bread salad with fresh tomato, garden vegetables, and fresh basil, tossed in a robust style with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a hint of aged balsamic.

Prima Piatti
"Risotto Ala Piemontese"
Imported Arborio rice blended with fresh porcini mushrooms, saffron, white wine, shallot, and Parmesan cheese. Finished with a well-rounded Extra Virgin Olive Oil drizzle.

Secondi Piatti
"Chicken Cacciatore"
Traditional "Hunter's Chicken" browned in a savory style Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and simmered in a tomato and white wine reduction sauce. Includes coarsely chopped carrots, red onion, fresh porcini mushrooms and black olives.

Dolce
"Olive Oil Cake with Ricotta"
A delicate white cake, baked with a light and fruity style Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and filled with a cream of imported Ricotta Cheese, vanilla powdered sugar, and Sultana's (raisins)soaked in Vin Santo.

Come, eat, enjoy!

Don't Miss this Dinner!

2009-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

All, there is a fantastic, truly once-this-year (if not longer) dinner coming up that you can be a part of.

On Saturday Sept 19 beginning at 6:00 p.m., there will be a fantastic Bale Mill Harvest Dinner put on by Michael F. of Silverado Brewing Company, his cooking crew, and with ingredients from his Beer Belly Farms. Every ingredient and every dish will be as sustainably produced/grown as possible.

Highlights include a Mulefoot (heirloom) Hog roast, fresh corn on the cob, a delicious Gravenstein apple cobbler, and much much more. And of course, there will be fresh local beer and wine from neighboring wineries.

Bale Mill is located on Highway 29, approximately halfway between Calistoga and St. Helena. Tickets are $75 per person, and can be purchased online here. For more information, send an email to Kellie at kanderson@parks.ca.gov. A portion of the proceeds will be used to help preserve and protect the Bale Mill.

I'm going. Hope to see you there, too!

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

3369 St. Helena Hwy, St. Helena, CA 94574

(707) 942-4575

Chickpea Heaven

2009-08-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Had a great breakfast at the Wine Country Inn today with new friend Christina J (who, btw, writes a cool mostly-wine-though-some-foodie-type-stuff-too blog, Wacky Wine Sense -- check it out), and as we were talking (mostly about, uh, food and, well, wine), it struck me -- great food and wine are fabulous, but what really makes these come alive, so to speak, is when you share them with someone. This is actually one of the reasons I believe I enjoy writing here -- it's my way to share, if not the actual experience, then at least some of the sights and sounds and smells.

More sharing: was fantastically lucky recently to have my good friend, Jim S, treat me to dinner at The Restaurant at Meadowood (see pic above). Meadowood, of course, is a very high-end resort tucked away in the Napa Valley, and its restaurant, run now by super-up-and-coming-no-he's-arrived chef Christopher Kostow, ranks by most of those in-the-know as the second best restaurant in the Napa Valley (behind only the one-of-a-kind French Laundry).

Wow. No, double-wow. Dinners options consist of three separate tasting menus -- small bites of delicate, impeccably prepared treats, such as Truffle Glazed Sweetbreads, Lobster roasted in Nori Salt, Squid and Egg, Pain Perdu and Cherries, and so on. My two favorites were a selection of four different types of Foie Gras (see pic above), and, the winner, Jim and I both agreed: The Shelling Bean Broth, with avocado expum, fresh chickpeas, and cilantro flowers (see pic below).

Now, Meadowood is not for the faint-of-wallet. But if you can splurge. Go. No, run. Fantastic setting, amazing food, impeccable (there's that word again) service. Oh, yes: and be sure to take someone to share it with.

R.I.P. GG's and P's

2009-07-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Am sad to report that my favorite Santa Rosa restaurant, Pizzio's, at Fulton and West Third, closed its doors at the end of June. P's was never in a great, high-traffic location (it epitomized, to me, the neighborhood joint), and didn't have a separate room, for special (and high dollar) occasions; instead, it survived by a loyal local following. The economic downtown, however, apparently proved to be too big a hurdle to clear. I will miss Pizzio's. (WHY didn't they hire a marketing guy?)

I won't miss GG's Earth and Surf, a very -- in my opinion -- pretentious place in downtown Santa Rosa that lasted maybe six months. I met the owner and was NOT impressed. I hate to dish dirt, but for those interested, check out all the rumors, innuendos and tidbits at Bite Club. (WHY didn't they hire a marketing guy?)

So what do I do when I feel down? Why, grab a beer at Silverado Brewing Co, of course!

Brewer's Dinner--Wow!

2009-06-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Had a fantastic dinner last night with G. at Silverado Brewing Company's Brewer's Dinner, in which owner Michael F., head brewmaker Ken Mee, and Chef Bernardo combined to create a five-course dinner, with a beer pairing for each course. Highlights included a Porcini Mushroom Risotto (Pale Ale), Cedar-planked Wild Pacific Black Cod (Wheat Ale), and an Organic Mixed Berry Crumble (Hefeweizen). Great food and beer, great people, and a lot of laughs -- what more could anyone ask for?

The next Brewer's Dinner will be in October, for SBC's Oktoberfest celebration. Stay tuned for more info about that. For now, here are some pics from last night. Enjoy!

Three Amigos

Chef B

It's All About Mee

Glasses

The Cod

TRIPLE-fisting?

Brewer's Dinner

2009-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Am looking forward to a special Brewer's Dinner later this month at Silverado Brewing Company. SBC chef Bernardo Ayala and Head Brewer Ken Mee are working on, as I write this, a special five-course menu in which SBC beers will be paired with (and used in) each course. Also, following the theme of It takes a lot of great beer to make good wine, there will be many Napa Valley winemakers in attendance.

Don't miss this opportunity for a unique food, beer and fun event, as seats are limited to just 40 lucky people.

Details:

Thursday, June 25, 6:30 p.m.

Silverado Brewing Company, in St. Helena

Cost is $65 pp

To grab your seat, call the Brewery at: 707-967-9876.

I'm Back!

2009-05-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks (and especially Jimmy Z). Lost my EMAF mo-jo there for awhile. But starting to get the juice back, as they say (not the A-Rod kind), and ready to dive in again. (In fact, the CARDS are coming better too -- look out, May 15; I'm going for the sheer blitz, the no-holds-barred pop-the-cork-and-duck type of thing).

Some cool events, for when I win a WSOP event or two:

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Weekend Der Spontane Gisting

Ciao, all.

Fantastic Dinner

2009-03-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Had a fantastic dinner recently during the Wine Country Inn's Return Guest Reunion. Chef Bernardo Ayala of the Catering Company at Silverado Brewing Company prepared a wonderful meal: Maine lobster salad, pan-seared filet mignon, and, for dessert, dagoba organic bittersweet chocolate cake with raspberry ganache and passion fruit coulis. Wonderful! We also had wines from Benessere Vineyards, which make Italian varietals in the Napa Valley. All in all a wonderful time: great food and wines... and new friends from all over the country.

Thoughts of C in 2009

2009-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Every Meal A Feast land. While I have many food and wine "resolutions" for this new year, at the top list certainly is a visit to the two-Michelin-star Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg. With a certain birthday coming up in February, let's just say that wheels-are-in-motion for a wonderful dining adventure there soon. More details -- of course -- to follow soon.

Ciao.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

...from Every Meal A Feast.

Paradise Picks

2008-12-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

It's been fun meeting and hanging out a bit with Marty Paradise, who's a wine geek/foodie/chef... and author of the book Paradise Picks. Marty has gone around to Sonoma and Napa county wineries and picked his favorites. The book also contains great recipes from the winemakers for food pairings with each selected wine.

And it gets better: Each winery mentioned in the book will give a book owner a complimentary wine tasting for two. The book retails for $25, yet the tasting savings easily run several hundred dollars. In other words, SCORE!

To contact Marty for a copy of his book, or to set up a private wine tasting with him as a guide, send him an email at: paradisewines4me@yahoo.com.

Ciao!

I'm Dreaming of a White...

2008-12-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

...pizza?!?

Yes! I had this killer White Pizza made by my friend Deniese recently at The Wine Country Inn. It's very tasty and -- surprise -- goes perfectly with a medium-bodied red wine.

D's White Pizza

1 bulb garlic

1 boboli crust

olive oil

sliced green olives

1 cup Italian cheese blend

1/2 cup jack cheese

4 oz brie

Chop garlic. Saute in saucepan with olive oil until golden and soft.

Spread olive oil, then garlic, on the boboli crust.

Cut brie evenly into chunks and distribute evenly on crust.

Add jack cheese, olives, and Italian blend cheeses.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Cool five minutes, then cut and serve.

Enjoy!

2008-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Ah, the holidays. Time to splurge with a...

Chocolate Martini
The Goods
1/4 cup Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup artisan vodka (for the chocolate liqueur) Note: We recommend Charbay

Desired amount of artisan vodka (for the martini base)

The How-To
Make the chocolate liqueur: combine the cocoa powder and boiling water, stirring to dissolve the cocoa. Set aside.
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Stir the sugar syrup into the cocoa mixture and add 1 cup of vodka. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a container with a lid.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator when ready to serve, then stir the liqueur well and strain it once again through a fine-mesh strainer.

Make the martini: For each one, pour 2 parts chocolate liqueur and 1 part vodka into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a glass. Enjoy!

And for those of you who have your own chocolate recipe, check this out:

http://www.chocolateadventurecontest.com/

Ciao!

Crab!

2008-12-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's crab season, and yours truly plus et all ventured Friday night to Silverado Brewing Company just north of St. Helena in the Napa Valley for some seriously fresh -- and tasty -- crab. I was speaking to the owner earlier in the week, and he assured me that those babies were in the water just a day or so ago. Crab selections at SBC include crab bisque, crab cakes, crab louie, crab cioppino, rock salt roasted crab, and whole cracked crab. I went for the cakes and the whole crab. Both were delicious. Best of all, SBC has beer made on-site that's refreshing, fresh, and best of all, tasty. Check em out sometime.

A New Holiday Tradition

2008-11-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to share with Every Meal A Feast readers that, yes, our Thanksgiving turkey turned out perfectly -- once again -- thanks to our Ronco "Showtime" rotisserie. Is life good or what?

I also wanted to share one of those... magical moments. Wednesday afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving. I'd worked in the morning, then had the p.m. off to get ready for our Thanksgiving, which meant cooking. So I made Grandma Polk's sweet potato casserole. That got me thinking about Grandma Polk, who passed away 15 years ago, which got me thinking about my siblings, so I called them. Guess what they were doing? That's right: Tracy in Athens, Texas, was... making sweet potato casserole, as was my brother, Toby, in Knoxville, Tennessee. That felt so, well, cool. Here we were separated by thousands of miles... yet connected via cooking. In fact, I want to try to replicate this at Christmas or at least next Thanksgiving: my clan all cooking the same dish at the same time, and hooking up via phone (as well as email, etc.) while we're doing it. It's not the same as being together for the holiday, but hey, it was pretty @*&^%$ close.

Here's Grandma Polk's sweet potato casserole recipe:

2.5 pounds sweet potatoes (or yams), boiled and mashed

Add:

1/2 stick melted butter

2 cups milk

1/2 tablespoon nutmeg

1/4 tablespoon cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar (I use honey)

1 scant teaspoon salt

Mix well, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.

And let me be the first to wish you a Happy Holiday this holiday season.

It's SHOWTIME

2008-11-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, tomorrow is the BIG DAY: Thanksgiving. I have SO much to be thankful for here in Every Meal A Feast land. While the cooking begins this afternoon, tomorrow will be D-day for the tur-kay. And how, pray tell, do we cook our turkey. Why of course, in our Ron Popeil Ronco "Showtime" rotisserie. And it's awesome!

First, the story. Of course, when I saw the rotisserie commercial on TV, I was sold. And of course, G. DIDN'T want me to buy this baby. But cooler heads prevailed, as they say, and I'm happy to report that the rotisserie has been one of our best cooking-related purchases EVER. It's wonderful. Here are some the reasons we love the rotisserie:

* The food tastes wonderful -- very moist and tender

* It makes the whole house smell wonderful while its turning away...

* It's healthier, as the fat drips off

* It's fun to watch

Now, it can be a bit of a pain to clean up, and we are limited to no more than a 12-lb turkey. But hey, it's perfect for our fam, and is now a central part of our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Consider a Ronco rotisserie: we love ours!

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Let's Go Cook...

2008-11-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

ITALIAN. O.K., so Jimmy Z and MS, I have a proposal to make to you two: IF any of the three of us wins our poker points tournament and IF that person makes, say, more than $100,000 in the WSOP event, that person takes the three of us on a cooking/eating/drinking adventure to Italy. Hmmm... How could we set this up? Wait, how about we simply join a Let's Go Cook Italian already-set up adventure? Yes!

I've gotten to know Diane DeFilip (see pic), who owns and runs Let's Go Cook Italian. Man, this sounds SO fun. She leads three cooking excursions to Italy--one to Tuscany, the other to Rome. The 2009 dates are:

Sept 19 - 24: Tuscany

Sept 26 - Oct 1: Tuscany

Oct 3 - 8: Rome

The trips include all sorts of breakfasts, lunches, cooking classes, etc. And deluxe accommodations, including in Rome at the Villa Campestri and in Rome at the Duke Hotel.

Guys, what do you say: are we "on"? Italy, cooking, eating, drinking.... Why, those Europeans also are big smokers -- we can probably light up the cigars right there after dinner!

And the Winner Is...

2008-11-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

Every Meal A Feast is still savoring the fun blind-tasting olive oil taste-off Saturday night held at The Wine Country Inn (for info, see my previous post). And the winner? None other than...

Harris Ranch Napa Valley. Their Rutherford Hill Estate Reserve olive oil (organic, extra virgin) was the hands-down winner. I tasted this olive oil, and it is great -- great aroma, looks appealing, and packs tons of flavor, including that "peppery" kick on the roof of your mouth after swallowing. Here's how the Harris Ranch folks describe this oil on their web site:

our signature offering, is a mature, full-flavored balance between a quick blast of grass and a lingering, creamy, herbaceous finish – with a memorable, but non-abrasive, grind of white pepper in-between. It gently warms the throat as it strikes tones of freshly-crushed olives, tomato leaf, and sweet apples.

Harris Ranch Napa Valley is own and run by the brother-sister team of Jody Harris and Gingy Harris Gable. They founded the company in 1999 after finding, on their grandparents' property in the Napa Valley, a grove of Mission olive trees planted in approximately the 1920s. Anyway, congratulations to the Harris Ranch Napa Valley folks. And if you'd like to purchase a bottle of this award-winning olive oil, which retails for $38 for the 500ml size, simply visit their web site at: http://www.hrnv.net/.

Ciao!

Tasting Olive Oil

2008-11-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, Every Meal A Feast had a wonderful time on Saturday at the Wine Country Inn during their Ode to the Olive olive oil tasting event. Three celebrity judges blind-tasted four Napa Valley olive oils, all the while educating spectators on what they were looking for, etc. (see the end for the winner).
Celebrity judge Diane DeFilipi of Let's Go Cook Italian (at left in picture) led the discussion. Here's what she mentioned as desirable flavor characteristics to look for:

* Fruity roundness--pleasant spicy fruit flavor

* Bitter/sharp -- a tartness pleasant on the tongue

* Robust/peppery/picante -- a slight "burning's sensation in the mouth/throat

Here are ways to identify defective and/or low-quality olive oils:

* almost tasteless

* "musty" flavor

* colorless

* odorless

* vinegar-like taste

* "fusty" flavor (rotting fruit was used...)

* "muddy" flavor (indicating contact with tank sediment)

* aroma of wax, varnish, or old salami (indicating oxidation)

All in all, very cool stuff. Oh, and the winner was... well, I'm not going to spoil the surprise NOW. The winner will be announced this Wednesday. Ciao.

Ode to the Olive Kicks Off

2008-11-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

Long anticipated in Every Meal A Feast land, the Ode to the Olive celebration at the Wine Country Inn kicks off today with festivities at the Inn beginning at 4:30 p.m. This four-day long will feature all kinds of great olive dishes and olive oils to taste, along with fun events each day. Here's a quick summary of highlights:

~ Thursday: 'Ode to the Martini' event with Charbay Winery and Distillery (and makers of Charbay vodka)

~ Friday: Olive oil tasting with Long Meadow Ranch

~ Saturday: Olive Oil taste-off featuring celebrity judges Jim Smith, innkeeper at the Wine Country Inn, Diane De Filipi, owner of Let's Go Cook Italian, and Lars Kronmark, a chef at the Culinary Institute of America.

All events take place from 4:30-6:00 p.m., and are free to the public.

For more information, contact the Wine Country Inn:

Wine Country Inn

tel: 707-963-7077

romance@winecountryinn.com

Licking My Wounds...

2008-11-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, had an absolutely BRUTAL night at poker last night... In Tourney 1, lost two straight hands in which I was a 93% favorite (other person had three outs out of 44 remaining cards). Then did my magical running-into-pocket-Aces-with-pocket-Jacks trick, always a fun -- and abrupt -- ride. So in serious licking-the-wounds mode this morning, and hence am daydreaming about a special upcoming dinner at the French Laundry in Yountville. Apparently French Laundry wonder chef Tom Keller is hooking up with a friend to each produce 10 alternating courses, or a 20-course meal in all. Wow, wouldn't that be something!

You want details? Sure? The dinner will take place December 9th at the French Laundry. For reservations, call 312-867-0110.

Oh, yeah: this little baby will only set you back $1,500 per person (though wine, tax, and tip are included).

A boy can dream, yes?

One Month and Counting...

2008-11-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

No, not for Thanksgiving. And no, not for Christmas. Today marks the only-one-more-month-to-go mark for... the December 5 anniversary of the repeal of prohibition! That's right, on Dec 5 we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, the law which made it illegal to make, drink, or transport alcohol. Needless to say, this has all kinds of (to this Every Meal A Feast maker) cool history, which you can check out here.

And, apparently, there's even a Prohibition Party still in existence (?) today.... Wow. (What FUN they must be....)

Anyway, wheels-are-in-motion for a special Every Meal A Feast Prohibition Party. Stay tuned for more info.

Shopping!

2008-11-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

O.K., O.K.--surprise, surprise, I was a chef for Halloween, complete with my gotten-at-the-CIA toque (no pics--sorry!). To buy my chef coat, I wandered over to Rohnert Park to visit Castino Restaurant Equipment and Supply. Wow, it's a fun place (for foodies) to kill a few minutes/hours. It's a warehouse setting with row after row of all things cooking/restaurant related. You want a heavy duty mixer? Bingo. A selection of knives? Gotten? Those little yellow and red squeeze bottles? Yeah!

Anyway, I spent some fun time there, grabbed my chef coat, and left...with a wish list of goodies for my Christmas list! Check em out sometime:

Castino Restaurant Equipment and Supply

50 Utility Court

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

CastinoSolutions.com

707-585-3566

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from Every Meal A Feast (ah, that selfish cat!)...

Bistro Blues

2008-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a positive kind of guy; the purpose of Every Meal A Feast certainly isn't to pan people or places. Still, if something quacks like a duck and walks like a duck... I gotta call it a duck.

Case in point: Dinner Saturday night at K&L Bistro, in downtown Sebastopol. Now O.K., I get it that it's modeled after a French bistro, meaning small, tight, cramped, great 'everyday' food, and a somewhat, shall we say, indifferent attitude regarding service. And I get it that last year K&L earned a Michelin star, putting it on the map and meaning that the place is always packed and that, well, they don't really need you to come to dinner, thank you very much. Still, would it hurt to try just a little harder?

We showed up at 7:00 p.m. for our, well, 7:00 p.m. reservations. The place was packed. And no free table. So we had to wait... for a good 15-20 minutes. Plus, no one suggested we have a drink at the bar (let alone offer us a complimentary glass of something, to tied us over). After we were seated came another wait for the waitress to find us. By the time it was 7:38, and we hadn't even ordered, I had G and I on a two-minute alert: I was two minutes away from getting up and walking out. (Not that anyone would've cared.)

But the waitress did find us a minute or so later, and low and behold, we were ultimately given wine and then, later, food. And it was great. G. had the steak frites (I'm not a ribeye fan; too fatty for me), while I had the house made boudin blanc sausages. They were very good. I also had a wonderful warm chocolate torte for dessert.

So... Good food, a little cramped and loud, and indifferent, at best service -- THIS is a one-star joint? Not in my book. I realize we hit them right at the Saturday night rush. Still, I want to go where I feel welcome. K&L simply doesn't need you -- no web site; the head chef and owner, Lucas Martin, cooks in a t-shirt and jeans; the wait staff is, in my opinion, marginal at best (though she did apologize for bringing my espresso after I had finished my dessert -- gee, I am the only one who's ever ordered coffee with dessert???). Anyway, glad I went once, won't go again. (Not that they care.)

Notes from the Vineyard_Part 2

2008-10-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

In my last post, Every Meal A Feast shared how much grapes, and ultimately wine, an acre of vineyards typically produces. So want to grow your own grapes? Here's a typical planting cycle, courtesy of my friends at Nord Vineyards.

Year 1: Plant

Year 2: Grown

Year 3: Harvest 1 ton/acre

Year 4: Harvest 2 tons/acre

Year 5: Harvest 3.5 tons/acre

Year 6: Full production

The beauty, of course, is that with the proper care, grapevines can produce for 50+ years. Anyway, with a little patience...

Notes from the Vineyard_Part 1

2008-10-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 Napa Valley grape harvest and 2008 Sonoma County grape harvest winding down, I thought I'd share some fun vineyard-grape-wine facts and figures, courtesy of my friends at Nord Vineyards.

* A typical acre of vines produces about 4 tons per acre.

* A ton of grapes produces 160 gallons of wine.

* A barrel holds 59 gallons of wine, or, at 2.5 gallons per case, about 25 cases of wine.

* Thus, 4 tons makes 640 gallons of wine, which is about 250 cases per acre.

Now let's take this one step further. Say a wine has a retail price of $20 per bottle. That's $240 per case. So each acre of grapes produces a total of $60,000 worth of wine -- $240 times 250 cases. Wow!

Calistoga Inn

2008-10-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, yes, the food and wine business can be BRUTAL at times. I mean, absolutely BRUTAL. Check this out. My friends and I at the Wine Country Inn are already busy preparing for several holiday get-togethers (including the Ode to the Olive celebration in November and a return guest reunion in January and February). Dinners are involved, and because it'll be the holidays, we want to splurge a bit, so that means musical entertainment of the soothing and cool type. So yours truly had -- and I mean had -- to go check out a certain guitar player last week who was playing at the Calistoga Inn.

O.k., so I get there at about six p.m. ... and learn that he doesn't start until 6:30 p.m. I had already ordered a glass of wine (come on!), so I couldn't sit there drinking on an empty stomach, right? So dinner became, as they say, involved. And that meant six oysters on the half-shell with a delicious Moscatel-shallot vinaigrette (Moscatel is primarily a Spanish wine made from the Muscat grape), and then a wonderful risotto with -- check this out -- field mushrooms. If there's a more enticing two-word combination in the English language than field mushrooms, I don't know what it is.

Anyway, the meal was fantastic, and the outdoor patio with lights and music simply spectacular. (Come to think of it, I never did make it inside the Inn, which apparently was built in 1882, and now has a brewery on site, too.) Anyway, check out the Calistoga Inn sometime. Sit on the outdoor patio. Enjoy a delicious meal.

And oh, yes -- listen the music.

Ah, Breakfast...Eye-Openers

2008-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Still thinking about Saveur's October all-breakfast issue. Of course, they talk about eye-openers, including Ernest Hemingway's favorite dubbed "Death in the Afternoon": part absinthe, part champagne. My favorite morning drink (besides coffee, of course): a mimosa, which (to my taste) is half orange juice, half champagne. Of course, now with the gardens bursting forth (see pic), perhaps we need a Bloody Mary, with some Charbay (of course) vodka. Ciao.

Ah, Breakfast

2008-10-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

O.K., time for another food confession (albeit, a mild one): while I love dinner, I really, really love breakfast. There's nothing better to me than a big, leisurely Sunday brunch with great eggs, some potatoes, an English muffin, and great coffee. Yes!

I've been thinking about breakfast a lot of late, as it's the featured item in the October issue of Saveur magazine. One thing did pop out. I love peanut butter. But Nutella? Apparently, according to Saveur, this was introduced to the world in the 1940's by Italian pastry maker Pietro Ferrero. It was inspired by gianduja, a paste-like confection of chocolate and hazelnuts native to Italy's Piedmont region. Anyway, I'm now on a quest: to track down some Nutella, try it, and see if I like it more than peanut butter. I know, I know, not the most exciting thing to ever happen in Every Meal A Feast land. But this is about breakfast, man, and thus this becomes a worthwhile, even noble, quest. Stay tuned.

Holiday Happenings

2008-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, Fall has arrived, and at Every Meal A Feast we want to savor every delicious moment: the cooler weather, the leaves turning and on the ground, the last of the heirloom tomatoes... But we also can't help thinking about the coming holiday season. Here are two events we'll be attending to celebrate... well, all that's good about life. Both events take place at the Wine Country Inn, in the Napa Valley.

Ode to the Olive

Ode to the Olive runs November 12-15. This will be a fun time with various olive oil tastings, cooking demonstrations, olive oil producer tours, and more. The Ode to the Olive will culminate on Saturday, November 15, with a cocktail party (complete with stuffed olives!) and an olive oil tasting competition. In addition to the bragging rights, the winning olive oil will become the Wine Country Inn's featured olive oil for 2009. Check out the Inn's web site for more information.

New Year's Eve Party

What? A New Year's Eve Party that's... complimentary? Oh, wait--they simply raise the room rates, right? Wrong! On December 31, the Wine Country Inn will be throwing a complimentary (for Inn guests that night) New Year's Eve party in the Inn's cozy (real fire!) common room. Goodies will include cocktails, wine, a midnight champagne toast, and a dessert bar. It'll be an excellent -- and safe -- way to celebrate the New Year. We plan on going out to a nice -- and early -- dinner, then celebrating in the cozy confines of the Inn's common room. And then it'll be a simple walk back to our room. Nice! Anyway, for more info click here; for reservations, call the Inn toll-free at 1-888-465-4608 or visit their web site. Ciao!

Liquid Gold

2008-10-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Olive Oil: Liquid Gold for the Heart and Soul

Every Meal A Feast had a wonderful time recently visiting Rachael Casey (see pic) at her home in the mountains above St. Helena where she and her husband Bill make their own premium extra virgin olive oil under the Poplar Hill label. It was wonderful not only to see Rachael's wonderful home and gardens and tour the olive trees, but also -- of course! -- taste their olive oil.

I learned several cool facts about olive oils, including that at olive oil tastings, judges use blue glasses to hide the color of the oil, because the color has nothing to do with its taste or quality, and that an olive oil should be used within two years of bottling, and ideally one year.

Anyway, check out their web site for other info, recipes, and of course info on how to visit or buy.

P.S. And stay tuned for a BIG announcement. (Want a hint? O.K. -- Ode to the Olive)

2008-09-28T21:20:00.001-07:00

I'm waxing poetic today.... October -- and fall -- almost here. Soon, Mother's Apple Pie, holiday parties, New Year's Eve. Holiday meals with family. Menus being mulled right now (though they remain virtually the same every year). My personal wish now, as September leaves us: to not just find but create magic in every meal through these final three magical months of the year.

Rosemary Syrup

2008-09-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Have you had this experience, where you go to a restaurant or spend a day eating and drinking a variety of great food, yet ONE THING stands out, even... haunts you? That happened to me during my day-long cooking/eating/drinking adventure with Chef John Ash recently at the Culinary Institute of America. What stunned me -- and the others in my group -- was a simple Rosemary Syrup, which we served over bundt cake-type dessert (the name of which I've forgotten -- sorry). Anyway, try this clear concoction sometime over cake... cornbread... fish... chicken... etc. (And please note, this is John's recipe, not mine; he gets all the credit -- I'm just the 'fan'.)

Rosemary Syrup

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons Rosemary leaves

1 Bay leaf

1/2 tablespoon whole peppercorns

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Combine all in a saucepan, stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, strain, then refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Two Events

2008-09-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here are two cool events that crossed the Every Meal A Feast radar. The first, an olive/olive oil festival:

And on October 8, the Sonoma County Library has its annual "Chocolates and Cinema" fundraiser at the Rialto Cinema. This is always a fun--and delicious--event.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Movie: Casablanca

Tickets: $30 for 1; $50 per couple

To purchase tickets, call 576-7079

I Get My Toque On

2008-09-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Many of you Every Meal A Feast FROTB (Frequent Readers of This Blog) know that I have a restaurant fantasy. Mind you, my fantasy runs to the opening and running and, well, hanging out parts of the restaurant business. Not the cooking, in other words. But that doesn't mean that I don't like to cook, nor that I'll pass up a chance to cook like the pros.

Which is what I did last Tuesday at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (CIA). Wow, they have a FANTASTIC four-day culinary program called Sophisticated Palate. Wow, wow, wow. It's one part cooking, one part dining, one part wine tasting, and about four parts cool. I mean, does it get any better than being in a CIA kitchen, in a full chef's uniform*, cooking with some cool people and a CIA Chef AND legendary Sonoma County chef John Ash? No! (For a little more on this, check out my previous posts: Hanging with John and The Art of Presentation.)

Cooking with Chef Ash was great. (See the pic above -- that's me showing Chef Ash a thing or two.) I learned some great techniques not only about cooking, but also about simple things like using garlic three ways, and the proper way to hold and use a knife.

We cooked all morning, ate our lunch, then went to an olive oil producer. (More on that later...) That evening, then, we ate dinner at the CIA's Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant with an expert on food and wine pairings. I finally stumbled home about 11:00 p.m. dizzy with all I had taken in -- food, wine, and otherwise -- from an amazing day. Save your pennies. Get a second job, if you have to. Go to the track and bet on that long shot. Just do whatever you can to attend the Sophisticated Palate course. It's a foodie's paradise.

(*The full chef's attire is clogs, chef pants, a chef's jacket, a toque [hat], apron, and two -- not three, not one, two -- hand towels placed in your apron string.)

P.S. How did I get to attend for one day? Well, it helps to have friends in the right places. T--I OWE you big-time!!!

The Art of Presentation

2008-09-12T13:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm still reeling a bit (in a good way) from my Tuesday adventure with John Ash at the Culinary Institute of America (see my previous post). In addition to the cooking and the eating, one of the parts of the day I enjoyed the most was John's presentation to us on, well, presentation, in this case when plating and serving food. It was fascinating to listen to what he tries to achieve for his presentations, and some of his suggestions for when we're in the kitchen. Here are some of the highlights:

* Your goal should be to have the plate of food "seduce the eye." In other words, you want your presentation to look fabulous, not just rely on taste.

* Attempt to have one or more elements of surprise. John said that we're all "intrigued by the sense of discovery." One way to do this is to pair items in an unusual way.

* Attempt to have a "visual storyline" where the eye moves from one food item to another to another. Note that most humans read from left to right, so that's normally how we view food. Also, try to avoid the "bulls eye" affect, where the mail element is right in the center of the plate.

* For variety and sense of play, make all the foods on a plate different cuts and sizes. You want, in other words, a variety not just of tastes and textures, but also shapes.

Coming soon: Cooking with John (aka, I Get My Toque On)

Hanging with John

2008-09-10T19:18:00.001-07:00

Wow, did I have fun Tuesday: hung around at the Culinary Institute of America doing a little cooking, a little wine tasting, and then dinner with some great people, including someone named, uh, John Ash. That's right, the John Ash (see pic), of John Ash and Co fame and famed teacher, author and chef. (He has a VERY cool web site; check it out: ChefJohnAsh.com)

It was a blast (though I'm completely exhausted today). I'll go into more details soon, but let me begin by talking about our dinner last night at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. We started with "Today's Temptations", a series of small bites that included a humus dish and a pate. And then:

First Course

Summer Harvest Farms Tomato Salad

Second Course

California Red Snapper

Main Course

Ribeye off the Grill

Dessert

Peach and Ginger Souffle with Creme Angalise

It was a fantastic meal. I didn't particularly care for the ribeye (a bit fatty for my taste), but the snapper was incredible, and who can't get enough heirloom tomatoes this time of year.

Oh, and what's "John" like? Amazing approachable and likable, a great teacher, a man obviously passionate about all things food-related. All in all, a day-- and meal -- I won't forget.

Next time: John and I in the kitchen (and I have the pics to prove it)

At the Station

2008-09-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

O.K., so I'm a bit embarrassed to say that yours truly from Every Meal A Feast had never eaten at La Gare Restaurant in Santa Rosa's historic Old Railroad Square... until this past Saturday evening. La Gare, of course, is one of Santa Rosa's mainstays, and has been consistently voted one of the "most romantic dining spots" in the Santa Rosa area.

The meal? In a word: fabulous. G. had the Filet de Boeuf Wellington Tenderloin, which was outstanding, and I had the pork schnitzel special. The accompanying sauce was WOW. I also love the fact that La Gare has a good offering of wines by the half-bottle (perfect for the 'She's a white, I'm a red' couple...). All in all, fantastic food and a great experience.

I do have to say, though, that the "most romantic" has me a bit puzzled. Yes, the interior is dark, and cozy. But the tables are also very close together, making it not only somewhat loud, but also difficult for the waiters to negotiate. (Yes, during the meal, we heard at least two things fall/tip over.) But forget the romantic stuff; go for the food!

Beind Closed Doors...

2008-08-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

...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)

2008-08-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

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....)

Rocker O's

2008-07-31T20:58:00.001-07:00

Am trying to be "on vacation" this week, and hence am trying to avoid any heavy lifting when it comes to computers/thinking/etc. Thus, this post will be short: simply to sing the praises of the Drakes Bay oysters -- especially the Louisiana Hot -- at Rocker Oysterfeller's kitchen + saloon in Valley Ford. Chef/owner Brandon has done a great job: awesome setting, different dishes (things you don't see on other menus), and fantastic food. Check em out sometime: Rocker Oysterfeller's. (Oooo, and I almost forgot: $1.00 oyster night every Thursday -- score!)

P.S. Coming soon: my adventures with wild boar sausage and a Napa Valley Vodka tasting....

Vegas in the 70's

2008-07-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

So with my Vegas trip postponed (see previous post), I did do a little mini-Vegas on Friday and Saturday: poker with my friends JS and Jimmy Z at both River Rock Casino and the 101 Casino. I played well: three tournaments, two final tables, one victory. Food wise, we went old-school (surprise, surprise) on Friday, eating at the City Limits Restaurant within the 101 Casino. Why is it 'like Vegas in the 70's"? The food is great, focused on beef, and very inexpensive... because they want to take your money gambling!

Anyway, when the City Limits Restaurant first opened, I thought to myself, "No way is this going to work." But it's flourishing. The card players like it and the word has gotten out among the locals how inexpensive it is. I love it. I love the decor and the fact that the staff, led by Food and Bev Director John Timberlake, treat you like they want you to come dine with them. (For my rant on soul-less, plastic hostesses, see my earlier post: Shin-kicking the Hostess.) Check it out. Great food, very well priced... and the card room is only steps away.

Alas, There is No Joy...

2008-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

...in Every Meal A Feast land, for my Vegas, Baby! trip got cancelled at the last minute, due to my friend J's sudden illness. Oh, well. I'm disappointed, but especially so for J., who is both disappointed AND sick. Oh, well. Perhaps the biggest disappointment may come in a few moments, when I cancel our reservations at the Triple George Grill.

Here, from their web site, is their "Guide to Using Class and Cool as a Catalyst for a Good Time". (The 'Frank' in the last point refers to, of course, well... this is one of those things that, if you don't know, you wouldn't understand even if I told you....)

1. Concentrate on well-roundedness: know your scotch and gin.

2. Be able to tie a good Windsor knot, no matter how many cocktails you’ve had.

3. Don’t complicate tipping with math or percentages. Remember, it’s less a gratuity than it is an investment in above-and-beyond service next time around.

4. Speaking jazz is a password to cool. If you’re not familiar, start with Coltrane.

5. Not sure if you’re the most charming person in the room? Don’t let it stop you from acting like it.

6. Romance tip: Knowing how to flirt is like knowing how to dance—it’s all about getting someone to bend a little without stepping on their toes.

7. If you’re gonna be loud, you’d better be funny.

8. You know that irritating guy you went to college with? Be the opposite of that (see above).

9. Buy a round for everyone. It’ll make your drink taste better, too.

10. Before you call it a night, make sure you’ve covered item #1.

11. Ask yourself: What would Frank do?

Oh, well. I am thus going to splurge this weekend on SOME food and wine experience, drown the sorrows, mask the disappointment, etc. Stay tuned...

LV: Vegas, Baby!

2008-07-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

You know you're in Vegas when... you're drinking coffee at 10:30 p.m. and cocktails at 10:30 a.m.

~ BigNightFan, August 2007

Ah, the beginning to this year's Vegas, Baby! trip is now roughly 48-hours away. I am starting to get into serious prep mode: doing laundry; counting bills; (mentally) packing; stocking up on Aleve, grapefruit (for the Vitamin C) and Visine.

For those who would like to take a peak back at my last year's trip, go to my Blog Archive, click on 2007, then click on August. It's all right there: the good, the bad, and the, well, crazy-ness of Vegas. (Here's one of my favorite posts from that time: LV: Craps.)

I go this time a little wiser, a little more... low-key, having played so much poker over the past year. But I know that during that taxi ride from the airport to the hotel (we're going old-school again -- I know, I know: surprise, surprise -- staying at Fremont Street), one of the greatest rushes ever, the adrenaline will start pumping hard, the veins will bulge just a bit, the shirt collar unbuttoned one (or two) more... and it will be Vegas, Baby! all over again. Thinking about it now, I believe one of LV's biggest appeals is not that you can gamble. (Hell, I do that everyday, with my business, my mortgage, etc.). No, I believe that LV's biggest appeal is that the results are so immediate. (Unlike, say, starting a business -- say, a restaurant--which can take months to get up and get going.) No in Vegas, you not only put your money on the table and see what cards are dealt to you, you see them now. Anything can be yours in minutes. Anything. And ThAT is the rush of Vegas -- the infinite succession of now this, now this, now this, now....

Looking for the Big "C"

2008-07-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the best thing chefs can do is cook, whenever possible, with heart.

~ Tony Bourdain, The Nasty Bits

Ah, yes, the fantasy rages.... And now, I'm happy (and, admittedly, a bit scared) to say is that others have been swept up, too. You see, I shared my idea with C., a young woman I met while schlepping drinks at Ms. M's (no web site) catering gig. Turns out, C's husband is from Italy... and has a dream of being a chef.... and, having heard about my idea from C, is VERY interested in being my chef.... (And C, of course, would make a GREAT hostess.) And that, of course, is what I need: a chef. You see, I can create a great place, and I can get people to go there--once. But you need a chef to keep those people (a) coming back and (b) telling their friends to go. (Ah, how old fashioned that sounds: 'telling their friends to go.' These days, with Yelp and TripAdvisor and blogs, you not only tell your friends, you tell the all-important Holy Grail-to-business-people OPLY--Other People Like You.) So lets just say that wheels-are-in-motion re: meetings, plans, sample menus. Here, for example, is a report from C re: her husband's culinary 'reach':

There are many dishes specific to that region. Delicious pasta dishes like "orecchiette, salsiccia e funghi" -- orecchiette means 'little ears' I seem to have trouble describing it! (We have been trying to perfect the art of making this pasta! His mother is the queen!) Anyway, so they do this pasta with sausage and cardoncelli mushroom (which is the MOST DELICIOUS mushroom you have ever eaten!) which we don't have here. A situation I plan to remedy!

They also do pasta with "cime di rape" which I have found the translation is turnip greens. I haven't come across them here but I guarantee this dish is delicious. It is sort of like a bitter broccoli. They also do pasta with broccoli, garlic, chili pepper and olive oil.

Simpler dishes would be chick peas in a broth, with rice, a couple tomatoes and garlic and olive oil. It is delicious. You can use cavatellini pasta instead of the rice. They do a similar dish with regular peas and rice. Seems nothing special but were some of my favorites!

Panzerotti: These are sort of what we know as a "calzone" It is a fried dough pocket with cheese and tomato mixed with oregano and a little olive oil. Simple and delicious!

They have special kinds of focaccia that are delicious! They use a lot of lamb's meat in some of the more traditional dishes. He knows some interesting things to do with fish as well! There are many holiday specific dishes that they do around Christmas and Easter and during other such events! Having worked all over Italy together with his passion for cooking he has also picked up on many other regional dishes. He can make delicious risottos, minestrones, and even a great vegetable broth that you can do with little pastas!

To end, a quote from Nietzsche: Live as though the day were here. Ciao. (And please, stay tuned for my coming Vegas jaunt, part 2. IF I hit big there, this might happen VERY QUICKLY. Jimmy Z: I leave Thurs. Think good thoughts for me, man.)

Upcoming Events...

2008-07-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

I'm a bit distracted today, with a pending airport run, so will make this short, letting you know about some of the upcoming food and wine-related events happening in and around Every Meal A Feast land here in Sonoma County and the Napa Valley. As always, please check directly with the organization for exact dates, times, costs, etc. Enjoy!

Aug 15-16

Food and Wine Fun at the Sonoma Coast Villa

SC Villa Blog

Aug 29 - 31

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend

SonomaWineCountryWeekend.com or call 800-939-7666

Aug 29 - Sept 1

Slow Food Nation 08 (in San Francisco)

SlowFoodNation.org

Sept 27

A Taste of Petaluma

TasteOfPetaluma.org

The Fantasy Rages: Shine On

2008-07-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

The butcher arrives, looking like he woke up under a bridge. I rush downstairs, hot on his heels, to pick up my meat order: a towering stack of milk crates, loaded with plastic-wrapped côtes due boeuf, entrecotes, rumpsteaks, racks of lamb, lamb stew meat, merquez, saucisson de Toulouse, rosette, pork belly, onglets, scraps, meat for tartare, pork tenderloins larded with bacon and garlic, pâtés, rillettes, galatines and chickens.

~ Tony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

My restaurant, of course, will need wine. And since it's my restaurant (well, maybe the concept, anyway), it should have my wine in it, right? Anyway, let's just say that wheels-are-in-motion re: my friends at the Wine Country Inn coming out, in 2009, with their own wine label. How does this work? Do we have to make the wine? No! Let me let you in on a little secret in the wine world, one only spoken about in the most hushed tones: not every winery sells all its wine. There! It's been said in public. (I feel better, somehow.) So what we're doing is talking to several wineries who have, shall we say, extra wine... which they bottle but then don't put their labels on. Later, when they find someone like us, we put our labels on their wine. Viola! Our wine. These unlabeled wine bottles even have their own name: shiners (see pic).

Anyway, Jim and I are now involved in a very intensive exploration, tasting various wines, negotiating prices, etc. In my mind, I'm playing with label concepts, names, the all-important (to me, the marketing guy) story behind the wines, if you will. Things are coming together: spreadsheets, notes scribbled on napkins, and so on. All so that one day when you walk into my restaurant, I can offer you a very small, hand-selected list of wines... including one of our own. Shine on.

Two Words: Vegas and Chocolate

2008-07-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

"Like jewelry or perfume. A blend, a shape, a texture. Creating a candy with precision, emotion, and passion. Give yourself the pleasure of gods."

~ Jean-Philippe Maury

My Friday/weekend got off to an awesome start this morning when my friend Debra Newby (an attorney, but we don't hold that against her!) gave me a thank you gift for referring a client to her: a box of very high quality chocolates from famed chef Jean-Philippe Maury, who runs Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio, in Las Vegas. Cool! Looks like tonight it'll be some Prager Port and a Cool (fresh mint infused ganache, dark chocolate coated)... or perhaps a Sevillian (orange marzipan, Grand Marnier ganache, dark chocolate coated)... or perhaps... well, you get the idea. Thanks Debra!

P.S. Speaking of LV, my trip to the Big City is now only two weeks away. I'm on a strict sleep and nutrition program, have refilled my vitamins, etc. -- all to build up my reserves, so to speak, for the dash/tear/tremor/tumble through LV town. More of course on this soon....

Ein Grosse Bier, Bitter*

2008-07-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have beer on the mind of late. Maybe it's from talking online with Noah, who just opened Barley and Hops Tavern in beautiful downtown (I'm sincere--I love the town) Occidental. Or maybe it's because I just rented and watched In Bruges (which I LOVED), in which roughly 30% of the scenes take place in a Belgium beer pub. Or maybe it's simply the 100+ degree heat...

Anyway, I turned to an old standby this week: Spaten's Optimator. Spaten, of course, is a Munich-based beer maker, making beer in the strict German purity law tradition (the Reinheitsgebot) since 1397. I love the Optimator because of its dark color and flavor: which I call "caramel" but which Spaten calls "roasted malt flavor." The Optimator is a bottom fermented "Dopple-Bock' (whatever that means)... and one of my favorite beers. Anyway, check it out sometime... And N: see you soon.

*A large beer, please

Beer Me... and Tony, Too

2008-07-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

Was a great fourth -- warm, a cook-out, swimming, etc. And, of course (with the heat, the cook-out, etc.) some beer. I am disappointed to say, though, that I didn't make it over to the grand opening on July 4 of the new Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental. Noah, the new owner along with his wife, Mir (wtf?), has been keeping a great blog about the renovation (much of which Noah did himself) and the beginning of the beer pub. I have to admit, having restaurant ambitions myself, I'm not sure from a logistical standpoint that Occidental is big enough for another drinking and eating establishment, even if they do serve Really Good Beer. It will be interesting to see what happens. Brew Pubs are a growing thing in Sonoma County, though, as it seems like every city must have one: Russian River Brewing Co. (Santa Rosa), HopMonk Tavern (Sebastopol), Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma), etc. I plan to visit Barley and Hops this week. I will -- I know, I know: surprise, surprise -- let you know my thoughts and impressions. Cheers.

P.S. Oh, yes, by the way: Tonight at 10:00 p.m. on the Travel Channel kicks off the new season of Tony Bourdain's show No Reservations. I'll be on the couch with, well, a beer, so see you there.

P.P.S. O.K., I have to admit, I have another reservation about Barley and Hops. Where's their marketing? I haven't heard or seen one mention of them in the papers, the blogs, etc. If I hadn't of stumbled across them by chance.... It still amazes me how restaurant people pour thousands and thousands of dollars into things (buildings, kitchens, etc.) and then have no money (or don't want to spend any) for marketing. You need the marketing, too!

Simple, Simple, Simple

2008-07-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Good food is very often, most often, simple food. Some of the best cuisine in the world -- whole roasted fish, Tuscan-style, for instance -- is a matter of three or four ingredients. Just make sure they're good ingredients, fresh ingredients, and then garnish them. How hard is that?

Tony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

I was with A. and MAD last night at my/our favorite haunt, Pizzio's Restaurant, and two things happened that had my mind racing for hours afterwards. One, I told them about my fantasy of opening a restaurant, explained the concept I had in mind. They liked the idea. I mean, they really liked it liked it. I've shared my idea now with a few people, and they all get it. It all makes sense. In other words, my idea doesn't seem completely nuts.

And then Chef Roger blew my mind. We ordered, and Andy brought some bread and some olive oil to dip. Standard stuff (though great). But immediately I noticed that the olive oil didn't have the usual dab of balsamic vinegar. It had what looked like pepper in it. Anyway, I tried it, and WOW -- Zing! Olive oil with pureed garlic and herbs. WOW, WOW, WOW. I immediately dashed into the kitchen to try to get the recipe, but Roger gave me a quick kick in the groin, chased me back to the table with a boning knife. He did come out later to chat, though, and told us how that wonderful concoction of his was born out of necessity. One day he came in to work (as if anyone in the restaurant biz calls it 'work'!) only to learn that... the restaurant had run out of balsamic vinegar. So on the fly, so to speak, he threw this together. The mother of invention. What struck me most was the simplicity... and how any restaurant (i.e., mine) could make an IMMEDIATE and POWERFUL impression on guests with this simple, yet different, wine country recipe.

Anyway, that's it from Every Meal A Feast land. I vaguely remember what we had for dinner. But that olive oil: WOW!

My Mecca

2008-06-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I moved to California with a 1975 Chevy Nova, about $3,000 in my bank account, a hefty student loan, and no job or place to stay. (I was in love -- enough said.) After a few months of poking around, I landed a job at a new computer company, writing technical manuals. It was my introduction to Silicon Valley. Now, the company was average at best... but I made some great friends there. My friend Hugh was a native, and one Friday at lunchtime four of us piled into his car and we drove to San Jose (about 20 minutes away) to a place he called "Mecca" -- Falafel's Drive-In.

At first glance, the place looks, well, cheesy -- like an old drive-in from the fifties. But after one meal I was hooked. WOW! Their falafel balls were incredible! Crispy on the outside, yet moist on the inside (so many falafels I've had have been so dry). And their hummus... heaven! It has an incredible texture and mix of flavors, from the pureed garbanzo beans to the tahini sauce to their spicy hot sauce.

My Mecca--a small falafel sandwich and an order of hummus

Anyway, on Saturday I found myself in San Jose, at a conference, and on the lunch break make a dash for Falafel's Drive-in. It has remained everything I thought it had been. I even introduced it to a woman I met there, T, who is both Iranian (from, as my half-Iranian friend Susan would say, "ee-ron", not "I-ran") and vegetarian, and she said that she loved her food too. (By the way, turns out T is an exceptional motivational speaker and author of the parenting book Raising a Superstar. Check it out.)

So the next time you're in/near San Jose, check out Falafel's Drive-in. Or better yet, make a road trip there. Even with the price of gas these days, it'll be worth the drive.

Falafel's Drive-in

2301 Stevens Creek Blvd.,

San Jose, CA 95128

408-294-7886

falafelsdrivein.com

Betty Ford, Here I Come...

2008-06-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

As mentioned here previously, on Tuesday I attended the wonderful paella party at the Inn at Occidental. Wednesday night found me at Hurley's Restaurant and Bar for the Nord family's annual client appreciation dinner. Wow, wow, wow! Great food and FANTASTIC wines. Hurley's owner/chef Bob Hurley put together a wonderful dinner, based on our theme of the movie Like Water for Chocolate. We had:

~ Atun asado con salsa mexicana a la antigua

~ Traditional pork mole with Mexican vegetable rice and toasted sesame seeds

~ A cheese course, with three cheeses plus dried fruits, mixed nuts, and honey

~ bittersweet chocolate torte... with brandied cherry sauce, almonds, and creme fraiche

For each course, we had two different wines from wineries who use Nord grapes (see the Nord's in the pic below). Each was wonderful, though to me three really stood out: the Nord's own Nord Estate Wines Petite Sirah (Jonquil Vineyard), the Novy Syrah (Page Nord Vineyards), and Jeff Runquist's Cabernet Sauvignon (Rancho Sarco Vineyard). Spectacular, spectacular, spectacular.

(And YES, I had a TOUCH too much to drink, and was feeling it especially the next morning at my business meeting with a Sonoma County winery... who wanted me to try their wines, of course. Ah, such is life in Every Meal A Feast land....)

Anyway, gotta run, but please, check out Hurley's sometime, and the wines I mentioned too.

Paella Party!

2008-06-25T10:54:00.001-07:00

I'll talk more next time about the food and wine fantasy that's been bugging me of late, but for now I wanted to share... paella!

Yesterday evening went to the Inn at Occidental's 20th anniversary celebration. They had a great crowd of guests and local friends, and of course -- of course -- yours truly helped put together (I thought) a fantastic food and wine experience: a paella party from local wonder-chef Gerard Nebesky (that's him with the head band) and wine from Clos de Bois.

The paella was fantastic -- an eclectic mixture of rice, vegetables, and meat. Gerard prepared three specific ones: a chicken, a seafood, and a vegetarian. I tried the chicken and seafood -- wonderful!

Anyway, happy anniversary, Jerry and Tina, and many more!

The Fantasy Rages...

2008-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Twelve noon and already customers are pouring in. I get a quick kick in the crotch right away: an order for porc mignon, two boudins, a liver and a pheasant all on one table.

~ Tony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

Saturday was an amazing day. In the morning, I suddenly had a zing! an oh-my-God, that-was-the-ONE-card-in-the-deck-I-needed moment. I was getting ready to go help my friend, Monica (no web site), at her catering gig, and it -- inspiration? a moment of grace? -- struck me. I had been thinking about (and talking about, here at Every Meal A Feast) my fantasy to own and run a restaurant. Now the trouble with a restaurant is that you need a lot of, well, stuff: a building, pots and pans, ovens, plates, dishes, refrigerators, permits, tables, chairs, a wine cellar, and so on, ad finitum (or so it seems). It's a lot of coin, in other words. And then it hit me. My friends at the Wine Country Inn have a full kitchen. They have a gorgeous dining room. Because they make and serve a full gourmet breakfast to their guests each day, they have all the "stuff" you need to cook and serve and clean and store. And here's the zing!: It all sits empty every night. That's right; they only do breakfast and some afternoon appetizers. What if I went in there in the evenings and put together a little prix fixe menu, served in-room or in the dining room? I figure I could run things, be the host. I'd need a chef, and a hostest/waitress, probably one runner/dishwasher/cleaner-upper person. That's all. Maybe some young chef, hungry to make a mark. He/she could work out some kinks, experiment a little, get a little resume time in....

Why not? The Inn has 30 rooms. That's a total of 60 people. Most would venture out, but those who wanted to relax, hang out at the Inn.... Something small, limited menu, a limited wine list... only our friends, wines I'd know inside and out. Maybe a little Ghost Horse cab, some Carter Cellars. Maybe during the week we'd even open it up to non-guests, get some local money, if you know what I mean.

D'Artagan arrives, my specialty purveyor, bearing foie gras, duck legs, and an unexpected treat -- a 200-pound free-range pig, whole, which Jose...has ordered for use in pâtés and tête du porc by the charcutier.

Can someone please tell me, why not?

Donning the Apron

2008-06-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

"To want to own a restaurant can be a strange and terrible affliction. What causes such a destructive urge in so many otherwise sensible people?"

~ Tony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

Alas, I must confess: it has been (and growing) a food fantasy of mine to own and run a restaurant. Mentally, I'm playing with concepts, names, locations. Asking little questions here and there; perusing some web sites; jotting a note or two.... Wheels are, as they say, in motion. You will here more about this. When? Well, lets just say the card pulled now is X-The Wheel of Fortune; anything, in other words, is possible.

As part of my make-a-life-in-food-and-wine fantasy, this weekend I'm donning the apron in support of my super-chef friend M., who has a big catering gig and needs my body. (I would give you a link to her web site, or her blog, or her Facebook page or SOMETHING, but she has NONE of these things. I know, I know: It's VERY strange. Maybe one day she'll run into a marketing guy, or something. Anything is possible.) Yes, I'll be serving drinks and passing plates and prepping and clean up and all the 1,001 things that go into making great food and wine look effortless to the people who are supposed to be enjoying themselves. It'll be hot and sweaty and hectic and a bit grueling. And I can't wait.

And oh, yeah: Soon, you'll be hearing about my Every Meal A Feast apron. Here's one I've just developed for my friends at the Wine Country Inn. Cost? Eighteen bucks, plus tax. If you want one, send me an email, and I'll make sure you get one.

Coming Soon...

2008-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Oooo, on Sunday I scored ANOTHER great gift certificate: this time to La Gare Restaurant in Santa Rosa's Old Railroad Square. La Gare is known for its authentic French food and romantic atmosphere. Believe it or not (I can't), I haven't eaten here yet, and thus this has definitely been on my restaurant "hit list" for quite some time. I've been perusing the menu, and already have zoomed in on the Filet de Boeuf Wellington Tenderloin and, for dessert, mousee au chocolat. Much more on this -- I'm sure -- soon.

La Gare Restaurant

208 Wilson Street

Santa Rosa, CA 95401

(707) 528-4355

Men in Hats

2008-06-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

It was late and every one had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference.

Growing up, one of the earliest influences on my life -- and particularly my reading life -- was Ernest Hemingway. I loved the Nick Adams stories, and Hem's other stories, and of course, reading about the Man himself -- all blood and balls, as they would would say. Many of Hem's stories are what people say about my stories -- they're quiet. Not a lot goes on. No one gets killed. There are no big "things". There are, though, moments... moments etched in time. Such is the case with one of my favorite Hem stories, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. I thought about this story on Friday while I was lunching at Chloé’s French Cafe. It's located in a business complex, and is all neon lights and clean floors and open windows. And yet while the setting is somewhat... new, the owners are from France, and come from a family of bakers, and thus are producing authentic French cuisine. It is the type of place you would expect to see an older gentleman, in a hat, sitting quietly with his wife savoring a dish of salade duck confit or jambon brie while sipping a glass of red wine... and there was, in fact, such a man when I ate there (look closely in the center of the pic).

"Last week he tried to commit suicide," one waiter said.

"Why?"

"He was in despair."

"What about?"

"Nothing."
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"He has plenty of money."

For my lunch, I had the tuna nicoise sandwich, on a baguette. It was an amazing mixture of textures and flavors: sweet (from the vinaigrette), salty (from the tuna) and crunchy (from the baguette). And to splurge, I had a chocolate croissant for desert.

"I am one of those who like to stay late at the cafe," the older waiter said. "With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night."

Anyway, check out Chloé’s sometime -- you will NOT be disappointed. (And check out their web site if you want to learn who Chloé is. Hint: It's NOT a person!)

Chloé’s French Cafe

3883 Airway Drive (in the Landmark Executive Center)

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Mon-Tues 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fri 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Closed Sat and Sun

Viva Mexico!

2008-06-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Normally I eat light at breakfast—the morning is my heavy work and “thinking” time, and I don’t like to be bogged down after having eaten a heavy meal. That all changes, of course, when I visit The Wine Country Inn!

Chef Guy prepares a great breakfast, the cornerstone of which is one of his great egg casserole dishes. Recently I was there and had the Mexican Quiche. Esta perfecto! Here’s the recipe, should you want to indulge:

Chef Guy’s Mexican Quiche
(serves 6-8)

1 lb chorizo sausage, sans casings
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ diced fresh mild chilies
10 eggs
2 cups milk or half-and-half
1 can (about 2 ¼ oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 can (about 8 ¾ oz) whole kernel corn
3 cups (about 12 oz) shredded Jack cheese
Avocado, tomato slices, and cilantro sprigs for garnish

Crumble chorizo into a wide frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until browned. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft (about four minutes). Discard fat. Stir in salt, pepper, and chilies. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until blended. Stir in the chorizo mixture, olives, corn, and cheese. Spread mixture evenly in a greased 10x15-inch rimmed baking pan.

Bake in a 350F oven until a knife inserted in center comes out clean (about 30 minutes). Let stand for 10 minutes. To serve, cut into squares, and garnish with tomato, avocado, and cilantro sprigs.

Enjoy!

Water, Chocolate, Wine

2008-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of quick notes today.... I'm still reeling a bit from watching last night Like Water for Chocolate, about a young woman who is forbidden to marry by her mother who (of course) falls in love. The movie is sexy, sensual, and full of food, as the young woman in love is (of course) also in charge of the family's meals. I had seen it before, and it was worth watching again... particularly as it's the theme for this year's Nord Vineyards client dinner later this month.

Speaking of the Nord's, more on this soon, but here is the link to the Crush series "sizzle" reel that will, any day now, be making its way around the offices of various cable big-wigs. The plan is (of course) to have one of the cable networks pick up the show, and produce 6-7 episodes. Much more on this soon, but definitely check out the sizzle reel. And you can view their web site, too. Ciao.

Summer's Here (Well, Beginning Friday)

2008-06-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note that this Friday begins the Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market in beautiful downtown Occidental (just a few footsteps away from the Inn at Occidental, should you want to make a day AND night of it). This is a small but fun farmers market with fresh local produce, arts and crafts type things, and food and drink too -- including the awesome paella by one Gerard Nebesky (see pic, and check out his web site: gerardspaella.com). The market runs 4 p.m. till dusk, June through October. Anyway, hope to see you there.

P.S. Insider's tip: If you are interested in the paella, GET THERE EARLY, say, before 5:30 p.m. Why? Cause dem locals is smart folks, dey eat it all up QUICK....

Happy Anniversary

2008-06-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

I wax nostalgic, once again. Saturday, you see, was the one-year anniversary of Every Meal A Feast. That's right: it began, very humbly, on May 31, 2007. My inspiration was simple: I wanted to learn about blogging by doing it, so that I could then help my clients. And now, one year, 150+ posts, and more than 7,500 page views later, I guess the question now is: what have I learned?

That writing about great food and wine experiences is fun... but can never replace the experience itself.

That the world of food and wine is immense, and ever-growing. (I know, I know: DUH!)

That somehow, somehow -- by some grace -- the name Every Meal A Feast has turned out to be the right name. What do I mean by that? It makes sense. And it gets to the "something deeper" where I have always tried to go: that treating every meal like a feast means slowing down, savoring life, no matter how 'simple'. My friend Ruth has encouraged me to treat EMAF like a movement. I know, instinctively, she is right. What time is it? Now.

So thanks for reading. And get ready for another exciting -- and in-the-moment-- year of adventures with great food and wine.

P.S. The pic, by the way, is one of my favorites, which I've entitled Working Lunch. And my all-time favorite (as of now) EMAF post? My Cup Runneth Over.

Through the Blue Smoke

2008-05-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend: stayed close to home, relaxed, puttered a bit... and of course cooked outdoors twice. Last year I bought a fire pit, and it's cool to get a fire going there, right in front of us, and relax and cook and eat. The girls in particular love it, as it's perfect for making Smores. (Smores and some Prager Port -- is life good or what?)

The blue smoke? As the coals burn. No gas for me. Yes, gas is much easier, and yes, it's much, much quicker. But that's the point: often the way to make Every Meal A Feast is to s-l-o-w down, to savor not just the food but all that leads up to it. So I will continue to cook with coals...

Nv + Bl = Crush → Cy!

2008-05-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

No, no chemistry here folks (I was a word guy in school, avoided the science topics like the plague). Just a big announcement regarding friends, clients, clients as friends, and an amazing pending restaurant experience.

Long story short: My filmmaking friends Susan and Wayne Boyer, of TwinBrain Pr oductions (see pic at right), have developed an idea for a reality show called Crush. The idea is to follow three wine-related folks through a season of winemaking. Because S&W aren’t independently wealthy (yet!), they needed each winery to kick in some $$$ to help pay for the production of the “sizzle” reel: a five- to seven-minute film which will then be used to pitch the big execs on the show, its concept, etc. So… yours truly introduced them to the Nord family… who in turned signed on… and who in turn introduced Susan and Wayne to the owners of Bennett Lane Winery… who in turned signed on too… and which made it easier to secure the third party, Carol Farrow, a Sonoma County grape grower. So now wheels-are-in-motion re: Crush. Three days of filming are in the vault (see pics here, of Julie Nord and the Nord family, all courtesy of Lori Laube), the sizzle reel should be finished by approximately June 1, and hopefully S&W will receive a “go” from a network by the end of June, with filming throughout the summer and fall to produce six or seven episodes.

Ah, wouldn’t it be FUN to be part of a TV show? And FROTB would receive all kinds of cool invites, such as being able to attend certain filming dates, the cast party, etc. Anyway, stay tuned for more Crush info coming soon….

(BTW, the Nord's are featured in today's Napa Valley Register newspaper. Man, they're getting a lot of great pr of late. They must have a great marketing guy working for them.)

P.S. And here’s the really cool part: as a thank-you to me, S&W have given me a gift certificate to… Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg. Can you say SCORE! Cyrus is considered by most to be THE best Sonoma County restaurant, and one of the top wine country (Napa and Sonoma) restaurants, period. In fact, in the 2008 Zagat guide, Cyrus received a 28-point rating – second only to The French Laundry’s 29-point rating. So this will be quite the splurge and certainly an Every Meal A Feast-worthy posting (or two, or 20). And Jimmy Z, man, I’m this close – this close – to inviting you. I just gotta figure out how NOT to invite G., if you know what I mean. I mean, come on, wives can come and go… but poker buddies who love good food and wine, well, they’re FOREVER, right? (Right? Hey, back me up on this, man....)

Stay tuned...

2008-05-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

While you're out grilling this weekend (like me) and partaking of some great Napa Valley or Sonoma County wine (like me), mull on the fact that on Monday there will be a HUGE -- and I mean HUGE -- announcement on Every Meal A Feast. Plus next Friday, May 30, a super anniversary celebration that will leave you... well, let's just say, dazzled. Ah, living the dream. A CRUSH to discuss, white port, and 365 days of... well, you'll see. And OMG, YES--I almost forgot: wheels-are-in-motion for another VEGAS, BABY trip. Is life good or what? Ciao!

The Important "B"

2008-05-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, i.e., a foodie, then you like staying in Inns and Bed and Breakfast spots. As FROTB know, my favorite Napa Valley getaway is The Wine Country Inn, located just north of St. Helena. For Sonoma County, I love (and recommend!) the Inn at Occidental, in Occidental. The Inn at Occidental has a great feel to it, filled with folk art and antiques in a picturesque setting; the innkeepers, Jerry and Tina, are friendly and down to earth; and it's a short walk to the quirky-yet-always-fun town of Occidental and its great restaurants. (More on those later.)

Now, I like the "Bed" part of Bed and Breakfast, but I really like the "Breakfast" part, and the Inn at O serves a great breakfast, led by Chef Laura (see pic above). I was able to chat with her the other day, and peak behind the scenes, as it were, and it was fun to listen to her discussing food, and the obvious passion she has for great food. Anyway, if you want a Sonoma wine country sneak away, sneak away to the Inn at Occidental... and by all means, don't oversleep!

Happy breakfast folks! (Note: my friends Carrie and Jessie)

*&^%$##

2008-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there work for Comcast? HOW MUCH LONGER is this "system upgrade" going to be going on? Arrrrrrr! Came downstairs to my home office this morning, checked my email, looked at the headlines, then went and had breakfast. Came back... AND NO INTERNET CONNECTION. NO TV. NO COMCAST. I wanted to scream... and was the same eight hours later, when it finally came back on. This caused me to (1) not be able to do much of anything work-related today which means (2) I just finished work now, at 9:33 p.m., which means that (3) I had to miss the La Gare event with the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club! ARRRRRRR!!!! Good thing no Comcast employees were poking around my yard today, I might have gone Uma on them!!! (Well, I had a pitching wedge--not quite the same, but still, I could've done some damage.)

Oh, well.... I guess the Meat Club just wasnt' meant to be. I had invited Jimmy Z., but he couldn't go because of his golf league (trust me on this: you get a second shot at this world, you want to come back as Jimmy Z) though he did say that the next time dead cow was involved, to think of him.

I will leave you with one tantalizing tidbit, a hint, if you will, of BIG things to come: Wheels-are-in-motion re: a Major, and I mean MAJOR, food and wine event that yours truly is tuned into, and part of, and thus will share with you when the time is right. And tied to this will be a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT soon re: a soon-to-be-eaten at Sonoma County eatery. This is BIG. REALLY BIG. Trust me on this. In fact, it even makes up for the *&^%$#$# Comcast Internet being off all day today. Stay tuned....

CENSORSED

2008-05-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Whew, with the temperature pushing 105+, my thoughts have been turning to one thing of late: ice cold beer. And when I'm hot and yucky and just want to kick back and not think too much, that means turning to one of my faves: Lagunitas Brewing Company, out of Petaluma. I LOVE their CENSORED rich copper ale: flavorful, full-bodied, with no mean aftertaste. Try it. Now. Hurry.

And I LOVE the company's whole marketing thing. Here's one tag line on the CENSORED bottle: Life is Uncertain. Don't Sip.

How true! Their web site is hilarious, too. Here's info they have about some supposed misspellings on their labels:

It has been broughten to our attrition that they're have been numberous spelling errors on hour various lables. From the cureous (as in 'steet') too the sublime (as in 'redempetion'). As a soulution to this problem we have retrained an imminent linguist from Stanford and have invested in a spel checker computter utilitiy. For now however, the thing I want to know is: Who are these werd police? Anyway? Who is the boss, ewe or the words? Huh? And besides, what dew words, let alone speling, have to do with beer anyway. I mean, who ever herd of some namby pamby pale lexiphile curling up buy a warm fire with a good book and a cold beer. This hole bussiness has gone plenty far enouph, don't you think?

And I LOVE this, which is part of their description for the CENSORED Ale:

Anyway, we were going out to, uh,the ,uh, you know, thing, and all, and when we got there, well, uh, the dude was, like- "whoa man!" I mean, and we were all, uh, you know - "whoa!" and stuff, and when I said to him, like, you know, "hey man", and all they, I mean he, was all "what?" and stuff- and I just told him what you said and all and they were all man- "not cool dude", but whatever- so, uh, we split and went back to my lair and just hung out and whatever, but the whole thing was, like, just SUCH a bummer and all but, you know, it was cool and stuff, but you just gotta, you know, about the dude and all, like, it's cool and all you know, but what's up with that "blah blah blah"? Whatzit got to do with beer and all? I mean, really, dude, whatever...but, it's cool and all...

Stay cool... and don't sip.

Mushrooms and Meat

2008-05-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase the Cat in the Hat who once said, "It's fun to have fun but you have to know how," it's cool to have friends... particularly if they're foodies! Anyway, thanks to Monica and my new friend Emily, I wanted to share a couple of upcoming food and wine events that seem too-cool-for-school.

Mushroom Recipe Contest

Put on by Marx Foods. Deadline: May 16. Check out their web site for details. Any shroom fanatics out there? Monica, this has YOU written all over it.

Local Veggie and Meat Tasting

This Monday night, May 19, 6-8 p.m. at La Gare Restaurant in Santa Rosa's Old Railroad Square. This event is being put on by the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club (I swear this is legit -- I'm NOT making this up.) Jimmy Z, this has YOU written all over it.

FYI, I'm about a 1 in a 20 for the shroom contest, but a 93% favorite to attend the Meat Club's extravaganza. (Oooo, you know that you're playing a lot of poker when you start calculating your life events using poker odds!)

Anyway, hope to see you Monday evening.

P.S. The pic below is dedicated to Mad, who turned me on to the Cat in the Hat. (Or was it the other way around? Oh, well, the important thing is that it happened....)

Viva la French!

2008-05-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

With French food on my mind regarding my recent conversations with Chez Pierre, it only seemed appropriate that J and I would lunch last week at Bistro Jeanty, a classic French bistro in Yountville, in the Napa Valley.

One word: Wow! Bistro Jeanty has a great 'atmosphere', with full bar and several small rooms, which create the feeling of intimacy. The menu is to die for, with all kinds of goodies like moules "brule doigts" (wood oven roasted mussles with grey salt and olive oil), quail and porcini risotto, a selection of cheeses, and poulet au citron (stewed lemon chicken with garlic cloves and roasted artichokes). Me? I went old-school (I know, I know--surprise, surprise): to start, I had their Crême de tomate en croute (tomato soup in puff pastry) which was fabulous: light, yet with concentrated tomato flavor, then coq au vin (chicken, mushrooms, bacon, and red wine stew) and a side of buttered egg noodles. Ahhhhh, I can't think of three more resplendent words in the English language than "buttered egg noodles." (Note: they must be in that exact order.) J'aime cette nourriture!

Anyway, you cannot go wrong with Bistro Jeanty from everything to a cocktail at the bar, to a light lunch, to an incroyable dinner. Enjoy!

Bistro Jeanty

6510 Washington Street

Yountville, CA 94599

tel: 707-944-0103

bistrojeanty.com

Odds and Ends

2008-05-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Much, much, much happening in the Every Meal A Feast realm of things.... Here are some "goodies" that we're eyeing, and want to share with you. Enjoy!

Cirque de Gourmet

Sat. May 10, 5:30-10:30 p.m.

harmonyauction.org

Mother's Day Brunch at Zazu

Sun. May 11, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Lavendar waffles, corn crepes, black pig bacon, della fattoria grilled toast, etc.

zazurestaurant.com

Passport to Sonoma Valley

May 17 and May 18

sonomavalleywine.com

Cool Blog: Ruhlman rules!

http://blog.ruhlman.com/

Stumbled Across This:

(Man, the work-fam "thing" is TOUGH:

http://www.buildingabakery.blogspot.com/

Bye for now...

You Say Te - mā’- tō, I Say...

2008-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

...yum! Yes, yours truly not only talks the talk when it comes to food and wine, but I walk the walk too. Case in point: I'm in the process of planting my garden. (See pic to right*.) My primary crop: tomatoes! IMHO, there is almost NOTHING that says 'summer' better than home-grown cherry tomatoes.

To introduce some Every Meal A Feast dash into the garden this year, yesterday nana (see pic to right) and I ventured to Kendall-Jackson Winery both to taste some wine (of course) and also snap up some of their heirloom tomato plants, which they had on sale (all 150+ varietals). Some of the varieties I bought include Plum Lemon, Snow White, and Olga's Round Yellow Chicken. I also scored some Genovese and Purple Ruffles basil, to go with the mint and cilantro I had planted previously. So it'll be interesting to see how these heirlooms do -- and taste!

At KJ

*Just kidding--that's the entrance to the KJ garden; here's part of my garden

FYI, here are a couple of K-J events that look cool:

Winemaker Dinner

Friday, May 9, Hyatt Vineyard Creek

$89/person

Fantastic menu with wine pairings including grilled basil-marinated white prawns, braised daube de boeuf, and chestnut flour crepes with Royal Blenheim (?) apricots.

12th Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival

September 6

Note: this event always sells out, and if you buy your tickets before June 30, tickets are only $55 per person, vs. $65 thereafter. For ticket info and purchasing, visit their web site or call (800) 769-3649.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Center

5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA 95439

www.kj.com

Ah, here comes summertime!!!!

J'aime Cette Nourriture*

2008-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm.... Every once in a while, life actually seems to imitate fiction. Case in point: a new acquaintance of mine -- one Isabelle, who, along with her husband Awad own Chez Pierre restaurant in Novato -- has come to me asking for my marketing help. In short, they need more diners.

Isabelle and Awad are authentically French. Their menu alone makes my mouth water: tartine au jambon, smoked duck salad, magret de canard au poivre vert, and, of course, crème brulèe. Their prices are, in my opinion, very reasonably priced. And they are very centrally located, just a short jaunt from Highway 101 and only minutes from Novato's Old Town.

Oh, yes (as they say) there is one TINY little challenge: being authentically French, and hence not fully understanding American culture, the lease I&A secured for Chez Pierre happens to be a building which formally housed a... Denny's. Hmmmm.... Now there is a saying that if something LOOKS like a duck and QUACKS like a duck, it's probably a duck. Despite the fantastic job I&A have done remodeling the INSIDE of the restaurant, the outside still sort of -- O.K., does -- look like a Denny's.

My mind is racing. Candles have been lit. I'm about to do a Tarot reading, for guidance and inspiration. Pray tell, do any of you FROTB have any ideas on how I&A can attract more customers? (I can only eat so much boeuf bourguignon.) Please let me know your thoughts. This is "Big Night" all over again -- strangers to America, trying to make a restaurant a success, struggling and on the verge of... well, on the verge. In "Big Night", the brothers' struggles continued. But they didn't have me. Or you.

*I love this food.

Thought for the Day

2008-04-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Pic title: Working Lunch

I met my friend rh the other day to talk biz, and, somehow (!) the conversation turned to food and wine. Turns out r is a big Every Meal A Feast fan. In fact, she said something that pretty much made my head spin around not once, but twice: that Every Meal A Feast should become a movement, much like the slow food and other "quality of life" movements. Hmmmm. I'm still thinking on that one, digesting it, if you will, but I also know that, in the words of Gertude Stein, there's something there there. Much more on this later.... Thanks r, for the kind words and inspiration (and yes all -- EMAF has its SECOND groupie; Jimmy Z though is still No. 1, always and forever).

In the meantime, enjoy this little morsel to begin your week (unfortunately, I've temporarily misplaced the author's name):

Nothing should be taken more seriously than pleasure.

Amen to that.

You Ladies are EXPENSIVE!

2008-04-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Brrrrr -- it's been cold of late in the mornings! And that means potential frost damage to -- be still your heart -- our grapes. Yesterday I was on my way to that awesome Napa Valley lodging site, The Wine Country Inn, when I saw all the various keep-the-vines-frost-free "things" going: big fans whirring away (to circulate air), sprinklers spitting, portable pots puffing out warm smoke, etc. Later, talking to my friends at Nord Vineyards, who own or manage 900 Napa Valley vineyard acres, I learned several things, including:

* The Nords believe they've lost about 10% (or 90 acres) of grapevine buds

* Spring frost can't kill the grapevines, it can only damage the new growth, and thus make those vines not produce any grapes that year

Foreground, warming pots; background, sprinklers

Well, 90 acres doesn't sound like a whole lot, does it? But I did the math: you get approximately 4 tons of grapes per acre, which translates into about 250 cases of wine per acre. Say each bottle is $25, that's $300 per case. So each acre produces about $76,800 of wine. Multiple that by 90 acres... and that's $6,912,000 in lost revenue to wineries, grape growers, etc. Ouch! Mother Nature (one of the "Ladies" referred to in the title) can be humbling, and expensive, force! Anyway, keep warm this weekend, and know that the vineyard management folks are working hard to keep the vineyards warm, too.

No Kitchen = FRESH

2008-04-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Back late today from an all-day conference in San Fran on marketing, in which I learned many new things, including, IMHO, the two keys things to moving from surviving to thriving in life and in biz, when, on the way home, I (of course--come on!) stopped at one of my fav San Fran haunts: Swan Oyster Depot. Now let me say this: you just GOTTA love a restaurant that doesn't advertise, doesn't have a web site, and doesn't even have a kitchen! No kitchen, man, that seafood BETTER be fresh!

Much more on The Swan later, but suffice to say: awesome, colorful, homey, and full of that word you know I love -- character.

Ciao for now.

Swan Oyster Depot

1517 Polk Street, at California

San Francisco, CA 94109

M-Sat 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

My 'Quanto Basto'

2008-04-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Monica suggested that, if I wasn't already familiar with it, I should get on the mailing list for VIVA: the Culinary Institute of Florence and the Italian Cultural Center. (O.K., she said that this just 'screams' me, so there.) I checked it out and wow, too cool for school! Apparently VIVA, located in our own tiny Sebastopol, puts on cooking classes and demonstrations for all things Italian. I was browsing their list of upcoming classes, and the one on May 15, I Sughi (sauces) really caught my eye. Here's a description straight from the VIVA email blurb:

Italian sauces are simple and to the point. Sauces can be spooned on top of pasta, tossed with it, baked with it, or served separately. But not so fast, here is the really tricky part: All Italian sauce preparation calls upon the measurement, technique, and all-around philosophy of life known as quanto basto -- literally, "the amount that is enough" or "the right amount." The philosopher-cook must always know and use precisely quanto basto.

Very cool, huh? We can all use the philosophy of quanto basto in our life, from the amount of wine we drink (not too much) to the amount of marketing we do for our business (not too little).

Anyway, the class will be taught by Chef Veronica Case Thur May 15 from 11:30-2:30 p.m. (don't people have JOBS?). Cost is $80. I'm gonna try my best to get there. Hope to see you, too. For info and to register, visit their web site. Ciao.

P.S. The pic is of the pasta puttanesca, at Pizzio's.

Smooth P

2008-04-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ya gotta love a place that advertises right from the get-go "Piping Hot Polenta" and "Ice Cold Beer on Tap"... which is the case at Willow Wood Market-Cafe in Graton, in West Sonoma County. I had lunch with g. there the other day, and it was, as usual, fab. For me, Willow Wood is all about the "P" -- polenta. They have several on their menu, including my favorite: polenta with goat cheese. It's a wonderful homey, creamy, stomach-warming concoction. And what makes their polenta so, well, different is that it's so smoothhhhhh. Nice! The polenta with goat cheese comes topped with roasted red onions and house-made pesto. Your taste buds with thank you.

And the place is fun, too, with all kinds of eclectic (even for West Sonoma County) little gifts and knick-nacks. Anyway, check em out sometime. Their web site is pretty basic... but the food is great!

The Night My Poker Buddies ATE Very Well

2008-04-14T14:23:00.001-07:00

You FROTB will remember the time last June when my poker buddies drank very well (long story short, I took the EXPENSIVE bottle of Conn Valley wine when I thought that I had grabbed the EVERYDAY bottle). Anyway, we played again Friday night, was my turn to host, so I splurged, hiring my friend monica s. who's a certified natural chef and caterer to cook for the guys. WOW! SCORE! Check out this menu:

~ Fresh pineapple and fresh strawberry salsa... with plantain chips

~ Turkey and two-bean chili... with m's spice blend

~ Cornbread with serranos... hot but not hot-hot

~ Spicy lime slaw

~ And m's killer brownies

Awesome! We all loved the chili and cornbread, and Jimmy Z went to town on the slaw, but the real head-spinners-arounders for the night were the salsa and the brownies. m even let me in on her secret brownie ingredient, which is... well, I'm not gonna tell. Not only was the food great and the meal truly a feast, I learned some new things too, such as:

~ m cooked the beans with Kombu seaweed, which helps pre-digest the beans, making them easier for us humans to digest, and

~ m's focus is on "SOUL" food: Seasonal, Organic, Unrefined, and Local.

So all in all, an AWESOME time, and the guys were quite happy. (Robert, was it REALLY necessary though to knee me in the groin, to get to the head of the line? There was PLENTY of food for everyone.) Anyway, give m. a call next time that you want to do something special for a group... or for your family. Contact monica at: (707) 495-4682, or sallouti@sonic.net.

P.S. And do you wanna know the icing on the cake, to use a trite term? Look, ma--NO DISHES!

P.S. And oh, yeah, the Really Important Stuff: yours truly quite held his own and then some in our two poker tournaments as part of our 19-month, winner-goes-to-Vegas-to-play-in-a-World-Series-of-Poker-event tournament, finishing second and second, for a total of 18 points, which was tops for the night. The reason for the high finishes? Well, my usual solid play... and NOT getting out-drawn by one Mr. Jimmy Z (who, seated to my right, once ran into my AA and another time into my KK--ouch!). It's such a nice feeling to be ahead in the hand... and actually win. (James, I hate to say it, but your fate in the two tournies was determined before the first hand, when you picked your seat position and ended up on my right. Oh, well, better LUCK next time....)

New Logo: Part 2

2008-04-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

O.K., my buddy Jimmy Z has made somewhat disparaging remarks about my new Every Meal A Feast logo. In fact, apparently the new logo set off such a negative reaction, he even came up with his own version.

Whadday think?

P.S. My poker buddies, including Jimmy Z, are going to eat VERY WELL tonight. As I write this, certified natural chef Monica Sallouti is in my kitchen cooking away, for our poker feast tonight.

I won't give away the entire menu, but let's just say we'll end the meal with M's famous -- she assures me -- brownies. (And hopefully a nice port, too.) Can YOU say butter and chocolate?

New Logo!

2008-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, I've been playing with ideas for Every Meal A Feast. Here's the new (i.e., first!) logo:

Whaddayah think? Can't you see this on coffee mugs... t-shirts... aprons... and so on, and so on.... I can! And of course, wheels-are-in-motion re: all those things, more info to come soon.
Coming Friday: My French adventures, with a twist!

P.S. Thanks to Lisa D. of redbone creative for the cool logo. I like!

Cover Crop Cropper

2008-04-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned earlier, vineyard folks around the Napa Valley and Sonoma County are busy cutting the cover crops between vineyard rows (now that the buds are starting to break on the vines, you don't want the cover crops sucking up the water/nutrients that could be going to the vines). Anyway, on my dallies around the Napa Valley, I saw not a tractor but these fine cover crop croppers in action. The place: The Napa Valley Reserve. (Check em out: great web site, awesome concept... IF you've got $160,000 to invest.) Ciao.

Sad Saal be in Saal-ha*

2008-04-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

O.K., so as I mentioned in my previous post, I participated in a rather unique (for me, at least) celebration the other day: my friend Susan B. is half-Persian, so we celebrated the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, during a get-together of friends. What fun! Great food, learned some things about a different culture...and of course everyone was 'loose and easy' cause not only did we share wine, we all were doing vodka shots. Huh? WTF with vodka? Well, turns out, Iran borders Russia, so over the (many) centuries, vodka shots have become an important part of the Nowruz festivities. Who'd a thought.

Anyway, you can read online all about the Persian New Year, which is quite fascinating. It's always celebrated on the Vernal (spring) Equinox, on or around March 20, and Nowruz -- of which there are about 150 different spelling variations -- loosely translated means "New Day." It's the biggest and most important Persian holiday, signifying, as in my other cultures with the advent of spring and the new year, a new beginning, or rebirth.

So good food prepared by Susan B and Susan N, including apples stuffed with lamb and rice, white rice with saffron, and a wonderful Persian dish with parsley and all kinds of goodies, gorma sahbzi. And fun times with great friends. Wonderful, wonderful.

And perhaps the best part? No hangovers the next morning from the vodka. What gives? No WONDER the Russians can pound the stuff. Anyway, Happy (belated) Nowruz, and mark your calendars for next year's big day: the big event happens March 20, 2009.

*Wishing you 100 more Happy New Years

April One

2008-04-01T20:18:00.001-07:00

Huh? Stoli shots to celebrate the what New Year?

Plus my story about buttered egg noodles tres bien....

No, no April Fool's jokes here; just some "quiet time" before I share.... Soon. In the meantime, Happy...well, you'll find out.

Now THAT's Champagne

2008-03-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, I might not BE a big cat when it comes to fancy food and wine, but I sure know how to HANG OUT with some big cats. I've already told you about my fun times hanging out with Todd Anderson drinking his $500-per-bottle Ghost Horse Vineyards wines. Now do you want to hear about the $25,000 bottle of champagne (that's NOT a typo; yes, it's 25 thousand dollars) I held (carefully) in my hands the other day?

I thought so. Here's the story. In 1990, Sonoma Coast Villa owner/innkeeper Johannes Zachbauer purchased a special edition of a Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne release. Only 2,000 bottles of the special 2000 vintage -- created for the coming millennium -- were produced. Johannes purchased number 0916 (cool guy, this is his wedding anniversary date: September 16). Of the 2,000 bottles produced, this is the only remaining bottle currently in the United States. Because of this, and because so few bottles were produced to begin with, this bottle owned by Johannes now has an estimated value of $25,000! Talk about FUN!

Here are a few other facts about this bottle of champagne:

~ Johannes has an official "Certificate of Ownership" (see pic at right)

~ The bottle is HUGE; it's what's called a Mathusalem, which is six liters, or 8 bottle of champagne

~ Louis Roederer is one of the largest remaining independent champagne makers. Located just south of Reims, France, Louis Roederer was tapped by Tsar Nicholas II to provide champagne to the Imperial Court of Russia. It was through these efforts that Roederer developed the clear, or "crystal" bottle and gold label the company is known for today.

Anyway, just wanted to share. And oh, yes, one more thing: Johannes isn't particularly attached to this bottle. In other words, he could be persuaded to sell it. Wouldn't that make a fun wedding gift to someone.... Talk about a party! Or wait; maybe when I win the $10 million World Series of Poker, yours truly could throw a party! Yeah, yeah, now we're talking. Stay tuned....

Vineyard Cold, er, Cool

2008-03-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's an interesting time of year for all things vineyard-related. Not only are many of the vines beginning their "bud break" -- when the first leaves burst forth from the formerly dormant vines -- vineyard owners and managers are worried about the cold evenings... which mean possible frost damage. Yesterday I was hanging out in the vineyards with my friends at Nord Vineyards, and they passed on two remedies that they're doing at this time of year to prevent frost damage. One, it means getting up in the middle of the night to turn on the vineyard fans! The fans move air through the vineyard, again preventing frost from setting in. Secondly, they are mowing the cover crop which grows between the vineyard rows and prevents soil erosion during the winter rains. Why mow? Well, apparently the cold air gathers just above the grasses... which in this case, is almost directly in line with the now-blooming buds. Cut the cover crops, and the cold air drops closer to the ground... and away from the buds. Anyway, just some "cool" info regarding the vines the produce the grapes that turn into our wine!

Cover crop before mowing:

Cover crop after mowing:

Unique Gift: Wine Chests

2008-03-25T17:14:00.001-07:00

Here's a new, unique, and, I think, cool gift idea for the wine lover: a hand-crafted "wine chest" perfect for delivering in style a great bottle of wine. These works of art are the inspiration of Sonoma County artists Nancy Ehlers and Raymond Hunt. And because each wine chest is handmade, you can pick your stain color and featured print. Tool cool for school, huh?

The wine chests come in single-bottle and double-bottle size. They are meant to be given as a gift with a bottle or two of wine. Drink the wine, then viola, the wine chest remains as an ongoing room decoration. Anyway, check em out sometime: http://www.winechests.com/.

Pizzio's: Battelico de los Titanicos

2008-03-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

SORRY re: the title; I don’t why I’m suddenly channeling that quasi-Spanish, faux-Battlestar Gallactica dialect. The title, by the way, loosely translated, means: Pizzio’s: Battle of the Titans, which is what happened Friday night between myself and owner/chef Roger Gafner, in our ongoing mano y mano struggle-of-epic-proportions battle royale de chess.

First, though, about the food. As you FRTBs (Frequent Readers of this Blog) know, Pizzio’s in northwest Santa Rosa is my FAVORITE restaurant. I love so many things about this place, beginning with the dim, muted décor reminiscent of my favorite food and wine movie, Big Night, to the cool people who work and hang out there, to Roger’s frequent forays into the dining room to, especially, the food, which is Upstate New York America-Italian cuisine. While my favorite dish is the spaghettini aglio e olio, a supremely understated pasta with olive oil and garlic yet set off with just the right amount of kick from pepperocini, Friday night I had the pasta puttanesca: linguine with olive oil, garlic, anchovies, tomatoes, fresh basil, black olives, capers, and a kick of hot peppers. It was s-u-p-e-r-b.

Everything I love about Pizzio's can be summed up in this pic:

O.K., onto the REALLY important stuff: chess. First, a little background. One Friday night last year while hanging around with Roger and the staff after closing time, somehow the topic of chess game up. When Roger found out that I played, he quickly challenged me to a duel, which I readily accepted. The results? Well, let's just say that my mama and dadda didn't raise no fool, if you know what I mean. Long story short: I remained undefeated in 2007 against one Chef Roger when it came to chess.

This past Friday, once again, the "Open" sign was turned off, doors locked, glasses filled, and the chessboard appeared. Game One: I BLITZED him, a total rout; me up 1-0. Game Two: Roger checkmates me in three moves. THREE MOVES. WTF? We're now 1-1. Game Three: Roger gets an early advantage, I fight back…and then I lose. O.K., so now I’m down 2 games to 1. Fourth and final game. We go on… and on… and let’s just say that in the end, the Good Guys prevailed. So we ended the night at 2-2… and with the anticipation high for our next meeting, to settle things once and for all (or, well, you know, at least bragging rights for a couple-three weeks).

Anyway, sneak away to Pizzio's. You'll love the feel of the place when you walk in and you'll love the food and wine. Look for Roger in the dining room doing what he does best (after cooking). And look for me at the bar...

Pizzio’s Cucina Italiana
2482 West 3rd Street, Santa Rosa 95401
In the Big Oak center, corner of Fulton and West 3rd
707-546-2593