At the Station

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!

I Get My Boar On

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

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

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

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

LoCoco's

117 4th Street, Santa Rosa

523-2227

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

Vegas in the 70's

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.

The Important "B"

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)

Smooth P

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!

On the RR Wine Road

Wow, just back from a grueling day of work (!) touring Sonoma County wineries with my friends/clients G. and R. I., as part of our education of Sonoma County wine, food, and wedding options. Today, we began in Healdsburg, then went south on Westside Road, visiting wineries which fall in the Russian River appellation. Hop Kiln Winery has a great location, Garry Farrell Winery stunning views, but we all agreed that the "wow' wines (at least for us, on this day) were found at relatively new (about four-six years old) Arista Winery. We all LOVED their 2006 Sonoma County Pinot Noir, which was just released February 1, 2008 (400 cases; $30/bottle). Owned by the McWilliams family, Arista (which is derived from the Greek word aristos, which means "the best") is definitely a place to check out...and wines to know about.

Later, lunch at the Hoffman House Cafe in Geyserville. Had the crab cake reuben--very nice. Is life good or what?

Arista Winery

7015 Westside Road, Healdsburg 95448

707-473-0606

open daily 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sonoma County: Putting the "O" in Organic

From my travels about, and just because I like the pic...

Santi!

Had a wonderful lunch recently with D.C. and J.S. at Santi Restaurant in beautiful downtown Geyserville, in north Sonoma County. Santi has been getting rave food reviews for downhome yet sophisticated Italian fair, led by Chef Emeritus Franco Dunn and Executive Chef Dino Bugica.

The lunch menu is fantastic, with goodies such as Panino con Salsicca alla Griglia (grilled house-made sausage with fontina, arugula, peperonata and ailoi), roman-style (I have NO idea what that means) beef tripe, grilled cod wrapped in grape leaf, and a selection of salads, including Frico di Patate (fried potatoes with caramelized onions and crispy melted Piave cheese).

Me? I quite happily choose the Ragu di Maiale con Polenta--house-made sausage ragu over Anson Mills soft polenta. The polenta was a creamy body-warming treat (it was raining outside) and the ragu had just the right amount of heartiness and, from the sausage, kick.

And yes, you read it right: Santi makes its own sausages.

Geyserville is only about a 25-minute drive north of Santa Rosa. And Santi definitely makes the drive worthwhile. Check it out sometime.

Santi Restaurant

21047 Geyserville Avenue

Geyserville, CA 95441

707-857-1790

P.S. And yes, of course, another Santi benefit: Only minutes away from River Rock Casino and it's poker room.

Escape TO Alcatraz

I'm not a huge fish fan, but I LOVE seafood: shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, crab, lobster, and so on and so on. Recently I stumbled upon Alcatraz Seafoods in Santa Rosa, which before had been primarily wholesale to suppliers but now is making a big push to bring in the general public. I stopped by there New Year's Eve to load up on some shrimp and salmon, and also had fun watching the staff fish out live crabs for patrons.

Fresh!

I'll have 15 of each:

Anyway, check em out sometime:

Alcatraz Seafoods

3230 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa 95407

Wine Trip!

Had a wonderful time this past Saturday with my friend Dan Christensen, Jr. (whose family owns both the Geyserville Inn and the Hoffman House Restaurant in Geyserville) on a wine outing to several Sonoma Country wineries. Not only did we get to taste some great wines while hanging out with old friends, we made some new friends, too. (Funny how wine makes that happen!)

That's Dan in the Red Sweatshirt (Thanks Dan!)

We stopped first at Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg. Wow, very nice, as in the past year or two the winery has been completely remodeled. Seghesio has been "sharing uncommon ground" since 1895. And while in the past they have focused on bulk wines, they have now moved to higher-end wines, and in particular Zinfandel and Italian grapes, such as Sangiovese.

We had a private tasting in one of their upstairs rooms. Too cool for school! My favorite was the 2005 Home Ranch Zinfandel from Alexander Valley ($36/bottle). Many others in the group, though, really liked the 2004 Omaggio (Italian for "homage", in tribute to the Seghesio grandparents), which is a blend of Cab Sauvignon and Sangiovese.

Anyway, it's a great location, a cool tour, nice facility...and awesome wines. Check it out sometime.

Seghesio Family Vineyards

14730 Grove Street, Healdsburg

Open for tasting 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.

P.S. More details from our trip later!

Time to Talk to Mom

Countdowns abound at the moment. The BIGGEST GAME is now less than 24-hours away. And the BIGGEST DAY (for many, many people) -- Thanksgiving -- is now less than a week away. For a special Thanksgiving treat, do what we do every year: order a couple of homemade pies from Mom's Apple Pie in Sebastopol.

A little background. "Mom" is one Betty Carr, and for years she's been turning out high-quality fruit and other pies via a small store on Gravenstein Highway North, at approximately where it intersects with Guernville Road. Their pie selections for Thanksgiving include: apple, apricot, blackberry, cherry, peach, raspberry, rhubarb, wild blueberry, pecan, mincemeat, and, of course, pumpkin. Be sure to call and order ahead though: They have almost NO available pies the day before Thanksgiving; ALL have been pre-ordered.

Anyway, check out Mom's for great quality pies...and a big taste of homemade. 4550 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol; 707-823-8330

Friends in Sweet Places

Garth Brooks may have friends in low places, but I have at least one friend (hey, no comments on that!) in a sweet place.

Here's the scoop: During my time at Pizzio's, I've gotten to know L., who turns out is the pastry chef at the famed Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. L. has invited me several times to come over while he's working. So this past Friday night, G. and I went. But we didn't want to do the whole Dry Creek Kitchen experience (of celebrity chef Charlie Palmer fame). I mean, what if we got TOO FILLED UP for dessert?!?! The horror!

So we went restaurant hopping. We stopped first at Restaurant Charcuterie, which is a few doors down from the Dry Creek Kitchen. (They don't have a web site that I can find--how strange!) It's a great French bistro-type place, with crowded tables and a big old bar that seats a good four people. We had wine and their delicious appetizer place, the Chacuterie Plate. HMMMMMMM! Two kinds of salami (Rosette de Lyon and garlic), some duck rillette, pork pepper pate, plus a selection of olives and grapes. Wonderful! Throw in some bread, and that's a great meal for me.

Properly fortified, we strolled around downtown Healdsburg a bit, then went to our 9:30 p.m. reservation at the Dry Creek Kitchen.

The desert menu made my head spin! Here's how my thinking went:

Amaretto Creme Brulee, oooo, sounds good.

Toasted Lemon-Olive Oil cake, wow, sounds different.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding...with Organic Cherry Puree...and Guinness Ice Cream?!?!
GUINNESS ICE CREAM???

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a drive to deep right field. Way back, way back.... Gone! HomerunBarryBonds.

Gretzky skates over the timeline, deeks the defender! Only the goalie to beat. Gretzky shoots, scores!!!!!

The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!

Needless to say, I had that, and it was wonderful--rich and dense yet balanced with the fruit and the ice cream. G. had creme brulee. Then, L. came out (we had told the waiter we were his friends) and presented us with two freebie desserts--which we happily devoured. Then, as a take home gift, L. had the waiter present us with two small boxes, each of which contained a selection of three homemade chocolates.

So we were living in style. Just hanging out at the Dry Creek Kitchen, sampling great desserts, I'm having Port, and having the pastry chef come out and treat us like Rock Stars. Hey, as I've said before, You only go around once in life, but if you do it right, once is enough.

L., thanks for making a special night very special. And the next time I see you around, L., I'm buying the drinks till I get that Guinness ice cream recipe from you!!

Fun at the Fair

Attended the Gravenstein Apple Fair today in West Sonoma County (Sebastopol). Was a beautiful day weather-wise, wonderful people-watching, plus of course great food and drinks. MAD went with me along with her friend, Cassidy, and I even won Cas a Hermit Crab at the ball toss (what can I say: I can more than hold my own with anything having to do with throwing, hitting, tossing, or kicking a ball).

Here are highlights of our day in pictures:

Ode to the Apple

What it's all about: Gravenstein Apples used LOTS of ways...

Mad and Cas cooling off with some Hawaiian Shaved Ice (watermelon-flavored):

For lunch, I had a roasted pig tamale...

...prepared by chef Mateo Granados.

My tamale with a Laguanitas Schoolhouse Ale:

For dessert, ice cream and sherbet for the girls...

...and Apple Cobbler for me:

The fair stays open through Sunday August 12th, from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. For more info, check out: http://www.farmtrails.org/.

Taste of Nostaglia

Just a quick note that the Gravenstein Apple Fair in West Sonoma County (Sebastopol) takes places this weekend, August 11-12 (Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5). I've been to the fair numerous times, and it really has a great "bygone era" feel...plus TONS of great food and drink goodies.

Here are a few of the food items you can find at the fair:

Sausages, funnel cakes, iced coffee, apple cider syrup, apple butter, granola, apple pies (whole and by the slice), Hawaiian shaved ice, cotton candy, lemonade, apple cobbler, coffee, nachos, garlic fries, apple fritters, kettle corn, frozen yogurt, caramel apples and cake with ice cream, Teriyaki chicken, toffee, gumbo, apple bread pudding, grilled gourmet crabcakes, calamari, jalapeno poppers, corn dogs, hot link sausage corn dogs, BBQ turkey drums, and tamales.

Come hungry, leave happy!

General admission: $10.00
FREE parking
Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol
Games/contests/entertainment
Beer/wine tasting/apple cider
Arts and crafts/kids corner
http://www.farmtrails.org/

"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's..."

it's.....
















it's....






























SUPERBURGER?!?!?

FROTB know that I'm a vintage kind of guy. I like people, places, and things with character--with a few bumps and bruises, some scrapes, those who have not just seen a little life, but experienced a little life. I don't like cheese-y things. Matt Damon in the Bourne movies; yes. Steven Segal in Marked for Death; no (mind you, Segal is one bad dude, so I don't think I'd say this to his face!). So needless to say, during my travels around Santa Rosa in Sonoma County when I ran across Gayle's Superburger, I was, shall I say, skeptical.... But being the foodie that I am, I tried it the other day...

...and liked it. Gayle's Superburger has been a burger diner since 1947. Now it's run by Gayle and Doug Darling. I spoke with Doug, who's the main cook, and he told me that Gayle's specializes in "burgers, fries, and homemade pies." (Doug came in to the place 18 years ago to get a cup of coffee and, well, the rest is history.)

Inside Superburger:



Of course, I went old school, ordering the Regular Cheeseburger (4 oz., $4.95) and small side of onion rings ($2.45). The burger was excellent. Medium-rare, and hence that tinge of pink in the middle, with a soft bun that absorbs the burger's juices before they hit your fingers/lap/the floor. I'm not a fan of onion rings, and these were pretty heavy on the grease, but they were good. I also love the fact that you can add what you what in terms of condiments. The burger came with iceberg lettuce and tomato, and with relish, mayo, onions, ketchup and mustard all available.

My burger and side of rings: (Notice that I was a little excited with the mustard. Unfortunately, my buddy Jimmy Z, who helped me out previously with my premature cork extraction, wasn't there this time. I got the mustard EVERYWHERE: on the napkins, on the counter, on the floor, on the waitress....)




The take-out window:



So check out Gayle's Superburger sometime. While borderline cheesy, it's good, simple homemade eats served up by good simple folks who like good food. Nough said.
Gayle's Superburger
1501 4th Street, Santa Rosa; cross-street: St. Helena St.
546-4016
Opens at 11:00 a.m., till 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays

If you do go, a few notes:
1. NO HOT DRINKS FOR TAKE-OUT. Don't even bother to ask.
2. ABSOLUTELY NO CELL PHONES. Trust me on this; you've been warned.
3. THE COUNTER IS ORIGINAL. Which means it was built in the 1940's...when apparently no one was taller than 5-4"...which means there is 8.25" between the stool and the counter...which means that if you are taller than 5-5, YOU WILL HIT YOUR KNEES REPEATEDLY ON THE COUNTER. (I had to eat sitting side-saddle, let's just leave it at that.)

P.S. Is there any burger joint or pizza shop within a 100-mile radius that Joe Montana HASN'T eaten in and left behind a signed photo??? Joe, I know hindsight is 20-20, but man, maybe if you'd stayed a way from the burger joints a little more, you'd a been a little lighter on your feet and been available to AVOID a few more of those bone-crushing, back-breaking (literally) hits. Anyway, Joe, if you want to share your fav burger joint, you know how to reach me.

Why I Hate August 1st

Sorry folks, but this time I have to rant. In a nutshell, I hate August 1st.

There are two main reasons. Number 1, it feels like the official beginning of the end of summer, which depresses me because I LOVE summer. Already the weather feels cooler, the days are getting shorter. August 1 also means that the beginning of school now looms only a couple-three weeks away, which means--soon--drop offs and pick ups and homework and volleyball practice and the million and one other things that six-letter word "school" brings with it.

And there's another big reason I hate August 1. Behind my backyard lies the baseball field for a local public high school. Which is fine cause it's nice and quiet, especially in the summer. However, Aug. 1 is the official beginning of pee-wee football practice on that field. Now, I'm all for sports for kids. And these kids--they're what, 10, 11-years-old?--seem nice and all. (Mad calls them the 'midget football players.') The kids are fine. It's the *&^^%$ coaches I can't stand! Why? Well, let me count the reasons.

A. There are scores of them--about 1 coach per every three kids.

B. Each coach has a whistle.

C. Each coach tries to out-macho the other with incessant yelling, whistling blowing, and generally trying to make as much noise as possible for the 2+ hours each practice lasts. (This goes on through Oct 31; later in the fall when it gets dark so early, they wheel in lights operated by portable generators.) I swear to God, it's like having 15 Vince *&^%$ Lombardi's a few steps from your backyard throwing fits for two hours. I mean, come on--they're KIDS.

To help get over my August 1st blues, today I stopped at two places that STILL mean summer to me: two of my favorite fruit stands.The first is in St. Helena, at the corner of Deer Park Road and Silverado Trail. They have the BEST strawberries ("The best, Jerry. The best!"). Small and firm with an amazing explosion of taste and juice as you bite into them, these strawberries pack a punch in a tiny package.

The other is on River Road about a half-mile west of the Fulton Road intersection. They have a huge selection of very fresh fruits and veggies, as well as other products like breads, homemade pies, organic Sebastopol apple juice, etc. Anyway, today I loaded up on heirloom tomatoes and cheap avocados and those amazing strawberries and scored some great apple juice. So if you're driving by my house this evening and see me outside sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the last of summer's wonders sitting in my FRONT yard, you'll know why....