Good Wines, GREAT Meal, the end of Phase 1.

I think that wine country was put on this earth to remind us of how beautiful everything can be. After my fantastic four days with Liz in Sonoma, I eagerly hit the road on a course for Yountville, the land of all things Thomas Keller. There's wine there, too, I guess. I wasn't my best self as a driver, for the simple fact that I couldn't stop staring at my surroundings. Rolling hills covered in vines, spectacular parts of the drive through the petrified forest--I was, and still am in awe. I rolled into Yountville around 11:15, and was one of the first people at Bouchon when it opened at 11:30. I took an early lunch to be sure I'd get a seat. Lunch was amazing--Bouchon is TK's French bistro restaurant, serving unpretentious fare in a bistro setting. As I was alone, I sat at the bar, ordering oysters on the half shell, salmon tartare, and mussels with a saffron dijon broth. Everything was incredible, from the perfect mignonette that came with the oysters, to the salty-sour mussels. I ended up sitting between two parties who were obviously good friends, as they kept talking over and around me (they arrived after I did and sat on either side). I offered to slide over, which they declined, but my offer was rewarded soon thereafter. One of the diners was a master sommelier, Brian Cronin, and they were drinking a really interesting French white, of which he gave me a taste. I thought that was a really nice gesture, which he totally didn't have to do, but it also gave me an opportunity to ask if he knew another Master, which I knew he would, as it's a small community. 

After a more than satisfying lunch at Bouchon (where for the first 10 minutes I was holding back tears of excitement because I couldn't believe that I was ACTUALLY THERE), I headed to a few different wineries, namely Rombauer, Mumm and Silver Oak. Any more than three and I wouldn't have been able to drive myself anymore, which is why as I mentioned in a previous post, if I go back I'd like to do it with A) a group and B) a driver. The Rombauer grounds in particular were so beautiful, I couldn't believe it- flowers everywhere, such an idyllic setting to taste some new wines. I had a pretty early night after that, because I was exhausted and knew today would be a long one...

...which it was. I swung by Bouchon Bakery for some treats for my trip, then hit the road back to Los Angeles so I could return one car and pick up the other. With a combined total of 8 hours on the road, stopping only once for gas, and twice to nap for 20 minutes-- my efforts at a good night's sleep proved futile-- I finally made it back to Rick and Michie's place, where I am currently enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine before they get home. Tomorrow I will return my rental car, pick up Tim and Erika's, and phase 2 of my road trip will begin: The Drive Across the Country. First stop: LAS VEGAS.

Oysters and Everything is Good With the World

^^This picture represents all that is good with the world.^^

After San Francisco, I switched gears completely and came up to Sonoma county to visit my friend Liz. She lives in Healdsburg and works in the wine industry. She has a beautiful little house pretty much right in town, so everything is super convenient to walk to. I spent some time walking around the first day- since it was a Friday, Liz was still at work. There's some beautiful restaurants and shops, though most of them seem to cater to a higher-rolling clientele. Once Liz finished work, we went out to BobCat ranch, where her parents are retiring to. They have their own wine label, and gave me a couple bottles, which was really nice. BobCat ranch is a place that is meant for peace and serenity. Alongside the vineyard, there is a beautiful lake, complete with bullfrogs. I can picture it being an idyllic place for kids to go to, once grandchildren are in the picture. 

Saturday is up there as one of the top-ten best days of my life. After Sean (Liz's bf) came back from his run, the three of us packed up the car with picnic supplies and headed out to Tomales bay, an incredible place where you can buy oysters by the 50 and either shuck them raw or grill them on the grills provided by the picnic site. I was in heaven. First of all, I love oysters. Second of all, I love being part of a convivial, festive atmosphere. There is nothing wrong with an environment in which you can cook and eat as many oysters as you want, while drinking wine and beer, talking to good friends and looking out over a beautiful bay. I had made a mignonette sauce for the raw oysters, as well as a lemon-garlic-butter sauce for the cooked ones, and we had some Mexican-style corn with cotija cheese...it was the best, if I lived out here I would do that probably at least once a month, since it's about 50 minutes from San Francisco. Liz tried to convince me to move to Healdsburg and get a job in the wine industry, but it's too much of a small town. 

Yesterday, I was on my own because Liz went to work, so I went to a couple of wineries in the area, tasted some wine, bought a couple. It was really fun, but the kind of thing that I'd rather do with at least one other person and/or someone to drive us around. After that, this Healdsburg housewife came home and made dinner for Liz and Sean- sweet pea, mushroom and leek lasagna, which was pretty great if I do say so myself. 

Today, I'm off to Thomas Keller-land, aka Yountville. It's the promised land, and I can't wait to eat at at least one of his restaurants- the French Laundry is a no-go probably (I had a chance for a res on Friday, but I'll already be on my way home by then), but Bouchon and ad hoc are still there...! Time to hit the road again......

If You're Going...To San Francisco...

The past few days have been AMAZING. I feel like California's putting its best food forward to try and convince me to move out here...and it's working. The weather in San Francisco was gorgeous, although I know that's not normal. I ate at some incredible restaurants, did a LOT of walking, spent time with friends, had a breakfast meeting with a friend of a friend to try and figure out a potential job out here, and tried a SoulCycle class. Ian invited me to try one of his classes gratis, and I did, and...I understand why people get so into it. It's an incredible environment, this room full of people all doing the same exercise but also at their own pace, the thumping music, and the inspirational mantras coming from the podium. At my request, Ian created a 90s alt-rock/grunge playlist, which was amazing. I learned a couple of things: I'm terribly uncoordinated, and had trouble with literally every single movement, and that if I ever do it again, I'm going to get seat pads. I'll just leave it at that. 

One of the things I consciously did in San Francisco was ask questions and hear peoples' opinions on what it's actually like to live there. I joked that I was auditioning the city for a starring role in my life, and I think that's pretty accurate. it's easy to see the good parts of a city, especially with that incredible weather, but I wanted to hear the bad as well. The biggest complaint from people is the cost of living, something I'm familiar with, coming from NYC. On the other hand, I feel that people get so much more bang for their buck. I helped Ian move one day (read: brought champagne and watched him unpack boxes), and was taken aback at how much space he had (TWO walk-in closets) for less than I paid for a studio in midtown. He also had a ridiculous view that would fetch nearly twice that anywhere else. You pretty much need a car in the city, so that drives the cost of living up as well, especially the up-front costs with permits, etc. Parking is also a nightmare. Food in general seemed pretty reasonable, compared to the cost of eating in New York. At the end of the day, it's a question of if I can see myself being happy in a place, and I think the answer with regards to San Francisco is a resounding YES. I love the proximity to so many fun places. I love the sense of calm that resonates through the city. I love the abundant and varied food culture. I didn't hit half the places that were suggested to me, loved all the places I went to, and am eager to go try the rest. I loved the people I met, super laid-back and friendly. The jury's still out on SoulCycle, but they do have a number of CrossFit boxes, so I can pick my pain. 

We'll see what happens. As luck would have it, I've been in touch with a few people who MIGHT know of something regarding work that MIGHT be a reason to come back out here, and not just for the wedding of two of my favorite ladies. Who knows? Maybe the permanent vacation needs to become...permanent.