What can I say? My guy loves wine country. This is not a hardship, I realize. However - comma - if someone said to me 8 years ago that I would be spending many visits in Sonoma County and Napa Valley, California with a guy who makes me feel like I am the only one in the room, I would have said you were cuckoo.
I met Lars 8 years ago and up until meeting him, I had never been to California. Now, nearly a decade later, I have visited wine country with Lars quite a bit over nearly 10 years. Even though I have never had much experience with wine, I have learned to really love it! Cabernet and Pinot Noir are my fave and I like them jammy and funky. Food and wine together!? Forget about it! I am hooked! They are matches made in heaven. And I have grown to really love finding the right wine to go with different dishes I make along with being a part of the wine conversation when Lars and I go out so I can help him pick good pairings! It's fun! I have a low tolerance - it runs in my immediate family! I have learned how to savor, sip and pair without needing the Valet friends to get me in the car. :) I'll never be as in love with wine as Lars, but learning about something he loves has given me much more of an appreciation for it. He will never be in love with Broadway, but he is my date for two shows in NYC next month and I'm hoping he will find some new appreciation for something I love. ❤️
Honestly speaking though, I always feel like a complete outsider with our visits to wine country. Luckily, feeling like an outsider has, for some reason I can't explain, always been my sweet spot. And Lars very much knows & appreciates that I am just who I am. Love him for that! I understand it is all so grand - the trips & places in my blogs, that is. I mean not to revel in my privileges, but to share in my gratitude, inspire my readers, progress in my creativity, and find direction on how to give back, pay it forward, and infect joy in others. I am a very blessed gal, I know. Just an FYI though: I'm not rich. Or married. I'm one break up away from crashing on someone's couch! :)
We started by heading toward wine country from San Francisco. We stopped at Willi’s! https://starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/willis-wine-bar/
Lars likes us to get in early on Thursday and we take a red eye back to Houston on Sunday. I happily go with the flow for now. He prefers making the most of a full four days even though it means sleeping 3 hours on the plane and going straight to work. When I was teaching, I would need two days of rest after a vacation before going back to school.
Needless to say, we are usually quite famished by lunch time and this was a great find!! Lars had a wine flight and some oysters and we shared calamari and a very interesting menu item - a tomato shooter with grilled cheese! They put the cheese on the outside and my mind was blown!! YUM!! 5 kisses to Willi's! Plump, juicy calamari - not all breading! Places rarely do it right!
A lovely, quaint spot in Santa Rosa, CA!
Not far from our cottage was a nearby market in Graton, CA. We were delighted to get this recommendation for a lunch between Friday's wine tastings! (Willowwood Market Cafe) We had quiche for breakfast at Pascaline, but we both realized we should've gone for something sweet! (They nuked the quiche! Sad clown - no nukes, no nukes!!)
I was so hungry after our 10:45 wine tasting! Lol. I couldn't wait to order. I love when I order right! I had one delicious meatball with my goat cheese medallion salad and that other meatball came in handy for a midnight snack!! I am a meatball snob so when I say these were delish, I mean it! Moist and flavorful like Nana's and perfection with the sauce! I LOVED the salad and the olive tapenade!! Lars went for their chicken potpie because it's something we never make. Even as a kid, potpies, pies, pasties - they're just not for me. I'm not one to like flaky crust as a vehicle. It's weird, I know. It was a beautiful potpie! Lars would have liked more flavor, he said, but we like bold flavors and I think chicken potpie is meant to be less bold and more comforting. Willowwood Cafe is AWESOME!
5 kisses!
Friday night was our big night! Lars actually got up early on New Years Day a few months ago and spent a few hours!!!! trying to land a reservation at SingleThread. I couldn't believe it when he said he got one for 7:30pm for our February visit!
The epitome of farm to table!!!
3 Michelin Stars
The first challenge for the doc and me was punctuality! lol. We both have issues. Yay - another thing we have in common! We arrived about 10 minutes early and then went in right at 7:30. Eye roll. (judgment - lol). As soon as you walk in, you can see all of the chefs at work. Their talents were impeccable. And all of the beautiful, fresh from their farm ingredients! Wow!
Your menus Madame...
Lars did the pairing's listed here - I had 1 glass of champagne and 2 glasses of wine. (I know from doing all of the pairing's at other places in the past, that 3 is my limit.... lol) These are, well, I have no words.
The courses.... Oh my!
"Late Winter in Sonoma"
This was kind of awesome! Our host walks us to our cozy table and the first course is waiting for us!! That is such a cool idea, I thought! We sat down and I just wanted to take it all in. This joint had a Tarantino feel to me. I immediately thought of Kill Bill. It was just a very 'members only' type feel. I kept wondering if there was going to be some kind of martial arts flash mob that would occur. So this first course was all kinds of sushi and sea urchin and it was all so inviting and refreshing to begin with.
The ambiance' with "Mr. Wolf" keeping watch.
Cheers - it was good - I have no clue what it was.
The next course was more expertly prepared fish and a 'vichyssoise' type soup topped with caviar. Perfection! (Yes, I was thinking, oh gosh, this is an expensive meal and I am going to want a pizza when we leave!)
Course 3: I love, love, love tuna!! It was so delicious to have a fatty bite instead of the typical shaved piece. It's like if a Wagyu Cow & a Watermelon made love - that's how this course tasted. My mouth is watering as I reflect.
Course 4: Getting into more hearty fish like halibut.
Course 5: Their take on a crab dish - I even tried to find meat in that shell, but it was just a decoration. (eye roll) lol
Course 6: Lars is going to give me grief because I can't recall everything even when I see the photo! Even when I look at the menu above! :(. I remember loving this because of the fresh radish. Just when I thought I may be getting a bit full, this dish refreshed my appetite!
Course 7: There were a few dishes that I tasted and then passed on to my hot date. It was not that I did not enjoy them all, but the ones I didn't love, love - I knew my honey would welcome the seconds! My head also tipping in a bit of shame thinking I was going to still be hungry.
Intermission!! I can't believe how much I love wine!
Course 8: Carnivore time! So fucking!!!!!good! It had to be stated! The beautiful bounties of their farm! Wagyu and pumpkin - super herbaceous! With this cab! Ay yi yi!!! If that was my last meal then Amen!
Course 9: Went to Lars - Carrots and I don't know (even when I look at the menu) - I was still savoring course 8. But their dashi was just amazing!! I sipped on it and it was so soothing and settling to the tummy and palate! Light, yet complex! It was while I was sipping my dashi when our dear server came with more silverware and I am like, "Uncle!" I was very much full! "We've a few more to go darlin!" A few!!! Lordy. He laughed.
PS: Never have I ever asked a server about their plates and silverware! Well, I did by course 2 or 3 and check this out from their website:
ARTISANS AND DESIGNERS
The Nagatani Family of Iga, Japan are 8th-generation master potters who produce all of the various donabe (earthenware pots) used at SingleThread as well as many of our vases, bowls, plates, and serving vessels. Each piece is hand made using the porous, fossil-rich clay found in Iga.
Course 10: Dessert! Delectable offering's with flavors of local ingredients presented with precision. Check out the masterful Japanese dinnerware!
In closing - some vanilla & lime shaved ice and BOOM!! You're light as a feather ready to kick some martial arts ass on the next idiot stick who gets in your way.
Get a load of this! The check comes in its own royal bed! Eye roll (judgment) lol. For that price it should come to your table by drone. "No, honey, let me get that."
Well, it wouldn't be one of the hardest restaurants to get into in the world without this kind of throne, ya'll! I walked in and the seat came up automatically! Then!!!! When I sat down!!! Warm!!!! It was a chilly, even snowy February in CA, so that was like oooooo, ahhhhh! MOST IMPORTANTLY it was white glove clean! I love a single bathroom, don't you!?
Single Thread Farms was 5 big kisses for sure! Their whole staff was just amazing! Professional, yet casual and very knowledgable! I am so grateful to have opportunities like this with Lars because I am quite certain I may have never been able to try these kinds of restaurants ever in my lifetime. Although fine dining is not my favorite food genre, I cannot begin to describe how TREMENDOUS it is to be able to compare food genres at all! May I add here that fine dining to me growing up was when we went to Mr. Steak or Red Lobster. I will also include that I adored them both and moreover, the memories they are associated with. My dad and I once went to Murray's in downtown Minneapolis, MN and that was my first fine dining memory. We both left hungry and judged and laughed about it while in a Pizza Hut booth. I didn't enter the next level of fine dining until I met Lars. Now that I have had many experiences under me, I have tempered my own judgments about the $$$$ restaurants. Not all of them are pretentious or stuffy and not all serve microscopic portions for whale prices. At the end of the day it comes down to taste and I thank Lars a million times over for choosing to share his passions with me. Our commonality with cooking from scratch is such a bond & enjoying the dishes prepared by people from places like SingleThread is truly a gift. Every bite painstakingly thought out & executed from the purest, most sustainable ingredients you can find. I am in awe and it was all sublime!!! Every sip, every bite! Check out their website above - Single Thread Farms. oxox
Saturday - okay, I am just going to articulate this all without google. From what I retained. We went to Baca for a tasting at about 10:45a.m. Lars is a member with Hall & Walt; Baca is their third which is the Halls' daughter's vineyard. Go daughter! The Hall's vineyard specializes in
Cabs, WALT is named after one of their father's, I believe, and has more whites & Pinot Noir's & Baca noted for their Zins. We usually don't try Zinfandel's and I was like, YUM! I have discovered that I like "Jammy" and I like "Funky and Earthy." (I said that already :) ) I love big reds. We did a progression here as you can see (Chards, Zins, Pino, Cabs) and our tasting's were paired with the most perfectly, perfect in every way local cheeses!!! It really is my favorite way to drink wine. Just with cheeses. Mmmmmm! Lars and I are both 5 kisses on all of Hall-Walt-Baca wines!
Ya, I almost feel like I have clogged arteries looking at this Madame!! California must be trending on inversion. I LOVE LOVE a Croque Madame!!!, don't you!?! It isn't something I make often because it is quite decadent. When I do make them, however, my bechamel is on the inside and not used as a gravy. I like having a cheesy, crusty outer layer. I will say that it was beautifully done and I was happy to try this take on a Croque Madame. However, it was all soft and I missed the cheesy, crusty bits. Lars had steak frittes with a bur blanc! lol. This was our Saturday lunch at Barn Diva! 4 kisses! We were able to walk in without a reservation even! http://www.barndiva.com/
1 Michelin Star
An espresso charge - even the coffee joints in wine country are beautiful, clean, and delicious.
Lars enjoyed an espresso with cream & I had a latte.
February 25, 2023 - The Snowy Mountains of Sonoma Valley - I always feel so happy here - I think that is also because I know how much Lars loves this time in wine country to break from his unbelievably rigorous schedule. He can slow down and we are so relaxed here.
This was the first time we stayed at Farm House Inn! We dined here once before and loved it so Lars thought it would be the perfect time of year to try it out. Boy was he right. We walk up these steps to our Barn Suite and looking down you can see some of their property. It is exactly what its name suggests; a cozy farm with a chicken coop and beautiful gardens where Chef sources from.
A very personable welcome in our entry way.
It was amazing with the high ceilings and barn-style doors separating the living space from the sleeping space.
That fireplace was enjoyed from both the inside of the bedroom and outside on the patio. Such a wintery vacation in California was welcomed while staying at Farm House Inn. (Me, Lars & Bradley tonight...)
The fine dining option at the Farm House Inn can be enjoyed differently every time you go based on the season. Remember, I loved SingleThread Farms and gave them 5 kisses!? With that reminder, Lars and I both agree that we would give our last meal in The Russian River Valley at Farm House Inn 5 PLUS!!! kisses!! You can choose from either "Land & Sea OR From the Garden" - we both went with Land & Sea. All of the proteins were too enticing for me to pass up. For Lars, well, no brainer.
1 Michelin Star
Never ate caviar until I met Lars and I have discovered I was born to enjoy caviar! Ugh. I know. The circular bites were the caviar and then down to the left were these little duck taquitos. Paired with some zin, I believe. MMmmm
(I guess the forest fairy presentation theme is in too ?)
This was a special offering off of the menu and it was an EYE CLOSER!!! Every bite I slowly ate while sipping on this chardonnay. It was a handmade yogurt with more caviar and watermelon radish and I don't know what else but it was the best yogurt dish I ever had in my life!
Crab with homemade fettuccini! I am not a fan of the foam presentation because it emulates spit, but it makes sense because it offers an accurate amount of whatever essence is intended. In this case, a lemony cream. So dungeness crab, sea urchin, and handmade pasta. Looks small and simple, but I could NOT get over how delicious and satisfying! My sight sense was clobbered by my taste! A heavier Pinot Grigio was awesome with the sweet crab! I never cared for whites, but they certainly make sense with certain foods.
You can see their sourdough and butter here - really phenomenal! I loved this vibrant Zinfandel we had with the squab. Lars enjoyed two portions during this course :) I tasted it and it was lovely, but just not for me.
The venison was mouthwatering and I loved it so much! I would have preferred a bit of pureed veg with it, but who cares. Hasselback was nice. It was so delicious with this Pinot Noir too!
Love, love, love a cheese course so very much! With a nice, sweet wine!
A wee palate cleanser - Lars & I both had orange.
An interesting walnut crumble with black pepper merengue - they look like lil button mushrooms. Light and lovely.
Oh my handmade candy to go!! Love!
We woke up Sunday to another cold, snowy day. It was lovely! Lars and I always pick a favorite vineyard that is in the direction of heading back to San Francisco. We decided to have the food and wine pairing's at Ram's Gate. It was really fun because the other times we visited here, we were outside in the warm, breezy months, but since it was colder, we had a new experience indoors. Us in our rugby's :)
Ram's Gate
A beautiful vineyard for food & wine pairing's!
These are their pairing's for February 2023
Oh my gosh I love beets, don't you? They remind me of my dad's garden.
I wasn't a fan of lobster water. Zoinks
Yummy and nutty!
Are you my wine?! Yes!! Pinot Noir! or maybe that's the Cab? Either way, yum!
I didn't save enough Pinot for this lovely salmon.
I love a cab! I am not so keen on smoked meat which is ironic, I know.
After driving for almost 90 minutes we had to pull over and get some oysters on the bay at Hog Island Oyster Company. I love this place! You can smell the ocean from your chair.
And we are making our way back to San Francisco for the evening! The Golden Gate makes me think of my soulmate, my grandma because she visited here and loved it. I can see why.
For a late night reservation on Sunday night, we like to try something different every time we are in wine country. I got to be in charge of Sunday in San Fran and I picked this eclectic bar in the Mission District called True Laurel. I recommend a reservation, but they do take walk ins.
They're noted for their cocktails! Check out their menu above on the link. I think mine was the Reposado, but I can't remember ugh. They were both awesome!
Their menu is small and shareable and every, single option was so innovative for this viby bar! We love chicken liver pate! This one was like fricking awesome!! I just didn't love their choice to use such a soft, sweet brioche. Again with the soft on soft, like the Croque Madame. I love a crusty French bread with my pate. It was interesting though. Like, chicken liver French toast! :)
Crispy Hen of the Woods shrooms with homemade sour cream. They were damn good! Crispy indeed! With a meaty center.
Lars then went for "In the Pines Under the Palms" - Rye gin, vermouth - such a beautiful presentation!
Anddddddd the whole reason why True Laurel was my pick for February 2023...... the reviews on their Patty Melt!! I couldn't wait to try this! I know for a fact that many of my people love a patty melt! They were my favorite, favorite thing to order every time my parents took us to a restaurant of any kind. Can you believe, I don't think I have ever made one at home! What the! I love them out, I guess. Okay, so this one was beautiful in its simplicity. My ONE sadness was that there was like a thousand island tasting sauce on it that masked the cheese. I loved their house made pickles, choice of bread, grass fed, succulent beef. Lose the sauce and bring the cheesy goodness. True Laurel was 4.5 kisses in my book! A perfect date; shareable plates.
I may just change it to 5 kisses because this was the absolute most charming way to bring the check! In The Giving Tree book by Shel Silverstein! Oh my gosh! Love!! I want to go again to try more drinks, more menu items, and see if the next check comes in a different book!
And our free upgrade to a Tesla was quite the adventure. (Open, dome roof was cool!) We both had no clue how to start it. At one point, I even shouted, "start." Nope. It was very much like driving an iphone. Ha. The sweetest, of course, was skipping the gas station stops!! And we're in California, so there are always charging stations.
Can you believe it? We were both bumped to first class (another free upgrade) because our red eye was not full and this was the second time ever that I had a sleeper car. It really sucks to fly without having a sleeper car now is the thing! Shit. I was honestly so glad for Lars because he likes to take the Sunday redeye even though he goes straight to work after a shower! This way, I knew he would sleep better for the 3.5 hour flight. There have been times where he gets bumped up and I do not and that's okay too because Lars likes the free drinks and I never order any. lol
Thank you for joining me on Tableforsue with "Food, Wine & Bubbles." I had to add this picture because it represents some pretty great 51 year old things. First and foremost, the fact that my guy was popping in to snap a shot of me in the bubbles - he said, "My cute Sue in the tub!" Lars makes me feel so unconditionally loved. I have just entered menopause and I love all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful! I pray all of the time and give thanks for the love that surrounds me. No more living apologetically, tempering my spirit for the comfort of others, or extending anything but grace to those who judge harshly. No more body shaming. I am happy and grateful and in love and I will do everything in my power to pay joy forward whenever I can. Thank you so much for those of you that do. Be nice. Be happy.
In honor of Women's Month 2023 - may we, who are blessed with the she, her pronouns, represent bravely and support each other fiercely!
I love You, I do.
Sue
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