Christina Waters

A pitch-perfect cinnamon bread pudding, served with warm stewed huckleberries and rosemary ice cream absolutely blew us away last Sunday night.

At The Cellar Door. Thank you Charlie Parker — saints have been canonized for less.

Winemaker Sal Godinez, of Vine Hill Winery, makes no boring wines. The proof is in the pouring, and the best way to discover some of these full-bodied Santa Cruz Mountains wines is to visit the beautiful winery high above the fog line. The tasting room is surrounded by some of the most history-drenched vineyard land in California. Open for the next three weekends, at 2300 Jarvis Rd (off Vine Hill/Branciforte) - 831/427-0436.

Ceramic artist Jenny Morten makes porcelain objects so appealing, to the eye and the hand, that they manage to shape-shift across the border between sculpture and functionality.

Ablaze with subtle hues of the ocean and shore, her bowls, vases and gleaming hand-thrown items make sensational gifts. You will want to claim some for your very own, too. These pieces are extremely seductive — I own several pieces myself, and intend to own even more.

Original hand-crafted artwork. Yes, this is exactly the sort of thing that enlightened Santas like to deal with.

Jenny Morten’s Mar Monte Studio is open on Saturdays 2pm – 5pm, through December 19th.

168 Mar Monte Avenue, La Selva Beach - 831/688-5173

Seven wineries, five Christmas tree farms and assorted shops and restaurants along the Santa Cruz Mountains joined forces in a Holiday Wine Trail. The “trail” exists for the three weekends following Thanksgiving. The wineries include:

Vine Hill Winery
Burrell School Vineyards
Hunter Hill
Poetic Cellars
Generosa Winery
Loma Prieta Winery
Regale Winery

This robust tree trek gets you out of the house, out of the malls and out to find your favorite Christmas tree, as well as taste and purchase that beloved holiday gift: wine.

Many of the wineries involved, like Vine Hill, will be running specials on selected wines, so keep your eyes open.

For a map and specific information, check the trail website: www.christmastreewinetrail.com

Richly flavored and colorful, the large (16oz) jars of Happy Girl Kitchen heirloom tomatoes called out to me last Saturday as I strolled the Westside Farmers Market. I plunked down $10 and took home a jar.

Later that evening, half the jar of crimson and orange pomadori surrounded a large filet of local halibut (from H&H) topped with chopped kalamatas, capers and oregano, for a terrific “mixed grill” dinner. And the other half jar remained to go into a luxurious marinara later that week.

Well. Those organic tomatoes, full of the end-of-summer, roasted into complete sweetness and intensity.

Happy Girl Kitchen also makes vibrant jams, plus canned and pickled veggies. Visit them on-line, or at any number of local farmers markets, and at Staff of Life and Food Bin.

Everybody has a fall-back position, restaurant-wise. A reliably accessible dining spot that offers enough range to please both the pickiest vegetarian and the unapologetic carnivore. Prices that don’t induce psycho-motor epilepsy, flavors that amaze, and hopefully some glamorous ambience in the bargain.

Lately our dining spot to meet friends, or to take out-of-town guests is The Cellar Door, the vivacious cafe at the back of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Tasting Room.

It seems to work well, this idea that you dine at communal tables (set for six+), you may order a substantial $35 prix fixe dinner, or graze your way through a long, long alacarte menu, (pictured is a deceptively simple pizza margarita with Bellwether ricotta and a perfect crust) just like we have done the past two Sundays.

Armed with some albariño, or a white Cigare for starters, we have feasted on (more…)

Nicole Paiement conducts the UCSC Orchestra and Choir in three performances of the Baroque masterwork by Mozart. The Requiem will be performed in the Recital Hall, Friday Nov. 20 at 7:30 pm, Saturday Nov 21 at 7:30 pm and Sunday Nov 22 at 2:00 pm. $24 general, $20 senior, $10 student.

The Requiem is considered one of the treasures of the choral repertoire and offers celestial quartets, thundering fugues and some of the most operatic Latin ever devised. There is not one ounce of flab or down-time in this soaring collaboration of choir and orchestra. And there’s not a bad seat in this acoustically-gifted hall.

For ticket information see the website, or call the UCSC Performing Arts Ticket Office @ 831/459-2159.

Check out the review of Randall Grahm’s wonderful Been Doon So Long in yesterday’s

New York Times (I’ve just given you the link to the specific article.)

Artisanal cheesemaker and rancher Rebecca King (who was also former chef at Gabriella) emailed to remind me about the chance to purchase freshly dressed, organically-raised young lamb in time for holiday special dinners. The lamb is raised at Monkeyflower Ranch, and fed on pasture grasses, alfalfa and spent organic grains from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Mild and tender, just like the animals themselves, the meat is now available in whole or half carcass. (more…)

Ridge Vineyards continues to own the New World incarnation of Bordeaux blends, and this beautiful 2005 marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon ((58%) and Merlot (42%) knocked us out the other night, paired with a choice bit grass-fed rib-eye steak. We don’t eat a lot of beef, nor drink much cab. But these exceptions deserved each other.

This estate blend, made from Monte Bello Ridge grapes, is a masterpiece of tannic core that billows out — okay, so it takes half a day for full opening — into a cushion of leather, roses and rich briary details. At 13.7% alcohol, it is big enough but not overpowering. Worth its $40 pricetag (VinoCruz stocks this gem) it might be one of the items that Santa should be thinking about. For under the tree, or on the table to accompany Christmas Day roast beef.