by Christina Waters | May 16, 2008 | Food |
Ham & eggs & a little light bubbly – sounds like breakfast doesn’t it? But it was bistro appetizers at Soif last week. Let me explain.
A “small plate†order of salumi caught our eye – but so did the evening special of a poached egg over shiitake mushrooms. When John Locke poured me a taste of a splendid, very light alcohol Lombardy red wine with the tiniest little “vivace†effervescence, I joked that it was light enough to be a “breakfast wine.†Then the lightbulb went on.
The kitchen obliged and what we got was this gorgeous platter of toscano, soppressata and salame rosa ($12) topped with a poached egg! Ask and ye shall receive. Peasant decadence, paired with the refreshing Francesco Montagna Oltrepo Pavese “Vivace†Bonarda 2006 ($3.25/taste). Something a little different — and completely memorable. My idea of budget gourmet.
by Christina Waters | May 12, 2008 | Home, Wine |
We weren’t the only ones soaking up the pastoral beauty of the Corralitos countryside last Saturday. We had plenty of fellow wine-seekers for company as we toured a few of the small artisenal wineries on rare view during this twice yearly open house.
First Alfaro Family Vineyards, where the gorgeous new tasting room, with marble counters and exposed beams, greeted us. The tasting room will be open on Saturdays, by appointment, starting the first week in June, so download a map and get ready to sample some of the many varietals and vintages. (The $10 tasting fee, Richard tells me, will purchase a commemorative glass and a flight of at least five Estate wines.)
This winery has several defining features. One is the irrepressible Richard Alfaro (below, in his official wine tasting shirt), who transformed himself from successful baker
to passionate winegrower with a first crush five years ago. Of his 75 acres, a full 25 are dedicated to vineyards – Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This has to be — correct me if I’m wrong — the largest continguous acreage devoted to wine grapes in the entire appellation. And it’s gorgeous!
I met Alfaro’s winemaking partner, UC Davis-trained Joe Martin (hence, the Martin Alfaro label), swilled myriad house pinot noirs – including the exceptional 2006 from Santa Lucia Gary’s Vineyard, and the estate-bottled Lindsay Paige Pinot Noir. We listened to the singing attorney, Joe Haselton, sampled cheeeses and hot Corralitos sausage, (more…)
by Christina Waters | May 11, 2008 | Home, Wine |
Here’s a red wine discovery you’ll enjoy. I first encountered Martella Syrah Hammer Vineyard 2005 on the Gabriella Cafe menu, and it was love at first sip. I found a bottle of this appealing wine at New Leaf Market.
Martella is Michael Martella, longtime winemaker at Thomas Fogarty who bottles some choice varietals under his own name. This is one of them and it belongs on your dining table.
Syrah loves lamb, duck, olives, almost any cheese – and goes nicely with a long sunset. In the Martella Syrah found meaty, smoky tones initially, with plenty of grip and a band of brambles sitting firmly in the center – brambles that expanded horizontally, on and on into a leisurely finish. Around $20 and worth its weight in American oak.
by Christina Waters | May 8, 2008 | Food, Home |
Fresh seafood gets star treatment at the hands of Sean Baker, who makes beautiful food at Gabriella Cafe.
Baker is currently running a variety of sculptural crudo appetizers involving artworks of oysters with baby fennel mignonette, uni interspersed with tart minced grapefruit (inspired!), and local halibut tartare in pools of chopped avocado, chili smoked tomato and Meyer lemon.
After dinner, I feasted on a spectacular saffron Pavlova meringue, drizzled with rose custard, sweet fresh strawberries and toasted pistachios. Gabriella pastry chef Jessica Yarr never fails to astound me.
by Christina Waters | May 7, 2008 | Home, Travel |
What’s not to like about New York? And since my mom and I both love the Big Apple, we spent a few quality days there last week – taking in a show, museums, the action in Central Park (in full spring bloom!), the NFL draft (my mother loves men in groups), and feasting on midtown architecture, old and new.
We decided to do the all-out tourist thing, so we stayed in the very conveniently-located midtown Hilton. Our room on the 34th floor offered a sprawling view of skyscrapers, theaters and verdant Central Park. A block away was the Museum of Modern Art, where we feasted on Monet, Rauschenberg and Pollock and then went upstairs to The Terrace cafe for lunch. Btw, the dominant language in NY these days is French! (Good euro, bad dollar.) (more…)
