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.
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…)
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.)
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.
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.