Palmaz Vineyards.. "Passionate Pursuit Of Perfection"

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San  Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(350 and counting), my wife Linda and I recently returned to Palmaz Vineyards. We shared this "special wine experience" with our Danville wine and foodie friends Ron and Josiane Hable.

We met this warm and passionate wine family many years ago and their spectacular story is unique and impressive.   We had the pleasure to travel with Julio, his wife Amalia and daughter Florencia on a fabulous trip to South America in 2013 .  The wine cruise sailed from the 2016 Olympics town of Rio De Janerio down the coast ending in the vibrant city of Buenos Aires. The trip included fabulous private wine dinners  served on the attentive Silver Seas Cruise Line.  The trip was highlighted with an elegant luncheon and day of "fun in the sun" at the Palmaz oceanfront summer home in Punta de Este, Uruguay. 

Palmaz Vineyards features over 100,000 square feet of caves and a gravity feed winemaking system that produces high quality wines. In addition to quarterly shipments of wines, their wine club members enjoy elegant theme parties throughout the year.  Upon joining  the wine club, you receive an Argentinean Gaucho facon, a  silver personal steak knife, that can be used at the Palmaz Winery annual Asado barbecue.

From the web site:

"Julio Palmaz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Julio invented the Palmaz Coronary Stent, a device that revolutionized medicine. (Artifacts related to his research now sit in the Smithsonian Institution’s medical collection.) Having moved to the United States from Argentina in the late 1970s to pursue medical research at a notable institution, Julio completed his residency at the University of California, Davis, where his passion for wine first emerged. To unwind on weekends, Julio and his wife, Amalia, would drive through Napa in a white Triumph Spitfire, visiting wineries and restaurants. “I had wanted to make my own wines since my days at U.C. Davis,” he would later say. “And where better to make the best wine in the world than Napa Valley?”

Our host for this tour and elegant tasting was Nick Woodhams. He reflects the "passionate pursuit of excellence" of the family and the entire staff. He proudly toured us through this high tech winery producing world class juice. Having been on this tour before, it is still very impressive. It was the first visit for our friends and they marveled at the attention to detail and gentle care of the precious grapes and gravity feed process. We learned  a tid bit about "Angels Share" of the wine which was fun to hear.  If you visit the winery make sure to ask your tour host what that means.

Following the tour, the tasting took place in an elegant tasting room overlooking the 600 aces of heavenly beauty and paired with carefully selected foods. The long wood table was accented with fresh flowers and a  high tech presentation of each wine.  We began with the 2014 Amalia Chardonnay that was chilled perfectly and paired with Edamame Purée and Piave Vecchio Curls and Hawaiian Sea Salt.

The next selection was the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. It is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 % Petite Verdot and 1& Cabernet Franc. It was perfectly paired with a bite of a smoked duck breast with cream cheese and fig preserves.

The 2012 Cabernet was next and a blend of 96% Cabernet, 3% Petite Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Vineyard Pasty Twigs with olive, garlic and Parmesan added to the this bold and beautiful wine. The final taste was 2014 Florencia Muscat paired with fresh goat milk cheese with apricots on a short bread cookie that was sensational. A dark chocolate truffle completed this elegant tasting experience.  We enjoyed all the wines and took a few of each back to Danville with us. We also took a bottle of olive oil that is supposed to be fantastic

.

In conclusion, this winery is very very "special" and well worth making an appointment to visit.
  
For more information go to  https://www.palmazvineyards.com

"Lake Tahoe Edgewood Country Club Hosts Super Bowl Of Celebrity Golf"

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(350 and counting), my wife Linda and I will travel to beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Edgewood Country Club hosts the American Century Celebrity Golf tournament and this year is number 28. The golf course is a slice of heaven located on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe. The tournament gets bigger every year with 80 famous sports celebrities and movie stars trying to win the $125,000 first place prize. 

For the past 15 years, I have been playing in the Celebrity Pro Am  with many interesting people like Alphonso Riberio ala "Fresh Prince", 5 time Champion Dan Quinn, Hall of Famer Tim Brown, and  Super Bowl MVP Joe Theisman to name a few.

I am given Celebrity names prior to the tournament and our son, MJ, chooses the celebrity and rides with him/her during the tournament.  Last year we played  with former Olympic Tennis Star, Mardy Fish, who is also a great golfer and one of the favorites to win. He finished second to Michigan State Spartan Mark Mulder who was also a great pitcher for the Oakland A's. This is the second year that he won the tournament and we hope  to play with him. 

My foodie and avid golfer friend from Chicago Brad Browder is also joining us again this year. 

Linda and her friends have an annual tradition to play Edgewood the Monday before the tournament begins. We enjoy our traditional lunch on the patio of Brooks Bar at Edgewood that is fueled by their famous mojitos.  Brooks Bar overlooks the lake and the famous 18th hole pond ala "Lake Lambier" named after Detroit  Piston Basketball player  Bill Lambier when he deposited a lot of balls a few years ago.  Brooks Bar has also been named as one of the best 19th hole bars in America.

A new tradition this year is staying at the grand opening of Edgewood Lodge, a magnificent 151 room 100 million dollar development right on Lake Tahoe and next to the golf course. We will also have a dinner there the nigh before the pro-am and start a new tradition. 

Another tradition is dinner at Friday Station on the top of Harrah's Hotel. It has spectacular sunsets and full of celebrities enjoying the great service and fantastic food.  Many of the waiters have worked there over 25 years. They are  professionally dressed in black tuxedos and intent on making your eating experience a memorable one.  It is no wonder many of them have worked there such a long time as the spectacular sunsets over Lake Tahoe each evening make for a soothing working environment  and "I love my job" attitude. 

The event is also televised on NBC. NBC has just renewed their contract through 2022. Watching it on TV is great but attending the tournament is much more fun.

It is also fun to watch your favorite sports and movie stars try to master the difficult game of golf.  In addition, the deep blue lake guarded by towering pines and snow capped mountains feels like being in heaven. It is no wonder the nearby ski slopes are named Heavenly Valley. 

In conclusion, mark your calendar for July 10-18 in 2018. For more information, go to:

http://tahoesouth.com/events/american-century-celebrity-golf-championship/

Sensational Sherwin Family Vineyards

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(350 and counting), my wife Linda and I recently traveled to Sherwin Family Vineyards in St. Helena.

After spending 30 years in the Bay Area as a builder and developer, Steve and Linda Sherwin decided they wanted a slower life style and purchased 30 acres of grape vines on the top of Spring Mountain in 1996. As you drive into this serene location complete with a pond, you immediately feel a sense of peace and tranquility from the rigors of city life.

The tasting room has a fireplace for the cool days and patio for the warm days. Like an Eagle, it proudly overlooks this spectacular piece of property and enhances your wine tasting experience.

Donna was our knowledgeable and energetic host and we were also joined by Steve Sherwin owner and winemaker. We began our tasting with the crisp and refreshing Chardonnay balanced by rich fruit and hints of oak.

Steve then let us taste the Cellar Scraps. With a proud smile on his face, he said "this fun Cabernet changes every time we make it. We take a look around our cellar and use the leftovers from some of the finest wine ever produced at Sherwin."   We liked it so much that we took a few bottles home with us. We also joined their "Cellar Scrapper" wine club which includes an annual 6 bottle shipment and an invitation to their "Swill and Grill" barbecue bash.

The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is made from the fruit of the 16 acre estate grapes on the top of Spring Mountain. It is their flagship wine and ready to drink now or add to your cellar. It is a blend of 80 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 per cent Cabernet Franc and 8 percent Merlot.

For the grand finale, Steve gave us a special treat as we tasted the Reserve Cabernet right from the barrel. Aged 8 months in French Oak, this 100 percent Cabernet is excellent and elegant. The gold label and golden wax cork is like owning a expensive piece of art and a great addition to any cellar. Besides being dipped in red or gold wax, the special Sherwin bottles can be bought with the American flag etched on the bottle making for a great gift, golf tournament, or charity auction item. Steve said he is the only winery in America that has been approved to place the American flag on the bottles.

We would highly recommended this winery to visit. The wine is great and the  setting is "sensational" on the top of Spring Mountain.
For more information and to schedule a tasting go to.: http://sherwinfamilyvineyards.com/

Artisan..7 Years Of Foodie Perfection

In a effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(300 and counting), my wife Linda and I recently dined at Artisan restaurant located in nearby Lafayette.

We went to the restaurant when it first opened 7 years ago and again for lunch recently as were reminded by our friends of its excellence.  The restaurant serves locally sourced Californian-French fare in a lovely converted house with patio seating.

Chef John Marquez, owner and chef, is a local guy who grew up in Danville and graduated from San Ramon High School.  His first apprenticeship at Danville's Bridges and a culinary degree from Diablo Valley College. He originally wanted to open his own place in San Francisco, but eventually turned his attention to the Walnut Creek area. He has a rich foodie history including working  at San Francisco's Coi and Fringale and for Thomas Keller at the famous French Laundry in Napa, also helping him open Per Se in New York in 2004.  He prides his creations as using the freshest, finest ingredients and  a labor of love. We had the pleasure of meeting him.

Our server Ken was very knowledgeable and has been with the restaurant since its beginnings 7 years ago.  Chef John features a 3 course luncheon special for 30 dollars. For 5 dollars more you can include a Martini or Perfect Manhattan.

We chose to order ala carte and began with Tempura Squash Blossoms with goat cheese that were warm, fresh and fantastic.  For the main course, we ordered the fish tacos and corn soup, Croque Madame and sweet potato fries. Both entrees were nicely prepared. For dessert, we shared the chocolate decadence that was a cake with chocolate mousse and a ganache frosting.

Chef John, who is of Peruvian decent, told us he will be opening a new Peruvian restaurant in Concord called Lima. It will be open around July 1st and promises to be a joy to experience with lots of unique and flavorful Peruvian recipes planned.

We would highly recommend Artisan as it is close to Danville and food prepared with great attention to detail and very, very good.

For more information and to make reservations go to:
 http://www.artisanlafayette.com/

Spottswoode Winery: The Grace Kelly of Napa Wines

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(300 and counting),my wife Linda and I recently traveled to Spottswoode Winery in St. Helena. From our home in Danville, the winery is around an hour drive.

The historic winery has an interesting history.  It was established and designed in 1882 by George Schoenwald, in a style reminiscent of the Hotel del Monte, an early luxury resort located in Monterey that he managed. He planted wine grapes on seventeen of the estate's thirty one acres.

In 1910, it was christened and named after Mrs. Albert Spotts husband. Prohibition had started to take hold in the US and the Spottswoode Estate fell into disrepair.  The Spotts family survived this time by selling grapes to the Christian Brothers, who made sacramental wine, growing mushrooms in the cellar, and raising frogs for frogs' legs, popular in San Francisco restaurants during those years.

Mary and John Novak acquired the winery in 1972. After realizing his dream of moving his family to an agrarian community, Jack Novak tragically and suddenly passes away. Faced with the difficulties of running a vineyard while raising five children, Mary Novak decided to stay and pursue the vision she and her husband shared.  She began managing the Spottswood Vineyard, successfully completing her first harvest, and selling grapes to various Napa families, among them the Schafers and Duckhorns.

Mary continued to make their dream come true and produced the first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982 one hundred years after the winery was established.  Today Mary's daughter Beth Novak Milliken manages the winery and her sister Lindy Novak oversees the marketing.

From the web site, Paul Lukacs, author of the great wines of America says" the women of Spottswoode produce an unfailingly elegant Cabernet Sauvignon--the Grace Kelly of Napa Valley wines conveying an almost aristocratic impression of refinement and class."
The wine advocate describes the wine as "the Chateau Margaux of Napa Valley."

Our knowledgeable tasting hostess was Nicole Knoth. We enjoyed walking around the serene and manicured grounds learning about the rich history of the elegant Spottswoode home that Mary stills lives in.

Our tasting began with the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc blended with 73 percent Sauvignon Grapes and 27 percent Sauvignon Mosque. It sells for around 40 dollars and we learned that it is Mary's favorite.
2013  Lydenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon was our next wine. It is a blend of 92 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. 4 percent Malbec, 2 percent Cabernet Franc, and 2 percent Petite Verdot.
The final tasting was the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon that recently received a rating of 95 by Robert Parker. Aged in 100 percent French Oak and blended perfectly with 88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon estate grown grapes, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 4 percent Petite Verdot. The label has a picture of Mary's home on it.

We made sure that a bottle of each of these wines went back to our home in Danville to share with our wine loving friends.

After our tasting, we went to one of our favorite foodie lunch stops, The  Rutherford Grille. The restaurant is always full of happy people and the heavenly aroma  of the "famous ribs" and open kitchen  insures you that your foodie experience will be very special.

Our meal always begins with the corn bread that is served steaming hot in a cast iron pan and goes great with the wide selection of reasonably priced Napa wines. You can also bring your favorite bottle of wine and there is no corking fee. We always order the "knife and fork ribs," French fries, and Cole slaw. It is a generous proportion that we always split. The ribs are moist, savory, and the "best" we have ever eaten. The fries are crispy and hot and the Cole slaw is crafted to perfection.
For more information and to schedule a wine visit go to:

 http://www.spottswoode.com/visit/

Blackhawk Sausage Extravaganza

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries( 300 and counting), my wife Linda and I recently had the pleasure of participating in the first Blackhawk Sausage Extravaganza. 

This unique event was organized by dining etiquette author/consultant Rose Marie Burns and good friend and neighbor John McSherry. It was held at Cynthia and John's beautiful Blackhawk home.  The fun began at 9 in the morning with the avid group of "foodies" making 6 different types of sausages.

The party began with an early morning champagne toast by Chefs John and Rose Marie.  15 people participated in the process to prepare the sausages for the afternoon barbecue. The 150 pounds of meat resulted in around 500 sensational sausages.

McSherry's home radiated with a heavenly aroma of various herbs and seasoned meats used to make the 6 sausages.  Chicken And Apple, Kielbasa, Jalapeno. Italian, Greek Turkey and Macedonian Leek Sausage were carefully crafted by the group of serious foodies. 

Each sausage was also perfectly paired with the following wines by Sommelier Wendy Hughes.

The Chicken and Apple sausage was paired with 2014 William Fevre Champ Royaux Chablis. Kielbasa was matched with 2014 Pessimst Red from  Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles. Jalapeño went with 2007 Caprcho de Landaluce Riota. Italian Sausage was paired with the 2011 Barolo. The Greek Turkey Sausage was matched  with the 2014 Virage Rose and the Macedonian Leek Sausage was paired with the Clos Pegase 2013 Chardonnay.

The entire process took 8 hours and was completed at 5 pm.  At that time, the chefs began barbecuing our heavenly creations.  Everyone was very pleased with the results of this unique foodie experience and each sausage was a joy to taste with the well thought out wine pairings of our able Sommelier Wendy. 

As a genius addition to this very special foodie day, John's wife Cynthia, a true Cajun, deep fried lightly dusted nuggets of catfish and alligator which were so good there was not "one bite left over." 

Additional invited guests also arrived for the sunset feast and enjoyed a beautiful Blackhawk evening on the McSherry's patio overlooking the second green of the Lakeside golf course. 

As the sun set over the majestic hills of Blackhawk, Rose Marie and John smiled with a sense of great accomplishment and said, "today was so much fun that we are already mentally planning "Extravaganza 2." 

Finally, each lucky guest was also given a selection of sausages to take home with them. 

Great job Rose Marie and John for organizing this great day of "unique foodie fun."  Now that we are all no longer "sausage making virgins," we eagerly look forward to participating in "Sausage Extravaganza 2."

In an ef."

Final Four And Whole Lots More

My wife Linda and our son MJ, National Special Olympics Golf Champion and Hall of Famer, recently traveled to Houston to attend the "Final Four" National Basketball Championship at NRG Reliant Stadium. 

We were hoping our alma mater Michigan State would also be playing. 
Unfortunately the Spartans were eliminated in round one of this exciting tournament also known as "March Madness." The good news is that long time MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo was honored for his success as one of the 2016 Hall of Fame inductees. 

This event is different from a Super Bowl as there are many young college students watching their teams play rather than just corporate types attending a game for the first time all year. Having done both, this creates a more pure and wholesome environment and experience.

The final four teams this year were Villanova, Oklahoma, Syracuse and North Carolina. After exciting battles in front of 75,000 avid basketball fans, we watched  Villanova  crowned as the 2016 National Champions with a dramatic buzzer beating shot by Nova's Kris Jenkins to win 77-74. North Carolina had tied the game at 74 with 4 seconds to play before the calm poised, well coached Nova team executed this perfect game winning shot.

Long time basketball announcer Dick Vitale said  " This was the best National Championship final game I have ever witnessed and maybe the best in NCAA history."

This was my second experience at a final four and is a "must do" if you love sports and the spirit of young athletes trying to achieve the difficult goal of being a National Champion.  The pure excitement is addicting as loyal fans wildly cheer for their respective schools. In addition, having been to many major sporting events, it is great to see 75,000 fans behave with respect and root for their teams with class rather than with alcohol infused shouting and  fighting.

The NCAA does not allow alcohol to be served at this event and in my opinion contributes to a fan experience that is peaceful, dignified and more like a serene Augusta Masters Golf tournament experience. 

Houston was also hosting the Shell Open PGA Golf tournament bringing many big name golfers to play golf and also watch the basketball games. 

We also had the pleasure to play the famous Houston Tour 18 golf course. General Manager Darren Busker heads a gracious staff that enhances this special golfing experience. This course has 18 famous golf holes played on the PGA Tour highlighted by Augusta's Amen corner and the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. 

Linda totally enjoyed the experience and found the ladies tees to be very fair and friendly. Having been to Augusta and the Masters twice, our favorite golf hole is number 12.  It is a short par 3 surrounded by beautiful multi colored flowers reminding one of a painting by Monet. It is also intimidating and historic flanked by the famous Hogan bridge that many famous feet have  proudly walked over. My memory bank will be eternally blessed as I rolled in a 12 foot putt for a birdie on this world famous hole.

When we played number 17 at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, MJ birdied the hole and offered some friendly advice for his mom at Tour 18. "Don't be short Mom,  a lot of people go in the water."

As a matter of fact the starter Cecil told us that 275,000 balls find their watery grave every year on this intimidating short par three hole at TPC Sawgrass. 

MJ's noble advice almost worked as Linda's ball landed just short of the island green and mine hit on the green but bounced left into the water too. Our nephew Troy Sanchez hit his best shot of the day and proudly landed on the green.

Tour 18 is a fun golf course and a great and affordable way to experience 18 of Americas Golf Holes. if you are ever in the Houston area, we would highly recommend this unique golfing experience.

For more information and to make a tee time, go to:www.tour18golf.com

"Future Hall-of-Famer Making Great Wine" Charles Woodson Wines

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries(350 and counting), my wife Linda and I recently visited future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson's Winery.

Charles won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship at the University of Michigan, our home state, and the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.He finished his career playing for the Oakland Raiders and will soon be an ESPN announcer. We had the pleasure of playing golf with him at our club, Blackhawk in Danville, and he invited us to taste his wines

Woodson Wines leases a 12-acre vineyard in southern Calistoga (just west of Sterling Winery which is planted to Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are the only two wines they produce – a typical production is usually several thousand cases each year. They started making wine in 2001 (a barrel of Merlot which they donated to charity) but did not release their first commercial wine until 2006. Their winery (4,000 square feet in an old sausage factory has been refurbished for winery operations) is located slightly further west of the tasting room in the same business park (first crush 2015). 

Our host for the tasting was Rick Ruiz ,co owner and Director of Operations. Rick was born and raised in St. Helena and worked in the wine industry for a number of years on the wine making side of the operations (10 years at Robert Mondavi). His introduction to Charles was totally random, helped by a bottle of Robert Mondavi wine. Timing is everything. During one night drinking at the old Saketini Asian Diner & Lounge in the city of Napa Rick met Charles. As Rick remembers, Charles was drinking a 1998 bottle of Robert Mondavi Merlot. Instantly recognizing the wine he helped make at Robert Mondavi he introduced himself to Charles and they soon bonded over wine which led to the Woodson Winery venture.

We began our tasting with the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc that was crisp, clean, very refreshing and aged and fermented in mostly stainless steel. As Rick says this wine was crushed, fermented, aged and bottled – with a more hands off approach to wine making. It is floral on the bouquet with citrus blossom and dessert spices

 We then moved into the Charles Woodson famous Cabernets and enjoyed  a side by side tasting of the 2009, 2010 and 2011.  The 2010 received a 93 rating by Wine Spectator. We enjoyed each vintage but especially enjoyed the 2009 which had Blackberry and a black licorice liqueur frame layered aromatic. It was so enjoyable that we took 2 bottles signed by Charles back to Danville with us. This  red wine can also be purchased at the Blackhawk Grille and Draegers in Danville. 

After this Hall of Fame tasting, we went to nearby downtown Napa and enjoyed lunch at Celadon. The restaurant is near the Napa river and is open every day for lunch and dinner. The ambiance is charming and reminded us of our visit to Bordeaux, France.  The restaurant is located next to the General Store in Downtown Napa and is down a quaint avenue that is lined with flowers and trees.

We sat outside by a warm fireplace and started out our meal with a special Woodford Manhattan served with Woodford reserve bourbon, punt o mes and port soaked cherries. It went well with their famous flash fried calamari, made with spicy chipotle chile, orange honey glaze and pickled ginger.  We voted that this Calamari was the best we have ever eaten hands down!

For the entree, we shared the beer battered fish and chips, crispy Meyer lemon and red cabbage and carrot slaw that was light and very refreshing. 

Our meal was completed with a soothing cup of hot green tea and a perfectly prepared creme brûlée. 

For more information and to make a tasting reservation go to : 

http://www.charleswoodsonwines.com/

San Francisco Fun- Mourad and Dirty Dancing

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants and having been to over 800, my wife Linda and I recently spent a glorious day in the "great city by the bay" having lunch at Mourad and going to see the play Dirty Dancing. 

Moroccan born chef Mourad Lahlou earned a Michelin star at his outer Richmond restaurant Aziza. His new restaurant represents recipes from his Moroccan roots and a modern decor. In fact when you enter the restaurant, there is a replica of a large root representing his Moroccan connection.

Linda knew of Mourad when she attended the cooking classes that were presented by the Embarcadero Center on Saturday mornings last fall.  She and a friend attended a class where Mourad was the guest chef of the day.  He talked about his Moroccan roots and how he came to San Francisco after being one of the first to graduate from college in his family.  He got a job in the finance business and worked day and night but found time to cook for his friends in his small kitchen at home.  His food was so great that his friends told him he should open a restaurant.  He shrugged it off lightly, but then brought his Mama to San Francisco to teach him all the secrets of her recipes.  After that his first restaurant Aziza was born. 

The day of the cooking class Mourad taught the audience how to make a dish called Basteeya. It is a meat pie topped with sweetened and spiced ground almonds covered in a phyllo dough. Mourad makes his version of the Basteeya with confited duck legs cured overnight in a blend of North African spices and then mixes it with caramelized onions and raisins and wraps it in phyllo.  Mourad says "it's savory, moist, tender and it has a crunch."  It is a divine selection with a surprise in every bite.

We had an opportunity to meet Mourad and he proudly recommended some of his foodie creations. Our server Marcus was also very knowledgeable and attentive. The bar has an extensive wine list and a variety of specialty cocktails. 

We began with the deviled eggs with cumin, pickles and chicken crackling that were fantastic. I ordered the Harira lentil soup with dates and celery that was seasoned to perfection and served steamy hot.

For the entree, Linda ordered the Basteeya.   I ordered the salmon with persimmon, lentil, citron and curry that tasted like it just came out of the sea.

For dessert we shared the Paris-Brest with honey, almond and beeswax that was like a delicacy served for Moroccan royalty. Paris-Brest is a French Dessert made of choux pastry and a praline flavored cream.  It resembles a bicycle wheel and it was named after a bicycle race in 1891 that ran from Paris to Brest and back again as the precursor for the Tour de France.

We concluded with some peppermint tea served in shot glasses that was hot and soothing. 

After this great lunch, we walked to the Golden Gate Theater and saw the vibrant and fun play Dirty Dancing made famous by Patrick Swaze in 1987. 

Mourad has only been open a year but word is traveling fast among San Francisco foodies and will soon be rated very high like his other 1 star Michelin rated restaurant Aziza. We look forward to going back soon.  

For more information and to make reservations go to:

http://mouradsf.com/

"A Perfect Napa Day"

In an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants( 800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa wineries (300 and counting), my wife Linda recently visited  Kieu Hoang Winery in Napa. Our wine and food associate from Michigan Karen Halip also joined us for this "perfect day in Napa."

Kieu Hoang is located about an hour ride from our home in Danville. It was purchased last year from the Mondavi  Family Estate by a successful self made businessman named Kieu Hoang originally from Vietnam.  Our host was Edgar who was full of interesting stories and very knowledgeable.

Their winery offers a serene setting on a large porch where you can bring your own food or order from nearby Browns Valley Market.  Their wine labels are also very unique and represent a microscopic picture of a grape cell in various bright colors.

Edgar was very generous with our tasting.  We enjoyed all of their wines sitting on their comfortable chairs and enjoying the beauty of the bright yellow mustard plant in full bloom highlighting their 20 rolling acres of vines.

Their wines are very reasonably priced and we took home a bottle of the 2012 Peoples Red Wine blend for $24.00 and a bottle of the 2013 Chardonnay Carneros for $35.00. My favorite was the 100 per cent Cabernet 2012 Red Label for $60.00 that also made the trip home to Danville.,

 This winery is sure to be a "must do" in Napa as the word gets out about their wine and great place to have an elegant picnic.

 After this private tasting, we drove to nearby Yountville for a great foodie lunch at Bouchon owned by famous chef and French Laundry owner Thomas Keller. The restaurant features an open oyster bar with a very skilled server preparing  elaborate works of food art for the many happy patrons.

The restaurant has the Thomas Keller feeling of "world class excellence" with very knowledgeable long tenure servers proudly educating you about their variety of special drinks and food choices.

 Linda chose the Quiche which she described as "the best she had ever eaten."  It was so good that she bought the Bouchon cook book and promised to make it when we got back home. Karen ordered the mussels served in a cast iron bowl with a mustard wine sauce and sour dough bread that brought an eternal smile to her face.  The "best ever" trifecta of entrees was completed when my Croque  Madame was served to  "picture perfect perfection."

There are a variety of freshly made  desserts  that can also be bought at the bakery next door or ordered from the menu. We took home some pecan rolls ala "sticky buns."

 For more information and to make reservations go to:

 http://www.kieuhoangwinery.com/index.cfm?

http://www.thomaskeller.com