Highway to Heaven-Healdsburg 2014

Having traveled around the world, my wife Linda and I appreciate the San Francisco Bay area restaurants, wine and food experience. Our goal is to hit all 3000 San Francisco restaurants and we have been to over 500 of them.

Recently we had the pleasure of taking a 2 day getaway on the "Highway to Heaven" to the charming town of Healdsburg, California.   General Manager Nicole Abela of Les Mars Hotel in downtown Healdsburg organized a full 2 day experience for us to two Foley owned winery's that specialize in red and white wines and the Chalkboard restaurant located in “Les Mars” the European style boutique hotel. Their motto of "exceeding excellence" made our experience opulent and outstanding.

A 2 hour ride from our home In Danville, California, we enjoyed the enchanting ride thru the famous Napa Valley, St. Helena and Calistoga to Lancaster Estate Vineyards...   Lancaster is a breathtaking piece of property that specializes in red wines. We were welcomed by our knowledgeable and passionate wine host Luke Hricik with a glass of 2012 Samantha's Sauvignon Blanc that was a perfect way to begin our Lancaster wine experience.

Lancaster Estate Tasting Room

After touring thru the caves and receiving lots of information about the wines including the young and worldly winemaker from Screaming Eagle Jesse Katz, we stopped at their elegant tasting room located in the cave. Luke had 4 glasses for us to sample of their perfectly blended red wines. We sampled the 2010 Sophia's Cuvee that was 83% Cabernet and 17% Cabernet Franc, 2008 Cabernet 92% Cabernet, 4% Malbec, 2%Merlot and 1% Petite Verdot, 2009 Cabernet 85% Cabernet, 7% Malbec, 1 Cabernet Franc and 1% Petite Verdot and Nicole's Propriety Red 85% Cabernet, 8% Malbec, 5%, Petite Verdot, and 2%Merlot.

All of the wines were fantastic with the 2008 Estate Cabernet and 2010 Nicole's Proprietary Red being our favorites.

The non rushed tasting was generous and a great way to begin our day. We also enjoyed a wine lunch with picnic tables that overlooked the vines and hills of this serene setting.

Our next stop was Les Mars Hotel in downtown Healdsburg. The charming hotel is about a 20 minute drive from Lancaster. The 16 room gem is located near the famous Healdsburg Square filled with many wine tasting rooms, restaurants, clothing and olive oil shops and art galleries. Michael greeted us and we checked into an elegant appointed room complete with fresh flowers, handwritten welcome note, wine and cozy fireplace to warm your spirit.    

                                                              

Les Mars Hotel

Included is a continental breakfast served in your room and wine and cheese happy hour in their elegant library complete with fireplace. It is a fun way to meet guests from all over the world and enjoy some great wine before dinner. We met some interesting people from Manhattan and shared information about our wine, food and travel experiences.

For dinner we ate at Chalkboard located in the hotel. Chef Shane McAnelly and General Manager Sean Coleman, formerly of Va Da Vi in Walnut Creek, California, have created a small plate menu of daily changing specials and are highlighted by superb service.  Our waitress Jocelyn was very knowledgeable and full of passion about the food that insured our experience to be very special and memorable.

They have an extensive wine list, but if you bring your own, the corking fee is $15.00 dollars. It is located in the same place as the former Cyrus restaurant and has been open for a little over a year and already has received many culinary kudos. 

Chalkboard Restaurant

We started with the warm pretzel and three sauces and a shot of cauliflower soup with beer/cheese foam that was fantastic. Linda had the Yellowtail Jack Crudo with blood orange/jalapeno/fennel basil that was delicate and delicious. I had the chopped salad with cauliflower/romanesco/radish/carrot/feta and mustard vinaigrette that was a generous proportion and very good.

For the main course, Linda ordered the horseradish crusted bistro filet with baby carrot/kohirabi/sauerkraut/bordaise that paired perfectly with our Caymus Cabernet. I had the patron favorite buttermilk fried quail with parsnip puree/spinach/chestnut honey that was seasoned perfectly.

For dessert, Sean insisted on the famous candy bar: brownie/carmel/roasted milk chocolate creameaux/nougat ice cream/peanut crunch that did not disappoint and a great ending to an elegant dinner in a casual, friendly atmosphere.

The next day we had our favorite newspaper and continental breakfast delivered to our room and then took a walk around Healdsburg Square. 

We then departed for Chalk Hill Winery about 20 minutes away. This winery is located on 1300 stunning acres of rolling hills complete with chapel, buffalos, equestrian center and dining on the top of the hill for weddings and private lunches and dinners. It is also the home of Bill Foley proprietor of Les Mars, Lancaster and Chalk Hill as well as several other properties in the Napa area.  

Chalk Hill Winery

Our hostess Nicole greeted us and we had our wine tasting outside overlooking the spectacular beauty of the rolling hills and vines. Chalk Hill specializes in white wine. The estate Chardonnay is very popular and very good. We also sampled the 2010 Estate Red and Malbec that was added to our collection for our trip back to Danville. After the tasting, Nicole drove us around this property in a large SUV to experience the private gardens and winding road to the chapel and wedding facility. You definitely felt you were on the "Highway to Heaven."

We look forward to our next visit to Healdsburg and to Les Mars hotel. For more information go to:Click here: Hotel Les Mars - Relais Châteaux

2014 RoseBowl-MSU 24-Stanford 20

Golf Writers Dinner

MJ Mc Colgan National Special Olympics Champion and San Ramon High School Halloffamer has been nominated for the Northern California Hall Of Fame. MJ has also been inducted into the Tri Valley San Francisco Hall Of Fame and Michigan Hall Of Fame having been born there for his many accomplishments on and off the golf course. The inductees are honored at the Annual California Golf Writers Dinner that takes place at Pebble Beach each year during the ATT at Spanish Bay. This year the 55th dinner will be February 4th. Rocker Kid Rock and John Daly have announced they will be playing together in the tournament. This pairing is sure to draw lots of fans.

 

Click here: Mike's Green Grass, Corks and Forks: "54th Annual Golf Writers Dinner"

MJ--Hitsville USA Motown

http://www.motownmuseum.org

Dr. Sue's Tapas Soiree

Dr. Sue hosted a wonderful Tapas Party for her family and ours on a warm harvest night in her backyard.  Everyone was happy and talkative and enjoyed her wonderful food and wine.  Enjoy her menu below:

Wines:

We started with Roderer Estate Brut Rose

Dumol 2008 Syrah

Darioush 2012 Viognier

Landmark Kanzler Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir

Finished with 2011 Sever Traminac a wonderful Croatian dessert wine and Croatian chocolates  that Romana provided

The menu included:

Assorted French & American goat and cow’s milk cheeses, wild boar, Genoa salami with crackers, assorted olives

Goat with honey cheese stuffed dates & figs wrapped in San Daniele Prosciutto

Grilled Prawns

Grilled Sausages- chicken apple, spinach parmesan

Stuffed Artichokes

Olive tapenade & tomato focaccia bread

Vince Acquisto Memorial Golf Tournament

Pictured below is 3 time National Special Olympics Golf Champion and "Biliever" MJ Mc Colgan and Executive Director Mellissa Searle doing a book signing for one of his 5 golf books at the recent Bili Project Foundation Golf tournament in honor of Vince Acquisto recently held at Wente Golf Club.

Melissa reports the second annual tournament was a grand success. She says,"The Bili Project Foundation will help advance UCSF’s new arm of gastrointestinal oncology research through the ongoing operation of the world’s first Hepatobiliary tissue tumor bank to advance early detection, treatments and cures.
We can do our work only because of the ongoing support we receive from our Bilievers. You have given hope to those suffering from Hepatobiliary cancers, and in turn, we will continue to demonstrate to you that we value your support."

2013 SRVHS Hall of Fame Dinner

Former San Ramon High Football Coach Dave Kravitz was inducted into the San Ramon Hall Of Fame on October 10 at Crow Canyon Country Club. He has the most wins in the school's history with 129 victories. He is pictured with MJ Mc Colgan 2011 SRVHS Hall Of Fame Inductee and 3 time National Special Olympics Golf Champion. Dave gave MJ's Hall of Fame speech when he was inducted in 2011. 5 others were also inducted into the Hall Of Fame for their achievements. Lew Olsen, baseball and class of 1973, Davitt Cunningham, swimming and class of 1979, Scott Baughs, runner class of 2004, Allison Falk, soccer and track class of 2005, and Gabe Adami, girls basketball coach. Congratulations to all the winners.

Great Course/Great Meal --San Francisco Links Magazine Article

San Francisco is the place for great golf and great meals.  With over 3000 restaurants, it is billed as "foodie" heaven.  Two long time treasures in "the city by the bay" are Harding Park Golf course and nearby Scoma's restaurant on famous Fisherman's Wharf.

Harding Park was established in 1925 and designed by Willie Watson and Sam  Whiting. They also crafted the famous Lake course at the nearby Olympic Club that held the 2012 US Open. It was named after Warren Harding, 29th President of the United States. President Harding was an avid golfer and died in a San Francisco hotel in 1923.

Harding Park has a rich history of golf and was a normal PGA stop in the 60's producing winners like Gary Player and Billy Casper in the Lucky Invitational. It was also course played by local golfers and Hall Of Famers Johnny Miller and Ken Venturi. As young players, they honed their skills winning many junior golf tournaments on these hallowed grounds.

In 2002 the course underwent a major renovation under the guidance of Sandy Tatum who is a famous San Francisco attorney and former President of the United States Golf Association. The course was stretched to over 7000 yards and debuted to the world as the host of the AMEX World Golf Championship in 2005. Tiger Woods edged John Daly in an exciting playoff.

In 2009, the Americans led by Captain Fred Couples and team members Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson won the Presidents Cup. Tiger Woods led the team with a 5-0 match play record.

In 2010 and 2011 Harding Park was home for the year ending Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup. The top 30 Champion Tour players compete for a million dollars. After a one year absence, the Charles Schwab Cub returned to Harding Park in 2013.

Personally, Harding Park is very special for our family as my son MJ won his first of 48 Special Olympics Gold Medals at this course. He was born with a walking disability and like Casey Martin played golf using a golf cart. His amazing 10 year career included winning 3  Special Olympics National Championships, 10 State Championships, participating in 3 Summer World Games in Ireland, China and Greece and being inducted into 3 Hall of Fames for his great accomplishments on and off the golf course. In 2010, we played in the Charles Schwab Cup Legends Pro-Am with Masters Champion and Hall Of Famer golfer Doug Ford. Doug also played on 4 Ryder Cup teams and had many interesting stories to share with us.

Although the golf course stretches over 7000 yards from the back tees, there are friendly tees for the higher handicap golfers and ladies who want to play this course. It is a heavenly experience as you walk thru the massive Cypress trees along Lake Merced with pristine views of the city. It is a must play course next time you are in San Francisco.

After your round of golf, a short drive to Scoma's at Pier 47 on famous Fisherman’s Wharf is a great place to discuss your great shots made at famous Harding Park and enjoy this long time food landmark. Valet parking is provided and the excitement of the wharf and fresh ocean air gives you the feeling that you are some place very, very special. Al Scoma established this restaurant in 1965 and has been a favorite of many locals, tourists, celebrities and golfers for almost 50 years. When you see the many pictures of the famous people that have been to this restaurant, you can imagine the interesting conversation that evolved after a few cocktails, some warm clam chowder and sour dough bread.

One of the favorite dishes of many patrons is the Cioppino.  

The rich story of Cioppino goes like this. As Fisherman came in from their expeditions, they threw various kinds of fish or "chipped into" steaming pots on the wharf to make this fresh and famous San Francisco treat. Ala the name Cioppino.  Scoma's continues this tradition serving "the best" Cioppino.

In addition to Cioppino, there is an extensive selection of fresh fish, pasta steak and appetizers. 

After dinner, a walk on the wharf is a fun way to help your meal digest. There are lots of stores, street musicians, and views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz to add to the excitement. Of course a final stop is at the famous Buena Vista Bar just a few blocks away. In 1952, then owner Jack Koeppler challenged international travel writer Stanton Delaplane to help recreate the Irish Coffee recipe served at the Shannon Airport in Ireland.  After much experimentation, success was achieved and a 6 ounce heat treated clear goblet was chosen to serve this famous Irish elixer.  

 It is a vibrant place with people from all over the world gathering here. Last year Arnold Palmer and his wife came into the bar during the US Open and sat with my son and me at our table. There are no reservations and you never know who may join your table for fun conversation and an Irish Coffee or two. 

This will complete your "perfect" day in the great city by the bay.

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Little River Inn" God's Choice to Play Nine, Drink Wine and Unwind"

When you talk about the Top 100 Golf Courses in The World, names like Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Augusta, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews are always mentioned and discussed. Having been to all of these courses, one that should be included in this conversation is a 9 hole course perched proudly on the Pacific Ocean called the Little River Inn. Recently, my wife Linda and our National

Special Olympics Golf Champion son MJ had the opportunity to stay and play golf at this warm and friendly refuge from the rigors of the rat race. Cally Coombs Dym and Melissa Hervilla Pyorre are fifth generation innkeepers. Cally's husband Marc is the Executive Chef.

According to Cally Dym, "The Inn sits in our original home built by my great grandfather, Silas Combs in 1863. My grandparents Ole and Cora Hervilla, turned our house into an Inn seven decades ago and the family is still happily on the job doing what it takes to make you feel more than welcome."

Situated on 225 acres, there are 65 ocean view rooms, a dining room and bar, nine-hole golf course with pro shop and day spa. The Inn also offers free lodging for kids 16 and under and will provide pet friendly accommodations. This is also great place for a romantic getaway, executive retreat or wedding.

From our home in Danville, California it is a 4 hour drive unless you stop at one of the many wineries in Sonoma, Alexander Valley or Anderson Valley.

We took our time and extended our trip into a 7 hour tasting tour. We began in Sonoma at Viansa that offers a beautiful setting overlooking the valley with a extensive gift shop, deli and nicely priced wines. We especially liked the 2010 Sangiovese Reserve and began to stock our van for the trip to Little River Inn. The Viansa Italian Cherry Chutney was also a must purchase. The winery also has a library that offers private parties, tastings, and is filled with some great wines. A great place to have a special event, celebration or wine tasting event.

Next we stopped at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards that offered tastings of a variety of pressed olives. We enjoyed the Fig Balsamic Olive Press and also sampled their various wines. The 2010 Merlot Caneros was our favorite and was added to our Vino van.

Next stop on our list was Husch, which is a nice stop on the winding Highway 128. The Husch property has picnic tables and small classic wooden tasting cabin that holds 10 people max. We especially enjoyed their 2011 Mendocino Zinfandel and 2012 Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer that is a perfect match for a Thanksgiving Turkey dinner.

Across from Husch Winery is Roederer Estate. This elegant tasting room sits high on a hill and has panoramic views of the valley. They produce over 90,000 cases annually. We sampled their various sparkling wines and added the Brut, 2010 Chardonnay and delicate 2009 Pinot Noir to our vino van.

The wine van was ready for the balance of the Grand Prix like drive thru the stately redwoods. The combination of the various tastings and afternoon sun glistening thru the massive trees was like being on the highway to heaven.

Arriving at the Little River Inn, a special feeling surrounds you, as you enter the circular driveway to the moon ray white painted Inn that sits high above the deep blue Pacific.

The rooms are clean and spacious and the first thing you notice is the bouquet of fresh flowers and large windows with a fireplace, deck and rocking chairs to soothe your soul watching the beauty and sound of the ocean right out your door. Our room was also equipped with a refrigerator that helped stock some of our wine purchases.

Since we were going to be staying for 2 nights, we decided to have dinner at the famous Ole's Whale Watch Bar that opened in 1939. When the bar opened in 1939, beer sold for 10 cents and scotch and bourbon for 25 cents. Today the bar is famous for its Bloody Mary's and Martinis.

It is also the best place on the coast to watch for whales and binoculars are complimentary to the patrons. It opens at 4pm and is full of energy and life feeling like you are in a pub in Ireland with lots of happy, warm people enjoying life. After some of their hand shaken martinis, many claim to actually see some whales.

The bar menu offers some great burgers, fish and chips and "Better Than Mom's Meat" loaf. We enjoyed a sample of everything and especially the chilled glass martinis and Calamari with rice flour dusted with mustard dill alioli that was the "best" we have ever tasted.

After dinner there is an outside cigar bar that overlooks the ocean and is a great place to smoke your favorite brand and have an after dinner drink.

The Little River Inn Golf Course is a place where God would choose to play 9. Like everything at the Little River Inn, it has a colorful history. Ole Hervilla was watching Arnold Palmer on TV in the 50's and decided a golf course would draw more patrons. He opened the course in 1957. It is an Audubon -certified sanctuary with deer wandering around the greens and blue heron, frogs, rabbits, raccoons and other wildlife enjoying life in the pastoral setting of regal redwoods and pine trees There are also 2 lighted championship tennis courts next to the golf course.

The challenging 9- hole course can play like 18 with three placements and dual greens on number 7 and nine. The 5458 yard course requires precise shots thru the large tree lined fairways. The lady's tees are also very friendly and number 8 and 9 overlook the Inn and have a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean for a memorable finish. Nine holes is $25.00 and 18 is $40.00. The slope rating for men is 67.9/121 and 69.0.121 for women. It is a great way to start your day at the Inn.

After golf, you can arrange for a massage to insure you feel and look great. The Spa is open from 10 to 5 each day and perfect way to relax, indulge and rejuvenate your aching bones and tired mind overloaded with the high tech communications of our modern world.

Dinner that night was in the dining room with a window view of the fabulous Mendocino sunset. We began our meal with a glass of the Roederer Brut Sparking wine that bubbled with joy as the sun set over the ocean. Our son MJ insisted on ordering the Calamari that was again fresh and fantastic. We also sampled the Green Lip Mussels broiled with wasabi tobiko mayonnaise and ponzu sauce over sesame seaweed salad that were different and very tasty.

For the entree, MJ ordered the Vegetable Torta layered with spinach, portabello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, feta cheese and marinara sauce that brought smiles to his face. Linda loves Salmon and in our quest to eat all 3000 San Francisco restaurants (500 plus and counting) has enjoyed salmon at some great restaurants. The Local Wild King Salmon was caught nearby and delivered quickly to the Little River Inn kitchen. It was pine crusted and pan seared with spinach puree, parmesan polenta and basil coulis. It was a generous piece that melted in your mouth.

For my entree, I ordered Pork "Oso Bucco" Confit that was tender and delicious. Slow braised pork shank over soft polenta with fennel marinara sauce, roasted red chile broccolini and parmesan.

For dessert we ordered the famous Little River Inn Olallieberry Cobbler baked with butter crust served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. The rumor is that this "LRI" specialty is served in heaven.

There are also a variety of desert wines, port, brandy, scotch and coffee to satisfy anyone’s needs and a nice finish to a relaxing day.

We would highly recommend this coastal gem and look forward to our return to this famous and friendly Northern California Inn.
For more information and to make reservations go to:Click here: Little River Inn

"Big Wow for Park Chow"

The latest in the culinary journey for Linda and Mike L. Mc Colgan took them to Park Chow, located in the inner sunset and close to world famous Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. 

The adventure destination was a Segway tour through Golden Gate Park which was a wonderful way to see over a 1,000 acres of the Park in a 4 hour time period.  Additionally the Segway tour guide provided wonderful history of the park and made stops at the most notable areas.  The Music Pavilion, Dalia and Cactus flower gardens, the Japanese Tea House the Conservatory of Flowers as well as the California Academy of Science and the De Young Museum were all wonderful stops along the way.  We would highly recommend that if you are curious to get to know Golden Gate Park this is a wonderful way to get an introduction.  After the tour we went to the De Young museum and took the elevator to the top to see a beautiful view of the city and surrounding park areas, which by the way is free of charge.

On our way back after our tour, we stopped at the restaurant Park Chow which is located conveniently close to the 9th and Judah Muni transportation stop which we took to get to Bart and then back to Bart Walnut Creek.
Park Chow is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  When entering the restaurant you immediately feel a warm and soothing sensation with the wood burning fire warming your soul from the cool and foggy inner sunset weather.

We started off with breakfast, before the tour, with a warm cup of coffee and pancakes with organic maple syrup.
After the tour we returned for Lunch where we found the restaurant packed with happy patrons enjoying the warm ambience and great food of this fun place. We started our lunch with a glass of nicely priced red house cabernet from Argentina and wood baked artichokes with lemon that were savory and fresh.  For the main course, Linda ordered a specialty pizza, recommended by the manager Renee. Cooked in a wood oven, it was summer corn, pesto, heirloom tomato and arugula. I ordered a spicy dish of Thai style noodles with steak, chicken, peanuts, and spicy lime chili garlic broth that was sensational.  For desert, we experienced the "Big Wow" at Park Chow-Ginger cake with organic pumpkin ice cream and caramel sauce.  
After lunch, we walked a few blocks to the 119 year old Little Shamrock Bar and enjoyed their famous Irish Coffees that completed a heavenly day and lunch. We also bought the locally roasted coffee beans that we had in the Irish Coffee at The Beanery which was across from the muni stop.

Needless to say, we had a remarkable day as we set out to really get to know Golden Gate Park. 
For more information, about the Segway Golden Gate Tour call 415 474-3130 and to make reservations at Park Chow go to: Click here: Chow Restaurant