Crispy Shrimp with Ginger and Onions.
As I’ve been dining out these last few weeks, I’ve been making a concerted effort to broaden my horizons, although my approach itself has been somewhat passive: Basically, I’ve simply committed to ask my servers about their own favorite dishes, and then agree (no questions asked) with whatever recommendation is proffered. It may not seem revolutionary, but it’s actually a much different approach than my typical routine, where I might become fixated on, say, chicken and waffles, and then attempt to sample every option available in the Bay Area. Since beginning this [... read more ...]
Few streets in the Bay Area can match the quaint charm of Albany’s Solano Avenue, the heart of which occupies about two dozen blocks between San Pablo Avenue to the west and The Alameda (an odd street name, for sure) to the east. To its credit, this crosswalk-laden stretch of Solano Avenue features very few franchises or chain stores, yet it does boast plenty of neighborhood restaurants and shops, perhaps none more noteworthy than China Village. Most of the time, I’ll include a visit to China Village whenever I’m catching a flick at the Albany Twin (or perhaps at [... read more ...]
As I’ve mentioned here before, my goal in life is to only eat well, whether that means cooking at home or dining out. With that basic principle in mind, I definitely try to document everything delicious along the way, although sometimes certain meals get lost in the shuffle. And sometimes I may repeat myself, especially when I have certain favorites that I’ll revisit when I have the chance. I’ve actually mentioned all three of these lunches in previous posts, but never presented a photo alongside the article (I only upgraded my camera last May). Eventually, I’ll insert these photos [... read more ...]
The Preferred Nomenclature: Delicious.
The best Chinese food in Napa? Sounds like a trick question to me. The truth is, every Chinese restaurant in the Napa Valley is homogenized through a distinctly American filter, which is what it is. I certainly don’t mean to disparage a Napa restaurant like Wah Sing, for instance (places that have an undeniably long history here in town), for being too simple or too similar. It’s just that when Wah Sing seems to serve the same food as Mini Garden, which serves the same food as China House, well then, what’s the point [... read more ...]
Organic Orange Blossom Tomatoes: So Fresh and So Clean
I started a community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription from Riverdog Farm this week, which I’m splitting with a friend. In this age of factory farming, it’s interesting to place oneself at the mercy of strict seasonality. However, summer is definitely a great time of year to eat seasonally. Tomatoes, corn, peaches, cherries and apples are just a few of the highlights. It’s been uncommonly cool here in the Napa Valley this summer, and I know that the growing season is way off schedule for Napa Cabernet. I suspect that [... read more ...]
