Yolk so shiny, it picks up the ceiling fan.
One of my favorite breakfasts in wine country is the black-pepper brisket hash at the Fremont Diner in Sonoma Carneros. Earlier this week, I made a specific point of ordering this dish on my way out to Mendocino County, a road trip that usually pushes lunch back to the late afternoon. This brisket hash is a 100-mile breakfast if there ever was one. The potatoes are crispy, yet tender, and cooked with fresh herbs, while the brisket features a smoke-and-black-pepper pungency that I would best describe as addictive. Of [... read more ...]
The welcoming sign for Toulouse Vineyards, Anderson Valley.
I’d spent most of the spring stockpiling some quality Napa Cabernets, taking advantage of the lauded 2007 vintage. But while these big reds gain some age and finesse, I needed a mixed case of white wine and sparkling wine to provide some relief from the summer heat. I suspect that the weather here in the Napa Valley could become very serious in the near future, and while most of June has been relatively cool by Napa standards, the end of the month did deliver a more realistic taste of summer, [... read more ...]
"A Night on the Town," dedicated to Schramsberg's legendary riddler of more than 36 years, Ramon Viera, who retired last December.
As a Napa Valley local, I’ve visited Schramsberg maybe half a dozen times over the last few years, but today I’ve finally decided that this winery offers the mother of all wine tours, hands down. The deep history, the unique property, and the world-class sparkling wines are practically unrivaled here in the Napa Valley, and for these three reasons, Schramsberg truly belongs in a class by itself. I’ll just leave it at that. Below, I’ve posted [... read more ...]
The Chilaquiles @ Miguel's Restaurant, Calistoga (minus the sour cream)
I was first introduced to chilaquiles while I was living in Los Angeles. Back then, I was working a prep cook at Houston’s Santa Monica, trying to get some real-world kitchen experience before heading off to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Since I was working mostly mornings at that time, the “family meal” at Houston’s was often chilaquiles, which I would best describe as breakfast nachos, for lack of better terminology. These meals would assume varying forms from day to day, based upon whatever [... read more ...]
The weather finally became warm enough to uncork a 2008 Merry Edwards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc, which I had been hoarding for what seems like an entire year now. It may very well have been that long, considering the 2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc is already out on the market, and I did acquire the 2008 vintage very early during its release. Anyhow, as the 2008 Merry Edwards approaches its second full year of age this fall, it was the perfect time to finally take a peek, and see what my remaining stash could offer in the future. [... read more ...]
