My Kitchen My Table

Brunch in Kellerville

Inspired by my new found appreciation of brunch and the upcoming cookbook club with Ad Hoc, MKMT headed to Kellerville, oops, I mean Yountville for brunch at Ad Hoc.

Ad Hoc is the most casual of Keller’s restaurants in Yountville with a more contemporary, low key vibe. The décor was very natural with tall vases full of flowering and soon to be flowering branches and smaller pots willed with green succulents, lemons and quince. Everything was so perfectly, yet naturally crafted, I felt like Martha had just finished a decoration demo there. Even the raised beds behind the parking lot growing beets and other little sprouting greens looked meticulous.

We walked in to a bright, warm room buzzing with diners enjoying Blood Orange Sangria, a seasonal specialty du maison and the menu du jour.

The format for brunch is the same as dinner – a prix fixe menu, three courses, one option for each course. If you have special dietary needs or are a high maintenance orderer, this may not be the place for you, although I was assured that with advance notice for vegans and others on the spot, the kitchen will and does go to great lengths to accommodate all who step through the doors. Thank GOD I eat it all and was ready for whatever the menu had in store.

The menu, prepared each day Chef de Cuisine, David Cruz is served family style. First was the Basket of Baked Goods – corn muffins with lemon butter, banana bread and the umbra (shadow) that was buttery cheesy goodness. All baked goods were served warm.

The second and main course was a platter with an Omelet with Fresh Herbs, Sliced Hickory Smoked Ham (piled high), and Biscuits and Gravy.

Dessert was Blueberry Cheesecake served in a glass jar. On the bottom was a layer of graham crackers topped with cheesecake, followed by more graham crackers, blueberries, cheesecake then topped with blueberries and graham cracker sprinkles.

What a perfect, leisurely way to spend a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.

Fish, Sausalito

Trying to stay true to my New Year’s intentions I had lunch at Fish in Sausalito. Fish takes their mission of serving organic and sustainable seafood and doing their part to save the oceans, watersheds and fisheries seriously. Example, on Friday night they will be closing at 6pm for a special event, Fish and Flicks. Tickets to an evening of sustainable snacks, screening of the movie The End of the Line, and post-flick discussion will be served up to those who attend.

Situated next to the bait shop at the unassuming end of Harbor Drive in Sausalito before you get to the parking lot for the marina, if you’re hankering for seafood, Fish is worth the trip. The vibe of Fish is Marin Mom’s and their tots and dogs with a few people sans kids in the mix. There are several tables outside overlooking the water – making it a great place to go on a warm day. Inside tables are few and family style, we opted for seats at the counter which was the best call since we were served quickly and chatted it up with the staff.

We started with The White Chowder Bowl. “Award winning” traditional New England style white chowder swimming with hand-shucked surf clams, bacon, potatoes, onion, celery and a special blend of dried herbs. And of course, oyster crackers…

Tuscan White Bean and Tuna Salad is Fish’s spin of the old Italian classic, served with Iacopi bombaloni beans, house-poached albacore tuna, red onion, black olives, fresh lemon, olive oil and aged red wine vinegar. My lunch mate had The Fish Tuna Salad Sandwich. (The morsel shared with me is in the upper left of the picture) Line-caught, house-poached local Albacore tossed with niçoise olives, celery, red onion and a lemon caper mayo served on a toasted Acme torpedo roll. Served with shoestring fries or greens, (clearly we opted for the fries…).

One note – Fish is a cash only operation and the tab adds up quickly. That aside, count me in to make the drive across the bridge to Fish again soon. And rumor has it the Fifth Annual Fish Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party is taking reservations…

MKMT Goes to France

MKMT is on the way to France to spend 4 days in Paris followed by a week long culinary tour in Provence with Culinary Getaways, a culinary travel company that specializes in cooking tours in France, Italy, and the Napa Wine Country operated by my friend and MKMT cookbook club participant, Sherry Page.

While in Provence, our small group will be staying at a farmhouse in the heart of the Luberon for a week of cooking, visiting markets and learning about making cheese, growing olives, and tasting wine. What could be better than that?

Here are some of the highlights of what I’ll be doing….

 A visit to a wine cave with a notable history in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
 Lunch at acclaimed Chef Daniel Hebet’s restaurant Le Jardin du Quai in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
 A day in Avignon with Chef Julien Charvet that begins with shopping at the Les Halles market followed by a return trip to his atelier where we will cook together using fresh, local ingredients.
 A visit to the Wednesday market in St. Remy (one of my personal favorite places in Provence)
 Exploring the chocolate creations of local chocolatier, Joel Durand, salt tasting, and seeing how the famous soap in Provence is made.
 A tour of an olive mill near Mausanne les Alpilles followed by an olive oil tasting.
 Cheese tasting with Claudine Vigier, a Master Cheese Affineur, who owns the best cheese shop in Provence.
 Lunch at Chez Serge, in Carpentras. Last year, Serge Ghoukassian was named 2008 Sommelier of the Year for France by Gault-Millau. The plan is to spend time in the kitchen with Serge where he will make a special lunch paired with regional wines.

A Bientôt!

Harley Farms

For years I’ve had this romantic notion of living on a farm with small animals – goats, sheep, chicken, maybe a pig; eating fresh eggs and making soap and cheese. So when the opportunity presented itself to take a field trip and tour the Harley Goat Farm I was in.

Harley Farm has been putting out award winning goat cheese for the past 10 years. Located in Pescadero, CA the goats live a simple and stress free life wandering around their ten acre pasture eating a blend of several types of grasses that have been refined over time and contribute to the smooth and mild flavor of the goat cheese.

The land was originally a dairy farm and 20 years ago Dee Harley bought it after moving to the area from the UK. She didn’t know what she was going to do with it and through a series of serendipitous events she is now a passionate goat farmer who practices sustainable methods and treats her goats with love and care.

The two hour tour is informative and lets the guest walk around the pasture and interact with the goats – they like a good head rub and ear scratch, test their hand at milking a goat – just like squeezing a pastry bag, learn the process of making goat cheese, make a herb and goat cheese round then enjoy the cheese in the top of the bard overlooking the farm with fellow visitors.

There are three categories of goats on the farm and they are kept in separate parts of the pasture. The kids who are born between Feb-March frolic and play with each other growing up and getting ready to be bred. The milkers have the babies and produce the milk and the retired milkers spend their twilight years well fed and taken care of. It is a good life no matter which category as everyone is well fed and watered and has ample room to roam.

The milking goats are milked twice a day and the yield is one gallon of milk per goat which translates into 1 pound of cheese. With 100+ goats in the milking category, making cheese is a full time job. And Harley makes several from a traditional plain smooth goat cheese, to ricotta and feta (personal fave), and then several herb and garlic infused varieties.

This goat farming business is a demanding 24/7 job, there’s nothing romantic about it other than the notion that is fading from my head. For now, I’ll pass on the farm but will seek out the Harley and have vivid memories of the process involved from goat to table that produces these scrumptious cheeses.

Shake Shack

Who would believe that New Yorkers would stand in line for 1+ hours for a burger, fries and shake? This I had to see for myself so I plugged the address into my iPhone, got the walking directions from my Times Square hotel and started out to Madison Square Park, home of the original Shake Shack. I entered the park and at first, the line didn’t strike me… and then…. I saw it…. In fact, on the website, there is a Shack Cam that helps diners “plan accordingly”.
the line wrapped around one side of the park and there was a steady flow of people queuing up.

I took my place and pulled out Vanity Fair to read about Jessica Simpson and the tell-all interview with Bernie Madoff’s secretary and prepared to wait. There was a party of 6 friends behind me who had been before and this time they had come with beer. I had been told that it could take anywhere between 20-60 minutes to reach the front of the line and with the warm night of perfect weather it was looking like the longer side of 60.

With a limited number of items on the menu, ordering is easy. I went with the cheeseburger, fries and a beer. 10 minutes later, my order was up and I had found a bistro table under a tree to enjoy the fare.

Apparently people like to feed fries to squirrels because there were several running patterns around the tables looking for the most likely offering. The burger was good and so were the fries. I typically prefer thinly cut frites for fries and was slightly concerned when I saw the crinkle cuts sitting alongside the burger but they were tasty and nice and salty. Were they worth the >60 minute wait? Probably not again but for the experience, sure, why not.

When I got up to leave I checked out the line figuring it would have dissipated by then but to my surprise, it had doubled… did this mean the people at the end were in for a 2 hour wait? Only in New York….

What is a Luxury Hotel in Kentucky

What does “luxury” really mean when used to describe a hotel? I just returned from Kentucky and had three very different hotel experiences which left me pondering this question.

The first place I stayed was the Gratz Park Inn. Located in the historic district of Lexington, this property touts itself as a “timeless, classic, luxury boutique inn.” It also calls itself an inn with a “pedigree.”

I arrived late and was greeted by the convivial late night manager. Having gotten lost on the way there I had spoken with him more than once trying to navigate the one way streets that Maggie (the GPS) wasn’t able to figure out. By the time I arrived, it was like I was seeing a new friend. I checked in and ordered a Manhattan from the bar of the five-star Jonathan at Gratz Park Inn restaurant that is connected to the inn. I was in Kentucky and after a full day of travel it was time for some good old Kentucky bourbon.

The lobby lived up to the description on the website and in reviews and had a luxe, club feel with leather chairs and richly upholstered sofas. I imagined men in their khaki and seersucker suits and ladies in their sundresses and hats lounging and laughing over mint juleps throughout the decades. I felt the spirit of tradition and southern hospitality oozing from the walls and was looking forward to retiring to my room to be ensconced with the feeling of the south.

The elevator took me to my room on the second floor. I turned the key and walked in with high expectations. What I found was a tired and shabby space in need of repair and updating. The carpet was stained – thankfully I had my travel slippers so I didn’t have to put my feet on it. There were off-color patches of paint on the walls where touch ups had been done and some paint was chipped off. The 80’s wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling off, and the counter, sink, and fixtures were reminiscent of the 80’s laminate/ faux marble with gold specks and plastic and brass fixtures. The mirrors didn’t live up to my standard of clean either. In the bedroom, the armoire that held the television didn’t close all the way and the thermostat had a hole in the wall around it – apparently the patchwork and repainting had yet to be done – or was it even in the queue to be done? The desk chair was soiled with stains on the upholstery and most of the furniture – desk, chairs, dresser, had chips and dents on the legs. Parts of the ceiling were warped and moldy with paint bubbling and peeling. Finally, there was a jumble of all the electric cords in the corner – couldn’t someone have tied them neatly together or run them along the baseboard? The one redeeming feature – the king sized Tempur-Pedic bed, at least I had a good night sleep.

The second accommodation, also in Lexington, not downtown but in horse country, bordering Versailles (pronounced ver-SALES, go figure, I was corrected several times thanks to my college French), was a B&B – Swann’s Nest. I thought it would be interesting to try a B&B in the middle of the horse farms. Rosalie Swann, the proprietor was a gracious hostess and the grounds were gorgeous. I entered the gate key and drove down the long drive surrounded by Kentucky horse farmland on all sides. Swann’s Nest is a traditional red brick estate with stately white columns. This was the house that Rosalie and her husband built and raised their family in. Upon his death, she decided to turn it into a B&B. And B&B it is in all senses. I stayed in one of the front bedrooms that had an en suite bathroom. It was comfortable and homey. The public areas in the house are lovely and full of horse and Derby paraphernalia. Swann’s Nest gives one the feeling that they are a part of a Kentucky horse breeding family and Rosalie is full of stories and information about the business of horse racing and breeding. For really, it’s the breeding that is the focus in this land, more so than the racing, while that’s important, the real $$ is to be made in the business of horse sales. The only downside of Swann’s Nest that I was unaware of when booking – is that this is a smoking residence and while my room was upstairs I felt that there was serious second hand smoke going on to the extent that after two nights, all of my clothes smelled like I was the one who was the smoker not to mention my sore throat and allergies had kicked in full force! It is most unfortunate, for aside from this significant issue, Swann’s Nest is one of the most authentic B&B’s I’ve stayed in.

The third property, in Louisville was the Brown Hotel. This historic hotel in downtown Louisville known for its opulent two story lobby was the gem amongst the three. Upon check in I was upgraded to the club floor that had an extensive breakfast and afternoon cocktails each day. My room was spacious, comfortable, and well appointed. I moved right in and spent the last three nights content in luxury. The concierge in the club room anticipated and looked after my every need. While in Louisville, there were severe storms and a tornado warning. Between the weather and work, I had room service two out of the three nights. I loved how at the end of my order, the waiter said in a spirited voice “thanks for calling me!” This is a place that I would recommend and return to the next time I visit Louisville.

Over the course of the seven nights I was in Kentucky I had three very different hotel experiences. Looking back, I am glad that I experienced each of them and while there is one that I likely would not return to, one that if it were non-smoking, I would return to they helped shape my overall experience in Kentucky. It also reinforced the fact that when one travels, it is imperative to be open minded and flexible with accommodations, restaurants and activities. It is often when things don’t turn out as expected that a pleasant surprise or learning experience results. For me, the accommodations were secondary, it was the time spent in Kentucky with my Dad that was priceless.

Stay tuned for more about the bourbon trails, horse farms, and a few restaurants of Kentucky.

Bardessono – No?

Yountville is the perfect place in the Napa Valley. It is more precious than Napa and not as far as Saint Helena so the heinous traffic doesn’t apply, and hands down, per block is home to many of the best restaurants in the wine country. In fact with so many great places to eat – including the new Michael Chiarello restaurant, Bottega, deciding where to eat is overwhelming. The eating is one vote to stay for the weekend vs. the day, but either way, Yountville is the perfect day trip or weekend escape.

Part of the reason for this visit was to check out Bardessono, the new luxury resort and spa. Touting itself as the “most anticipated opening in years” and open since February, Bardessono also claims to be the greenest hotel in America. Hats off to that! But starting at six-bills a night for the spa-suite (entry level room) in low-season, I had to wonder… if these are recessionary times, has the recession not come to the wine country? Can the Napa Valley support yet another resort with these price points?

After walking around the property I was underwhelmed. There was a lot of stone and wood (or as Paul said “they used the Home Depot bricks to make the walls”… I’m sure they were something other than that, but they did look a little Home Depot). I felt that any type of lush landscaping in the form of trees and plants was missing; perhaps it is still going in.

Unlike other resorts in the area, I didn’t get that feeling that I was in a special place. Granted, I didn’t stay overnight so can’t comment on the service and guest experience, but the walk through didn’t fire me up to convince Paul that I’d found the most fabulous place and we needed to return to spend a weekend.

I love the fact that it is green and sustainable by design and can’t deny that the pool cabanas looked like an inviting place to spend a hot summer day but I left feeling that something was missing and I can’t place what that something is. Did it feel empty, during my look around, I saw only three people – all in the pool. Or maybe it was the sparseness. I am upset. I wanted to love it; I wanted it to be my weekend retreat from the foggy city in the summertime. I wanted to feel compelled to sign up for their email list to receive exclusive offers, but I’m not.

So for now, I wish the Bardessono well. Who knows, maybe they’re close to fully booked for the summer and I have it all wrong. The next time I’m in Yountville, I’ll check it out again and maybe then I’ll get that special feeling.

Westgate Hotel and Plaza Bar

On the same trip to San Diego that uncovered Anthony’s Seafood Grotto, I also discovered the five-star Westgate Hotel and the Plaza Bar tucked in the side corner of the lobby. This hotel is a hidden gem with that old world European feel. From the moment one walks inside and is surrounded by urns overflowing with lilies, snapdragons and roses, classic rococo desks, settees and sofas, and paintings by Rembrandt, one forgets they are in San Diego and is transported to a different place and time.

Conveniently located across the street from Horton Plaza shopping center, three blocks from the popular (although I’m not really sure why) Gas lamp district, and a few blocks away from the convention center, the Westgate is the perfect place to stay in downtown SD. I didn’t rent a car and found that everywhere I wanted to go was a walk or short taxi drive away.

The room was spacious and well appointed with a small balcony, large desk, inviting and comfortable king bed, armoire and 2 chairs – one oversized and with an ottoman. Compared to the small boutique hotels with closet sized-rooms that I have become accustomed to, the room at the Westgate was a castle! The bathroom was also large with marble counters and a large tub/shower that had exceptional water pressure.

The first night before dinner we popped into the Plaza Bar – a cozy oasis seemingly favored by the older local set and winner of the best piano bar award in San Diego magazine. The pianist was playing and the bartender in residence, James was clearly the master of his bar. It appeared that most of the patrons were known by name, as well as what songs they wanted to hear and what would best quench their thirst.

There was no question about James’ command of the martini – wet and dirty – expertly shaken and poured like a waterfall into the glass below – no splash or spills. By the time the glass was full Paul could hardly wait to bring it to his lips and take the first sip. It did not disappoint, we went back the following night for a repeat performance and will return the next time business or pleasure calls for a trip to San Diego.

Paso Robles Wine Harvest Weekend

I had the good fortune to be invited to the Wine Harvest in Paso Robles at the beginning of October. One of the benefits of having a husband with a friend who shirked corporate America a few years ago and decided to make a career out of a passion by becoming a partner in the Four Vines winery. We stayed with our friend, Bill Grant of Four Vines and his girlfriend, Janell Dusi of J. Dusi Wines and were treated like special visitors everywhere we went.

The weekend was full beginning with a winemaker dinner on Friday night. Bistro Laurent paired with the Edward Sellers Winery and wine maker, Amy Butler did a top notch job pairing her wines with the menu.

The first course was Heirloom Tomato and Lobster Salad served with a 2005 Roussanne with 100% of its grapes coming from the Denner vineyard. This was followed by a Salmon appetizer paired with the ’06 Vertigo, a blend of Grenache, Mouvedre, and Syrah. The entrée was perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth tender local Paso lamb chops served with the ’04 Cuvée de Cinque, a blend of five grapes, all Rhone varietals.

At the end of the night there was a drawing for a magnum of Cuvée de Cinq signed by Amy Butler and guess who won? Lucky me! My tablemates were so excited that they all signed the box so I have a real memento of the evening and everyone with whom it was shared.

Saturday was spent wine tasting. We started with the Alternative BBQ at Four Vines– they’re in the process of increasing the size of the tasting room and adding an Oakville Grocer type deli so the BBQ was held outside. Winemaker, Chris Tietge is also a chef and put together an Asian inspired menu that featured chicken satay with peanut and tamarind sauces, cucumber salad, and pork finger sandwiches. Everything was grilled on the “Jimmy” flatbed truck grill. We couldn’t get enough!

After a couple hours, we headed down Vineyard Avenue to Denner Vineyards followed by Jada Vineyard with our final stop for the day at the newly opened, Jack Creek Cellars. We were greeted warmly at all wineries thanks to our friends and tasted some real treasures. The trunk of the car was full of wine by the time the day ended.

We grilled at Casa Billy Grant for dinner so our final stops were Pier 46 Seafood Company where we picked up some bright red sockeye salmon and fresh line caught wild halibut. Next we visited 15 Degrees Wine and Cheese shop where we picked up some cheese and dessert. We cooked up a storm while our host treated us to some special wines from his cellar – starting with vintage Ruinart champagne.

On Sunday Paul and I went to the plaza in downtown Paso and strolled around town, poking around in the boutiques, doing our best to stimulate the local economy. There has been a lot of rebuilding going on since the big earthquake in 2003 and the plaza reminded us of Sonoma or Healdsburg with a mixture of upscale shopping and good dining mixed in with a few stores that have been there for a long time.

We had lunch at the Crooked Kilt – a cavernous Irish pub that features every NFL Sunday football game on their many televisions. You guess why we chose this restaurant – Paul was in heaven! And, it turned out to be an excellent choice for food. I had a crisp Steak Salad with big cubes of Niman Ranch beef, pine nuts, blue cheese, avocado and onions mixed with Romaine. Paul went for the Frisco Burger a fat, juicy burger on sourdough bread with cheese and a little secret sauce.

After lunch we had a couple more wine tasting stops to make and we lingered at each one. Turley Wine Cellars was first on the list. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and made us feel very welcome. Our last stop was Terry Hoage Vineyards. I was particularly impressed with the tasting room. It is a barn that was refaced with 300 year old wood from Terry’s family farm in Iowa. It was beautiful and brilliantly perched on top of the hill with panoramic views of the vines and some up and coming olive orchards. We chatted with Terry and his wife about their operation and enjoyed a sneak taste of some of the grapes that were just harvested.

And just when we thought we were going home we received the most generous invitation to have dinner with the first family of Paso. Every Sunday four generations gather and dine together. It was truly special to have been included in this warm and intimate family gathering.

When it was finally time to leave our hearts were happy and stomachs full. We spent the drive reminiscing about how much fun over the weekend and scheming about our return.

Hotel ICON

Business took me to Houston. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I haven’t spent much time in Texas and had never been to Houston. I stayed downtown at the Hotel ICON, a luxury boutique hotel located in the former Union National Bank building that was built in 1911. After a $35 million renovation, it has received numerous awards including Condé Nast Traveler Hot List of Top 100 New Hotels in the World 2004. Besides, Anderson Cooper and the CNN staff stayed there during hurricane Ike – it was the only hotel in Houston that had power -if it was good for AC, it would be good for me.

The lobby is grand and beautifully designed in a contemporary, romantic, Texan style. Original details in this Neo-Classical building such as the massive vault behind the registration desk and the elevators have been left in tact. I was told that there was no getting the vault out of there! Another large vault in the basement has been turned into a wine cellar and private dining room. A bit of Texas slipped into the bar and covered the chairs with cowhide.

Service was friendly and hospitable. The hotel has a car for guests who need to be driven around the downtown area. This came in handy to me and was so much more pleasant that taking a taxi. The drivers were polite and knowledgeable. I asked many questions about where to eat and shop and got some good answers.

The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and well-appointed, also in a contemporary romantic style featuring lush fabrics and warm, vibrant colors. The desk had plenty of space to work, wi-fi, and an ergonomic chair that made working in my room a pleasure. The piece de la resistance was the Jacuzzi bath with a view into the bedroom. They call it “the ultimate bath”. I certainly enjoyed mine. True to Texas, the towel holder in the bathroom was a bull’s head with horns.

Despite some restaurant recommendations from friends and staff, I opted to dine in and went downstairs to Voice restaurant. Chef Michael Kramer took over 8 months ago and has made Voice a destination for fine dining in Houston. I feasted on the Gulf Blue Crab Cakes with avocado, shaved fennel and cilantro. There were two little round cakes and while they were tasty, they were not very substantial. The Hawaiian Hearts of Palm Salad with baby arugula, cucumber, almonds and white balsamic vinegar came next. I had ordered the other arugula salad on the menu and the waiter brought this one which while not what I was expecting was good, although I am not a hearts of Palm fan.

Still hungry I ordered one more appetizer – Potato Gnocchi with morels, asparagus, and proscuitto. It was by far the best of the three, warm, flavorful and a decent sized portion for an appetizer. I left my bar table sated and ready to head back upstairs for the “ultimate bath”.

As seems to be the trend lately, there was one snafu. My room did not have hot water on the last day. I called the front desk and instead of ‘fessing up to what was going on, they said they’d send an electrician to take a look. I didn’t understand the correlation between electrician and water, and went downstairs to the Spa to bathe. Forty minutes later someone showed up to take a look but it was too late and I sent them away. Upon checkout I registered my complaint. I did not expect a hotel of this quality or standard to be short of hot water; unacceptable. Apparently, there was an issue with the city (fixing pipes that were damaged in the hurricane). I was given an apology and my meal from the previous night was comped. It was the least they could do.

Despite the water, the rest of my stay at the ICON was enjoyable and while I’m not sure if the hotel is an icon by definition (an important and enduring symbol), with the history behind the building and the current iteration of stylish, luxury hotel, it could be working its way toward icon status in the future.