So how do you prepare yourself for a day of copious wine consumption and crowds? According to my friend Gabe- blueberry pancakes and Peet's coffee. The fluffy, flour based discs definitely seemed to provide a nice, starchy base for what proved to be a marathon day of wine tasting. Unfortunately, they did nothing to improve the impending snarkiness caused by buses, idiot drivers and simply having to be around so many damn people (but more on that later).

Barrel Tasting or the Wine Road event is held during two weekends in March and spans almost a 30 mile stretch of land from Santa Rosa to north of Cloverdale. Featuring tourist destinations and major "wine stops", to the more intimate locations that are rarely open to the public, providing a rare opportunity to not only sample current wines, but try their "futures" right out of the barrel.


So, fortified with our floury, berry cakes, our group of four headed out to our first stop, Mounts Winery. And as we drove by A. Rafenelli I patted myself on the back for not trying to stop there first. I'm tempted to say it was a zoo that morning, but that would be a disservice to our fine Bay Area zoos. They are much more organized than that.


So Mounts Family Winery... Great place and awesome people (thank you to Dana, Lana & David). A tasting room that is really more of a covered patio overlooking miles of vineyard, it epitomizes the "hidden gem". While sampling from the barrels, you get to enjoy an amazing, untarnished view of the valley. It felt relaxed and unpretentious as well, which I think is becoming a rarity these days. It also doesn't hurt that they produce some amazing wines.

Their Zins (07 & 08- barrel tastings were great) were some of my favorites and the Cab Franc is excellent as well. And if it's a hot day, try the Rose- cool, crisp and refreshing. If you can find this place, you'll be in for a treat.There is nothing snooty about this winery. Just quality vino with super nice people pouring it. I couldn't think of a better starting point.



From there we headed north to Michel Schlumberger, which I would say seemed to specialize more in the Bordeaux varieties. Out of the two barrel tasting they poured, their Cab blend had a nice level of complexity to it (similar to their name, which I refuse to attempt pronounce, unless inebriated). Oddly enough though, we found the whites to be the most enjoyable. That being said, the architecture and setting is worth a visit.

From the winery with the name I refuse to pronounce, we continued on up Wine Creek Road to a place that is rarely visited- Gopfrich Winery. This place is open to the public, well... never. And it showed. You can call for an appointment, but the crowds of Wine Road weekend seemed to be taking a toll on the owners, in addition to the buses that complete blocked their driveway (despite the large No Buses Allowed signs).

Aside from being noticeably flustered with the masses, they still managed to pour some great wines out of their barrels. And the consensus was, the futures were a lot better than their current releases, which I wasn't all too impressed with. Their zin and syrah via the barrel was far and away the best thing they poured. Both seemed very well developed with bold, complex flavors not usually found at that stage.


From there we continued onward and upward to Bella Vineyards and Winery, which proved to be a great spot for a picnic, assuming you could find a table. Zin Restaurant was cooking up some pulled pork and grits, which were excellent, despite the large lines. There was one memorable Zin at Bella, aside from that, there were simply A LOT of people.

From Bella we ventured on to a few other wineries along Dry Creek Road, then hit up the Family Wineries complex, which looked like New Orleans during Mardi Gras... limos and buses piling up, blocking the road, drunk revelers staggering from stop to stop, and at this late point in the afternoon, the only way they could tell the difference between a white zin and a red would be by the color. Either way, after we parked in the back and worked our way to the festivities (without being hit by beads), I encountered what was possibly my favorite wine of the day.

Papapietro Perry Pinots- crazy good. They were pouring tastes out of three different barrels and if my memory serves me correctly, my favorite was from the Elsbree Vineyards, yet all three were incredibly tasty, smooth and rich with potential.

Peterson Winery- Also, in the same shared complex, was pouring oodles of wines, mostly out of their current releases. Nothing to overwhelming here, but I did walk away with a bottle of the Zero Manipulation, which is a Rhone-style blend, built on the old-vine Carignane, with small percentages of other varietals. It was a clean, fruity, easy to drink wine with enough going on to make it interesting.

Dry Creek Olive Oil Company- I'm not sure if I'd call it a palette cleanser, but the golden green elixir they are pouring here is worth a visit to the tasting room. Their Olio Nuovo, which is a bright green "New Oil", pressed immediately after the olives are picked, was amazing. Incredibly fresh flavor with an almost creamy texture and a peppery after taste. I would liken it to drinking fresh milk, straight from a cow.... Yet, I've never done that, so disregard. A happy afternoon for me would be a crusty loaf of bread and a bottle of that green goodness (accompanied by a bottle of Papapietro Perry Pinot preferably).

We stopped by a few other places after the Family Winery Festivities, Acorn Winery being the best of the late day wineries stops. There was one memorable moment though that stands out before we all slipped into a food (courtesy of Giorgio's) and wine coma... The discovery of the greatest wine cleaner ever. I'm determined to own one of these and use it frequently. It's like a bidet for your wine glass see video below). Brilliant.

An amazing day layered with sunny weather, wine, friends and some great food to top it all off. Wine Road 2011 is already in the calendar.

This place is destined to become a breakfast institution in Sonoma County, which is unfortunate, because that will probably mean lines like Hanks Creekside and Omelette Express. The good news, for now, is that this place seems to be flying under the radar.

Unlike the hotel that this joint resides in, it's bright and cheery inside and the food is a fresh take on the classics (where as the hotel itself is simply classic).

And they are doing those classics ridiculously well. We went on a Saturday morning and we're seated right away. Server was incredibly friendly and helpful, recommending her favorites and pouring coffee and bringing out our drinks almost instantly.



The menu could be considered short, but it encompasses all the best aspects of breakfast food (I'd go for quality over quantity... those 6 page menus always scare me). When the food showed up, I sunk my teeth into what was hands down the best chicken fried steak I've ever had. The veggie hash and scramble that my wife had was equally good with a mountain of scrambled eggs on top (see the pics if you need further proof).

I went to the Hillside Cafe back before Jeffrey took over. It was OK. Nothing special though. Now... The new Hillside Cafe... I can't really think of anything negative to say. But I'll be sure to follow up this review with another couple visits just to make sure it wasn't a fluke (and because I've been craving that chicken fried steak ever since).

I recently had an early dinner here with a group of friends. What I realized after we left was that we all had a great time and the setting is beautiful, but the food and service definitely fell short (which in this case, did not translate into an unpleasant overall experience despite the pitfalls).

As is usually the case, the appetizers were all far more exciting than the entrees. I think the problem is obvious: when creating an entree, a chef feels like he needs to have a protein, a veg and probably a starch. Where as with appetizer, the freedom and creativity isn't hampered by some unspoken rule about what should be in an entree.

That being said, we started with the famous mozzarella al minuto (which by the way, is rightfully famous). A big, gooey ball of cheese covered in some slightly green olive oil and served with some garlicky toasted. Simple and perfect. And when everything was said and done, it was the one dish we were all still talking about (I actually wish I would have ordered it for dessert as well).

Other apps included the fritto misto (I loved the fried lemons, very refreshing and anytime a shrimp head is left on I'm happy) and the pizza with white sauce, broccili rabe, ricotta and chili oil, which was good, but could have been exponentially better if they actually put the chili oil on the pizza. It would have helped cut through the richness. Still, both apps were a good starting point.

When I asked our waiter what her favorite pasta was, she stated that the rabbit pasta is the one they are most famous. I immediately said yes please. Any opportunity to dine on a bouncy, furry critter is to tempting to pass up. That being said, I wished I would have passed.

The rabbit ragu with sage pasta was a very one note dish, overly salty and the homemade sage pasta didn't taste like sage at all. And regarding the bouncy critters in the dish- they could have braised short ribs and spared the furry guys and the flavor would be almost identical (plus a lot more practical, economic, etc). The mushrooms, rabbit and sauce was incredibly rich and earthy, which is fine, but I thought it needed some contrast (maybe some of that chili oil they forgot on my pizza would have helped).

The other entree I tried was the spicy wood oven crab. On that crustacean they definitely remembered the chilis. It was too spicy for two of the diners at the table, which worked out well because I could steal a leg or two. The crab overall was nicely done, but the heat might have been a bit over powering for some.

For desserts: bread pudding and chocolate cake. I am a sucker for bread pudding and when I saw the menu, the decision was made instantly. What I didn't read was that it was made with Pantenone bread, which is a very close cousin to fruit cake (which I loathe). Still the ice cream was good, I just couldn't get past the chewy fruits and bits of nuts that were hiding out in the pudding, waiting to assault my taste buds and jaw muscles. The chocolate cake was more like a mousse was also unimpressive and didn't get finished (again a one note dish with the saving grace being the 4 little raspberries on top).

When it came to our server, she was friendly enough, but failed to take care of the details. We brought a few bottles of our own wine- each time the server would open one, pour and that was it. Never followed up on the empty glasses. Easy to fix, we simply passed the bottles around ourselves and poured, but it was a slightly annoying detail. That being said, the guy filling our waters and clearing our plates was spot on. I drink like a camel and that water glass never got below half full so props to him.

Overall, the evening was nice, but the little things started to add up and anything above a 3 star rating wouldn't be deserved. I'm definitely willing to go back and give Tra Vigne another try... if for nothing else, that gorgeously gooey mozzarella.

It's so nice being able to blow by The Tides and Lucas Wharf, knowing that good food awaits you just around the bend.

On a sleepy Sunday, my wife, dog and I took a drive up the coast. Before we left, a quick Yelp search on the iPhone turned up the the Terrapin Cafe. After missing the turn off for the cafe from the main highway twice, I finally found this hidden treasure tucked away next to a few art galleries and a bait shop.

Having a small dog with you and eating out isn't always the easiest thing, but I opened the front door and was greeted by the friendly owners and a quaint warm interior. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside on the weathered patio. The service was spot on, with my coffee never getting below the 1/3 mark (and it was good Taylor Maid coffee as well).


The food was a refreshing detour from the typical "Coastal chow" of clam chowder and fried fish. We shared the crab cake salad and seafood stew, along with some bread and good olive oil. The crab cakes were all crab, no filler and the salad was light and fresh tasting and not overdressed. Our seafood stew was filled with salmon and shellfish and a broth flavored with garlic, fennel and braised tomatoes. We used every last piece of bread to clean that bowl. This is what "Coastal chow" should taste like.

For dessert, we settled on the carrot cake. It was light, yet had a crispy texture to the top. The cream cheese was almost like a whipped cream cheese and was airy and fluffy and not over powering.


The owners were incredibly attentive, even bringing water for our dog. And even though we were there late for lunch, they didn't rush us out (they close at 2:30pm, we didn't finish until about 3pm). I'd almost considering making the hour drive out to the coast if for nothing else, to try dinner here. The menu might be small, but the fresh, quality ingredients are expertly prepared and the warm, friendly setting make this a place worth visiting. I'll definitely be back.

If you're in the Fisherman's Wharf area and want to avoid the tourist traps and overpriced "seafood", then Crab Station #2 might be the perfect stop. Nestled in between a few other food stalls, down the street from the Boudin Bakery and parking lot, this gem serves up some tasty clam chowder (which I think is served in a Boudin bread bowl) for only $5.50, which is almost half the price of the other restaurants around.

It doesn't stop with the chowder though. Order up a whole crab (I got two last time for $12 & $13 each) and watch the master cracker break down your freshly steamed crab, then assemble it all on a plate for you with some lemons, a zesty, horseradish laden cocktail sauce and a crapload of napkins.


The crabs tasted amazing and if you have any bread left from the bread bowl, use it to mop up the tasty roe that's left pooled up in your crab shell.

For me, this is what SF seafood on the wharf is all about. Another great thing about this place is that you might be lucky enough to find a table or some chairs inside their restaurant (which is pretty cozy).



The best seat in the house is the counter on the window facing out towards the street and the stalls. From there you can pig out on crab, listen to the constant cracking sound of crab shells being artfully broken and watch the pigeons greedily eyeballing the tourists food.

Service here was speedy, even though it was packed and more importantly, everyone seemed to be enjoying their food.

Well worth a visit if you're near the wharf.

Tucked away behind a green and white door lies a cozy, little Italian place- Tomasso. The restaurant consists of 4-5 wooden booths on each side of the restaurants and some tightly packed tables running up the middle. This place was overflowing with people trying to get a table and while the "wait area" felt more like a cattle call, it almost added to the anticipation of the meal. It was obvious that people are excited about this place.

Dinner started off with some simple dinner salads, which were surprisingly good. After devouring those, along with some of the excellent bread left at the table, the mains began arriving...

Raviolis with Meat Balls- I don't how to describe these, other than they taste seriously old-fashion, in a good way. Imagine Grandma in the kitchen making raviolis and you'll have the idea.

Lasagna-it was good... but... didn't knock my socks off, simply tasted like a decent, classic lasagna.

Seafood pasta w/ linguine- hands down the favorite at the table. Normally, I never order seafood pasta because the seafood is consistently over cooked at other restaurants, not the case here. The seafood was perfectly cooked, the sauce was spicy and not overpowering and the pasta was perfectly al dente. One of the best dishes I had all weekend (and I ate a lot that weekend).

Pizza w/ rosemary ham and leeks- unfortunately, no one at the table was that impressed with it. The crust was crisp like I normally like and it seemed as if there was too much cheese, which weighed down the pizza. Definitely not the best pie I've had.

On the flip side, the service, atmosphere and energy of this place was spot on. If you're looking for some solid Italian eats in the seedy part of SF, it's well worth a visit.

Vegans Beware- Salted, Cured and Really Friggin Tasty Pig Parts is the name of the game in this meat factory. Tucked away in the SF Ferry Building lies a piece carnivore heaven- Boccalone. This artisan salume shop is a perfect fit for the Ferry Building, where good cheese and bread is a stones throw away. All the salami I tried was fatty, distinctly flavored and delicious. Plus, the dude who came up with idea of a piggy filled meat cone should be given a Nobel Peace Prize. I'd take that over an ice cream cone any day (unless maybe it was bacon ice cream)... Service here was friendly and fast and for $3.50 you can try 3 different salamis. If only I lived closer...