Jeffy Boy

What are your favourite eating spots south of the Fraser? Looking for favourite overall (a la fine dining), as well as tips on unique gems that might otherwise go undiscovered. I'm most familiar myself with White Rock/South Surrey, and am particularly fond of Giraffe (on the Beach in White Rock). It's small and cosy, with great food and service. Cosmos (Greek) is also very good.

I'm still debating the pace at which we plan to go. I love to drive, and would like to stick to the coast as much as possible. My wife though thinks that's all "overhead", and would probably prefer we took 101 at max speed. Our initial plan was to revisit the Sonoma/Santa Rosa area, but also want to see regions we haven't been to. On our last wine trip to California we stayed in Santa Rosa, and got to see much of the Healdsburg area. It was gorgeous and much more relaxing than Napa (I don't think I'll ever go back there). Thanks for the recommendation on Haydon St Inn, Roz. I've now got it bookmarked. In Santa Rosa we stayed at the Gables Inn, which was nice. The breakfasts were the best we've ever had at a B&B. So many wineries, so many wines, so little time!

I happen to like pats of butter on my toast. The trick, for me, is to apply thin pats spaced close enough together to insure a bite of butter with each bite of toast. Tearing is prevented by applying numerous pats and not trying to spread them. This is also one case where I prefer salted butter, the only case, in fact, that I can think of. I've tried melting the butter on the toast but you lose the crunchiness of the bread. I like the firmness and coolness of the pats of butter, contrasting with the crunchiness and heat of the toast. Hey, I've got this down "pat". (pun intended ) Oh yeah! Gotta have a bit of that "warm toast - cool butter" contrast. I totally agree that you don't want the butter to be completely warm and melted! Same goes for dinner rolls.

I grew up in a family of seven, and every Christmas morning for years my brother would make everyone a great bacon and egg breakfast. He never cooked a damn thing all year long, so I don't know where he learned how. I mean, it was a good breakfast! It was a divine gift that I just attributed it to the magic of Christmas....

The Vancouver Sun does a pretty crappy job, with occasional Martha Stewart-like collections of recipes. On Thursdays it includes a weekly insert called "the Queue" that's mostly Entertainment related, but includes some decent restaurant reviews. Better than the big paper is a free alternative paper called the "Georgia Straight" with some interesting stuff, and more restaurant reviews, once you get past the escort and hydroponic supply ads.

Thanks for the reply, Sparkitus. We did a drive several years ago from San Francisco to LA, and spent some time in Monterey & Carmel, so I was planning on passing on by. Maybe we'll stop in Carmel though (gotta eat!). On that trip we stopped at SLO only for lunch and the afternoon, but it looked great. I think I'll add that to the agenda. Fess Parker is one for the notebook. And I just checked out the Wine Cask website (looks amazing - I think their Seared Hudson Valley Duck Breast will go nicely with your Pinot Noir). Any comments on the Carmel Valley, and what I'd find along that thin line on my roadmap between there and Paso Robles?

Hi, this is my virgin egullet post, so I hope I don't screw this up I'm planning a road trip starting Dec 27th from Vancouver down to either the Monterey or Santa Barbara area, with a goal of touring wineries, eating some good food, and generally relaxing - after a crazy year at work capped off with a week confined with in-laws during Christmas We've been to Napa and Sonoma at this time of year (nice), and last year tried the Willamette Valley in Oregon (hello, anybody home?). Are wineries outside of Napa/Sonoma generally open around New Years, or am I setting myself up for a letdown? Any "must-visit" places you can recommend? We're into the landscape and architecture as much as the wine itself.