GrubGuy

Is Origin BYOB? That's not a requirement, as we were also looking at Tra Vigne, but I was just curious.

My wife and I have been back from our honeymoon for just about a month now, and the whirlwind that greeted us has been unbelievable. Though we love to cook, we were thinking of stepping out Saturday night, to have a nice, relaxing meal, with no prep work and no clean-up. We live in Basking Ridge, thought traveling to Berkley Heights, Somerville, etc. is certainly an option. We wouldn't mind hopping in the car for a moderate drive this weekend (1/2 hour or so). We welcome any and all suggestions. Having just returned from Napa Valley with 3 cases of wine, BYOB suggestions are also very welcomed. Thank you everyone in advance for your help.

LJC, I'd definitely give it a shot. I agree that it's more along the line of midwestern barbecue. It's not like the stuff you find down south at all. My buddies and I from North Carolina think it's certainly among the better barbeque you can find in NJ, and have enjoyed the one in Mountainside on several occasions. That being said, my only caveat would be that if you are a true southern-BBQ snob, it may not be your cup of tea. I would say that a visit is worthwhile, though, as a number of people I know enojy their food.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the thoughts on Tra Vigne, and we were initially leery of going there, but two independent sources told us that recently the menu (and they think the chef) had changed, and that it was a worthwhile trip. I really trust both of these people, who know my tastes (both culinary and atmosphere) very well. As it stands, we are confirmed to eat at French Laundry, the Martini House, Tra Vigne and are going to book the Carneros Restaurant in Sonoma. Also, I should have mentioned that we were making plans to eat lunch at Mustards (I'm definitely in for the pulled pork BBQ sandwich now ) and Wappo. We're mostly looking for a place to eat that fifth full night, and the observation that we're trying not to repeat the same (even if it is delicious) cusine is very well-observed. I like some of the ideas for relaxed meals thus far, especially for our Sunday dinner. I appreciate everyone's time and suggestions. We're still very much up in the air, so any further help would be very much appreciated. Oh, and if there's any way we could find out more about the restaurant at Wine Garden, that would be great, too. Thanks.

Hi everyone. I want to thank all those who have helped my fiancee and I with suggetsions about where to eat on our honeymoon in September. It's been wonderful. I had one more favor to ask of everyone. We have five full nights in the Wine Country (we are staying in St. Helena), and so far are dining at the French Laundry, the Martini House, Tra Vigne and the Carneros Restaurant in Sonoma. We are considering eating at Brix for the fifthfull night, but wanted to know if anyone thought this was a good choice or whether there is a better suggestion in light of our other dining adventures. Also, if anyone has any recommendations for what to do the night we arrive (don't want to make reservations because we're unsure of when we will arrive in St. Helena) which would be good around 8:30-9:00, and is casual, that would also be appreciated. Thanks to everyone, and I promise a full review of each dining experience after we return from Wine Country and San Francisco.

Hi folks. To alleviate any confusion, my computer kind of blew up last week, making my account ehre inaccessible. Just as an FYI, GoodGrub & GrubGuy are the same person. I will be posting only as GrubGuy from here on out.

I think our plan right now was to spend the afternoon in dowtown Sonoma. We were going to grab lunch at the Girl & the Fig, and then see the downtown area. After that, anything is possible. I appreciate the advice related to the hills between Santa Rosa and St. Helena. That's good to know, and we will adjust our activities accordingly if we head up that way. Mostly, we're looking to relax, and not rush anywhere, but as far as Sonoma, we were mostly staying in the downtown area, unless someone thinks we're missing a "must-see" opportunity.

Hi everyone, thanks for the continued support. I think our definition of romantic is something quieter, with some cool atmosphere. Farralon and the Slanted Door both looked interesting. Given our other two SF destinations (Gary Danko & Boulevard), Farallon looked a little similar in cuisine-style, but we are thinking very hard about it. Is there one of the rooms in particular that anyone would recommend. Anyone have any other experience on the Slanted Door in either a positive or negative way? The third restaurant we had been looking at a lot is Crustacean, any thoughts. Thanks for the info on Hog Island Oyster Co., too. We were thinking about it for lunch. Looks like a lot of fun.

We had looked at Fleur de Lys, and had mixed feelings. We will have done the French Laundry on our honeymoon, and will be finishing our SF stay at Gary Danko's. We both love the Hog Island Oyster Company. Actually reminds me a lot of an oyster house that I love in Boston. Given that I think we've settled on Boulevard for one night, and Gary Danko for another, I like the suggestions about some good Italian food. I've really enjoyed hearing everyone's recommendations, and exploring places. We are having a lot of fun figuring this out, so if there are any more thoughts or suggestions, keep them coming. I promise a full review of each place we hit when we get back and settled in.

Thanks samgiovese. The General's Daughter is a place I had heard of, and it looks awfully good. La Poste also sounds very interesting. If anyone's tried it, and has any advice, that would be appreciated. We are going to eat at the Girl and the Fig for lunch (my fiancee's find, and she loves the menu for lunch). So far we're pretty diverse with our trip meals, so we're not really limited in type of cuisine. I really appreciate the help and suggestions.

Samgiovese, Thanks for the info. Downtrown Sonoma would be preferable. As you can tell, this is our first trip out to that area, and we're pretty unfamiliar with the lay of the land.

We're staying in St. Helena. Just looking for a nice dinner for a day we're spending up in Sonoma. So, we're flexible as to the dinner.

While my fiancee and I are staying in California on our honeymoon (Thanks to everyone for their suggestions in response to my San Francisco Question), we are spending some time in Wine Country. We are looking for one place to eat dinner in Sonoma. Currently, we were in between Mirepoix and John Ash & Co. If anyone has a preference, or another suggestion, it would be very much appreciated.