syrah girl

Where is Toro Bravo, are they open on Mon. and do they have a website?

It is on their dinner menu on the website. Has anyone had any recent experiences with Bluehour? We may go back there for dinner since it's been awhile.

We also love Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir. I would plan a visit to Archery Summit and Domaine Serene in this same area. We visited Scott Paul in Carlton last summer and were VERY impressed with his "Audrey" Pinot Noir. The Winemaker's Studio in Carlton, a few minutes away is also not to miss. You can sample several wines here, a very pretty upscale building also with an outdoor area to relax with your tastings. Torii Mor and Sokol Blosser are also worth a visit for their amazing Pinot Noir. We had a nice lunch at Tina's in Dundee last summer, The Dundee Bistro is also very good. If you want a very nice place for dinner, the Joel Palmer House in Dayton is excellent. Fine dining in a Victorian home, excellent service, they specialize in mushroom dishes. Don't miss the Mushroom Tart if you go here, very good desserts also, especially the Peach Purse and the Creme Brulee. This summer we hope to try the Painted Lady in Newburg which has received rave reviews lately. Ponzi wines are also very good, you can sample these wines at Dundee Bistro, there is a tasting room adjacent to the restaurant here. Cheers and enjoy the wine country!

We had a very nice lunch at Fenouil last summer and I am considering going here for dinner when we are in Portland soon. Has anyone had this dish here and is it good? We are also consideirng clarklewis, any recent experience here? We have been to several great places in Portland, our latest great mea was at Olea in the Pearl District. Ten 01 and Carlyle are also possibilities for dinner as we have only had lunch at these places. Thanks!

www.docelunasrestaurant.com is the website for the last place I mentioned.

You will love the Sonoma Mission Inn, we have stayed there 3 times now. There are two restaurants right at the resort, Sante is the more formal venue and don't miss the Lemon Cottage Cheese pancakes at the Big 3 Diner there. The General's Daughter would be a very nice choice for dinner, we had a very good lunch at the El Dorado Kitchen, also. The girl and the fig is one of our favorite places, it is right across the street from the El Dorado Kitchen. Cafe La Haye is also very good as is the Swiss Hotel, we like to dine out on the back patio at the Swiss Hotel. A little ways up the road in Kenwood is an off the beaten path type place called Doce Lunas, I had an amazing Wok-Seared Calamari salad there. Friendly people here and lots of local Sonoma wines to choose from. Have fun!

Thanks for the update on Ten 10, hopefully we'll get over there for dinner when we're in Portland in a few days. I think it's time to pay clarklewis a visit again, also.

We enjoyed REDD in Younville, Ad Hoc and Bistro Jeanty are also favorites of ours in this area. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is also good in St. Helena, wonderful food here. Two of my favorite places in San Francisco are Farallon for the seafood and Boulevard by the Ferry Building Marketplace. Have fun!

Did you eat anywhere else in Cannon Beach? We had an amazing meal at the Stephanie Inn a few nights ago. I should post a full review here, huh? If you're ever looking for a fine dining experience on the coast, this is THE place. Four wonderful courses for $45/pp in a very elegant and upscale dining room.

artisanbaker, have you gone on your trip yet, if so how was it? We were in Tahoe this past May and enjoyed great meals at Evan's, Cafe Fiore and 19 Kitchen at the top of Harvey's. The breakfast buffet at Harrah's was also very good with stunning views of the lake.

Hi Sara, you may want to stop at Bell Bouy in Seaside, it is a fish market that sells all kinds of great seafood. We have been enjoying their crab and prawns cocktails here. Really good, fresh seafood here. My husband caught a very nice crab out in the ocean in Seaside that we enjoyed as crab melts that afternoon with a glass of Oregon Viognier, nothing better than this! In Cannon Beach, check out Ecola Seafood Market, they also have a nice variety of crab, prawn and shrimp cocktails. It is also Razor Clam season right now, you may want to give these a try also when you're on the Oregon Coast! Have a great time! If you happen to go to Astoria, about 30 minutes from Cannon Beach, they hold the Astoria Sunday Market there where I love to sample their oysters and clam linguine. It runs along 12th Street from 10-2 every Sunday.

Thanks, John!

This past Wed. we had an excellent dinner at Olea in the Portland Pearl District. Very good Green pea risotto, fresh salad with tender greens and my Sea Scallops were perfect. For dessert we had a Strawberry Rhubarb pastry with Lemon Creme Brullee. The ambiance is very nice, upscale and contemporary with great service. This place has it all!

We decided on Olea in the Pearl District for dinner this past Wed. night. Excellent place with very good food. I had the Green Pea Risotto, a very nice salad and the Sea Scallops. We shared the Rhubarb Strawberry Torte for dessert, this was served with Lemon Creme Brulee. I highly recommend a visit here while in the Portland area. We'll be back in Portland in a few days, looking forward to trying more places there, haven't decided yet. Maybe Toro Bravo, what's good there?

Thanks for the report back, we also love Park Kitchen. We will be in Portland in a few days, haven't decided where we'll eat yet, we always look forward to our time in Portland!

Hi, we were in the area this past March and had an amazing lunch at REDD in Yountville. We also very much enjoyed Ad Hoc in Yountville and Cyrus in Healdsburg. I have some photos of these meals in my albums on this site. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena was also good for lunch, it is a more casual setting than REDD. Enjoy!

We had an incredible meal at Joel Palmer House last summer. We ordred a lot of different things, there were 3 of us. The mushroom soup, the mushroom tart, caprese salad, the pasta, sea scallops, duck were all excellent. We had the Creme Brulee with fresh berries and the Peach purse (the photo on my profile) for dessert. Everything was beautifully presented and the service was perfect. There is also the "mushroom madness" where you can order several different things made with mushrooms. Great place! I have some photos of our meal there in my album on this site. Enjoy!

We were in Napa Valley in March and had an amazing lunch at REDD in Yountville. Ad Hoc is also there, right next door and is very good for dinner. St. Helena has Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, really yummy goat cheese raviolis there and stuffed Piquillo peppers. The General's Daughter is a great suggestion and we have enjoyed several nice lunches at the girl and the fig. Right across the street is the El Dorado Kitchen where I had some really good Steamed Black Mussels for lunch. The Swiss Hotel right across the street is nice for a casual meal out on the back patio. They do really good pastas and pizza there. Enjoy!

Glad you enjoyed Burgerville, we'll be hitting up this place many times when we're on the Oregon Coast for the summer!

Mmm... Burgerville, love it! They have some really great shakes also and the Walla Walla onion rings are really, really good. The next best things to In n Out in the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy your trip!

We were in Portland this past March and enjoyed really great lunches at Park Kitchen and Ten 01, they are both located in the Portland Pearl District. Ten 01 is really gorgeous building, the food was excellent as was the service. I have some photos posted in my album of our meal there. We also enjoyed a really nice dinner Lovely Hula Hands, they have a new location on N. Mississippi Ave. Great food in a homey, friendly atmosphere. I also have photos of our meal here in my album on this site. Another consideration would be Fenouil, also in the Portland Pearl District. A very pretty building with great food and service. Enjoy!

We stayed at the Villagio Inn & Spa in Yountville this past March. I can't say enough good things about this place. The location is great, right across the street from AD HOC and Redd where we enjoyed excellent meals. The champagne breakfast buffet set out here in the morning is amazing, very extensive with unique items you don't find in a regular hotel buffet. Have fun, we loved being in Yountville, so close to so many amazing places to eat.

Cyrus is amazing, you will love it there. We also very much enjoyed Ad Hoc and Redd in Yountville when we were in Napa Valley last month. Ad Hoc only serves one menu, so make sure they have something you like the night you dine there. They are now accepting reservations, also. We dined at the General's Daughter last spring and had a very positive experience there, the ambiance is very nice and the food outstanding. Cafe La Haye and the girl and the fig are a couple of other Sonoma places we like. In San Francisco, Boulevard is really great and we also enjoyed a nice meal at Farallon in Union Square. I have heard great things about the Dining Room at the Ritz, we dined in their casual venue, the Terrace last May for my birthday lunch. The Ritz is a beautiful hotel and the food was great, the offer a Fixed Price menu there for lunch which is a 3 course meal including dessert.

Have a great time, we enjoyed both Redd and Cyrus last month, amazing places with some great food!

Thanks Carolyn for the link to that review! We enjoyed the General's Daughter last Spring, it's such a great place in the Sonoma area. Congrats to everyone there for making this a true "gem" to the Sonoma dining scene.