Carolyn Tillie

Check ahead of time that your Sunday choice is open -- this is one of those crazy parts of the world where much is closed on Sundays (like Pilar's)!

Yeah, well... only passable Asian food. There are three Sushi restaurants in Napa and I hear rumor of one in Calistoga. There is a California-style Oriental restaurant in a strip mall near where I live which has passable Yakisoba when I don't feel like cooking. All four Chinese restaurants suck but one of them works when severe desperation or illness sets in (Won Ton Soup when ill works wonders). Some are significantly worse than others. Lastly, in Sonoma on the square, there is a restaurant called Rin's Thai which is EXTREMELY California-ized which means I kinda like it (it is also not too spicy).

Actually, because of all the vineyard workers, our Mexican is pretty authentic and good. It is our Asian cuisine and REAL Italian that is truly wanting... But true, it IS a great place live AND eat AND drink!

I guess when I want pulled pork, I head to Taylor's Refresher -- although they don't have it all the time, same as their Duck Confit Tacos, or Mahi Burger, all seasonal items that are way better than their standard menu.

Gooey, dripping, oozingly sticky coated baby back pork ribs.

I would personally skip Mustards, Brix, AND Tra Vigne as all being too touristy and just mediocre considering how many better places there are in the valley. I know that many people who visit us at the winery end up almost complaining that eating at high-end places like FL, Auberge du Soleil, La Toque, and Martini House day after day after day DOES take its toll. In St. Helena itself, consider a few "hide-away" spots like Cindy's Backstreet, Market, or Terra. Down in Napa proper there are other hidden treasures like Zuzu's or Pilar. Look through previous threads -- some are extremely recent.

Well it is pretty easy to direct you to Chinatown for Chinese stuff. However, a really fun time can be had at SF's Japan Town where Shawn, Squeat Mungry, and I spent a great afternoon. Squeat also introduced me to Yum, at 1750 Market, a really cool gourmet store a few doors down from Zuni. The Ferry Building is another obvious choice, having been discussed ad nauseum. Edited to add that I apologize I didn't read your question well enough to see that you already HAVE Asian -- and are looking for Arabic. Mea culpa.

You can start your bidding here.

When I was managing events at the Music Center in LA, there was a pretty strict "dress code" for servers that small, non-dangly earrings were okay, other facial piercings (eyebrows, lips, cheeks, noses) were not. It was an attempt for uniformity and in seemless service, no one should stand out other than by providing perfect, pristine service. Every now and then, a newbie server would show up with a fresh piercing and claim they could not remove it or the hole would seal up. They were given the choice of the piercing or the job -- as these were often just one-evening gigs, they would usually opt for the job...

To wit. There you go. So my memory's a sieve. But I don't remember that view from the dining room. Guess I wasn't paying attention. I know that everyone does rave about the food but it just hasn't done anything for me. Your mileage may vary. How funny is that -- I didn't remember seeing that image from inside the restaurant!!!

Samgiovese, I have to agree with you. I have eaten there three times now and while "pretty good," I have found it to be far from exceptional. I must say that the BEST visit I had a the Bistro was totally off-season and for lunch. In the late fall, during lunch, it is a lovely restaurant. But now that the valley is inundated with tourists, the wait and the noise keep me from really enjoying that place, especially when there are so many others that are on the same level (if not better, for the price!)

Olive oil, Plugra, duck fat.

Interesting -- considering a Berigner PR usually retails for around $130, that would make this bottle worth AT LEAST $25,000. And, as Katie indicated, who-the-hell would lift it! Actually, for really monstrous bottles, there is this contraption (which I can't find at the moment via google) that hefts and pours Jeroboam and Methuselah bottles.

I, for one, am generally disturbed by the price structure that has occurred within the industry. There are these few guys (Laube, Parker, Tanzer, et al) who have "set the bar" and too many people who take their word for gospel. As we all know from this board, taste buds vary wildly amongst John Q. Consumer. And in giving my wine tours, I taste folks on two wildly different cabernets: one is velvety, rich, and spicy while the other is leathery, hefty, and full of tobacco and cherry. It astonishes me how people react to these two different cabs, some loving one but no the other and vice-versa. But it is these same folks who SWEAR by the point system! I cannot help but feel that these Point Makers are Pied Pipers, leading all the children to their doom and demise...

For me, most LH and Sauterne tend to be a bit too expensive to cook with -- however, I will use port reductions in sauces, especially over venison or duck. I was watching one of those Great Chefs series on the Discovery Channel where the chef reduced an entire bottle of ice wine for what would ultimately be four servings of a dessert -- at $75.00 a bottle, I was incredibly jealous!

Except for the occasional raw milk from Sonoma Market, I also buy my milk from TJ's -- and Shawn and I go through two to three gallons a week. Mildly cheaper than wine...

When I used to drive up from LA, my favorite Paso Robles wineries included: Adeleida Treana Eberle Justin (LOVED their Iosoceles) Another huge favorite in nearby Los Olivos is Beckmen Vineyards

There is actually a huge Hawaiian enclave in <guess where???> GARDENA! That's the place to head for REAL Hawaiian food... ALOHA TAVERN ( 310 ) 324 - 2700 16416 S VERMONT AVE,GARDENA,CA,90247 Bob's Hawaiian Style Okazuya 16814 S. Vermont Avenue, Gardena, CA 90247-5619 Phone: (310) 515-2250 BROTHERS HAWAIIAN FOODS ( 310 ) 323 - 9112 1033 W GARDENA BLVD,GARDENA,CA,90247 Harry's Aloha Chop Suey 1721 W Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena, CA 90247-3223 Phone: (310) 324-4231 KAU KAU KORNER RESTAURANT ( 310 ) 515 - 5110 1740 W ARTESIA BLVD,GARDENA,CA,90248 L&L's Hawaiian BBQ Gardena Valley Shopping Center 1258-C West Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247 Phone: (310) 630-5868 Seoul Grindz Hawaii 136 S Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204 Phone: (818) 637-8566 Teri Hawaii 1425 W. Artesia Blvd. #34 Gardena, CA 90248 Phone (310) 327-030 Just outside Gardena: King's Hawaiian "The Local Place" Restaurant 18605 S. Western Avenue, Torrance, CA 90605 Phone: (310) 523-3233

Don't forget a good French wine (Bordeaux, I believe!) for Nixon who was notorious for serving California wines at State Dinners, but having HIS bottle re-filled with fine Chateau Margaux and Petrus!

Aw man... if only the court proceedings were televised on CourtTV!!!! I would love to watch the shit-slinging on this one!

Actually, these are names of cities in Germany. I think Cypress Grove has some pretty interesting names, including Purple Haze, Bermuda Triangle, and Fromage a Trois. That's in additon to the one you mentioned, Lamb Chopper. I had never looked at their website before -- thank you! I didn't realize they were the ones making my beloved Lamb Chopper (a favorite of mine that I buy whenever I hit the Ferry Building). Their Pee Wee Pyramid is pretty funny too!

I can't hear "Quark" without thinking of the Star Trek DS9 bar-keep... (he was a Ferengi named Quark).

Thanks for the kind word -- and for visiting! It was great to meet new eG'ers and hope we can all get together soon.... Maybe another NoCal potluck is in order?!?!?!

Matsuhisa is fine and dandy for upscale California-style Japanese. If your boss is in New York, he may have already eaten at Nobu which is probably the same thing. If you want REAL Japanese, head to the town of Gardena where you can't throw a dead cat without hitting an authentic, fabulous Japanese restaurant.

Ah, thank you... If someone were really good at Photoshop a doctored shot of the famous fresco might be fun, eh?