Maison

It is so great to hear all the excitement about such a wonderful product! When I worked at Dean & Deluca in St. Helena, I could not sell any of it. I even tried to discount it and beg customers to just give it a try. To all who have not tried it, please be cautious with the first dose, but enjoy !

Congrats on the score! Remember that ponzu is your friend and the Japanese citrus, Yuzu, is insanely fantastic.! I would actually try a confit if I were you. Confit of "foie de mare" with Shiso sake broth. Let me know what you think, please? Enjoy, Maison

One more store that just came to mind is SHACKFORD'S in Downtown Napa. It is a really nice, privately owned store with cutlery, cookware, and gadgets.

I must try that. For me, pizza is not pizza without black olives. I add lechin olives to chicken cacciatore. They are very sturdy. They hold up to the stewing and add saltiness and a nice bite that work well with the sweetness of the tomato. That would be good now if it wasn't so blasted hot. I make tubes of gorgonzola wrapped with prosciutto and stuff green olives with them. They work well on their own, in salads, or in martinis (Bombay Sapphire, please). I also make a chopped olive accompaniment (black & green) with roasted garlic, and roasted red pepper that I marinate in apple cider before adding to the mixture. I use it for muffulettas. Did I mention that I love olives? Hi there Aurora! I was wondering if you have ever tried hondrelia olives. They are Greek, and a copper toned large olive with a very fruity taste. At Dean & Deluca in St. Helena, there is an Olive bar that is on the charcuterie side of the cheese department! You must go, see, and try! From Picholine to Niciose, and a spicy Spanish Catalan olive, the assortment will keep you on your toes Enjoy, Chez Kristyon ( Maison)

Hello Kristyon: I am quite wonderful. Today was great. I am currently working for a restaurant that received well-deserved, TASTEFUL, media attention. Generally, that is a blessing, but it can be a curse on occasion. Today was a blessing. How are you? Thank you so much for your imput. It is a plus to receive a resident's perspective, and I am eager to hear more. Everyone has been wonderful. They have supplied me with recommendation after recommendation that has turned into pages of notes. A rough outline of a trip is beginning to surface. Now, I would also like to hear about the possible pitfalls that someone like me could potentially fall into? The Napa thread in the wine topic discusses traffic and crowding at length. Do you or any other members have any cautions that you would like to mention? Please don't hold back. What are good and bad times to be there? Please tell me more about Copia's bookstore. The Web site does devote a page to the Gift Shop, but the brief mention of books could easily be omitted. So much so that I took the lack of elaboration to mean that the Gift Shop contained books, but there really wasn't enough to call it a bookstore. Books hold a special place in my heart, and books on gastronomy, cookbooks--well, I'll just say that l like them a lot. Also, I would like to hear about any specialty food, wine and cooking stores in Napa Valley. Thanks again. Hello Aurora! It's great to hear back from you. Well, I am very pleased to hear about your planning- watch out for the Main Highway 29! From about 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm take the side roads or the Silverado Trail. The Silverado Trail runs parallel to 29 and there are a few side streets that connect the two. I actually prefer taking Silverado most of the time myself. The Valley, as you probably already know is going to be full of tourists. Come 4:00 pm, don't try to take 29 south. It used to resemble a parking lot! Don't let the floods of people scare you. The Napa Valley Olive Oil Company is a cool little place to go to just to check it out; go early! You have to go to Dean & Deluca. I used to work there in the cheese and charcuterie department. The selection of salamis from Molinari and Hobb's are exquisite! At Dean & Deluca you can find some great ingredients and supplies for our kitchen. If you need to talk some serious cheese, John Raymond should still be around- he was the department manager when I was there. SunShine Market is another great market where you can get some sensational meats, duck, fish, and pork. The little Sushi stand they have there is actually pretty good too if you are having a sushi withdrawl. Speaking of Sushi, If you can, check out HANA in Rohnert Park. This is a must for a divine sushi experience. Ken Hana is an artisan that works magic. Just a quick suggestion on wineries ( there are so many so if I leave one out, please don't shoot) Shramsburg is incredible. It is located in Calistoga on the Main Highway 29. Rutherford Hill Domaine Chandon Stags Leap Robert Sinskey Joseph Phelps Rombauer Duckhorn Winery Chateau Montelena Elyse These are just a few that flew out of my head. They are all over the valley, so I would get a map so you can see what is going to best for you so you can see these wonderful places. I am actually going to Napa for 9 days! I can't wait. I am leaving here on July 9. I will be staging with Hiro for a couple of days. Hopefully I can get into Gary Danko's or Masa's. When are you going to be there? Oh! I also meant to recommend Roux if I have not already. It is on Main Street in St Helena, around the corner from TERRA. La Toque is also a great recommendation. I myself have not been there, but A buddy of mine works there now; he vowed that the food is strikingly wonderful If you have anymore questions at all, or you just want to talk food, do not hesitate. Look forward to talking with you soon, Chez Kristyon ( Maison) P.S. My new name is Maison