marie-louise

Yes, No, Yes. I went to a winemaker's dinner two nights ago and the tasting menu was so over the top that I have sworn off them forever. The portions may each each look small, but by the end of the meal you've been served two entrees worth of food. It has taken me over 24 hours to recover from that much food and drink! And while we're on the subject, kudos to Alice Water for never succumbing to the trend of oversized portions. The entree is served on traditional 10 1/2 dinner plates, not platters, and other courses also come out on traditional-sized plates. You will leave Chez Panisse satisfied but not stuffed. [caveat-I never go downstairs on a Friday or Saturday night; she serves more courses then. I go on Mondays "locals night" when only 3 courses are offered.]

I think we had this discussion on the California board a while back-I'll see if I can find it. Meanwhile, my philosophy is if I have a bad experience the first time I go to a restaurant, I never go back. Why would I-there are more wonderful restaurants in the Bay Area than I will ever have time to experience. How do I know that it won't be even worse the next time? Harsh-yeah. But true. It's a tough business out here, with no room for error. And no way am I going to offer my advice as to how my food could have been better prepared or the service and experience improved. Not my problem if the chef can't tell hot food from cold or the staff has an bad attitude. I cut my favorite restaurants some slack. They get to have a bad night now and again...

Last but not least, the days of playing local tourist were very special. We had a Maine Lobster Feast Fed Ex'd for one dinner, but there was so much food that we ended up making two meals from it. We went to Point Reyes and hiked to the spot where we had a picnic the day after we eloped. We drove up the Sonoma coast via the Coleman Valley Road and hiked along the ocean near where we used to own a home. We hiked along Inspiration Point in Tilden Park another day. And as I mentioned in another thread, on our very last night of our vacation. I made a cheese souffle in honor of Julia Child. I'm not positive, but that might have been the first meal I ever made for him. Thanks for all your ideas-you helped a lot.

Okay, part III-our actual anniversary. It didn't go as planned, but it ended up perfect... We drove from Mendocino to Eureka via The Avenue of the Giants (that scenic road through the redwoods.) We ate lunch at Hurricane Kate's even before we checked in-God, I love this place. Good food and positive energy. We rented The Carter Cottage-part of the Carter House compound. What a disappointment. They refer to it as "The Love Shack" on their website, but it wasn't warm and romantic at all; when not rented for FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS A NIGHT to trusting souls such as us, it is used as a demonstration kitchen or rented out for parties. And except for the bedroom-which was nice-that's just what it felt like. There wasn't anywhere to sit and face my husband and have a conversation, because the comfy furniture was pushed off to the corners to make room for a table that seated eight. The kitchen had a professional stove, but the only pots and pans were these cheesy painted enamel ones (T-Fal wanna bes) that would have melted if you'd tried to cook anything. The undercounter refrigerator made so much noise that we had to shout. The deck was huge-you could have easily had a wedding for 50-100 people there, but hardly a romantic place for two. Weirdest of all, the place had two bathrooms-one off the hall for these parties-with a bench out in the hall for people to wait to use the bathroom (all we did was trip on it-it took up half the hall.) All that was missing was the chartpad in the corner... We'd stayed at Hotel Carter before so we had high expectations. I had told all three places that it was our 25th anniversary. At each of the other two places, they'd left us a bottle of champagne and a personal note. At Brewary Gulch they actually had a 5th of French champagne waiting on ice for us. I know I told the person when I booked the room that we would be there on our actual anniversary, but not a thing was left. The most annoying part of all is how they nickel and dimed us-despite the fact that were were paying a LOT of money for this room. They had wine and appetizers in their lobby, but only the first glass was free. When we asked for a second glass, we were told that it was $6/glass-and we had to sign for it right then and there. Even weirder, although breakfast was "included," we were presented with a menu that said there was a 15% service charge-and they made it clear that was NOT the tip. If you ordered a free entree, you had to pay more of a charge than if you had the continental breakfast. So, they presented us for a bill to be signed for $2.16 (plus a line for a tip, although the breakfast was buffet-style and no service was provided other than handing us a menu). It felt really cheesy. We decided that this was not where we wanted to spend our anniversary, so we checked out early (and to their credit, they did not charge up anything for the second night.) We drove north up to Redwood National Park and took a hike. Our plan was to drive home and spend our anniversary night in our own bed, but we'd farted around so long at the park that we would have gotten home very late. So, we decided to just get our our guidebook and start calling around. the first place we called was The Gingerbread Mansion in Ferndale, and amazingly enough, their honeymoon suite was still available on Friday night at 4pm-and they gave us a discount because it was so late! So, for much less money than the Carter Cottage, we stayed in this incredible suite: http://www.gingerbread-mansion.com/empire.html They brought coffee, then breakfast up to our room (discreetly leaving it in the foyer and knocking on the door.) This suite was everything that the Hotel Carter was not. It was romantic in a overdone sort of way-complete with a mink throw on the bed and a bathtub in front of a fireplace. We also got spur of the moment reservations at Hurricane Kate's, so we had a casual meal with lots of small plates of food and Hurricanes to drink. We had a proscuitto & fig appetizer w/ a melon sauce; lumpia; beef sate w/ peanut sauce; and hummus w/ vegetables and pita. We also split a Crème Brulee for dessert. All terrific.

Next stop was Mendocino. Alas, it was hot there, too, and like any other place that is cold or foggy 90% of the time, the buildings simply aren't designed for cross-ventilation. We had a great time driving from Calistoga to Mendocino. We stopped at the Jimtown Store (way to go, Rancho Gordo-she's got a huge display of your beans), then had lunch at Bistro Ralph-a place we've eaten at many times. We sat at one of their outside tables & had an ahi burger and a salad. We got some wine at Navarro, but otherwise, didn't do any wine-tasting the whole trip. I don't know why-we love California wine-I guess it's because we can do that any time... We stayed at The Brewary Gulch Inn: http://www.brewerygulchinn.com/index.html I didn't like this place as much as I thought I would. We stayed in one of the third-floor rooms and it seemed sort of spartan. And very hot-between being in the attic and having only west-facing windows w/ no breeze, it was not fun being in this room. We peeked into a couple of the 2nd floor rooms w/ the spa tubs and they looked a lot more luxurious. I'd stay here again if I could get one of those rooms at their last-minute special rates. The breakfasts were fabulous, including THE BEST BACON EVER. (The chef was also the waiter-he told me his secrets were local bacon from Fort Bragg that was baked, not fried, with brown sugar and... red pepper flakes.) That hot/ sweet combination was perfect. They also had a nice wine and hot appetizer buffet in the late afternoon, as well as great chocolate biscotti available anytime. They occasionally have a winemaker's dinner here; I'm guessing that would be worth the drive. The first night we ate dinner at the Albion River Inn. It was pretty good-nice view, good wine list, decent but not great food. Lots of kids running around (but in all fairness, late August is peak family vacation time.) The next time we just had a picnic on the bluffs-we'd been hiking all day and just didn't feel like sitting through another long dinner, although we had reservations at Cafe Beaujolais. Speaking of which, since Tana mentioned it earlier in this thread, we did finally eat at Cafe Beaujolais several weeks ago and had an awful meal. My entree was a muddled mess of way too many flavors-it was some sort of vegetarian Mexican stuffed peppers and polenta number-and worst of all, it had pinto beans that were so underdone that they were crunchy. Yuck!!! My husband had greasy duck with a too-sweet sauce. The hostess was rude (we arrived at 8:27 for our 8:30 reservation and she had the nerve to look down at her watch and then rudely tell us to sit down on a bench because our table wasn't ready. The bench was in full view of many empty, set tables.) We then got handed a ticket and sent down a dark path-unescorted- and up some stairs to their other room, which might have a nice view during the day, but was just a cramped little room at night. The waitress was oddly perky in a too-much-caffeine sort of way. It was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time!

First stop was Calistoga. We stayed in a place that was as close to ideal as any room I've ever stayed-The Cottage Grove Inn http://www.cottagegrove.com/page-01.htm (sorry for the long string, but I can't post links the way I used to). Great bathroom with a spa tub for two, comfy chairs to read, a wood-burning fireplace, porch w/ rockers, and a comfortable bed. Total romance. It is now on my list of places to retun to again and again. The innkeeper told me that the rates go down in the winter, plus they have a package deal w/ the Lavender Hill spa. We took two mud baths. The first was a "traditional" bath at Golden Havens-the kind where you float in mud. It was WAY too hot, both in the mud and in the room, but I did like that we could both be in the same room. The next day we spent a good part of the day at Lavender Hill Spa (link posted above) and that was much nicer. I highly recommend it. We had dinner at Terra, which we both loved. I can't remember what we had but it was incredible. The next night found us at Taylor's Refresher, eating a burger, drinking a beer and watching the sky turn pink from the setting sun. My only real complaint was that it was HOT. August is not the ideal time to go to Calistoga and climb into a vat of steaming mud-it just happens to be when our anniversery is... Thank God that The Cottage Grove Inn had air-conditioning that WORKED.

Yes, mine turned red. I'm assuming that the brand makes a difference. Also, since it was relatively new construction, it would have had it's own circuit and been the higher voltage (what's that-220?)

For the record, my JennAir was not induction. But it was just as hot as my Wolf stove (with a large gas line.)

I had a glass cooktop at my beach house (now sold) and I loved it! It was a JennAir range. It originally had electric coils, which I didn't care for; I found the glass inserts (halogen, I believe) a huge improvement. The unit was on a center island (with a view of the Pacific Ocean) and the floor was concrete slab-and it is against code to run a gas line through them. Also, the house was very modern, and the kitchen was along one wall of the living room/ dining area-so the black glass looked better. At home I have a Wolf range and honestly, I don't think it is any easier to cook on than this electric one. It's just a little different-the temperature doesn't change as quickly, so you have to turn things down a little sooner. You adapt. I once timed how long it took to boil a huge pot of water on it versus my Wolf stove-and I think the electric one was faster. It certainly got every bit as hot as my 15,000 BTU Wolf burners. I LOVED how easy it was to clean-I had some special cleanser that I bought at Sur La Table-quick wipe of the sponge and it was spotless. It did have a few scratches, but hey, I'm a serious cook I want my kitchen to look like I use it! My only complaint was that I couldn't use my 14-inch saute pans on it because the downdraft system got in the way (with the coils, the pans sat high enough that this wasn't a problem.) By far the worst stove I ever cooked on was a cheap gas one-a Modern Maid in old Victorian house that probably had a gas line the size of a straw. I could not saute worth shit on that stove. So, my two cents-if I had to choose between a cheap gas stove and a nice glass cooktop, I'd go for the electric one in a second.

I let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes (but not 30.) It seems to make a difference in how light they are-perhaps it is because the flour is completely hydrated. I read that tip in Fine Cooking a few years ago. Also-don't stir too much and don't flatten the pancake w/ the spatula after you turn it. Damn-now I'm craving pancakes!

Ah, I never did get back to this... It was a fabulous trip. I discovered a few gems of places to stay. Others were just okay. Someday soon, I will provide details.

I make pizza all the time. I bake it on a stone placed on the bottom rack in a gas (Wolf) convection oven that's been preheated to 500 for an hour. I make the pizza on a piece of parchment, and slide the pizza onto the stone w/ a wooden peel. Sometimes I pull the parchment out from under the pizza after a few minutes (a la yanking the tablecloth but leaving the dishes trick) but I don't usually bother. Yeah, the edges of the parchment burn but so what. As for the pizza stone cracking, I have had several cheaper ones break over the years. The one I have now I got at Williams-Sonoma years -maybe 7 or 8 years- ago. It is thicker (1/2-inch thick). It's an example of the expensive item being cheaper in the long run, I guess.

I have a burner (brand name "Mr. Stove") that uses butane cannisters. It was cheap. I made all sorts of meals on it during frequent power outages at my beach house. Water boils fast on one of these things, and a cannister lasts for hours.

There is also a House of Bagels in downtown San Rafael-perfect location before a Marin County hike. As long as we are on the subject, where oh where can I find a decent bagel in Oakland and/or Berkeley?

I should have been more specific: these are some very special, expensive (for me) Zins. In addition to an assortment of 15-20./ bottle Zins that I always keep around, we have about a case of A. Rafanelli. I'm okay with pairing those. What we purchased this weekend, and what we'll get from Rosenblum's wine club, are Zins in the 30-40. range. I think a couple of them were 50. (They are from Ravenswood and from Rosenblum.) I'm not too good at wine adjectives, but in general, these were fruitier, smoother, and less hot than most Zins-in sort of a Zin meets Merlot kind of style. So, because of their price, I want to think about some special (multi-course) meals to make in the next few weeks so we can drink some of these wines. What would be a few ideal pairings for these? There is a great mushroom guy at the Farmer's Market that I go to-sometimes he even has fresh porcini-so dishes using mushrooms would be a logical choice. And something with chocolate for the last bit in the glass. What could I serve with a roast chicken to make it work? My figs are almost ripe-what could I make to use them? Etc...

Next question... Zinfandel, I have lots of Zinfandel in my cellar and we just bought more today. And signed up for Rosenblum's wine club, so more is on the way. I drink Zinfandel with all sorts of things, but what would you make that really complements it?

I was recently up in the wine country as part of a cross-California 25th wedding anniversary trip. We ate at Terra, which was as perfect as Chez Panisse, IMO, but the next night we ate DINNER at Taylor's Automatic Refresher. In it's own way, it was as memorable as any other dinner we had: it was a warm summer night, we ate on a picnic table on a big cool grassy area under the trees and drank beer (on tap, I think) with our burgers. The hills and sky were pink from the setting sun and the food was wonderful. Personally, I get bored and restless eating elaborate meals and sitting in restaurants for hours a day when I'm traveling; it's sensory overload after a few days. I enjoy the nice meals more when they are balanced with casual ones (picnics are perfect.)

Most of my eGullet reading is in the early AM, with my coffee.

I think it is the same one that Glenn posted in the very first line of this thread.

For a picture of both the food and the truck, come on down to the California board. As for The answer is IT'S THE TACOS!!! Really good tacos.

It won't be until at least next week. Meanwhile, guess what I had for lunch today Yep- a "no-meat burrito" from Happy Burrito (on Webster.) PS I'm a spiral unwrapper, too.

Well... IF there is a time when y'all know a day or so in advance that you are heading to a particular locale, would you mind posting the time & place in advance? I've been known to do stranger things than drive an hour to eat a great taco sitting on the curb w/ people I've never met. Every time you post one of these reports I HAVE to go get Mexican food.

For the two of us, especially on weeknights-we think we're doing well if there's three things on the plate! Most of my entertaining is very casual. I usually put out a large platter of assorted things like crostini, raw veggies, olives, or spiced nuts to drink with wine. We often carry things up a bunch of stairs to a level spot in our garden w/ a view, otherwise we hang out in the living room. I serve a single course in the dining room, then it's back to the living room for coffee and a little something sweet. But it's Saturday night, these people have never been over to our house, and when we went went to their house they made us an incredible prime rib paired with incredible wines, so there you have it... Jinmyo, I'd love your ongoing input!!! I am always in awe of what you cook in the Dinner thread.

I guess it's only fair that I start, huh? The first thing you should know is that I am very fussy about eating "summer food" when it's hot and "winter food" when it's cold. The problem is that I live in the SF Bay Area, and the temperature can vary about 30 degrees in the course of several hours! We've been having a major heat wave here lately. A few [sweltering] days ago, when discussing food likes and dislikes with the friend who's coming to dinner tonight, I asked if she and her husband liked rare ahi, because I'd been craving Salade Nicoise but couldn't bear to serve it when people asked for their tuna well-done. Her face lit up and said it was one of their favorite things, so I said, well, that's what I'll make! You guessed it-now it's cooled off. So, here's what I've planned: As a nibble in the living room w/ a glass of wine TBD: Savory Shortbreads made w/ Cheddar, Thyme and Smoked Paprika As a first course: Steamed Mussels in Boillabaisse Broth (I figured this would be good in case it was freezing by then). Acme Sourdough Batard will be on the table for this course and the next. Salade Nicoise-besides the Ahi, it will have these wonderful dry-farmed tomatoes, assorted cherry tomatoes, a hard-cooked egg, green beans, potatoes, and olives. I'm using some of my Meyer lemons for the dressing. Dessert is Chocolate Eclairs filled w/ Chocolate Pastry Cream, plus Lemon Mousse tartlets. I hadn't planned on the tarts, but the bakery had samples out and they were too good to resist. I figured this way I could offer people a choice-or some of each! I haven't picked wines yet.

In the spirit of the new eGullet Society's mission of "a renewed sense of purpose: to increase awareness and knowledge of the arts of cooking, eating, and drinking..." I thought it might be fun to have an ongoing thread to post our planned menus, obtain suggestions for improvement, and last but not least, discuss the rationale behind them. This continues to be one of my weakest skills. I know the basics-and JAZ's excellent eGCI class helped me a lot-but I'd love to improve. Part of my problem is that I rarely cook multi-course meals, so I just don't have that much experience. So, what do you think? Are you interested?