BREAKFAST
The Sentinel
Fresh-baked daily, Coffee Cake from Dennis Leary’s (of Canteen) sweet new countertop breakfast/lunch take-out spot, The Sentinel (37 New Montgomery at Stevenson; 415-284-9960)
Bar Tartine
Lavender Country Bread French Toast with bananas at Bar Tartine
Le Garage
“Take two” on French Toast (with homemade crème fraiche and fresh berries) at Sausalito’s new Le Garage
SAVORY
Blue Grass Bar & Grill
Texas Style (sliced) Brisket at brand new Bluegrass Bar & Grill in Glen Ellen (Sonoma)
Hopmonk Tavern
Beer Braised Sausage Plate with cabbage, potatoes, onions in a piquant, creamy mustard sauce at Sebastopol’s new Beer Garden, Hopmonk Tavern
Roast Chicken Roulade stuffed with cornbread, pecans and caramelized onions… if that wasn’t tasty enough, it’s on top of creamy cheese grits (yes!) with cherry jus and mustard greens at Berkeley’s classic Rivoli
Cafe L'ardoise
A perfectly executed traditional French classic, Coq Au Vin, at the Castro’s cozy corner bistro, L’Ardoise
SWEET
Orson
Sour Cherry Marshmallow “Popsicles” with black pepper, a playful Amuse Bouche at Orson
Velvet Cantina
S’mores Nachos at Velvet Cantina: crispy, tortilla chips covered in cinnamon, sugar, Mexican chocolate drizzle, crushed graham crackers, and marshmallows which are lit flambé style until they reach an ideal brown
Wine Country Chocolates
“The Elvis”, a peanut butter/banana/dark chocolate truffle from Sonoma’s fab Wine Country Chocolates
DRINK
The Alembic
Barbed Wire Fence, a new Summer cocktail at the mighty Alembic made of house rhubarb soda and house-infused graham cracker bourbon (!), skewered with a strawberry covered in brown sugar pop rocks… a delightful plaything of a drink!
Ever my favorite Italian wine bar, Bar Bambino, served a complex, 2005 Rose from Marche, Maria Pia Castelli Sant’ Isidoro
South
Sydney Sunrise at South, a sparkling Shiraz mixed with fresh passion fruit for a zingy Summer cocktail
CHEESE
Uva Enoteca
Moliterno, an incredible sheep’s cheese from Puglia, Italy (try it at Uva Enoteca)