“People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen.” - Don Miller, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”

Hold on… we’re going to run a wide gamut this issue – there’s something for everyone. The Latest visits new waterside wonder, Lafitte. Around the Bay highlights the best pizza I’ve had north of SF and dinner in Guerneville. Top Tastes covers Castro burgers and Italian two ways:  trattoria perfection or old school. La Chouffe plays prominent in a 5-course Belgian beer dinner at Monk’s Kettle in Happenings.

It’s double-duty for Imbiber this month: part one is rare  scotch whiskies, collectors’ Reposado, gorgeous Spring cocktails at some of my favorite watering holes, Wines of Portugal. Imbiber, part two? Highlights from Whiskies of the World. Wandering Traveler visits LA’s incomparable molecular gastronomy destination: Jose Andres’ The Bazaar.

I’d love your feedback on any spots visited from my site. Please tell your friends and have them sign up for the newsletter. As your personal concierge who tells it to you like a good friend would, I also create personalized itineraries: trips, meals, explorations (under “Services“).

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

- Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThePerfectSpot

- Here’s my San Francisco Bay Guardian online column, Appetite. Recent columns:
Butchering, Searing & Relishing at Marche Cooking Class
3 Non-Whisk(e)y Highlights from Whiskies of the World
3 Delectable Pastrami Sandwiches
3 DIY Books for Spring
3 Hoppin’ Easter Meals

**Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Virginia Miller**

"Bangers & Mash" in a delectable duck jus I wanted to drink

LAFITTE

You may have been hearing about this brand new Embarcadero restaurant (I went opening week: 4/5) from Dissident Chef Russell Jackson, whose underground dinners have amassed a loyal following over the years. His long awaited restaurant is already getting buzz about the lack of an official menu (the chef changes menus and direction each day, not only depending on what is fresh but based on inspiration) and about a live web cam where you can watch Lafitte’s cooking action.

DECOR: Perched on the Bay with Bay Bridge views, the magical, enclosed patio feels Parisian, while the lofty indoor space has seating front and center of the kitchen. Pirate symbols (in keeping with the Jean Lafitte moniker) are subtle. There’s a French revolution theme inherent in the flags but the overall feel is modern, clean, understated.

PHILOSOPHY: Jackson is (happily) not your typical chef. He’s willing to live with ambiguity, or rather, embrace adventure, and runs his team of cooks as a living organism, one that evolves daily and recreates itself along the way. There is so much freedom in this approach… and thus an even greater need for a strong lead to keep this ship steered in the right direction. This approach certainly will not please everyone – and leaves an obvious amount of room for variance. I can see how one meal here could be superior to another based on the whims of the kitchen that day. There’s a good chance we’ll see mixed reviews for that reason alone.

DRINK: Shannon Tucker heads up the bar. Not only has she chosen to use high quality, small batch spirits (like one of my favorites, Death’s Door), but she, in the same spirit as Jackson, can whip up creative concoctions. On the drink menu (there is one of those), Green-Eyed Monster ($12) is a glowing green, herbaceous mix of Hendrick’s Gin, green chartreuse, jalapeno, lemon and sage. Refreshing ginger and smoke dominate in Zapatista ($12) with La Sombra Mezcal, sweet lime, fresh ginger, Bunderberg ginger beer.

Shannon came up with lovely cocktails on the spot for us: a frothy one with Death’s Door white whiskey, kumquat, lemon, agave, egg white, Fee Bros. aromatic bitters. With a Bangers & Mash dish, she paired a Pub Crawl: Old Speckled Hen beer with Antica Formula vermouth and blood orange juice.

The wine list offers only a handful by the glass, but bottle costs are reasonable ($26-148, hovering mostly in the $30-60 range) and conveniently arranged by profile (“Bright & Floral Reds” or “Crisp & Clean Whites”), representing an international selection as well as California wines.

FOOD: As the spirit is adventure, the approach, free flowing, I feel it almost best to let my photos do the talking as this isn’t an obviously categorized experience. I encourage you to go with an open mind, prepared for a limited menu of the day, with few, but delectable items (ranging from $8-28 – appetizers on the lower end, entrees in the $20’s). Better yet, ask Chef Jackson to cook you what he will – again, realizing this allows room for a wider variance.

As you succumb to the spirit of the kitchen that day, you may experience the extreme comfort of eggs and veggies, albeit a fried duck egg over butter-grilled asparagus. Or maybe it will be a plump pork sausage over a silky mound of mashed potatoes in rich duck jus… a playful take on “Bangers and Mash“. Vegetables show up in soups, anchovies on onion tarts, and dessert can hold a welcome touch of salt.

My initial, first dinner experience is that Chef Jackson and the Lafitte team deliver experimentation in the welcoming folds of comfort and freshness. I’m eager to see what shows up on my plate or in my glass when I return. A joyous way to dine and a unique addition to our city’s dining landscape.

“I imagine heaven to be a lot like spring in Sonoma.” – Herb Caen

SANTA ROSA

• Rosso Pizzeria – Let’s just get right to it: this is some of the best pizza in the Bay Area, and certainly my favorite north of the city. And we are blessed with an array of incredible pizza. From the moment you sit down in Santa Rosa’s cheerful pizzeria tucked away in a non-descript strip mall, you sense it’s going to be quite a meal. Fresh Blood Orange Lemonade ($4) with mint and spritzer is a refreshing lunch drink, while the wine selection works any time of day.

House Buratta ($9.75) with prosciutto, olive oil, salt and pepper is pretty much divine. Silky and delicate. It was fun to add a side of Calabrian chile paste for a heat kick and palate cleanser.

Going for salad-like pizza may sound decidedly non-Italian, but quality ingredients make it as delectable as any of the more classic Italian-style pizzas, especially when including a mountain of fresh crab meat. The Crab Louie Piadini ($17) combines two of my loves: Crab Louie and pizza. Sigh.

More traditional pizzas are equally dreamy. On this visit, I ordered the house special pizza of the day ($15): Wild Boar Salami, house tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella. Wow.

All I can say is “go”. Go and enjoy.

GUERNEVILLE

• Applewood Inn – Tucked away in thick redwood groves as you head down winding roads towards the sea in Sonoma county, Guerneville’s signature restaurant is located in an inn where a family of deer welcomed us as we walked from our car into the restaurant. Though the restaurant looks a touch 1980’s, the glow from fireplaces at either end of the dining room and the restaurant’s upstairs perch overlooking the inn’s courtyard make it feel like a mountain vacation in Italy. It helps that service and food flow graciously in and out (though the kitchen did get way backed up on our Saturday night visit as the evening progressed).

Though a Black Trumpet Mushroom ($12) and Octopus special appetizer did not leave much of an impression, a simple Butterleaf Salad ($9) was pleasantly loaded with Bosc pears, chunks of fresh, soft goat cheese, pistachios and honey-chive vinaigrette. Best of the four appetizers was a Beef Tartare ($11), always a favorite of mine, scooped up with house potato chips, accented by house-cured anchovies, pickled mustard seeds and a quail egg on top.

A memorable entree is Cacao Nib-crusted Rack of California Lamb ($34) with sherry-braised chorizo, stacked onion rings and mint chimichurri to liven things up. American Red Snapper ($28) came in two hefty pieces, one oddly tasting fresher (less fishy) than the other – an uneven dish despite the lovely sunchoke pave it rested atop. More satisfying was a giant, casserole-like disc of Milk-braised Pork ($26) with pancetta potatoes, pea shoots and an aged balsamic drizzle.

Out in this far stretch of woods, this is not only one of the only restaurants around, but surely about the best. I wouldn’t choose it above all others in the county but out West, it’s a warm, gracious meal with friends after a day of wine tasting.

Marcos Tello guest-bartends at Rickhouse, serving a "Pancho Sanchez"

COCKTAILS

• 15 Romolo really is one of the best bars in SF (drinks, atmosphere, staff). Mellow and soothing, I love to linger here with good friends. I’ve written about Track 42 ($12) before – but it bears repeating. If you want a nuanced, refreshing garden of a drink, this one is always a pleasant surprise: 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka, basil, unfiltered apple juice, lemon and egg white for froth.

I adore the creamy smoothness of Amazona ($12): cachaca, coconut milk, ginger, lime, Angostura bitters, fresh nutmeg grated on top. Their Vieux Carre ($10) is about as fine a version of the Nola classic you’ll find… ditto their Pimm’s Cup. Finish with a Black Irish Flip ($10), a savory dessert of Jameson Irish whiskey with Picon Club, whole egg (yes, yolk, too), cacao nib tincture and Angostura  bitters.

• I missed Marcos Tello at The Edison when I was in LA a few weeks ago, but I got to try a couple of his creations at Rickhouse on 3/30 when he guest-bartended for the night. He made a nice, strong spirituous cocktail called Pancho Sanchez, but my favorite was a Dutch Kills recipe from NY, Infante: a mix of tequila, lime, orgeat and fresh-grated nutmeg. Nutty and refreshing simultaneously.

• Range is not only a favorite upscale neighborhood restaurant over the years, but some of the truly great, refined cocktails in SF  – it will be interesting to see if that stays true after Brooke Arthur moves on to helm the bar at the upcoming new restaurant from Boulevard. At Range, Evergreen welcomed Spring with gusto in the form of citrus and herbs: Plymouth Gin and St. Germain accompany fresh kumquats, sage, lemon. Go the tequila route with Malia: Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, lime, egg white, cinnamon bitters and a winning quince/apple duo.

• The Alembic is one of the true joys in my new ‘hood when it comes to food and drink. How I wish Upper Haight would grow up and deepen its culinary offerings. Thankfully, Alembic is one block from me and one of the best in SF, especially during laid back “off” hours when Haight crowds aren’t making a place to sit impossible.

There have been recent wonders inherent when the bartenders get their hands on beets or galangal. Earthy, aromatic, balanced experimentation flow – it’s a pleasure to sample what they might come up with. See my April 21st Guardian FEAST article about a rosy beet cocktail made with beets, Rittenhouse Rye, dry vermouth, red wine vinegar, orange zest muddled with sugar, and a splash of sparkling wine.

• It’s easy: Nopa’s bar manager, Neyah White, is one of our city’s treasures and experts on superb cocktails, sherry (which he’ll be sharing in NY at a sherry class during May’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic – I’ll be covering the event), and a pioneer’s edge showcasing small batch, rare spirits long before everyone else in the artisan cocktail world catches on. Neyah and staff mix some unique beauties, including a range of white whiskey martinis on the current menu. If you’re lucky, kumquats will still be in house for a Kumquat Caipirinha ($9), which I just had last week. I’m a lifelong fan of the puckeringly tart citrus (which has been in many a cocktail lately), but Nopa’s kumquats are the best in memory, muddled and mixed with Boca Loca Cachaca, fresh lime, soda. Broken open, the citrus’ skin and flesh are sweet, sour, juicy, and I ate ever last one out of my glass. Stay tuned for Neyah’s Spring creations in coming weeks, including cocktails utilizing a Chinese rose blossom Rose wine.

SPIRITS

• On a recent rainy afternoon, after chowing down on some satisfying crispy tacos from Nick’s, The Renaissance Man and I had a craving for tequila and the place to be (always) is Tommy’s.  A happy mid-day respite included uber-hot salsa, chips, margaritas and a shot of the sadly now defunct 100% blue agave Reposado from Porfidio, listed under their discontinued Collector’s Items (page 197). Too bad. This beauty has a golden hue and caramel, toffee notes not commonly found in reposado.

• At a private scotch tasting held by Plumpjack, Impex Beverages and JVS Imports, I took an educational walk through 9 scotches from all parts of Scotland, from smoother to more peaty as we progressed. Already a fan of Scotland’s smallest distiller, Edradour, it was a delight to sip their just released Edradour Caledonia 12 year (bottled un-chillfiltered; 92 Proof): smooth, creamy with vanilla and spice notes. Another highlight was a rare 1991 Highland Park 17 year Signatory single malt with a balanced peat, whiffs of oceanside salt air, floral and earthy. I was able to try an as of yet unavailable Smokehead, but the smoke blast of this peatiest of scotches isn’t always my top choice (I like it but prefer a more balanced scotch).

I was especially privileged to meet a surprise special guest at this event, Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman, the first new distillery on the Scotch island of Islay in 124 years (ultra expensive and difficult to start a distillery there). Though yet to be released in the US, we tasted this already-in-demand single malt that continues to sell out, from the only Scottish distillery growing their own barley. At a young three years of age, it has the mature profile of a much older whisky. Wills stresses the point that quality isn’t always found because something is old, as early reviews of his whisky attest to. Side by side, next to 9 others, it held up to older whiskies and surpassed some with the peat Islay is famous for but also toffee, dark fruit and caramel creaminess.

WINES

One of the better deals on reds is Vidigal Douro (the same region port hails from), a smooth red that makes for good, everyday drinking at an easy $9.99 a bottle. I had a little fun with their ‘08 “Shocking Green“, a perky Vinho Verde with tart fruit and floral notes. They’re both, along with a wide range of Portuguese wines, available from Portugal Wines.

Dao Sul’s light and breezy white, 2009 DOC Grilos, tasted of Summer. Adega makes zippy, effervescent Vinho Verde. Tasting four of their similar whites side by side, I preferred the 2009 Sec. Another nice choice? Aveleda’s 2008 Alvarinho.

On first taste, my top whites at the event were both from Casa Santos Lima: ‘09 Moscatel was creatively described by the pourer as “the Chanel No. 5 of whites”. I wouldn’t go that far but it is floral and bright. Their ‘09 Sauvignon Blanc shocked with the juicy crunch of yellow pepper skins.

I like port: ideal for an after dinner sip and one of the first spirits I got into in my younger days.  Sandeman’s 30 year Tawny Port has a golden cherry hue and tastes of silken raisins, hazelnuts and vanilla. Krohn Porto 20 year is candy-like, smooth, with chocolate tones.

Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), are among the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

MID-RANGE RESTAURANTS

BARBACCO – This is one of those special places that reminds me of great enotecas or trattorias I’ve eaten in throughout Italian cities:  delicious food, excellent wines, chic, bustling, gracious staff. I prefer it to its famed next door parent, the quality but slightly stiff (and pricier), Perbacco. Barbacco is ridiculously crowded at lunch but there’s take-out options and an efficient order line. At this quality and taste level, an incredibly reasonable price range ($3-14) makes it a must for SF foodies and the urban trattoria I long to have on my street.

The warm restaurant manager is also adept at choosing wines, gracing my lunch with an ideal choice of three Italian sparklers: first, a light, dry Di Faveri Prosecco (there’s no meal a Prosecco can’t make brighter, as far as I’m concerned). Then, two lovely, effervescent wines from Camillo Donati winery: a honey-toned, nuanced, 2008 Il Mio Malvasia and a 2008 berry-red Lambrusco.

As for food, there was not a ‘miss’ in the entire spread. Fried Brussels Sprouts ($4) are done expertly (and fabulously fried) all around this town, but the unique slant here is the tang of anchovy, capers, red wine vinaigrette. Addictive.

Pork Meatballs ($12) are divine rounds of pork with raisins, pine nuts, braised chard in a tomato sugo. A favorite. Pasta transports to Italy: a rustic Spinach Lasagna ($12), satisfyingly slathered in ragu Bolognese, or Paccheri ($11) in a dreamy ragu, redolent of tomato and pork, covered in shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Another top menu choice when traveling through Italy (especially on the coast), is treated well here: house-cured sardines come on top of Bruschetta ($3 each or 3 for $8), or on a Sandwich ($11) with squid, roasted tomato and arugula. My beloved Burrata cheese ($6/12) rests atop arugula salad with toast (I truly appreciate when a restaurant offers smaller sizing options on dishes). House gelato ($2 a generous scoop) isn’t as much a high point for me, except for Butterscotch Chocolate Crunch, but espressos ($2) are done properly and are the ideal finish.

THE GOLD MIRROR – It’s “old school” classy, though the dining room has a Medieval Times touch with medieval chandeliers and castle window views painted on the walls. It reminds me of another nearby spot I occasionally hit when craving American Italian of days past: Ristorante Marcello (though Gold Mirror is slightly ‘fancier’ with tuxedoed waiters).

Those of you who know of my Jersey days know I have a (big) soft spot for not only hearty, red sauce, NY/Jersey-style Italian, but also the kind of place that caters to a sweet, elderly clientele. Gold Mirror doesn’t hang heavily on the red sauce dishes I love so, but it does serve heaping slices of Lasgana Bolognese ($16), Veal Parmagiana ($18.50) and Homemade Cannellonni ($16). Add in a couple dry martinis ($8) and starters and it adds up. But you don’t always get this kind of menu so it’s fun to splurge while smiling at darling elderly couples on date night and families celebrating birthdays at surrounding tables.

A 1950’s-reminiscent Bay Shrimp Avocado Salad ($9) and Grilled Artichoke with Sicilian salsa ($9.50?) were surprisingly fresh, while glasses of cheap, Italian wine hit the spot. I actually choked up at one point reminiscing about my Sicilian grandfather and German/Swedish grandparents with The Renaissance Man. Somehow this dinner became a remembrance of those I love who are now gone.

CHEAP EATS

SUPER DUPER opened last Saturday from the uber-successful crew at Beretta/Starbelly/Delarosa. In a stark, simple interior with faint retro nods, order a basic burger, cheeseburger, shakes (I like the one with fresh strawberries), and Strauss organic frozen yogurt.

I’m not sure this will be a burger destination as the fries are OK and a Super Duper Burger ($4.75) just means it has lettuce, tomato and a little red onion on it, but what stands out is how tender and juicy the organic meat is. Nestled inside a soft bun, the entire burger almost dissolves in your mouth. I found the simplicity welcome to fully appreciate the diffusing of fresh meat and bread.

I’m into Phat Philly and Jake’s Steaks but divey CHEESESTEAK SHOP (a Bay Area chain with only one heartwarmingly blue collar locale in SF) takes me to the next level: yes, there’s Philly’s Amoroso rolls and prints of Philly all over the walls. But the cheap ($4-11 for 7 to 15 inchers) cheesesteaks taste like they do in Philadelphia: melting, warm, satisfying in all the right ways.

JOSE ANDRES’ THE BAZAAR
LOS ANGELES

I’ve been privileged to savor the wonder that is molecular gastronomy done right, whether it be at Alinea, Baume or even the creativity of Coi. In visiting The Bazaar at the SLS Beverly Hills Hotel, I arrived with tempered expectations but left wowed. From DC/Spanish chef genius, Jose Andres, the meal is a wonderland of inventiveness that never commits the cardinal sin of molecular cooking: all style, no substance (or flavor).

One after another, his stellar (if tiny) dishes parade out, adding up to a big bill, though each item may only cost around $10. As opposed to astronomical, fixed price tasting menus at all other molecular restaurants, one of many things I love about The Bazaar is that you order a la carte, even in the bar, as much or as little as you wish. If I lived nearby, I’d try a new bite or two regularly, eventually working my way through the entire menu. This is now my all-around favorite LA restaurant.

The space is stunning, Alice-in-Wonderland eclectic but with a classy bent. It could easily be gimmicky, but it works – and I appreciate getting a ’show’ in setting as well as food for my money. Moving from the general dining room, through a chic bar to the museum-like dessert area, is all part of a drama that works…

For a cocktail hound like  myself, one of the many joys here is that cocktails are equally inventive: whether it’s a margarita with salt foam instead of a rim (I wish all margaritas could be this balanced: salt permeates, but never dominates, every part) or a liquid nitrogen caipirinha prepared tableside, you’ll experience classic cocktails in ways you’ve never had them before.

There is a menu of “traditional” Spanish tapas, including a top-notch Spanish meat and cheese selection, but I stuck to “modern” tapas as this is what you can’t get elsewhere.

Since half the joy here is the work of art inherent in each course, I will let my photos do the talking, urging you to dream of what intense flavors and unexpected tastes could surprise from each plate. Better yet, make sure you visit next time you’re in LA, whether for a couple bites or a full evening extravaganza… bring a sense of adventure and wonder.

4/7 La Chouffe Beer Dinner at Monk’s Kettle

The last beer dinner I attended at Monk’s Kettle was a media-only event showcasing Sam Adams’ Utopias (and then some), but this is a regular series at Monk’s: five course, beer-paired feasts paired with either the brewmaster or a rep from the featured distillery walking you through each beer. The next one is May 5th with none other than Allagash Brewing and its founder, Rob Tod. Make your reservations now as they’ll be gone quickly.

These dinners are pricey, $95 per person (usually for five courses and six beers), especially compared to other multi-course feasts around town, but they’re unique. Pairings are extremely thought out on the part of the experts at Monk’s, including Exec Chef, Kevin Kroger, while direct interaction with and stories from brewery founders is a rare treat.

I attended the Brassiere d’Achouffe Beer Dinner on April 7 with a Duvel rep (a Belgium native herself) walking us through mostly La Chouffe beers, plus a couple other Duvel products: an aperitif of Duvel Green and dessert finish of Ommegang’s Three Philosophers (Ommegang was bought by Duvel in 2005).

The tiny pub was packed with other beer aficionados and by the end of a nearly four hour dinner, was pleasantly rowdy. If I thought my stomach could handle another decadent meal like this (and even if it couldn’t), I’m tempted to join the Allagash dinner… get on their email list for news of surprise guest breweries at upcoming beer dinners.