COCKTAILS

SPOONBAR, Healdsburg - I wrote last issue about Spoonbar in Sonoma County. It’s up to you get out there… and fast… for some of the best cocktails in all of the Bay Area (no surprise) from Mr. Scott Beattie.

Ask for the full cocktail menu beyond the one you get when first seated. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since Cyrus days. There’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails.

I chose the Tempus Fugit Negroni ($8.50). How could I not? Made with Ransom’s impeccable Old Tom Gin, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, orange zest and Tempus Fugit’s brilliant Gran Classico Bitter, it’s a musky, full revelation.

On the classics front, Beattie’s Dark ‘n Stormy trumps all others. There’s an Appleton Reserve version for $7.50 (or pitcher for five at $37.50). I had the Ron Zacapa Solera 23 (a rum I’ve long been a fan of already) version for $9/$45. With fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters, Beattie adds drops of essential ginger oil for a pure, full taste. Locally grown sunflower leaves are a vivid garnish.

Going the creative Beattie route is equally thrilling. John Chapman ($10.5) is a taste of fall. When you mix St. George Whiskey and Pear Eau de Vie with lemon, apple, ginger and a Thai coconut foam, you get magic. Ditto, on the other side of the spectrum, with the Summery  Siddartha ($9.5). This one utilizes Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka with Beefeater Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, lemon, Thai coconut milk and lemon verbena. It’s silky, seductively bright and garden fresh.

Trust a drink from Beattie and try the spectrum. I am plotting a return…

BAR AGRICOLE, SoMa - I’ve been asked about my take on the new and long awaited hotspot from Thad Vogler. Though I tried three cocktails and bites at a pre-opening event for Bar Agricole, I did not walk away with enough of a stand-out yet to give you a proper report, though I’m sure one will be forthcoming.

I will say the space is strikingly unique, welcome in our city of understated dining rooms. It’s forward-thinking and fresh, from the photography behind the bar, to radiant light fixtures, to the awesome front garden and patio.

15 ROMOLO, North Beach - I’m always happy here… you hear me say it enough. The 15 Romolo guys do it again with two divergent cocktails. One is Spaghetti Western ($9), it’s cool name belying the crazy candy taste that happens when rye and Campari meld with sweet tomatoes (love the plump tomato garnish), lemon and a Pilsner float. The other, the spirituous bitter of Lo Scandinavo ($11) with North Shore aquavit, Gran Classico, Carpano Antica… a Scandinavian approach to a Negroni.

TAMARINDO ANTJOERIA’s MIEL BAR and REVIVAL BAR & KITCHEN, Oakland and Berkeley - And in the East Bay, Tamarindo Antojeria opened a tequila bar, Miel, in half of their restaurant, a chic, shining temple of all things tequila. Besides a fine selection of tequilas by the pour, cocktails like the Mezcalito ($12) highlight Del Maguey’s Creme de Mezcal with a little fresh orange and volcanic salt rim. They do a nice job on their margaritas and Paloma, too.

Revival Bar & Kitchen is a welcome cocktail stop in downtown Berkeley, even if the menu (food and drink) is similar to many you’ve seen in SF in recent years. They do classics, like Death in the Afternoon, Bourbon Crusta and Jalisco Sour, but also whip up specials of their bartender’s doing, fresh with the likes of lavender, lemon and egg white.

REZA ESMAILI’S ROSEBUD, served at SF CHEFS’ SPICE PARTY

This is a layered, aromatic aperitivo created by Reza for SF Chefs and one of my favorite drinks of the week. He was gracious enough to share the recipe…

Rosebud
1oz vodka
.5oz Hendrick’s gin
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Aperol
3 drops rosewater
1 “Russia Rose” or mini, dry rose used for asian teas

-stir ingredients for approx 10 seconds
-strain into two sherry or port glasses
-garnish with rose
serves two

SPIRITS

MINISTRY OF RUM – Another year of Ministry of Rum, a fine rum tasting event put on by rum expert (and a downright great guy), Ed Hamilton (read about last year’s here).

Many of last year’s same vendors were there at Waterfront Hotel/Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Jack London Square. Bartending greats shook cocktails as we sipped through various rums.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva stands out with a caramelized, spiced nose and buttery spice and tobacco flavors. Cruzan’s smooth Single Barrel Rum is an easy after-dinner sip: a light but mature, pleasing rum at the right price (retails from $27-35 online).

Despite the greater aged 8 and 12 year El Dorado rums, I prefer the 5 year cask-aged version. It’s medium-bodied, lively and redolent of the tropics with toasted coconut and fruit notes.

Each time I’ve tasted them, I enjoy honey and dark chocolates notes in Santa Teresa 1796, aged in Solera oak barrels, and Flor de Cana’s rich, charred oak and dark caramel-tinged Centenario 18 year.

Black Tot Rum was the big hoopla of the afternoon, a 40-year rum doled out in dropper-sized tastes. From the little I could gather, it was nuanced though hardly revelatory, especially compared to whiskies of similar age. Though I find some younger rums more exciting, Black Tot was nonetheless an excellent slice of history and a worthy sip.

When it comes to rum, I can’t help but return to Zacapa rums as favorites, both the Centenario and the XO.

Here’s to next year, and thanks, Ed, for ever furthering our knowledge and showing us the scope of rum.

HEAVEN HILL – Heaven Hill has an enviable line-up including some of my favorite bourbons in existence. I jumped at a chance to stop in at 83 Proof on my way to judging a whisky contest to sip one of my top bourbons (another being Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23 year): Parker’s Heritage.

I fell in love after first trying their anniversary edition at Whiskyfest. Tasting Parker’s 27 year again is fabulous every time. Sip their Golden Anniversary edition and you’ve died and gone to bourbon heaven.

I adore rye, and Rittenhouse 25-year Rye is surely a fine one, but I’m not sure I gained much more from the added years. When it comes to aged rye, my love still lies with Van Winkle Family Reserve 13-yr Rye, which is, tragically, very hard to come by.

ST. GEORGE’s AGUA LIBRE - Don’t even get me started on how much I love St. George Spirits. I’ve been a fan for years, from my rush to purchase their incomparable Absinthe Verte upon release, to the loss of my last bottle of Agua Azul Reposado until they make a tequila again in the future, I’ve been proud to have them in the Bay Area. Tours, release parties, any event at the distillery is memorable.

I won’t go into the joys and secrets of a private tour from distiller Dave Smith last week, replete with tastes, whiffs and ecstasies from bottles, test tubes and barrels of unreleased products. Experimentation is alive and well at St. George/Hangar One and it thrills me to witness it.

In the meantime, there’s two brand new releases to enjoy. The first US rum agricole grown from US sugarcane, Agua Libre comes in two forms: dark, aged rum and white, unaged, both grassy and smooth. Also, the second batch of Firelit Coffee Liqueur was just released with dark chocolate notes from the Blue Bottle beans.

WINE COUNTRY

View from a Spoonbar table

HEALDSBURG

SPOONBAR – I could write a piece on the cocktails alone at brand new Spoonbar in the h2hotel off of Healdsburg’s town square. You’ve already heard me mention Scott Beattie many times over the years.

He truly is one of our country’s great bartenders and his cocktail menu at Spoonbar is a revelation. Yes, you’ll get waylaid by the initial menu, but don’t let that stop you from asking for the additional one. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since his Cyrus days. But there’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails. I sampled five, each exquisite. Stay tuned for next issue’s Imbiber for details on these cocktails – it feels right seeing Beattie behind the bar again.

But the joys at Spoonbar are many as the food and wine list are likewise robust, the space open and airy (playful with hints of mid-century modern), the price point a nice mid-range. In early opening weeks, this has automatically become my # 1 Healdsburg spot for drink or food (since I can only afford Cyrus for a special occasion), and one of my tops in all of Wine Country.

Where to start? There’s wines on tap, a trend I am happy to see growing from an environmental and casual accessibility standpoint. Let Wine Director, Ross Hallett, choose and you’ll likely get a nice range of local and international wines. With dinner, he paired a dry 2000 Villa Claudia Gattinara and a full  ‘05 Savuto Odoardi that yielded spice notes when paired with the Spoonbar Burger. For dessert, he poured thoughtful choices like Rare Wine Co.’s New York Malmsey Special Reserve Madeira, rich with earthy, coffee notes, and Ratafia de Bourgogne, a sweet but balanced liqueur.

The food? With Moroccan and Mediterranean influences, Chef Rudy Mihal’s menu shines as fine bar food with cocktails or as multi-course dinner. Appetizers offer all kinds of goodness, like addictive little Fried Smelt Fish ($8) dipped in a caper aioli. Or how about skewers of plump, grilled Calamari ($12) in a preserved lemon vinaigrette? You’ll find me equally hyped over imported Burrata ($13), creamy heaven in a pool of fine olive oil with melting, soft brioche and finely diced beet tartare.

On the entree front, the lamb/beef mix is right in the Spoonbar Burger ($15), albeit small, on a house-sesame bun with a mini-bucket of fries. Kudos for a restrained but permeating burger topping of sweet tomato confit, cucumber chutney and spiced yogurt.

Though I am easily bored with chicken, their signature Moorish-style Brick Chicken ($24) is rife with flavor from herbs and spices, tender over grilled lemon couscous. Definitely a highlight.

Restaurant Manager, Darren Abel, runs a relaxed, festive restaurant that truly is the whole package. I’ll be plotting my next chance to get to Spoonbar when up that way – at the very least for cocktails and apps. If only this place was in the city…

SIMI WINERY – Simi is one of those venerable wineries rich with colorful history.

Founded by Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, in 1876, their cellars date from 1890 on one half to 1904 once they doubled in size. When both brothers died within four months of each other, Giuseppe’s daughter, Isabelle, a savvy eighteen year old, took over the winery, making and storing wine even during Prohibition.

I’m fascinated by this young girl’s ingenuity, which eventually led to a successful winery she first popularized by giving away free samples on the side of the road pre-tasting room days. Isabelle planted a grove of redwood trees around the grounds and a tribute rose garden with bushes for each president during the days she ran the winery (except for one… take their interesting tour to hear the whole story. I’ll give you a hint: he was the one who helped usher in Prohibition).

Their pizza cafe is a lovely idea: held on Friday (2-6pm) and Saturday (11am-4pm) afternoons, it’s a welcome Summer respite on their shaded back patio under giant umbrellas where wood-fired oven shells out satisfying pizzas (wine is included). While I loved the concept, presentation and taste of their special Red, White & Blue Pizza (red – bacon, lettuce, tomato; blue – purple yam, blue cheese, red onion; white – corn, zucchini, onions, ricotta), my heart belonged first to their House Sausage Pizza with baked fennel bulbs.

They have a balanced (read: not jammy, punch-you-in-the-face) Zinfandel available only at the winery, a Landslide Cabernet and the mineral citrus of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, creamy with hints of hazelnut, lemon and oak.

On August 28 (12-3pm), they’re having a party to celebrate the latest 2007 Landslide Cabernet release with dancing to New Orleans jazz  on the Terrace ($20 per person, or $10 for wine club members). You know I’d be there if I could.

NAPA

MORIMOTO NAPA - Despite the celebrity chef status of the one and only Masaharu Morimoto (yes, I love the original Iron Chef), and the high price tag, his brand new Morimoto Napa restaurant is an experience and a welcome addition to Wine Country.

The space is huge, with a sea of greys enlivened by bright, yellow chairs. There’s patio waterfront seating and an ultra-cool touch of grape vines dramatically running the wall over the bar and in the lobby, as if to say, “Morimoto is now in Wine Country.”

As for the food, it adds up fast, but thankfully there’s beyond-the-norm presentations lending excitement to the expensive meal. Like me, you may have eaten a thousand tartares, but you haven’t had one quite like this: Toro Tartare ($25) comes on a little wood tray you scrape with a mini paddle, then dip in nori paste, wasabi, sour cream, chives, or a house dashi soy, smoky with a hint of bonito. Finish with a bright palate cleanser of Japanese plum.

Green Fig Tempura ($16) is a playful change of pace on the tempura front, but the real clincher is a creamy peanut butter foie gras sauce underneath, dotted with pomegranate reduction. Again, as a big beef tartare fan, I’ve had many a version. This one stands out. Beef Tartare ($18) Morimoto-style comes with asparagus flan hiding an egg in the center. As you slice through it, it oozes over the beef, asparagus slivers, lotus chips and teriyaki sauce. Morimoto Bone Marrow ($16) is an intriguing version: one giant bone loaded with gloppy, warm marrow, perked up with caramelized onions, teriyaki and spices on top.

Entrees continued in this creative vein, though Whole Roasted Lobster “Espice” ($35) had its flaws. It’s a generous portion but the lobster meat is lost in too much garam masala spice, coriander, peppercorn, and cayenne, even though that was what sold me on the dish initially. It was over-spiced but the saving grace was a divine, whipped lemon creme fraiche, contrasting the blackened spice aspect with airy tart.

Duck Duck Goose ($36) was my preferred entree – essentially duck in four parts, from a bowl of duck confit fried rice with frozen foie gras shavings topped with duck egg, to duck soup, duck confit leg, and slices of duck meat with gooseberries. Tofu Cheesecake ($12) in coffee maple syrup with maple ice cream is a signature dish for Morimoto, but though I liked the light texture of the tofu cheesecake, it was overwhelmed by thick maple syrup. A Raspberry Wasabi Sorbet was a better finish for me, hitting strong on both key ingredients.

Morimoto sat at the table next to us with friends, surveying the expansion of his growing restaurant empire. The GM stopped by our table to see how things were going and mentioned that Morimoto loved it so much here he was staying for a couple months. Even when the novelty of his first West Coast venture wears off (he’s opening in LA next), my initial visit, merely a week after opening, suggests that this restaurant will long remain one of downtown Napa’s destinations.

SONOMA

EL MOLINO CENTRAL – In a sea of taquerias lining Sonoma’s Highway 12, there’s a new addition I’ve been excited to tell you about that opened early Summer: El Molino Central. I pulled over after doing a double take: it looks like a charming taqueria, but reads hand-painted “tortillas… tamales… blue bottle coffee” on the side of the building. “Wait… what?”

With no dining space inside, there’s a leisurely patio out back. Inside, it’s an open kitchen where you survey self-proclaimed “Mexican street food” prepared with a high level of care and quality ingredients. They hand-grind corn masa and press tortillas in wood presses. There’s even fresh tortillas and pre-prepared dishes to heat up at home. The menu offers merely a handful of items: chilaquiles, tostadas, enchiladas and delightful tamales (I like the white corn and cheese version).

What surprises is the Blue Bottle Coffee menu straight down to New Orleans’ Iced Coffee (perfect on a hot Wine Country Summer day). You can get your individual drip or a cappuccino, happily savored with a tamale made from local ingredients.

The place looks plucked out of LA with palm trees and all, but exemplifying Slow Food sensibilities. The shock is the quality level (which costs a little more than an average taqueria, though still under $10)… and the Blue Bottle. You, too, can have your Blue Bottle and homemade tamales in a Mexican food joint. Sonoma is lucky to get this lovably quirky new addition.

LOKAL – Just off the Sonoma square, Lokal has been getting some love lately from SF folk like Michael Bauer. I’m in when you say Eastern European/Hungarian food, difficult to find done well anywhere, much less in Wine Country.

They won me over with shelves full of records/LPs in the dining room, then with sunny, back patio picnic tables. There’s a fine selection of beers making the patio beer garden-reminiscent. Service has it’s kinks, including a pricing discrepancy on their menu it took awhile to work out on my bill, but the food is a pleasure and is now a favored stop in downtown Sonoma.

They make a mean German Potato Salad ($5), sweetened by grilled red onions, punchy with mustard, maintaining a fresh profile despite starchiness. A Summer special of White Corn Puree Soup ($3.50 a cup) is sweet and bright. Count me in on the Eva Gabor’s Pork Schnitzel Sandwich/”Rueben” ($12). You almost forget there’s no pastrami in there with a breaded pork cutlet layered with mustard and sauerkraut. There’s a satisfying savoriness here reminiscent of a great Rueben. Lightly crunchy brown bread and house pickles seal the deal.

MONDO – Mondo, a short drive from downtown Sonoma, has the largest beer selection in the area: 23 on tap and more by the bottle, with a little beer garden courtyard through the restaurant. A couple years ago, this was a sausage and burger joint.

The burgers remain but there’s also the kind of bar food that puts a grin on my face: plump Jalapeno Poppers ($7.50) oozing with cheese and shreds of carnitas (pork). There’s fatty Braised Beef Brisket Sandwich ($9.50) piled with crumbly blue cheese and shaved red onion. For a little healthy balance, try specials like Sweet White Corn Salad ($5) tossed in lime, cilantro, red peppers and red onion.

This is a welcome Wine Country respite where you can break from excess wine for beer and cheap, gourmet bar fare. 

GEYSERVILLE

DIAVOLA PIZZERIA – Though these gourmet charcuterie/pizza/rustic Italian spots are a ‘dime a dozen’ in SF, it still helps that in a town as tiny as Geyserville there’s one dining destination like Diavola. In a high-ceilinged, century-old storefront, brick walls, wood-burning oven and wood floors lend it a country kitchen feel by way of Italy.

Kudos for being open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. There’s nothing that I haven’t seen here before but it’s all done well. Grilled Asparagus Salad ($13.75) is a Cali-farm type dish we often see done superbly in the Bay Area. Here it’s asparagus and arugula topped with pancetta, truffled Pecorino cheese and a fried egg. It’s a fine Salami & Cheese Platter ($13.75), reflecting meats they’ve been making in-house with select cheeses.

Pizzas shine, and while the Sonja ($16) isn’t the best version of a fresh prosciutto, mascarpone and arugula pizza I’ve had, the Inferno ($15), on the other hand, is one of the best spicy pizzas ever, balanced with the sweet of roasted red peppers and tomato against hot Italian peppers.

Don’t go out of your way if you live in SF near many similar restaurants, but on your way up in this northernmost stretch of Sonoma County, it’s a worthy stop.

PASSPORT to DRY CREEK – April 24-25

It was my first time attending this annual event, Passport to Dry Creek, where locals come out en masse for themed parties, music, wine and food at each participating winery, closed to event attendees (here’s details about the event: $70 one day/$120 for two).

In a brief summary of the weekend, it’s not so much about the wine. Yes, I sipped some good wines, though I prefer to go straight for pours from the bottle/finished product rather than some of the barrel samples available. Whether it was wine, themes, crowds or friendliness of staff, some wineries fared way better than others, but the ones that worked, felt like sheer vacation. And unlike other event weekends I’ve been to in Sonoma County (Russian River barrel-tasting weekends, for one), crowds were well regulated and, for the most part, minus awful drunken party groups that show up at some of those ‘all-you-can-taste’ weekends.

Food was served at every winery (snack/appetizer-sized), in as wide array as some sad-looking fried chicken to a gourmet spread. I’ve long enjoyed Mauritson’s cool wine cave and solid wines, but for this event, none other than chef Charlie Palmer prepared the bites: tender Zinfandel-braised Short Rib Sliders, Panko/Sesame-Crusted Wild Shrimp and Buttered Chocolate Caramel Tartlets.

Another highlight was Truett Hurst, where Santa Rosa’s Zazu restaurant prepared simple but satisfying food: Pulled Pork Sliders (you can see sliders were a common theme) which stood out because of a tart cherry mostarda on top of the pork, and an ideal, warm-day-offering of Zinfandel/Blackberry Sorbet. The real pleasure was lingering on the sunny patio in lounge chairs and couches, as a country-tinged band played everything from Johnny Cash to Van Morrison. Renaissance Man and I wandered across farm fields to say hello to goats obliviously chewing grass, then to the riverside where we sat in Adirondack chairs sipping wine, as cotton-like fluffs lazily floated through the air. See? Vacation.

By far, the food pinnacle, which I’d recommend as a must any year you hit Passport, was at Frick Winery, whose wines were a pleasure (I particularly took to the Viognier, Syrah and Cotes-du-Dry Red Rhone Blend). Dynamic husband/wife chef duo, John Mitzewich and Michele Manfredi (of Food Wishes), have been serving their appetizers at Frick for years (and they’re former colleagues of mine from my California Culinary Academy days). Five gourmet eats, all creative and delicious (each year they carry one recipe on, but otherwise create new ones). If I had to choose favorites, it was Calabrian Crostini covered in Boccalone’s fab Nduja contrasted with candied fennel roo on toast, and especially Rueben Nachos, rye corn chips smothered in pastrami, cave-aged gruyere, savoy cabbage and Russian dressing. Addictive. I could have eaten a whole spread.

Elsewhere, Alderbrook Winery’s giant, roasted pig on a spit was a fun touch. Papietro Perry and Family Wineries didn’t do much for me in the way of wine and are in a cluster of otherwise non-descript tasting rooms off a parking lot, but they were transporting with their live music: Family had the California Cowboys playing beloved country classics from Merle Haggard & the Carter Family (I couldn’t stop singing along), while Papietro had a rousing Zydeco/blues band on an open-air wood porch under ceiling fans. We started dancing, completely transported to the South (minus the humidity).

The pinnacle in atmosphere was Bella Vineyards, with African safari theme, circa 1930’s (they said they usually switch themes every two years for Passport to Dry Creek). There was a Senegalese band, idyllic as we reclined under safari-style tents. In the tasting room and enchanting caves, 1930’s jazz and big band played as we sipped wines in the cool of the lantern-lit caves. Indiana Jones goes wine tasting? At day’s end, drinking a refreshing, stainless steel-fermented Grenache/Syrah Rose ($22 a bottle) in Adirondack chairs on the lawn while hawks circle above, was a piece of heaven.

“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.

CYRUS
Healdsburg, CA

There is no way to quite do this magical dining experience justice. Much has already been written in recent years attempting it, and I’ve been dying to go since it opened. The Renaissance Man made it my birthday dinner surprise (we went the weekend before since my birthday is actually Christmas Day). Possibly the best fine dining experience I’ve ever had! Cyrus sits at the northern end of Sonoma County just a couple blocks from Healdsburg’s town square, with a sophisticated but understated dining room in the Paris-reminiscent Les Mars Hotel. Not only is there a spare elegance to the room, but service is absolutely impeccable from start to finish. I asked the girl cleaning bread crumbs off our table to confirm an ingredient I thought I was tasting in a dish and she knew exactly what went into it. Every server was completely knowledgeable about every last detail of the meal, which impressively speaks of not only the waitstaff but management’s ethos to inform and educate their employees.

Tasting menus run three ($78), four ($90) or five ($102) courses, each your choice, or there’s a chef choice at $130. Decadent extras include a Champagne and Caviar Cart or truffles in a box, shaved over dishes. The wine list is exhaustive and broad, and the cocktails, created by the one-and-only Scott Beattie (check out his recent book, Artisanal Cocktails, which is fast becoming the standard for artisanal, farm-fresh cocktails), are a revelation. The drinks ($12) change each season. Winter includes a sweet apple chip-topped Autumn Apple, made of Germain-Robin Apple Brandy, apple juice, sparkling apple cider, lemon juice, ginger syrup and a thick layer of creamy apple foam. Glorious! The Egg Nog cocktail could be dessert, whipped light and creamy, perfectly balanced with Weller Bourbon, eggs, cream, nutmeg, vanilla beans. But there’s more than seasonal: updated classics are made to absolute perfection, including a Frankfort Manhattan made with vanilla citrus peel-infused 12-year Weller Bourbon, or The Last Word: Plymouth Gin, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, Lime Juice.

We ordered four courses each, each one thrilling in its own right. In addition, there’s an Amuse Bouche “tower”, covering all five taste profiles: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. I’d love to start every meal this way – with all taste buds awakened! There’s divine housemade breads, like Garlic Sea Salt Sourdough or melt-in-the-mouth Gruyere Hawaiian rolls, served with two kinds of sea salt and butters. A palate cleansing Prickly Pear and Lime Popsicle came midway, and a platter of exquisite candy treats finished us off (mini-chocolate Alfajores, Pistachio Cinnamon White Chocolate Truffles, Blueberry Marshmellows… oh, my)!

There was not a disappointing course among the eight I tried… from a Terrine of Foie Gras with Asian Pear, Tamarind, Crumpets, to Crispy Poussin with Brussel Sprouts, creamy Parsnip Puree, Maple Butter Jus, to the sublime Medai (Butterfish) with Curried Cauliflower, Apples, Coconut Milk Foam. I was forced to choose a favorite, however, it would be Truffled Red Wine Risotto with a Parmesan Foam/Broth. I (unsuccessfully) tried to contain a moan of pleasure with each bite, savory truffle complimenting the delicate risotto exquisitely. The Cheese Cart was yet another highlight, with a choice of three cheeses out of many from around the world. I had a strong, smooth Roquefort Blue from France (paired nicely with a housemade Pan Forte), a sharp Cheddar from Modesto, CA, and an ideally-balanced Green Hill Double Creme from Georgia.

If my stomach wasn’t near bursting already, then came dessert! Outside of the cheeses and dessert we chose as part of our four-course dinner, unexpected fun arrived with a birthday treat in a glass case, a balloon attached. They ordered me to deflate the balloon, which released chocolate shavings in a shower over chocolate chip cookies inside. Its compliment was a playful mini-Brooklyn Egg Cream (milk, Valhrona Chocolate, Club Soda). A birthday dinner I will remember…

Reconnect with your Country Roots

Just in time for Fall, when I continue to dive into my beloved classic country albums (my ultimate hero, Cash, but also Hank Williams, Dolly, George Jones, Loretta, Waylon, etc…), I get nostalgic for hearty BBQ and roots music. There are a number of us in a city as diverse as San Francisco who were born or grew up in places like Oklahoma (my birthplace, before we moved to Kansas City when I was one, then on to California at age six), the South, Mid-West or anywhere classic country music and good BBQ are considered imperative.

Where can a down-home boy or gal get a fix in our metropolitan West Coast city? Though there are tons of cowboys in the Wild West of California (there’s a huge amount of cowboy events year round in towns like Visalia and Victorville, or the annual Monterey Cowboy Music & Poetry Festival – yep, cowboy poetry), but less for you little cowhands in the big city. Events like the Grand National Rodeo at Cow Palace should help satiate, as might a few of these local stops:

MUSIC

Atlas Café Bluegrass Thursdays: Long time Mission tradition, Bluegrass Thursdays at Atlas (8-10pm) are down home, good time jams. You’ll hear not just bluegrass but country swing and hillbilly in this small café with fresh, affordable food, coffee, teas, and draft beers.

Twang Sundays at Thee Parkside: Every Sunday, 5-8pm, Potrero’s divey neighborhood fave, Thee Parkside, serves icy cold beers to go w/ free live twangy country, Americana, rockabilly and western music.

Freight & Salvage Coffee House: Berkeley does it their way at this classic coffee house and non-profit community arts organization known for its concerts. Though the focus ranges in Traditional music from all ethnicities (read: World Music), much of the concerts here are comprised of Americana, bluegrass, and fiddle bands.

SF Hootenanny Night at Café International: (in Lower Haight) Held every second Saturday of the month, this folk music jam/concert is raucous… and free. Yeehaw!

After my BBQ tasting road trip through the South, I concur with Michael Lee West, quoting her Mama, in “Consuming Passions: A Food Obsessed Life”: “I can understand leaving a man, or even a town… but not good barbecue.”

FOOD

Uncle Frank’s BBQ: The number one reason to drive all the way down to Mountain View (besides an occasionally great Theatre Works play, is Uncle Frank’s. In the back room of a dingy bar on a non-descript, suburban street (since only through the bar, the back patio is the spot for 21 and under!), lies a dim dive with killer BBQ sauce, sides and, of course, BBQ. I’ve been a fan for years, but this year it popped up in Zagat for the first time, so the word continues to spread. This is the closest we’re gonna get to real Southern BBQ on the West Coast, y’all. Signature, tender beef brisket is thick with fat AND, thus, robust with flavor. Pork ribs and Louisiana links will make your belly… well, let’s just say… happy. Sides are excellent: fire-hot Cajun Corn is one of my top choices, but baked bean and coleslaw lovers won’t be disappointed. Then there’s Sweet Potato Pie and cinammon-y Peach Cobbler. Uncle Frank, why must you be all the way down the Peninsula?

Ironwood BBQ: Randomly situated on a golf course in Golden Gate Park, next to the Archery Field (with parking!) this unexpected BBQ mecca offers some of SF’s best Pulled Pork, Brisket and homemade BBQ Sauce. Using a rare Wham Turbo BBQ Pit from Memphis, meats are 100% oak-wood fired. There’s Ribs or Chicken but I’m a Pulled Pork girl first and foremost, and theirs does not disappoint. Sit outside overlooking the golfing green, whether foggy or sunny, for a unique experience of down home BBQ in GG Park. I’ve been happily going since they opened, as this is one of SF’s lesser-known food havens.

Bluegrass Grill: A delightful new Wine Country addition in the middle of Glen Ellen is this mid-range restaurant dishing BBQ and Western eats in a more refined setting. Laid back and friendly, its décor honors cowboys and Indians without being kitschy. In an old mill over a stream (natch) with a picture window view of the rotating water wheel from the bar area, you can smell the meat simmering. On the back deck, families and hefty, all-American guys chow down on beers and ribs… comforting in a hip, Midwestern sort-of way. I “heart” their brisket, BBQ sauce and Smoked Pork Nachos! Settle your stomach with a cold Bundaberg Ginger Beer as you fill up on appetizers like Blue Cheese Chili Oil Fries or Panko Crusted Chili Relleno. But save some room for the meat!

Johnson’s BBQ: Though SF isn’t swimming in authentic BBQ joints, there are a few gems, Johnson’s being one. This is Arkansas style BBQ… when they say their sauce is hot, they mean it. Lunch is a deal: for $6.75, I get a half order of the “pork sandwich” plus two sides (coleslaw, baked beans, yams, etc…), which is actually a huge heaping of BBQ pulled pork over a slice of bread (worth it even if you don’t want the bread!) They serve ribs, catfish, oxtails, links and more. I have to say the dingy environment is far from appealing, but that’s part of the authenticity.