I went home to the New Jersey to surprise my Mom for her birthday last week, and in between wiffle ball games with my brothers, I scavenged for food in the area, including a brief trip to New York. So, here are the food highlights… and then some.

At Momofuku in NYC, the Fried Green Tomatoes with Anchovies, Chervil, and Kimchi was one of the most boldly delicious plates of food that I’ve had in a long time. The perfect bite involved the cold and spicy kimchi hitting your tongue first, followed closely by a piping hot wedge of green tomato that crunches open to let loose its almost molten interior, and then finished with the sharp salty tang of the slightly chewy anchovies and chervil. It reminds you how much flavor food can have. Even though most dishes contain elements of crunch/chew/salt/hot/cold, this was one of the few that made it seem special, like an elaborate balancing act. And now I much prefer the wedges of fried green tomatoes to slices; there’s more room for flavor and texture that way.

Unfortunately, my Momofuku Ramen, which ironically came out in better focus than the FGT’s, was insipid at best. Everything in it seemed over-cooked and tired. During last year’s visit, my bowl had been perfect, bordering on transcendental.

And I got to sit at the counter directly in front of the cooks, which was great entertainment.

The caramel ice cream sandwich from ‘Wichcraft in Bryant Park was boring and very sweet… though there was a ballerina for entertainment.

I went to Columbus Circle to get something from Bouchon Bakery at 5pm on Sunday, but the prices stood out more than the small variety of food remaining ($4.75 for a donut, $3.75 for a linzer cookie??). I didn’t get anything.

I was amused that Per Se had ratatouille on the menu, echoing Thomas Keller’s involvement in the Pixar movie.

Back in NJ, Umberto Pizzeria in Fair Haven is my pizza of choice. It’s a mom & pop pizza shop with a Sicilian pizza that has a gooey top, pillowy middle, and crunchy bottom. They don’t deliver, but we’ve been taking it out for years. Their NY-style is also quite nice.

The Steak au Poivre at Avenue in Long Branch was velvety and juicy, and satisfied my steak craving.

The restaurant is on the water above the beach that now has palm trees (!).

I also wandered into my parents’ garden and yard, in search of any and all things edible among the beguiling greenery and flowers.

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I was delighted to discover that the cherry tree that I used to be only vaguely aware of is actually a sour cherry tree.

My parents had already picked most of them for liqueurs, but I had plans to make a pie, or compote if need be, the next day with the rmg few… but they disappeared overnight! Either by the birds or spoilage, I guess.

At least this one will be forever in mid-bite…

Then there were the black raspberries…

And the wild black raspberries. The immediate gratification of impromptu berry-picking is one of the greatest pleasures I know of.

There were blueberries in the making.

And apples.

And pears.

And there are always more flowers…

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Thanks to special deals from Southwest, Chad and I were able to indulge my wily scheme to visit Napa (and Sonoma!) for one day. No hotel… mostly movement. We flew out of Los Angeles at 8am, and we flew out of Oakland at 8pm. It was a tight schedule, but everything went like clock-work — the 4 shuttles, 2 planes, and 1 rental car. There was the issue of the collapsed freeway, but that only added a tolerable amount of traffic.

It’s been 3 months since I moved away, and I was so eager to remember the day that I took pictures of everything that I could. I’ve compiled them into an album on Snapfish of 136 photos with some captions (sorry, registration required). They are snapshots, not composed photographs. The majority of them were taken from the passenger seat of our rental car, going as fast as Chad deemed fit. It’s amazing how many of them are in focus, and even contain pieces of what I was aiming at. I like to think they fit well on the web, which reveals and preserves so much of day-to-day life around the world. I recommend slideshow mode. This was what it looked like to drive around Wine Country on May 5.

I did miss some things, though, like the two girls in Sonoma walking around with a youtube-inspired sign that said “free hugs” on one side.

Since this is a food blog, I don’t want to bury all my leads, so these were the food and drink goings on…

The top sirloin burger at the girl & the fig in Sonoma (here are previous posts). The cambozola option is the way to go with this burger, but bacon’s optional. I love the way this burger tastes, but as always, the subtle genius is in the Dutch crunch roll. It gives a satisfying crunch, but its inner softness marries it well with the other elements in the burger. I’ve read that a burger bun is ideally as soft as the burger meat, and I agree… and I can admire this bun because it bends the rule for a greater good. I suspect that the bit of salt from the cheese and the bit of butter from the bun are also secret weapons in this burger.

Unfortunately, Chad and I ordered our burgers medium-rare, but mine turned up rare and his medium. His was also missing cheese, which is, as I mentioned, mandatory. When informed, the restaurant took the plate back, put a piece of cheese on it in the kitchen, and brought it back out. I’m kind of conflicted about that. While I hate to see food go to waste, a cooled off burger isn’t as much fun to eat and doesn’t melt cheese well. It’s like a permanently defective burger.

At least our Roederer and Fig Royale (w/ black mission fig syrup) were refreshing. And the bread was freshly soft on the inside and delicious.

And for fellow devotees, the rabbit pappardelle pasta is on the menu again. When I had it last year, it was phenomenal.

Then to Bouchon Bakery in Yountville (previous posts here). Disappointed that their once heavenly Cheese Danishes were still sporting a coarse sugar crystal dusting and looked over-baked, I got a pistachio macaron, and Chad got a caramel.

The caramel flavor was good — caramel-y, butter-y, salty, but the cookies a bit too dense… and the filling a bit too light and buttery. Instead of a lighter than air wonder, the whole thing felt more like a standard sandwich cookie.

On the other hand, my first bite of the pistachio macaron was spoiled by my need to exclaim that “this is the worst macaron I’ve ever had!” The top crust shattered above the empty pocket of air in the cookie to lead to the way to the hard and chewy remainder of the cookie.

I went back into the store with it, and told them that it was really tough, like it was stale, and asked for a caramel instead. I would have loved a good pistachio one, but I didn’t want to take another chance with it. I was promptly given a caramel one by a courteous staff member, and was told that it was odd that they were stale b/c they were baked in the last day or two… but in my opinion, that’s a day or two too much for macarons. They don’t age gracefully.

I wish that the pain au chocolat could have made up for it, but that was off, too…

It shattered more like a folded cracker than a laminated dough. Perhaps it was old, but it seemed more like a prep issue to me. Either not enough butter was used or it was rolled while too warm to prevent it from laminating properly. At least the chocolate inside it was unaffected, and quite edible.

That was all the food we ate there. You might say that it was a little disappointing, but we’ll probably go back to both the next time we’re up there. This is one reason why I’ve never been comfortable with “reviewing” eateries, and recommending them to other people. None of them will ever have perfectly consistent food. Every dish that leaves the kitchen is different. Every dish is practice to improve.

I can reconcile these facts two ways. The first way reminds me of something that a film professor once told me - the skill of a director is measured by what she edits out of her movie. What’s shown is truly the best and most pertinent. This applies to restaurants in so far as what they choose to put into customer’s hands. It’s quality control. There will always be some rejects in food preparations, but standards vary about what will go out, from restaurant to restaurant, employee to employee, and day to day. There are waste and cost issues with this, so that’s where the “every dish is practice to improve” idea is handy.

Also, there are the emotional ties to restaurants. I happened to like the girl & the fig and Bouchon Bakery as local hangouts and will always have good memories at both, food-wise and personal-wise. Very subjective. Only an offensively bad experience would keep me away from them in the future, and going back to them is nostalgic excitement. Like most of this trip, it was just pleasing to know that they’re still out there.

Anyway, I also bought a couple spices from The Spice House in Chicago while in the campus store at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. According to their labels… Ground Mahleb, which is the pit of sour cherries, is used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern breads, cakes, and pastries… China Tunghing Cassia Cinnamon has a very high 4% natural oil content, which lends it a smoother, sweeter flavor while maintaining a strong spiciness. I’ll report back when I use them. I also bought a fancy cherry pitter at the Sign of the Bear in Sonoma, because I have high hopes for lots of cherries this summer, along with every other fruit I can manage.

I wanted to go to Duckhorn Winery, but it was closed for a special event. I have a good knack for choosing wineries on days that their closed, but luckily, Plumpjack was open.

The lively rock ‘n roll and conversations that surrounded us mirrored the boldness of the wines, which were a bit tannic and strong for me. Chad was more of a fan.

We also went to Paraduxx, which is is affiliated with Duckhorn. Again, the mood fit the wines. A relaxed, chic tasting room (and patio) matched the smooth and luscious wines.

Their wines are all fusions of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon.

Be aware that tastings are $15, though it does include table service, spiced almonds, cheese straws, and bottled water.

Frankly, though, if you’re going to Wine Country with someone else, sharing tastings is the best option. Once you become accustomed to the fact that all wines taste and feel differently, you become eager to see what else is out there — what else wine can do. If you have to drink all the tastings by yourself, you’re more apt to become tipsy and unable to sample more, at least thoughtfully. After a while, the tasting size seems like so much. If you like it, you know you want to buy some or look out for it on the future, and if you don’t, you want it out of your way. For better or for worse, wine tasting is rarely a time to savor, per se. It’s a time to evaluate, and you may as well try as much as you can without getting overloaded. On the other hand, I prefer wineries like this one — with tables and chairs, a mellow ambiance, and pre-filled up glasses — so if you want to savor… well, just go right ahead.

We may not have the most dramatic changes of seasons in Los Angeles, but for the past two years, the month of April has become a season all of its own for me… One that is dramatic, beautiful, and full of glorious cheese.

It was two years ago that I first found out that Clementine, one of my favorite bakery/cafes in Los Angeles, makes at least one specialty grilled cheese sandwich every day during the month of April (closed Sundays). Their most standard version is an aged Vermont Cheddar on Country White Bread, with a choice of bacon and/or roasted cherry tomatoes, but looking at their brochure, it’s obvious that they are mining from a very deep knowledge and love for variations of melty cheese and toasty bread.

The theme of the names this year is based on the idea of a Cheesedance Festival, like a film festival. I went for the inaugural sandwich yesterday, Deconstructing Dagwood, which had cheddar, swiss, pastrami, salami, chopped olives, tomatoes, roasted peppers, pickles, mustard, “and whatever else we can find in the fridge” on a crusty roll. I forgot to take my camera along, but trust me, it was dramatic, beautiful, and full of glorious flavor. It will also be served again on April 24.

Chad and I actually sat down with the schedule to plan when we want to go… which was somewhat fruitless b/c I would have ended up putting a star next to every date if we’d seen that idea through. My waistline and wallet will probably determine my attendance.

So… if you’re in LA… some dates you may want to keep in mind… even though I doubt you could go on a “bad” day even if you tried…

• April 4 (and 19) - Mediterraneo - Aged Provolone, Sauteed Spinach, Marinated Artichokes, Basil, Garlic, and Chili Flakes on crusty bread.
• April 6 - Short Cuts (Small Sandwiches, Presented in Combination) - The Gouda, the Bread and the Buttery:
• Goudafellas - Smoked Gouda with Meatballs (and Marinara Sauce for dipping)
• As Gouda as it Gets - Aged Gouda with Young Garlic and Fried Capers
• Gouda Night and Gouda Luck - Red Wax Gouda with Turkey, Wisconsin Bacon and Russian Dressing
• April 11 - High Steaks: Panino Royale - Havarti, Gorgonzola, Grilled Steak, Bacon, and Balsamic-Roasted Onions on House-Made Panini
• April 12 (and 25) - The Philadelphia Cheese Steak Story - White American, Provolone, Rib Eye Steak, Peppers, Onions, and Mayo on French Roll
• April 16 - Basque in Glory - Etorki, Bayonne Ham, and Fig Preserves on Crusty Bread
• April 30 - Medianoche in the Garden of Gouda and Edam - Gouda, Edam, Ham, Roast Pork, Pickles, Mayo, and Mustard on Pan Cubano.

I could go on… and on… Oh, one more, my favorite name - “Melt: Collateral Heatings of Sharp Cheddar and Crispy Bread For Make Benefit Glorious Sandwich of Tuna.” I think Borat would be pleased.

It may not be surprising that this grilled cheese has pedigree. Annie Miler, the owner and chef of Clementine has worked with Nancy Silverton, who among many other things, created Grilled Cheese Night at Campanile (which still happens every Thursday night). The Buffala 66 sandwich (on April 17) has mozzarella, pecorino, italian sausage, red onions, and fennel pollen on country white, and “clearly owes its inspiration to Nancy Silverton and the fennel sausage pizza at Mozza.” I’ve been dying to go to Mozza, and this is yet another reason to check it out… and see how the open-faced versions of melty cheese and toasty crust (aka pizzas) there compare.

And if you can’t make it to LA this month, Nancy Silverton has a rather wonderful Sandwich Book, that also includes sandwich cookies, such as versions of oreos and nutter butters to make at home, or in culinary school.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks packing, moving, unpacking, and waiting to get my internet service installed in my new apartment. Now, that’s all settled, and it’s back to blogging, as usual.

I’ve also been taking an occasional picture, so here’s my little transitional scrap book… I had so many “last meals” to commemorate and enjoy the Bay Area that I’m going to have to do the highlights here. And no notes to work from… just memories and stream of consciousness.

So, of course, to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, which has become my favorite restaurant in the area. Consistently creative and flavorful food with a wonderful wait staff.

First was the legendary Rabbit Tostada, which I’ve rhapsodized about in previous posts. No pic this time, we just ate it straightaway.

Next was a Macaroni and Cheese with Ham, which made me fall in love all over again. In addition to cheese that walked the line between creamy and elastic and a crunchy blanket of bread crumbs, the ham was so tender — like a pulled ham — that it made me wish that all those unfortunate rubbery cubes of ham found elsewhere could be banned. It was also just a little spicy, just to make that much more perfect.

I think that any fellow Mac & Cheese enthusiast would appreciate this.

Ricotta Bread Pudding with Huckleberries. Chad liked this more than I did. It was a little too messy on the plate and in the mouth, but it was redeemed partially by a nice ricotta finish.

Campfire Pie. Amazing as always.

And that burger at the girl & the fig. With cambozola and grilled onions. Meaty and juicy, of course, but also tangy, sweet, salty, sour. And that dutch crunch roll is the stuff of genius.

I also liked their “the works” cheese plate.

I also liked the donut from Bouchon Bakery, with the panned sort of chocolate bits on top. An excellent firm, yet yielding texture to add to a donut — without going all crunchy on us.

I wish I’d had time to go to Bouchon one more time, and Ad Hoc, for that matter. Ad Hoc is the restaurant that Thomas Keller opened with the intent of closing it after so many months, but it’s become permanent, which is good news for everybody. In addition to salads and cheese courses that are able to surprise and delight because of their freshness and well-judged creativity (such as pickled apples with cheese), the main courses are usually slow-cooked succulent meats with lots of vegetables. Unfortunately, I’ve found their desserts to range from the average (panna cotta) to inedible (large tablets of dry and hard puff pastry served with a dollop of whipped cream and too few berries, like a do it yourself Napoleon). Similar things could be said about Bouchon (and I believe that the same chef oversees both kitchens) — the special meat course of the day is usually wonderful — and the desserts have always disappointed me there, too. Ad Hoc is $45 for four courses (only one menu avail each night; no choices, except wine), which is high for a casual restaurant, but low for a Thomas Keller restaurant. The skill is evident in most courses, though, and frankly, I crave the place. I did have one last opportunity to go for their Fried Chicken night — Thomas Keller Fried Chicken = TKFC! — but knowing that it would involve a glass of wine, I found it too hard to justify a $60 fried chicken dinner under the circumstances. Instead, I vowed to visit the fine establishment known as Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in Los Angeles asap to get my fried chicken fix, and I’ve decided not to look back… too much.

So, anyway, back to the legendary food that I did eat…

Contrary to my melancholy musings before, I did manage to go back to Tartine (though, truth be told, walking there from the Ferry Building is no more of a picnic than driving and finding parking there). This glorious morning bun had a perfectly chewy caramelized outside, enhanced by the crunchiness of the sugar crystals and seductive hints of orange and cinnamon.

The gooeyness inside was also brilliant, amidst the tender ribbon of dough.

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The meringue with cocoa nibs was an unexpected pleasure. Simple, but with deep flavor, and a balance of sweet and bitter, crunchy and soft, wet and dry.

The quiche as a little disappointing — I think it had been over-cooked — but I can appreciate a flaky crust when I encounter it.

I kept eating this Banana Cream Pie out of stupefied curiosity. As far as I can tell, chocolate is painted on the crust, caramel and pastry cream spooned on top, slices of banana are put on top of that, and then the whipped cream and chocolate shavings are on top of that. I spent too long looking around in the tart to see what else was in there, and it was also kind of watery inside; some banana slices were bare, some were, say, half swimming in liquid and half in pastry cream. The ingredients seemed good on their own — delicious, in fact — but confusing when put together; and maybe it was old and something had separated.

This Cake aux Olives was another source of wonder. It had gruyere, ham, eggs, wine, olives, and a bit of flour — enough for a salt-rific, slightly crisp crust. A slightly gummy texture, but in a thought-provoking way. I guess it’s like a cross between a quiche and an olive bread.

And then to Zuni Cafe, where I really wanted to try their burger.

I liked the pickled onions and the soft but supple bread, but the meat was a little bouncier in the mouth than I like. I also got a lovely gigantic plate of fries, which I can proudly say, I made a dent in. And their bread was gorgeous and tasty.

BUT the best thing about the lunch was the service — it was extraordinary, and made me feel all warm and peaceful inside. I just walked in alone and without a reservation for lunch, in hiking sneakers, jeans, and a backpack, and on my way to the hostess stand, I spied a few spartan, small tables in a tiny nook and thought that I’d glimpsed into my future. But NO, they gave me a completely wonderful table near the window in the main dining room that was already set for one person (no awkward removal of utensils or chairs in my presence necessary), and the wait staff was thoroughly congenial and helpful. I read my history of candy book, ate my food, and walked out sprightlier than I’d walked in — which is no mean feat, considering my burger ‘n fries ‘n wine feast (and bfst at Tartine). I really appreciate their thoughtfulness, which was gauged to fit my situation. I’m now an ardent fan.

I won’t go into all the issues of dining alone, except that the best restaurants realize that a lone diner one day is a leader of, say, a party of six another day (and/or, say, a writer of a blog post), and that it’s a compliment for a person to want to eat at a restaurant alone, b/c they just really want to eat the food (and in my case, read; I concede that sitting there with a book at a table and wearing hiking sneakers doesn’t add to the mood of the restaurant, but at some point, we all want to eat good food while reading and wearing casual shoes, so why not go for it?). And of course, good service is good service no matter how many people.

And then… I guess this was it… my final meal…

A turkey and herbed goat cheese sandwich and chocolate bouchon from Bouchon Bakery. Half the sandwich consumed for dinner in Napa, the rest as lunch at a rest area, somewhere off the 5 hwy, in my car. Yum.

I’ll visit Napa, SF, and Berkeley as often as I can, but for now, here I am in LA again… with lots of eating and baking to do. When I left LA in mid-2005, I’d gone for years without using an oven — I barely knew what to do with it — or doing any real cooking. I would run down the hill from my apartment to the corner convenience store for an occasional pint of icy Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. I spent most of last week unpacking, but I also found time to make: two sorbets, candied blood orange peel, a banana bread, a ganache, five spice marshmallows, pounds of roasted carrots, brined pork tenderloin with apple/quince/potato medley (from Lucques cookbook), and a banana chocolate malt ice cream base is waiting in my freezer, to be spun tomorrow. Not a bad start…

Lemon Meringue Cake

First off, isn’t that cake gorgeous? I think it’s emblematic of Tartine. Stylish, but ultimately simple and somehow bountiful. The Lemon Meringue Cake has a chiffon cake, lemon cream, caramel, lemon syrup, and Italian meringue. I’m willing to call the inclusion of caramel a stroke of genius.

The day before we visited Tartine, I happened to read through the entire Tartine cookbook. I have to admit that while many of the techniques described in the book seemed clever and useful, I didn’t mark any recipes to make soon because they seemed pretty traditional — either French or American. Croissants, Chocolate Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, Shortbread, Fresh Fruit Tart, Frangipane Tart, Lemon-Buttermilk Pudding Cake, etc.

But I’ve been converted. Once you go to Tartine, you get it. They’ve made the classics their own, and then some. Their food sparkles, culinarily speaking. Now, I want to make just about every recipe in the book.

I think of Tartine as the Chez Panisse of bakeries. Indeed, Alice Waters wrote the foreword to the cookbook. The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal, often local ingredients prepared with a loving attention to detail.

Tartine is in the Mission District. For a Saturday lunch, we spent a long time looking for parking, a reasonable time in the line that went out the door, a while standing up and eating our cake as we waited for our sandwiches, and a while sitting down and eating in two chairs we snagged at the communal table. Traffic there and back in the rain was a bit rough. As I finished off what I could eat of my cake, I took a long look around at the beautiful food and lively people… and wondered if I’d ever have the time and energy to make the trek there again before I move back to Los Angeles in February. Sadly, probably not. But at least its cookbook will allow Tartine to pop up again on my blog someday. And if you’re in SF, I hope that you can make it there and enjoy it as much as I did.

I believe that I’m still full from this meal…

Passion Fruit and Lime Bavarian. Chiffon Cake, Lime Syrup, Passion Fruit Bavarian Cream, Coconut, Whipped Cream (to adhere coconut to cake). Loved the tartness of this, with just the right sweetness. The bavarian was somehow fluffy — very different from the ones I’m familiar with. Liked all the textures, esp coconut w/ the chiffon and a little bavarian. The chiffon cake seemed a little moister than the one in the lemon meringue cake.

Three Cheese Pressed Sandwich. Bellwether Farms Jersey Carmody, Straus Cheddar, Cowgirl Fromage Blanc. Every bite of this was a little different, due to the configuration of the cheese. Pickled Carrots great, sour & spicy. Three sandwich pieces too much for an average person — and too tempting b/c so good. Perfectly butter-y toasted bread.

Jambon Royale & Gruyere Pressed Sandwich. Niman Ranch cured and smoked ham with Dijon on country bread. A lot of mustard on this, but I was happy with that, and the whole thing. Just the smell of it brought me back to France.

Gruyere Gougere with Fresh Herbs. This was a bit too soggy inside to completely enjoy, but the flavor was good.