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.

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…

… in pastry around the Napa area, preferably at an establishment that leans towards innovative desserts made of fresh, seasonal ingredients… but I’m open to consider anything that comes up. I simply want to continue to learn as much as I can about desserts… and make delicious ones.  I’ve posted my resume on the sidebar and would be grateful for any leads emailed to me.
Thank you!

NOTE (05/07):  Pastry Chef Nicole Plue is now at Redd in Yountville. Chef Victor Scargle is now at Go Fish in St Helena.
We went to Julia’s Kitchen for dinner last weekend. It’s the restaurant inside COPIA that’s named after Julia Child. It’s open and airy, and comfortable. I liked that they serve many vegetables from their own garden, but the food was a pretty mixed experience. The main courses were rather uneven, but the desserts were spectacular, so I’ll start with them.

Peanut-Milk Chocolate Gianduja, Peanut Honeycomb Parfait, Milk Chocolate Sorbet. I loved this. Each component had its own world of creaminess and crunchiness as well as peanut and chocolate. Even the parfait, which I had mentally shrugged at, given its volume of whipped cream, turned out to be delightful, with peanuts and a chocolate sauce at the bottom and honeycomb on the top. The whipped cream was also a nice foil to all of the chocolate and peanut butter flavors in the whole dish. And the sorbet was so creamy, without the heaviness of ice cream.

The “candy bar” had a slightly crisp matted top, a smooth and peanut-y filling, and a very crispy and slightly crumbly bottom. The waiter explained that the top was simply a thick layer of sprayed chocolate and the bottom was feuille de brick. He explained a process to make it that sounds a lot like a laminated dough, but additional butter was incorporated at different stages. I’ve come across numerous spellings and explanations about it online, and it seems to be similar to a phyllo dough… but this version seemed crumblier, so I’m a little confused now, even though I was elated while eating it.

Dark Chocolate Cake, Bergamot Mint Cream, Chocolate Mojito. That chocolate mojito was amazing — it was like an iced milk hot chocolate with mint.

The only thing that I’m a little bit uneasy about with these desserts is putting crumbs and sauces under glasses. Aesthetically, it’s great, but it’s awkward in practice.

Peach and Cinnamon Tartine, Vanilla Bean Brioche, Peach Ice Cream. The vanilla contributed an overall flavor of the dish, as if perfumed with peach and cinnamon. Great.

Apricot Cinnamon Chai Tea. Most of us were talking as complimentary mignardises were brought out, so when Chad tried this and burst out with “Oooh. That’s nice,” there was an awkward silence until I laughed at him. Two minutes later, when I got around to trying it, I said, in complete innocence, “Oooh. That’s nice.” Then Chad laughed at me. It began with the apricot and ended with a slightly muted chai, and was overall, so cool and refreshing.

Dragee Nuts, Ganaches, Toffee. The toffee seemed to have crackers among its chunky bits, and that was great. Nuts were similar to what we made at school, but the caramelized layer seemed more like toffee.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Cosmo, and Amuses Bouche of Gougere and Watermelon Soup. I didn’t like this combination of the amuses, but they were good in their own right… except my soup had a piece of hot pepper that I don’t think anybody else had. But, um, it gave it a nice kick.

The cocktail was very sour and good.

Mai Tai with House-Infused Lychee Rum, Orgeat Syrup (almond-flavored), and Triple Sec. This was the best mai tai I’ve had outside of Hawaii, but it’s not exactly traditional. I liked how it was fruity and sweet while retaining a muted, not quite sour charm.

COPIA Carrot, Curry Dijon Vinaigrette, Garden Beet Greens. This was a lively carrot salad, with the curry flavor giving way to the mustard, and the mustard giving way to the carrot in every bite. The beet greens were an interesting addition of slight bitterness and softer crispness.

Pan Roasted Rib Eye Steak, Sweet Corn Pudding Freshly Dug Potatoes, Sauce Bordelaise. I order steak about once or twice a year, so I’m a bit angry that I wasted my order on this steak. It was very fatty, and the taste was insipid… and the sauce did nothing to help out. Thank goodness for the hand dug potatoes, though — they were full of flavor. The pudding was different — it seemed to be made of a starchy base that had corn mixed it into. The base was like a thinner mashed potatoes, and you expected it to taste starchy, but it didn’t. It tasted nice with the corn, but I never could get used to the texture of the base.

Oven Roasted Pork Chop, Hobb’s Smoked Bacon and Garden Leek Tart, Stone Fruit, Sausalito Springs Watercress. The pork was actually juicier than it looked, but this was pretty boring overall.

The traditional French bistro food available at Bistro Jeanty is probably even more traditional than most bistro food I had in Paris last month. Not all bistros have pigs feet and lamb tongue on offer, but Bistro Jeanty goes for it… and it hasn’t changed its menu since it opened in 1998 (but it does have daily specials). The food is proudly rich and comforting, and overall, good… but maybe I’d appreciate it more in, say, February.

Bouchon, located just up the street, also touts itself as serving traditional bistro food, but you would never confuse one for the other. Bistro Jeanty embraces a rustic heartiness while Bouchon is more urban in approach– a little lighter, a little more precise, a little more sparkling (and a little more expensive). Some call Bouchon more of a brasserie. And in Sonoma, the girl & the fig is more about how splendidly Provencal and Californian food can get along.

Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry. I liked this a lot — the soup was just a little creamy, but the pungent tomato was in the spotlight… and mixing it with shards of puff pastry is one of the more humble pleasures in the world. The soup remained incredibly hot the whole time it was in front of me, which was a mixed blessing.

Home-Cured Pork Belly with Lentil and Foie Gras Ragout. So melting, and smoky, and just unrolling with flavor. Chad had a very similar dish at Bouchon the following week, but the Bistro Jeanty version was better — at Bouchon, the lentils were undercooked and overall it lacked the unctuous richness of this one.

Coq au Vin - Chicken, Mushrooms, and Bacon Red Wine Stew . The sauce was a little too thick with starch for me, but the flavor still came through nicely — very smoky from the bacon, with the undercurrent of vegetables and chicken.

I probably could have done without the side of buttery, clumpy Egg Noodles because the coq au vin was rich enough, but they were fine for what they were.

Short Ribs. A special that night. They were good, but those smooth spinach and mashed potatoes were what I kept stealing from Chad’s plate.

We also had a great 2004 Ballantine Zinfandel with our meal, and drove out that weekend to the winery to taste and buy. The 2004 wasn’t technically available for retail yet, but when people come in after having it at Bistro Jeanty, they’ll sell it by request.

Lemon Meringue Tart with Orange Sauce. Chad liked this, but I didn’t. The lemon tasted bland, and the orange tasted medicinal to me. The meringue was too thick (proportionally and texture-wise, like a dense marshmallow), and there was too much caked powdered sugar all over the place. The result was a sour and sweet gumminess that held my teeth hostage for longer than I would have liked.