… 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!

We stopped for brunch at the lovely Seaweed Cafe a couple weeks ago. From the food to the atmosphere, I liked how it balanced being casual and sophisticated. And a lot of restaurants talk about seasonal and local food, but Seaweed Cafe lives it. Even all of their wines are from west Sonoma County.

Oregon Shrimp Sandwich. AMAZING. I don’t think that Chad and I will ever stop talking about this sandwich. The shrimp were so velvety, and made just a touch creamier with mayonnaise and a little crunchy from some celery, but the masterstroke was the Portugeuse cheese melted on top, which was also just a little chewy and caramelized on the edges in the best way. This is definitely in the pantheon of perfect sandwiches.

The waitress said that their ham and cheese sandwich is made in a similar way, so get that if this isn’t on the menu. She said that the cheese is Portugal’s oldest and named it quickly, but I don’t remember it and will have to do some research.

Sand Dabs with Heirloom Tomato Salad and Potato Pillow. It’s a shame when bad things come out of good restarants. This wasn’t inherently bad — just very, very bony. You could get most of the bones out in one connected piece, but so many little ones lingered anyway that you spend most of the time trying to pick out the sweet, flaky meat. I liked the fluffy potato pillow and fresh tomatoes, though… potato-tomato works for me.

We went to Willi’s for lunch on Sunday, and it was the most consistently good seafood restaurant that I’ve been to in a long time. Very fresh, well-prepared, and in interesting combinations. I also liked the quirky modern decor, with an emphasis on deep blue.

The only issue was that they serve small plates, and we were told to order with sharing in mind. I eat something like small plates at home, but at restaurants they kind of frustrate me. Usually, two aren’t enough, but three is too much… but you never know how big the serving will be until you get it anyway, as portion sizes vary wildly. And the small plates are usually just as expensive as a normal appetizer and main course, if not more. They’re meant to be shared, but as generous and sharing as my family is, we don’t like being forced to share. And who has fun trying to calculate the amount of a dish it’s socially acceptable to eat at one time before it’s been passed all the way around? And trying to get it back once it has?

So, we didn’t share any more than we normally do, which is actually plenty, but it wasn’t because we were told to.

Hamachi Ceviche with Rocoto Chili, Lime Juice, Pepitas.

Tuna Tartare, Jalapenos, Cashews, Ginger, Coconut. I had a single morsel of tuna, and loved the strong spice and tender meat, with the slight creaminess of coconut.

Cornmeal Crusted Oysters with Smoked Chili Remoulade. There are some dishes that remind me how simply good warm food is. The warm, juicy oysters were so amazing with the crust and cool, crunchy cabbage.

Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi, Baby Spinach, Lemon Caper Butter. Tender, and I liked how the almonds didn’t dominate the flavor of the fish, as often happens with nut-crusted fish.

Warm Maine Lobster Roll with Garlic Butter and Fennel. Everyone else loved this, but I thought it was only okay. The viscous garlic butter got everywhere, and I couldn’t taste the fennel or lobster as much as I wanted to. My personal taste is for a chilled lobster filling in a warm toasted bun, so maybe that was why, too. The Pearl Oyster Bar version in NYC is still my favorite.

Sweet Corn and Crab Fritters.  Two types of sweet and two types of crispy.  We also ended up getting two orders.

Minted Lamb Skewer, Black Soy Sauce.

Bev’s Mud Slide Milk Shake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Kahlua & Bailey’s Irish Cream. This was the dessert to beat. So creamy and chocolate-y, which the liqueurs lending an added bit of excitement. They didn’t overpower, though, which I find very admirable.

Warm Chocolate Cake Sundae, Toasted Almonds, & Mint Chip Ice Cream. A mixed bag. The whipped cream on top of this kind of spongy — maybe it had been frozen? The warm chocolate cake had a decent chocolate flavor (and had been cut in half after being baked in a round aluminum mold, from what I could tell). I liked the mint chip ice cream the most, but it melted so fast, and clumps of almonds kept dominating the melty bites.

Lemona Verbena Drop. Lived up to its name. I got a medicinal aftertaste after the first sip, but it mellowed out. I didn’t think it was as bright lemon-y as lemon verbena usually is, but everyone else liked it.

I also got the Lime Drop, but it was just sweet more than anything else.

Strawberry Limeade. I liked this best… such a fresh strawberry flavor.

In June, we went to Glen Ellen to have brunch at the fig cafe, which is a more casual offshoot of the girl & the fig in Sonoma.  It was odd, though, to be in a place that seemed similar and yet was quite different.  The decor has the same general style but is a little more modern and spare at the fig cafe (with a higher, pointed ceiling), the menu is a little shorter (including the drink menu), and the food veers maybe a bit more towards American comfort food.  We both loved the food and the friendly service, but we’re more likely to go back to the girl & the fig because it’s closer and more familiar to us.  So, whichever one you happen to be closer to, I don’t think you can go wrong.

To the best of my memory, this was a Pizza with Ham, Red Onions Olives, and Fontina, and it lived up to all of its flavors.  A really great pizza.

Smoked Salmon with Potato Pancakes, Dill Creme Fraiche, Poached Egg, and Fried Capers.  I loved this.  The potato pancakes were the anchor of it all (and terrific because they tasted like a crispy salted potato, not grease), with the salmon as the vibrant (and abundant) star.  Mixing together all the crispy, fried, smoked, sauteed, poached, and creamy parts could amuse me for hours.  This was a perfect version of a classic.

Another visit to the girl & the fig confirmed that it’s one of my favorite restaurants in wine country. If I knew more about unsugared food, I’d love to have a restaurant like this — quality Californian/French Bistro food in a homey yet elegant setting.   If I had a list of things I want to do in my life, two of them would be: try everything on the menu (including their cheeses and cocktails) and go to their fig cafe in Glen Ellen, which has some of the same dishes but is supposed to be even homier.  The second goal, at least, is a sure thing.

Rabbit Pappardelle w/ Braised Sonoma Rabbit, Fava Beans, Roasted Garlic, Peas, and Lardons. I couldn’t quite figure out what the sauce was - it turned out that the rabbit is braised in chicken stock, and then the juices released by the rabbit are mixed with mustard to make the sauce. I loved the whole roasted garlic cloves that are mixed into it all. Brilliant. And the lardons were just a perfect touch of elusive smokiness.  I like pappardelle a lot, too — how it’s ever so slightly meaty at first in strength, and yet breaks down so nicely.

Duck Confit w/ Roasted Potatoes, Olives, Wilted Greens, Capers, & Sonoma Mustard Vinaigrette.

And that Burger again.  Top Sirloin Burger w/ (Chad’s choice of) Cambozola Cheese, Grilled Onions, and Matchstick Fries.