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winelimos · 2 months

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Taste the Delights of a Sonoma Wine-Tasting Tour

Every wine enthusiast should put going on a wine-tasting tour in Sonoma on their bucket list. A trip through one of the most renowned wine areas in the world is provided by Sonoma County, which is well-known for its verdant vineyards, picturesque scenery, and top-notch wineries. A wine tour in Sonoma will be a rewarding experience, regardless of your level of expertise with wine.

The region of Sonoma Beauty

Northern California's Sonoma County is a treasure trove of outstanding viticulture and scenic beauty. There are more than four hundred wineries in the area, and they all provide distinctive and fine wine-tasting experiences. An extensive range of grape varietals can be grown in this excellent setting because of the diversity of the terrain, which includes maritime influences, rolling hills, and green valleys.

Organizing Your Tour of Wine Tasting

Making the most of your wine-tasting excursion in Sonoma requires planning. The following are some essential factors to make sure the experience is seamless and pleasurable:

Consider Smart Winery Selections:

Choosing a winery to visit might take a lot of work due to the abundance of options. To enjoy Sonoma's wine selections comprehensively, investigate and select a blend of well-known properties and lesser-known finds.

Examine a Tour with an Information:

If you'd rather have an easy time, think about scheduling a guided wine tour. It's simple to visit several vineyards without having to worry about driving because these tours frequently include transportation. Furthermore, competent guides can offer insightful information on the history and culture of the area's wineries.

The Experience of Wine Tasting

Every Sonoma winery provides a different kind of tasting experience so that patrons can enjoy the distinctive qualities of their wines. What to anticipate normally at a wine tasting is as follows:

Warm Welcome:

The welcoming team will assist you with the sampling process after you arrive. A detailed look at their winemaking methods can be had by taking one of the wineries' tours of the vineyards and production facilities.

Tasting Flight:

A flight of multiple wines is a standard component of a tasting; lighter white wines are typically served first, followed by fuller-bodied reds. Extensive descriptions of the wine's characteristics, such as its scent, flavor, and the distinct terroir of the vineyard, are provided with every pour.

Food Pairings:

To pair their wines with meals, many wineries offer pairings. These pairings, which range from gourmet snacks prepared by on-site chefs to artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, highlight the wines' diversity and improve the tasting experience.

Scenic Settings:

The wineries in Sonoma are renowned for their stunning environments. The breathtaking scenery enhances the enjoyment of your visit, whether you're having a picnic on the estate grounds or sipping wine on a rustic patio overlooking the vineyards.

Going Beyond Wine Samples

Although wine tasting is the primary draw, Sonoma County has a wide range of additional activities to make your stay more enjoyable:

Gourmet Treats:

Foodies will find heaven in Sonoma. The farm-to-table dining scene in the area includes everything from quaint bistros to restaurants with Michelin stars. Enjoy the opportunity to savor regional specialties paired with Sonoma wines.

Outdoor Adventures:

Experience Sonoma's natural beauty by going on hikes, bicycle trips, or hot air balloon rides. A plethora of state parks, the Russian River, and the Sonoma Coast provide outdoor enthusiasts plenty of chances to get in touch with nature.

Cultural Experiences:

Explore museums, art galleries, and historic places to fully immerse yourself in Sonoma's rich history and culture. A National Historic Landmark, Sonoma Plaza is a pleasant place to wander, shop, and discover the history of the neighborhood.

Advice for an Exceptional Tour

To make your visit to Sonoma that includes wine tasting unforgettable, remember these suggestions:

Take It Slowly:

It might be a tiring experience to taste wine, particularly if you intend to visit several wineries. To stay hydrated, take your time, enjoy every taste, and sip lots of water.

Put on comfortable apparel:

You may be wandering through vineyards and standing for long amounts of time for tastings, so wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

Spend the Night:

If you have time, think about staying an extra night. Sonoma provides a variety of lodging options, from luxurious resorts to quaint bed and breakfasts, so you can unwind and enjoy the entire wine country experience.

Conclusion

A Sonoma wine-tasting tour combines an exploration of the art, science, and passion of winemaking with drive-through vineyards. Sonoma County is a location that captivates the senses and creates a lasting impression because of its breathtaking vistas, unique vineyards, and exciting culinary scene. Raise your glass, then, and celebrate a very unique journey in one of the world's most renowned wine areas.

#wine tours sonoma #sonoma wine tours #wine tours from sonoma #california napa valley wine tour #wine tours sonoma california #winery tours in sonoma

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joshuasipkin · 1 year

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Culinary Marvels: Discovering the Finest Michelin-Star Restaurants in the United States

When it comes to dining at the pinnacle of gastronomy, few accolades hold as much weight as the Michelin star. Originating in France, the prestigious Michelin Guide has become the definitive global authority on culinary excellence. In recent years, the United States has seen an explosion of Michelin-starred restaurants, reflecting the country’s diverse culinary landscape. Join me on a tantalizing journey as we explore some of the best Michelin-star restaurants in the United States.

French Laundry – Yountville, California (Three Stars)

Nestled in California’s Napa Valley, the French Laundry is a culinary icon. Under the creative vision of Chef Thomas Keller, this three-star Michelin restaurant showcases a seasonal menu that showcases the finest local ingredients. The intimate dining experience and impeccable service make it a must-visit for gastronomes worldwide.

Alinea – Chicago, Illinois (Three Stars)

Alinea has redefined dining in Chicago and beyond. Chef Grant Achatz’s innovative approach to molecular gastronomy and presentation has earned this restaurant three Michelin stars. Expect an immersive dining adventure filled with unexpected flavors, textures, and artistic presentations.

Le Bernardin – New York City, New York (Three Stars)

For seafood aficionados, Le Bernardin is a paradise. Chef Eric Ripert’s mastery of marine flavors has earned his restaurant three Michelin stars. With a focus on elegance and minimalism, Le Bernardin’s dishes allow the natural essence of the ingredients to shine.

SingleThread – Healdsburg, California (Three Stars)

In the heart of Sonoma County, SingleThread takes farm-to-table dining to a new level. With a working farm supplying fresh produce, Chef Kyle Connaughton crafts a multi-course kaiseki menu that celebrates the bounty of the region. The personalized service and attention to detail add to the enchanting experience.

Per Se – New York City, New York (Three Stars)

A sibling of the French Laundry, Per Se brings Chef Thomas Keller’s culinary expertise to the East Coast. Located in Columbus Circle, the restaurant offers panoramic views of Central Park alongside a meticulously curated tasting menu that showcases the best ingredients from around the world.

The Michelin-star restaurants in the United States have undoubtedly transformed the culinary landscape, offering a diverse range of dining experiences that span from coast to coast. These restaurants not only tantalize the taste buds but also create unforgettable memories through their innovative creations, world-class service, and dedication to culinary artistry. Whether you’re an avid foodie or simply looking for an extraordinary dining adventure, exploring these Michelin-starred establishments promises an unparalleled journey into the realm of culinary excellence.

#Joshua Sipkin #Food #food and drink #michelin #restaurant

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arongerseo · 1 year

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Homes for Sale in Various Counties in California

Introduction

Are you looking to buy a new home in California? The Golden State offers a diverse range of landscapes, from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Whether you prefer the hustle and bustle of the city or the peace and quiet of the countryside, there is a county in California that will suit your lifestyle. In this article, we will take a look at homes for sale in several counties across California.

Sonoma County

Sonoma County is located in Northern California and is known for its vineyards, redwood forests, and stunning scenery. The county seat is Santa Rosa, and the largest city is Petaluma. Homes for sale in Sonoma County range from quaint cottages to large estates. The median home price in Sonoma County is around $700,000. If you’re looking for a peaceful lifestyle surrounded by natural beauty, Sonoma County is an excellent choice.

If you’re looking for something unique, check out homes for sale in Sonoma Valley. This area is home to some of the most prestigious wineries in the world, and many homes come with their own vineyards. Imagine sipping a glass of wine on your porch while watching the sunset over the vineyards.

Another popular area in Sonoma County is the city of Healdsburg. This charming town is known for its art galleries, boutiques, and farm-to-table restaurants. Homes for sale in Healdsburg range from historic Victorian homes to modern, eco-friendly designs.

Napa County

Napa County is located just east of Sonoma County and is known for its world-class wineries and luxurious spas. The county seat is Napa, and the largest city is American Canyon. Homes for sale in Napa County are some of the most expensive in the state, with a median home price of around $1.2 million. If you’re looking for a high-end lifestyle, Napa County is the place for you.

The town of St. Helena is one of the most desirable areas in Napa County. This small town is known for its Michelin-starred restaurants, boutique shops, and art galleries. Homes for sale in St. Helena range from cozy cottages to sprawling estates with views of the vineyards.

Another popular area in Napa County is the city of Yountville. This charming town is home to some of the best restaurants in the world, including The French Laundry and Bouchon. Homes for sale in Yountville range from historic bungalows to modern villas.

Marin County

Marin County is located across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and is known for its stunning coastline and outdoor activities. The county seat is San Rafael, and the largest city is Novato. Homes for sale in Marin County are some of the most expensive in the state, with a median home price of around $1.4 million.

The town of Mill Valley is one of the most popular areas in Marin County. This charming town is surrounded by redwood forests and is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Mill Valley range from cozy cottages to modern, eco-friendly homes.

Another popular area in Marin County is the city of Sausalito. This picturesque town is known for its beautiful waterfront views and Mediterranean-style homes. Homes for sale in Sausalito range from historic Victorian homes to modern, minimalist designs.

Solano County

Solano County is located in Northern California and is known for its rich history and beautiful countryside. The county seat is Fairfield, and the largest city is Vallejo. Homes for sale in Solano County are more affordable than some of the other counties in California, with a median home price of around $400,000.

The city of Vacaville is one of the most desirable areas in Solano County. This family-friendly town is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Vacaville range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, energy-efficient designs.

Another popular area in Solano County is the city of Benicia. This charming town is known for its historic downtown district and beautiful waterfront views. Homes for sale in Benicia range from Victorian homes to modern, Mediterranean-style villas.

Mendocino County

Mendocino County is located in Northern California and is known for its rugged coastline and redwood forests. The county seat is Ukiah, and the largest city is Fort Bragg. Homes for sale in Mendocino County are more affordable than some of the other counties in California, with a median home price of around $400,000.

The town of Mendocino is one of the most popular areas in Mendocino County. This charming town is known for its Victorian architecture and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Homes for sale in Mendocino range from historic cottages to modern, eco-friendly designs.

Another popular area in Mendocino County is the city of Willits. This small town is known for its outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, and camping. Homes for sale in Willits range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, minimalist designs.

San Francisco County

San Francisco County is located in Northern California and is known for its iconic landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. The county seat is San Francisco, and it is the fourth most populous county in California. Homes for sale in San Francisco County are some of the most expensive in the state, with a median home price of around $1.5 million.

The neighborhoods of Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights are two of the most desirable areas in San Francisco County. These neighborhoods are known for their historic mansions and stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Homes for sale in Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights range from Victorian homes to modern, minimalist designs.

Another popular area in San Francisco County is the neighborhood of Noe Valley. This family-friendly neighborhood is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Noe Valley range from traditional Victorian homes to modern, eco-friendly designs.

Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County is located in Northern California and is known for its diverse communities and outdoor activities. The county seat is Martinez, and the largest city is Concord. Homes for sale in Contra Costa County are more affordable than some of the other counties in California, with a median home price of around $700,000.

The city of Walnut Creek is one of the most popular areas in Contra Costa County. This vibrant city is known for its excellent restaurants and shops. Homes for sale in Walnut Creek range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, minimalist designs.

Another popular area in Contra Costa County is the city of Danville. This family-friendly town is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Danville range from traditional Victorian homes to modern, energy-efficient designs.

Alameda County

Alameda County is located in Northern California and is known for its rich history and diverse communities. The county seat is Oakland, and the largest city is Fremont. Homes for sale in Alameda County are more affordable than some of the other counties in California, with a median home price of around $800,000.

The city of Berkeley is one of the most desirable areas in Alameda County. This vibrant city is known for its excellent schools and cultural attractions. Homes for sale in Berkeley range from historic bungalows to modern, eco-friendly designs.

Another popular area in Alameda County is the city of Pleasanton. This family-friendly town is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Pleasanton range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, energy-efficient designs.

Sacramento County

Sacramento County is located in Northern California and is known for its rich history and outdoor activities. The county seat is Sacramento, and it is the sixth most populous county in California. Homes for sale in Sacramento County are more affordable than some of the other counties in California, with a median home price of around $400,000.

The city of Davis is one of the most desirable areas in Sacramento County. This college town is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Davis range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, minimalist designs.

Another popular area in Sacramento County is the city of Elk Grove. This family-friendly town is known for its excellent schools and outdoor activities. Homes for sale in Elk Grove range from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, energy-efficient designs.

Sell My Home Fast

If you’re looking to sell your home quickly, there are several options available to you. One option is to sell your home for cash. Companies that buy homes for cash can close on your home in as little as seven days, which is much faster than a traditional sale.

Another option is to work with a real estate agent who specializes in selling homes quickly. These agents have a network of buyers who are looking for homes in your area and can help you sell your home quickly.

If you’re in a hurry to sell your home, it’s important to price it right. Homes that are priced too high will sit on the market for longer, while homes that are priced competitively will sell more quickly.

Cash for My Home

If you’re looking to sell your home for cash, there are several companies that can help you. These companies will buy your home as-is and can close on your home in as little as seven days. Selling your home for cash can be a great option if you need to sell your home quickly or if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of repairs and showings. For more information about Cash for My Home, you may search keywords: sell my home fast, sell my home fast for cash, cash for my home, cash for my house now.

When working with a cash home buyer, it’s important to do your research. Look for a company with a good reputation and read reviews from previous customers. Also, be sure to get multiple offers before choosing a company to work with.

Ultimately, whether you’re buying or selling a home, it’s important to work with a real estate agent who understands your needs and can help you navigate the process. With the right agent by your side, you can find the perfect home or sell your home quickly and easily.

About Diamond Real Estate Group

At Diamond Real Estate Group, we are passionate about delivering exceptional consumer experiences and bringing an unparalleled level of real estate expertise to our clients. By offering a complete suite of real estate services, we ensure that we meet our consumers' every need.

Our goal is to help buyers find the perfect home at the perfect price and sellers sell their homes for top dollar in the shortest amount of time. Our team's proactive and innovative approach to marketing consistently delivers on these goals.

We elevate the home buying and selling experience for our clients with our innovative strategies and have experts in every field to guide you skillfully from beginning to the end of your real estate journey.

We believe that access to the best and most timely information can dramatically shape our decisions. Today's consumers need a trusted resource that can help them navigate the complex process that real estate has become. With our extensive knowledge in every aspect of the field, and fueled by consumer research and insights, we are the go-to source for information and education.

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rjzimmerman · 4 years

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Excerpt from this story from Nation of Change:

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the future of the Cannard Family Farm—whose organic vegetables supplied a single Berkeley restaurant—was looking stark.

“You’re a farmer. Plants are already in the ground,” says Evan Wiig, director of membership and communications for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. “You make plans months and months in advance. You can’t just turn on a dime.”

Waters was worried about the vulnerable situation her workers and producers were finding themselves in. She rushed to establish a subscription CSA, which stands for community supported agriculture, offering weekly food boxes that could be picked up at the shuttered restaurant, filled with goodies from her regular producers like Cannard.

“I’m trying to connect our network with the people who would like to have that food in their home,” she said on Michael Dimock’s podcast, Flipping the Table, on March 26. “We can sort of skip the restaurant for now. … We could help people do the cooking in their own kitchen.”

Cannard augments that market with his own local CSA, setting up a farm stand in the parking lot of Baker & Cook, a café in nearby Boyes Hot Springs, now serving only takeout. Along with produce, Cannard has his olive oil available, as well as wine from a friend’s vineyard, and flowers from another local farm. Friends and neighbors are among his 100 or so customers.

This CSA model, where buyers invest in a farm’s annual production upfront in exchange for a regular share of the harvest, is built on long-term relationships between farmers and consumers. It’s those relationships, farmers say, springing from the fertile soil of Sonoma County, that are making survival possible. New local grassroots networks and nimbler digital marketplaces, too, are popping up to provide critical lifelines. And despite the strange, isolating atmosphere created by the coronavirus, the region is now bursting with spring growth

#local farm movement #coronavirus pandemic #community supported agriculture #farming

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thefancyfrancy · 3 years

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5 Reasons to Visit Sonoma County California [SAVE FOR LATER] @sonomacounty is more than just a place with world-class wine, it’s also an untapped premier wellness destination! Here are 5 reasons to —full list on 💻 thefancyfrancy.com 1. Farm to Table Restaurants: Sonoma County is also home to many great restaurants that utilize the nearby farms for produce like @saltandstonekenwood , @fernbar.sebastopol , and @birdandthebottle ! 2. The Redwood Forrest: Visit Sonoma County to explore the Redwood Forrest. Hiking and forest bathing with @redcarwine in the majestic Redwoods, are a must for all nature lovers. 3. Boutique Spas: Sonoma County is full of beautiful alluring gardens and nature focused spas. Take a visit to one of these relaxing destinations on your trip to Sonoma County. 4. Explore Outdoors: Sonoma County has many outdoor activities; from bike riding with @getawayadventures to going on a Safari at @safariwest , making it a great destination to reconnect with nature. 5. Cedar Enzyme Bath: A Cedar Enzyme Bath is a rejuvenating heat treatment from Japan. @osmosisdayspa Spa in Western Sonoma County, is the only day spa in the US that offers this treatment along with many other wellness services. Bonus #6: The wine! Last but not least, Sonoma has amazing world-class wineries🍷like @enriquezwines and @domainedelariviere (at Sonoma County, CA) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbbdvcqu0ou/?utm_medium=tumblr

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restaurantescapes · 6 years

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Restaurant Escapes - SingleThread Farm - Restaurant - Inn

At the junction of Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys — three of Sonoma County's principal wine regions — sits Healdsburg, a charming small-town home to some of Northern California's best wine and cuisine. Topping the list is relative newcomer SingleThread, a two-Michelin star farm, restaurant, and inn where chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife Katina are redefining farm-to-table seasonality. Drawing upon ancient Japanese gardening techniques, the eleven-course menu, which opens with a dazzling display of amuse-bouches that are at the table when guests are seated, rotates not around four seasons but rather 72 distinct micro-seasons, guaranteeing that the food grown on their five-acre farm (and on the restaurant's rooftop) is only served at its peak freshness. The ensuing meal, prepared in and served upon earthenware imported directly from 8th-generation master potters in Japan, is as spectacular as this level of precision, ingenuity, and dedication would lead you to expect. Spend the night in one of the inn's five well-appointed guest rooms to experience Japanese hospitality, or omotenashi, at its finest.

Call +1 707-723-4646

#Restaurant Escapes #Healdsburg

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binsofchaos · 3 years

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Mark Peel | Romulo Yanes

Mark Peel

It is hard to overstate Campanile’s contributions to American cooking. It wasn’t the first fine restaurant in the country to operate with a grill at its heart, but it codified the style, as well as the practice of reinterpreting simple dishes — steak and beans, Greek salad, fish soup — with first-rate ingredients and chefly virtuosity.The whiff of wood smoke, the drizzle of slightly over-reduced stock and the smack of strong herbs are instantly identifiable as Peel’s signature. The very first menu included things like mozzarella made to order and lamb carpaccio with artichokes that still seem new 23 years later. Some of the restaurant’s dishes, including Niçoise salad with grilled tuna, lamb briefly smoked over smoldering rosemary branches, crisped penne, and sautéed fish laid over saucy puréed potatoes, caught on all over the world.

In Campanile’s first years, every table was served an exquisitely seasonal plate of grilled vegetables that Peel himself drove up from Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe several times a week, which was the most direct farm-to-table connection in any American restaurant to that point and has still never quite been surpassed. Peel helped set up chicken and lamb operations in Sonoma County.

Campanile is where the grilled-cheese phenomenon started, weekly family dinners on off-nights and arguably the idea of pop-up restaurants-within-restaurants that has been so dominant in the last several years.

Silverton famously baked the bread herself, so well that the bakery, which grew from a few hundred square feet below the pastry kitchen to massive operations in Los Angeles and on the East Coast, eventually dwarfed the restaurant. Her rustically complex, generously salted pastries set the benchmark in America for decades — rustic pies, luxurious panna cotta, and huckleberry shortcake barely existed in fancy kitchens before she put them there.

The two chefs broke up several years ago, and when Silverton moved over to Mozza, the national spotlight followed her. Campanile for the first time in its existence became an old reliable, the kind of place where you knew you could probably pop in on a Saturday night without much notice; a restaurant where you could take an East Coast colleague for dinner when Cut seemed too over-the-top.

The urban rustic aesthetic had succeeded to the point that it essentially had become the lingua franca of California restaurants — not old-fashioned, exactly, but not different either.

But Peel is still the most exacting grill chef in the country, a master who plays his smoldering logs the way that Pinchas Zukerman does a Stradivarius. And every time I returned to the restaurant, usually following some downhill report or another, I was blown away once again by the details of execution — the exact temperature of every ingredient in the fish soup; the careful grilling of the rib-eye; the chewy-crisp texture of the sautéed pasta. Campanile, to its last day, remains one of the city’s best, and I can hardly wait to see what Peel is planning to do next.

Jonathan Gold, 2012

Romulo Yanes

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/dining/romulo-yanes-dead.html

These Poached Eggs Aren’t Picture-Perfect.

That’s What Makes Them Beautiful.

With the simple act of preparing a big batch of eggs, the photographer Romulo Yanes taught Genevieve Ko the importance of pausing, and connecting through cooking.

It was nearing midnight on Day 8 of a two-week photo shoot when I rolled out dough for a sheet of graham crackers. Using a long ruler as a guide, I cut perfect rectangles, then pressed straight lines of dots with a fork. Going into the oven, it looked flawless. Coming out, it had buckled over the parchment paper and creased like a shirt crammed in a drawer.

Disappointed, I figured I’d make a new batch the next morning. When the photographer, Romulo Yanes, arrived, I showed him the ruined crackers and told him I’d get another tray ready.

He stopped me and told me — scolded me, really — that those wrinkles are what made the baked dough beautiful. I thought he was just saying that to be nice since the shoot was for my first solo cookbook, but he took the pan and set it under his camera. Even before his monitors were set up, he snapped a shot. He motioned me over and chuckled while showing me the image on the viewfinder.

“See? It’s gorgeous,” he said. “Come on, let’s eat.”

In a world where anything short of ideal seems unacceptable, Romulo helped me to find the beauty in imperfections, to see how mistakes can lead to something surprising and possibly even better. It was a master class in grace, as was his practice of taking time to share a meal with those around him. With these years marred by grief and in this season of feeling loss more acutely, I think often of Romulo, who died from cancer in June. I remember him and especially those two lessons that he taught me that day, and again on every shoot.

Romulo’s food photography is often recognized for his clear love of what’s on the other side of the lens. But those who have been on set with him know that his images also convey how he valued the people around the food — how he worked with us, flaws and all, and turned our dishes into beautiful things, then gathered us around the table to share in them.

On most photo shoots, breakfast is sips of coffee and bites of muffin taken while setting up. But Romulo would cajole us to begin each day with a hot meal together, even if we just wanted to get to work. One morning, he walked into the kitchen to cook us breakfast. He craved a poached egg on a buttered English muffin and wanted to make each of us one. The stylists, assistants and I gathered around the stove, where Romulo put a skillet of water over the flame.

He carefully lowered half a dozen eggs into the boiling water and rolled them back and forth for 20 seconds or so, then scooped them back out, one by one. When asked why he first put the eggs into the pan while they were still in their shells, Romulo explained that the brief glide in bubbling water prevented the whites from later spreading into a lacy fringe. He confessed that he had no idea whether there was any scientific merit to this, then tipped a splash of vinegar into the pan, which definitely does help the whites set. He cracked the eggs in, spacing them apart as if on a sundial, and cheered when they didn’t spread.

The eggs immediately ballooned, staying nice and tight, and going from clear to white, then they began to bob as they firmed up. After a few minutes, Romulo nudged the yolks to make sure they wobbled only a bit and spooned the eggs out onto paper towels.

They weren’t five-star-hotel Benedict eggs, round as globes after spinning in a whirlpool of boiling water or being coddled in a ladle. They were shaped like friendly ghosts — no frilly rim but curved edges and the slope of diner-poached eggs. Because all six were ready at the same time, we got to sit together and eat them hot, the yolks running into the toasted crags of our English muffins.

It didn’t matter that the eggs weren’t picture-perfect. What did matter was the time we took to stop hustling and to connect with one another.

- Genevieve Ko

Recipe: Skillet Poached Eggs

#mark peel #campanile #jonathan gold #food #farm to table #seasonal #family dinners #nancy silverton #genevieve ko

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gwydionmisha · 4 years

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#Climate Change #Disaster #Food

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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A Simple Fix for Restaurants and Diners to Help Curb Climate Change

The co-founder of Zero Foodprint on how just a one percent fee added to every restaurant bill can fund carbon farming projects worldwide

According to Anthony Myint, there’s an obvious fix for solving climate change: “Pay 1 percent.” Adding 1 percent to every restaurant bill, he argues, would send money up the food chain to farmers, who could use it to invest in carbon farming.

Myint calls this consumer-funded model “table to farm.” As cofounder (along with Chris Ying and Peter Freed) of the nonprofit Zero Foodprint, which has worked since 2015 to reduce and offset the carbon footprint of restaurants, Myint and his organization work with restaurants to assess their contributions to climate change. It then leads the charge in asking consumers to pay an additional 1 percent upfront, with money going to those who invest in returning organic matter to barren soil or capture carbon from the atmosphere. “If we take a real honest look in the mirror, if you’re paying $100 for a Michelin-starred meal and it’s [raised to] $101, it doesn’t matter. If you’re paying $10 for a sandwich and it’s $10.10, it doesn’t matter,” he says. “No one can tell me with a straight face that’s impossible.” And it’s much easier to do than asking consumers to avoid eating meat or always buy local or break up agribusiness.

As environmental front man, Myint avoids soliloquizing about the poor state of the planet, instead arguing for people to fund actionable solutions. As Eater looks ahead to a better future for restaurants — one that adequately addresses how what we eat fuels climate change — Myint lays out a roadmap for how to get there.

NMB: What will 2025 look like for the food system and restaurants?

AM: In 2014, the first renewable energy program began in Marin, California, where a whole city transitioned to renewable energy by citizens improving the grid. That’s a pretty short time ago, yet this is a systemic-change framework that everybody knows: I’ll pay a few dollars more on my utilities bill; I’m not actually putting a solar panel on my own roof, I’m paying into a process that will change the energy grid for everyone’s benefit. Anyone can opt out, check a box on their utilities bill. But it’s a new normal in the energy sector for regions trying to make the change, they create a new normal through collective action. That would never, ever happen if you were asking me to climb on the roof, put up the solar panels, take out a loan, negotiate with my landlord, connect with the energy grid, and all this shit.

Science in the past few years has established that 8 billion acres of farmland and grassland can be a major primary climate solution. Each acre can take in many tons of carbon, maybe even 50 or 100 tons of carbon. A lot of times that’s carbon that used to be in that soil before we plowed it up, killed it, and poured chemicals on it. We may not be able to rewild everything because we need to produce food, and there’s real estate and capitalism [to consider]. But we can completely reinvigorate the soil and put all that life back in, in a very short time, if we start adopting policies for systemic change.

What we’re arguing for is a table-to-farm movement along the same lines as renewable energy. Thinking, “Hey Chez Panisse, you’re doing great work. Let’s hope McDonald’s sees what you’re doing and decides to switch” — that’s not really realistic. Even if McDonald’s really wants to, it’s a whole different business model. They can’t go to the farmers market every day. It’s not even plausible.

What’s totally plausible is, send 1 cent from each burger, send 2 cents from each burger [to offset emissions]. Instead of a model that hopes people buy more $15 grass-fed burgers and then things start improving, our model is: The cows are out there on the land for a year before they go to the feedlot. That rancher is part of a big Cargill beef system. Cargill produces 7 billion pounds of beef per year. What will actually change [the system] is if McDonald’s takes 1 cent from each burger and pays that rancher at Cargill to implement carbon farming. That rancher would otherwise never have $200,000 to apply a bunch of compost or manage the way the cattle graze, because they’re just selling into a commodity market. That’s the same challenge as that solar panels thing on the roof.

At Zero Foodprint we’ve worked with restaurants over the years to go carbon-neutral and in every case, [applying 1 percent of sales] was more than enough to go carbon-neutral. Globally, 1 percent of GDP would have society on track to solve climate change and lower global temperatures. That’s all it takes, sending 1 percent instead of 0.00 percent ever.

NMB: How far toward the goal of carbon capture will we be in five years?

AM: It’s hard to say because if you asked a renewable-energy person in 2015 where will we be in 2020, I don’t know if even an optimistic one would have said, “By 2020, 100 cities will be on their way toward renewable energy.” It really depends on individual progressive policy makers in a region. We’re working on those regional policy-level shifts in a few different counties and cities. Because a lot of what I’m talking about with soil carbon is brand-new to science, it takes the cultural capital of all of the cool kids and all the cool chefs and beloved restaurants doing it.

In some of the counties we’re working with — Sonoma County in California, for example, has had drought, wildfire, floods year after year; Boulder County in Colorado is very much focused on collective economic action to address climate change through natural and local solutions — regional leadership is all for it. It’s just a matter of how to get the board of supervisors from districts one through four to want to do it, how to get the city mayors to want to do it. Once the first one or two regions start doing it, then I hope it just becomes a no-brainer.

That’s what we’ve seen at Mission Chinese. We had a surcharge on the check going toward carbon farming for the last year and half. In that whole time — pre-COVID — two parties opted out. We were able to collect $45,000. I think we’re at a moment where people are more interested in collective action to make public benefit than before.

NMB: How will awareness of this issue spread over the next five years, especially into less-progressive areas of the U.S.?

AM: Maybe not in regard to climate. But healthy soil is 100 percent bipartisan. There was an op-ed in the New York Times where [an Iowa farmer argued] to the government, pay us to take carbon out of the atmosphere with a few cents per meal. It’s part of Biden’s climate policy. It started to hit the Democratic nominee debates. But it’s so new people don’t even understand it.

Overall there’s a paralysis in regard to climate. Everybody is viewing it in terms of doing less harm: “I’ll bike to work instead of drive, I won’t take a flight, I won’t eat a burger, and I’ll be doing my part.” It’s true that matters. But in terms of the food system, the science is showing that delays the inevitable harm reduction. The opportunity presented by restoration of soil is almost 10 times the opportunity of “stop wasting food, don’t eat meat.” The opportunity of restoration is so much larger. People need to shift the thinking toward funding solutions.

NMB: Coming out of COVID-19, do you think there will be a culture shift on collective action that benefits this effort?

AM: I hope so. I’m biased obviously because I’m in the restaurant industry, but society misses restaurants. We see the importance of them. It’s not just a business that’s a transaction. There’s people and a story and a gathering place. I hope that people view their spending at restaurants in a way that allows them to embrace the 1 percent that we’re pushing for. I hope people go out of their way to support those restaurants in the way they’re going out of their way to support restaurants right now.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michelle Min is a food and travel photographer based in San Francisco.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/35h2dAw https://ift.tt/3jR4Lcu

The co-founder of Zero Foodprint on how just a one percent fee added to every restaurant bill can fund carbon farming projects worldwide

NMB: What will 2025 look like for the food system and restaurants?

NMB: How far toward the goal of carbon capture will we be in five years?

NMB: How will awareness of this issue spread over the next five years, especially into less-progressive areas of the U.S.?

NMB: Coming out of COVID-19, do you think there will be a culture shift on collective action that benefits this effort?

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michelle Min is a food and travel photographer based in San Francisco.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/35h2dAw via Blogger https://ift.tt/32bSb1I

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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delfinamaggiousa · 4 years

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Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat

The Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the wine, food, and hospitality industries and as most businesses remain closed until further notice, these industries are finding creative ways to work together in an effort to generate revenue and stay afloat. Wine brands are partnering up with restaurants, retailers, purveyors, and hotels to offer consumers unique experiences and deals they can enjoy at home and in the future.

“I think that it is so important for us all to come together during this time to support each other,” said Katy Wilson, owner and winemaker of LaRue Wines in Sonoma, Calif. “Wineries, restaurants, and the whole hospitality industry are all connected. I want to do everything I can to help because I know that every little bit matters.”

Looking Local

Many wineries are looking no further than their backyards to find partners within their local communities. Round Pond Estate in Rutherford, Calif., for example, worked with the Bodega Bay Oyster Company to create a BBQ Oyster Kit for Memorial Day Weekend, which included wine pairings and a virtual cooking class. In partnership with local farms and purveyors in the Seattle area, Matthews Winery in Woodinville, Wash., has been curating weekly Family Meal boxes for its customers. Each box comes with a bottle of wine and ingredients for an at-home dinner. Bryan Otis, proprietor of Matthews, said that they’re averaging 120 to 160 meals a week.

The MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa in Sonoma partnered up with 10 local boutique wine brands for a Sip Now, Stay Later promotion. For every case purchased through one of the wineries, MacArthur will provide a complimentary night stay (on a two-night minimum booking). Three Sticks Winery reported selling more than 20 cases since the promotion launched the second week of May. “It’s a win-win for all sides,” said MacArthur Place general manager Ruben Cambero, who added that he expects the promotion to drive several hundred thousands of dollars overall. “This incremental revenue — roughly $350 to $800 per case — helps to offset the lack of tasting-room revenue during the wineries’ closures. For MacArthur Place, this partnership spurs future hotel bookings to balance an otherwise lean reservation book.”

On May 12, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced reopening guidelines under which wineries would only be allowed to serve wine in Stage 2 if they offer sit-down meals, though this is subject to approval in each individual county. As of now, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, and El Dorado wineries are allowed to welcome guests if they serve these sit-down meals outdoors. Those that don’t have an in-house culinary team are seeking assistance from local restaurants or catering companies, like Three Fat Guys Wines in Sonoma, which has hired the local Picazo Food Truck. Sbragia Family Vineyards in Geyserville, Calif., has partnered with Sonoma’s famed restaurant, The Girl & The Fig, to provide a selection of lunches for two on its expansive outdoor terrace. “John Toulze [executive chef and managing partner of The Girl & The Fig] has been speculating that wineries, especially those with expansive outdoor spaces, would be the new restaurant space, that folks would be more interested in eating outdoors than indoors, and they have the ability to socially distance tables,” said Steven Cousins, CEO of Sbragia. “We were planning on launching The Girl & The Fig at Sbragia by next weekend, but little did we know that we would be required to provide a meal as part of wine tasting per the orders coming from the county health department.”

Reinventing an Old Concept

While events and experiences cannot be held in-person, wine brands are finding ways to recreate their offerings for the home. For years, DeLille Cellars in Woodinville, Wash., has offered DeLille Date Nights, consisting of a wine dinner at its tasting room. It has since pivoted to a takeout menu with its catering partner but, seeking a way to reach its fans in the city, it also teamed up with Metropolitan Grill in Seattle. The Metropolitan sold more than 140 takeout dinners (which included a bottle of DeLille wine) over the first weekend and it was so successful, it recently did a second promotion.

Another popular tactic is going virtual. Gran Moraine in Yamhill, Ore., got creative with a national account partner to host a three-course virtual wine dinner on National Chardonnay Day. The promotion was offered at 10 restaurant locations and approximately 50 households tuned in to a live Zoom discussion about the food and wine. Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, Calif., offered a four-course Virtual Winemaker’s Brunch in partnership with Champagne Henriot, broadcasting live from Burgundy.

Supporting a Good Cause

The most rewarding partnerships are those that drive revenue, but also support a charitable cause. Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines in Healdsburg, Calif., recently kicked off a grassroots effort called Drink Cali 4 Good that encourages wineries to partner with restaurants for one-day, online promotions, and then pledge a portion of wine sales to their respective employee relief funds. Dorrance tagged several other vintners on Instagram to join in, including Wilson of LaRue Wines. Wilson teamed up with New York City’s Anton’s, a new cafe and wine bar that opened its doors a mere six months ago and had just picked up LaRue Wines for its list. Thirty percent of proceeds were donated to Anton’s employee relief fund and Wilson added some extra incentive to the promotion by offering 1-cent shipping and entering any order of three bottles or more into a raffle to win a magnum of Pinot Noir. A total of eight cases of wine were sold, resulting in a $2,000 donation to assist Anton’s employees.

In a similar vein, Press Restaurant in St. Helena, Calif., created a Wine Thru as part of its takeout program, which offers 5-ounce samples of new releases from local winery partners. Priced at $5 per sample, proceeds go toward Press’s Employee Fund for furloughed employees (the restaurant is selling between 40 and 125 samples a week). Press is also buying full bottles to sell through the Wine Thru; a total of 330 have been sold six weeks into the promotion. “The Wine Thru has allowed us to support both the sales efforts of wineries in a small way, but, most importantly, guests can taste new-release wines in a way that isn’t being done anywhere else right now,” said Samantha Rudd, owner of Press.

Aperture Cellars in Healdsburg was nearing its grand opening when the pandemic hit and so winemaker Jesse Katz decided to turn the food and wine pairing experiences he was busy curating with local chefs into at-home offerings, including chefs’ recipes and cooking classes. Proceeds from these experiences are donated to a variety of local charities and Aperture has been able to distribute over $30,000 in donations thus far. “We are lucky to be in the era of the conscious consumer,” said Katz. “People want to put their money toward a product or experience that they can feel good about.”

The article Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-food-hospitality-covid-19/

source https://vinology1.wordpress.com/2020/06/05/innovative-partnerships-are-helping-wine-food-and-hospitality-firms-stay-afloat/

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

Text

Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat

Looking Local

Reinventing an Old Concept

Supporting a Good Cause

The article Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-food-hospitality-covid-19/

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johnboothus · 4 years

Text

Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine Food and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat

Looking Local

Reinventing an Old Concept

Supporting a Good Cause

The article Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-food-hospitality-covid-19/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/innovative-partnerships-are-helping-wine-food-and-hospitality-firms-stay-afloat

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isaiahrippinus · 4 years

Text

Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat

Looking Local

Reinventing an Old Concept

Supporting a Good Cause

The article Innovative Partnerships Are Helping Wine, Food, and Hospitality Firms Stay Afloat appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-food-hospitality-covid-19/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/620102298905067520

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/travel/36-hours-36-hours-in-mendocino-county/

36 Hours: 36 Hours in Mendocino County

Ninety miles north of San Francisco, Mendocino County is just far enough away to have narrowly escaped the Bay Area’s radical transformation during the tech boom years. In contrast to other formerly quiet Northern California backwaters, Mendocino maintains its rural identity and eccentricities, including its longstanding status as one of the country’s major marijuana-producing regions. Where there is big news, it’s largely culinary. The 30-year-old chef at Elk’s Harbor House Inn was recently named a James Beard award semifinalist for Best Chef in the West. Besides the Harbor House’s eight- to 12-course, $150 per person prix fixe dinners, there are cheesemakers, upstart breweries, exceptional farm stands — notably Fort Bragg’s Nye Ranch and Caspar’s Fortunate Farm — and farm-inspired restaurants, like the long-awaited, soon-to-open Fog Eater Cafe, which began as a farm pop-up, and will serve “California cuisine with a Southern twang.” After years of population stagnation, young people are moving in, or coming home, and committing themselves to Mendocino’s fertile soil and sea. It’s a second wave back-to-the-land movement and a welcome reprieve from the Bay Area’s buzz.

Friday

1) 3:30 p.m. Tall trees

Take Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley, to Hendy Woods State Park, where you can stretch your legs beneath the awe-inspiring giant redwoods or take a dip in the Navarro River. Then, backtrack to Boonville’s Pennyroyal Farm, the sister farmstead to one of Mendocino’s most beloved wineries, Navarro Vineyards. Sample rich goat and sheep milk cheeses, fresh and aged, exceptional pinot noir, and farm-made pickles and preserves. Sit out back, beside a gurgling fountain, and watch sheep meander beneath the vines. In the spring, a farm tour (11 a.m. daily) offers the overwhelming cuteness of nursing lambs and kids.

2) 6 p.m. Supper stop

For dinner, reserve a table at the Boonville Hotel, a former roadhouse that’s now a beautiful, family-owned inn with a wide porch, flickering fireplaces when the weather’s cool, and a seductive patio garden for outdoor dining during the warm months. The restaurant’s new chef, Perry Hoffman, is from Sonoma’s James Beard award-winning SHED and, before that, Napa’s Michelin-starred Étoile. Here, his prix-fixe menus (starting at $58) include lively dishes and unexpected flavor combinations. Imagine mussels with charred cabbage, grapefruit, fennel and seaweed or a whole stuffed quail with artichokes, shiitake mushrooms, bolting kale and brown rice vinegar.

3) 9 p.m. Change is brewing

After winding through the redwoods and along the coast, head for the former logging town of Fort Bragg, for some small town night life. The 135-year-old Golden West is a dive bar that was bought in 2015 by a couple who grew up locally and returned after living in Los Angeles. The bar has maintained its vintage character (neon signs, shuffleboard and pool tables, faded black-and-white photos of logging scenes) while upgrading its extensive liquor cabinet and serving excellent cocktails, and has occasional but unexpectedly good live music, as well as a Sunday Bloody Mary bar. Or, for a family-friendly pub in a tucked-away location, seek out Mendocino’s newest brewery, Overtime Brewery, which teams with Nye Ranch in making its exotic seasonal beers, like the “Thistle Dew” artichoke ale or Nye Ranch Cucumber Batch. Take a couple of crowlers — a 32-ounce can filled from the tap and sealed on site — of your favorite beer to go.

Saturday

4) 8 a.m. Super bloom

Tucked into a strip mall, Cafe Jaavy — the younger sister of the longtime local favorite, Los Gallitos — has colorful oilcloth tablecloths, a salsa bar and a breakfast menu that includes savory Mexican breakfasts like chilaquiles (tortilla chips simmered in a flavorful, mildly spicy sauce, served with beans and eggs, $9.50) and standout huevos rancheros with chorizo ($9.50), plus sweeter offerings like banana and berry crepes ($8.99) and generous smoothies ($4.50) made with fresh fruit. The Tropical, with mango, apple, pineapple, melon, chili and lime is particularly tasty. Then, head for the 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, where 124 species of rhododendrons put on a spectacular show in April and May.

5) 11 a.m. Sweet soak

Drive south to Mendocino village to walk its photogenic streets and gawk at the immaculately preserved Victorians. Pop into Frankie’s for a scoop of locally made Cowlick’s ice cream. Among the cafe’s 16 rotating flavors are chai, Campari grapefruit sorbet, yellow cake batter and mushroom. Then, take a restorative soak in Sweetwater Spa’s communal — and clothing optional — eight-person redwood tub, sweat in the cedarwood sauna, or indulge in a massage (starting at $110 for 50 minutes). There are also private tubs ($25 per hour), which are enclosed but open to the sky; if a starry soak is your thing, Sweetwater is open until 9 p.m.

6) 12:30 p.m. Pizza pit stop

Next door, Cafe Beaujolais’s weekend-only takeout window, the Brickery, serves pizza ($13) with big, perfectly charred air pockets and daring toppings, like Moroccan-spiced rabbit and garlicky New Haven-style white clam pizza. On sunny days, the backyard garden is idyllic for sharing a pie and savoring a glass of rosé or a craft cider.

7) 2 p.m. Glass for the masses

Fort Bragg’s signature attraction, a former town dump that was transformed by time into a beach of gleaming sea glass, has been badly picked over and is no longer the dazzling sight it once was. For a glimpse of its former glory, head to the odd little International Sea Glass Museum south of town, where Captain Cass sells bags of so-called Seed Glass ($4.95) to replenish the beach’s supply. Across Highway 1, the Glass Fire Gallery displays fantastic blown-glass creations in the form of jellyfish chandeliers and mushroom-shaped table lamps. While in the area, go for a stroll along the newly opened Noyo Headlands Coastal Trail. After more than a century of the headlands being occupied by a sprawling mill site, the town now has access to its coastal bluffs, where California poppies blaze orange in the spring, when it’s also possible to spot migrating whales spouting offshore.

8) 3:30 p.m. Local treasure

For a dose of Mendocino’s wonderful eccentricity, visit The Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics, a tiny two-room storefront museum that celebrates the life and work of the local inventor, lay scientist and World War II transport pilot, Larry Spring. In the same small building, Lost Coast Found has a charming selection of vintage home goods: midcentury stereos, cheery 1970s-era coffee cups, along with used books, postcards and miscellanea.

9) 5:30 p.m. Fresh caught

Have an early, California-style dinner by the water in Noyo Harbor, where you have a difficult choice of dining options. For fresh, crispy fish and chips, bundle up and sit on the riverside deck at Sea Pal Cove, where dinner guests include sea gulls, there are $5 pints of high-end craft beer, and views of passing fishing — and, in season, whale-watching — boats. A few doors down, Princess Seafood Market & Deli is a woman-owned and -run fishing operation with its own boat and seafood restaurant. Princess serves reasonably priced, locally caught seafood, including whole Dungeness crab ($27.95), barbecued Royal Miyagi oysters ($12.95 for a half dozen, and a grilled prawn po boy ($15.95). During chilly coastal evenings, the deli’s tented seating area provides heat lamps and freshly laundered blankets. Then, pick up a Coast Packet and take a gamble on a local performance. One of the joys of small town cultural life is the unexpectedness of what’s available from week to week, whether it’s the wonderful independent Flynn Creek Circus or a riotous political play at the Mendocino Theatre Company.

Sunday

10) 9 a.m. The Greenwood Good Life

On your way through Mendocino, grab a takeout breakfast — an organic housemade bagel with lox and “all the veggies” ($12.50) or “market-inspired” quiche ($8) — at Mendocino’s Good Life Cafe. Sip your coffee to-go as you drive a breathtaking stretch of Highway 1 to the village of Elk, population 200. Tote your breakfast down to Greenwood State Beach to sit on a piece of driftwood, look out over the volatile Pacific and take a long breath of sea air. Then, visit Elk Greenwood Museum and Visitor Center — originally the town’s post office — to learn some Greenwood lore from the center’s knowledgeable docents.

11) 11 a.m. Wine Down

Take Philo-Greenwood Road back to Anderson Valley and taste your way out of town. The options can be overwhelming, but the redwood tasting room at Toulouse Vineyards and Winery is especially beautiful and its wines are excellent renditions of classic local varietals: Alsatian whites and pinot noirs. For three wineries in one Spanish-style plaza, stop at The Madrones complex, where Drew Family Cellars, Smith-Story Winery and the newly opened Long Meadow Ranch, which has estate-grown Burgundian varietals, share a plaza.

12) 12:30 p.m. History lesson

Cut east over Route 253 — a spectacular 16-mile drive across hilltops of moss-draped California live oaks — to Ukiah, Mendocino’s 16,000-person county seat. Dedicated to an extraordinary, but largely forgotten painter, the Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House displays Hudson’s striking and distinctly empathetic portraits of native peoples and immigrants, exhibits the work of local artists, and offers tours of Hudson’s Arts and Crafts home, which she called Sun House.

13) 2 p.m. Buddhist brunch

Head south to the City of 10,000 Buddhas, a former California State Mental Hospital that is now a Buddhist community and monastery. The campus’s distinctive arched entrance is undergoing renovation, but its roaming peacocks, evocative institutional architecture and Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant, which serves tasty vegetarian dishes to a mostly local crowd, remain. Or hop down the 101 to Hopland, where Rock Seas serves an ever-changing menu that riffs on brunch classics — like coconut French Toast with star anise, coconut, brown sugar and mango ($12).

Lodging

In the last two years, two long-awaited new hotels have opened on the Mendocino coast. The Harbor House Inn, in Elk, is a 1916 redwood home which was originally built by the local logging company and designed to showcase the beauty of the region’s lumber. After an eight-year renovation, the inn reopened in May of 2018 with 10 rooms (starting at $355, breakfast included) and a destination restaurant.

#travel news a30 #travel news dover #travel news europe #travel news gloucester #travel news uk trains #travel news uttoxeter #travel news vancouver #travel news websites #travel news york #TravelAwesome

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trekadvisers · 5 years

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A Vinicultural Retreat: Reviewing Las Alcobas in Napa Valley, California

Courtesy of The Points Guy by Zach Griff

On the heels of Marriott’s introduction of (the dreaded) Category 8 award tier, TPG wanted to review some of the most aspirational properties in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Having recently reviewed the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park and the Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina, next up was Las Alcobas — a Luxury Collection Hotel that has been on our radar for a while.

Would the hotel’s rooms, facilities, and service make the property worth 85,000 points or $800+ per night? Well, as I found out, there wasn’t a simple answer to that question.

In This Post

Booking

Because I was traveling on a quiet weekend, room rates at Las Alcobas were a bit lower than normal, hovering around $725 per night. We booked right before the introduction of Category 8, so we only paid 60,000 points per night — worth roughly $480 according to TPG‘s April valuations. To sweeten the already fantastic deal, as a Marriott Ambassador Elite member, I was eligible for a space-available upgrade (up to a suite), free breakfast, and guaranteed 4pm late checkout.

With Las Alcobas having moved into Category 8, it now requires 85,000 points per night for a free night. When Marriott launches peak and off-peak pricing later in 2019, the nightly points rate will jump to 100,000 points in peak season and drop to 70,000 points during off-peak times.

We still don’t know which dates will qualify for peak and off-peak rates, but I’d venture to guess that there will be lots of peak dates, particularly over busy weekends. So if you’re thinking of booking a trip to Napa during a busy time period (holiday season, spring break, summer long weekends), it would be best to book now before rates jump by 15,000 points per night.

If you were considering paying cash for a stay at this property, you could replicate the same perks as top-tier Marriott status by booking through the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which you can access through The Platinum Card® from American Express. Plus, you’d also receive a $100 spa credit to be used during the stay.

Location

Las Alcobas is located in St. Helena in California’s Napa Valley. The resort is about a 40-minute drive from Sonoma County Airport (STS) and an hour and a half from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) without traffic. Since traffic across the Bay Bridge is an almost 24/7 reality, I’d recommend budgeting closer to 2-2.5 hours for the drive from SFO. Sonoma County has daily commercial flights on Alaska, American, Allegiant, and United from various cities on the West Coast, but SFO is the arrival airport of choice from points outside the West Coast.

There isn’t much public transportation in the area, so taking a ride share or renting a car are the only viable options for getting to the resort. Just make sure to leave the keys to the rental at the hotel while you’re out enjoying a wine tasting.

I arrived into STS airport from LAX and ordered a Lyft for the 40-minute drive to Las Alcobas. I chose Lyft because Uber only offers its pricey Black cars in Sonoma County, which meant that by using Lyft I saved $80 ($45 for Lyft vs. $125 for Uber).

The hotel is located on Main Street in St. Helena, a 15-minute walk from the center of town. You don’t have to go far for the wine, however, as the hotel neighbors the Beringer Winery and actually overlooks a portion of the Beringer vineyards.

Check-in

Upon arriving at the hotel, I was greeted by a friendly bellman who introduced me to a front-desk associate, who was already standing outside waiting to welcome me to the property. The associate asked for my credit card, confirmed my stay details, and escorted me to the room for an in-room check-in. He welcomed me to my upgraded top floor room overlooking the Beringer vineyards and explained many of the room’s features.

After the brief orientation, he opened the mini bar and offered me a half bottle of sparkling wine as the welcome amenity. While I certainly could’ve used some cheese and crackers with the champagne (confession: I’m a lightweight …), overall, my check-in experience started to convince me that this property does deserve its place in Category 8.

Room

The room, and especially the incredible balcony and view, further validated Las Alcobas’ premier Category 8 rating.

The hotel has 68 guest rooms, and about 10 of those are junior and one-bedroom suites. The hotel’s rooms are located in four buildings; two buildings overlooking the vineyards separated by the hotel pool, one building overlooking the Beringer estate.

The fourth building, called the Acacia House, located by the entrance of the hotel, is a renovated rustic barn that houses the hotel’s restaurant and tiny reception area.

I was given a Vineyard View 2 queen guest room in one of the hotel’s two main buildings. For a hotel with 68 rooms, there are lots of rooms categories — 12 total!

The hotel assigns room categories based on which building you are in, as well as what level your room is on. Technically, I received a three-category upgrade from a Superior Guest Room, but the only real difference was that I had a better view on a higher floor.

The room was stunning, and the minimalist decor blended naturally with the outdoorsy feel of the hotel.

The beds were super comfortable and the linens were crisp and fresh.

There were two outlets and USB ports located behind the nightstand for easy charging of all of my devices.

The minibar was located in the corner of the room and featured a complimentary French press, along with bottled water that was restocked daily.

Near the entrance hallway was the closet and bathroom. The closet was large enough to fit all my hanging clothes, plus the two oversize plush bathrobes that were already hanging there.

The bathroom was split into two separate rooms, one with a toilet and sink and the other with a shower/tub combo and sink.

Since I was traveling with a friend, this set up proved to be ideal. He could shower, while I used the sink.

The toilet was a Japanese Toto electronic toilet that welcomed me to the bathroom by automatically opening the toilet seat — and then it automatically closed when I left.

The highlight of the room was the outdoor deck with fire pit overlooking the incredible view of the vineyards. The balcony proved to be the best place to relax and enjoy some wine.

The sofa and chairs were extremely inviting and comfortable, and the fire pit was heavenly on cool evenings. Fortunately, almost 95% of the rooms feature a fire pit, so you don’t need to rely on an upgrade to get one of them.

Food and Beverage

The hotel has one on-site restaurant called the Acacia House. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. On weekdays, breakfast is served from 7-10:30am; on the weekend, breakfast hours are extended to 2pm to accommodate late risers (read: hungover lightweights).

The restaurant decor matched that of the hotel and was quite fitting for a California farm-to-table restaurant.

Breakfast is served a la carte, and my Marriott Ambassador Elite membership granted my friend and me two continental breakfasts listed at $39 per person. In practice, we were able to apply the credit to any dish we ordered.

On the first morning, I ordered the omelette ($19), which was quite tasty. I then decided to order toast ($5) and breakfast potatoes ($9).

The following morning, I ordered the cured smoked salmon ($18), followed, once again, by the toast and potatoes … my favorite hangover remedy. I also ate dinner one evening at the Acacia House. The restaurant was crowded with non-hotel guests, but I didn’t have to wait too long for a table.

To start, I ordered an endive and apples salad ($15) and finished with the whole roasted acorn squash ($24). While the salad tasted fresh and light, the squash was completely overcooked and under seasoned.

My friend enjoyed his hamachi crudo ($21) and English pea soup ($13).

Outside the restaurant is a bar area with indoor and outdoor seating. While I didn’t spend time at the bar during my stay, I observed that many guests enjoyed a drink or two (or three) in the afternoons.

Overall, the food was above average, but it didn’t feel up to the promises of a Category 8 property. My recommendation is to use your breakfast credit at the hotel restaurant and go elsewhere for your other meals. After all, this is Napa and The French Laundry is only a 15-minute drive away.

Amenities

Las Alcobas definitely has enough five-star amenities to warrant its Category 8 rating. Even though the hotel was almost completely full during our stay (I overheard someone say that it was running at 95% occupancy), I never felt that it was too crowded.

While the grounds aren’t all that expansive, the hotel does have a few different areas for activities that helped spread out the crowds.

The main sitting/relaxing area was the hotel’s long rectangular pool located between two of the main buildings.

There were many yellow lounge chairs set up by the pool, which was heated to 84 degrees, but I forgot my bathing suit, so I stuck to relaxing beside the pool.

Next to the pool were a few outdoor couches and chairs set up around a large fire pit overlooking the vineyards.

Sitting out here was very relaxing, and my dermatologist father would definitely appreciate that the hotel offers free sunscreen at the pool. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any water available near the pool or outdoor couches, so come hydrated.

Back near the center of the resort was the hotel’s spa called Atrio. With 60-minute massages starting at $180 before tax and tip, I passed on a spa treatment.

I did check out the other spa facilities, which include a locker room, steam room, and relaxation area. It definitely would have been nice if the hotel also added a sauna or jacuzzi to the spa area (especially considering the low nighttime temperatures).

The relaxation room was nice, though the highlight was definitely the complimentary mixed nuts and dried fruits, hot beverages, and flavored waters.

The gym was located on the ground floor of one of the guest room buildings. It overlooks the Beringer estate and featured plenty of modern equipment that further helped me sweat out both my hangover and those potatoes I ate to combat that hangover.

In addition to the cardio and weight area, there was a yoga studio where the hotel offers complimentary yoga and TRX classes every morning.

The hotel set up some mountain bikes for rental outside of the gym, but I wasn’t sure where exactly they expected guests to ride, since the main road near the hotel was a two-lane highway.

Wi-Fi across the property was fast, free, and much needed. Cell phone reception (on Verizon and T-Mobile) was quite spotty across the property and the surrounding area, so my girlfriend back home appreciated my Wi-Fi connection almost as much as I did. Download speeds were around 50 mbps and upload speeds at 10 mbps.

Service

Although the service was promising when I checked in, it actually proved to be the most disappointing aspect of this stay.

We asked the hotel about local transportation options other than Uber/Lyft and were excited to hear that a house car was available to hotel guests. They informed us that we’d just need to call down a few minutes before to request the car. When we called to request the car, we were told that it had been pre-booked for the entire evening. Why advertise a service that isn’t actually available for use? And, if we needed to make reservations for the car, why not tell us?

Furthermore, I needed to wash clothes that I had used earlier in my trip. I brought my laundry bag to the reception area on Saturday morning and was told that the hotel outsources their laundry service and it had been already been picked up for the day. What five-star hotel doesn’t offer expedited and readily available laundry service?

Finally, the most egregious service failure occurred the morning we checked out. I called down to the front desk and asked to reconfirm our 4pm guaranteed late checkout thanks to my Ambassador Elite membership. The front-desk manager profusely apologized, but told me that Las Alcobas is considered a resort and therefore does not guarantee 4pm late checkout to elite members. I took out my phone, browsed Marriott’s resort listings, and noticed that Las Alcobas was not listed as a resort, and I’d therefore be guaranteed a 4pm late checkout. Armed with the new information, I called back down to the front desk manager, who told me that Marriott’s website was wrong, but he offered a 4pm checkout as a one-time courtesy. Then, at 3pm, a full hour before our checkout, housekeeping knocked and opened our door(!) asking us why we haven’t yet checked out. #Bonvoyed

Overall Impression

Does this property deserve its Category 8 placement? It’s not an easy answer.

Las Alcobas is certainly a gorgeous property in California’s Napa Valley. The hotel features a stunning design and blends perfectly into the nearby vineyards. The rooms, especially the balcony and firepits, could be featured on the cover of luxe travel magazines. However, what lay hidden beneath the glamorous façade were some serious service failures and miscommunications. If some of the service elements could be improved, then I’d definitely consider Las Alcobas worthy of inclusion among the 62 Category 8 hotels in Marriott’s Bonvoy program.

Original Article: https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/las-alcobas-napa-valley-ca/

Check out the original post here: http://www.jamcosolutionsllc.com/a-vinicultural-retreat-reviewing-las-alcobas-in-napa-valley-california/

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