Bar Tartine

Last post from SF...

After driving back to the city from Healdsburg, we had dinner at Bar Tartine. They had really unique dishes. You really couldn't imagine what it would taste like until you ate it.

We got the last seats at the bar.

Loved the atmosphere, interior and that the walls were covered with art. They also had a really cool wooden chandelier.

Bar Tartine is run by Tartine Bakery, so the bread was excellent.

Duck Pate, Rye Bread, Gooseberry Jam, Elderberry and Corriander Mustards.

Never had Duck pate before, but it was so tasty. Out of the three condiments, my favorite was the Corriander Mustard! Loved the wood tray too.

Smoked Eggplant, Cranberry Beans and Garlic Sausage.

The Eggplant was good, but I thought the sausage was too salty and overpowering.

Chicken Paprikas: Baby Shitake, King Trumpet, Shallot, Kale.

The Paprika sauce was so mild and the Kale perfcectly balanced out the taste.

Strawberry Creamcheese Tart.

This was my ideal cream cheese tart. It had the perfect tartness, light and a crunchy, buttery crust. I also love strawberries, so it was the perfect ending to a very satisfying meal.

Downtown Petaluma

On the way to Healdsburg, we stopped by Petaluma for lunch.

We had lunch at Della Fattoria, a charming artisan bakery. They bake their breads in brick ovens with wood fires started the day before and instead of using yeast, they use a natural starter consisting of organic flour, water and Weber Ranch grapes (details here).

Interior.

My order: Tuna Melt Piandana (Pizza-dough bread)

The chewy Piandana went really well with the wild Albacore Tuna and bitter arugula. I also ordered the Lavender Lemonade (pink drink in the back) which was a bit too sweet for me but I love anything Lavender, couldn't resist!

My friend ordered: BLT Sandwich

They use Bovolo Black Pig Bacon, which is also a local company. Because Petaluma is known for their farming, the vegetables were so fresh!

After lunch, we walked over to

Petaluma Pie Company

Shared this seasonal Apricot Mini Pie on the patio.

The buttery pie and the tangy apricot went so well together.

Healdsburg

My dear friend took me on a day trip to Healdsburg. She was saying the locals have recently been going to Healdburg instead of Napa to avoid the tourists.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once we crossed the bridge, the weather was gorgeous!

Found the Bear Republic Brewery in downtown Healdsburg.

Took a beer break on the patio.

I ordered the Pale Ale and my friend ordered the Rye Ale. They were both really good and so refreshing on a hot day!

Since we were in downtown already, we went to the Kendall Jackson tasting room. I had been drinking their Chardonnay religiously this summer so it was great to try their other wines. For $5, you get to try any 4 wines.

We hung out at Bear Republic too long and realized that most wineries closed around 5pm on weekdays. So we ended up going to Simi, which is really close from downtown.

You get any 8 tastings for $15. I'd seen their wines before but had never tried any of them. I really liked their Sauvignon Blanc, Reserve Cabernet and Petite Syrah.

The people who worked here were super friendly and kind, even though we went 15 minutes before closing. After they closed, they chatted with us and gave us extra pours of wine (which was wonderful). 

The garden outside the visitor's center.

The great thing about Healdsburg is that the tastings are very reasonably priced (especially compared to Napa) and most places will waive the tasting fee if you purchase wine. On my next visit, I would love to spend more time and visit other wineries and also dine here. Supposedly there are a lot of great restaurants!

San Francisco

Back from San Francisco!

I was blessed with amazing weather, food and company.

Ferry Building.

Bay Bridge in the distance.

Clear blue skies, not a single cloud.

Pho Ga at Turtle Tower.

My first meal and very first stop, straight from SFO. My favorite Pho Ga.

Homemade Granola, Yogurt & Fresh Fruit Bowl at La Boulange Bakery.

Best yogurt bowl ever.

Snap Pea Ravioli at Magnolia Pub & Brewery.

This Ravioli was so delicious. It had goat cheese and snap pea inside and the crunchy texture of the snap pea remained. Never had anything like it. Went on Tuesday, which is $3/pint day. Had their Pale Ale (didn't like) & Hef.

San Francisco

In a couple of hours I am off to San Francisco for 3 nights!

It's been a WHILE since I was there for more than one night. SO excited!!

Anchor & Hope

We stayed in San Francisco the first night. There are tons of excellent restaurants in SF so it's hard to choose when you only have one dinner there. We all agreed on Anchor & Hope after having a great dinner there last year. We randomly found this restaurant hidden in a small ally in the financial district, on our way to a different place to eat. This place has great tapas-sized seafood dishes, a decent beer and wine list and was definitely a great find!

Exterior.

Bar Area. It's a pretty large restaurant and it's always packed.

Dining area.

Nice, chilled beer after a long drive. Cheers!

Left: Littleneck Clams, Lemon Verbena Fumet

Right: Sizzling Garlic Shrimp, Chile de Arbol & Parsley

Crispy Squash Blossoms, Four Cheese Filling, Basil Pesto & Tomato Vinaigrette

Top Left: Charred Baby Octopus and Butter Bean Salad

Top Right: (Main dish) Idaho Trout on Smoked Potato Puree

Bottom Left: Zuckerman's Asparagus

Bottom Right: Roasted Baby Beets with Goat Cheese Fondue

I haven't had a dish here that was disappointing. The menu completely changed from our last visit, so everything we tried was new. I was so amazed with their Squid Ink Risotto last time and was kind of bummed that they didn't have it. But this time, the trout really left an impression, the meat was cooked perfectly (SO moist) and had the perfect amount of sodium. May have been one of the best trouts I've had, ever.  

Road Trip up North

Haven't updated in a while...

Last weekend we took a road trip up to San Francisco and Napa Valley. I have a lot to update on!

Gorgeous blue skies.

Crossing the Bay Bridge to SF.

Vineyards in Napa.