Short Trip to San Francisco Part I
Last month I had the opportunity to tag along for a trip to one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. I love when I have traveled to a city enough times to no longer feel obligated to see any tourist attractions. Its a nice release to give myself permission to just wander and do or eat whatever I want!
We started our weekend at Cavallo Point the location of our wedding in 2011. It was so nice to be there and relax, have some wine on the porch and look at the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a light lunch at the Farley Bar and our dinner at the Murry Circle restaurant who catered our wedding dinner as we reminisced about that great day.
Saturday we headed into the city and started off the night with an amazing dinner at Canteen. Canteen is almost like an incorporated supper club. The chef has two seatings each night at 6 and 8. The menu is 4-5 courses pre-fix with wine a la carte. When we arrived I was thrilled to see the restaurant was located in what used to be the diner like breakfast space of the old art deco Commodore Hotel. This was the first hotel that I ever stayed in when I visited SF. It had been about 16 years since I had been in the space. It is now a dorm for the San Francisco Institute of Art. It was so interesting to see the transformation. The lobby is now the dorm lobby and common area and the bar is currently closed.
Stepping inside we were one of about 20 people lucky enough to have a seat for the night. The chef prepped our food behind the diner style counter. Smells of the warm dinner rolls (which I heard were legendary) wafted through the air.
Our dinner was amazing. Such care and detail was taken with each dish. We had an appetizer of smoked lamb with butter beans. The lamb melted in your mouth and was balanced in richness by the beans. The second course was an English pea soup filled with lump dungeness crab. This was light and fresh and tasted like spring. The entree was halibut crusted in hazelnuts and mustard. To finish was my favorite a rhubarb shortcake with homemade cakes and tart and tangy rhubarb, perfect for the nice spring night.
To extend our evening, we walked up Nob Hill to the Fairmont Hotel. In the basement is the classic and kitchy Tonga Room. It was packed with tourists, locals, wedding parties and bachelorettes. This was so entertaining. For about $20 you can position yourself in this Tiki paradise to people watch, dance, and drink something with rum out of a whole pineapple. I had not been here in over 10 years and its still as entertaining as ever!
We started our weekend at Cavallo Point the location of our wedding in 2011. It was so nice to be there and relax, have some wine on the porch and look at the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a light lunch at the Farley Bar and our dinner at the Murry Circle restaurant who catered our wedding dinner as we reminisced about that great day.
Saturday we headed into the city and started off the night with an amazing dinner at Canteen. Canteen is almost like an incorporated supper club. The chef has two seatings each night at 6 and 8. The menu is 4-5 courses pre-fix with wine a la carte. When we arrived I was thrilled to see the restaurant was located in what used to be the diner like breakfast space of the old art deco Commodore Hotel. This was the first hotel that I ever stayed in when I visited SF. It had been about 16 years since I had been in the space. It is now a dorm for the San Francisco Institute of Art. It was so interesting to see the transformation. The lobby is now the dorm lobby and common area and the bar is currently closed.
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| Commodore Breakfast Space as I knew it! |
Stepping inside we were one of about 20 people lucky enough to have a seat for the night. The chef prepped our food behind the diner style counter. Smells of the warm dinner rolls (which I heard were legendary) wafted through the air.
Our dinner was amazing. Such care and detail was taken with each dish. We had an appetizer of smoked lamb with butter beans. The lamb melted in your mouth and was balanced in richness by the beans. The second course was an English pea soup filled with lump dungeness crab. This was light and fresh and tasted like spring. The entree was halibut crusted in hazelnuts and mustard. To finish was my favorite a rhubarb shortcake with homemade cakes and tart and tangy rhubarb, perfect for the nice spring night.
To extend our evening, we walked up Nob Hill to the Fairmont Hotel. In the basement is the classic and kitchy Tonga Room. It was packed with tourists, locals, wedding parties and bachelorettes. This was so entertaining. For about $20 you can position yourself in this Tiki paradise to people watch, dance, and drink something with rum out of a whole pineapple. I had not been here in over 10 years and its still as entertaining as ever!
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| http://tongaroom.com/ |
My Favorite Romantic Restaurants
I am often asked for advice on romantic restaurants in Atlanta. While I can think of a number of places, and ways to be romantic on any budget, here are my top choices for a nice (and possibly splurge worthy) night out.
Canoe- Located in Vinings is a great choice for brunch or for dinner. If the weather is nice, ask for a patio seat. You can sit right on the Chattahoochee River and enjoy a candlelight dinner. If they still have the selection of three styles of creme brulee, it's well worth the calories. At brunch, you cannot go wrong with the cinnamon rolls!
Restaurant Eugene- Linton Hopkins, as in winner of the James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef, does southern food in gourmet style. The feature 5 and 7 course tasting menus, as well as a la carte ordering. The pork belly, snapper and trout are among my favorite dishes. They are also known for the amazing cocktails. This place is smaller and romantically quiet.
Floataway Cafe- Is actually owned by the same folks who own Bacchanalia but allows a little more room in your wallet. It leans toward Italian, Mediterranean and French style preparations and flavors. It is smaller, well designed and quiet. This is great for a celebration or a first date. Sit outside on the patio for an upscale casual meal.
Kevin Rathbun Steak- I think this place has better steaks than any I have eaten in Chicago, NYC, Atlanta or SF. The fillet or NY strip with black truffle butter can't be beat. They have a wine list to match the quality f the aged meat. It is dark and candle-lit and therefore romantic. Also can be a little noisy. You can ask for a corner table or booth here that I think helps with the sound.
Rathbun's located in Inman Park is a staple now for great food, good atmosphere. It can be on the loud side since it is located in a converted warehouse, you can ask for a great booth that lines the wall and muffles the sound. The food here is ever changing and eclectic. Even after several years, it still tends to book up on the weekends, so always get a reservation, or plan to wait it out at the Krog Bar outside.
Aria located in Buckhead is an Atlanta standard. This place has great food. Chef Kalaskla is famous in Atlanta for doing food well and not being gimmicky. He is an adventurous chef with a good sense of what Atlantans want to eat.
Horseradish Grill in Buckhead is an easy way to have a nice dinner without the pretence of many Buckhead or Midtown restaurants. If you go ask for a window seat, or sit on the patio if the weather is nice! They have great southern food, large portions. It can be dressy or casual. If you go here, save room for the Kentucky Derby Pie for dessert. This is also a great place for groups.
Atmosphere-While unassuming on the outside, this tiny house delivers a great atmosphere and traditional French cuisine. The often offer live music and feature wine tastings on Wednesday nights. Recently they are offering a $25 3 course meal on Tues-Thurs. nights.
Baccanailia-This is the powerhouse of Atlanta dining. I think many people who have never been are intimidated by this restaurant's image and assume that either it is too expensive, or too snooty to be worth your time. I feel they earn their name for the quality of the food, the presentation, and the attention to detail. You will see couples out for an anniversary date and folks in nicer jeans who wanted a nice meal out on the town. The menu changes constantly. I recommend trying the wine parings with the 5 course meal for the whole experience. If you want to get your feet wet, you can order a la carte at the bar! This place is anything but stuffy and well worth the price you pay for your meal.
Violette is not a newcomer to Atlanta, but recently came on my radar. It is located just off I-85 at the Clairmont exit. It sits in an unassuming building near the street, but once inside you are welcomed into a cozy space filled with the smells of great French food. The waiters are of true French quality and the food is a great way to bring back memories of trips to France!
Canoe- Located in Vinings is a great choice for brunch or for dinner. If the weather is nice, ask for a patio seat. You can sit right on the Chattahoochee River and enjoy a candlelight dinner. If they still have the selection of three styles of creme brulee, it's well worth the calories. At brunch, you cannot go wrong with the cinnamon rolls!
Restaurant Eugene- Linton Hopkins, as in winner of the James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef, does southern food in gourmet style. The feature 5 and 7 course tasting menus, as well as a la carte ordering. The pork belly, snapper and trout are among my favorite dishes. They are also known for the amazing cocktails. This place is smaller and romantically quiet.
Floataway Cafe- Is actually owned by the same folks who own Bacchanalia but allows a little more room in your wallet. It leans toward Italian, Mediterranean and French style preparations and flavors. It is smaller, well designed and quiet. This is great for a celebration or a first date. Sit outside on the patio for an upscale casual meal.
Kevin Rathbun Steak- I think this place has better steaks than any I have eaten in Chicago, NYC, Atlanta or SF. The fillet or NY strip with black truffle butter can't be beat. They have a wine list to match the quality f the aged meat. It is dark and candle-lit and therefore romantic. Also can be a little noisy. You can ask for a corner table or booth here that I think helps with the sound.
Rathbun's located in Inman Park is a staple now for great food, good atmosphere. It can be on the loud side since it is located in a converted warehouse, you can ask for a great booth that lines the wall and muffles the sound. The food here is ever changing and eclectic. Even after several years, it still tends to book up on the weekends, so always get a reservation, or plan to wait it out at the Krog Bar outside.
Aria located in Buckhead is an Atlanta standard. This place has great food. Chef Kalaskla is famous in Atlanta for doing food well and not being gimmicky. He is an adventurous chef with a good sense of what Atlantans want to eat.
Horseradish Grill in Buckhead is an easy way to have a nice dinner without the pretence of many Buckhead or Midtown restaurants. If you go ask for a window seat, or sit on the patio if the weather is nice! They have great southern food, large portions. It can be dressy or casual. If you go here, save room for the Kentucky Derby Pie for dessert. This is also a great place for groups.
Atmosphere-While unassuming on the outside, this tiny house delivers a great atmosphere and traditional French cuisine. The often offer live music and feature wine tastings on Wednesday nights. Recently they are offering a $25 3 course meal on Tues-Thurs. nights.
Baccanailia-This is the powerhouse of Atlanta dining. I think many people who have never been are intimidated by this restaurant's image and assume that either it is too expensive, or too snooty to be worth your time. I feel they earn their name for the quality of the food, the presentation, and the attention to detail. You will see couples out for an anniversary date and folks in nicer jeans who wanted a nice meal out on the town. The menu changes constantly. I recommend trying the wine parings with the 5 course meal for the whole experience. If you want to get your feet wet, you can order a la carte at the bar! This place is anything but stuffy and well worth the price you pay for your meal.
Violette is not a newcomer to Atlanta, but recently came on my radar. It is located just off I-85 at the Clairmont exit. It sits in an unassuming building near the street, but once inside you are welcomed into a cozy space filled with the smells of great French food. The waiters are of true French quality and the food is a great way to bring back memories of trips to France!
Wolf Mountain Sparkling Wine Class
The highlight of my Mid-May started with a tempting email from Wolf Mountain Vineyards. We joined the wine club there after a fall tasting and have been consistently impressed with the wine and the events offered to club members. May's treat was a special class on the making of their award winning sparkling wine. They make the one of the only true méthode champenoise wines in this part of the country. This year their Blanc de Blancs took a gold medal and the Brut Rose took a silver medal at the 2011 Tasters Guild International Competition.
We headed off to Dahlonega on a beautiful morning, and were greeted with a complementary tasting in the tasting room then whisked off the the newly opened sparkling cellar. The space was cool and well decorated. We were seated at tables and offered a sampling of cheese and fruit to prepare for the class.
We worked our way through the making of each of the sparkling wines produced at Wolf Mountain. The brilliant Blanc de Blanc, the smooth Brut Rose and the slightly sweeter Demi-Sec. Each of the wines produced a crisp taste and finite bubbles that tickled your nose. The lesson continued with the ingredients for each wine, an overview of the process of riddling, and finally the moment we were all waiting for, making our own wine!
Each couple was able to choose their favorite sparkling wine and make a bottle to take home. We chose the Blanc de Blanc for its crisp light taste. We entered the room, selected our bottle, were able to remove the temporary cap to discharge the yeast built up from the fermentation, and quickly add the proper dosage to create our blend. The bottle was then re-caped by hand and ours to take home. I am waiting for the perfect night this fall by a fire to pop the top on the bottle!
Lunch awaited the guests after our class. We were treated to a delightful early summer buffet including salmon wellington, fruit, cheeses, encrusted chicken, and fresh salads.
For dessert I had to try the pound cake, chocolate covered strawberries and profiteroles!
Our day at Wolf Mountain once again was a great escape from the city. We are eagerly awaiting the fall harvest festival in October!
We headed off to Dahlonega on a beautiful morning, and were greeted with a complementary tasting in the tasting room then whisked off the the newly opened sparkling cellar. The space was cool and well decorated. We were seated at tables and offered a sampling of cheese and fruit to prepare for the class.
Lunch awaited the guests after our class. We were treated to a delightful early summer buffet including salmon wellington, fruit, cheeses, encrusted chicken, and fresh salads.
Our day at Wolf Mountain once again was a great escape from the city. We are eagerly awaiting the fall harvest festival in October!
French Chocolate Heaven
As you walk into the shop, the smell of chocolate overwhelms your senses. You can dazzle your eyes at the chocolate counter and explore the cute packages of chocolates and treats and you can watch Robert and his family in action. When I was there for lunch recently, I was able to watch him hand dip chocolate caramel truffles! Finally don't miss out on the tiny but delicious lunch menu. We tried the turkey and brie sandwich served on fresh baked baguette, and the homemade spinach quiche. The breads and quiche are also made daily and are the closest to France I had tasted in a while. The quiche was light and flaky with eggs that were firm, but not overcooked something hard to find. They also offer them frozen so you can take one home.
Before leaving, we had to get some chocolates and try my personal reason for visiting, the macarons. These are very hard to find in Atlanta. Maison Robert offers about 10 flavors, each one delicate and full of natural flavors like sea salt and caramel and raspberry. The colors are so pretty and they taste amazing.
Last Minute Valentines Day Ideas
Valentine's Day is Monday! Love it or hate it the day comes on quickly after the holidays and leaves many of us without plans. Whether you are wooing a special someone, avoiding the commercialism that defines the day, or just wanting to head out with friends there are still plenty of options for making the day special.
Valentines in the Garden takes place at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this Saturday Feb. 12th. They will have special showings, chocolate, and drinks to celebrate and explore.
Valentines Day at the High is also taking place Saturday evening. They are featuring a French theme with art, dancers, and music from 6-10 pm.
If you haven't seen the Dames Aflame here in Atlanta, now is the time. These over the top burlesque performers are fantastic. They are having a special Valentines event Friday and Saturday at Paris on Ponce.
How about a lecture on mating at the Aquarium followed by dinner and the option for an adults only slumber party?
Most Atlanta restaurants are featuring special Valentine's menus. A few of my favorite are getting in the act.
H. Harper Station- $40 pre-fix 3 course meal.
Amuse! is featuring a $55 pre-fix five course meal.
JCT is offering a $55 per person pre-fix "taste" and three courses meal.
4th and Swift is offering a $75 per person menu.
Anis one of my personal favorites has a $60 per person 4 course selection with Jazz.
Ecco is offering a special $50 per person 4 course meal
Pura Vida is offering couples a choice of 6 tapas and a bottle of wine to share for $85.
For a special treat, for you or a loved one see my upcoming post on the amazing chocolates and French pastries at Maison Robert!
Fall Wine Weekend
There were so many to choose from, but you have to plan carefully to avoid driving an hour between wineries on little mountain roads (after a wine tasting no less)! On my next round, I hope to get to Tiger Mountain Vineyards, and Persimmon Creek in North GA then venture into NC for the newest wine hit Chianti (yes like in Italy) at Raffaldini Vineyards near Hickory NC.
Be sure to check back next week for more pictures and thoughts from my great wine escape!
Provence:Sunday Lunch at Le Vivier- Isle sur la Sorgue
The third course was a red fish served sauteed over large Provençal beans with cockles and a seafood broth.
Finally our dessert plate featured a strawberry tart with a house made strawberry smoothie and homemade ice cream. I could not think of a more beautiful or refreshingly light way to end a large meal.
Provence: Tasting dinner at Auberge du Tavel
After a long day of sightseeing, we headed back to cozy Tavel and to our room at the Auberge du Tavel. We spent some time at the pool, and as we read the owners were busily preparing the tables for dinner. When we booked our room, we had heard of the hotel through trip advisor, but as we got closer to our stay, surprisingly it was written up in the NY Times! The writer had eaten lunch at our cute little hotel. Needless to say, I was looking forward to our dinner. We knew it would be delicious, but were not prepared for the level of culinary skill and beauty this meal would entail.
To start, we ordered a flight of rose. Each wine from the region was paired with a course of our meal and gave the opportunity to see the subtle differences in the terriors of Tavel. The dinner was a coursed tasting menu. To begin, the escargot served out of shell, sauteed, and over small glasses of different creme sauces, one with basil, one traditional, and one that seemed to be red pepper.
As we sat in the tiny courtyard, we dreamed of meals like this every night, relaxing with good company from gracious hosts, to a friendly Englishman at the adjacent table. The Auberge is well worth a stay for its large well appointed rooms and perfect location for wine tasting and visiting several of the larger cities in Provence, but I would go back again simply for its beautiful and deliciously unpretentious food.
Paris Day 3: Chateau O Champagne Cruise
When planning for Paris, a wine tasting seemed to be in order. As we searched, we came across rave reviews for tastings with Chateau O. They offer several styles of tastings, from longer more extensive wine tastings, to tours, to chocolate tastings. We had planned on taking a Seine cruise on the Bateau-Mouches so when we saw Chateau O offered a cruise with private champagne tasting we were sold! The boat departed from just behind the Eiffel Tower which was easily walkable from our hotel. We arrived at the docks and kicked off the evening with a glass of rose at their bar. Yes even the boat docks have bars and cafes. 
The boat arrived around 6:30. The weather threatened rain, but the overcast skies were a welcome reprieve from the hot weather of earlier in the day. As we boarded with the other couples we were delighted to find we would be hosted in a private cabin with exclusive access to the bow of the ship. So not only did we get to sample champagne, but we were not crammed into our seats with all of the other tourists who frequent these tours. With 4 other couples we tasted 4 extraordinary champagnes as we made our way down the Seine past the Ile Saint-Louis and back to the Eiffel Tower. This was a perfect way to see the city. Our sommelier was knowledgeable about the champagnes, and the city but was careful not to interrupt the tranquility and romance of the cruise itself. I certainly plan to try other outings with Chateau O when I return to Paris. 
Paris Day 2: Magnificent Moroccan at Le 404
Le 404 is located in the hip Marais neighborhood of Paris. This neighborhood is known for its artsy vibe, and is loaded with great restaurants, and nightlife. The restaurant is small but beautiful and located off an unassuming side street. When you walk inside however you are transported to Morocco. The candlelight flickers and the smells waft out the door. We were greeted by the staff and treated to a cocktail while they set up our table. Long communal tables and low chairs added to the ambiance.
The menu was full of traditional dishes as well as some creative additions. As an appetizer we started with the Salad Zaalouk which was a mix of roasted eggplant, tomatoes, olives and olive oil. For the entrees, we each decided to order a tangine. We had roasted lamb with prunes and raisins, and the roasted chicken with potatoes and preserved lemon. The flavors were rich and elegant. The prunes and lamb were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The lemon and chicken were lighter and refreshing.
Thanks to the suggestion of a couple at the adjacent table, we tried the Pastilla au lait, which is a light crepe with milk, honey and almonds. It has a similar flavor to baklava. Served with hot mint tea, it was a perfect way to end our meal. Le 404 is an excellent find in Paris a city known for great ethnic food. The staff was friendly and helped us easily translate the French menu describing Moroccan dishes in English or French words we could understand. This is truly a hidden gem in the Marais.