California Trip Day 2

This is continued from the post below.

The first morning (Monday) we set off after breakfast for Benziger Family Winery. This winery was particularly interesting because they are a certified biodynamic winery with sustainable farming practices. We went in our first cave. God, the smell! There's nothing quite like it. Stinky and delicious at the same time.





We only got taste 2 of the wines very quickly before we had to run off to make our Bouchon lunch reservation. We had a very quick, but gorgeous trip over the mountains to Yountville in Napa Valley. I had tried to get French Laundry reservations before our trip, but never even got through on the phone, so Bouchon was our 2nd Thomas Keller choice. And much less expensive too! We sat on the patio and it was a beautiful day.



We shared a bottle of white wine--unfortunately I can't remember what it was and they don't have their wine list on their site. I had the Boudin de Lapin et Figue--something I would never normally order, but I figured, wth, this is Keller--he should know best. OMG, am I glad I did! It was rabbit and fig sausage with polenta cake, sweet corn, mission fig, and tarragon jus. It was hands down one of the best dishes I ever had. Brian had the Assiette de Charcuterie with pickled vegetables, dijon mustard, and petite baguette. It was good too (but not as good). For main courses, I had the Poulet Roti--roast chicken with puff pastry tartelette, ratatouille, garlic chips and chicken jus. It was excellent, if a bit salty, but B's dish was much better. He had the Boudin Blanc--white sausage with potato puree and French prunes. It was almost as good as my sausage appetizer.

We skipped dessert there and headed next door to the Bouchon Bakery where I got a cup of coffee and we got some baked goods for later. B got a mocha eclair and I got a muffin with pistachio and candied orange.

We then headed to Domaine Chandon, which produces sparkling wines. The grounds were beautiful. We especially liked the rock mushroom installation and what do to something like this on a much smaller scale in our front flower garden. Our friend Eric, who works for a wine distributor in Ohio, had set us up with a free tour and VIP tasting.





Kirsten was our guide and afterwards led us and four others to a special tasting aread--almost a shady grotto. Our companions were 2 young men from England, one who worked for Veuve Clicquot and 2 young women from San Diego who were in the military. In both sets, one person was celebrating a birthday that day and we, of course, were celebrating our anniversary, so the mood was festive. Kirsten sneaked and got us some extra to taste like their Etoile Rose. Everything was delicious. I had just tried Domaine Chandon before coming to wine country and I am a big fan now. We got pretty generous pours and quite a few types to try. So after that and our bottle of wine at lunch, I was feeling pretty euphoric.

We took our time on our drive back over the mountains to Sonoma Valley. Here you can see tipsy Julie with some massive looking boobs and our car.



We stopped at the Mayo Family Winery for a tasting. This is what sent me over the edge: 12 tastings with very generous pours. Apparently it was the tipping points for others there. The place was very rowdy with a very drunk middle aged tool wearing silver(!) docksiders and another guy who went on a loud rant about Soupy Sales, of all people. We met a nice couple (who were fun but much quieter) that were also staying at our B&B. The only wine there that I truly liked was a secret 13th one that the server said was his own mix and he wouldn't tell us what it was. It was delicious.

We had dinner at The Girl and The Fig in Sonoma. We didn't want to wait so ate at the bar, which was fine. I had an incredible lavendar mojito. Seriously one of the yummiest drinks I've ever had, but it must have been strong, because by the end of the meal, I was trashed and went home and passed out early. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling ill, but was okay by the next morning, thank goodness.

At the Girl and the Fig I had the plat du jour, which consisted of a yummy salad, some incredible halibut, and a dessert of fig with some kind of pancake like thing. I wish I remembered the details of this meal better, because it was really good. Brian had the salami & brie baguette with red onion confit, sherry mustard, blue lake bean, red onion & tomato salad. He also had some kind of local beer that he really liked.

California Trip Part I--Day 1

I used to be so good at blogging and now I suck donkey. So let's try again.

We just got back from our second honeymoon in wine country and San Francisco. A blessed blessed week without children! I love the little buggers, but my...some time without them was needed.

I have a ton of pics and family want to see them, but I don't want to post them on our family blog because I look like such a fat ass. And I don't want to direct family here in case I ever want to whine about them. And boy, I was an ever bigger fat ass by the end of the week! It was a week of gustatory debauchery--just about every meal was fabulous and then, of course, there was the wine....

So here are the deets from the trip.

We landed in SF on Sunday and picked up our convertible. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a silver PT Cruiser, but it was still a convertible! My parents lent us their Garmin GPS which proved to be invaluable. I love it so much, I want to marry it.

We drove over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito. It was strange, pacthy fog, and you couldn't see the tops of the bridge. We stopped on the opposite side and took a few pictures.



In Sausalito, we ate dockside at Fish, which specializes in fresh...you got it...fish. We ate at a picnic table in the sun. I had the tuna fish sandwich--line-caught, house-poached local Albacore tossed with nicoise olives, celery, red onion and a lemon caper mayo served on a toasted torpedo roll--and B had a po'boy. We each had a Butte Creek Organic IPA.

We then drove to Muir Woods to see the redwoods, which were stunning. They were actually a little smaller than I expected, even though they were ginormous.







We then drove to Muir Beach overlook. It was cloudy, cold, and windy, but absolutely gorgeous. There were strange gun ports built into the side of the hill. Apparently, it used to be a military guard point for the bay area during WWII. There was a path out to the cliff point and a young man was filming with a real film camera on it--probably a student film maker.





We then drove down to Muir Beach where there was lots of bohemian types picnicking, enjoying bonfires, playing with children and dogs, drinking wine. It looked like a fun afternoon. We spent just a little time there.





We drove along the coast to Stinson beach, and then drove through Marin County back to SF and then onto Sonoma Valley. On the way to our B&B, we stopped at our first winery--Viansa. This was probably not the best introduction to wineries. Although the grounds were beautiful, they also had a crowded marketplace. The place was packed and we couldn't even get to the bar for a tasting. So we hightailed it out of there and stopped at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, where we had our first tasting. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful with suggestions for the area and we enjoyed ourselves.

We then headed to our B&B, the Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen. We LOVED the Beltane! It was a decent price and absolutely beautiful. We stayed in room 3 (click the link for pictures of the room). The room is the upper one on the left in the first picture below.







That evening we ate dinner at the Fig Cafe. We had the artisanal cheese plate. The stand out there was the brie-like Pierre Robert, but it was all fabulous. We shared a Mediterranean pizza and followed it with a heavenly pumpkin creme brulee.

My only complaint about the Beltane is that the walls are thin and we were right above the kitchen. Breakfast making woke me up each morning. But oh, what breakfasts! The first morning we ate in the dining room, where we were completely ignored by the older guests at the communal dining table. (People, you shouldn't be rude, just because we're younger.) We learned our lesson and the following days enjoyed breakfast on the porch you see in the picture above. It was cold, but wonderful. Fabulous views of the valleys around us and the gardens below us. Tons of birds. It was truly idyllic. The first breakfast was the tastiest, if the most uncomfortable (due to our dining companions): a cheese and vegetable tart (all of the vegetables from the amazing garden), cantaloupe, apple-smoked bacon, and lemon raspberry bread.

Nummy

Mmmmm...I love me some Colorado peaches. I just ate one and I swear my mouth orgasmed. I love this time of year! I've been making cobbler with my neighbor's peaches. But the best ones for just eating are the organic ones from my farmer's market.

I'm also currently in love with the tart plum jam my coworker made and gave me. Summer produce rules.

I'm Baaaaack!

I really want to get back into blogging. I was reading past posts on here the other day and really enjoyed the record and memories. Plus, I'm feeling inspired by my online pals, The Virtual Voyeur, who is always entertaining, and Controlled Chaos, who recently started back up again. (Skirt steak is just another muscle, woman!) :-)

I plan to work on the layout here and try to get it looking purty again, but for now, I just need to start writing. I've been using the shitty layout and no time to fix it as an excuse to avoid this place.

So much is going on, but I'll write about that later. At least I'm started for now.

Here's a little something. I just got a great deal on this Becher print on ebay:



And I'll leave you with this from one of my favorite humor sites, failblog.org:

39 (and holding?)

I can't believe I haven't blogged here since Monolith. I just got word that Silversun Pickups are playing at Monolith this year, but they're the only ones in the line up so far that I really want to see and it's not worth it to go for just one band. I'd also like to see Band of Horses, but they're the following day. Hopefully they'll add some more to the line up.

So yesterday was my last birthday in my 30's. It's hard to belive that Bitchapalooza was 9 years ago. Seems so recent and so long ago.

For my bday I got tickets to see the Breeders later this month, complete with babysitter all set up. Woot! B also took me to a restaurant I've been dying to go to: Frasca in Boulder. I believe the chef and sommelier used to work at French Laundry. It was heavenly! Here's what I had, for posterity's sake:

Cure Farm Spinach Custard, House-Made "Mortadella" and Montasio "Crema"

“ Ž l i k r o f i ”: Red Pepper and Soft Ricota Ravioli, Spinach and Parmesan

Poached Pacific Halibut, Morel Mushrooms, Asparagus and Cipollini Onion Vinaigrette

And for dessert we shared:

Tasting of House-Made Chocolates: Valrhona 70%, Bittersweet, Coconut, Espresso, Passionfruit-Caramel and Hazelnut Bar

and Formaggio: Selectins of Artisan Cheeses with Marinated Table Grapes, Gates of Heaven Wildflower Honey, and Betty's Sandpiper Court Red Pepper Jelly


We had a bottle of Mario Schiopetto “Blanc de Rosis,” Friuli, Italy 2005 and I had a glass of Inama “Apres Vulcaia,” Veneto, Italy 2003 with my dessert

Everything was heavenly! My absolute favorite were the morels served with my fish. I could have eaten a whole plate of those, I swear. The service was fabulous and not snooty.

Happy Birthday to me!

Monolith Festival

Saturday was SO much fun! It would have been great to go to both days of the festival, but one was good too. We got there pretty early and were surprised that the place was fairly empty for awhile. It did have 5 stages, so I guess people were pretty spaced out (no pun intended). First we saw Bob Log III on one of the smaller stages. He's freaking hilarious and a good blues man to boot. You've gotta appreciate a one-man-band, even if you don't like the music, but he was good. And I love a man that asks me to put my boob in his scotch.

Next we checked out Forget Cassettes on one of the indoor smaller stages (ahhh...air conditioning). They were interesting. I love the fact that all 3 players play not only their "main" instrument, but also keyboards. The singer/guitarist is a teeny little thing with a huge voice--a la Cat Power, sorta. And the bassist and drummer are both good boy eye candy. Me-rowr!

After that we hit the main stage and never really left. We had awesome 3rd row, almost center seats and didn't want to lose them. I'm kind of bummed about missing a few of the other acts on the smaller stages, like Matt and Kim.

First up was Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos. I enjoyed them. I like bands with lots of people in them and especially if they have a trumpet.

Next was Brian Jonestown Massacre. They were great. There was some drama, but nothing too over the top. A few restarts on songs and some Anton yelling at the band to tune their instruments. And that poor roadie, Travis--aka Anton's little bitch--he yelled at Travis constantly (who is seen here in a post from a fan on Anton's myspace). I've got a weird fascination/pseudo-obsession with Anton now. Before my view of him was only that which Dig! gave me. Yeah, he's a pompous asshole and a genius musician and definitely insane....but there's something about his eyes that intrigues me....Anyways, their set was really good when they were playing--a few sound problems at the end. Highlights included Anton yelling at the crowd to shut up when they were tuning, not realizing people were cheering because Wayne Coyne had stuck his head out wearing the Capt. America mask. They had some great psychedelic freak out/rock out moments and I especially loved the little Smiths "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" take-off that Anton threw into one song--a little play on "I've seen it happen in other people's lives and now it's happening in mine." I should also mention that Anton had at least one full outfit change in the set. Who does he think he is? Britney Spears? :) I do love a rocker man in skin tight black jeans, so I wasn't complaining. They were the only band I saw with 2 full bottles of liquor on stage: a bottle of vodka for Anton and a bottle of whiskey for everybody else.

Next up was Art Brut, who were so much fucking fun! I really wanna hang out and drink with them. Not long into the set, Eddie Argos took off into the crowd (I touched his arm!). He's got the perfect 80's English student look down. Floppy hair, a bit pudgy, blue oxford shirt, untucked, of course. He is a hilarious front man and really knows how to get the crowd going. I absolutely LOVE the adorable bass player--she looked like she was having so much fun. The rest of the band were fun and rocked out too. Definitely check them out live if you ever get a chance. B is not really into them and he loved their show too.

Next up was Spoon. Ya know, they're good and I can appreciate them, but they just don't excite me. No particular reason.

The Flaming Lips put on their consistently fun, happy show. Santas on one side of the stage, aliens on the other, roadies in superhero costumes. Wayne came out in the bubble, which was awesome. They released a ton of big green balls and of course cannon load after cannon load of confetti and Wayne's streamer "gun." Lots of sing along moments. Fun background videos. The crowd was so into it and it was just such a happy, fun show. Absolute highlight of the evening was they played Mountain Side! OMG, I love that song and they played it well.

During their set, Wayne mentioned the "BJM meltdown," not sure what he was referring to. At another point, he told Anton (who was right in front, center) that he "didn't want any trouble." I didn't see what preceded that. Also, Anton was dancing (or something) a couple rows in front of us with a laptop. I never figured out exactly what he was doing.

Downsides of the day:
1) the drunk bitch that asked me how far along I was and touched my belly(!). I told her "No, I'm just fat, honey." Erggg... Dumb cunt.
2)the drunk asshole behind me that got in a fight over seats and spilled an entire beer all over me. I shit you not, I was covered from my neck down to the bottom of my skirt. Sticky and stinky. Fun times.

Other than those 2 assholes, the crowd seemed really laid back and cool. Oh yeah, maybe I should add a (3) for my calves hurting like hell for two days after from climbing the stairs (basically up a mountain) several times. But maybe that's a good thing, since I haven't been to the gym this week.

So we also happened to get the "UFOs at the Zoo" DVD from the library this week and were watching it with the boys. We told them "that's what mommy and daddy did on Saturday." They were absolutely riveted. Later, Miles kept singing Yoshimi and told us that when he grows up he's going to "help out and play with the band called The Flaming Lips." He also said he's going to eat lots of healthy food so that he can "beat the robots." Hey, we must be doing something right! Maybe next time we'll take the kids. I did see some people with a kid that was about 10 years old.

Oh yeah, Wayne said they tried to bring the UFO to Monolith, but it got confiscated by the government because the lights were from Russia and possibly had contamination from Chernobyl. True or not? You be the judge. Who knows.

Some sites with good pics/reviews of the festival:

Flickr 1
Flickr2
Fuel
Delicatessen
Wyo Beat
Bass Geek

This New Blog

I finally got around to shutting down my old blog and setting up this new one. Obviously a lot of stuff to do here, but at least I have my old posts archived. Maybe once I get it looking all purty, I'll be reinvigorated to post more (ha). Basically, I didn't like the fact that the old one was connected to my family's blog and blogger wouldn't let me separate them (bastards). I couldn't bitch about anyone--family, friends, colleagues, etc. for fear that they'd read it. >:-)

So lots going on. We broke down and bought a minivan. It fucking rocks.

Tonight I'm taking my mom for a girl's night out to Cafe Brazil. Yummmmmmm....It's also to thank her for babysitting the boys all day tomorrow, while B and I go to the Monolith Festival. Anybody know where I can get some weed? J/K!!!! I'm totally looking forward to it, especially Brian Jonestown Massacre (we can only hope for some drama), The Flaming Lips (of course), and my new favorite band Art Brut. OMG, can I gush a bit about how much I love them? Just listen to the song "Modern Art" here. And I don't care what they say, they sound like The Fall. I know it, everybody knows it, they know it. Hey, if you gotta sound like someone, it may as well be them.

God, I used to love The Fall. I haven't listened to them much over the last few years, but recently checked out their new album , which is actually pretty good.

Funnily enough, I actually hung out with Brix Smith, formerly of The Fall, when I worked at the Dominion Theater in London. She was dating the violinist, Nigel Kennedy, at the time. She would hang out with us in the box office, presumably from boredom. She talked a LOT--my main memory of her. At the time, however, I really wasn't into The Fall. If I'd only known....

So I have digressed very far. Tomorrow I will be rockin' it out like a teenager. Yippee!