MY BIRTHDAY BLOG PART II - THE FINALE!

In 2001, Charles Schultz (creator of Charlie Brown) decided to bring into existence the beautiful Mayacama Resort in Sonoma County. Where the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys all come together and minutes from lovely Healdsburg, Mayacama is snuggled within 675 acres of natural forested beauty with such amenities as a Jack Nicklaus golf course, European spa, state of the art fitness center, underground grotto for the members only wine cellars (members by ‘invitation only’), swimming pool, tennis courts, secret hiking trails and private chefs. It has come to be known as the “Vintner’s Resort” as its membership includes some of Napa and Sonoma Counties most renown wine makers.

Through the years I had heard many wonderful things about this enchanted retreat therefore I was truly looking forward to my maiden voyage in order to experience the resort and all its glory first hand. Due to my hubby’s sweet connections, we were able to enjoy a private casita at Mayacama which was our home base for the next several days, and not a bad spot at all.

The drive from San Francisco to Mayacama is only about 60 miles. We arrived late morning, checked into our Tuscan style casita and after unpacking, my spousal unit left to make his morning golf tee time. I sat outside on the dining patio with beautiful views and enjoyed a solo light lunch which involved a fancy martini from the Mayacama bar. Besides, how does one prepare for a tranquil afternoon of spa beauty treatments without enjoying a cocktail prior to embarking on a tough schedule of massage, exfoliating body scrub and European facial?
On our first night we drove to Healdsburg to dine at “Barndiva” joining our dear friends from Sebastopol. Barndiva is a family operated business with Chef Ryan Fancher (formerly of Thomas Kellar restaurants) in the kitchen serving up organic, sustainable food…support your local organic farmers! I always enjoy dining with more than one person since we are able to order various items and we end up sharing each dish with one another.

We began with the “Haricots Verts Tempura” - the crispy Healdsburg string beans (local) were fried nice and crispy accompanied by a creamy Thai Basil Aioli and served with tiny basil leaves on a wooden cheese board. Such a pretty presentation of fancy green beans too! I followed with the “Compressed Watermelon Salad” which consisted of one of my favorite veggies - heirloom beets. Crystalized ginger, freshly picked Purslane (another local field green) and Lemon Verbena made up this salad arrangement which was refreshingly, delicious and very pleasing to the eye.

My main course was the “Chicken & Dumplings”, a fricassee of young chicken with gnocchi (potato dumplings), fresh corn, fava beans and some bacon. Although this entre was very tasty, I would have liked more fava beans in the dish as I am also a huge fan of fava beans. Alas, hubby never lets me down with his private wine selection and on this particular evening we sipped a 2006 Kistler Pinot and a 1996 Pahlmeyer Red Table Wine.

The piece de resistance this evening was a special luscious dessert from talented pastry chef Tracy Mattson (formerly of Cyrus). Fresh, large, succulent mission figs were bruleed (caramelized with a dusting of sugar) and placed over a crème Anglaise, balsamic drizzle and crunchy, chocolate ganache nibs sprinkled on top. I am not a big fan of sweets but this dessert was great. Thursday afternoon we took a ten minute drive to Healdsburg for a leisurely lunch in the warm sun at a local brewery. Healdsburg is a quaint country town with many small boutiques, what seems like a wine store on every corner and very good restaurants! We made a pit stop in “The Wine Shop” a local wine boutique and wine bar owned by Aaron Tomforde and his family. Aaron, a former Navy deep sea diver and submarine rescue dude (and artist), currently runs his family’s wine store business. He is a wonderful host as he was very helpful and patient with us in determining which local wines we should try and why we should consider buying them. Need-less-to-say, we walked out with a case of local wine - thank you Aaron for the education on local wineries and their products.

“SCOPA” is a very small, fabulous Italian restaurant in Healdsburg with indoor and outdoor seating. I am sorry that I did not take notes or photos of my various taste treats to write a small review but that night we dined with a local couple whom I had just met for the first time and I did not want to be rude with my camera flashing and note taking. If you ever get a chance, dining at SCOPA should be on your list of dining experiences!

I am unable to share very much information about the chef other than as of 2008 the owner/chef was Ari Rosen (who spent some time honing his culinary skills in Tuscany) and I will tell you it is the best Italian restaurant I have ever dined at…outside of Italy, of course! One of the many courses I had was “Nonna’s Tomatoe-braised Chicken” with sautéed greens and toasted polenta. The chicken, served in small, black iron cassolet pan, was tender and moist and the polenta toasty on the outside and rich and creamy on the inside. It was delicious!

As I recently perused SCOPA’s menu, I noticed many other fascinating items. How about the “Trippa Napolitana”, tomato braised tripe with pecorino cheese, chili and mint? Or, the “Sardines ‘In Saor’ which are Venetian style sardines that have been marinated with currants, pine nuts, onions and vinegar? I am willing to make the more than seven hour drive just to dine at SCOPA so that I can experience items I missed on my maiden voyage.

I was glad I burned so many calories with my workout and glorious morning hike because hubby and I had lunch reservations at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. I like the atmosphere of this restaurant with its huge sliding glass doors that open up to outdoor patio seating. My hubby and I both ordered the pre-fixed lunch menu which totaled $32 for three courses and wine pairings. A very reasonable price for some very good food and nice glasses of wine! Without going into any detail I will say this lunch spot was a very good choice with the usual seasonal produce and herbs, local ingredients and exclusive Sonoma district bottlings of tasty and reasonably priced wines. As a connoisseur of fine food and wine it is my sincere belief that at least once a year I need to venture out for an outstanding and memorable meal. Well, my hubby and I did just that for my ultimate birthday dinner celebration. We thoughtfully choose “Cyrus”. I feel strongly in stating that Cyrus is one of the finest restaurants in the world. Yep…I said, “in the world”!

Nick Peyton (Masa & Gary Danko) and partner/chef, Douglas Keane have created a culinary masterpiece with the beautiful building and façade of Cyrus, the indoor ambience and fantastic world class gastronomy! Chef Keane and staff have been awarded two stars from the prestigious Michelin Guide, a James Beard Award (Pacific) and numerous awards from Gourmet Magazine, Esquire and the Zagat Guide to mention a few.

The fist time I dined at Cyrus, I was fortunate to experience the Grand Caviar and Champagne cart since how could one say “no” as the fancy cart is rolled alongside your dining table with at least six bottles of superb champagne and a handful of delectable caviar to choose from. On this special occasion hubby and I did say “no” to the caviar but we did say “yes” to the huge (brain size), aromatic black truffle flown in from Australia. For a reasonable fee (2 grams for $18) the black truffle was generously shaved and added to any of your dishes - we elected to add it to our chicken dish. With a tasting menu of eight courses (which did not include the canapés, amuse bouche and mignardises), needless to say, you won’t go hungry. I will not inundate you with all of the fine haute cuisine which satiated my palate during this awesome repast but I will explain a couple that left a deep impression on my gluttonous soul. Several nice slices of fresh black truffle could be seen peeking through the transparent crispy skin of my “Poussin with Potato Moussseline and Haricot Verts and Fine Herbes”. I could not have served up a finer tasting poussin in the comfort and security of my own kitchen! The “Soft Shell Crab with Rice Noodles and Pickled Green Papaya-Coconut Milk Froth” was pure excellence. I am a sucker for coconut milk and Chef Douglas worked magic with the tropical flavors of the coconut milk and papaya. The crab was delicious, very crispy on the outside yet tender and moist inside (and believe me when I say that these thin crabs are very easy to ruin by over cooking) and they were perfect!

Our tasting menu included three desserts and the dessert concoction I was most impressed with was the sweet and savory “Passion Fruit Gelato with Miso Custard and Sesame Sable” served with a chilled peach soup and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) drizzle. Guys, it was a very interesting combination of sweet and savory creating an amazing taste.

Part of me is grateful that my birthday is once a year since the 10 day road trip eating and drinking my way through Northern California and the Sonoma wine region “forced” me to gain several fatties (which I have yet to drop!). As of this very moment I am back to the reality of my daily existence thinking about my client’s next workout program, who will receive a much needed Reiki treatment from me this week and what simple meal I will make for dinner.

Until next year…Cheers!

My Birthday Blog - Part I

I’m taking it upon myself to force just a little bit of my personal life upon my loyal followers out in blog land. After all, one can only experience so many good restaurants, write about them and expect everyone to stay interested. Therefore, I decided to throw a little coal on the embers to keep the flames red-hot and my readers somewhat interested…I hope it works. Please enjoy!

My birthday was in July but during the week of that glorious day, my family and I journeyed to Lake Tahoe for a family wedding and reunion. Hubby and I decided since we were driving (I just love long drives: naps, reading, introspection, Reiki self-treatments, more reading and naps!) why not make a long road trip out of it, wining and dining along the way.

With much fore-thought and planning the 10 day trip was in the bag with hotel and dinner reservations, day spa appointments, tee-times, trails to be hiked, etc. We were leaving the beauty of “So Lag” (South Laguna) to drive to a different type of beauty only to discover later that my soul deeply longed for this particular trip.

On Thursday, July 15th my spouse and I arrived at the lovely Ritz Carlton Resort at Northstar in Lake Tahoe where we met up with our three adult children (“adult children”, is that an oxy-moron?). After morning hikes on the Ritz Carlton hiking trail (I LOVE hiking) which led to a view of the very pretty Sawmill Creek Lake, workouts in the well-equipped fitness room, good food, and hot, lazy days by the pool with pool side cocktail service (my kids and their cousins managed to buy out Ritz Carlton’s supply of some tasty concoction of ice tea flavored vodka!!) it was time to switch gears and head out to the next destination on the agenda…misty and cool San Francisco, aka “Bagdad by the Bay.” With all the fabulous dining establishments in the city, it made sense to stop in the quaint little town of sweltering Auburn for a fresh country home-style lunch and an ice cold brew before venturing out to the big city.

We arrived in San Francisco in the early afternoon and checked into Joie de Vivre’s very boutiquey, “Hotel Drisco”. Located in the Pacific Heights residential area and built in 1903, the hotel lives up to its standard of excellence with luxurious personal service, a fancy breakfast buffet and extremely comfortable goose down beds. For the fitness enthusiasts (remember guys, I am a ‘fitness enthusiast’ whose always on the lookout for an out of town exercise session), the hotel is within walking distance of Golden Gate Park. Should you decide to do a challenging stair workout walk or jog over to the Lyon Street steps (Lyon and Broadway streets). The start of the training steps is a couple of blocks from the hotel which allows time for a nice warm up and an opportunity to trek right past Diane Feinstein’s grand pad…worth seeing with its lovely garden sculpture!

One of my favorite restaurants in the City is “The Slanted Door” at the famous Ferry Building. Although most locals consider this spot very “touristy” each time I travel to the city, it is imperative that I get my feast fix of The Slanted Door’s wonderful, low-fat and fresh cuisine of Vietnamese and Asian fusion. On this particular trip, I did not hesitate to stuff my face for fear of not returning soon enough for my next fix! I indulged myself with “Wild California Uni” (sea urchin) with avocado mousse and black tobiko caviar. It melted in my mouth with a familiar sweet ocean flavor. The “Caramelized Tiger Prawns” were caramelized, plump and cooked moist to perfection making them along with the accompanying garlic slivers and onions slices naturally sweet and juicy. I had many more courses during that satiating meal…way too many to mention at this time but did enjoy my ‘fix.”

The highlight for dinner my first night in the city was “Flour & Water” a very small Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of the Mission District with Chef Thomas McNaughton specializing in local, seasonal foods. Chef Thomas (trained at CIA at Hyde Park in New York and in European kitchens) creates such taste treats as the famous “Thin Crust Neopolitan Pizza” (cooked for a couple of minutes in an imported Italian Valoriani oven at 800 degrees farenheit), house made pastas and “Salumi” – house cured and smoked meats. My dining group of four shared many items from the very interesting menu and each was equally fabulous! One fact I must mention - the Italian whole grain “Farro Radiatore” with anise braised pork cheek and fennel pollen was utterly marvelous. The farro was nutty and al dente and the pork cheeks moist and fork tender. Although, the reastaurant sets half the seats aside for walk-ins, you would be very wise to make a dinner reservation at Flour and Water since without one you, like Steve Jobs, would be turned away at the door like a sad pooch with his tail between his legs!

After sleeping in late and a day trekking around the city, I eagerly anticipated my maiden voyage to “Spruce” in Presidio Heights. Informally trained chef, Mark Sullivan, rocks with his contemporary American cuisine of organic produce, line caught fish and naturally raised beef. Spruce is the place to hang for those who want to see and be seen….hip and trendy. The large glass wine locker behind the bar, brilliant Baccarat Crystal chandeliers and overstuffed faux ostrich benches with chocolate mohair walls are all pretty damn impressive and a site for sore eyes.
This special birthday repast was celebrated with four dear friends, allowing us to order plenty of lovely dishes for communal sharing. A starter course was “Seared and Preserved Foie Gras” atop fresh strawberry chunks, pink peppercorns in a strawberry broth. Chef and staff did a great job of pan searing my foie gras perfectly since even the slightest overcooking would have ruined this dish. I was fortunate to enjoy this first course with a Chateau Roumieu La Coste Sauterne. Guys, foie gras without sauterne is like the desert without rain…unbearable and just plain painful!

My main course was “Honey Lacquered Duck Breast” on a bed of spicy fresh arugula with cinnamon spiced foie gras and poached apricot halfs. This dish may have been one of the best duck breast courses I have ever tasted! I have had duck liver served with sautéed apples or peaches but never fresh apricots and they were a pleasant fresh fruit alternative. Given an opportunity hubby brings wine from his cellar and on this particular night we were fortunate to imbibe a 1999 Kistler Chardonnay and a 1995 Araujo Eisele Vineyards Syrah. Both wines would have smacked a crisp smile on Bacchus’s chubby face. They were wonderfully delightful. I finalized my meal with a sampling of the four desserts our table ordered and I will not list all of them but allow me to inform you that Spruce’s beignets would rival those of New Orleans any day. Steamy hot and sprinkled with sugar, served alongside a chocolate sauce and cream anglaise, they are sinfully yummy!

After two days and two nights of gourmet gluttony I should be ashamed to divulge that before departing the city hubby dragged me out to “Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop” in the Castro district for the “best ice cream in all San Francisco”. The ice cream is handcrafted in small batches using local, organic and sustainable ingredients and I must admit it is pure decadence. For my sweet tooth (and I hardly ever indulge in sweets) I choose “Honey Lavender”, “Balsamic Strawberry” and “Chocolate/Coconut Vegan” (made with creamy coconut milk). All of the above flavors and the consistency of my frozen taste treats were worth every calorie and fat gram they embedded in my thighs…bring it on baby, bring it on!

Stay tuned for Part II of my Birthday Blog Journal which will take you to the serene Santa Rosa foothills and Healdsburg- soon to follow.

Cheers!