Quince

I took clients to Quince last night. It's the second time I've been there and everything I have had is really special. That said, their pasta steals the show. Last night I had Angolotti dal plin which is traditional Piedmontese filled pasta. It had a light sage butter sauce. I became a fan of any raviolli with a sage butter sause when I used to go to Lupa in New York. The next time I go to Quince I plan to ask if all my four courses, including dessert, can be a pasta dish.

Sol Food

We went for another great ride today. This time China Camp. After more calories burned I took the group to the take out version of Sol Food. Once Again I had the steak sandwich. Is it the bread, the sliced steak, the avocado, the grilled onions, the melted cheese or the mayo sauce? Whatever it's great! We ordered the plantains this time too and they are a worthy complement.

Joe's Taco

Went for a mountain bike ride in the Marin Headlands today. Couple of hours of significant calorie burn. My companions said we had earned a trip to Joe's Tacos. There were lots of people who had the same post ride idea. I was told to try the marinated grilled fish tacos. I'm not sure how good they are because I was so hungry but I think they were really great.

Tomatoes

Here's the first real batch of heirloom tomatoes from a sunny spot in my backyard. I purchased the plants at the Marin Farmer's Market in San Raphael a couple months ago. Later today they will be combined with crumbled goat cheese and mixed with a olive oil and herbs from the garden.

209 Gin

Ok, I like Gin Martini's. My dry vermouth ratio is 5:1 and I prefer mine vigorously shaken then served up in a frozen glass with two olives that have not been pitted. I was never especially partial to a particular premium gin until I had locally made No. 209. It's a revelation! Here's what the bottle says: "In 1882 in Napa Valley the 209th distillery began creating award-winning spirits. This new 209 gin recipe, created with a Napa winemakers passionate attention to detail, is crafted with all-natural botanicals, rare ingredients, and is distilled 5 times. The lower quality heads and tails of each distilation are discarded & only the finest "heart" of each small, handcrafted batch is bottled." Most good Bay Area restaurants are now carrying it.

Rutherford Grill

So after we went to Spring Mountain Vineyard we took our bottle of '87 Cabernet to the Rutherford Grill. We sat outside on a beautiful but quickly cooling evening. I had the special pork chop that had been brined for two days. It was a two inch thick hunk of juicy goodness. The rest of our food was good but not worth a special mention. The no corkage fee is very cool if you are keen to sample one of your Napa finds.

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Carol and I went to Spring Mountain Vineyard for our anniversary. We had tried their wines at a 49er Foundation event in Tahoe and decided to make a reservation. They only give a limited number of tours each day and much of Spring Mountain's charm is that it's well off the beaten path. After the tour we tasted all their new releases. I was not too impressed with the whites or the Pinot Noir. The Cab blends though were really great. I especially like the Elivette which was much more subtle and subdued than many Napa Cabernets. We were having so much fun that our guide decided to let us try "something special". He poured us a taste while covering the year. Carol said to me "wouldn't it be cool if that was an '87". We tasted and it was truly unreal. He turned the bottle around and it was in fact the '87. That was, if you haven't figured it out, the year we were married. We bought a vertical of the Elivette and a bottle of the '87 to take to the Rutheford Grill.

Kokkari Estiatorio

Kokkari Estiatorio is a downtown Greek restaurant where I recently had a business lunch. When you walk in the first thing you see is an animal roasting in the fireplace. That is actually more appetizing than gross. Lot's of good food here but the eggplant dip with homemade grilled pita is the best I've ever had. You can easily create a feast by sharing the small plate appetizers and never need the entrees.

Girl and the Fig

Go to brunch (or lunch or dinner) at the Girl And The Fig up in Sonoma. They take simple food and make it better than you've ever tasted. Case in point the grilled cheese sandwich. With each bite you are thinking how can a grilled cheese taste this good. The Bloody Mary with the house made mix is also really great in its simplicity. If you can, get a table outside inn the garden.

Picco

I really love everything about Picco. Three things stand out to me though.  I love the Ahi Tuna with apple, shiso, sesame and soy on sticky rice cakes. The cakes are the perfect holder for the tartare. They make risotto on the half hour so it comes when it comes. It is fresh creamy and full of complex flavors. The mini burgers are made with a Point Reyes blue cheese sauce that is the thing that makes them special. Oh yea, they have Fever Tree tonic so be sure to have your favorite gin and tonic.

Bungalow 44

While recently at Bungalow 44, with another couple, we had the chance to share a bunch of different things. The truffle parmesan fries are worth a special trip... even if that's all you order. The appetizer of homemade gnocchi with gorgonzola and thyme was amazingly rich and decadent. And the bartender makes a mojito with his own mint infused simple syrup.

Fever-Tree Tonic Water

If you like Mt. Gay and tonic please find and try Fever-Tree Tonic Water. I found it at BevMo where it is sold in four packs. It's lighter and dryer than other tonics and makes my Mt. Gay and tonic even more refreshing. When you build the drink, squeeze the lime on the ice cubes then add the Mt. Gay followed by the Fever Tree. The first sip is the best.

Sushi Ran

Had dinner last night at Sushi Ran. All the food was amazing but the Beef dish is amazing. The Black Cod is a must order too. We'll see if the sake in a box brings good luck.