Kuleto Estate

After lunch at Go Fish we made the winding trek to Kuleto Estate Vineyard for a 2:30 tour and tasting. The driveway alone was a worthy adventure. Gaining about a thousand feet in elevation over two miles it cost about a million dollars per mile to install. When you get to the top of the mountain it is breathtaking. The tour was a walk around the grounds with a peek at the main residence and the guest house both with extraordinary stone work and views. The wine tasting was a sit down affair where we tasted a variety of wines which were paired with three different cheeses. I found the India Ink Cabernet to be big and bold without being over the top. Carol and I decided to join their club called King Fish (eat like a king drink like a fish) and plan to attend some of their parties and picnic on their amazing grounds.

Go Fish

We went to Go Fish before a vineyard tour we had set up. We are big fans of Mustard's and this is the creation of it's owner. We sat at the bar literally on the corner between the regular bar and the sushi bar. It seemed only fitting then to to have some sushi and some bar food. I started with the Crispy Spicy Roll which is made with yellowtail, scallion and tobiko in tempura. Tobiko is Japanese flying fish roe. The roll was delicious bun not very spicy. I then had the Salmon Burger which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The bun tasted and felt like it had just come out of the oven and the avocado was amazing. Also, the chips were perfectly cooked. We will definitely go back when we have more time to sit and enjoy the place.

Zuni Cafe

For our 24th wedding anniversary Carol and I chose Zuni Cafe. We are big fans of the Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad. Carol has made it a few times so she was anxious to see how her version rated. Carol's version is really good but I must say that there is a reason Zuni's is widely considered one of the best dishes in the city. It is so crispy on the outside and as moist as any poultry you will ever eat. It is wonderfully salty without being too much so. The bread salad is so decadent and delicious that I must admit to quickly eating it, before the chicken, to make sure Carol did not get more than her fair share! Before the chicken I had oysters. The larger ones are Pacific Hog Island from Tomales Bay. They are briny and tender. The tiny ones are Totten Inlet from Olympia, Washington. They are more intensely flavored and meatier. I asked the manager for a wine suggestion from among the Pinots and the Burgundies. I was pleased when he said his favorite for the chicken was the $60 Burgundy you can see here. There were many bottles well above that price. When our waiter brought our cheese plate the manager came by with two glasses of Italian dessert wine as a treat for our anniversary. A wonderful evening with a wonderful wife!

Farmer's Market

The San Rafael Sunday farmer's market is back in full swing. The cherries, blueberries, and strawberries are all amazing. Beautiful spring flowers are on every aisle. So many things to choose from and so many samples to taste. This time we got many of the ingredients we needed to make curried lamb burgers. Is there anything better than fresh cilantro, by the way?

This year's Tomatoes

This year I decided that my tomatoes deserved a raised bed. Pre-made beds cost around $100 dollars. By making the bed myself I was able to get the bed, the highest quality planting soil and the plants for about $100. I will take a matching photo throughout the growing season to see the progress.

Carol and I last ate at Tra Vigne, in 1990. We went last night with Annika, Tom and Joy and had a really nice meal. The highlight for me was the house made mozzarella served still warm on toasted Italian bread rubbed with garlic. We brought a bottle of wine over from our tasting at Grigich. The food at Tra Vigne is good but it's the setting makes the experience exceptional and the price acceptable.

Le Garage

Such a great place. I've now been there four or five times. Took my parents and sister this time for a post Thanksgiving meal. Just what I needed -- more food.

Everything I've had or tasted is really good. Not my favorite wine list. More reasonable bottles from California would be nice. The room gets a bit loud too when closed up for the winter, but the food...