Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Sushi Don

Sushi Don
I love sushi. I can eat sushi all day. However having a sushi addiction is expensive. Luckily there’s Sushi Don. I was in the Valley last Saturday, roaming around, craving sushi, and one of my “I’m hungry, you should go here” app told me to go to Sushi Don.

Sushi Don is in a strip mall so there’s plenty of parking in the lot. It’s relatively small, so I don’t recommend big groups to dine there. I didn’t realize that Sushi Don is set up more like a fast food joint and the interior is not fancy at all. You go to the counter and pick a meal, “I’ll take a Combo B,” then take a seat and wait for the food to arrive to your table. They make the sushi behind closed doors… Sushi Don is known for their Donburi. – rice bowl, basically like a chirashi but just with one type of fish for $9. They have two combo meals: A) choice of donburi, 5 pc sushi, miso soup or salad for $13.95 and B) choice of roll, 5 pc sushi, miso soup or salad for $9.95.Sushi Don also sells sushi a la carte. Their sushi is cheaper than Wholes Food. Oh, for you crab lovers, their California roll is served with real crab. I went with Combo B.
Sushi Don
The rice for the spicy tuna roll was a bit too sticky for me and the spicy tuna mixture was a bit too mushy, but at least they don’t use sriracha. The sushi pieces wowed me. I mean look at it!? They’re like edible jewels.
Sushi Don
They were just as good as they appeared. The yellowtail was my favorite, then the two albacore, then salmon and then the tuna . I will try their eel roll next time.

I discovered later that Sushi Don's owner is the same as Sushi Sasabune. Well, I guess that explains everything... They close at 8:30pm, which is a bummer. I guess I can only go there on the weekends. I heart Sushi Don!


Address: 4816 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
Phone#: (818) 762-8720
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc
Can I have a drum roll please? I’ve finally dined at a Thomas Keller’s restaurant!!! Bouchon Bakery really doesn’t count since it’s just pastries and sweets and there’s no sit-down area. If Ad Hoc existed during Jesus’ life, He would have had his last supper there. After being crushed missing our reservation last, last Friday, we were determined to dine at Ad Hoc last, last Sunday. The funny thing about missing our reservation, and a blessing, was that Ad Hoc’s menu for that day was: Bibb Lettuce and Frisee Salad with Fried Barbeque Oysters, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, French Laguiole, and Lemon Pound Cake. I don’t like oysters, I’m allergic to crustacean, I have no clue what "Laguiole" is, and lemon desserts are not my favorite. Oh, God… has such a great sense of humor when He wants to teach me a lesson on patience…

Since Nat’s flight was at 8:50 and the drive back to SF was an hour, we arrived at Ad Hoc ten minutes before five when it opened. We didn’t have reservations, but they take walk-ins at the bar. Oh, I forgot to explain that Ad Hoc changes its menu every day. You can find their daily menus on Twitter or their website. They are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and on Sundays they offer bunch for $39. Apparently you can order the food a la carte at the bar, but we wanted the whole experience so it costs $49 for the pre-fixe dinner which is a bargain to Keller’s French Laundry $250 pre-fixe dinner (granted that has like 11 more dishes…).

I was so excited about dining at Ad Hoc that I took pictures of their parking lot and bathroom:
Ad Hoc's parking lot
Only one bathroom for each sex!
Ad Hoc's bathroom
I know, I know, I am such a dork, but it’s Ad Hoc! The restaurant is simple. Let me start over, the exterior is really ugly but that just made the interior nicer.
Ad Hoc
When you walk in you see the bar to the right.
Ad Hoc
I think there’s about 10 bar chairs? To the back / right back and left you had the dining areas.
Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc
The dress code is nice casual. We didn’t mind sitting at the bar.
Ad Hoc
Dan the bartender/server was very patient with me and allowed me to sample whatever wine I wanted—which was just what I needed in my system: more wine! He looked more of a beer drinker than a wino. I settled on the driest white wine, the Weirgut Schwarzebock Gruner Veltliner.
Ad Hoc
Geez, typing the wine’s name was just as hard as saying it out loud. The menu of the day was Little Gem Lettuce Salad, Grilled Pork T-bone, Beehive Cheese Co's Seahive, and Chocolate Pot de Créme.
Ad Hoc
As we waited for our salad, they gave us bread and butter. I was hoping that the butter would be flavored or creamier but I can’t believe it’s just butter.
Ad Hoc
The Little Gem Lettuce was delicious! I really enjoyed the fried shallots in the salad and also, the salad dressing was lightly drizzled.
Ad Hoc
The salad was a good light starter before the Grilled Pork T-Bones, which were insanely big!
Ad Hoc's Grilled Pork T-Bone
I’m picky on how my pork is prepared, so I’ll admit it I was a bit nervous when I saw Grilled T-Bones. I usually eat Porky Pig in the form of bacon, ham, dumplings or cooked dry shredded pork. I am happy to report the Grilled Pork T-Bone was amazing! It was juicy and not fatty at all.
Ad Hoc's Grilled Pork T-Bone
I loved the carrots and braised escarole. The flageolet beans w/ pickled cauliflower were not bad either.
Ad Hoc
The Beehive Cheese Co's Seahive and toasted brioche with raspberry jam helped cleaned the palate before the Chocolate Panna Cotta. Loved the cheese. I didn’t realized that Auntie Em’s Kitchen buys cheese from Beehive Cheese Co.
Ad Hoc
I got worried when I read the Chocolate Panna Cotta description: “marshmallow fluff and graham cracker crumble.” I’ve never cared S’mores. When it’s camping time and the kids are making S’mores, you will find me just eating the chocolate bar.
Ad Hoc
I was surprised to find the marshmallows were not as sweet as the marshmallows I’ve had in the past. It was not bad.

Nat barely made her flight but that's because I dropped her off and returned the car rental. As I was taking the elevator to the air train platform at the car rental building, a waspy couple complained about the stench of alcohol. I confessed that I was the wino who hung in Napa all day and that they would be smelling like grapes had they joined me. Some people just need to take a chill pill.

I had a blast at my friends' wedding, relaxing in wine country and dining at Ad Hoc was the perfect closing ceremony.


Address: 6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599
Phone#: (707) 944-2487
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Monday, March 29, 2010

Girard Winery

Girard
Girard Winery was our last winery stop before we had our last supper in wine country. William from FolieA Deux Winery & Napa Cellars Tasting Room suggested us to head to Girard Winery since it’s near to Ad Hoc; he gave us a complimentary wine tasting card. Thanks William!
Girard
Girard Winery’s interior is more modern than the other wineries we’ve visited. It has a cute patio, but since we were pressed for time, we just stood at the bar.
Girard
The complimentary card allowed us to try four wines…which at this moment I can’t find the wine list with my notes…but I believe the tasting costed $15. If you go to their website you can print out a 2-for-1 tasting coupon.

I liked their wine tasting because they offer more of variety. They had a “bordeux” and the Stonefly Cabernet Sauvignon….
Girard
I’ll have to update this blog once I find my cheat sheet... One thing is for sure after sampling 22 wines in Napa/Yountville/Carneros is that I am not much of big fan of wines in those regions.

Address: 6795 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
Phone#:(707) 968-9297
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Friday, March 26, 2010

Folie A Deux Winery & Napa Cellars Tasting Room

Folie A Deux Winery
Folie A Deux Winery & Napa Cellars Tasting Room was our 3rd winery stop on Sunday. We decided on Folie A Deux mainly for Ménage A Trios wines. I’ve never had an Ménage A Trois..wine, where three different grapes are mixed. This winery was very simple compared to the two other wineries. It’s not on a hilltop so there’s no majestic view of the Napa Valley. However, what this winery has that the other wineries don’t have is William our server. William really took the time to educate us on the wines and…he’s not bad to look at either…
Folie A Deux Winery
They had two tasting options and each costs $5. We did both. William also let us try the Ménage A Trois wines as well. Here are the wines we tasted:
Folie A Deux Winery
1st Tasting:

2008 Folie a Deux Chardonnay $18/ bottle
Comments: very light for a Chardonnay, good
2007 Folie a Deux Amador County Zinfandel $18/ bottle
Comments: lots of spices! Meh.
2007 Folie a Deux Napa Valley Merlot $24/ bottle
Comments: mixed w/ Cab. Bitter finish. My cousin will like this wine.

2nd Tasting
2007 Napa Cellars Zinfandel $22/bottle
Comments: oaky, don’t buy
2006 Napa Cellars Merlot $22/bottle
Comments: dry, not as full, ok
2007 Napa Cellars Syrah – Dyer Vineyard $37/bottle
Comments: ok, smooth, lots of flavor

2007 Napa Cellars Pinot Noir – Napa Valley
2007 Ménage a Trois Chardonnay – California $12/ bottle
Comments: mixed with Monterey, Mendocino, and Santa Barbara
2008 Ménage a Trois White – California $12/bottle
Comments: Chardonnay, Muscat, and Shwa Blanc
2008 Ménage a Trois Rose – California $12/bottle
Comments: merlot, syrah, Gwertzman

My favorites were the Ménage A Trois wines. If you’re in Napa, do not skip this winery and ask for William.

Address: 7481 St. Helena Hwy, Oakville, CA 94562
Phone#: (707) 944-2565
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Domaine Carneros

Domaine Carneros
I’ve always thought it would be boring wine tasting with someone who doesn’t have a high tolerance for alcohol but I realized that just meant more wine for me! Plus, Nat who joined me gets ill when drinking wine with sulfite…which is every wine at the tasting…and pretty much she can only take a swig and then spit into a container... that's just criminal for me. At the end I drank her container. I’m just kidding!
Domaine Carneros
Domaine Carneros was our next winery. It’s a three-minute drive from Artesa. The Domaine Carneros reminded me of the Overlook Hotel from THE SHINING. I was expecting the wine to turn into real blood but it did not. Once you reached to the top, grab a table and a waiter will serve your blood, I meant wine. Unlike Artesa that gave you a variety of wines, Domaine Carneros’ tasting is grouped by colors and whether or not they were sparkling. We opted for the red wines--3 tastings for $15.
Domaine Carneros
2007 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir, Avant Garde
2006 Domaine Carneros Merlot, Avant Garde
2007 Domaine Carneros, Pinot Noir
Domaine Carneros
Domaine Carneros wines were spicier than Artesa, but still I didn't really care for any of the three. Sadly, the $15 cheese platter was more exciting than their wines.
Domaine Carneros
Oh, I found out their wine is certified organic...too bad that they didn't labeled it big on their menu otherwise Nat would have drank the wine..

When you're done, you have to go inside and pay for your wine tasting/ cheese, which I felt it to be a bit odd.
Domaine Carneros
I am becoming more aware that I do not like wines from the Napa Valley...

Address: 1240 Duhig Rd, Napa, CA 94559
Phone#:(707) 257-0101
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Artesa Winery

Artesa Winery
After (cough) eating breakfast for four hours at the Carneros Inn…it was now time to get my drinks on in wine country. I’m not a wine connoisseur but I’m picky, love wine, have a high tolerance, and more importantly I am one of those lucky Asians whose face does not turn red when consuming alcohol. My face turns red when I work out.
Artesa Winery
A group of us headed to Artesa. Since you had to make reservations if you’re a party of 8 or more, we’d pretended to not know each other. Actually Artesa were fine about us not making reservation but that could be because it’s not peak season in wine country.
Artesa Winery
Artesa is one of the nicer wine tasting locations. It’s on a hilltop so it offers a stunning view of the Napa Valley.
Artesa Winery
Since I needed to work off my meal…I took the stairs to the building…instead of the elevator, which is really only meant for handicaps /elders. Apparently Artesa is not only known for their wine in the area, but also for their love of art. You will find their artist in residence; Gordon Huether’s art displayed.

Artesa Winery
Artesa Winery
Artesa Winery
On Sunday, there were two wine tasting options: Artesa Classic for $10 or Artesa Limited Release for $15. I went for the Limited Release, and here were my wines:
2008 Artesa Limited Release Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley. $24 /bottle
My comments: fruity, not as dry as I hope, ok
2007 Artesa Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Carneros $26/ bottle
My comments: oaky & smoky taste. Don’t buy.
2007 Artesa Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Carneros $40/ bottle
My comments: Bitter finish. Light. Don’t buy.
2005 Artesa Limited Release Merlot, Napa Valley $60/ bottle
My comments: smoky, gross
2006 Artesa Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $52.50/ bottle
My comments: light, meh.
As you can see from my notes…er...when I’m sampling, I just want to know if I like it or not. I’m not going to get into the wine description, when I already have a description printed out for me. Had I wanted to purchase any of the bottles at the premise, I would have saved myself 25% with the "Club Artesa" rate.
Artesa Winery
Oh, once you've paid for the tasting, you go into another room where the pourers are. The set up is like a stand up bar. Best to take your wine outside where chairs are and enjoy the view. I’ve come to conclusion that you are paying for the view at Artesa. The wine sux at Artesa.

Address: 1345 Henry Rd., Napa, CA 94559
Phone#: (707) 224-1668
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Carneros Inn

I haven’t checked out any of the hotels in Napa, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Carneros Inn was the most beautiful lodging venue in Napa. The Carneros Inn is walled off but not gated in its own community. There are little cottages where guests stay in, and there are also permanent residents who have purchased a cottage. We were told that that a cottage on the property costs $2.5 million…but I think the staff was kidding and it’s more like $300-400K. There’s a market on the premise but it’s not a real grocery store. They sell already prepared food, drinks, aspirin, etc. Oh, Carneros is a region in wine country. It’s cooler than Yountville, so the grape skins are thinner. I remembered that from a wine tasting because I got really confused when people talking about “Carneros” as a type of wine instead of the Inn.
The Carneros Inn's Apple Orchard
The wedding ceremony was held at Carneros Inn’s Apple Orchard (it’s a part of the Carneros Inn) – no apple orchards but open land with a stunning view of hills. It was just gorgeous!
The Carneros Inn's Apple Orchard
They had a table with lemon water for us while we waited for the ceremony to start.
The Carneros Inn
The Apple Orchard is the perfect place to get married. Since it’s secluded, there’s no traffic noises, no airplanes going over us, and the sun sets behind the guests. It’s such a beautiful place that some of the guests and I cried before the wedding started. The Apple Orchard just really made the wedding ceremony a moment that no one will forget.
The Carneros Inn's Courtyard
As we waited for the newlyweds to take their wedding photos, we walked to the courtyard for appetizers and cocktails. My jaw dropped.
The Carneros Inn
They had this amazing table of five/six different cheeses with two different bread and crackers, vegetables, hummus, olive tapanade, almonds, dates, raisins, etc.
The Carneros Inn
The bar was set up with all the good stuff.
The Carneros Inn
Since I was in Napa, I just stuck to wine. I wished I jotted their wine…I was so preoccupied with all the food that was going out…there were lamb chops (I didn’t try it since I’m not a fan of lamb),
The Carneros Inn
endives stuffed with crabs (I’m allergic to crabs),
The Carneros Inn
asparagus soup and delicious creamy mushroom soup in cute little espresso cups,
The Carneros Inn
and amazing risotto balls!
The Carneros Inn
It was just sick! I was wondering how I was going to eat my dinner…

Next to the Courtyard is the Hilltop Dining Room where dinner was served.
The Carneros Inn
I was relieved that the portions were small, well what people should eat. We had pre-ordered our dinner. Options were fish, beef or vegetarian. I picked beef. For our first course we had the butternut squash green bean salad with roasted chestnuts, proscuitto and sage oil paired with Ethan Viognier, Santa Barbara County!
The Carneros Inn
I was impressed with Carneros Inn, but wow, our dinner was paired off with selective wines too! Wow. The salad was delicious and the proscuitto bits were a nice touch.
The second course was seared Dayboat scallop, parsnip puree, vanilla bean infused with extra virgin oil paired with Mayro Murdic Pino Noir, Carneros.
The Carneros Inn
Since I’m allergic to scallop, I had the mushroom risotto. It looked purdy but it was one of the blandest risottos I had. The risotto desperately needed Parmesan cheese.
The Carneros Inn
Since I’m such a hippo (I had gained 5 lbs at this point), I took photos of the other entrees. The vegetarians received the Garden Char Cannelloni.
The Carneros Inn
My companion and I share the prime rib eye with roasted fingerling, potatoes, and delta asparagus sauce bicordelaise and pan seared sea bass with chanterelle mushrooms, broccolini, and truffled oil. The prime rib was paired off with the Hope and Grace Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. The pan-seared sea bass was delicious.
The Carneros Inn
Had I known that the fish was going to be served with chanterelle mushrooms I would have picked the sea bass. But still I wasn’t disappointed since I split my entrée. The prime rib was perfect – medium.
The Carneros Inn
All the wine pairings complimented the dishes.
The Carneros Inn
After our dinner we headed to the ballroom, which was across from the dining room to work off our meal! The newlyweds decided to go the nontraditional route and ordered macaroons from the Carneros Inn instead of a wedding cake.
The Carneros Inn
The flavors were blueberry, vanilla and pistachio.
The Carneros Inn
I don’t get macaroons. I don’t get that instant gratification that I do with chocolate or Bouchon’s Nutter Butter. I tried all three flavors. I just don’t get it. The night continued to the Farm.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
It’s the bar/restaurant open to the public.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The bar section is small but that’s why they have a big outdoor patio where there’s a rectangle fire pit.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
There’s a heater under each chair but it’s still not warm enough. I had to sit next to the glass wall fire pit to warm myself up. I fell in love with the Farm’s bar lighting. Instead of chandeliers they have “lamps!” How cute is that!?
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The celebration continued to the next morning when the parents invited all the guests to breakfast at the Farm! This wedding was just sick. Really. There were three buffet food stations.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The first table was broken into three sections. You had the fruits, granola and yogurt on the right side.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
In the center you had every pastry that you could possible think of.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
On the left side you have your bagel, tomato, lox, cream cheese and pasta.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
To the side you had a make-your-own-omelets station.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn
I so wanted an omelet because it looked so good, but I was about to explode since I pretty much tried every pastry…
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn's The Farm

The Carneros Inn's The Farm
In the back you had home fries, scrambled eggs, bacon, apple sausages, and filet mignon.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
Breakfast was ridiculously sick. I’ve never eaten so much for breakfast.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
Oh, at the bar they were offering Mimosa and Bloody Mary. I was the only one who took advantage of the booze…hell, I’m on vacation.
The Carneros Inn's The Farm
Service was impeccable. Food was amazing. The wedding was just perfect. My words and the photos are only a glimpse of what an amazing and magical time I had.

Address: 4048 Sonoma Hwy, Napa, CA 94559
Phone#:(707) 299-4900
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