Marshall Store

Taking a detour back to SF from Northern Napa Valley via the Sonoma Coast, you ride down US 1 and end up in a little town called Marshall right along Tomales Bay. You'll pass a handful of oyster bars, and a favorite of ours is the Marshall Store. Sit at picnic tables six feet from the bay and enjoy BBQ and oysters.

BBQ oysters with garlic butter & house sauce

Fish Tacos with chili lime slaw & avocado tomatillo sauce

Chorizo oysters with chorizo butter

Grilled Tri-tip with salsa verde, grilled onions & aoili

Le Garage

When growing weary of the fog covering San Francisco, Sausalito is a just quick trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. As soon as you make your way over to the one of the marinas, the clouds part and the sun beams down vibrantly. Located in one such marina is the charming french bistro, Le Garage. The waterfront restaurant boasts beautiful views of boats and the bay where guests can sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. Sometimes, a restaurant can rely heavily on its location and fall short on the delivery of a delicious meal, but Le Garage is no such restaurant. While I've only been for brunch and lunch, the service has been great and the food delicious. My meal of choice: Stella on draft and the Masami Kobe beef burger (1/2 lb Kobe, Morbier cheese, tomatoes, butter lettuce, grilled red onions, and aioli on ciabatta) served with a side of fries. It's hard to beat a beer and a good burger on a beautiful day.

The Fremont Diner

The wife and I have found a new favorite lunch/breakfast spot in Sonoma, The Fremont Diner. It's everything you love about comfort food with hints of gourmet and a farm-to-table mentality. If you end up having to wait for a table, the back patio area overlooking the Sonoma countryside has a bar with great shakes, beers, and a few local wines. We had lunch on this particular visit, but we've been back since for breakfast which is just as good.

Nutella Milkshake

Deviled Eggs with Pickled Mustard Seed and Chives

Fremont Burger - Five Dot Ranch Beef, ABC Potato Bun, Sauce, Pickles, & Lettuce with Hand Cut Fries

Whole Hog - Sonoma County Pork on ABC Bun, Fremont BBQ Sauce, Coleslaw, Pickled Fennel with Succotash Salad

Strawberry Shortcake (Biscuits made in-house, and they are amazing.)

Napa Valley 003

Headed to Napa this past weekend to escape from the city. We stopped at a nice, casual restaurant in downtown Napa called Pearl for dinner on Friday. They had a diverse menu: everything from oysters and fish tacos to a New York strip steak sandwich.

On Saturday, we went to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for a quick bite. Great home style feeling. We ordered the crispy calamari with delta asparagus, lemons, jalapeño and a side of  lemon aioli. Delicious.

One of our favorite spots was the family-owned winery Hunnicutt. We were given a quick tour of their very large cave system by an incredibly nice hostess named Jen. Tasted some great wines and heard a little about their winemaking process. We left with a bottle and will probably return again soon.

We also checked out Beringer wines on the way back home. It was not as laid back as our first tasting, but beautiful nonetheless. Going from the quiet, personal experience at Hunnicutt to the more commercial feel at Beringer was a little deflating, but that's just me.

Ended the weekend at Grace's Table for Sunday brunch. Local, fresh and not pretentious in any way. Homemade jam, eggs, bacon, a southwestern potato cake. Delish. Highly recommend it.

Marengo on Union

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Transition into a new city has taken longer than expected. Hopefully, from now on, there will be more posts starting with this one. Marengo on Union is a "whiskey, wine and slider bar" where we went for brunch one morning. We started with the beer-battered, fried pickles followed by a variety of sliders. It didn't disappoint.

Chicken 'n Waffle: Field to Family Farms Crispy Chicken Breast / Bourbon, Maple & Bacon Infused Waffle / Maple Syrup & Honey Butter

Porky's Slider: Long & Bailey Farms Pulled Pork Shoulder / Tangy & SPICY BBQ Sauce / Cole Slaw / Mild Blue Cheese & Cider Vinaigrette

Homemade Biscuit Slider: Pancetta / Biscuit / Egg / Sharp Cheddar Cheese

All-American Slider: Lucky Dog Ranch Beef / Green Leaf Lettuce / Tomato / Sharp Cheddar Cheese / Special Sauce / Caramelized Onions

NYC Favorite

Recreating a NYC favorite. -  Hard boiled egg -  Bacon -  Mayo -  Spinach (mixed with olive oil and S & P) -  Toast

Be'Wiched

A while ago, someone told me that I had to try the egg and pastrami sandwich at Be'Wiched. I've tried other sandwiches from this deli before, and they have always been good. Plus, I can never pass up an egg sandwich of any kind. The sandwich consisted of an over easy egg, pastrami, bell peppers, and harissa (a North African chili sauce) served on a cheese and rosemary Focaccia bread. The bread was fresh, the egg was cooked perfectly, and the pastrami was tender. The peppers and harissa added big flavor. Usually in the morning, I go for more simple flavors that are delicate on the palette, but you have to make an exception every now and then. I also discovered that Food Network's magazine had an article featuring the best breakfast spot in each of the 50 states, and Be’Wiched’s egg and pastrami took Minnesota.