Spruce

We decided to go to Spruce during a week night to help our chances of finding a seat. The dinning room is full on most nights with a little-on-the-pricey-side dinner menu. I was here to try the highly recommended Spruce Burger for which you must order and eat at the bar. The burger is hefty one with a dense (almost like an english muffin) bun. I simply topped mine with grilled onions and cheddar. It was well-seasoned and served with a house aioli and fries. San Francisco doesn't seem to like fresh, hand-cut fries since  I haven't seen any since my time here. If you're looking for a very simple yet delicious burger, this one doesn't disappoint.

Napa Valley 001

Last weekend, the wife and I went slightly north of downtown Napa to the quaint town of Yountville. We spent the afternoon visiting a couple tasting rooms followed by dinner at Michael Chiarello's Bottega. Before dinner, we went to Cornerstone Cellars and Page Wine Cellars for tastings where we had a great Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from Cornerstone. In fact, we ended up leaving with two bottles. Right next door was Page Wine Cellars where the owner dedicates many of his wines to great musicians.  It was a fun atmosphere with great wine and a lot of music memorabilia, as seen below with one of Carlos Santana's guitars. Bottega is nestled right in the heart of Yountville, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. The lighting was dim, but I managed to capture a few shots of our delicious dishes.

Organic Prosciutto "house cured," pasta fritta, pomegranates, prosecco "nuvelo" & daikon radish sprouts.

Wood Grilled Loin of Grass-Fed Lamb, saffron braised potatoes, green onions, pistachio pesto & rosemary scented lamb jus.

For Dessert:

Italian doughnuts with Praline crema.

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

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Prosopa/Athens, GreeceInterior Designer: Alexandros Tsikordanos' 36oid Studio

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Yeah! BurgerBy: Tad Carpenter

I-80 W

My wife and I finished our I-80W photo book.

I-80W

Working on a book.  All pictures were shot on interstate 80W with instagram for iphone.