Birthday Time!

Today is my birthday. I spent it at work, buying groceries, cleaning the house, updating my phone, and talking to my family. Later I'll be going to Zuzu for dinner. Then out to Downtown Joe's for a drink. No crazy celebration because i've got to work tomorrow. Make money, money!

Things to do that are not work:

Tomorrow (9/23):
Trefethen wine tasting
Chase vineyards BBQ

10/2-4:
ZD winery 40th anniversary

10/10:
Kiwanis BBQ/oyster/wine "Hot October Nights"

10/17:
Napa Oktoberfest

10/18:
Treasure Island Music Festival

Life, a post

Let's see... with in the last two weeks I quit one of my two jobs and picked up a new job working weekends at a winery. ZD winery to be specific (thanks Jason!). I'll mostly be pouring wine to those ever present tourists and daycationers. I'm really excited about this new job experience, I went in earlier this week do to paperwork and within the first hour I met the matriarch, Rosa Lee deLeuze, and she invited me to go to Hot October Nights. So I now have 60$ tickets for me and my plus one (Eric). The deLeuze family (aka the D in ZD) pays for their employees to go to events, and the late Norman deLeuze was a huge supporter for the Kiwanis Club (community organizers, gasp!). Hot October Nights is a fundraising event for the Kiwanis with a silent auction, but it also includes a live band, BBQ/Oyster bar, and wine tasting from various wineries. The event is October 10th, and if it's anything like the last wine event I went to, i'll be sure to bring my camera for some eventful picture taking.

All in all, life out here is getting a little easier. I'm not working as much as I was two weeks ago, I feel like I can sit down and breathe.

Las Palmas, yes please

I feel like my life has been lacking in the Mexican food department. Last week, after being foiled on a sandwich run, Eric and I tried out a place that we hadn't been to before, Las Palmas. Napa's Mexican food selection varies from the Taco Truck to the $20 plate of 2 tacos. This place falls somewhere in the middle. Sadly, the taco shops are nothing near the caliber of what Tucson has to offer. I feel like Tucson spoiled all cheap Mexican food for the rest of my life. Nico's Super Nachos, I will never forget you. And if you think i'm going to pay $20+ dollars for a taco plate then you're off your rocker. I'll just save the cash and use it as gas money to go see my mom, her food is way more worth it.

Anyways, Las Palmas is in the warehouse district, which in Napa means it's two blocks away from downtown. Don't let it's proximity to the Feed Store scare you, you won't find any hay bales or leftover baby animals in here. Las Palmas is right next door to Las Palmas meat and seafood market, both owned by the same person. The Chef has about 15 years of experience working as Chef du Cuisine in the North Bay. Usually I go the safe route at new Mexican food places, but since they have their own butchery I took a risk (for me) and got the fish tacos.

The tacos were tilapia sautéed in white wine, onions, and diced tomatoes. They were good. Everything tasted fresh and made to order, instead of most places where things taste like they've been sitting around in a vat for a while.
Eric got the Chile Verde. Really good, really spicy.

They also had the best horchata i've had since moving out here. How i've missed you horchata! I'd go back just for their horchata. The patio is really nice, but like everywhere in Napa, watch out for the Wasps.