Cantinetta Piero

A few months ago Eric and I made a date night out of going to eat at the restaurant he works at. My only experience with the place were a few late night after dinner drinks in Yountville. Cantinetta makes for a really nice stopping point in your night. So when Eric's chef told him that he should come in and try out some concept dished we jumped at the chance.


Dinner started off with crostini topped with lardo and tomato paste. If you haven't experienced lardo before, you need to. It's a revelation in food. I had lardo for the first time about 5 years ago in Spain, and I've never been the same. Neither has my waist line. This is a bit more refined than dipping hunks of bread into lardo. This was all about portion control, and I wanted more! It was paired with a glass of Sparkling. Which, I have no idea. The waitress didn't specify. Also, the tomato sauce reminded me so much of apple sauce, a hearty savory apple sauce. So good with the lardo.


Second dish was a lobster mushroom with an egg drizzled in olive oil. So meaty and savory. Another one that left me wanting more.


Third dish was definitely off menu. Pasta medallions with grape leaves and fruit shapes imprinted into the circles. With parmigiano, morel mushrooms, and peas. This dish needs to be on the menu. The chef was developing it for a dinner he was putting on, and he hand stamped dozens of these.


Half way through we acquired a bottle of wine. And a great choice made based on my preferences in wine. Bold enough to compliment the food but not too over powering where it fought with all the unique flavor profiles.

Dulce pizza. One of the best things about Cantinetta is that they have their own wood fire pizza. Pizza's are made by hand and you can even watch while seated at the pizza bar. Dulce pizza is not usually my favorite but I gave this one a try. The main ingredients were grapes, walnuts, and dulce mozzarella. All super delicious apart, and amazing together.



Main courses were fighting for room in my stomach, but I made sure to leave a pocket open just for them. I had the steak and fingerling potatoes. I like my steak medium-medium well. I am a chefs enemy when it comes to steak, but I hate when it bleeds all over. What's the one thing I learned while Eric's been at culinary school? That if you rest your steak properly it won't bleed at medium. So I took a shot and ordered mine medium. And no blood in sight! Great flavors and a fantastically cooked steak.

Eric got the pork chop and veggies. It looked and smelled delicious. But I didn't get to try it because by this time I was stuffed.



Prosecco! What I thought was going to be the end of our meal. Delicious, not too sweet or syrupy.


Then came the deserts. Agh! Strawberries in balsamic with ice cream and fried pastries. To freaking die for.

Eric got the raspberries and peaches with sugar glass on a custard. It has a name, Eric would know but he's at work. Not my style, a little too perfumed for me. But he loved it. We are different desert people. Which works out great because I don't have to share.


And finally, the pièce de résistance, concord grape sorbete. Probably the most reminicent piece of this meal. It immediately brought back memories of being a kid and eating half frozen popsicle because it was so warm out that it is melting rapidly in your hand and you have to eat it as quickly as possible. Whew!

An amazing meal over all. I would recommend this place to all. Great food, that for me evoked a memory of home. There is nothing more than you can ask for in a meal.

A lesson in bubbles

Bubbles should be poured like beer. Which I take to mean that they should be drunk out of pint glasses as well.

August Cheers to Taste - Jarvis

Entrance to Jarvis

Every month, the Wednesday before Cheers! St. Helena is dedicated to an event called Cheers to Taste. The premise being that every month a different winery pony's up their space to hold a "Hospitality Event" within their walls. So when I heard that August was going to be at Jarvis, I thought "Cool, I haven't been there yet!". Basically I use these events to check out places that I wouldn't normally go to, or have time to visit. The networking part really isn't my preferred method of mingling. Anyways, little did I know what I was in store for at this month's event.

Barrels of wine

Turns out, the whole winery is underground. Maybe not a go-to for people who are claustrophobic, but still pretty cool. Basically we walked in, got a name tag and a personal light so we could give ourselves the self guided tour if we so desired.

Heading to the tank room

So here is where a combo of good and bad happened. We were greeted with a glass of wine (good) and then grabbed a bite of celery and cheese (could have been good, was very bad). I'm not sure where the idea to pair celery with fromage blanc (think melted string cheese) came from, but someone should have put a stop to it from the get go. It was mushy and bland, it needed flavor, salt, anything else!

Nikki with her light in front of the giant floral doors

Tank Room

So we continued through the tank room. So far, I haven't seen any other winery with all of their equipment underground, but I can't imagine it being much more of a hassle than having your equipment in an enclosed building. Plus, it looked pretty cool.

PotC'esque waterfall

Alright, check it out. So there was a waterfall in the caves. A freaking WATERFALL! How cool is that?! And yet it totally reminded me of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Both are dark, dank, and smell like chlorinated water. Napa truly is the Disneyland for adults.

Cuvee casks

These casks were right next to my favorite station only because it had the wine I liked the most, 2003 Merlot. Good wine, but the pulled pork sandwich was not. And yet another swing and a miss on the catered food.

Peace out!

The rest of the winery wasn't very exciting. Just two large rooms where they hold "winery events". Oh, and accordion players and giant crystals. *shrug* All in all, it was kind of a weird experience. BUT I would recommend it to someone that was visiting the valley that wanted to go to a unique place. To see all the equipment and have the "cave" experience would be cool for most people.

Morimoto Napa

Lounge Menu @ Morimoto Napa

For our third anniversary Eric and I decided to go to Morimoto Napa. Not only did the restaurant open only a few short weeks before. But they were also offering an Industry (food & wine personnel) Discount on all Lounge Menu items until July 31st. So we figured we'd take advantage of the 30% off (woohoo!!!) and kill two birds with one stone.

Morimoto expediting on the line

When we first parked out on 2nd street, the roads was dead. So we figured we were in for a quiet night. But once we walked into the main room, the place was buzzing with excitement. Lounge menu means you can either sit on one of the comfy looking yellow couches, at the bar, or at the sushi bar. I for one LOVE the sushi bar. It's a great place to start up a conversation with the person making your food.

Glass of Page Sauvignon Blanc

Eric and I started off by ordering drinks. Morimoto pours their own brew, has a full bar, sake, and wines by the glass and bottle (ZD Wines has their chardonnay by the glass, it's delicious with seafood).

Then after a little wait we started ordering appetizers.


First out was the Miso Soup. I have a deep love affair with Miso, the salty, warm flavor is magnetic. Morimoto miso soup was unlike any I have had before, it had a lovely "meaty" taste. The whole flavor profile made it seem so much more heartier than it appeared. And the silken tofu came in large soft chunks that I enjoyed.



Next up was the Pork Gyoza. The gyoza are actually hiding underneath the thin sheet of dough, the added surprise was the tomato based sauce the gyoza was placed on top of. It was a great mix of Italian flavors in a traditional Asian appetizer. A few days later I learned that some people flip the gyoza over and the sauce melts into the dough. Not sure how they do this, but sounds fun!


Third and final appetizer was the Bone Marrow. With a crust of spices and teriyaki sauce, this one was SPICY! The wasabi cleared out my sinuses, but I couldn't stop eating.


Sushi! This had Yellow tail, Salmon, and Tuna. Tuna should always come with a slice of lime, I am now convinced. Beautiful, fresh fish. The majority comes straight from Japan. Honestly, it's so great to have GOOD sushi in Napa. No more mediocre sushi for me!


More Tuna, Salmon, and Golden Big Eye Snapper. My first time having snapper, and it was delicious. We had already eaten a piece of it by the time I remembered to take a picture.


The man himself sitting at the end of the bar, having a beer and some sashimi.

Prices of apps are pretty normal for Napa. Nothing was totally outrageous. But the sushi prices were great! $4-7 for two pieces of amazingly fresh fish. We will be back. Mostly to sit at the sushi bar again and have some rolls and the Tuna Pizza that I've heard to much about. And hopefully someday soon I will be able to do the Morimoto Omasake (chef's menu). It would be such a treat!

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Carpe Diem - Downtown Napa

My day off falls on Saturday. Which ends up being interesting because I consider it Tourist Day here in Napa. I've come to notice that on those days I am not treated like a "local". The vibe is more of what someone would get that day here on vacation. That has it's pluses and minuses. Allison, a good friend I've made out here, and I had earlier in the day gone to Rubicon for a glass of sparkling and ended up starving. I suggested Carpe Diem, as it's the new kid in town and neither one of us had been. The vibe when we walked in was really courteous and warm. The menu is full of delicious sounding foods, from apps to flatbreads and deserts. I would consider it more of a small plates bar. Allison and I got the works cheese and charcuterie board and harissa fries.




Let me just say that this was the best cheese/meat board I've had in the valley so far. Better than Auberge even, well the cheese at least. Everything was a really good price, especially for downtown. I will be reccomending this place all the time!

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Open Homes

Just last Sunday some coworkers and friends got together at my Tasting Room manager's newly renovated home for a "Housewarming". Party started at 4, so when I got there after work at 6 the wine was flowing and food was being passed around. One of my favorite things about parties out here is that it is second nature for everyone to bring a bottle to share. Pretty soon you end up with 5, 9, or more!






In addition, it was also a paella cookout. Jason made "vegetarian" paella for Yesenia, who doesn't eat meat but does eat seafood.



The rest of us ate from a much bigger paella pan headed by Curtis himself. Food was delicious and the wine was of all varietals and countries. All in all, a great night with some fun people who like good wine.

new blog

So I've decided to separate "Life in Napa" from my more non-pc, random, everyday thoughts. So friends, add my other blog: extremely loud thoughts. I know I've been a bad blogger, but I have had a lot on my mind lately and no where to say it. I will now have more motivation to blogblogblog, both here and @ xtrmlaudthgts.

Tequila luge

Things found in an attic

Open that Bottle Night - Cliff Lede

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Hana Sushi - Rohnert Park

Happenings

Coming up:"Valentine's" Dinner tomorrow night at Hana with Eric. Dating a Chef has its perks. For example, the amazing food that I have ready and waiting for me at home most nights. But it also has its downsides. Odd hours, random days off, and most importantly; never getting holidays off. This last holiday season for example, I couldn't help thinking how it may be one of the last New Years we celebrate together. NYE, Valentine's Day, etc. are the most popular nights to go out and have someone else make you dinner for a change. And that someone else is now going to be Eric for other people. (About 250 people, Girl and the Fig saw about 600+ people on Sunday. Which I think is insane) Luckily for me, I'm not much of a commercial holiday person. So we decided in advance that we would go out for dinner on Tuesday (since he worked both Sunday and Monday nights). So Sushi Tuesday it is! On Thursday, we will also be going to Open That Bottle Night at Cliff Lede. Industry invitations and bring your own bottle, plus they will be tasting their newest release. Should be a fun week ahead.

Haiti

Martini House - Cellar Menu

Martini House is a rustic, stone restaurant that has the appearance of a house deep in the forest. Run by Pat Kuleto and Todd Humphries, the Martini House was orginally built in 1923 as the home of Walter Martini and his wife Dionisia. During the 20's Martini bootlegged whisky and wine, which he ran out of his cellar.
The cellar has it's own menu, much like a bar menu. In addition to small and medium bites, you can also order the family meal downstairs. Family meal occurs every Sunday-Thursday from 5-7pm.
On the particular day we went, I ordered off of the cellars regular menu. I ordered the mushroom soup and beef carpaccio. Both equally delicious.



The beef carpaccio is something that I probably would not have tried if I had not moved to Napa, something about raw beef in the desert and all. But I am so happy to have experianced the deliciousness of this dish. It is crunchy in all the right ways and comes topped with a bit of crushed Himalayan truffles.
The mushroom soup rivals the one made at a great family style meal at a friends house not to long ago. The soup is creamy and velvety, while not leaving you feeling like you're eating baby food. And the bread that they provide at your table is great to have that bit of crunch.
I can't wait to go back to Martini House, especially to try the Pho soup that they have on their family meal menu. Hopefully I can make it there before they switch it out!


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Mini Mango Thai

About a week ago, a brand new Thai place opened up in downtown Napa. Since our last Napa Thai misadventure, Eric and I have not ventured into the land of deliciousness. But we divided to give this place a chance. The first time we tried to eat here we were told to "forget about it", and to thier defence we were a party of 8 on a Saturday night. So on Tuesday night, Eric and I gave it a second shot.
The resturant itself is small and clean, but has an overwhelming smell of peanut oil when you first walk in. The smell quickly goes away, although some customers chose to dwell on it and raised a fuss. Which was comical because this led to a door being opened and letting cold air in that made customers on the other end of the restaurant to freeze.
The menu is small and to the point. We started our meal with potstickers.



The postickers were good but not great. They were cooked well but the accompanying sauce was not flavorful enough nor was the serving very big. It made me wish for some chili oil.
Much like our last Thai meal, we ordered the same items. Eric got the curry and I got the pad thai.






This time our orders were like night and day from the previous restaurant. Eric's curry was flavorful and made well. I wished that they had chosen a different type of potato, the one they used was too grainy and didn't flow well with the silkyness of the curry itself. My pad thai was actaully flavorful. The eggs were not too overbearing and the prawn was cooked very well and pealed all the way down to the tail. If I could change anything it would be to add a bit more citrus/lemongrass to really make it stand out.
All in all, I think we will be back again. I'm really interested in trying out some of their other dishes, and hopefully they continue to expand on the basics that are already in place.

Ps- they cook with canola oil, not peanut. I think the smell comes from the peanuts that they cook with the food.
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Mumm Napa

Since I am going to the city for new years eve, I've decided to pick up a bottle of sparkling. Mumm Napa has been one of those places I've always wanted to try, especially sine I work right next door.
In retrospect, picking the eve before NYE may not have been the best of ideas to visit a big sparkling wine producer. Mumm Napa was BUSY. The servers were off and on, some were great and others were mediocre. But that's expected when you go into a tasting alone and on a "trade" visit. In the business, those visits are usually comped and most trade doesn't end up buying anything.
I decided the try the Mumm Napa Classics. A Blanc de blanc, Brut prestige, and Brut Rose.


Please ignore the fact that I'm a total dork with my USB drive attached to my keys, I lose things easily.

The Blanc de Blanc was very nice. With hints of green apple and a bit of tart. It also wasn't as fizzy as the other two, which I liked.

The Brut Prestige was sweeter than the first with tones of honeysuckle. It also had a bit more alcohol on the nose and mouth.

The Brut Rose was sweet like the other Brut. It felt a bit meatier with more of a mouthful feel.

My personal favorite was the Blanc de Blanc. Which also means it is what I will be taking to our friends house for NYE.

Happy New Years everyone! Sorry I haven't written on here recently, but I'm making it a goal to make an entry at least weekly. Napa valley has too many wineries and food places to offer to not share them with everyone!
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Life is mysterious

Cool things might be coming my way...update soon.

Want, Need, Have

I feel like I'm finally over the "i've just moved to a new place" hump. Sure, I still miss my friends, and it's strange not having family around. But I don't think that those emotions will ever go away. It's always going to be a bit lonely because in the last few years I've gotten to know some amazing people, who are also scattered all over the place. I like how a few nights before I left Adan and I pinky swore that we'd always be friends, and we wouldn't lose touch or become "pretend" friends. I feel the same way about a handful of other people, I just didn't get the chance to pinky swear them into a contract. I am a terrible phone-caller, so if you feel like you've missed me too, just give me a ring-a-ling.
Right now the biggest stress in my life is my job(s). In a way, I don't mind working two jobs. It keeps me busy and I know that I'm making money. But I hate feeling like I could be doing something else, something where I could be learning or productive. This feeling really only applies to one of my jobs. I laugh because I've had three different employers in as many months, and you're always hearing about how hard it is to find a job in this economy. Probably because I'm taking the jobs no one wants, and honestly, two out of the three, I don't want them either.
So maybe the answer is to cut back on working so much at a place I hate (again), work as much as they'll let me at the place I enjoy, and tell the bank I can only pay the interest on my loans. Peace of mind is worth more to me than being able to pay loans on a degree that I haven't had the chance to use. I miss making art, and this realization hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. Time (or lack of it) should never be an excuse, and really I just haven't found motivation or reason to do anything. So I guess my Harvest Resolution is to make art, work at a place I enjoy, and not worry so much about money. And now that I've typed them out, they seem kind of daunting.

Artful International

Friends of Eric's have started up a non-profit called Artful International. Just wanted to give them a shout out. So check it out!

http://www.artfulinternational.org/

Mission: Artful International is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization devoted to pairing artistic expression with the expansion of charitable efforts around the globe. We exist to join people in the creation, discovery and distribution of all things artful.

Art’s function throughout society is vast. It is a means to communicate, to educate, to inquire and to entertain. It possesses an undeniable therapeutic value and ever persists as the greatest avenue for expression. We believe that our complete admiration for art coupled with its unlimited potential to benefit humanity, creates a dynamic movement that can change the world.

The inherent quality of Artful International is not unlike a deeply rooted tree. Our passion and our lifeblood flow deeply from beneath artistic ground. Stemming from our loyalty to all things artful is merciless devotion to providing support and service to communities and organizations alike.

With that in mind, Artful International is calculated through the simplest of formulas:

Artistic Expression + Global Charitable Advancement = Artful International

We are an art-based company; therefore, our primary objective lies in the creation, discovery and distribution of art. In order to provide the highest quality of service, our primary drive embarks with a love and devotion originating from the necessity for art in everyday life. Our ability to procure a superior product and service relies on these values.

Our secondary devotion is the advancement of charitable efforts. Financial assistance from commercial sponsorship, private donations, product sales and other fundraising is allocated to a network of organizations benefiting humanitarian, educational, environmental, and research developmental needs. Donated product and services will lend a helping hand in assisting local and international aspiring artist find the artful path.

Artful International’s immovable love for and devotion to all things artful is rooted within a vast network of artistic forms. The firmness of that system branches upward into a thriving, expansive growth of charitable services to all of humanity.

Artful International’s primary focus is on a four-platform foundation: Humanitarian, Educational, Environmental, and Research Development. Our services combine efforts to provide artists with the resources to explore talent while promoting social awareness and charitable contributions. All artistic programs are designed to encompass one or more of these charitable causes. We seek to commission artists and artisans to consistently move our mission forward while our skilled production staff creates, implements, procures, and distributes programs. Only with a partnership of creativity and cause can we design a program to support the highest level of social outreach. Our highest priority is providing hope to artists of any skill level and supporting charitable efforts for all walks of life.