Alice's Garden Travel Buzz » Foodie Havens

Napa Truffle Festival

Alice Joyce — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:50:58 +0000

Handful of truffles….

Photo Courtesy Napa Truffle Festival

January 13 – 16th: The second annual Napa Truffle Festival begins Friday at the Westin Verasa, Napa, taking in seminars, winery tours & tastings, and memorable meals. (The sold out event already has dates in place for the 2013 event.) On Monday, however, tickets can be purchased that day for a food and wine event celebrating the fabulous fungi at the Oxbow Public Market.

The event’s keynote speaker – a savvy insider in the world of food and travel -Barbara Fairchild is the former editor of Bon Appétit.

Napa Valley Photo © Alice Joyce

The Festival is an exciting concept, bringing in scientific experts to lead seminars dealing with the cultivation and economics of European truffles. Food lovers will bask in the presence of stars of the culinary realm, and the preparation of elegant cuisine calling attention to the earthy, flavorful allure of European truffles.

Boasting an impressive gathering of Michelin Star Chefs from the U.S. and Italy, Ken Frank of La Toque will presiding over cooking demonstrations, and the weekend’s culmination: a virtuoso Saturday evening dinner.

Napa .. Sonoma Holiday

Alice Joyce — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:55:25 +0000

Lovely weather in December stirred a desire to spend the Christmas holiday in Wine Country.

Napa Valley Winter Vignette Photo © Alice Joyce

I never cease to wonder at the beauty of the landscape, where eye-catching vignettes emerge along roadways.

Beignets de Brandade de Morue (Cod) tomato confit Photo © Alice Joyce

Certainly the notion of enjoying fabulous food and wine made the brief getaway a very special holiday, indeed. Christmas Eve lunch at Bouchon .. quite simply a feast! To start: Endives au Roquefort salad with fuji apples, toasted walnuts & walnut vinagrette. T. and I shared satisfying Hors d’Oeuvres: a heaping serving of Rillettes aux Deux Saumons – prepared with fresh and smoked salmon, along with delectable cod beignets!

Bouchon Interior / Photo © Alice Joyce

Coquilles St. Jacques au Cidre entree – exquisitely prepared, succulent scallops on a bed of pumpkin confit, carmelized salsify, apples & cider emulsion. Melt-in-your-mouth nirvana for this foodie!

T kellerThomas Keller Cookbooks … on Amazon

Bouchon Photo © Alice Joyce

Bouchon’s brilliantly exuberant facade…

French Laundry Streetside Gardens / Photo © Alice Joyce

Nearby, Chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry restaurant impresses with its meticulously maintained culinary gardens and streetside plantings.

French Laundry Culinary Gardens / Photo © Alice Joyce

A few weeks earlier, I had stopped at Bardessono, where I love having lunch in their stylish bar. The courtyard is glorious in winter when the magnolias are blooming!

Luxe settees and a fireplace add to the bar’s atmosphere: a perfect spot to sip a glass of champagne.

Bardessono Creamy Celery Root Soup/Carmelized Onion & Cheese Panini Photo © Alice Joyce

Bardessono Bar Photo © Alice Joyce

: Napa Valley Lodge

The heart of Yountville, with its array of restaurants is convenient to the Napa Valley Lodge, where our spacious room had a beautiful vineyard view.

: Sonoma Valley Inn

Our holiday getaway kicked off in Sonoma, a block or so off the town square with a room at the Sonoma Valley Inn. This hotel is where the Australian Studying Abroad tour group will stay during the first few nights of their Northern California landscape & garden tour. I’m looking forward to escorting the group as we visit private gardens in Marin County.

I’m thinking it may be time to upgrade my Canon camerasCanon Camera, perhaps a belated Christmas present to myself before I embark on my 2012 travel adventures, yearning for a return to the serene landscape of the Sonoran desert… while dreaming of Venice.

Bay Area Green Tours .. Foodie Pleasures

Alice Joyce — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:20:16 +0000

Whole Foods Farm Tour: Nicasio Valley Vista

I spent a wonderful end-of-summer day participating in a recent Whole Foods Farm Tour organized by

Bay Area Green Tours.

Our group took part in various tastings, informative discussions, and presentations. After meeting at the San Rafael Whole Foods Store, we visited Christine’s Upper Crust Pies …

Bay Area Green Tours: Upper Crust Pies [Photo: Alice Joyce[

where scrumptious gourmet baked goods are produced. Christine talked about how the business began and how it has evolved to become a Marin County fave among foodies. Fruit pies and tarts are surely one of my greatest pleasures. You can imagine how much fun I had when let loose to taste pie until satiated.

We heard from the folks at All Star Organics Farm at their Nicasio growing fields, where we enjoyed lunch with fresh salad greens. Here we had the chance to talk food gardening, do some seed collecting, and sample aromatic sugars and salts flavored with herbs.

The presentation by the Marin Agricultural Land Trust proved to be particularly fascinating and educational for me. Since moving to Marin County, there’s not been a day that’s passed where I have not been thankful to live in an area with so much protected open land. It’s inspirational to learn about MALT’s workings as it strives to preserve farmland.

Bay Area Green Tours: All Star Organics Photo © Alice Joyce

The eyes of this Chicago-born and bred former city dweller were opened wide at the Lafranchi family ranch, with its 1,150 certified organic acres.

Touring the working farm where organic milk is produced, we learned about the operations and regulations of the dairy and creamery. Having a chance to taste the variety of cheeses being made by the family’s Nicasio Cheese Company … a perfect ending to the tour! Based upon Swiss Italian cheeses that are part of the Lafranchi heritage, there are currently 6 types being made and sold at the farmstand, and distributed in the Bay Area. I loved the richly flavored aged cheeses, Nicasio Square and Nicasio Reserve.

Wine and Food Pairing: Cass Vineyard

Alice Joyce — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:40:18 +0000

Setting up a tour of the Paso Robles AVA with The Wine Wrangler opens up a world of choices for tasting the region’s panoply of varietal wines.

Cass Wine Tasting Room

On my personalized tour with Coy Barnes who operates The Wine Wrangler with finesse, a visit to Cass Vineyards & Winery placed high on my wish list. Cass being one of the only area wineries where wine and food pairings are available on weekdays, I’m delighted that Coy made it happen.

Cass Winery Vineyards

A love of wine goes hand-in-hand with my foodie cravings, so a sandwich or picnic lunch is generally not my first choice to enhance a day of wine tasting. When Coy mentioned that Cass has a Winery Café on the premises, a stopover added an important element to our itinerary of tastings, spanning the morning to late-afternoon.

Chef Jacob Lovejoy

A goal of mine, to become familiar with Paso Robles byways presented a challenge, with some 200 wineries spread across the AVA. Visiting Cass proved satisfying on many levels. The Cass kitchen is presided over by Chef Jacob Lovejoy, and after sampling the delectable crab cakes and smoked chicken salad the Café is rightly known for, I knew I’d want to return here on my next trip to Paso.

We tasted wonderful wines paired with a Cheese Course, another enticing offering when visiting Cass. It’s a chance to taste the winery’s Truffled Fresh Goat Cheese produced by their Paso Robles Cheese Co. I savored the Cass 2010 Rousanne, a crisp, fresh wine boasting a lovely balance between flavorful floral and fruit notes – served with Central Coast Creamery’s Holey Cow cheese. Impossible to imagine a wine more perfectly matched to a sunny summer day on the Cass patio, where visitors relaxing at the surrounding tables were clearly feeling no rush or desire to leave.

Cass Winery Vignette

Rosé wines are always in on-hand in my own kitchen throughout the summer months, where many a Rosé from Paso Robles grapes accompanies a meal. My tasting at Cass proved gratifying in this respect, when a luscious 2010 Oasis Rosé arrived in consort with Bravo Farms Western Sage Cheddar - a memorably zingy combination! The savory cheddar played off the delicate yet lively wine, its enticing aroma and creamy melding of strawberry and melon notes a delicious counterpoint to the cheese.

Cass .. Paso Robles

Paired with their own Truffled Goat Cheese, the Cass 2009 Grenache boasts a ‘wow’ factor. The wine’s excellent backbone, upfront rich cherry, and jammy yet acid finish left me wanting more.

There really wasn’t enough time in our day to taste all the wines I’d hoped to, or to relish the wine & cheese pairings at a slow pace. Next trip to Paso, I’ll plan a leisurely visit to this tranquil vineyard setting. You can peruse a current Café menu here.

Farm to Table & Flavorful: Thomas Hill Organics

Alice Joyce — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:00:32 +0000

It’s the rare occasion when a meal surpasses expectations in every way…

but my lunch at Thomas Hill Organics qualifies. The dishes were so memorable, that I returned the next evening for dinner.

The owners’ discerning taste extends to the bistro’s graphic design sensibility, like the pop of this pear mural!

The ambiance of the covered dining patio is a relaxed and inviting space.

The Wine Wrangler, Coy Barnes provided my introduction to the eatery presided over by Joe and Debbie Thomas - with a menu based on the fresh organic produce grown on their Paso Robles farm. Coy put together an itinerary that called for a satisfying mid-day meal between our morning and afternoon winery visits.

A confident, flavorful melding of ingredients emerged in each outstanding dish.

Sea Bass with watermelon and Heirloom Tomatoes: The flaky texture of the fish .. complemented by the bright zest of the fruit.

Seared Local Ahi Tacos, Ancho Chile Puree, Foie Gras Compound Butter, Watermelon Salsa, Green Onion

The rich melange of foie gras/butter enhanced the presentation of local Ahi tuna, balanced in turn, by the lighter note provided by the salsa.

Duck Satay with peanut sauce and green onions: I’m drawn to Duck on any menu, but it’s a dish that can make or break a dining experience. The bistro’s delectable rendition of duck satay did not disappoint.

Vietnamese BBQ Pork Belly Sandwich with Carrot Sambal, Jalapeno, Red Onions, Cilantro, Avocado & Aioli – It’s a fact, I’ve never before eaten Pork Belly. The surprising succulence of the meat, along with a complexity of flavors – cilantro providing a unique, inimitable dimension - had me swooning.

Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate nibs: The divine, mouth-watering dessert completed the savory menu selections we sampled. More …Paso Robles Prospects

Fab Food: London to Lewes

Alice Joyce — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:00:58 +0000

Travel always presents adventures in dining; hopefully locating a restaurant that satisfies on every level, from the overall ambiance and interior design, to the satisfaction of an excellently prepared meal.

After dealing with the crowds on opening day at the Chelsea Flower Show, I chose a nearby restaurant – The Ebury – on chic Pimlico Road where I met T. for lunch and a carafe of Rosé, ready to relax and unwind.

The Ebury, Chelsea (photo: Alice Joyce)

My favorite selection appeared on the A La Carte menu: Duck Confit, succulent and tasty. Tom sampled a three-course Set Menu for lunch: an enticing soup of the day followed by a main – he chose a delectable fish dish, and chocolate confection for dessert that I would have photographed, had I not been fully occupied with my meal.

There’s also a bar menu. And as I always seem to be looking for small plates at odd times of the afternoon or evening when traveling, I’ll return to The Ebury next time I’m in London to enjoy a cocktail along with light bites in the bar, such as haddock & prawn brandade fritters, or to share a wooden board of Farmhouse cheeses.

The Ebury (Photo: The Ebury)

Attentive, unrushed service allowed us to savor our food and wine. Another reason I look forward to visiting other restaurants in the First Restaurant Group.

Traveling from London to Sussex for a countryside idyll in the area of the South Downs, the town of Lewes offered informal, tasty meals at Bill’s Cafe, Restaurant and Store.

Bill's Cafe, Lewes (Photo: Alice Joyce)

Little did I realize that Bill’s has a London eatery in Covent Garden, as well as locations in Brighton, Reading, and Cambridge. You can see from the array in the cafe/store, the ‘decor’ is full of temptation. It’s a great place for a hearty breakfast, light lunch or lively atmosphere for dinner. Cream teas, of course.

: Bill’s Cafe .. Lewes, England