I’ve never had much of a reason to visit Yountville. It’s a long drive and not centrally located to a whole lot, except for oh, you know, Thomas Keller. Even though its a sparsely populated, sleepy town, it’s the holy grail of Keller’s food empire, home to not only The French Laundry, but also Bouchon, [...]
I’ve been to Imagery Estate Winery twice now, and each time, it’s been prefaced by a visit to Benziger. That’s not only because it’s conveniently located down the same road, but also because Imagery was founded by Joe Benziger of the namesake winery. Like Benziger, Imagery implements a biodynamic farming method, staying aligned with its [...]
Growing up in Sonoma County, vineyard-covered hills were part of the everyday landscape and wine festivals were a community event before words like decanting and viticulture became part of the American lexicon. I never thought anything of all the wineries I’ve visited throughout the years until recently. Sonoma County has become a tourist destination, and [...]
Peruvian food is America’s new darling ethnic cuisine. I can’t say I’m surprised – it’s one of the most diverse in the world and offers not only native Peruvian flavors, but influences from the Spanish, Japanese, Africans, Cantonese and Northern Europeans. Combining traditional dishes with a modern twist, Fresca has been my go-to Peruvian restaurant [...]
The first time I ever tried poke was, appropriately, in Hawaii. I was having dinner at Sam Choy’s Diamond Head restaurant in Honolulu a few years ago and the waiter brought around an amuse-bouche of raw ahi tuna, tossed with flecks of onion, nori seaweed, edible flowers and the most magnificent sauce I’ve ever tasted. [...]