It’s all about Persistence!
I finally broke into my first bottle of Napa wine from the last trip and it’s a bottle of 2005 Persistence from Reynolds Family Winery. This is a unique blend of Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah, Petite Verdot that brings some complexity and fullness to the wine.
Typically, I will throw the bottle in my decanter, but this is by the glass tonight. I let it breathe for about 20 minutes before i started enjoying my glass, but I did try a sip here and there to see how it opened up. There is a bit of woodiness to the fragrance with a touch of vanilla.
I will have to admit that I’m not the most knowledgable connoisseur, but what I can tell you is the it is a little tanic on the pallet at first sip, but mellows out on the swallow, which is something that I enjoy. It’s not to overwhelming and is a great stand alone wine to enjoy while relaxing.
Sometimes I hate living on the east coast!
I give it 3.5 out of 5…. um. corks? Help me out here!
Read MoreZingari
Now this was a nice surprise. On our way to another restaurant suggested by the concierge at the hotel, the hike was a little too much, so we stopped at a place just across from the JW Marriot called Zingari.
This place was a little unexpected, its hard not to miss. You are greeted by these unassuming doors and with just the name as you walk right on by it, but when you travel up the stairs, its a whole new side to San Francisco dining that I am not used to. I would call it upscale casual, because when you walk in not expecting to eat, you do feel a little underdressed.
Apart from everything being a solid surface with nothing to absorb the noise, this was a nice place. When you walk up, you are flanked by dining rooms on each side of the splitting stair. Their menus range from traditional to the artistic, and it may take a couple of visits to really get a sense of the diversity of the menu. But, being the food lover that I am, I tried as much as I could.
I started off with Marscapone Ravioli, which was more of a dessert item than an appetizer. These ravioli were as delicate as they were tasty in a merlot reduction topped with brandied cherries. I think these would be just as at home at the end of your meal as the beginning. Taking the bites in small portions helps bring out the sweetness of the filling and sauce, but it is tamed by the light dough that holds it. Next time I will leave this to the end.
I think its sacrilegious to be in the City without going for seafood, which always leads me to mussels! These were some of the best mussels that I have ever had. No flavors were overpowering, and the broth let the flavor of the mussels come through. Side this up with a slice of the crusty sliced bread that is served up to the table and it made for a great intermediate for the main course.
I have always seen braised lamb or pork on the menu, but couple ossobuco that with “wild boar,” well that’s a natural selection. This wild boar was served up on a bed of mushroom risotto which provided a compliment of flavors. The boar was braised to perfection that fell off the bone and was not gamey as I would have imagined. The risotto provided a bit of saltiness and cheesy flavor to the savory meat which danced in my mouth. Im not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I didn’t mind that they were in this dish. Something I have to remember for next time.
All in all, I liked this restaurant, and would give it 3.5 out of 4 stars.. (I would love suggestions on what I should use for my ratings system.) Its a great change of pace for local restauranteur like myself, but anyone that loves upscale dining would love this place just as well!
Read MoreCastagnola’s | Fisherman’s Wharf
There is nothing like eating in a nice restaurant with a great view. Knowing me, I am more of a mom and pop type of place, but today, I met my parents out for lunch at a place called Castagnola’s right on the marina at Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf is a little bit of a contrast with the professional tours down the way, and then the local boat owners on this side giving tours of the Golden Gate from their personal boats. Some of them were ran in and out several times over our lunch, and then there were the ones that looked a little questionable. I don’t know if I would pay $5 to take a tour on a “vintage, historical boat” that does a great job in hiding the safety gear. But I digress, lets eat..
I was really impressed with the selection on this menu, from starters, to meats and seafood like Lobster Thermadore. I have always heard of it, but I had never had it. I started out with Oysters Rockefeller, which is one of my favorites. Again, there was nothing special about this dish for a seafood restaurant. The only thing that I noticed that was different was that it came out a little cold and the cheese had hardened on the top.
My main course was the Cioppino. If its something that I have never heard of and reads well, hell, may as well try it right? This is a bouillabaisse with crab, calamari, mussels, clams, shrimp and lobster in a thin tomato broth. Honestly, I dont know what I was expecting. I was hoping that the myriad of flavors would mix in the sauce creating this unique taste, but a sea water taste was definitely a dominant flavor. You know when you eat something that you get a taste of something in every bite? Well if that is something that you love about food, this dish was not it. But it did work well for bread dipping. The saltiness tended to be less apparent on bread. As you travel around San Francisco, this dish is a staple among seafood restaurants. You can find it just about anywhere. But I think I will stay away from these types of dishes, at least for a little while.
Lobster Thermadore. What can I say. Creamy, decadent, salty, cheesy, savory. It was all there. Not something that you would have every day, but oh it was delicious. I think it was a little cliché to serve it in a bright red lobster, but I liked the presentation. Its a unique flavor that I would definitely recommend if you are into rich seafood.
Weekend Foodie on Instagr.am
