California – Waiting For Delight

Rustic

Jeremy Laurin — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:34:00 +0000

Located at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, CA 95441

July 9th, 2022 – Dinner

The Francis Ford Coppola winery located in Geyserville is a place to visit if you haven’t been. As you’d expect from a big-name producer, they have a large tasting room (which closes at 5), a huge shop – which has the desk from the film ‘the Godfather’, and other movie paraphernalia. Outside is a huge pool with rentable ‘Cabines’, where you can lounge all day and essentially have a Las Vegas pool experience, but in the comfort of Geyserville. I fully suggest booking a Cabine! It’s a delightful experience.

For this trip, one of my friends is a member of the winery and had booked us a spot at the pool, where we spent the day relaxing and swimming in the sun. We reserved a table at Rustic to ensure we had ample time to sober up before heading home (I mean we were having a wine and pool day) and also to try the food :).

When we finished up swimming and changing, making our way to the restaurant, we were a bit surprised because we were walked to a table inside. We had wanted to sit outside (which wasn’t a request in the online reservation portal). When we asked if we could move outside, we were told that it wasn’t an option, even though there were open tables outside. We asked how we could make a reservation to sit outside in the future, but the host did not seem to know. So, I guess it’s a gamble on where they place reserved guests.

When we sat down, we were greeted by our server, who I am sad to have forgotten to jot down his name. He was kind and had great conversation with us. I appreciate when wait staff engage with the patrons and he engaged with me on some shows I was watching (due to my apparel). It allowed for a great open dialog between us.

In terms of the menu, they have a short and basic menu – essentially with a variety of pizzas and pastas. I was told that any option with a meat can have the impossible patty swapped in, which is great.

The Claret is my favorite of the Coppola wines, so if you like a medium-bodied red, I suggest you give it a try. It’s not too heavy, so it’s great both before and during the meal.

To start, we ordered the zucchini fries. They were fried just long enough to be crispy on the outside, but yet soft in the middle. They did these well.

An interesting thing we learned when requesting bread to go with our dishes is that Rustic doesn’t have any real bread. At all. Instead, they have fried doughnut pastry that they will provide for the table after ordering in little dough bags. These are great as appetizers, but not great if you want bread or garlic bread with your pasta / entree. As a note, if you eat all of the fried dough sent to the table, if you ask for more, you get four more tiny fried balls. So, if you want them with your meal, each person will likely need an additional order.

For my main, I selected the summer squash risotto and substituted impossible meat for the ham. My friend ordered the regular version with ham. Both risottos had a nice texture to them, but were a bit lacking in flavor. The rice was well cooked and the base was nice and creamy. My feedback is that it really could use another vegetable (or two). The squash was in tiny shredded pieces, which weren’t very noticeable / detectable in the dish. Both folks who ordered the risotto added salt, pepper, and chili flakes to help create flavor. Regardless of either the ham or impossible meat – critique was the same.

We did order a side of spinach, which was actually a nice pairing with the risotto. The serving size was great and it was full of flavor. Nice to add to our table, but it would’ve been great inside of the risotto [hint to the chef ;)].

The non-vegetarian dishes (and reviews):

New York Strip Steak – with romesco sauce and mixed vegetables.

The critiques were:

‘Steak is okay, room temperature when arrived, but it is cooked right. Outside is salty, more than most.’

The onions were ‘meh’, but the zucchini and pepper were done well.

Solid 3.5 stars

Linguine Alle Vongole (Linguine with Clams):

The pasta was cooked well, had a great texture, not too soft / hard. However, the clams were a bit gritty, could’ve been rinsed better. The dish as a whole needed salt. The overall sentiment was that it was alright, but they wouldn’t order it again.

3 stars

For dessert we ordered the seasonal fruit crostata, which was served with vanilla bean gelato. It was a plum crostata, which was quite delightful! A fun tart punch paired nicely with the vanilla. Definitely would recommend it.

Overall, I will say that we left with the experience a solid 3. It was fun because of the service and company, but the food was a bit mixed in terms of flavor and presentation. While we will definitely return to Coppola for the Pool experience, next time we will likely go to a nearby restaurant in downtown Geyserville for dinner (check my review of Diavola).

Categories:

American Food, Geyserville, California, Italian Food, Wine Country

Rosenblum Winery

Jeremy Laurin — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:10:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.5/5

Service

 4.5/5

Food / Drink

 4.5/5

Overall

 4.5/5

10 Clay Street, Oakland, California

Visited in July 2022

View during the sunset

Rosenblum is a wine cellar located in Jack London Square, where the San Francisco Bay Ferry terminal is in Oakland. It’s directly on water street and hard to miss. The setting is perfect for a date, happy hour with friends, birthday drinks, or just a hang with your friends. They do often get booked up, so I encourage you to make a reservation on Yelp. Otherwise, you may find yourself without a table (this happened to me once!).

They have three types of flights, the Rockstar (aka. red flight) is shown here

The Ambiance of Rosenblum is charming industrial. Indoors, there are low metal tables and high-topped wooden tables with stools. There is also some seating at the bar. Outside, there is a large outdoor patio seating area, with umbrellas. There are no heaters, so bundle up if it’s cold, but when it’s warm / sunny – it is a delight to sit outside. You have an unrestricted view of the water. They do have a 2-hour reservation window, meaning you can’t get too comfortable and hang out all night .

The bubbly flight (comprised of sparkling wines)

The wine list is actually quite extensive. Rosenblum is known for their Zinfandels, big & bold, but they also have a variety of other wines from other producers you can order as well. If you are a wine aficionado, it’s a fun place to try some new things, just be warned that the staff are not trained sommeliers. They are kind and helpful, but as a person who used to work in the wine industry, they couldn’t tell me about old world / new world, flavors, scents, etc. So, I’d say just go with an open mind and to try what interests you. They have three different flights (a red, white, and sparkling), so those are great to do if you’re indecisive or want to see what they have to offer.

A glass of their famous Zinfandel

If you end up ordering a glass that isn’t your jam, they will replace it for you. Also, if you become a regular, the staff make it a point to remember your name and make you feel welcome. I appreciate this

Speaking of becoming a regular – if you are a local, I encourage you to sign-up for the wine club. No, I am not marketing for them, but it is actually quite a good deal, as there are discounts on food and wine. Since I live locally, I can take advantage of the discounts when stopping in, along with the free glass of wine when I do make it over. So, the membership really pays for itself if you go even a few times in a month.

The prairie breeze cheddar is my favorite of the hard cheeses

Rosenblum does have a short list of foods, which are helpful when hanging out for a bit. They have personal pizzettes, cheeses, hummus, crackers, etc. Everything is ala carte, meaning when you order a cheese, you get the whole block of cheese! So, order carefully, or you’ll be set with a lot of food. Prices are reasonable for what you get. I really like the Prairie Breeze hard cheddar and if you’re lactose free the Labneh cheese is not bad! I will admit I have never had it before, but I will likely order it again.

Overall, if you are in the Jack London area and are looking for a casual place to hang, catch-up with friends, or simply grab a glass of wine, I recommend checking-out Rosenblum. It may not be located in Napa, but it definitely gives you a taste of wine country in the city.

~Jeremy

Bear at Stanley Ranch

Jeremy Laurin — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 08:09:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.5/5

Service

 5/5

Food / Drink

 4.5/5

Overall (4.6)

 4.6/5

Visited for dinner on May 14th, 2022

The experience and food at Bear is one that I will always remember!

Years back, my friends and I all lived close to each other in the bay area. Since, people have moved and it’s not often we are able to get together. This was one such occasion. We got together earlier in the day in Napa. We kicked the day off with pool-time at one of the nearby resorts. We were supposed to head out to wine tasting in the afternoon, but instead we spent the day catching up at the pool. Don’t you love the feeling of meeting up with friends after years and just picking up where you left off? It’s refreshing and also brings a sense of calm and relaxation along with it.

While at the pool, we made a reservation at Bear, located at Stanley Ranch and were not disappointed!

Cheers from Bear

Anyway, after day at the pool, we got ourselves cleaned up and headed over to Stanley Ranch, which is where Bear is located. I’ll note that while using Google to navigate to Stanley Ranch, it is easy to get lost. And by easy, I mean we got lost! Google does not take you on a direct route through roads that are permissible. So, take a few minutes and map your route prior to heading out. Of course we ended up finding our way to the parking lot and walking up to the restaurant. The grounds are beautifully curated with nice paths through the ‘ranch’.

Sunset at Bear

When you walk into bear you can definitely see that this is a fun and fresh new California restaurant. The decor is modern, and the host was bright and cheerful – definitely good spirits when you walk in. We were lead by the host to our table, which was outside. This was perfect as the weather was delightful. The ambiance of the back patio, watching the sunset while we dined was beautiful. The sky did not disappoint and provided brilliant pastels as our backdrop.

Bear menu on 5/22/2022

The menu at Bear looks to change seasonally, and we ordered quite a few things so we could have a nice sampler. Also, the wine menu (not pictured) was nicely curated. There were light reds and both California and old world wines.

Farm Vegetables

To start, we ordered the farm vegetables which were slices of raw veggies, mostly consisting of carrots and radishes with a few pieces of endive. Essentially was like hummus and veggies.

Sourdough Loaf

We also ordered the sourdough, which came with a very creamy butter. Throughout the evening, we ended up ordering a couple of these little loafs because they were delightfully crispy on the outside and the perfect amount of soft on the inside.

Sun Choke

As another share plate, we decided on the sun choke, which came with cheddar yeast and a little bit of a cream sauce (the menu describes it as brown butter, but it tasted more like a light & cool yogurt). The sunchoke (if you’ve never had it) is hard to describe – almost like a potato, but not quite. Best way I can describe the taste & texture of this dish is that it was crispy like a fried sweet potato on the outside and delightfully buttery like a yukon potato on the inside. It was delicious!

Crispy Rice

We also decided on the crispy rice dish, as we were intrigued by the description. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the menu, but when the fried rice squares arrived, I will say I was intrigued! The texture of the fried rice was perfect. You know when you have a good Bipimbop with the crisp/charred rice at the base? That is what these were – except that delightful crispy rice in every square! The pickles and coconut shavings for the presentation were a nice addition.

Off Menu Vegetarian Linguine

In terms of vegetarian entrées, as you can see they didn’t have any on their menu. So, I talked with the server and they offered to make a linguine pasta with a pesto sauce.

The pasta had mushrooms and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the noodles definitely tasted like they were freshly made so that was a good plus. I appreciate when a place gets noodles right! The sauce had good flavor and was a bit thin, but still coated the noodles well enough, so I enjoyed each bite. Overall, I think they did a good job with the linguine and if you’re in a pinch like I was, it’s a decent choice, but given the option would try something else next time. As you’ll hear me say a lot – I really wish that they had at least one permanent vegetarian entrée on their menu. This allows folks like myself to feel included and not that they need to make a special request.

Short Rib

As a main entrée the meat eaters in the group got the short rib. When the short rib arrived at the table, the server cut fresh (and large) basil leaves over the plate. The aroma of the herbs was great. Everybody who had it said it was delightful and melted in their mouth. Due to the flavors (and appetites) we actually ended up ordering a second plate so that folks could have some more! I got a high thumbs up from those of my friends who ordered this.

Overall, this place was a delight. You can’t beat the ambiance of being in Napa, particularly on a warm night with a beautiful sunset. The servers were really fun to be around and we laughed with them quite a bit. Also, with their well rounded selection of wines by the glass and by the bottle, you can’t go wrong, even if you just come to share a small bite. Honestly, it’s even a nice place to hang out after your meal is complete! There’s places to sit watch the sunset.

Would definitely recommend a visit if you find yourself in wine country 🙂

~Jeremy

Mama’s Royale Cafe

Jeremy Laurin — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 09:22:00 +0000

Ambiance

 5/5

Service

 5/5

Food / Drink

 5/5

Overall

 5/5

Visited (quite a few times, but prior to this review) for breakfast on 8/6/2022

Awning out front of Mamas

Before I start with this review, I’ll just mention this is by far my favorite breakfast diner, hence the 5-star rating in the breakfast category. I have been coming here for years. I was turned on to this place around 2010, when my friend introduced me to the spot for their key vegetarian dish, the Veggie Joe. That dish is still one of my favorite dishes ever and I return about once a month to treat myself to it 🙂

There are accents and reminders of the restaurant’s past throughout

So, onto Mama’s! Mama’s is a cute diner located on Broadway in Oakland, just past auto row and Kaiser. From what I understand, the diner has been there since the 40s and used to be a Chinese restaurant. The interior still has remnants of its history, which makes its decor fun and unique.

When walking in, you’ll stand in the walkway until seated.

When you walk in, you’re greeted by the host stand and if you’re lucky enough to not have a wait (friendly tip, go before 10 to avoid the crowd), you’ll be seated. There are three seating areas, one in the front, booths in the middle, and there is a side room with a large number of tables. Personally, I like the front room for people watching, but if you’re with a group, the side room is likely best. The owner Hooshi is often there helping out with seating and he is such a friendly and helpful guy. He took the time to learn my name since I am a frequent diner.

Seating in the first room

Inside looking out towards the street.

Seating in the larger (more open) third area

They have rotating specials, always check the white boards 🙂

As for the menu, there is quite honestly something for everyone. Pancakes? Check. Omelets? Check. You name it, they’ve got it. They also have weekly specials. This is great if you’re with a group of folks with a variety of appetites, but it can be a struggle if you’re indecisive. So, let me help you and say, just get the Veggie Joe. If you’re a vegetarian, or like vegetarian food, it’s just so good! As I mentioned earlier, I get it frequently!

The veggie joe breakfast with grits and a biscuit!

The Veggie Joe is essentially a scramble and comes with spinach, veggie sausage, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms and it’s so yum. When I order it, I replace the potatoes for grits (because….grits) – but the potatoes are nice home fries if you like those. Also, substitute your toast for a biscuit. You won’t be sorry 🙂 They make their biscuits fresh, and while some batches are a bit dense, they’re always buttery, and go great with jam or honey.

Can’t miss the homemade biscuits

Also, a secret not known to all is that they make their own salsa! It is divine. It goes great with any egg dish and I always request it 🙂

The Mama’s homemade salsa is absolutely delicious and a great add to just about any dish

Fruit cup is standard mixed diner fruits – expect melon, blueberries, strawberries, etc.

You can pay or purchase pastries up at the counter.

After the meal you can pay your server, or if it’s packed, you can take your check up to the front counter and pay at the register. Also at the register is an assortment of fresh & day-old pastries. So, if you want something for later it’s a great takeaway!

I feel like diners are typically hit or miss. This spot though always hits me with their veggie joe. If you’re a vegetarian, it’s one of the best breakfasts you’ll find. As far as diners go, I give this a full 5-stars!

So, I say give this place a shot if you’re in the mood for breakfast, you may even catch me there 😉

~Jeremy

Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar

Jeremy Laurin — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 09:41:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4/5

Service

 4/5

Food / Drink

 4/5

Overall (4.0)

 4/5

Visited for dinner on 4/6/2022

All right friends, so before my trip to Laurel Court (the restaurant located within the Fairmont Inn in San Francisco), I was having a really rough week! Well, make that a rough couple weeks. Work was crazy – like legitimately a nightmare. So much so that I really just needed a break. So, I took a few days off and gave myself a stay-cation. A chance to get away locally and treat myself for a few days.

The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco

Walkway to the elevators in the Fairmont Hotel. Full of historical photos

The Fairmont Hotel is one of my favorite hotels. It reminds you of old Hollywood with a mix of prestige. I’m always impressed when I walk in, as it reminds me of walking into like an old Hollywood film. There is a large beautiful carpet, a large staircase, plus the staff are all helpful and kind. If you walk down the hall (to the left of the restaurant), you’ll see a montage of historical photos showing past presidents and movie stars who have visited the hotel. But, I’m not here to talk about the Fairmont! We’re here to talk food, so let’s get to it. The Fairmont has two restaurants inside, the main restaurant is Laurel Court, which is located just through the main doors of the hotel, and the other is the Tonga Room, which is on the lower floor and is more of a Tiki Lounge with drinks and dancing. The Tonga Room is great and I’ll likely review in the future. For now, let’s jump into Laurel Court.

Interior of the dining area

The ambiance in laurel court is an interesting one. It’s a mix of roman columns, with large chairs (in teal and off-white). The set glasses are bubble glass, but the plates used in the entrees are rustic-heavy duty hand-made ceramics. This may seem like a crazy mash-up, but it sets a classy, but relaxed vibe. There were individuals in suits sitting down, but also folks in jeans & button ups. So, to class things up, I kicked my order off with a glass of Blanc-De-Blanc (sparkling wine).

Butter Leaf Salad

As mentioned, I was in a ‘treat myself’ mood and therefore decided to order a few things from the menu. To start, I ordered myself a butter leaf salad. The butter lettuce salad was delightful. I realize it looks a little bit lacking in the picture, but it was actually quite nice. It had a light cream dressing and the leaves were that perfect softness on the edges with the crispness in the center. It came with cucumbers and pickled radishes.

Crispy brussel sprouts

Next, I had the ‘crispy brussels’. The brussels sprouts were well-done. They had a nice little crisp, but I would say that they could’ve been crispier (mostly because I can never have crispy enough brussels sprouts), but while they were my least favorite of the items ordered, I would order them again. They had parmesan cheese flakes on-top and in traditional fried brussels style, had a tangy balsamic flavor.

Funghi Flatbread

As a main, I went with the Mushroom Flatbread. The flatbread was full of mushrooms of various varieties, which gave it a nice texture on the palate. It also had a mound of arugula on top (to you-know make us feel like it’s healthy -_^), and a nice crispy base. The waiter marketed it as a ‘pizza’, but while it’s not super small, it is really thin, so it’s more like a tasty tapas flatbread than a pizza. After finishing the salad and brussels, I gave myself high ambitions to make it through the flatbread by myself! In all honesty, I did take some back up to the room (for a midnight snack) so I could save room for dessert :p.

New York Style Cheesecake

For dessert, I ordered a hot tea and the ‘New York style’ cheesecake. The cheesecake was basically a cheesecake piece with a firm layer of jelly on top, surrounded by two short-bread crackers. In full honesty, the jelly was a bit of a let-down. The star of the show was the cheesecake base and the two shortbread crackers. The cheesecake itself was delightful! It was nice and creamy, melting in your mouth. The biscuits were perfectly baked and (truthfully) I ate them last as actual biscuits! Like picked them up with my fingers and ate them while sipping my hot tea :p. In the end, the slab of jelly was the only thing to remain when the waiter cleared the plates.

After I was finished with my meal, I relaxed and enjoyed an audiobook through my headphones, while doing some casual people watching. Since it’s a busy hotel, it was fun to just sit there with my tea and people watch/relax just for a while. I sat for about 30-40 minutes until the crowds thinned and then I headed back up to my room. I appreciated the wait staff giving me time to be in my thoughts and relax. Sometimes you just need to relax and take a break.

The Garden behind Laurel Court

After dinner, I took a stroll through the outdoor garden (located behind Laurel Court). If you get the chance, I encourage you to walk through the garden. It’s quite cute and not too big, so it’s perfect for a little stroll before or after dinner.

Overall, if you need some time away, the Fairmont is a wonderful place to just go and escape and the Laurel Cafe isn’t a bad option if you want to eat locally.

4-stars all around.

~Jeremy