FOG menu

"Kimchee"
Pickled Vegetable Salad

Creamy Herb Dressing, Pickled Beet Foam

Mas carlot Rose "Cuvee Tradtion" 2005

Banana Egg Foo Young

Lobster Tempura, Dr. Pepper

Vanilla Onion Relish

Pierre Sparr Pinot Blanc "Reserve" 2004

"Shrimp Pad Thai"

haute Cabriere Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 2006

Char Siu Pork Tenderloin
Curry Carrot Puree, Chorizo Baked Beans

Hoisin Raisin Puree

Yalmba "m/g/s" 2004

Banana Tart

Wasabi-Vanilla Ice Cream, Rum Caramel

Disznoko Tokaji Aszu "4 Puttonyos" 1999

Foo Fighters / LA story

I didn't meet them or anything. Someone, I'm not sure how to get a hold of, made a couple copies for me and I can't stop listening to them.
Thank You.
So, we traveled up the 101 (well, eventually) through Santa Barbara, Los Olivos, Solvang and then on to Lompoc. This is what makes up most of the third and forth days. We ended up on the "Sideways" tour at times and a little lost at times. I slept in the car for the most part.

At one point we went out to eat and I had an Epiphany...the food sucked!
"Does my food suck?" I asked myself.
After all, we were enjoying foods I've made before in professional career. You know: Chicken, Filet, Lamb Chops, salmon maybe? this wonderful plate of calamari.....this shitty plate of calamari. No flavor, no love, no respect for what it is what sauces go with it (a freaking lemon wedge?! Come on! My Lamb was plated in the modern day approach of linking all the bones together in the center over a slob of roasted garlic mashed potatoes with a sprig of Rosemary sticking out of it....oh wait....that's how it's been done for the past 70(?) years minus the mint jelly.
As much as I try, I know I don't hit it on the nose every time and I always always wish I could do better, but I feel a little better at night knowing I tried. I don't ever want to rest on my laurels, or laurels from years past. Food can't progress as long as millions of customers are willing to pay too much for mediocre food. It bothers me when time is running out and I end up serving something I'm not completely satisfied with, yet the customer loved it. It doesn't make me feel any better.


We did make it to the Pacific Ocean, and drove on the beach (you can do that on Pismo Beach), it was pretty damn cold but awesome to see the hillsides so close to the shore.

I also ran into a little Agar Agar in it's natural state.
Very cool.

Back from LA

Pardon my lack of enthusiasm, the trip to LA was really a great experience, but riddled with bad turns. I will not and do not want to go into detail, but it started as soon as I landed. A phone call that caused excruciating worry that led to hope that, three days later led to an end. And with all that worry and stress came sickness and other feelings.

Still, as I write, I'm running a fever and this is the most I've done all day.

The only other thing I want to say on the matter is that, I hope guilt doesn't make life long decisions.


On to the trip.


So, after getting some Thai food the first night and drinking my stomach into a state of settled-ness, we went for burgers.
That's right, burgers. Many of you have probably heard of the In and Out Burgers like I have but never had a chance to try one do to the fact that they just don't come out this way.
I used to work with this guy from California, Sam Perry, he said the In and Out Burgers were worth being flown out to SC when he needed a fix.
I gotta say, they are damn tasty. Freshly made, fresh cut fries, a super-burger staff that is more professional than most "High End" places. All they did was focus on the product. Which there are three. A hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double double. Unless you know the secret menu.

I got a double double animal style.....filthy.


Then we headed up the coast.....on the wrong highway for several hours. It's OK, saw a lot of great scenery, gives the mind time to wonder.
We ended up in Solvang , a Danish town close to several wineries.

The road to Montevina

I have to point out one thing first, It's seems too weird sometimes when I find something, wether a website or an ingredient or a product that I've never seen before and then I read aobut it two days later on someone elses blog or in the news or somewhere. I don't think (in any way) that I'm beating someone to the punch of marking new ground, I just think it's extremely coincidental sometimes. I would put a link to http://www.ideasinfood.com/ and thier rescent post about Dublin Dr. Pepper but my link code won't work on this page anymore. But, I to ran into Dublin Dr. Pepper apon entering the Montevina wine tasting room. I was so sick of tasting wine at this point, I walked up to the little reach-in cooler they had to see what esle was there to drink and there it was....A "new" Dr. Pepper, to me at least. Go here, http://www.dublindrpepper.com/history.aspx?odrd=true&setuser= to get the history of this Dr. Pepper offspring. Anyone that knows me, knows I love Dr.Pepper. I often kid (seriously-like) that I will someday make a meal based on "my favorite ingredients" Dr. Pepper, Cool Ranch Doritos and a Kit-Kat bar.

Back to the trip. On this day we arrived at Montevina winery in Amador County. We had the privelage of taking the tour, which ended up being almost 4 hours...well spent. We were given the tour by the VP and former Wine maker, Jeff is his name and he pulled no punches with us. We spent 30 minutes looking in great detail the finer points of the 1/2 a million dollar machine that bottles the Montevina juice. And it was awesome. Any question, he was all over it, anything you wanted to see or taste, he was cool with it. No holds barred. We felt like we were boring him at some points.

But then it was on to the tasting room. 17 Different wines. We took our time.


On top of all of this was the house itself, Villa D'toro. Huge. Only four bedrooms, but the last thing you did there was sleep. It was for pure entertainment puposes only. Game room, pool (too cold for), garage with ping pong and darts, living room, dining room, brunch room, sun room, TV rooms, basically if you needed a room for anything it was there.

Dinner was prepared for us the fisrt night by the onstaff chef and server. The second night?.....I really liked the kitchen. Two reach-ins says a lot.

Back from Cali

I have a feeling this will be the first in a series of many postings concerning my recent trip to Napa and Amador Valley's. ( I was wrong in previous post about hitting Sonoma)

First off, I need to state (or re-state) that I've never been any further West then Ohio, so this trip was especially exciting to me.

The pictures and the comments may get a little boring to some, and I'll try to include as much "Food" for others. Including the price of Whoppers in Vegas.

The only time spent in Vegas was in the airport, we were treated to a grand entrance via the runway next to the Strip. I never knew how close everything was to the airport, and how little it is really. Just a random pyramid and a sky needle surrounded by lots of pre-fab homes.

I did triple my spendings on the return lay-over.

We then arrived in San Fran and drove up to Napa Valley. We hit our first winery around 3ish, I can't remember the name of it, but it was the only place to skimp on the tasting portions. Every place else was extremely generous and friendly.

We stayed at the http://www.sutterhome.com/> actual Sutter Home which most people know for their White Zinfandel, and as well you should, they produce in great volume mainly for banquet restaurants and the common wine buyer. They take care of the majority. I bet you didn't know that they are owned by someone else though. A family of Italian immigrants that also own, produce, grow and bottle a lot of great wines. The Trinchero'>http://www.tfewines.com/">Trinchero Family who also produce Terra d'oro, Folie a deux, Menage a Trios, and Montevina to name a few. (There will be great times at Villa D'oro at Montevina to come)

As predicted, we didn't make it to The French Laundry not to Bouchon. It's ok. I will someday. This trip was not a trip for just me, it was for everyone and everyone was focused on wine. But, we did however find some really great food while we where there. The first night was decided over an in room list of restaurants and menus. This one looked the most interesting and we already were recommended to "Go Fish" the next night. http://www.blogger.com/>Cindy's Backstreet
was such a surprise to all of us. It was, however, my unknowingness of where every single chef in the world has put up shop. I realized the as we were leaving that we just had an incredible meal because this was a http://www.blogger.com/>Cindy Pawlcyn joint. And everything was top notch.

Wine Country

We're leaving tonight (this morning) for Sonoma Valley
View Larger Map
and Napa Valley
View Larger Map
We"re going to fly into San Francisco and just drive around for a week. Extremely excited.
The possibility to eat at the French Laundry came about too late I'm afraid, but I'm sure we'll find some great food anyway. Maybe Bouchon
These are the winery's we're visiting.
Trinchero
Folie a deux
Clos Du Val
and Monte Vina winery's

So, I'll be back in about a week with lots of pictures of winery's and hopefully food.
Thank you very much to Patrick with Capital wine and spirits for taking us along.

Vias Wine/ The Spotted Pig

New York got a little smaller this trip, more on that later.
The whole point of the trip was the wine tasting, www.viaswine.com and it was insane. On the ninth floor of the Marriot Marquis were at least 30 tables, each with 4-9 wines at them along with maybe 800 people all trying to spit into white (possibly scallop) buckets. I was so hungover from the night before, I almost didn't make it. I'm know it was worth going to for our sommelier, but it was way too much for me. Too many (stereotypical) snobby wine connoisseurs, although I am very grateful to the owner for taking me along and to Mary for suggesting that we attend.
I have to say, I feel slightly influenced right now, ...I read Kitchen Confidential years ago when it first came out. And, recently, I acquired the book on CD version with Anthony Bourdain reading in his own tones and personalized expressions and emphasis on words. I've been listening to it for the past couple days, and I can hear his voice in my head as I type....kinda weird. More on that later.
Back track, the first night in NY on Sunday, we went out to get sushi, It was stuck in my head do to all the Sake conversations as of late. We hit a place called Sushi Samba, the food was good but very very small. We did try some sakes though. It was late and we asked our server for a bar nearby that would still be open.
Off to Barfly, about three blocks away on 3rd ave, Five minutes into getting comfortable at the bar I notice someone walking towards me out of the corner of my eye.
"hey man? aren't you....???"
"Heyyy?..? , oh yeah! You're Foster's old roommate."
"Yeah, so are you, right?"
Long story short, New York gets smaller when you run into someone you met twice in your life at 1am in a random bar around Gramercy Park.
Hours of conversations ensued, along with 2 other bars, and hence the hangover for the wine tasting the next day.
BUT!, I got up fairly early the next day (all things considered, 5am bedtime) and decided to walk around town (everyone I was with were still asleep). It was nice, cool air, refreshing, and I wanted to really figure out how the streets were lined up. And I was starving.
I started off to my right, figured I'd loop the block and get my bearings, 3/4 around and what do I see....Les Halles! the restaurant made famous in my mind by the the aforementioned book Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdains kitchen of the time. Although, as far as I know, aside from his books up on a shelf in the dining room, he has little to do with it now.
Everything's coming together. The guy I ran into the previous night (and his current roommate) strongly suggested a well know gastropub, The Spotted Pig.
Stating that I would be able to divulge in every part of the pig, a tour de pork, inside and out, "the ear confit are amazing", head cheese, intestines, trotters, everything....
Yeah. Look at the menu, no pig on it.
After an hour and a half hour wait, well spent really watching the bartender "pull" beer from an old school pressure system....she was hot that's all I need to say, we sat down to a cramped table setup, a server who'd been asking me to "move!" out of his way for the past hour and a half that all the sudden was willing to treat my like a human (or patron of his) and several plates of really good food....although this plate of Skirt Steak was like $28 or something ridiculous like that.


The Mop Rolls and the Chicken Livers where amazing though.

Turns out, the Pig From Head to Toe menu only happens on certain occasions.
It was a good time though. New York Usually is though.

Vias Wine, 25th anniversary

Just got back from snow shoe resort in WV, I will have stories and pictures later. But, taking off today to Vias wine
25th anniversary tasting in NY.
I will be back in a couple days and try to catch everything up.