Mini-Moon: Eating the Wine Country in Search of The Perfect Meal

We've had our first taste of Michelin-star food Wine Country-style at Solbar where we fortified ourselves with locally grown, sustainably farmed/fished food and now we're gearing up for a marathon of eating. (Remember that you can find more details on the restaurants we're dining at and what we're thinking of eating on our food blog.)

Day Three

On our final day of class, we'll go over menu planning. The cooking methods will delve into techniques for eggs and vegetables. Our education in sauces will finish with a variety of uncooked sauces and dessert sauces. We'll also learn about baking yeast dough.

When class is finished, we'll stop back at our cottage to refresh and change for our 8pm dinner at JoLé (inside the Mount View Hotel). We'll work up an appetite with a brisk short walk (two tenths of a mile) from our cottage to our table. 

Day Four

We'll head south to Yountville, CA, a city that claims to have the highest Michelin star concentration in the world - 6 stars in just 6 blocks. (Depending on traffic this wine country stop is roughly half an hour to an hour away.) In a valley known for its grapes, Yountville celebrates its chefs. In addition, two Yountville restaurants, Bottega and Bistro Jeanty, are now included in Michelin's Bib Gourmand category. (Bistro Jeanty received a Michelin star from 2007 to 2009 and had been thought by Michael Bauer in December 2008, and contradicted by The Accidental Wino, to be coasting on its success. Michelin apparently agreed with Bauer taking the star away in 2010).

We'll be dining at two of their One Star restaurants - REDD for brunch and Etoile for dinner.

Day Five

On our way home, we'll once again stop in Yountville. This time we'll be dining at Michael Chiarello's Bottega for Lunch. 

Planning a Mini-Moon, Update: Dining like Royalty

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that cubes and I love food - especially good food. So what are we doing for our honeymoon? Cooking and eating of course. 

We also love reading about food. One of our favorite books, The Man Who Ate the World: In Search of the Perfect Dinner, is the inspiration for our honeymoon. Our theme? The Couple Who Ate the Wine Country: In Search of the Perfect Bite.

So when we started planning months ago, we had an idea of the restaurants we wanted to dine at. Now, getting to dine at said restaurants is easier said than done - one must hit the phones and the Internet two months prior and hope and pray. Two of the restaurants were completely booked: The French Laundry (3 Michelin Stars) and Cyrus (2 Michelin Stars). One had an early brunch available but would have required waking up at an ungodly hour, so we passed: Ad Hoc. 

Want to know the lineup for our quest? Here you go!

• (James Beard Semifinalist Best New Restaurant) Bottega Napa Valley
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009) Domaine Chandon - Etoile Restaurant
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009, 2008) REDD
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009) Solbar - Solage

Attended: Promises and Pearls

Last night we attended Promises and Pearls with Mooflyfoof. The event held at the Bently Reserve was hosted by MB Wedding Design and Events and Especially Yours Chair Covers. It was billed as an evening of decadence and it did not disappoint.

There was lots to see and do, so I'm going to split the recaps into multiple posts. Today I'll highlight the goodie bag and the food. Tomorrow I'll highlight the desserts so come on back!

Each couple received a goodie bag as they checked in (they ran out of bags so it was actually wise to grab the bag and carry it around). You could easily spot the grooms as they were typically standing off to the side sporting the bag hoisted over their shoulder. There were samples - cookies, chocolates, pastries; resources (Here Comes the Guide); and more (measuring tape with level, emery board).

The first room had a latin theme with Ceviche for sampling. There were three types. We weren't able to sample the ceviche until later in the evening as the ice bowls were almost always empty. Brides obviously like their ceviche!

ProTip 1: Arrive on time for events if you want to sample everything. Signature drinks and truffles (at The Beauty Bar) were gone by 7:00 pm and were not replenished.

In the middle of the main room there was a handroll station. On our first couple of passes we met with almost empty or empty platters.

Waiters frequently appeared with passed appetizers on granite slabs. They moved quickly through the throngs of people with food disappearing in a blink of an eye. Sorry for the blurred shots (they moved fast).

Brides appear to come ravenous to tastings. You've been warned.

ProTip 2: Stand by the door to the kitchen for the best selection of passed appetizers. Don't be bashful, grab the food as it goes by when you have the chance.

Planning a Mini-Moon: The Food

We're total foodies. We love cooking with quality ingredients and we love eating food prepared with love, care, and local, fresh, sustainably grown/harvested ingredients.

(Personal Photos)

Early in our relationship cubes said when we have something to celebrate we should go to The French Laundry in Napa. At the time neither of us had eaten at a Michelin Star restaurant. We then started out on a mission to see what the fuss was about.

We saved the first time eating at a Michelin Star restaurant for a special occasion - celebrating our engagement with cubes' mom Robin and Norman at Range in San Francisco. The second time was unplanned - a friend started a group of foodies who would get together at a restaurant and enjoy/discuss food. The second Michelin Star restaurant we tried was with this group of foodies (@DinnerAllStars) at Aziza.

We won't know until August if we'll be celebrating our Mini-Moon at The French Laundry (trust me we'll be on the Internet at 12:00 AM when the reservations open trying to get us a table). We'll be trying for it as well as a few others (listed below).

Does food play a role in your relationship? Do you have a favorite spot?

Dining Choices for Our Mini-Moon

• The French Laundry (Yountville)
• The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena)
• REDD (Yountville)
• Solbar (Calistoga)
• Madrona Manor (Healdsburg)
• Cyrus Restaurant (Healdsburg)
• Etoile Restaurant (Yountville)
• Bouchon Bistro (Yountville)
• La Toque (Napa)
• Bottega Napa Valley (Yountville)

Now you know what we've got planned for our Mini-Moon: Quiet Getaway to Calistoga filled with Cooking Classes, Good Food, and Awesome Company.

This post on food is conveniently timed. We're celebrating our 1-year anniversary today by dining out at Farina tonight. Bon a petit!