Boston: Tapeo
19-Jun-2006
(Also check out No. 9 Park)
On a recent business trip to Boston I was able to squeeze in a bit of personal time and took the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time walking around the city. The days I was there the weather was nearly perfect – just a bit more humid than those of us in the Northwest are used to but mostly sunny days with perfect temperatures and a light breeze. The kind of weather that makes you want to spend as much time outside as possible and that includes enjoying meals in the fresh air.
Although I’ve been to Boston 2 or 3 times before, I had spent most of my time around Faneuil Hall, the North End and along the water. For this trip I was stationed in between Fenway Park and Copley Square and just a couple blocks from Newbury Street, Boston’s shopper’s mecca.
I arrived early Sunday morning after taking the red-eye from Seattle. I was able to check into my room (bonus!), took a quick map, a short walk through the Boston Commons and then got to work. My meetings ended in late afternoon and by that time my Seattle stomach was begging for a little something. On my way to the Commons in the morning I had noticed a little tapas bar along Newbury and decided that would be my destination.
Every table outside Tapeo was filled with small groups of people sharing small plates. I waited inside at a mosaic-tiled bar until a table opened, which was just a couple of minutes – I’d barely had time to order a glass of Amontillado before being called back out.
I was a little disappointed with their sherry by the glass selection. They only had three listed: a fino, the Amontillado and a cream style. I’ve been a little spoiled, I guess by the nearly overwhelming selection at The Harvest Vine.
The challenge with tapas when eating by yourself is really being able to get a taste of everything. But I was determined to give it my best shot, since this was actually going to cover all three Sunday meals for me.
I ordered Jamon Serrano and then tried to ignore the bread that was delivered to my table. The ham arrived in short order (thank heavens I didn’t have to test my resolve too long!) The ham was very good, dressed simply with a little olive oil on the bread. Nicely salty it worked well with my sherry.
Next I decided to get some veggies into my meal and ordered Esparragos Blancas. They arrived looking like a reverse Italian or Mexican flag with their stripes of red, white and green. This was a another cold dish and was very refreshing on this warm day. The sauces were nicely spicy and really enhanced the white asparagus. It was a nice clean tasting dish.
I finished off with Vieiras al Azafran or scallops in a saffron sauce. This dish was nice and light, despite the cream sauce. The saffron enhanced the scallops but did not overwhelm them.
All in all the meal was very pleasant if not outstanding. All the food was good but I think I’ve just been spoiled by the amazing tapas found at Harvest Vine. Still, I would go back on another visit, the menu is interesting – there are more things to try – and both the inside and outside seating areas are pleasant.
I paid my check and then headed back to work. A (what turned out to be a boring) keynote awaited me.
Tapeo
266 Newbury Street
Boston
DeLille Cellars
18-Jun-2006
A couple of months ago I received an Email asking me if I wanted to join a wine club the sender was starting. She went into a little detail about her plan and it sounded great. Just one problem. I didn’t know who the person was! I scoured my brain for someone I’d met in the past who I might have given my email address to, I asked several friends if they knew if I knew the person, but to no avail. What was odd is that the person works at a company where I used to be employed and where I’m currently doing project management but the email was sent to my personal account – so it wasn’t a case of someone actually choosing the wrong name from the company address book.
For a while I thought about just showing up, thinking I’d recognize the person once I arrived. But what if I didn’t?! I was just about to send a return email asking where I knew them from when I received an Email from my friend, David. At the end he said, "By the way, I hope you don’t mind but another friend is starting a women’s wine club and I immediately thought of you. I gave her your email address" Mystery solved! And it turned out I actually had met her once briefly, at a wine tasting where David had introduced us.
I couldn’t make the first meeting but a couple of weeks ago they had another gathering that I was able to attend. And our organizer had done a great job of getting us into DeLille Cellars!
Those of you in this area will know that DeLille is one of the premier wineries in Washington. A few years ago they started a second label called D2 and that wine can now be found in retail shops but their premier wines are extremely limited. If you have a wine shop that you frequent often, you may be able to get in on their allotment (special notifications and all that) but other than that you’ll be forced to enjoy DeLille only at restaurants.
Those of you in this area will know that DeLille is one of the premier wineries in Washington. A few years ago they started a second label called D2 and that wine can now be found in retail shops but their premier wines are extremely limited. If you have a wine shop that you frequent often, you may be able to get in on their allotment (special notifications and all that) but other than that you’ll be forced to enjoy DeLille only at restaurants. In addition to, or maybe because of, their limited distribution there are no public tastings at the winery. You can make reservations in advance for private Friday night tastings but that’s it. But our organizer met some people, who knew some people… And lo and behold, we found ourselves at the winery on a beautiful, warm Tuesday evening! What a treat.
I had never been to the DeLille facility before and was amazed with the beauty of it. Designed to look like a large estate on a slight hill overlooking Woodinville, it is surrounded by gardens and a working farm. I am so sad that I forgot my camera that night – instead you’ll just see photos of the spoils. We were seated at a series of outdoor tables overlooking the gardens and the view.
As we arrived we were greeted by the Cellar Master who would be our host for the evening. He made a point of remembering everyone’s name – no small feat as there were about 14 of us that night. A few people had been assigned to be the "snacks" people and as they arrived they laid out their goods as our host poured glasses of D2 and brought bottles of water.
Although D2 is supposedly their second label, this wine will knock your socks off. The 2003 is 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The grapes come from a variety of vineyards in the Columbia Valley – the granddaddy AVA. Several of the grapes actually come from smaller appellations that are contained within Columbia Valley AVA, such as Red Mountain.
In addition to the D2 we tasted the 2003 Harrison Hill, a single vineyard Bordeaux blend and the 2003 Chaleur Estate which is a 100% Red Mountain Bordeaux blend. Both of these wines are big and powerful, chewy reds.
We spent a relaxing 2 1/2 hours or so, sipping, snacking, enjoying our surroundings and getting to know each other. It was really quite a lovely night. Although going into the evening I didn’t know anyone except the organizer (and you know how indirectly that was!) by the end of the night, I was looking forward to the next gathering and getting to know those in the group even better.
DeLille Cellars
14208 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE
Redmond
Redmond
425-489-0544
Yesterday’s Project
18-Jun-2006
Just Picked
16-Jun-2006
A few years ago I planted strawberries and after 3 or 4 years I decided to tear them out. Strawberries are notorious for sending their little runners out and about in every direction and it takes a lot of diligence to keep them in line. They were taking over everything they could get their tenacious little runners into.
Well, of course, I didn’t quite get them all or berries that had dropped during the season left their teeny-tiny seeds behind and so last year I had several plants return. And this year many plants returned. I’ve been rather torn about the whole situation as I love "volunteers" and have a hard time killing them – I mean they are trying so hard to live! On the other hand my entire tomato garden is covered with strawberry plants and I had to carefully place the tomatoes in open spots – that was a pain.
But over the last few days I’ve been so glad that I left them. I really do love picking sweet strawberries right from the plant and popping them into my mouth! Today I went out and did a thorough picking of everything that was ripe and in the morning I’ll be making strawberry jam. Okay you little volunteers – you win – or actually I win. I’m glad they were so tenacious!
San Francisco: Scala’s Bistro
16-Jun-2006
On my last night in San Francisco I wanted to stay close to my hotel in Union Square and I really just wanted some small bite as I’d already spent a little time at The Slanted Door late that afternoon. Before coming to the city, I had asked a local acquaintance where he would go in the area – somewhere that was comfortable but not necessarily upscale, in fact probably wouldn’t be found on the "best of" lists but still had good steady food and more importantly a friendly atmosphere. I’d actually met this man here in Seattle, as his business brings him back and forth between the two cities. He often frequents one of my favorite Seattle places so I knew he would know what I was looking for.
Scala’s Bistro was one of the places on the list he sent me. Just one block from my hotel it seemed like the perfect destination. The place was packed when I arrived. I managed to squeeze in at the very end of the rather short bar. I started with a lovely glass of wine, hoping that a seat at the bar might open so that I could actually enjoy eating a little something. I struck up a conversation with the woman next to me and that gave me someone to commiserate with when a group of young, intoxicated partiers decided to camp out next to us, sloshing drinks left and right. They moved on and we both sighed in relief – no more vigilant watching of swaying cocktail glasses.
On the other side of her was a family celebrating a brother’s college graduation. Most of the family had traveled from Norway to see the baby of the family get his degree. A place opened up on the other side of the family, I made a beeline for it and placed my food order, which arrived in short order. I’d requested carpaccio as it’s one of my favorites when prepared well. My order arrived and it was a generous serving of beef topped with a large mound of lightly dressed greens and shaved Parmesan.
The salad was very good, the Parmesan fresh and the dressing the perfect amount. The beef was just a tad disappointing. Looking back I think it needed a little salt or maybe a bit of seasoned oil drizzled over it. It was good just not great. About this time the family between my new friend and I left their seats and so I moved back down to continue the conversation we had started earlier.
I would say the Scala Bistro bar is a great place to go as a single diner – people, including the bartenders, were very friendly. And the food is pretty good; comforting if not exciting and sometimes that’s really all you need.
Scala’s Bistro
432 Powell Street
San Francisco
415-395-8555
Recently on The Spirit World
15-Jun-2006
It’s been some time since I updated you all on the goings on over at The Spirit World, so here’s a quick update:
- Today, for Happy Hour at Home we have Ginger Jasmine Lime Rickey & Crab Lemongrass Tartlettes
- Donavan’s last post was about Touring the Brooklyn Brewery with Brewmaster Garrett Oliver
- Robert gives us more info on the Caipirinha and why June 12th is significant for this cocktail.
- Our new writer, Cate, gives us the recipe for Oprah’s Pomegranate Martinis
- St George Spirits entire lineup is tasted in one afternoon…
And there’s plenty more! Drop by and take a look ~
San Francisco: Paella at Oakville Grocery
15-Jun-2006
During my trip to San Francisco I made my way down to the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf area on Saturday morning. This part of the city was just waking up and the streets and sidewalks were still relatively uncrowded.
They were setting up wine tasting tents on the street between Ghiradelli Square and Victorian Park. It looked like it was going to be fun but I needed to keep exploring. Although there are lots of tourist activities in this area you can still see authentic pieces of San Francisco and many of the places have been here for so many years that they preceded the tourist attractions – although finding these places can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.
On Saturday, I came across a place that I do not remember seeing on past visits, Oakville Grocery. Their sign said they were established in 1881 – but they’ve only recently (I use that word loosely as it’s been several years since my last trip to San Fran) established this particular location.
The store was filled with all kinds of gourmet goodies – sauces, vinegars, oils, crackers, salts, etc – and they have an extensive deli counter. 
There is also a wine bar with wines by the glass, but what caught my eye that morning was the giant paella pan simmering away near the front door. It was a huge pan of beautiful onions, chicken, and rice simmering in a saffron infused broth. It smelled good, looked good but it was still too early in the process (and in the day, for that matter) to dig into it! Dang it!
There is also a wine bar with wines by the glass, but what caught my eye that morning was the giant paella pan simmering away near the front door. It was a huge pan of beautiful onions, chicken, and rice simmering in a saffron infused broth. It smelled good, looked good but it was still too early in the process (and in the day, for that matter) to dig into it! Dang it! I asked about the timing for the finished product and then continued my tour of the wharf area to bide my time until a plate of paella could be mine!
A note to the reader: this is not a daily occurrence at Oakville Grocery but apparently it is something they do every Saturday morning. They start making the paella around 10:00 am and it is ready for purchase around 11:00 – 11:30.
I returned at the appointed time but it was not yet quite ready, although all the seafood had been added to the pan. Now whole shrimp, mussels. red peppers, lemons and fresh parsley brightened the mix. While waiting for the final minutes to pass, I selected a few items from the shelves, purchased them and paid for my paella which was just starting to be served. For $10 I received a generous plate of paella and a lightly dressed green salad. I took my treasure to one of the sidewalk tables and prepared to feast.
I sat at my table watching the sidewalk traffic pick up and others settle into the tables around me, each with their plate of paella. It was a colorful and flavorful meal – just what I needed to take me through an afternoon of wandering around the city. And it seemed like such a fortuitous and pleasant discovery that it’s one memory I’m sure to have for years to come. If you find yourself at Fisherman’s Wharf some Saturday morning, swing by Oakville Grocery for your own plate of Spanish Treasure!
Oakville Grocery San Francisco
2801 Leavenworth (at the corner of Jefferson)
The Cannery at Del Monte Square
San Francisco
2801 Leavenworth (at the corner of Jefferson)
The Cannery at Del Monte Square
San Francisco
Aqua Perfecta Pear Liqueur
10-Jun-2006
A couple of weeks ago, while in San Francisco, I visited the St. George Spirits distillery. I was lucky enough to get a sort of tour of the distillery and then spent some serious time in the tasting room, where I tasted all of their public offerings plus a few of their special distillations.
Here in Washington we know St George Spirits because of Hangar One vodkas but their line-up is actually much more extensive. 
They have an entire line-up of eaux de vie, grappa, whiskey and a couple of liqueurs. With so little of it being available here in Washington, I knew I wanted to bring something back but I was hard pressed to decide what to choose. I would have taken one of each but thinking about schlepping bottles through the airport brought me back to reality! Instead I limited myself to a few bottles, and picked a couple things I knew some friends would really enjoy.
They have an entire line-up of eaux de vie, grappa, whiskey and a couple of liqueurs. With so little of it being available here in Washington, I knew I wanted to bring something back but I was hard pressed to decide what to choose. I would have taken one of each but thinking about schlepping bottles through the airport brought me back to reality! Instead I limited myself to a few bottles, and picked a couple things I knew some friends would really enjoy.One of my choices was the Aqua Perfecta Pear Liqueur. These liqueurs are basically made from the same fruit used to make the eau de vie, and then fortified with the eau de vie. So you end up with a beautiful, fruit filled beverage that is about half the alcohol content of the eau de vie, and tastes as though you are eating the most perfect fruit, in this case pear, that you can imagine!
This nectar would be wonderful with any sort of pear or chocolate dessert but I think my favorite use might be to serve it after dinner along with a nice cheese plate. I’ve already sampled it along with some of my favorite blue cheese and the combination is outstanding – which makes perfect sense when you consider that one of my favorite snacks is blue cheese on pear slices.
If you are lucky enough to live in California you will probably be able to find this line in a local liquor store. The rest of us may not be so lucky but make a point to look – if you find it you will be very happy that you did!
How Much to Pour?
09-Jun-2006
There was an interesting entry and a whole slew of interesting comments over on Frank Bruni’s (NY Times) blog. The post is all about the size of a wine pour and more…
Culinary Fool 