Monday, August 31, 2015

Lunch in Napa Valley - Rutherford Grill

Rutherford Grill - Sign by roland luistro, on Flickr
Bob, Bren, Mijo and I went to Rutherford Grill after our wonderful cave tour and barrel tasting at Del Dotto caves. 

Our first time at this restaurant was delightful and it was such a feast to our taste buds in addition to the great atmosphere and friendly service.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Hagafen Cellars

Hagafen Cellars - Glass by roland luistro, on FlickrOur second of four winery hopping was Hagafen Cellars. 

Hagafen Cellars does not only let you sample good wines, they are super friendly as well. One of the friendliest wine tasting experience I've ever had.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Blackbird Vineyards

Blackbird Vineyards - Wine house bw by roland luistro, on FlickrFor our last wine tasting of the day, Bob treated us to sample wines at Blackbird Vineyards. We tasted here really good high quality wines.

Jonathan, our wine educator that day, was very knowledgeable and fun to talk to. Sampling very good wines while talking to a passionate wine expert are good pairing. Thank you Bob for the treat and Blackbird and Jonathan for the wines!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Del Dotto Historic Winery and Caves

Del Dotto Vineyards Historic Winery and Caves - Facade by roland luistro, on FlickrDel Dotto Vineyards has two venues in Napa Valley to wine taste. One at their Estate Winery in St. Helena and another one at their Historic Caves near Oaknoll.

We went to their Historic Caves and took the cave tour while tasting their delicious reds and learning more about barrels. Their wines and the tours were both awesome!

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Monticello Vineyards

Monticello Vineyards - Sign by roland luistro, on FlickrIt is that time of the year again when the land is filled with sunshine and our annual trek to Napa Valley with our friends Bren and Bob. We look forward to this every year.

We set aside one day in August every year.  Our first winery? Monticello Vineyards and their wines are awesome!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Festival in the City - San Francisco Street Food Festival

SF Street Food Festival - Entrance bw by roland luistro, on FlickrSan Francisco was having a real summer weather this weekend. If you like this kind of weather, it is perfect for the outdoor events happening around the city.

Mijo and I went to the San Francisco Street Food Festival to grab something for lunch. The trek to the Dogpatch neighborhood of the city was all worth it.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Lunch in Sonoma - The Naked Pig

Naked Pig - Sign by roland luistro, on FlickrThe past weekend, Mijo and I were in Sonoma for a day of unplanned wine tasting and a light lunch afterward.

Our lunch at The Naked Pig was also unplanned. We got lucky because the lunch was good.  We truly enjoyed our light and leisurely lunch while enjoying the glorious Sonoma summer.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Wine Tasting in Sonoma - Merriam Vineyards

Merriam Vineyards - Gate by roland luistro, on FlickrThe past weekend, Mijo and I dropped by Merriam Vineyards. It was unplanned but we've been wanting to visit the winery ever since we tasted their wines at one of the SF Chefs event years ago.

We tasted lots of good reds at the winery. In fact, all of the wines we tasted were good. Thank you Merriam Vineyards for letting us taste delicious red and for a quick lecture on terroir.

Thursday, August 06, 2015

Everyday Coffee in the City - Santa Cruz Dark by Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting - Santa Cruz dark bag bw by roland luistro, on FlickrThis week, we opened one of the two bags of coffee we bought from Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting the last time we were in Santa Cruz

We are currently brewing Santa Cruz Dark. This classic blend is strong and at the same time flavorful. We paired it with treats from Arizmendi Bakery and a Filipino dessert called cassava cake.

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Landmark in the City - Tour of AT&T Park

AT&T Park Tour - Pano ballpark bw by roland luistro, on FlickrLast week, the company I currently work for held a summer celebration at AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants.

The highlight of the day for me was the quick tour of the park. We were assigned a group tour guide and showed us around the park with out the ball game crowd. Thank you AT&T Park and my employer.