Summer is a great time to explore the open road and travel across our great country. Aside from the sights, the best part about any trip, in our opinion, is the food. So, we’ve compiled some key cities and restaurants we stopped into along the way. May your travels be DELICIOUS!
California
Delicious Destinations: California
California is a culinary destination for so many reasons. From Napa Valley to LA, there are so many wonderful place to try out. Here are a few of my favorites from my trips across the state….
Crush – Emotions are High & Semis Nearby
Harvest is in full swing in California wine country. We just returned from an incredible shoot there! You’ll soon start seeing some of our adventures on Goodtaste.tv here, but I wanted to tell you about a unexpected bit of fun.
The long & glorious history of Simi Winery
You’re looking at the oldest continual-producing winery in all of Sonoma County! This elegant destination is a true landmark in the region…135 consecutive years producing wine – that means through Prohibition!
A little bit of paradise at the Inn at Occidental
The scenery is just drop dead gorgeous at the Inn at Occidental…I’ve never felt more at home! It’s a spot that I always try to come back to when I’m in wine country.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Wines
Meet the women behind the wine that just might remind you of someone you know. Who doesn’t know or have a Middle Sister! You can say that great minds thought alike when a group of creative, tenacious women pursued their passion for wine and sisterhood.
A hidden Vino Gem that captured my heart!
You could easily call it the most popular wine in Houston. Davis Family’s incredible Cabernet catapulted to fame after winning over palates and votes a couple of years ago at the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo to be named the Grand Champion – the highest rated wine in the competition.
Meet THE heritage grape of California
Fans of big reds are in for a real treat! The Zinfandel is a premium wine that’s consistently rated by Wine Spectator magazine as a Top 100 Wine in all of the World! Some of the most famous areas for planting and harvesting grapes make for Zinfandels with a fuller taste!
A Piece of Heaven on Earth
I recently spent an afternoon with Chris Benziger touring his family’s beautiful vineyards. The Benzigers are not only farming their grapes organically but also biodynamically.
The perfect first stop on your wine trip
A trip to the California Wine Country would not be complete without a stop at one of the most spectacular wineries anywhere. In fact, any time my husband and I go to Napa, Domain Carneros is always our first stop.
Napa Finds for Your Table
On a recent trip to Napa we had dinner at Michael Chiarello’s restaurant in Yountville called Bottega. Dinner was wonderful, and I fell in love with these hammered copper water glasses. Your water stays nice and chilled for a long while. But, that’s not all we found at his eclectic store next door to Bottega.
Beautiful winery and gardens – Ferrari Carano
Plan on spending some time at this beautiful Sonoma winery. The grounds are spectacular—you’ll want to walk through their lush gardens. Be sure to look for the ‘cork’ tree…you’ll see up close and personal where those precious little wine stoppers come from.
The tasting room here is spacious with a great offering of gift items.
Eggs Florentine
Imagine yummy, protein packed mini-muffins for breakfast and that’s exactly what you have here with this Eggs Florentine dish. We recently had these at a beautiful inn near Carmel called the Tickle Pink Inn.
Surprise Mom with These
The Pacific ocean, for me, is a total de-stresser. I can sit for hours…mesmerized by the waves. We recently visited Carmel to do just that and stumbled onto the most delightful ‘culinary boutique’ called Pastries and Petals.
Cheese Tasting at Dean & DeLuca
When in Napa I always spend time at Dean & Deluca – a foodie’s paradise. Incredible food items from all over the world, a fabulous bakery, and a huge wine selection are reason enough to stop by, but if you love cheese…plan to spend do a tasting at Dean & Deluca with their cheese monger.
