Tag: paella

A Visit To Sebastopol – Marimar Winery

IG users, click the link in bio for the whole blog.

I recently went to Sebastopol for a paella lunch at Marimar Winery. My friend from Reno who knows the owner and is a club member asked if I wanted to come. We got to stay at a guest house for two nights and had a wonderful time. Marimar Winery is a beautiful place and Sebastopol is one of those cute little towns that gets lost in the shuffle of all the cute little towns around us, but so worth a visit!

We started our road trip Friday evening and stopped in Graton at the Underwood Bar & Bistro for a drink and heavy appetizers that were absolutely delicious and surprisingly busy for a small town.

The next day was the actual paella lunch. For those that haven’t had paella, it’s a famous Spanish cuisine made of rice, chicken, and seafood (or other meats, depending on the chef). It’s cooked in a large wok-like pan (a paella dish) and served family-style. It’s truly a cultural cuisine experience and one of the tastiest things you’ll ever eat! This recipe was out of the Marimar cookbook and was served with some tasty tapas and a wine pairing. She comes from a Castilian family raised in Spain, where her family also has a winery. In the 1970s, she bought land in Sebastopol and started growing grapes in the European style and now has her adult daughter helping her run the winery.

As you can see from these photos, it was a wonderful visit to Sebastopol. There was a robust and diverse crowd, which gave me a chance to meet and talk to some folks and make connections, and of course, the wine was wonderful. I highly recommend a visit to Marimar Winery (and check out some of their annual events!), but you have to wait until next October to get you some paella!

A Taste of Spain in Walnut Creek

IMG_8455The downtown Walnut Creek landscape is ever-changing. If you’ve strolled through the construction zones of Broadway Plaza lately, you’re well aware. What was once a beautiful, high-end shopping center is now an even more beautiful, more high-end shopping center.

While many of the Walnut Creek favorites have survived the remodeling boom, there is also an exciting array of new restaurants being squeezed into every available lot in town. Sunol Ridge and the Library on Main are just a few new options popping up downtown.

One of the new restaurants is also the most recognizable: Teleferic, taking over what used to be a drab parking lot kitty corner from Neiman Marcus, is a very cool, unique building. It dominates the skyline at the North Main/Mt. Diablo light, where a rebirth of the Four Corners is taking place in downtown Walnut Creek.

IMG_8456The Barcelona and Basque-inspired tapas and wine bar has a beautiful outdoor terrace that looks West at the setting sun over the hills.

It hovers over Vineyard Vines, a new clothing store that rules the ground floor. And despite being situated in the middle of a busy downtown, in a California suburb, you still get that old world charm when you enter.

Speaking of the Basque country, that is what influenced the owners of Teleferic to create a restaurant in Barcelona. They grew from their humble beginnings in Sant Cugat in the early 90’s into a dual-location behemoth that spans two countries.

For anyone who loves good tapas, this is the place to be. Named after the word “cable car” in Catalan, Teleferic will also sit below a new Asian fusion restaurant called Rooftop, run by Iron Chef alum and former Chef de Cuisine at Slanted Door, Justine Kelly, which will add an extra level of spice to this awesome new downtown IMG_8457spot.

Give them a try and let us know what you think while you enjoy the great dishes they serve tapas style, in addition to their paella and sangria.

Though more pricey than your standard tapas in Spain, and slightly different than the homemade bar tapas you’ll find abroad, the food at Teleferic and the atmosphere of the location is one of the most interesting combinations in Walnut Creek.

We’d expect nothing less with Spaniards at the helm! Speaking as a Basque descendant from Reno!

Check out Teleferic when you get a chance – it’s food and charm is well worth it.