A Visit To Sebastopol – Marimar Winery

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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!

Candidate DeVinney at San Dai

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Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a “Meet the Candidate” event at San Dai Restaurant on Main St. with Craig DeVinney, who is running for Walnut Creek City Council. He is supportive of Walnut Creek’s pickleball scene and moving our courts from Rudger Park to Tice Creek. He is an ER doctor with a fresh perspective and is supportive of small businesses in Walnut Creek.

It was interesting to attend and to hear his approach! I believe we need to be aware of what our local politicians stand for, as their policies are ones that affect us in a very local way, so ask your favorite candidate how you can support them. Money is always helpful, but you can also help distribute flyers, put up a yard sign, etc. Get out and vote!

On top of all that, I had the chance to experience San Dai. It’s a chef-driven, ingredient-driven menu with local, seasonal produce. Their inspiration comes from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia – all well-known for intense, rich, and spiced food. The Chef, Nora Haron, draws from that region’s influence and contrasts it with Northern California styles to make for really unique meals. We had some appetizers and wine and it made me want to experience their dinner.

The website has some great pictures of the food they serve with some really interesting selections of food, like satay, corn ribs, ceviche, and several entrees of all types of meat. There was also a little coffee bar attached to the side (another coffee bar), but it was closed at that time of day (I’ll try it next time they are open and I’m in the area!). Have you tried San Dai? If so, I would love to hear your feedback.

Check Out The Hangout!

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In the space formerly occupied by Rossmoor Diner, there is a new restaurant with a full breakfast and dinner menu. It’s called The Hangout and offers interesting American options with an Asian flare. I visited recently and enjoyed the food I tried! There is another location in Pleasant Hill.

I thought the Asian breakfast options – like the Cha Thai Pancake and the Ube Pancake – were especially interesting. I had a good time there and ordered a pancake and poached egg. My favorite item was the pancake – really huge and fluffy. I highly recommend it!

The Hangout seems to have all sorts of inspirations, including serving famously Southern chicken and waffles and all sorts of surf-and-turf options. Besides the breakfast items, they offer sandwiches, burgers, salads, and plenty more to give you a wide range of options to choose from.

Next time you’re in the Rossmoor Shopping Center (or nearby), give The Hangout a try! My good friend Veronica, loves this place and has already been there more than a handful of time, it is helpful when you live close by as a quick good option.

KeunJib: A Pleasant Surprise!

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Who would have guessed: a Korean restaurant in a bowling alley – and a really good one at that. I was not expecting to find a great restaurant inside the Paddock Bowl in Pacheco. KeunJib truly had a great menu and after you eat, you can go bowling! Bonus points for being able to order drinks from the bowling alley bar.

There were five of us so we ordered many items, though I don’t remember all the names. We tried fried rice, a really good kimchi pancake, and a delicious filet of meat. One person ordered a kimchi stew with spam, but I did not try it. We also had a pork dish. We really enjoyed the beef short ribs and everyone thought it was top-notch. We have a lot of great Asian cuisine of all types in the Bay Area, but KeunJib stood out as an unexpected gem even against strong competition. The presentation was nice, the portions were large, and the staff was friendly.

Overall, the beef short ribs were probably my favorite – we requested another order to share. But, truly, everything we tried was delicious. Whether you’re looking to get a Korean food fix and then decide to bowl, or knocking down pins gives you a hankering for the food, it’s worth checking out the unexpected winner in Paddock Bowl!

New Go-To Dumpling Spot

I had never heard of BaoBao dumplings, but I went with a friend recently to the Concord location and was blown away by the food!

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I had never heard of BaoBao dumplings, but I went with a friend recently to the Concord location on Treat & Oak Grove and was blown away by the food! BaoBao doesn’t have much of an online presence, but they have six locations and some delicious dumplings. Just check out the pictures below!

Technically, the restaurant is named 88 BaoBao Dumpling House, and I’m not sure why! But I am sure that I’ll be back next time I need my Asian street food fix in the East Bay. We got some shrimp chow mein and, of course, some dumplings.

Luckily I went with my colleague, Phuong, and she knew how to order and to add the sauce she mixed up (soy sauce and the chili sauce) onto the chow mein. It was spicy, but delicious. I enjoyed every bite of my meal at BaoBao, but better yet was the company and knowing what to order.

Next time you want a fresh steamed dumpling, check it out!

Montesacro: The New Go-To Spot

Montesacro is an Italian restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek that also has two locations in San Francisco and one in Brooklyn. I remember when this was Mint 54 and have wanted to try it since it became a full on restaurant, thus I invited some clients who just closed and my neighbors who referred me, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner.

“Montesacro” is the name of a neighborhood in Rome and the restaurant pays homage to this “hardscrabble, working-class quarter…affected by the aftermath of World War II.” They are inspired by old taverns in Rome where they only served wine straight from the barrel and patrons sat on benches along long, wooden tables.

The history is fascinating, but the food is what will keep me coming back. Montesacro sources local and sustainable food from farms and small Italian producers. Right now, they are advertising the “pinsa,” which is a cloud-like pizza – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Need I say more?

This is a fairly small restaurant, but it was packed at the bar and all the tables. I ordered the carbanarra, one couple split the veal shank. As you can see by the size of the bone, my dog Poppy enjoyed Montescaro too. You can enjoy all your favorite Italian dishes at Montesacro, plus the lively bar scene. P.S. I highly recommend the Pinsa Al p=Pistacchi – shown in the picture above a small size pizza stuffed with pistachio cream. I would highly recommend Montesacro for your next night out or Italian fix!

A Delicious Detour: Eataly

I recently visited the San Jose location of Eataly, which has nine stores nationwide (this is the only Northern California location). Eatlay, as a concept, was only developed in 2002 and was designed to gather high-quality food at sustainable and reasonable prices under one roof.

Of course, the inspiration was Italian food! Oscar Farinetti wanted to celebrate Italian biodiversity and create an informal, natural, and simple place to eat, shop, and learn. The first location opened its doors in Torino, Italy in 2007 and has since expanded to more than 40 locations around the globe!

On the Eataly website, you can make direct orders on products, food, and more and even sign up for classes, events, and local deliveries!

We were in Santa Clara for a Tom Ferry event staying overnight, my hair dresser has raved about this place and I thought it would be a great opportunity to check it out and have dinner. I went with a couple of colleagues who were also going to the event, we were all impressed. This store is 3 levels with the top level encompassing 3 restaurants, and most of the grocery items. The second floor was dedicated to wine and the first floor entrance into the mall had gelato, coffee and pasteries to go or eat there. In September I was in Vegas and saw Eataly, but did not go in. If you ever want to get an Italian fix, this is the place to go. It is located in the Westfield Valley Fair Mall. A very high end mall part of Santana Row. I did think it was a bit pricey, but you have to consider everything is imported. Thus you get a taste of Italy without have to travel across the world.

The Little Pear: Delicious In Downtown

A new restaurant opened in downtown Walnut Creek where The Counter burger restaurant used to be. The Little Pear is from the same ownership group (The Worth Group) as The Peasant & The Pear in Danville and The Peasant’s Courtyard in Alamo.

When I visited, I ordered the Bishop Ranch salad with Mexican White Prawns and it was absolutely delicious (unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture!). The Little Pear is open every day except Mondays from 11 am to 8:30 pm (opening at 10 am on weekends) and I highly recommend you add it to your list of downtown Walnut Creek restaurants to try.

They offer a menu for weekend brunch, several tasty starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, specials, and burgers and other entrees. My Bishop Ranch salad had pear, candied walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic over greens and I still think about it!

They also have nice outdoor seating for when the weather warms up. I have ate at both of their other restaurants which are also fantastic and think The Little Pear will be no different. Chef Rodney Worth grew up in Northern California and learned to make “good food that makes you feel good” while pursuing a Culinary Arts degree from DVC. He has worked at Wente Vineyards, Bizou, and in catering so he has a wide range of experience that you can taste in every bite.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think about it!

Tatsu Sushi In Walnut Creek – YUM!

I checked out Tatsu Sushi in Ygnacio Valley Plaza recently, and I just have a one-word review: YUM. It’s an awesome Japanese restaurant that is apparently very popular, if their extremely busy Wednesday evening crowd is any indication.

I ordered a couple of rolls and they gave us gyoza on the house. We also tried the vegetable tempura. You can see pictures of the meal below, but fair warning; they might make your mouth water.

Tatsu is open for lunch and dinner every day but Sunday, but like I said, the place was really busy on a random Wednesday night. So, make sure you plan in advance for your visit!

On the website, they describe the restaurant as “on the frontier of Japanese fusion restaurants,” and promise the freshest seafood, meat, and produce. The meal I had at Tatsu was definitely fresh and delicious – I will be back!

Good Food At Genuine Goodness

I recently visited Genuine Goodness in Orinda, which specializes in catering, grab-and-go sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, and baked sweets. They also have some really cute gifts for sale there!

There is some indoor seating here and they have good, nutritional options for those seeking healthy food. I thought that all the food I tried was really delicious, and I’d highly encourage anyone to give it a shot when they’re in Orinda.

Maybe my favorite feature, though, is that you can pre-order take-and-bake meals directly from their website. They say a full-size take-and-bake order will feed two adults and two kids, so it’s perfect to call ahead and pick up for the family.

Many of their take-and-bake meals are hearty, healthy, and delicious-looking; full of veggies and protein that we health-crazed Californians will love. Learn more at their website here.