A Food & Wine Lovers Weekend

Nate and I just got back from our weekend in San Francisco and Napa. We had an incredible time eating and drinking, but are glad to be home with Avery. Here's a synopsis of the last few days. 

We flew out on Virgin America on Friday morning and were able to upgrade to first class for $50. The seats were great and we drank champagne and watching TV and movies the whole flight. 

When we landed we took BART to our hotel, the Le Meridien, down in the financial district. The front desk lady seemed nice, so we politely asked for an upgrade and got a corner room on the 12th floor with a view of the harbor and bridge. We dropped our luggage and headed out to the Ferry Marketplace. We walked around all the food vendors and grabbed some yummy sandwiches at a place that bragged about "tasty salty pig parts". How can you go wrong with that? 

After lunch, we had the chance to meet up with a good friend of mine. I've been friends with Jill since we were 14 and she's one of the sweetest people I've ever known. It was great getting to chat with her for a while. 

After drinks with Jill, we went back to the hotel for a nap before our night out. First we went to Bourbon & Branch, a speakeasy reminiscent of the 1930's. There's no sign or markings, just a doorbell along the wall that you ring and then give a password through a cracked door. The drinks were great and the atmosphere was really cool. Unfortunately, there's a strict no camera policy, so we don't have any pictures.

After Bourbon & Branch we caught a cab to our dinner spot. We really wanted to try a restaurant we'd heard great things about, Gary Danko. Unfortunately, the only time they could get us in was 10:00pm. It was a late night, but so worth it. The food was incredible and the service was spot on. Nate had the lobster risotto, horseradish crusted salmon and lamb. I tried the foie gras and beef tenderloin. Then we shared the cheese course and buttercake for dessert. Gary Danko is known for this incredible cheese cart that has 15-20 cheeses at any given time, and you get to select 4 from the cart to enjoy. The whole meal definitely ranks up there with some of the best food we've ever had. 

Saturday morning we got up early because we had a rental car delivered to the hotel at 8:00am. Before we left for Napa, we stopped in North Beach to get some focaccia bread from Liguria Bakery. It's a tiny store front with two little ladies inside that bake fresh focaccia every morning. They sell a few different varieties, but when they're out they close up shop. 

With yummy bread in hand, we headed across the bridge to Napa. Our first stop was Plumpjack Winery. We'd heard good things and Nate really liked the Cab. It had a great spot to sit and look out on the valley, also. 

After Plumpjack, we went to Taylor's Refresher for lunch. Taylor's is everything a burger should be. So delicious. 

With full tummies, we headed over to Madonna Estate. Madonna is owned by a friend of ours family. I was roommates with Taylor in college and it was great to see her and her boyfriend Dom. We tasted some wine and she showed us how the wine gets made, which was very cool. 

After Madonna, we headed right across the street to Domaine Carneros. Domaine has a beautiful chateau with a great patio in the back to sit and try their sparkling wines. We sat, drank and enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree day. 

Finally, it was time to head back to the city. We wanted a low-key night, so the concierge suggested a spanish restaurant tucked back in an alley called B44. We were a little hesitant, but when we got there, we found this alleyway full of European restaurants. It was a beautiful night, so we sat outside and ate tapas and paella. 

After dinner, we were both exhausted, so we just headed back to the hotel, rented a movie and crashed. 

Sunday morning we slept in (a rare luxury) and then headed down to Chinatown. I love walking around looking in all the shops and outdoor markets. 

For lunch, we rode the cable car over to Pier 1 to try a place we'd heard a lot about. The Slanted Door is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant and was a great place for lunch before we headed to the airport. Definitely some of the best Asian food either of us have had. 

The rest of the day was spent getting home and catching up with Avery. A BIG thank you to my parents for letting her have a slumber party at their house all weekend. It was an incredible weekend, but it sure is good to be home.