…and a swell Mexican restaurant rediscovered.

Our spirits were high as we boarded the 45 Muni bus bound for the Metreon and a San Francisco Film Society 7pm screening of “The Kids are Alright” opening in theaters in about a week.

Creeping through Chinatown on Stockton Street, we were jarred by an announcement, “Sutter Street is the last stop for this bus,” said the woman driver in a loud and clear voice. “When we get to the bus stop at the end of the Stockton Tunnel, get off, go around the corner on Sutter and get on a shuttle bus; the shuttle will complete a detour route to the Caltrain station.”

There was a buzz among the passengers. President Obama is in town for a fundraiser for Senator Boxer… he’s staying at the Marriott on Fourth Street between Market and Mission and we just happen to be going to the Metreon, on Fourth and Mission. Our bus crept along and into the Stockton tunnel taking 20 minutes to get through the tunnel. I made use of the time, reading the salacious account of Tiger Woods’ mistresses in the current Vanity Fair. Sorry, but the scope of his obsession is beyond the pale; and kind of sad.

When we got off at Sutter it was 6:40. We decided to walk the five blocks, past Union Square and by the Marriott, where the SFPD were out in force in front of the hotel.

At about five-‘til-seven, we joined the end of a long line on the third floor of the Metreon. A couple minutes later, a woman from SFFS, about 30 people ahead of us said, “the theater is nearly full, anyone in line beyond this column has little chance to get in.”

Carol turned to me and said, “We’ll just go to dinner.” As the front of the line moved forward and our end began to disperse, I walked up to Ben, the SFFS Membership Director and said, “What’s up? I got an email this morning that said there were still a few seats available.”

He apologized, “The group we’re sharing the theater with brought many more people than expected. I’m really sorry.” Continue reading →

Yeah, again.

Anytime we find ourselves in the vicinity of Healdsburg, we must pay a visit, and Barndiva has yet to disappoint.

Not that there aren’t other excellent restaurants in Healdsburg, there are dozens of them, spanning every price range, but ever since we discovered Barndiva, we’ve been drawn back. They recently started publishing an email newsletter, “Wednesday’s at the Barn.” I mentioned it to the host, described it as… delicious. He said, “Thanks, my mother writes it.”

The first paragraph of this week’s letter sums up her feeling:

“For someone who’s pretty much obsessed with taste ~ the food and drink varieties ~ _ironically that’s not the taste I’m asked about all the time. More than any single dish people have enjoyed in the restaurant, or single object they’ve purchased in the shop, it’s been the overall aesthetic of Barndiva and The Studio ~ the way everything is put together in both buildings ~ that has generated the greatest force field of interest over the years.”

I must say, I have similar feelings, though I make no contribution, other than showing up from time to time. Just being in and around the place is a treat; the food is a bonus. Even the parking lot is beautiful.

In any case, here is last Sunday’s brunch:

amuse bouche: coffeecake, butter, berries

Carol’s duck confit hash with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce

Sarah’s omelet with brie, vegetables

My sliders

The “chips” were amazing; crispy edges and creamy centers, the buns tender and warm, without being mushy. Yum.

These are but three of the seven or eight dishes on the brunch menu; others, ordered by our neighbors were equally well presented and no doubt as tasty. Next time, I’ll do my best not to write about Barndiva.

Oh yes, and maybe for the enth time. We happened upon it in April of 2006, having read about it in a New York Times story on Healdsburg Restaurants by Frank J. Prial. I wrote about it then, and again in April of this year when we made our semi-annualish trip to Simi Winery to pick up our wine “shipments.”

I belong to five wine clubs — a self imposed limit — Simi, Cline, Bonny Doon, Navarro and Mahoney. I’ve been in many others over the years, but settled on these because I consistently like their wines. The good part; they send bottles of their choice periodically at substantial discounts. The discounts also apply for re-order. The bad part; they send bottles of their choice periodically. I choose to pick up the wines at Cline, a short trip, I save the shipping cost and use it as an excuse to stock up on their California Zinfandel and Syrah; tremendous values, with the discount. Simi, on the other hand, makes an excuse to go to Healdsburg — and Barndiva — a couple times a year.

The last weekend in May, Simi had their garden cafe open to members for their Wine and Pizza Forage.

Here’s my journal entry for that trip:
Saturday afternoon, we went to Simi for their members only Wine and Pizza Forage. Turns out they have a lovely; lower patio off of their party room. For $25 we got pizzas of our choice made in their brick oven, and all the wine we dare drink. They were pouring Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1993, 1999, 2001, a 2000 Reserve Zinfandel and a 2005 Reserve Chardonnay. They had a few bottles of each left, priced at $100 — $70 for us on this day only. Great wine, but… great wine is even better when its free. Continue reading →

Healdsburg is a bit of a trip from San Francisco, but we needed
to go to Simi Winery to pick up our Wine Club shipment. You know how the wine clubs work… you join, they ship two or three bottles of wine to you each quarter and in exchange, a you get a big discount – 25 to 30% – on any wine purchased. At Simi, I had signed up for pick-up only; that saves on shipping and makes a good excuse to go to the wine country from time to time.

Of course, by the time we got to Healdsburg, we were ready for lunch. Barndiva is a restaurant that Carol and I had visited a number of times and always enjoyed. We sat outside in the garden and delighted, still, in the spring day as we ordered Tempura Beer Battered Shrimp to start.

Barndiva garden

After bringing wine, the waiter returned with a plate of unexpected goodies: “We’re out of shrimp, so the chef whipped up a little something in its stead – Tempura Beer Battered Cod with a celeriac remoulade for dipping, and Tempura Beer Battered goat cheese with honey for dipping.”

Oh my… I’m glad they were out of shrimp. The cod was light and moist in a tender batter, the remoulade lending a nice tangy complement. The cheese ball dipped in honey exploded in my mouth with warm creamy sweet and salty goodness. Yum. Continue reading →