What if your favorite restaurant was in the same state you were in but it was 9 hours away???
We really couldn’t take a vacation this summer but we did run off for a week-end to Mendocino (don’t laugh). It seemed like a good idea at the time. After an extensive google search of all the best restaurants in Mendocino, I discovered one that had been there forever (or at least a very long time and this was before Mark Bittman discovered it two months later....) There was something about the comments, the user reviews, the description that just made it sound like it might actually be the real deal.
The Ledford House, tucked onto a cliff, so the views are amazing, surrounded by a weathered redwood deck on which there are always really pretty girls smoking things that don’t look (or smell) at all like cigarettes, but hey it’s Mendocino and no one seems to mind.
But the interior of the restaurant makes you feel as if you’re in the South of France. So much so, that we almost left the first night we were there – too stodgy, we thought, too over the top. And then we glanced at the menu. In addition to home-made duck paté (they had me at the duck paté), they also had cassoulet? No one makes cassoulet any more. And cassoulet and me and Alan have a funny history.
It was my 33rd birthday and I decided to treat myself to a nice trip to Sonoma Valley. Some call it the “Jesus year”, but I like to call it another excuse to play in wine country! With all the choices for fine dining restaurants, I had quite a task to narrow it down to one. We are talking about one of the culinary meccas, people! While I knew I’d stay multiple days in Sonoma Valley, most nights were allocated to be spent with good friends, so that left me with one night all to myself. At the end of the day, I was extremely happy with my choice: Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen.
I was invited – along with six other authors – to talk about my latest book, “
” at the annual Author’s Luncheon in Sacramento. It benefits the National Kidney Foundation and it’s a great event. Jill came along as Muse – I never travel without my Muse – so we made it a combination work and play trip, which we always try to do. 
The Mountain Room restaurant at Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite National
Park in California is a great place to have a burger after a hike. If
you have never visited Yosemite, there are plenty of hikes to work up
an appetite. I joined 10 friends as we assaulted Half Dome over 2 days.
The hike covers about 4800 feet of altitude gain over a 17-mile hike.
No man is an island; we are all interconnected by our humanity. That
is the philosophy of Ubuntu, a belief rooted in Zulu culture that
emphasizes people's allegiances, relationships, community, sharing, and
generosity. Ubuntu, then, is an apt name for the Michelin-starred
restaurant, which aims to connect patrons with the bounty of the earth
through produce that is sustainably and biodynamically grown. Located in
downtown Napa, Ubuntu is a restaurant, yoga studio, and store, all in
one building. The dining space is quite modern and rustic with exposed
brick, wood, steel, and conduit and features a wine bar with an
expansive wine list and an open kitchen. I had the absolute pleasure of
dining at Ubuntu on my day trip to Napa two weekends ago. What sets the
restaurant apart is its all vegetable menu. All dishes are vegetarian or
nearly vegan, but what some might consider a culinary limitation
becomes limitless in the hands of executive chef Aaron London.