Tales From The Wine Store

Oh, Canada! Part 2 – Mariposa Folk Festival

After Toronto (please see Oh, Canada! Part 1), we headed north to Orillia for the Mariposa Folk Festival. Ever since we had talked about this festival with Greg, Carol, and their friends, we knew we wanted to go!

We were smart and headed up to Orillia on Thursday, ahead of the weekend crowd. From what I understand this part of Ontario is the start of “cottage country”, with lots of people getting out of the city to spend time at their weekend cabins.

Orillia is about an hour and a half drive from Toronto and is situated by Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. I noticed lots of things named Simcoe, so I did my research and found out that John Simcoe was a British army general and first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. So why did this sound so familiar to me, a Yank? For those who watched the series Turn, it is that John Simcoe. And if you haven’t seen it put it on your list!

The Mariposa Folk Festival is a big deal for this small community, and we were lucky to get a room at the Best Western Plus Mariposa Inn & Conference Centre. There is another Best Western very close to the festival that would be a better choice, but it books up fast.

We decided to check out the area. The festival is held at J.D. Tudhope Memorial Park, next to Lake Couchiching. It’s a beautiful setting. For those interested in a little gambling, Casino Rama is just a few miles away. I decided to donate a few dollars, and we struck up a conversation with a friendly bartender who steered us to Quayle’s Brewery. The beer was really good! It was a gorgeous day to sit outside.

The next day we met up with Greg, Carol, and their friends. Greg was our driver the first half of the day, to show us all of the ins, outs, and secrets of getting around Orillia and the festival. This is his old stomping grounds, so he really knew his way around! Armed with this “secret” knowledge, we felt comfortable enough to drive ourselves to the festival.

In addition, Greg used to be on the board of this great festival, and knew practically everybody! It was great to be with an “insider”! In addition, Greg surprised Tim with a VIP pass so he could rub elbows with some of the performers 🙂

Tim and I have been to many music festivals, and Mariposa really shines compared to the others! Two things stood out – (1) It is a family-friendly event, with alcoholic drinks limited to two areas; (2) Everything they sell is eco-friendly, and they even have trash attendants to make sure you dispose of items in the correct bin.

The food was definitely top notch – excellent food trucks with a variety of different cuisines catering to pretty much whatever you would want.

I should add that Canadians are some of the friendliest and trustworthy people I have ever met. We would set up our chairs at the main stage early in the day, even leaving some items at our seats (like t-shirts or sweatshirts) and didn’t have to worry about chairs or items being moved or stolen. Maybe we are just overly cautious here in the States, but that is something I would normally not do.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were exceptionally beautiful days to hear music! Most (but not all) of the performers are from Canada, and although I was familiar with some of them, it was great to discover some “new to me” musicians! The highlights were Kathleen Edwards, The Strumbellas, Blue Rodeo, Allison Russell, and Gordon Lightfoot (who by the way is from Orillia, and was being inducted into the Mariposa Hall of Fame). We discovered Irish Mythen and Susan O’Neill – if they are performing in your area go see them! Irish’s personality actually reminds me of my cousin Kim Still – if you know Kim, then you know you would love Irish! Tommy Prine, Mavis Staples, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, The Small Glories, The Arrogant Worms, and Serena Ryder – all wonderful performers!

I am so happy we decided to venture outside of our comfort zone and attend this wonderful festival – I could definitely see us doing it again! The music, location, and especially the people were unforgettable 🙂

After the festival was over, we drove to Niagara Falls. More to come!

Oh, Canada! Part 1 – Toronto

We met Greg and Carol (and friends) in the Dominican Republic at John Prine’s All the Best Fest in 2019. It was fantastic! Little did we know this would be one of John’s last performances and two years of isolation were on the horizon. We learned that Greg had been on the board of a music festival in Canada that he thought we would like – and so the seed had been planted 🙂 Greg and Tim continued a virtual friendship, and once travel restrictions started to be lifted and it looked like live music and festivals were back on, Tim and I decided to head north to Canada.

Canada really isn’t that far for us in the Midwest – only an approximately seven hour drive, just across the bridge at Detroit. And we were going to need a car while we were in Canada. So, we drove to Windsor and spent the night at the Caesar’s Casino. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing to cross the border, but it wasn’t terrible either. We were crossing on a holiday weekend for both the U.S. and Canada – our Independence Day on July 4 and their Canada Day on July 1. We had to wait in line on the bridge for approximately one and a half hours, but once we got up to the drive-up window it was very quick.

Caesar’s Casino at Windsor is a very nice casino/hotel. And of course I did a little gambling while I was there. We had a really nice view in our room of Detroit across the river.

We were headed to Toronto, and really didn’t know what to expect. I mean Canada is a foreign country after all, so there had to be some things different along the way. One thing we noticed right away was how nice their roadways were. Another nice thing is their rest areas have gas stations and multiple places to get something to eat. Just remember to gas up at the rest area while you are there – I missed the turn get into the rest area gas station, and just thought I would get off on the next exit to get gas. Well, the next exit is several miles (or kilometers), and the towns along the way are pretty small and much farther from the expressway than we are used to.

By the way, gas is super expensive in Canada, so quit your complaining! Just saying …

Toronto is a great big city on Lake Ontario, and in many ways reminds me of Chicago. We stayed downtown at Delta Hotels Toronto – really close to Rogers Stadium (home to the Toronto Blue Jays) and the CN Tower. This hotel was perfect for us!

Tim has alway wanted to go to a Canadian Football League game – don’t ask me why. I actually think it came from watching one of this favorite television shows, Corner Gas. In one of the episodes, the gang attended (or tried to attend) the Grey Cup (the CFL Championship Game). It’s a hoot – check it out!

We attended the Toronto Argonauts vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL game. It’s like the NFL, but different – it’s kind of hard to explain. But it was fun! The game was held on July 4, and I felt really proud when they played the U.S. national anthem in honor of our Independence Day. The Argonauts lost 23-22 in a close game.

The next day we headed out to explore the area. First stop was the St. Lawrence Market. So much to see here! I was on a mission to try a peameal bacon sandwich at Carousel Bakery. Now I can say I’ve tried it LOL!

We explored the food stalls – this is a great place to grab a snack, lunch, or dinner. Outdoor seating is available, and even thought it was raining there were a couple of musicians entertaining us.

Next up was the Hockey Hall of Fame. Tim is fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, and since I knew virtually nothing about hockey before I met him, I am a fan of the Blackhawks (and I sometimes cheer for the Blues 🙂 ). It was raining a little, so this was a great place to spend a couple of hours.

Time for a beer! We headed to Steam Whistle Brewing, and got here right before they closed. Tasty beers close to Rogers Stadium – a perfect place for game day.

Since Steam Whistle was closing, we headed towards the lake and snagged a table at Amsterdam Brewhouse. The views are amazing here!

The next morning Tim and I ventured to the CN Tower. This is Toronto’s version of the Willis Tower (which I still refer to as the Sears Tower). The views are awesome!

Later that morning our friends Greg and Carol joined us in Toronto. We took a ferry to Toronto Island and had a lovely time at Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Co. catching up with them. It was a great afternoon!

That evening we met Greg and Carol at Touhenboku Ramen. This was my first time having ramen, and I loved it! This is something you can’t get in Springfield!

This was our last night in Toronto. There is so much to love about this city! I really enjoyed our time there, and am already thinking about the things I want to do on our next trip.

The next day we headed north to Orillia – stay tuned!

Big Chill Weekend in Kentucky

When I married Tim, I gained a whole new set of friends, who are like family, from his days at Northern Illinois University – the Mighty Huskies!! I met them all about 28 years ago at an NIU football game 🙂 In the ensuing years people have moved around the state and country, and when we found out the Mighty Huskies were playing at the University of Kentucky, it just made sense for us to go.

Our friend Peggy (married to John, Tim’s college roommate) found an awesome house for us to rent in Paris, Kentucky, about 20 miles outside of Lexington. The home, known as Mt. Lebanon, was built by the second governor of of Kentucky, James Garrard, in 1785. The house is like a museum – lots of antiques to explore! And even though the furnishings were old, the bathrooms and kitchen were all updated with modern appliances.

The beds were also of that period, and in fact I needed a step stool to get in and out of bed!

This home even has a cemetery in the yard – talk about spooky! We joked about ghosts in the house, but I didn’t see or hear anything. This would be a great place to be for Halloween!

View of the cemetery from our room on the second floor

Tim and I arrived Friday early evening, and we were the last to get into town. The festivities had already started! Friday night we planned to stay in and grill steaks provided by John and Peggy – everybody else provided the appetizers and side dishes. John brought so much meat that we cut one of the beef tenderloins into steaks for grilling, and the other one was roasted for sandwiches the next day. It definitely reminded me of the movie The Big Chill while we were getting ready for dinner that night!

The next day was game day, and we knew traffic was going to be bad. Lucky for us we did find a parking lot for us to tailgate pretty close to the stadium. And the University of Kentucky fans could not have been nicer!

Kentucky was ranked No. 8 in the country, and our starting quarterback Rocky Lombardi was out with an injury. We weren’t really expecting much, but NIU hung in there and we were actually tied at halftime, and ended up only losing by eight points. I think that was pretty respectable, all things considered.

We checked out of Mt. Lebanon on Sunday and headed to Bardstown. It was a beautiful day, so we headed about 15 miles outside of Bardstown to the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. You could definitely spend a whole day here!

We headed back to Bardstown and checked into the Talbott Inn, adjacent to the Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest western stagecoach stop in America. The place was just really cool! There are rooms to rent in the old part, and some of the rooms have historical significance (like the Jesse James Room), but we opted for the newer inn next door.

We had dinner that night at the Scout & Scholar Brewing Company, and I highly recommend this place. I went for the smoked bologna sandwich – how many times are you going to see that on a menu? It was really good, and the beer was top notch!

John and Peggy left for home the next day, but Tim and I stayed for one more day to do some exploring. If you are planning on visiting Kentucky Bourbon Country I would recommend that you make reservations at least a month in advance before your trip. That being said, we were able to get a tasting at both Willett and Heaven Hills Distillery that day. Both were excellent, and really close to Bardstown. On our way back to the inn, we stopped at My Old Kentucky Home State Park and toured the mansion that inspired Stephen Foster’s song.

We ate dinner that night at the Old Talbott Tavern, and I decided to go full-on Kentucky by ordering the Hot Brown and the Talbott Tavern Pie (same as Derby Pie). I’m probably a little biased, but Springfield’s Horseshoe beats Kentucky’s Hot Brown by a mile!

We drove back home the next day, full of bourbon balls, whiskey, and memories of a great time with great friends.

The Best Weekday Salad Dressing

I haven’t purchased bottled salad dressing for years – I love making my own! It is super easy, whether you just want a simple oil and vinegar based dressing or something more elaborate (I order the salad dressing mixes from Penzeys).

But, my new most favorite salad dressing is even easier to make! It takes only two ingredients, and you don’t have to wait for the flavors to meld to use it. I found it on the Bon Appetit website, and since I kept going back to it I decided to share it with my friends.

The two ingredients are sour cream and pickled pepperoncini – or whatever pickled vegetable you have on hand. I have used jalapeños and banana peppers, and it has turned out delicious.

The recipe – take a plop (about 1/4 cup) sour cream, 2 tablespoons of the brine from the pickled vegetables, and 1 tablespoon chopped pickled veggie. Mix together. Serve. That’s all. Voila!

I think it is a great substitute for Ranch Dressing, and you could also serve it as a dip with spicy chicken wings. Thank you Bon Appetit!

Gooooaaaaaallllll! U-S-A! U-S-A!

It’s kind of hard to believe that I had never been to Orlando – no Disney for this kid! But when the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team announced they were playing Panama in Orlando, in what could be the match that put the U.S. in the World Cup, of course we were going!

Tim has always loved soccer. He had season tickets to the Chicago Sting “back in the day”, and we still have some drinking glasses commemorating the team! I have become a fan, mainly because of him. It can be a “beautiful game”, but to a soccer novice like me it can also be very frustrating and boring. I’m still learning though!

This was going to be a quick trip since we had just returned from California a couple of weeks prior. The plan was to get into Orlando early so we could see the USA vs Mexico soccer match that night. Our flight was at 5:30 a.m. and we landed in Orlando a little after noon. It was pouring down rain – buckets! The airport was closed when we were getting ready to land due to the weather, and once we finally landed we had to sit on the plane for another 30 minutes due to lightening in the area.

We were staying at The Aloft in downtown Orlando, and ventured out to Church Street to have lunch at Artisan’s Table. This restaurant was recommended by the hotel, and we loved it so much we ended up going there twice. Delicious food!

I didn’t realize the USA v Mexico soccer match would be starting at 10:00 PM in Orlando … stupid East Coast time LOL!! We ended up watching it back at the hotel since I wasn’t sure I could stay awake for the whole thing. Also, we had a big day planned for Friday.

The next day (Friday) was our Disney Day. Woo hoo! Remember, this was our first time at any Disney Park, and neither of us knew what to expect. Prior to our trip we had done some research and consulted with some Disney fanatics to decide which park to go to, and decided upon Epcot. I’m not going to lie – I had some sticker shock!

We took a Lyft from our hotel to Epcot and arrived at the park around 10:00 AM. The first ride we encountered had a line of around 20 minutes – and at the time I thought that was too long. Newsflash – that would be the shortest line we saw our entire time at Epcot for any of the rides. Most of the lines were 90 minutes. I’m not much of a ride person anyway, which I guess is a good thing. The only ride I regret not going on was Soar. We found out later that the bartender at The Aloft Hotel was the project manager for this ride, and it sounds fantastic.

One thing adults can do at Epcot is drink and eat “around the world”. There are food and drink pavilions, as well as sit-down restaurants, at each country highlighted in the World Showcase. Pretty neat!

After several hours of eating, drinking, and wandering, I was getting tired (like a little kid) and hot, a little buzzed, and wanted to go home. I originally wanted to try and stay and see the fireworks, which I have heard is fantastic, but there was no way I could stick around until 9:00 PM!

We took a Lyft to The Wellborn to have a drink and a snack before heading back to the hotel. This place was awesome! It is located on Lake Lucerne, and is an eclectic combination of a large courtyard with patio tables and an older home that is now set up with bars and seating areas. Needless to say we loved it here – it was the perfect way to end our Disney Day!

Best Friends Means Friends Forever – may be the best drink I have ever had!

We did a little more exploring in Downtown Orlando on Saturday. Garth Brooks was playing at one of the nearby stadiums, so the city was full of cowboys. There was a pre-party set up on Church Street that got pretty crowded, so we opted to take a walk around Lake Eola. We have become the “typical retired person” and are now obsessed with birds LOL! We saw lots of birds you don’t normally see in the Midwest!

Dinner Saturday night was at a Soco – so delicious!

Sunday was Match Day! We were so excited! The stadium was within walking distance of our hotel, which worked out great. The American Outlaws Orland Chapter was meeting up at a local brewery close to the stadium, so we decided to go check that out. It turned out to be really small, with the line for beers snaking out the building. Remember how I don’t like to wait in lines? So, we ended up walking back to the stadium and found a small sub shop where we could get a bite and a beer.

There was a tailgate party next to the stadium sponsored by U.S. Soccer. It was pretty cool, family-friendly, but my only complaint – no bathroom facilities! There were two port-a-potties outside of the tailgate area, and it looked like they were there for the construction crew working on a nearby project. Oh well – poor planning!

The stadium itself is really cool – not a bad seat! Our seats were in the second deck, but we had a perfect view of the pitch.

The match itself was so much fun! Basically cheering, chanting, and drum beats the whole game! And the U.S. was scoring like crazy – the end result was 5-1. What a game!

We left Orlando to travel back to the Midwest the next day. Our message to U.S. Soccer:

We love you, we love you, we love you,
Where you go we’ll follow, we’ll follow, we’ll follow,
Cos we support the US,
The US, the US,
And that’s the way we like it,
We like it,
We like it

And our message to adults going to Epcot – start later in the day (like 5:00 PM) so you can see the fireworks 🙂

So Many Wines, So Little Time (Paso Robles)

This is my second time in Paso Robles Wine Country. We came out here to visit in 2019, and I really fell in love with the area and especially the wine. I think they produce some of the best wine in California. So of course when our friend Cheryl moved to Morro Bay and started working at a winery in Paso Robles, we were definitely coming out to visit her!

The Paso Robles wine country is about 30 minutes from Morro Bay, and the drive is really pretty, through rolling hills. We picked up lunch in Paso Robles at Red Scooter Deli. I highly recommend this place for picnic lunches at the wineries. They will deliver, but we decided to pick up.

We decided to visit Brecon Estates the first day in Paso Robles, since that is where Cheryl works. She had scheduled time off for our visit, but it really made sense for her to work on the day we planned to visit Brecon Estates. I can see why Cheryl loves working here! It is a very cute, boutique winery that makes amazing wines. We met Damian, the owner/winemaker, who is from Wales. How did a Welsh man end up in Paso Robles making great wine? Well, you should all go out there and visit with him to find out 🙂 We discovered he even spent time in St. Louis before ending up in Paso Robles.

Brecon Estates is named after the Brecon Beacons, which is a series of caves in Wales. And Wales is where Doctor Who is filmed … I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. If you did not know already, you should know that Tim is a HUGE Doctor Who fan, and loves to talk about it whenever he finds a sympathetic ear or a kindred fan 😀 Lucky for us, Damian was both – and they discussed the episodes of Doctor Who filmed at the Brecon Beacons, as well as the delicious wine made at the winery.

It was so great meeting Cheryl’s co-workers as well. Vanessa works alongside Cheryl in the tasting room, and she was super sweet. Tony, the Cellar Master at Brecon Estates, gave us a tour and talked about the winemaking process, from grape to barrel. He is such a nice guy! He even brought all of the ladies working at the winery flowers that day for International Women’s Day! As Cheryl said, his mother raised him right. Needless to say we joined their wine club.

Tim with Roy, Brecon’s Employee of the Year

Our second stop of the day was for an olive oil tasting at Pasolivo Olive Oil, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Brecon Estates. Lots of flavored olive oils and vinegars to taste and purchase – if you are tired of tasting wine this is a good stop to make.

On to the the last stop of the day, which was Dilécta Wines – another “in the neighborhood” winery to Brecon Estates. It was a beautiful day, and we sat outside on the patio and really just soaked up how lucky we were to be in Paso Robles. Oh, and the wine is really good too!

We headed back to Morro Bay and ate dinner that night at Harbor Hut. Friendly service and good food!

The next day (Wednesday), Cheryl and Ed both took the day off of work, so the four of us ventured back to Paso Robles. Since Cheryl was driving she took the “short cut”, which is really curvy! Our first stop was at Daou Vineyards. This place is just “WOW”! The tasting room is situated on top of a hill, with a magnificent view of the vineyards. The wine is really tasty too! Cheryl, being in the “industry”, got the red-carpet treatment. Our server was Austin, a chemistry major/surfer dude, and he had recently visited Cheryl at Brecon Estates. Austin was so interesting! He did a great job taking us through the Dauo line-up, and we really enjoyed our time there. It is just a beautiful setting, and you can’t beat drinking wine and eating cheese for lunch!

We were enjoying our time at Dauo so much that we didn’t realize we were going to be late for our next appointment. Never fear, Cheryl was driving! Or as Tim would say, fear for your life! 😀 Cheryl was clearly used to driving on the windy roads, and I felt very safe with her driving.

Cheryl and Tim talking about the drive from Daou to Clos Soléne

We were about 15 minutes late for our appointment with Clos Solėne, which thankfully ended up being no big deal. I found out later that Clos Solėne, along with Benom and L’Aventure Winery, are affectionately known as the “French Mafia” in Paso Robles. All three wineries are owned and operated by French people, and they are all connected to each other. It is a really interesting story, that I can relate in person (and probably embellish), so just be sure to ask me next time you see me 🙂

But why Paso Robles when you can make great wine in France? The answer is simple – control and creativity. If you are making a Bordeaux in France, there are lots of rules and regulations you must follow, and not deviate from at all. In California, you can experiment with the winemaking process and get creative with your blends.

Our tasting room host was an intern from France, who was learning all of the ins and outs of running a tasting room. She was great! We really loved the wines at Clos Solėne, and joined their wine club.

We still had time to visit one more winery before dinner, and decided to visit Venteux Vineyards. The winery had been recommended to Cheryl by some of her customers, and we can see why. It is a really fun place! They have a lot of room to spread out, and there is a stage on the property for them to host bands – if you check out their website it looks like they have music most Friday nights. Our tasting room host was awesome and a lot of fun. As a bonus we got to meet the winemaker, Toby. He was great, and had been at the winery and in the industry for many years. When he found out where we were going for dinner that night, he gifted us a bottle of wine for us to drink that night. What hospitality!

Our dinner that night was at La Cosecha Bar and Restaurant, a tapas restaurant in Paso Robles. It was so good!!

Our last full day in Morro Bay and Paso Robles was Thursday, and it started off by Tim and I finding out that poor Ed had to go to the Emergency Room the night before, and he and Cheryl got home around 6:30 a.m. Bummer! We let them rest, and Tim and I took off on our own for Booker Wines.

We have been a wine club member at Booker since 2019. They were the first winery that we visited in Paso Robles during our 2019 trip, and their wine really set the bar high for other wineries in the area. Luckily our favorite wine store carries Oublié, as well as My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet.

The winery has expanded dramatically over the last couple of years – the tasting room we used back in 2019 is now the tasting room for My Favorite Neighbor. The main tasting room is absolutely gorgeous! It is modern, elegant, and hip – they even have a record player where the customers can play the owner’s vinyl records. Their wine is just amazing, and I highly recommend a visit to this winery when in Paso Robles.

Our next stop was in Tin City. This is another “must visit” for visitors of Paso Robles. Tin City is an industrial area that is home to wineries, breweries, and food. It is like a “one stop shop” to go for wine if you have limited time in Paso Robles. I suggest watching the documentary Tin City before you go – it is eye opening!

Cheryl met us in Tin City at Benom Wines (remember the French Mafia?). Arnaud (Benom) and Guillaume (Clos Solėne) Fabre are brothers, winemakers, farmers, and BFFs. We couldn’t wait to taste the wines here! And they were delicious! If I hadn’t already joined three wine clubs on this trip, I would have definitely joined this one. I didn’t really care, but Tim (the accountant :D) was the voice of restraint. I can’t wait to go back there!

While we were in Tin City we stopped at Etto Pastificio and picked up some lasagna and salad for dinner that night. A nice bottle of wine, a beautiful sunset, and great friends – who could ask for more?

Unfortunately we were leaving the next day. We had accumulated a good amount of wine during our travels, and luckily found a place who would ship it back for us. If you are in Morro Bay, Perry’s Parcel & Gift is the place for your wine shipping needs!

We had a fantastic trip, and can’t wait to come back and discover more wine, but most importantly see our friends Cheryl and Ed ♥️

I’m Just Here For The Halibut

Oh Morro Bay, where have you been all my life? As I stated in my previous post So Many Wines, So Little Time (Santa Ynez and Edna Valleys), our friend Cheryl had moved to Morro Bay and was working at a winery in Paso Robles, living a great life. Of course we were going to come out and visit her!

One thing I love to do when I visit friends is cook with them, and Cheryl is an excellent cook. She also sells Pampered Chef, so her kitchen tools are top notch – she has everything!

Morro Bay is only about an hour and a half north of Buellton, and I immediately fell in love with it. It has a small town, laid back vibe, and Cheryl (and her boyfriend Ed) have a direct view of The Rock and of course the ocean. Ed calls it “Urban living in a 10,000 population town”. For this Midwestern girl, it was everything!

We arrived in time for lunch, and ate at Bayside Cafe. This is just what I needed! Good food at a great location. They have fried clams, and I am sucker for those. Afterwards we took a little walk and did some bird watching.

Before heading home we needed to shop for that night’s meal. And have a cocktail! Luckily the fish monger and the cocktail place were basically right next to each other. We had a drink a The Great American Fish Company, overlooking the pier. You’ll never believe what we saw – a whale spout! We sat there a long time just watching this whale, so close to land. We found out later it was probably an older gray whale, and luckily made his way out of the harbor and into the wild blue ocean by the next afternoon.

Cheryl had the menu set, and since fresh fish is in abundance, she decided we were going to have halibut. We went to Giovanni’s Fish Market & Galley to pick up some halibut. This place was awesome!

We also picked up some shrimp for an appetizer, and opened a Brecon Estate Albarino to toast our first night in Morro Bay. It was delicious of course! And served with a beautiful sunset 🙂

On to the meal! Halibut was of course the star of the show – and she had selected Guy Fieri’s Halibut Veracruz as the preparation. This was so delicious and easy, and really let the fish shine.

Our side dishes were Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic, Shallots, and Fresh Herbs and Buttery Sautéed Green Beans. Both so easy and so good!

And of course we had dessert! Cheryl made Frozen Mango, Blackberry Cassis, and Vanilla Mosaic. The perfect way to end the meal 🙂

More wine adventures ahead in Paso Robles – stay tuned!

So Many Wines, So Little Time (Santa Ynez and Edna Valleys)

I just love wine – I love learning about and especially drinking wine! So when our good friend Cheryl moved out to California to work in a winery, of course we were going to go visit her! Duh!

We decided to break the trip up into two parts – Santa Ynez and Edna Valley for four nights, and Paso Robles for four nights. In this post I will just discuss the Santa Ynez and Edna Valley wineries we visited.

I didn’t really know very much about Santa Barbara County Wine Country before going on this trip. Where should we stay? What wineries should we visit? Luckily I found a great blog post by Carpe Travel that helped a lot! We pretty much followed their itinerary for visiting wineries and picking up picnic lunches, and it worked out really well!

So where to stay? I really had no idea, but we had free nights at Marriott properties to use, so we chose the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton. Fun Fact – Buellton is the setting for one of my favorite wine movies – Sideways! I had not seen the movie for years, and so of course we watched it again before embarking on our trip.

One thing we did a couple of weeks prior to our trip was sit down and make an itinerary of where we wanted to visit – I would suggest 2 to 3 wineries per day. Then I went online and made reservations, planning out how long it would take us to get from one winery to another, and giving us at least one to one and a half hours for a tasting. We also researched what places allow you to bring in your own food.

We flew in to San Luis Obispo and then drove south about an hour and a half to Buellton. It was a really nice drive, and we stopped at Woody’s Butcher Block in Santa Maria for a sandwich – highly recommend! Very friendly service and delicious food.

Before our trip we were consulting with Cheryl and her co-workers in Paso Robles where we should go in the Santa Ynez Valley. They had a few suggestions, and in fact a wine maker from Buellton had just stopped by their winery in Paso Robles that week. She knew nothing about him or his wine, but suggested we stop in since it was located in Buellton. And that is how we made it to Imagine Wines – our first stop on our wine country vacation.

We met Ross at the tasting room for Imagine Wines, which is located in what looks like an industrial area of Buellton, but there were other tasting rooms and restaurants in the area. Ross is the owner and winemaker for Imagine Wines, and he had recently visited Paso Robles because his daughter had purchased some land up there and was going to start growing grapes. We had fun talking to Ross – he has lots of stories! A young lady named Camille visiting from the Los Angeles joined us later – she was attending a Sideways-themed bachelorette party. The four of us chatted and drank some of Ross’s wine. Ross purchases the grapes for his wines, and my understanding is that he takes more of a “winemaker influence” approach to his wines. This makes sense to me since he is not actually growing the grapes. I would recommend going here if you are going to be in Buellton, especially if it is your first stop. We had fun! But the visit really helped me to understand what an important role the quality of the grapes and how they are grown is to the winemaking process. I always understood, but now I had an experience that was fresh in my mind.

We ate at Industrial Eats for dinner – basically across the street from Imagine Wines. It was delicious!

On to our first full day of wine! We picked up our picnic lunch at New Frontiers Natural Marketplace located in Solvang. This place was awesome!! All you have to do is place your order online the night before. The we drove up to Foxen Vineyard and Winery, which had been recommended by Cheryl and her co-workers. Such a contrast to Imagine Wines! They really want the grapes to be the star of the wine, with very little winemaker influence. Their wines are delicious, and we really enjoyed our time there.

After lunch we had an appointment at Pence Vineyards and Winery. I am so glad we decided to come here! This winery ended up being one of my favorite stops on our whole trip. Josh was our host, and he did a great job explaining the farming methods they use at Pence. Again, they let they grapes shine. Their Chardonnays are some of the best I have ever had! Another favorite was the PTG – PasseToutGrains – which is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. After our tasting Tim and I walked around the property, and it is just beautiful. I highly recommend visiting Pence – you will not be sorry!

Dinner that night was at The Hitching Post II, which is featured prominently in the movie Sideways. It was good! The bar looks exactly the same as it did in the movie.

You can’t see him but Tim is in this picture!

The next day, which was a Saturday, we decided to head up to Edna Valley, which is about an hour north, close to San Luis Obispo. We picked up lunch again at New Frontiers Natural Marketplace and then headed up to Chamisal Vineyards. I had heard of Chamisal Vineyards before, and our favorite wine store carried their Chardonnay for a long time. It was a beautiful day but extremely windy. They used little magnets to keep the menus from flying away, and the wind was so strong it lifted the menu and the magnet, which went flying and slapped Tim in the head!

The wine here was delicious! I would have probably joined their wine club, but didn’t for two reasons: (1) some of their wines are available at retail outlets (2) we were running out of time since our host Will (who was probably the most knowledgable person there) kept being pulled away by one of Chamisal’s new wine club members who was sitting at the table next to ours. That person also had a “tasting room host”, but he wanted to talk to ours. And we found out that person belonged to 23 wine clubs – who does that?? 😀 We were there close to two hours and had another appointment that luckily was very close to Chamisal.

On to Kynsi Winery – I think it was only 10 minutes away maybe? Nevertheless I hate to be late anywhere. This was a really cute, pet-friendly winery. The wines were very good, and we ate our picnic lunch here. Luckily we were a sheltered from the wind, and we had a very enjoyable visit.

The last winery we visited was called Center of Effort. It is located literally across the road from Kynsi Winery, but in look and feel they are miles apart. Where Kynsi was cute and quaint, Center of Effort is opulent and sophisticated. They both make wonderful wines, and it is really up to each person what kind of vibe they prefer. I liked them both!

The next day (Sunday) we visited wineries closer to our hotel in Buellton. Our first stop was at Brave & Maiden Estate, and I am so glad we decided to come here! We arrived a little early, and waited for our tasting room host to greet us outside. The experience was amazing! The location is beautiful, and their tasting room reminded me of a friend’s home (if they were really rich and had impeccable taste). We were seated in a very comfortable room, and the wines were all ready poured and ready to be discussed and tasted. Our tasting room host was Chris, and he was very friendly and knowledgable. Many vineyards in the area took out their Merlot vines due to the movie Sideways. Lucky for us Brave & Maiden did not. We had a delicious Merlot there, as well as their Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet. I loved it so much we joined their wine club! Their wines are only available at the estate, and possibly a few lucky restaurants in California.

Our next stop was to pick up lunch at The Lucky Hen Larder in Santa Ynez. Yum!

Just a few miles down the road is Gainey Vineyards, our next stop. We decided to share a tasting here. It is a completely different experience from Brave & Maiden Estates. It is a much more casual atmosphere, and the tasting room host brings your wine in small carafes. I honestly can’t remember the number of wines we tasted – probably five or six? It was hard to keep track because they bring them all at once, and also talk about each of them, then leave you to do the tasting. It reminds a little bit of a “fast-casual” restaurant experience. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the wines, but I would have probably enjoyed them more if I had a personalized experience. That all being said, they are able to accommodate a lot more people than Brave & Maiden.

We left Gainey and then headed to Sunstone Winery. This place is really cute! We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and wines. Our host was Andre, and we found out later he is also the cellar master at Flying Goat Cellars, and pours at Sunstone on the weekends. He was very knowledgable (of course!) and really took us through some great wines. He brought us a couple of “off the tasting menu” wines to taste as well. It was an excellent afternoon, and a great place to have a picnic lunch.

We ate dinner that night at Andersen’s Pea Soup – a local landmark in Buellton. I think mine is better, just sayin’. And when I say mine I mean Ina Garten’s recipe 🙂 But while in Buellton …

The next morning we took off for Morro Bay to see Cheryl – stay tuned! Cheers!

Mai Tais, My Friends, My Happy Place

We recently visited Maui, staying at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. I have been here several times and it is my favorite place to stay on Maui. IMO its location cannot be beat – best stretch of beach in front of the hotel and you are walking distance to great restaurants and shopping. We love it there!

We also love Mai Tais – I mean, this drink just screams Hawaii! Fresh juice, dark rum, and a whole lot of deliciousness. We drank a few Mai Tais and ate some great food, and in this blog post I want to share with you some of the places we loved.

And travel buddies Sharon and Randy were with us too!

Best Mai Tai goes to – Mama’s Fish House! Let’s be honest – this restaurant could be “best of” just about everything. The location is beautiful, the fish is fresh, and the Mai Tais were phenomenal! That being said, it is really hard to get a reservation here. We started trying over two months out from our trip, and luckily they had a lunch reservation open up. If you are a foodie, this restaurant should be on your “bucket list”.

The Mai Tai was a little tarter than the others we drank on our trip, and not too sweet. It was a perfect complement to Mama’s Curry.

Tim ordered the Antarctic Toothfish, and Randy had the Bouillabaisse – everything was so good, and the service was wonderful.

The most interesting Mai Tai goes to Monkeypod and Merriman’s. Pete Merriman is the chef of both restaurants, so the Mai Tai is the same. Monkeypod is a more casual place to eat, with pizza, sandwiches, salads, and fresh fish entrees, and Merriman’s is an upscale restaurant with a fantastic view.

What makes this Mai Tai unique is the honey-lilikoi foam that floats on top. This is really good!

Monkeypod is located in Whalers Village, close to our hotel. They do not take reservations, and it was pretty easy to get a table. We all agreed the food was good, and the Mai Tai excellent.

Dinner at Merriman’s was amazing – and got our vote for best meal on the trip. It is a prix fixe menu, and of course the daily offerings change. You get to choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I don’t have enough words in my vocabulary to explain how wonderful this dining experience was!

Tako A L’Escargot, Filet Mignon, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, Rosemary Roasted Rack of Lamb, Lilikoi Pot De Creme, Chocolate Lava Cake, Pineapple Macadamia Nut Bread Pudding – this is the kind of meal you dream about!

Another favorite Mai Tai was the first one we had when we arrived – we walked down to Whalers Village and got a table at Leilani’s Beach Bar. The fresh pineapple juice was so good! It was very delicious, and almost won as Best Mai Tai (of our group LOL).

Leilani’s Beach Bar is a very casual beach side restaurant. They do not have a big menu, but after a day in the sun all you really need are fish tacos and Mai Tais, am I right?

Leilani’s upstairs restaurant is another story – a full-scale restaurant with many food and drink offerings. I ordered the 1944, a Mai Tai made like the original. It was not as sweet as the fresh squeezed Mai Tai, but very good! I personally preferred the fresh squeezed Mai Tai.

For dinner we had the Herb Roasted Mong Chong, and it was really good!

We can’t forget the restaurant at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel – Hui Hui. The hotel recently went through a major renovation and built this beach-front restaurant. It was wonderful! The cocktails are great and the bartenders and servers couldn’t be nicer – what more do you need? The Mai Tai made here is also very good, and if I had not had the previous Mai Tais I would have thought it was the best LOL! The setting, the sun, the food … it’s paradise!

Last on our list for Mai Tais is Roy’s. We went to Roy’s on what we thought was going to be Sharon and Randy’s last night in Maui (luckily it wasn’t, but that’s another story). So we had tasted a lot of Mai Tais before going there. Although their Mai Tai may not have been my favorite, their food is outstanding! I may travel back to Maui just to go there and have the Misoyaki Butterfish! The beef short ribs were also excellent.

And of course there are other places for you to get an abundance of Mai Tais – the Old Lahaina Luau will serve you as many as you can drink, and so will Trilogy. And they aren’t bad – in fact, sitting in the sun, contemplating how you can live on Maui, they taste pretty good!

Banana Bread To Die For

One of my favorite places in the world is Maui – like I could live here! Tim and I have been numerous times, but there was always one thing I wanted to do and that was to get some of the “world’s best banana bread” on West Maui.

I understand “world’s best” may be disputed – one of our servers told us the best to be had was on the Road to Hana. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And as a bonus our Thursday travel buddies Sharon and Randy are with us!

One of Tim’s favorite places is the Nakalele Blow Hole – usually not very crowded and can be very stunning. We are staying at Kaanapali Beach, so it really isn’t far. The farther north you get the landscape gets more rugged, and the road less traveled. No signage pointing “Blow Hole Here” either – you just kind of know where it is through either guide books or Google Maps. There are a couple of parking areas and walks to get down to the blow hole, or you can view it from a higher vantage point without risking a limb.

The “world’s best banana bread” is supposedly a little food truck past the blow hole. I had a guide book about 25 years ago that told you exactly where it was, but of course I didn’t bring it. We kept driving and made it to the Olivine Pools … very pretty to look at from above but beware if you want to hike down and swim – can be dangerous! We met a couple from San Diego who had also stopped at the Olivine Pools – very happy and friendly and a little older than us. They were looking for the blow hole, and I was looking for banana bread, so we happily exchanged information. Yes indeedy, they had seen the cute little food truck selling banana bread in a cute little town only about a mile from where we were. Since we had come this far of course we were going to go one more mile!

Not too much farther and the road became a little rough, and then turned into a very small one lane road along the side of a cliff – or maybe it is a mountain – but regardless there is a very steep scary drop off. So I proceed to keep going and of course I meet a truck – and there is no where to go! The truck driver backed up until he got to a place we could pass each other – very much appreciated by me! We proceeded into this small village and found a pink food truck that was selling banana bread. By this time I’m not even sure if this is the “world’s best banana bread” or not – and I did not care! We got some banana bread – yee haw!

So … we could keep going on this treacherous one lane road for another 12 miles or turn around and go back the way we came – and we chose the latter of course! I did meet a couple of cars on the one lane portion but was able to white knuckle it through.

Was it the “world’s best banana bread”? I’m not sure … I have also had some from the Old Lahaina Luau and from a food truck on the Road to Hana. The consensus from our group was that the banana bread from the Old Lahaina Luau was THE BEST – it had a cinnamon crunchy top that was just delicious.

I will say that ALL THREE of the banana breads I have eaten have been very good – but not worth dying over. And I think the couple from San Diego may have been smoking something 😜