Redd Restaurant in Yountville, CA Napa Valley

During out many trips to the Napa Valley, we have been fortunate to dine at some of the areas premier restaurants with many favorable results.  However, this casual boutique fine dining restaurant in the heart of Yountville has become our go-to favorite, in fact we apparently have to resist eating there every day :) Redd presents an infinitely enjoyable combination of fresh gourmet fare, garden like patio setting and casual service style! www.reddnapavalley.com Invariably we encounter a couple of starters, salads or entrees that we desire to emulate. Their produce from the local farms, or just in back of the restaurant is fresh and organic and their proximity to some of the best culinary schools in the world along with Richard Reddington's passion for food innovation reflects a synergy of international components.  There is a consistency & slight edgy risk-taking flair that delights the palate and keeps the restaurant fresh and energetic. Do not miss this one when in Napa, be sure to call ahead for reservations and if you like patio dining be sure to request it and sip some wine in that great setting. http://dunnvineyards.com/wines.htm  http://www.outpostwines.com/index-2.html This is RJ Kirk @ Cafe 1853, Enjoy!

Fresh Halibut Tacos

We have eaten fish tacos over the years with mixed results so decided it was time to try making our own and after some experimentation we like the results!  One big point worthy of note is that your own kitchen does not have the same time pressure and food cost constraints that a restaurant has and this is always to your advantage.  As an example, for this preparation we are using our preference of fresh halibut in good portion, whereas at an establishment the required price point might just exceed the market.  In addition, all of the ingredients are organic making the combination just super good and super healthy. This entree is real easy with the possible exception of the "frying" the fish, so just a couple of tips along with the video: 1) Bring the fish to close to room temperature making it happy with Cajun seasonings 2) Use a high heat oil such as safflower and bring it up to medium-high temperature 3) You can place a trial "finger" into the pan to test, it should sizzle immediately allowing the fish to crisp & seal without absorbing the oil 4) The trick is to not play with it too much, just shake it around gently and only turn it once 5) It cooks fast so stay focused and only about 1-2 minutes per side at most.  This is a custom dish so ingredient variations according to taste are encouraged. Pair this with your favorite beer, Tequila (variations) or Sauvignon Blanc. Almost forgot: the amazing piece of halibut we used and the Canjun's choice seasoned fish fry came from www.geminifish.com and the rest of the ingredients from www.pccnaturalmarkets.com This is RJ Kirk @ Cafe 1853, Enjoy!

Dunn Vineyards: Howell Mountain Cabernet

During our recent trip to Napa we had the privilege of being invited to a wine tasting at Dunn Vineyards, an exclusive winery towards the top of Howell Mountain.  We have attended many wine tasting, but none of been as rewarding, entertaining and pleasant as our experience there.  As you arrive down the long drive, the vineyards and acreage of the family farm surround you leading to immediate thoughts of "can I live here"? As we parked the car by the original family home we were first greeted by Roscoe (see video) followed shortly by Kristina, one of those individuals that is warm, energetic, inviting and instantly your friend: the tour of the property, cave and facilities was relaxed and very informative; there is such a passion for wine there. So generously, we "tasted" the 2005, 2006 and 2008 vintages; all unique but similar in that they are extraordinary wines of great depth and complexity.  There was something about the 2008 that we just fell in love with; a concentration of fruit and total palate satisfaction that words cannot define. Perhaps it was because almost 50% of the grapes were lost in an late frost delivering more intensity to the remaining yield. As we were visiting, Randy & Lori Dunn arrived and exhibited the type of warm farm hospitality that is unforgettable, along with their newest puppy Dominga (ok thought it was a boy in the video)! Randy Dunn is a wine artist now passing the nuances of wine making to his son Mike; rare amongst Napa's big Cabs they are able to created infinitely drinkable and cellar worthy wines with lesser alcohol and greater results. We know we have used many superlatives in this narrative, but trust us on one little thing; words are not adequate to describe how much we appreciated our experience there.  So if in Napa, look them up at http://dunnvineyards.com/index.htm ,remember you must make an appointment.  From RJ Kirk @ Cafe 1853, Cheers!!

Cook at Saint Helena

Have you ever asked a local about where they eat lunch, checked it out and then had the most amazing culinary experience? About 3 years ago this happened to us in Saint Helena, CA at a quainte little Northern Italian restaurant named simply "Cook". You know one of those bistro retro type places that serves gourmet food in a casual atmosphere that is just over the top good. Last week we had the privilege to dine there again and it was even better then our recollection if that were possible. The salads were stunning; both the mixed green and the Caesar salad with chicken.  But the main course Bolognese was just so amazingly crafted with culinary patience that we were left speechless, a rare occurrence for us :) To be honest we have been trying for those 3 years to duplicate this dish with good results but just never quite the same. However, we spoke directly to the chef this time and think we may have discovered the secret; anxious to test and share with all of you. So when you are in St. Helena do not miss this great little gem. This is RJ Kirk @ Cafe 1853, Enjoy!

Vineyard 29 Napa Valley Wine Review

Over the years we have experienced many wine tastings in Napa: the styles or art of the wine is richly varied along with the venues ranging from intimately casual to just plain impressive. Our first experience with Vineyard 29 came through the generosity of our NetSuite software supplier in a previous corporate life. Since then, through the “research” of others we have joined their wine club and are bi-annual recipients of their Cru Cabernet non-estate offering, a truly exceptional value. We had the privilege through the advance planning of our “entourage” to participate in a private tasting at the Vineyard 29 estate.

 Our tasting began casually on the terrace overlooking a view of the Napa valley where we enjoyed a Sauvignon Blanc and CRU Cabernet. The owner, Chuck Mcminn (with wife Anne) took time to share the history of the estate and the present vision for making an extraordinary wine, approachable in its youth while also rewarding patience in the cellar. Do not miss reading the history at www.vineyard29.com Austin Gallion, our host, has a diverse culinary & wine background that enhanced the experience of the tour. The winemaker Philippe Melka, along with a remarkable staff, is responsible for turning the vision into reality.

As we toured their modern facility we were impressed by the introduction of cutting edge technology into the process and art of winemaking.  The expressed goal of “be gentle and selective with the grapes and use gravity only” is exhibit from growth, harvesting, “crushing”, fermentation, racking, and aging to bottling. The over-the-top application of technology even includes sensor measurement of watering to individual vines in order to optimize their struggle.  Other related factoids: multi-ton oak barreling with gravity to elevator “pump-over” after stainless steel vat fermentation to smooth tannins, gravity hoses to French oak barrel racking, use of native yeast in perfect balance where grapes allow, sorting of grapes with laser technology.

Upon arrival at the tasting room deep inside the cave corridor we were greeted with a well set table of wine and food pairings; the tasting order was 1) 2009 Aida Estate Zinfandel  2) 2008 Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 3) 2009 29 Estate Cabernet Franc. All of these wines exhibit a great combination of power, nuance and finesse that delights the palate. Only because of our preference for cabernet, the 2008 Aida Estate was our personal favorite with a big wow factor all around; from the caramel/tobacco nose to the big complex bright dark berry over the mid-palate to the lingering finish the wine is extraordinary, making our description inadequate. Better to view the winemaker’s notes on their website at www.vineyard29.com

Located on a vista overlooking the narrowest point of the Napa Valley their address is 2929 Hwy 29 (St. Helena Hwy N.) and “coincidentally” the combination of their V29 & Aida Estate Vineyards is 29 acres! So if you cannot remember the address, no blame on our part J This is RJ Kirk with Café 1853, Cheers!

Staple & Fancy Ballard Restaurant Review

We had the opportunity to dine at Staple & Fancy on Friday and as usual we were well rewarded by the experience. Quietly situated in old Ballard in an old Mercantile building (the wall is historic) the restaurant  displays a casual trendy atmosphere to the delight of patrons. It seem that every time we join them we are served a couple of items that we would like to duplicate or at least emulate; this evening was no exception: the Corona bean appetizer & English Pea with Dungeness Crab Soup were particularly superb. Certainly, replication is the greatest form of flattery! The service style is a perfect combination of attentiveness, privacy and connected conversation. We were fortunate enough to have the manager, Senen, handle our table and on such a dynamic night we were very well served. The menu is well focused (limited entrees) which allows for the consistent strength out of the kitchen that one would expect from an Ethan Stowell establishment. ethanstowellrestaurants.com/stapleandfancy We encourage you to dine there, you will be favorably impressed.  This is RJ Kirk with Cafe 1853, Enjoy!

2009 Caymus Napa Valley Wine Review

This is our 2nd wine review at Cafe 1853 and we picked a perennial favorite, the 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet. We are not wine experts, but we know what we like and we love this one! To classify this wine as a "cocktail" wine is inadequate but is does confirm that this wine is pure candy and can be enjoyed without food or minimal compliments, in fact you might just prefer it that way.  The wine is deep in color with a very aromatic nose already (for a such a young wine) on display. It exhibits bright bold red fruit on the palate enhanced by some fine vanilla toast. The winemaker is Chuck Wagner and he just produces consistently fine wine. Be sure to read the back label, the story there is fascinating and a clue to all the art that goes into each vintage. The wine tasting notes can be found at http://www.caymus.com/#/our-wines_overview/our-wines_napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon/nvcs_2009_vintage and we would not attempt to describe the wine better than Chuck himself. The general impression of those sharing this wine with us last evening was highly favorable, all noting the big fruit experience and the long lingering finish that seemingly went on forever. We acquired this wine at our favorite local wine supplier http://www.peteswineshop.com/ To your health and to your enjoyment, this is RJ Kirk with Cafe 1853, Cheers All!!

Sirloin Steak Soup with Vegetables!!

This is the best beef vegetable soup ever, period! Yes, the ingredients are a bit pricier than normal but can you really put a price on greatness? YouTube made us select a random picture for sure, but please just watch the video :) There are several keys to the depth of flavor in this soup, so we list them in order: 1) Searing the Sirloin Steaks in the Dutch Oven, just rare so the final outcome is right on, 2) The order of introducing the ingredients to the pot matters, yes it really does big time, 3) Use the Cherry Bomb Pepper not just for heat but for flavor, 4) Use the combination of broths above 5) The splash(s) of red wine vinegar to finish is a must, we learned this from a truly great gourmet country cook from 3 generations ago, so pay attention :) All the ingredients in this soup are organic and the sirloin is clean lean meat; yes, this really does matter. Nearly all the ingredients for this soup came from www.pccnaturalmarkets.com Especially recommend you buy their country natural sirlion (ask for Barbara if she is there at Issaquah). This is about as hearty a soup as you can get so all you "big" guys out there will destroy this real fast :) You can stretch the soup with a quality brown rice (like the sprouted, partially hulled version) if that is your preference, but to truly savor this amazing broth you might want to skip it; just cleaner without it, especially for you Paleo people out there.  Oh, never add the rice to the soup, keep it separate until serving and this goes for leftovers also. Make more than you think you should, trust me it is going to disappear :) The quantities of the ingredients are fairly obvious from the video and also subject to personal preference, but we will produce the list real soon.  This is RJ Kirk with Cafe 1853, Enjoy!

Betty Restaurant Review

Last night Cafe 1853 had the privilege to dine at the Betty Restaurant on Queen Anne hill: http://www.eatatbetty.com/  Since this was our 3rd time we thought it was about time to formally compliment them on the dining experience they provide. Simple put, this is a great little casual restaurant with a really strong kitchen! Combine that with reasonable pricing and you have success. We would characterize their menu offerings as either very high-end comfort food or casual fine dining: check it out and you decide :) Perhaps the most unique feature of their entrees is that they are served over real spectacular broth based sauces; if we "discover" their secret we will share.  The 4 items we selected will be rotate at the top of this blog when you hit play. 1) Spanish Potato & Chive Croquettes with petite salad and chevre vinaigrette: this disappeared before I got a taste so had to be fantastic. 2) Asparagus Cream soup du jour: very good with a truffle oil finish, would be even better with no cream and a creme fresh finish. 3) Slow Braised Lamb Shank with creamy polenta and gremolata: very good unique twist on this one, if you like lamb order it,well braised and the base is amazing. 4) Pan Roasted Chicken with seasonal vegetable and fingerling potatoes: seared to perfection with roasted garlic and, not to be redundant the broth base is incredible. Get there early, we had 6P reservation and by 7P on a Monday night they were packed!  We would like to see their wine list enhanced a bit; we chose a Chateauneuf-de-Pape 2007 that paired well across our menu selections. Drop into Betty when in the area or make a special trip, you will be favorably impressed!  This is RJ Kirk with Cafe 1853, Enjoy!