Shopping Locally

For the Holiday shopping season, have you considered doing all your shopping in your neighborhood?

It's not a bad idea to support your local merchants, big and small, depending on where you live. Given the rainy start that we've gotten off to in Northern California, shopping close to home can be a lot less stressful than traveling any distance, and, you will be supporting your community's tax base.

My dear friend Barbara lives in San Francisco's Marina District. A few weeks ago, we met on Union Street, one of the Marina's main shopping streets, for lunch and a little shopping.

San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods, many with shopping districts filled with unique shops, restaurants, and services. Of course, San Francisco has Union Square with just about every big-name store and its theatre district, but, if you are looking for lighter crowds and personalized service, a neighborhood shopping district is the place to go.

Barbara and I started our visit with lunch at Café des Amis, a bustling French bistro.

If a French restaurant has a Croque Monsieur sandwich, a French version of grilled ham and cheese, on it's menu, both Barbara and I always order it.

Café des Amis's menu features not only a Croque Monsieur, but also, a Croque Madame, both for lunch and for dinner. The Croque Monsieur is grilled ham and cheese and dijon mustard which is topped with Sauce Mornay. The Croque Madame adds a fried egg on top of the sandwich.




For dessert, we shared the very rich and tasty Chocolate Mousse.



It was a delightful leisurely lunch. I felt like I was back in Paris.

Our shopping was mainly at BeGood Clothing, a small boutique with clothing and accessories for men and women.



BeGood Clothing is owned by two young men, both with previous corporate business experience, who decided to run their own socially-responsible business.

One of BeGood Clothings, co-owners is the son of a friend of a friend of mine in Connecticut. That's how I heard about the store.

With this disclaimer, I must say that I am very impressed and tempted by the store, its merchandise, and its enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-owners, Mark Spera and Dean Ramadan.

Their business mission is to use their sales as a way to help people all over the world. Each of the more than 35 brands and designers that they feature in the store supports a cause. For many items, the purchase of one will provide one of the same for a needy person somewhere in the world. Other purchases generate support for environmental and humanitarian causes. Mark or Dean have hand-picked the companies whose brands they carry; they will gladly share with you information about the causes supported by each item in their store.

As for the merchandise, it is fashion forward, without being extreme. I want Barbara to buy this dress. I'm modeling a jacket that I'd like to buy. And, prices are very moderate for the style and quality.

The store itself is a tribute to sustainability, with a floor made of recycled wood and eco-friendly fixtures.

When Jim and I first came to the Bay Area in the 1970s, Union Street was the "happening" street and one of our favorite destinations for a day of wandering in and out of shops and galleries. While Union Street has changed over the years, it still has the same caché.

The Best-Ever Croque Monsieur

I love sandwiches.

When I am out to lunch, if there is a Tuna Melt on the menu, that's what I will order. In fact, a few years back I wrote an article that evaluated Tuna Melts in restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

My second favorite sandwich is the Croque Monsieur, a French version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. And, what a version it is...traditionally, the filling is sliced ham and gruyere cheese, with some dijon mustard on the bread. The sandwich is grilled in a frying pan until the cheese melts. Then, it is topped with a layer of Bechamel sauce and set under the broiler until the sauce is bubbly. There are many variations on the Croque Monsieur and I enjoy most of them.

Last week I had a lunch date in Sausalito with Mary and Jane. When Mary suggested Le Garage,



where she said the food is French and there is marvelous outdoor seating overlooking the Bay, I couldn't wait to go there.



In anticipation, I checked Le Garage's menu on their web site and the Croque Monsieur immediately caught my attention.

There was no doubt about what I was going to order...not that I wasn't tempted by the Salade Nicoise or the Pan Bagnat.

Mary ordered Mussels and French Fries (Frites).



Jane went for the Salade Nicoise which was made with seared fresh tuna (to the restaurant's credit, our waiter asked Jane if seared tuna was OK for her. This is a big plus for me because, I like my fish cooked through and often experience disdain from my server when I request it so prepared).



Le Garage's Croque Monsieur was the best one I've ever eaten. And that includes very good versions in Brussels and all over France and even in the homes of French friends. Le Garage uses Brioche Bread and the cheese was perfectly melted. The sandwich was topped not only with Bechamel, but also with an added slice of cheese...absolute perfection!!!

We had a lovely visit and and a pleasant meal, all the while enjoyed the spectacular view.



No dessert for us, but, believe me, I am curious to try their Tarte Tatin on another visit.

After lunch, I stopped at the nearby Heath Ceramics factory and outlet, in hopes of snaring some seconds of their classic table ware. Their new summer designs, in shades of blue and yellow are beautiful, but there were no seconds in good enough condition for me to splurge on a bowl or pitcher.





Even at about 30% off for seconds, Health Ceramics pieces are fairly pricey. So...I need another lunch soon at Le Garage with a return trip to Heath in hopes of finding some treasures.

One final note: While I am raving about Le Garage, and it certainly is very popular despite its off-the-beaten path and away-from-tourists location, Mary later told me that she did not think her Mussels and Frites were as good as she has enjoyed in her past visits. I sampled both and had no complaints, so I guess you will have to try them yourself.

BREAKFAST AT PASCAL

Had breakfast today at Pascal French Oven in Danville with Jeremy. Over yummy food, and enjoying weather a bit warmer than the past few days, we spent a few hours talking about computers, his web development projects and video work, summer plans, and life in general.



It's been awhile since I last ate at Pascal. Happily, I found it as good and friendly as I remembered. I had one of their memorable Orange Currant Scones. Jeremy indulged in the French Combo of Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms, French Toast, and Hash Brown Potatoes.



Pascal serves breakfast and lunch every day.

By the way, Jeremy's current big web project is a 'tweens web site called Girl Ambition. Take a look at it. You can try it out for free.

A SPONTANEOUS EVENING

J and I had our evening planned out...first see "The Merry Gentleman" and then have dinner nearby at Pasta Pomodoro.

As the fates would have it, this evening as planned was not to be.

We are having an early heat wave and the temperature was over 90 degrees when we arrived at the movie theatre. It is an older multiplex and the air conditioning was working in all the theatres except the one showing "The Merry Gentleman." The show was going on, but the theatre felt warm and stuffy.

So, standing in the lobby I looked around at what else was playing and noticed "Every Little Step," the new film about casting the revival of "A Chorus Line." I'd read good things about it and had seen the revival when it came to San Francisco last year, so we decided to give it a shot.

Well, "Every Little Step" is an amazing film...I and those around me did not want it to end. Truly, I think it is better than the Chorus Line revival that I saw last year. I am recommending it to everyone and might just go see it another time.

After the movie, we drove the short distance to the shopping center where Pasta Pomodoro is. On the way over, the traffic lights were out at the intersection by the shopping center. Turns out the entire downtown Pleasant Hill was without power. Pomodoro was not taking new customers because they could not cook. We walked around and just about every shop and restaurant was closed.



Then, we got to Left Bank and the were open and serving only their cold items, both inside and out.



It was still warm enough to sit on the outdoor patio and we enjoyed a French "picnic" dinner...glasses of chilled rosé, two kinds of paté, cheese, and salad. What better meal could one have on a warm night?



J ordered Crème Brûlée for dessert and was so thrilled with it, I only got a photo of his empty dish.



The chef prepared a beautiful fresh fruit plate for me.



Sometimes the unplanned is far better than the planned...certainly the case this evening.

DINNER AND MTT

Saturday night we heard the San Francisco Symphony, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), play a wonderful program: Copeland's music from the film "Our Town," Berg's "Three Pieces for Orchestra" and Brahms Symphony No. 1.

San Francisco is so lucky to have MTT as its conductor and Saturday's performance was no exception to his excellence. Since the Berg piece was a bit complicated, and even shocking, MTT spent a few minutes before starting it, talking to the audience about its complexity and playing short examples to demonstrate his explanations. While the Berg was not my favorite, I certainly appreciated it as it was played, thanks to MTT's mini-lecture.

As we always do, we dined at one the nearby restaurants before the performance. This time it was Absinthe. I love the ambiance of Absinthe with its stylized French murals on the dining room walls.

We haven't been to Absinthe in over a year and were a bit surprised that the entrée prices have increased. Most entrées are about $30..higher than most restaurants in the neighborhood.

But, we did enjoy a pleasant meal and were seated at my favorite table, a corner booth in the main dining room that allows both of us to look out onto the dining room from our cozy corner.



I started with a cup of Squash Purée, a thick squash soup flavored with ginger and topped with toasted almonds and crème fraîche. Jim chose the French Onion Soup.




For entrées, we both ordered the Grilled Scallops...three grilled scallops on a bed of sunchoke purée, baby artichokes, fennel and wilted chard.



To end our meal, we shared a selection from the Cheese menu which offers about a dozen cheeses. Our choice was the Portuguese Toledo cheese which was accompanied by medjool dates and toasted raisin bread.




A nice San Francisco evening of food and culture.

OUR NAPA VALLEY NEW YEAR TRADITION

Today we indulged ourselves in another of our New Year Traditions, the Annual Sale at Vanderbilt and Company in St. Helena in the Napa Valley.
We left home a little before 8 a.m., to assure that we'd be there for the 9:30 a.m. opening on this, the first day of the sale. It was a clear but very cold early morning with temperatures in the low 30s...very cold by Northern California standards.

We had an easy drive up which left us with plenty of time to get tea/coffee and pastries at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company around the corner from Vanderbilt.


We had Louie with us, so all our dining for the day was outdoors. We found a sunny spot on the deck at the Roasting Company and spent a pleasant half hour sipping our drinks with our pastries. It was tea and a Morning Bun for me and coffee and a toasted Bagel with Cream Cheese for Jim. Louie ate scraps from our pastries and sipped water from the communal dog bowl on the deck.



My personal tradition at the Vanderbilt Sale is to be the first one in the store when the doors open. Curiously, this is an extremely civil sale where loyal customers like me do not storm the doors and have fights over merchandise...nothing like one Saks after Christmas Sale where I witnessed well-dressed women fighting on the floor for possession of marked-down purses!





So what's so wonderful about Vanderbilt's Sale?...by the way this is the 24th Annual one. Vanderbilt and Company sells the most beautiful of table top items and other home furnishings such as linens, towels, soaps, and lots of gift items. They have one of the largest selections of Vietri ceramics from Italy that I know of in the Bay Area. The store is friendly and attractive. AND, for the sale, which goes on for a few weeks, lots of items are marked down 50%...remainders, discontinueds, odd pieces...and everything else, including special orders, is 20% off. Of course Louie is welcome here too which means that Jim is not left standing out in the cold. We spent over an hour here and came away with two bags of "stuff," including a marvelous wedding present for some special friends, new cloth napkins and placemats for me, a glass serving plate, and miscellaneous towels and other gift items.

After that, we walked up and down the main street in St. Helena, checking out other favorite shops.

By now it was just about time for lunch and we headed to Yountville for lunch on the patio at Bouchon, one of Chef Thomas Keller's several restaurants in Yountville. Bouchon is Keller's French Brasserie..yes this is the Thomas Keller of French Laundry just up the street.


At noon the temperature was in the 50s and it was delightful sitting outdoors.



Louie had his own bowl of water and also snatched things off our table.






We shared a salad of red and white endive, Roquefort, walnuts, and apples...very tasty, but they forgot the apples.

We both decided on the day's Tartine...an open faced sandwich with Fries. Today's Tartine was braised pork..sort of pulled pork...with pickled onions and pickles. Our server advised us that the serving of Fries is very large and suggested we choose another side dish for one of us. We chose the sautéed Butternut Squash with currants.




We passed on dessert but lingered over coffee, enjoying the beautiful Napa Valley day and chatting with others who were dining on the patio.




For one final stop, we went into the Bouchon Bakery next door to buy a loaf of bread to take home to a neighbor. He's happily enjoying Olive Herb Bread as I write this.




It's a day like this that makes everyone want to live where we do.

LEFT BANK...THE FRENCHEST PLACE IN CONTRA COSTA

Left Bank in Pleasant Hill is one of the few restaurants in Contra Costa County that serves authentic French food. There are a few other French restaurants in the area, but none compare in food and ambiance to Left Bank.

I love Left Bank's elegance in that haughty way that the French can be. If I didn't hear English being spoken around me, I'd think I was in a Parisian Brasserie.

So, after the movies in Downtown Pleasant Hill last Saturday, we had dinner at Left Bank.




The restaurant always celebrates some region or holiday and this time it was Burgundy. We started with the Butter Lettuce Salad which we shared. The kitchen split it into two servings of this very generous size.



Jim couldn't resist the special Burgundian Beef Bourguignon. I went for one of my favorites, Steamed Mussels and Frites (French Fries).






Since my last visit to Left Bank, they've added small dessert servings to their dessert menu. Wanting just a little something sweet to end the meal, I ordered the small serving of three Financiers.


Financiers are tiny almond cakes...really little loaves. I often buy them in bakeries in France, but until last Saturday at Left Bank, the only place I get them in the States is in my kitchen when I go to the bother to bake them. What a treat!

All the seafood served at Left Bank is sustainably harvested. The Charcuterie is from Fra' Mani, the Berkeley company that handcrafts is salumi from pork raised with no antibiotics and vegetarian food. Other dishes which I recommend and which are regularly on the dinner menu include Coq au Vin, Cheese Fondue (lovely to start or end a meal), Roast Chicken, and Steak Frites.

There is live music in the Pleasant Hill Left Bank lounge weekend evenings...a nice place to linger over a drink after dinner or to just drop in for a light bite to eat.

In about a year or so, Left Bank has plans to leave Pleasant Hill to a new site in Walnut Creek in the Mercer condominium complex. This is a loss for Pleasant Hill which doesn't have any other restaurant as nice as Left Bank. The good news is that the Left Bank group is keeping this attractive property and will have another restaurant with a different concept...maybe American Bar & Grill?...in this same location.

There are other Left Bank restaurants in Northern California in Larkspur, Menlo Park, San Jose, and San Mateo. Chef Roland Passot, who started the Left Bank group as a casual French dining alternative to his more elegant La Folie in San Francisco, is still attracting crowds to La Folie for that special night out. Chef Passot also operates Tanglewood, an upscale American restaurant in Santana Row in San Jose.