Climbing Half Dome is on many people’s bucket list. I can safely scratch it off of mine. Last month, I was part of a group that set out to climb Half Dome as part of a 50th birthday celebration. Sad thing was (happily, the only sad thing about our climb) is that the birthday girl broke her ankle the DAY BEFORE we left! We had to set out on our adventure without our fearless leader.
As many of you know, a big part of any adventure is about the food and wine! On our way to Yosemite, my roomie and I stopped in at a BBQ place in Manteca, Weber’s BBQ. OMG! I haven’t had pulled pork like that in ages. I wanted to cry with happiness during my meal, the pork and the sauce was that good. Intensely spicy but not too hot, and so tender that it melts in your mouth. The owner extraordinaire is Carissa (who is also a preacher) and her helping hand is her son Myles. They welcome you in like it was their home. If you are ever driving through this area, you MUST STOP and say hi to Carissa and eat some of her BBQ! Camping at the Ahwahnee is the only way I will go camping. The architecture is just breathtaking, it almost doesn’t matter what the food was like. Thankfully, it’s pretty good there at the lodge. I say pretty good, it’s fairly spendy but then, you are paying for the incredible view. The wine list was average, with hits from well-known California wine producers, but you could find some gems in there. We selected a few wines from Tablas Creek. The hike went well and the best part about hiking 16 miles is that you can pretty much toss your diet out the window for that night. On our way back to San Francisco, I shared Weber’s BBQ menu with the girls. Everyone called ahead and picked up their dinners to take back to their families. The only problem is that when my roomie and I called, they had been cleaned out of ribs. Majorly bummed for myself but very happy for Carissa to get such great business. She’s working on getting her wine/beer license and I hope to be helping her out with a few selections. Manteca is no longer a place to drive thought on your way to Yosemite, Weber’s BBQ puts in on the map! Webers BBQ: 823 Mellon Ave, Manteca, CA 95337 Tel: (209) 823-4227 Hours: Tue-Thu 11am–7pm; Fri-Sat 11am–9pm; Sun-Mon Closed The Ahwahnee Hotel
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Bar Tartine has me humming a new tune. After a year of construction and eating out of necessity, I was inspired again by the wine and food at Bar Tartine. If you are in San Francisco or visiting soon, put it at the top of your dining destinations. The wine and the food are incredibly put together at reasonable prices. When our group sat down, I wanted to order one of everything off both menus. Seriously. Everything looked so interesting and well thought out.
Alex Fox is the general manager and sommelier for the restaurant. This gentleman has a handle on pairings, great producers, great prices and interesting varietals. The average person may view the list and not recognize one producer’s name but his easy manner and well-trained staff are there to help you through to the path of enjoyment and enlightenment. The chef, Nicolaus Balla, takes inspiration from Hungary and Eastern Europe. All his dishes have a modern twist and fills a void in SF culinary scene. Our table started out the night with a selection of house-made pickles; langos (fried potato bread, garlic, onion & sour cream) and blistered Padron peppers and goat cheese and whey—all paired nicely with a 2009 Müller Thurgau from Abbazia di Novacella, Alto Adige, Italy. The next wave of shared plates were duck paté; romano beans, fingerling potatoes, corn, basil flower buds and fried chicken livers, aioli, lemon, chopped endive, washed down with a 2010 Massican, Tocai/Ribolla Gialla Blend from Napa. I still can’t believe that wine was from Napa such restraint and minerality with a strong acid backbone. The next course (we did finally order one of the entrées) was the chicken paprikas and the kohlrabi salad. With this course Alex recommend the 2009 Diochon “Moulin-à-Vent”, Cru Beaujolais. Perfect companion. Even though we all agreed we couldn’t eat one more bite nor drink another drop, we ordered the Turo cheese tart, buckwheat, strawberry & caraway honey and the fried peach pierogies. Alex selected one glass of the 2008 Roccolo Grassi, La Broi, Recioto di Soave. All of our palates were in heaven, humming a lovely tune. I can’t wait for my next visit to to Bar Tartine and dive into Alex’s wine menu and Chef Balla’s unique cuisine. One trip will nourish you in more ways than one. |
AuthorAngela Camacho, a certified sommelier and author of a best selling wine tool, The Wine Wheel®, shares her obsession with wine and food. Archives
May 2016
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