Eleven Madison

Eleven Madison was by far the best dining experience thus far. From the moment we sat down, not receiving a menu, being completely surprised, sitting next to my hubby and enjoying every single bite- this restaurant was like a dream!

The Picnic Basket of cheese made especially for the restaurant, as well as the craft beer made from Ithaca that is only available at this restaurant!

Each course was incredible, from the surprise in the box to the 140 day dry aged beef and the palate pleasing beef broth we were given to sip on to get us ready for the beef course! WOW.

 

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#BottleShareAwesomeness

My hubby and I have had a great few months. We went to Spring Training with our pals, brought back a ton of awesome craftbeers from Total Wine in Arizona. Then we went on our honeymoon to Chicago, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, New Jersey and New York. We brought back beers from all of those places too. We enjoyed an epic bottle share with some friends that added many other beers to the mix. It was a night of many beers and many laughs. Where to begin…

 

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And for my very favorite…

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We must have opened 40 bottles! What an experience!

 

Seize the Day in Alexander Valley

It’s Summertime and the livin’ is easy (especially when you are in the
beautiful Alexander Valley!). The activities are endless and on a
single day, you can pack in as many wonderful, sensory fulfilling
adventures you would like! Submerged, myself,  in the local industry
(wine), I love the summertime because I continue to be introduced to
new, cool day trips from all of the guests that come through the
valley.

Whether you are a bride-to-be, a groom-to-be, honeymooning, visiting
for the sake of visiting or even passing through to another
destination; Alexander Valley has the view, the food, bikes, canoes,
kayaks, the river, the back country roads, wine tastings and the place
to crash if you have too much fun! Although, is there such a thing!?
The Hope-Merrill bed and breakfast is a quaint, old school B & B that
is sure to please those that want that attention from the
innkeeper/owners, good food and cozy rooms. The Geyserville Inn is
another wonderful place to stay with views that are so absolutely
stunning, they are sure to take your breathe away!

The days are much longer in the summer and its a good thing because
the is so much to see and take in! I always enjoy a bike through the
valley taking in the views. Beginning my ride near Simi Winery, I
always enjoy a stop along the roads to photograph the beauty along the
railroad tracks with my Iphone. The rusty tracks with purple, white
and orange flowers (in the early part of Summer) are the perfect
setting for the envy shot (the one I post for my friends who are
unable to enjoy it in person)! Even when the grass turns (the later
part of summer), the rustic elegance shines through in the bright
sunshine with the rough, rust peeling from the railroad tracks.

Fresh fruit is key so just past my stop is a small stand on the side
of the road across from Alexander Valley Road that I like to pick up a
few things to enjoy with lunch. I continue north, up to Lytton Station
& Geyserville Avenue where the vineyards are endless and view of the
mountain range in the distance is spectacular. The road into
Geyserville shows off new art: a bright pink stick person “Running
Home” because Geyserville/Alexander Valley feels like home to anyone!
After a leisure ride through the valley, I like to get my hands on a
hearty turkey and cranberry from the Geyserville Mud. Pair that
sandwich with the refreshing taste of the Mud’s famous cold pressed
coffee (take it black, you will be surprised at how naturally sweet
the beans really are!).

After a nice filling lunch and some fuel for the soul, I like to make
a stop at one of my favorite Ma and Pop wine tasting rooms: Route 128.
Not only are Lorna and Pete (the owners) two of the best people, but
their Viognier is to die for and is the perfect accompaniment with my
dinner later! The ride is not over, the ride deep into the heart of
Alexander Valley is phenomenal even from the road. Past the Grange
Hall on the left are vineyards belonging to Rodney Strong, a staple
winery with their Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon is something to write
home about (that is the vineyard we are passing). Moving along the
road, the River Rock Casino is in the distance and many beautiful
private homes when finally I arrive at the driveway of one of my
favorite stops: Stryker Sonoma. I like this winery mostly because of
the wine and the people but to be honest after riding through the
valley, it’s the one hill I can cycle up without feeling like passing
out and I still get “the view from above”. Cycling through the valley
in the summer can be difficult so it’s imperative to stop and say
hello to friendly folks, plus, they do not mind if you stop in for the
restroom or to see the view.

Heading home on Alexander Valley Road I cross the Alexander Valley
bridge where the campground is. This is a popular spot for locals and
visitors to take a quick dip or relax by the Russian River. The canoes
down below the bridge remind me of the fun of canoeing down the river
and biking through the valley. Getaway Adventures offers a fun tour
called the Pedal N Paddle. The Rivers Edge is another local shop to
rent a fun water vessel to get yourself into the Russian River for the
afternoon should you fancy creating your own experience.

Although, I enjoy abiding by my own itinerary, I  also recommend a
guided tour to my guests because it is a more hands on experience and
a wonderful way to learn about the area from a professional, when you
are visiting. Getaway Adventures serves the Alexander Valley visitors
well. They are known for their “Sip N Cycle” (among other tours of
course) providing the perfect itinerary for each group or individual.
Visit vineyards such as DeLormier and Robert Young accompanied by a
tour guide to help with the wine tasting experience and even enjoy a
luxurious lunch. Ride along wine country roads like Red Winery Road
visiting some of the family owned wineries Alexander Valley is known
for, “Our philosophy is ‘Get away from it all’, so wherever tour buses
go, we head in the opposite direction as far and as fast as we can!”
President Randy Johnson says. They strive to create the perfect
experience for their guests. Exclusive tours are available at wineries
such as Skipstone, a hard to find, off the beaten path estate making
some of the most amazing Cabernet Sauvigon I have tasted (worth a
visit)!  All of the tours are supported with a van and a local guide
for safety and education, both on the bike and off. “Our guides are
the best in the business…we select, train and retain the best
possible guides that act as a wine educator, Sherpa, concierge, chef,
confident, all wrapped into one!” Explains President Johnson. Their
company offers services to ship your wines, feed you a locally
inspired lunch and ensure you end your day safely.  I know first hand
what they do for their guests and would recommend their services and
experiences to anyone.  This truly is a funway to experience Alexander
Valley!

 

<3

Article in Sonoma Discoveries Magazine- Healdsburg Tribune/Sonoma West

What I like about Summer in Alexander Valley

Each meal can be completed in the valley and perfectly paired either with the help of a knowledgeable professional, on your own or simply because its chemistry. Summer means warm weather, fresh produce and happy vitamin-D energized people all throughout the valley.

For those of you who have followed along with my pairings, it is quite clear the genuine love I have for Geyserville. One of my staples is the Geyserville Mud. When I first met Geyserville Mud, I was introduced to how coffee really should taste with their specialty cold
pressed coffee made with Thanksgiving Coffee. It is made exactly how it sounds: pressed cold. The difference is that it takes much longer and the result is a small concentrated amount of liquid that extracts so much of the nutty, sweet notes of the coffee bean, making it so
even the sweetest coffee drinker takes it black. Hooked on this Summer delight, I was excited to hear that now I can enjoy it with waffles on the weekends! The waffles are made in house and are served with either fresh strawberries or caramelized bananas.
I personally prefer the caramelized bananas atop the waffles along side that cold pressed coffee to wash it down. The tables out front (if available) make for the ideal setting to people watch!

Is it noon yet? Somewhere it must be so I like to pretend I am in Italy and head to Diavola where it’s never too early to have a wonderful red “jug” house wine produced by Alexander Valley winery, Hawkes specially for Diavola. I pair this Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend with Dino’s (the Chef/Owner) salami and cheese platter. Diavola uses the “Cucina Provera” practice in the kitchen, it is like a small village mentality; they use locally grown and produced ingredients, recipes that have proven to be well mastered
and delicious and nothing is wasted! Locals and visitors alike flock to Diavola for this perfect palate pleasing duo.

An Alexander Valley classic is the Jimtown Store. Centrally located in the heart of the beautiful valley, positioned right next to several family owned wineries along with a 360 degree view of vineyards. Jimtown has this incredibly moist chocolate chip bread pudding that they top with house made Dulce de Leche whipped cream. I pair this tasty treat with the (decanted) Estate Grown Zinfandel from Starlite Vineyards. This combo is a wonderful treat after a long day; feet up, cozies on and under the stars on a warm summer eve: pure bliss.

Now my journeys with Alexander Valleys finest would be far from complete if I failed to mention the super fabulous fact that there is now a pool in the area, Coppola Winery.  It can be quite difficult to make a reservation (they book up fast!) but if by chance I am able to
get a seat by their pool, I jump on it. For $20 I can be poolside in Alexander Valley and be treated like royalty. They have their poolside cafe for the appetite but the way to go is cocktail service! I enjoy a traditional Tanqueray and tonic with a splash of bitters (the bitters adds a bit of an herbal note, perfect with the juniper taste).

Where ever the journey takes us, the sure things are: senses will be pleased with tantalizing dishes and drinks,  the people are friendly, the views spectacular and the pairings will be perfect. I love Alexander Valley.

Getting lucky!

I recently was the lucky gal that won two tickets to one of my favorite wineries winemaker dinner: Roederer Estate! Each year they do a winemaker dinner with a local Mendocino restaurant, Cafe Beaujolais. The Chef and the Winemaker get together and prepare a Dungeness Crab specific menu paired with the wonderful Roederer sparkling wines.

I plan these events and execute them for a living and I was truly impressed. Naturally I was excited to be able to go to a nice dinner {on the house} with my husband but I was also so excited to be able to research some other estates that have been in business for many years! We were greeted by the lovely winemaker and his wife: Arnaud & Florione. They were as humble as I had hoped a sparkling winemaker would be!

We began the evening with an aperitif: Roederer Brut with peach juice and a splash of bitters; a fabulous beginning to an oh so rich and wonderful eight course meal.

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Foie Gras on top of a crab cake won ton {shhhh… the foie was IMAGE_D93F7B2F-5C4C-483E-A90A-8CEC30C5C76A.JPGthere but not Really there…} IMAGE_DC2C586B-79A3-42AA-A3AB-7D3196CC9D9E.JPG

Crab Beignets. YUM.

 

 

IMAGE_D1AE98A4-C698-4957-A385-A1049F55EF25.JPG“He” Crab bisque with puff pastry.

 

 

 

IMAGE_9B35CF82-FEB2-4AFA-A145-B8024551990A.JPGA current release 2008 Brut Rose VS. a 1990 Brut Rose from the same area- can sparkling wine age well? Yes, it can! What a treat! The 1990 had beautiful notes of caramel, mocha and nutmeg- a true dream.

 

Crab, brown butter roasted squash, toasted pecans.

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IMAGE_0B1530D4-7FCF-4EAD-9491-45975366442D.JPGPersimmon sorbet- interesting, not my thing but a beautiful look.

 

 

IMAGE_D53050C8-DF57-48C0-880A-48DBF088864F.JPGA new local cheese producer.

 

 

 

Bread pudding with candy-cap mushroom sauce and candid bacon!

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A fantastic experience. The winemaker was charismatic and entertaining, he was warm, along with his wife. They were detailed in their information, social and friendly. I had a wonderful time doing research for work!!

 

 

 

 

 

Best of 2012!

 

2012 has been an intense year for my family. We have definitely had our fair share of fun in the Poshepery {Poshepny-Vallery} household.

 

My birthday is in February and usually we have to plan for something awesome but this year, our favorite football team made it to the National League Championship, the San Francisco 49ers. That was a great day, we all looked like stooges in our clear plastic suits covering our clothes because of the pouring rain. Our seats were completely exposed the entire game and we lost but it was surely fun!

 

What would a birthday be without a taste of once-a-year released craft beer?! My Love and I LOVE Pliny the Elder at Russian River Brewery and the Younger comes out for a limited time in February, sometimes for only two weeks! The line is long, the limit is two 10 ounce glasses per person…we try to go several times. We waited in line at 10:30am {they open the doors at 11am} and the line was pretty long then. They reach capacity quick! So we made a day of it; we made it our job one Monday afternoon to drink the Younger and eat pizza. 6 hours later, a group of 6 were in bliss after several glasses {they liked us so they didn't limit! + we tipped Well} of the Younger, pizza and loads of bar bites. We could all hook ourselves up to an IV of the Younger and love life!

 

One of my favorite special moments was receiving a beautiful watch for Mothers Day- my boys all gave me a Happy Step-Mothers Day gift! Sweet! I knew I had touched their lives as much as they have mine.

 

I fell in love with Portland. My Love and I made a trip of it when I went to the #WBC12 {Wine Bloggers Conference}. Portland is saturated with good craft beer and all around good people. Our favorites were the Hub and Cascade. A new found love of sours was discovered.

 

The baseball season heated up and our team was killing it. Our youngest was able to go onto the field at one of our trips to San Francisco because of an auction we bid on. He got to be the “Play Ball Kid”. What an experience. We all stood there in awe as Logan yelled out, “PLAAYYYY BAAALLLL!!!!”. It was the perfect time for a photo opt and one of the gals got a shot of all of us decked out from head to toe one the AT&T field at night- our Christmas card was born.

 

We love any excuse to throw a party. The Fourth of July is the perfect reason. We rented a blow up slip n slide that had rainbows and clouds at the top of the entrance, it was 4 feet tall and 26 feet long; comfy, fun and safe! With the help of Uncle Timmy's food spread and a keg of Lagunitas IPA and Bear Republics Racer 5, we were set for fantabulous summer Q.

 

The baseball season was coming to a close and the San Francisco Giants were now in Post Season and we were there! Twice!! We took our boys to one game and we went again to game 7! Wow! The nail biting experience and the energy in the park was like nothing else; it's indescribable. We were all on the edge of our seats at the bottom of the last inning when the cal was about to be made to delay the game due to rain and suddenly it stopped. Romo pitched and the last out happened then… Victory Rain! We did it- we were going to the World Series!!

 

I wouldn't be a die hard fan if I couldn't figure out a way to go to the World Series. We sat in the bleachers at Game 2, dressed in all orange and Black- I had an orange wig and gory photo taken with a chic dressed as a bunny by the SF Chronicle! That was Epic-Awesomeness!

 

Of course the trip to San Francisco for this World Series Champs Parade was a MUST! We won in game 4 and had to pull the kids out of school to celebrate in style! We were there for the 2010 and the 2012 Parade!

 

I took my Love to Hawaii for his birthday in November and we found this site UnRealHawaii where this guy posted pictures and information about all these off the beaten path hikes. The best of the best for us was the Olomana Trail- difficult to find. And difficult. We HIKED up 1,600 feet and were literally climbing straight up with a huge drop on both sides of us. We climbed using ropes at some parts and really needed to rely on each other for help and support- a truly amazing couples exercise. We learned a lot about each other up there in a hugely vulnerable state. Well worth it and at the top: the most spectacular view of Hawaii I have ever seen.

 

Finally, the best day of the entire year: Christmas. My Love and I had our family and friends over for Christmas dinner and during dinner while everyone was about to start chewing down on the delicious prime rib Uncle Timmy made, Tim stood and thanked everyone for coming and announced we were going to get married right there! We had talked to our dear friend a month before and went over vows, though, nobody else knew! It was a wonderful surprise and the best day of 2012! <3

 

 

 

 

I <3 The SF Giants!!

Looking back at all of the photos, I realize, I am very fortunate to have been at so many great games, in great seats and with some of my favorite people!! Here are some of my favorites!

 

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Los Gatos Brewing Company

In the heart of the beautiful downtown Los Gatos is a great spot that was converted into a brewery from an old car mechanics building. They have old photos of the cars being worked on, lifted up on the rafters. The inside has a sort of salon style feel with the big booths and the leather top bar stools and small round bar tables. The bartender was extremely attentive; he heard our conversation about what we were thinking about ordering, came over and confirmed and put the order through.

                                                                                                                                                                   This was by far one of the high end eateries when it comes to breweries: Thai sausage lettuce wraps, crispy calamari {thick rings} and pepperoni pizza. The pizza was under cooked, so a bit disappointing but the lettuce wraps and calamari make up for it.

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The beers were listed and served in the sampler in a goofy order but anyone that knows brew could figure out not to taste the dark ones before the Hefeweizen. All had quite interesting flavors, the Hefeweizen had flavors of banana cream, the stout was very coffee like; all good. They do not sell growlers, so unfortunately we were unable to go home with anything. The city of Los Gatos sees growlers as an open container {interesting} therefore, illegal.

 

Truth be told, I know food, I am passionate about it anyway. <3

 

Los Gatos Brewing Company on Urbanspoon


Steel Head Brewing Company

Steel Head had all sorts of beers that were named for the San Francisco Giants which is always awesome to see because I’m a huge fan. The beers were alright, it really was the perfect anecdote for an insanely hot day {107 degrees}. However, we were sipping away on the sampler inside the brew pub that was even hotter than outside! The pub is huge {warehouse like} and the ceiling is very high with the fans mounted some twenty feet above us, deeming them useless. Perhaps they have air conditioning and were just not utilizing it, I’m not sure but it was definitely tough to concentrate on drinking beer in such heat. The Saison, however, is the perfect pairing for the hot summer day- light, fresh, clean and crisp with flavors of banana and floral aromas. I realized I am falling in love with Saison’s. The beers are delicious. The Raging Rhino Red was mixed with the Bombay Bomber IPA because they were out of one of the beers listed on the sampler menu and boy was that a nice surprise. That made me want to do a little #craftbeer mixing myself as the day went on.

Nachos and the Double Play IPA are a must try together. Spicy jalapenos, pasty black beans and loads of melted cheese are the perfect pairing for that bitter, hop-heavy and slightly zestful beer.

Our server was a really sweet gal. The bartender said he was out of one of the beers on the list. My love decided that he really had to have that beer and they must have some on the back so he guilted our server {of course}, so she went in the back and then miraculously came out with a pint for him. ;)

Truth be told, I know food, I am passionate about it anyway. <3

 

Steelhead Brewing on Urbanspoon


Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

​After a long day in the warm sun with family and friends, we were starving. I read some reviews about this place and they all sounded pretty good. The food was rated well and that was our mission; good grub. We hopped in the car and headed over. At 6:50pm we approached the bar where a nice gentleman asked if I would like him to move over so the three of us could sit; kind, genuine totally Santa Cruz.

The bartender was not happy when we asked about food. Not having seen a menu, nor would he offer any information, we had no idea that 7:00pm was the cut off for food. He made it seem like we were putting him out by thinking we could possibly eat there. We pushed because like the guy at the end of the bar said, “it says they serve until 7:00pm so they need to serve until 7:00pm, not 6:50pm”. The food comes from the neighboring bakery and the time guidelines are their rules.

We ordered polish sausages that came on a fresh baked and slightly soft sour roll, ham and Swiss panini and a caesar salad; all delicious. The polish dog was probably one of the best that I have had yet and the bread was so warm and scrumptious. It just kept getting better and better with each bite {kind of like the bartender, he was more pleasant the longer we stayed}.

 

The beers on the other hand were nothing to really brag about. The flavors were bland and not really anything I like in beers. They were very light and some seemed so clear, almost watery {the wheat in particular}. The story and the way they brew the beer is cool. All of the beer is brewed organically and naturally so it is what is it. The do change it up and make different beers like a Lavender ale or one that Horchata flavored; definitely different.

The location is nice, it’s in a warehouse type area surrounded by shops and wine tasting rooms. They have a small patio and a tiny inside space but it’s cozy. Worth the stop.

 

 

Steelhead Brewing on Urbanspoon