the tablehopper | 2:27 pm | September 25, 2009 | Events, Foodie 411, Wine Country | Add a comment
Starlight Wine Bar & Restaurant in Sebastopol is hosting an emergency benefit for chef Thaddeus Palmese, who is fighting a second round with cancer and needs to raise funds for treatment (Thaddeus is the cousin of Starlight’s chef Ted Van Doon). A casual and lively benefit is planned: for $25, the fun and true-to-Starlight-fashion Creole menu will include red beans and rice and cornbread. A no-host bar will also be offered as well as live entertainment. All proceeds will go to support Thaddeus’ medical costs. The event is being held at Sassafras rather than Starlight to accommodate a larger crowd. A silent auction for which donations are still being accepted is also being organized. It’s on Monday September 28th, from 5pm to 8pm.
Domaine Chandon is hosting its fourth annual Pink Party on Thursday, October 1st, a bubbly benefit for breast cancer research. Domaine Chandon’s beautiful landscaped gardens will be bubbling with 600 pink-attired revelers celebrating with pink sparkling wine and dancing under the stars to the sounds of DJ Dukes from 7pm to midnight. étoile, the fine dining restaurant located on-site, will feature pink-hued appetizers and small bites (beet panna cotta, salmon and beef tartare, house-made charcuterie and black mission figs) paired with the sparkling rosé for the event. Complimentary shuttle service is available from select stops to the event. Pick-up and drop off points include the Napa River Inn, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Embassy Suites Hotel Napa Valley, Yountville Inn, and Villagio. Discounted private transportation is also available through Pure Luxury Transportation. étoile will be open for dinner from 6pm–9:30pm for those wishing a sit-down meal before the event. Throughout the entire month of October, the restaurant will offer a special three-course menu paired with rosé wines ($75 lunch/$95 dinner).
Tickets are $50 per person and proceeds from sales and a silent auction featuring fine wines and luxury items will go to benefit breast cancer research at the Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation. Buy tickets soon since this event sells out; tickets are available at www.chandon.com. Additionally, for the entire month of October, $1.00 from every bottle of rosé (of which the winery sells four varieties) sold at the winery will go to Queen of the Valley. Last year, Domaine Chandon raised $10,000 with the combined proceeds from the Pink Party and rosé sales.
Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.
the tablehopper | 4:21 pm | September 10, 2009 | Events, Foodie 411, Wine Country | Add a comment
On Saturday September 12th, Jeff and Carolyn Smith, owners of Hourglass Wine Company, will host the fifth annual BackStage Pass benefit party with the goal of raising $50,000 for the St. Helena Unified School District. Held at the newly completed Hourglass Blueline Estate Winery, Backstage Pass V guests will enjoy a Hog Island Oyster bar, barbeque dinner, and premium Napa Valley wines provided by ACME Fine Wines, Cliff Lede, Crocker & Starr, Hourglass, Realm Cellars, Rudd Winery, Shelter, Spottswoode, Switchback Ridge, 55 Degrees, 750 Wines, and more—all in a picturesque vineyard setting. Guests will dance the night away to Wristrocket (Jeff Smith’s band with fellow vintners) and compete in games of ping-pong and horseshoes to support the children of St. Helena’s public schools. One hundred percent of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the St. Helena Unified School District.
Tickets are available at justimagineauction.com and are $150 per person. (Click on the BackStage Pass icon.) Tickets will be held at the door. 6pm–12am.
On Thursday September 24th, local “Kiki-Sake Shi” (Sake Master Sommelier) Stuart Morris will expertly pair sake with a five-course menu of dishes created by Martini House chef/owner Todd Humphries. Morris, one of only ten non-Japanese Kiki-Sake Shi in the world, is on loan from Go Fish Restaurant for this one-night-only celebration in Martini House’s lovely Garden Courtyard.
Morris will select distinctive sake pairings for each course of chef Humphries’ special menu which includes tomato bruschetta with foie gras mousse, walnut oil, and saba; sautéed halibut with curried almonds, braised butternut squash, kaffir lime, and lemongrass sauce; butter-poached Maine lobster, ginger braised shiitake, and sake mirin broth; roast Liberty Farms duck breast, sweet corn pudding, chanterelles, and red wine jus; and brown sugar panna cotta, pink pearl apple sorbet, and star anise syrup for dessert. $85 all-inclusive (this is a pre-paid event). 6pm gathering time/6:30pm dinner.
The first Devil’s Gulch dinner of the 2009 fall season will be held at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge and Farm House Restaurant in Olema on Thursday September 24th. It will feature wines from Pey-Marin Vineyards and foods from Devil’s Gulch Ranch.
The menu is as follows:
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Shots
2008 Pey-Marin “The Shell Mound” Riesling, Marin County
Point Reyes Oyster Stew with Baby Carrots, Wild Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, Caramelized Onions, and Fingerling Potatoes Served in a Mini Sourdough Bread Bowl
2007 Pey-Marin “Trois Filles” Pinot Noir, Marin County
Devil’s Gulch Ranch Grilled Quail with Warm Brussels Sprout Salad of Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Cherries, Frisee, and Arugula in an Aged Red Wine Truffle Vinaigrette Topped with a Poached Quail Egg
2006 Mount Tamalpais Vineyards Merlot, Marin County
Devil’s Gulch Ranch Braised Rabbit Pasta with Baby Zucchini, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Portobello Mushrooms in a Mustard Rabbit Jus, Finished with Sliced Grilled Rabbit Loin
2007 Spicerack Vineyards “Punchdown” Syrah, Sonoma Coast
Farm House Smoked Devil’s Gulch Ranch Pork Trio of Spare Ribs, Grilled Loin and Braised Shoulder with Broccolini, Roasted Cauliflower, Sweet Red Pepper Polenta Croutons in a Blackberry, Chipotle, and Garlic Barbecue Sauce
Raspberry Sorbet with Glazed Peaches and Nectarines
6:30pm. $65 (plus tax and gratuity). Served in the Park Dining Room. Reservations required, call 415-663-1264. Lodging is available at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge. The “wine dinner” special room rates means a 25% discount with a wine dinner reservation. Call 415-663-9000 for lodging.
Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.
the tablehopper | 2:13 pm | August 18, 2009 | Foodie 411, Wine Country | Add a comment
Iron Horse in Sebastopol is celebrating its 30th Anniversary, and is hosting three events to honor it! Iron Horse Founders Audrey & Barry Sterling purchased Iron Horse in 1976 when Iron Horse was one of the most westerly vineyards in Sonoma County. The winery officially opened on Barry Sterling’s 50th Birthday, October 25th, 1979, making this a double celebration of his 80th.
The first event is Sunday August 30th, offering a no-charge food and wine pairing to the public from 11am–1pm. They will be featuring sliced heirloom tomatoes from Barry Sterling’s garden, sprinkled with exotic salts and paired with Iron Horse Russian Cuvée.
Also meet special guest, author Maria Hunt, aka The Bubbly Girl, who advocates “bubbly whenever, who will be signing her new book, The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion.
Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.
the tablehopper | 2:56 pm | April 24, 2009 | Foodie 411, Wine Country | Add a comment
Springtime is a great time to visit Yountville since it’s gorgeous and green right now. Visit étoile at Domaine Chandon for the $29 on Hwy 29 special: two courses paired with a glass of wine. Course one includes: lobster bisque with prosciutto, or potato gnocchi with green garlic, shaved asparagus, and preserved lemon; and course two: star anise-braised duck leg with fava beans, spring onions, and wild fennel or toasted Tasmanian salmon with roasted heirloom beets, rhubarb, and romaine hearts.
Other weekly specials at étoile include 50% off selected wines by the bottle, including the entire Chandon portfolio on Mondays and Thursdays, and no corkage on Sundays.
Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.
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