WEDNESDAY

Rutherford Grill – We met the bride & groom here for lunch! We had attended their wedding in San Jose that Saturday, and their honeymoon was in wine country. We love Greg & Anna.

Go here if:

• you like to BYOB. That’s right, they’ll let you bring your own bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 fo’ free.
• you like burgers. I had a hacked chicken salad that I wasn’t impressed with (too much cabbage) & Michael’s ribs didn’t have a ton of meat on them. However, it took all the restraint I had not to inhale Anna’s burger next to me because it looked so good.

Steltzer – This was recommended by Michael’s uncle Tim.

Go here if:

• you want to see some hills in Napa (without going out to Budge Brown’s) … this winery had beautiful vineyards covering rolling hills.
• you want to taste the difference between a cabernet with grapes from all over that vineyard & a cabernet with grapes from vines near the family pool. The grapes by the pool get some great sunlight & it was pretty neat to actually taste the difference in the wine… the pool wine was better.

Robert Sinsky Vineyards

Go here if you:

• don’t mind a little more of a commercial winery … several tastings were going on, but it was still beautiful.
• like to hear young, pretentious dudes say, “hmm… that syrah is a little too young for me.” YOU ARE TWELVE YEARS OLD. You are not old enough to be picky about your booze.
• like yummy pairings. They had some bread and mini quiches that were so perfect. Even better? They had recipe cards for them. Stay tuned.
• like fish bigger than your average toddler. Their koi pond was jumpin’.

Sunflower Caffe (downtown Sonoma) – I must say, after 3 tastings and a wine lunch, we were a little tired. We found a nice pick-me-up here.

Go here if you:

• like coffee.
• don’t mind waiting 15 minutes for the bathroom (one women’s restroom; any sane person can tell you this is not a good idea)
• don’t mind getting walked in on when you finally get in the bathroom. Yes, it had a lock. No, it apparently doesn’t work. You’ve been warned.

the green in the center of downtown Sonoma

Go here if:

• you’re a hippie & like to take naps in public (the coffee only worked for so long).
• you like fashionable ducks.

{ hippies everywhere }

{ ooo… le duck est so tres chic }

Girl & the Fig – Recommended by our friends Tim & Kathryn. We didn’t have a reservation & they were booked, but they generously allowed us to sit on these couches near the bar & set our food on little things that resembled TV trays.

Go here if:

• you can speak French.
• you can’t speak French … I’m sure everything on the menu is good.
• you like croques monsieur (hon hon hon) … just another term for the best ham & grilled cheese sangwuich you will ever consume.

THURSDAY

VML - Recommended by Mom & Dad! This is a brand new winery… you can still smell the sawdust in the air.

Go here if:

• you like beautiful gardens.
• you have fun picking fruit off trees and eat it (ahem, Eve) — this is allowed!
• you like learning new pretentious words, like unctuous.

{ looks ripe }

{ tastes ripe }

{ chardonnay in the gardens }

{ drinking wine next to the vines. see the irony? }

Ravenous (restaurant, downtown Healdsburg)

Go here if:

• you’re ravenous (obvi).
• you like awesome fresh margs.
• you like short ribs. We split this. I wish I had gotten my own.

FRIDAY

Meadowcroft Wines

Go here if:

• Don’t go here.

It’s a tasting room only. It wasn’t that great. I had a Groupon, we got a bottle of wine to take home… end of story.

Lavash (San Francisco) – This is the highest rated $$ restaurant in San Francisco on Yelp; that’s why we picked it.

Go here if you:

• like great service.
• like great food.
• like a cozy atmosphere.
• …nothing bad to say about this place.

….so that’s it! Our trip to northern California. It was pretty awesome, I highly recommend going there if you want a relaxing vacation full of excellent food & wine.