Baby octopus. These are SO fun to eat! I guess it’s weird thinking that I’m eating a baby octopus, but they taste SO good! 7-item Tasca tasting plates $34
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
Sonoma City Hall at night. This random (but pretty) building sits in the middle of the Plaza in downtown Sonoma and is surrounded by dozens of cute shops and restaurants.
With avocado, radish, grapefruit, Italian parsley and spiced sauce on toasted brioche. Served with greens and ginger vinaigrette. $10.99
Papillote, Savannah GA
This was bright and refreshing, and so different from anything I’ve tried before! There were so many yummy components to this and they all tasted great together. I do wish that the salad was pre-dressed because it was difficult to toss the salad on such a small plate. The ginger vinaigrette was a nice addition though. A beautiful dish!
Coffee. $1.99
Revolutionary War Haitian Soldiers Monument. Walking around Savannah was quite fun and you can’t help but feel the history surrounding you. This statue is located in a cute plaza next to the City Market.
Poached eggs, applewood-smoked ham, hollandaise, Italian parsley, red bliss potato home fries, on house-made focaccia. $12
The Girl & The Fig, Sonoma CA
I was a little disappointed by this. The hollandaise sauce was bright and delicious, I loved the smoked ham, and the eggs were poached beautifully but the focaccia wasn’t toasted enough and got really wet and doughy from the hollandaise. The potatoes were also dry and flavorless. The small, chewy pieces also made them a chore to eat.
Wine cave, Gundlach Bundschu Winery.
Portuguese blood sausage traditionally made using pigs blood with parsley and green onions. Nicely seared with a deep, earthy flavor. Noms! 7-item Tasca tasting plates $34
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
Wooden spheres in the lobby, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa. The hotel is cleanly decorated with only a few sculptures here and there to make it interesting.
Mixed seasonal radishes, anchovy butter and grey sea salt. $7
The Girl & The Fig, Sonoma CA
Wow, David and I were a little surprised when they brought this to the table. I had expected the radishes to be tossed in dressing or cooked in some way. But it ended up being a plate a raw, cut radishes, lol! I’m not a big raw vegetable eater, but these were good I guess. After a while it seemed like work to eat them. I’m glad they came with the salted anchovy butter otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to eat much. I don’t think we even finished them.
Bread and butter. Complimentary
Purple and pink foxglove flowers (Digitalis purpurea, Scrophulariaceae), Gundlach Bundschu Winery. The grounds of this winery are super cute with multiple picnicking areas. The landscaping is tasteful and lush!
Slices of beautifully smoked duck breast. The thick layer of fat tasted SO good! The slices had a great smokey flavor and were very tender and juicy. 7-item Tasca tasting plates $34
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
Lobby and lounge area, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa. This is one of the nicer Marriott properties I’ve stayed at. Even the lobby is nice and cushy!
French bloody mary. House-made bloody mary mix, pernod. Garnished with lime, caper berry, and celery. $8
The Girl & The Fig, Sonoma CA
Balsamic bloody mary. House-made bloody mary mix, blasamic vinegar. Garnished with olive, lime, caper berry, and celery. $8
We sat in the back patio of this cute restaurant on the northwestern corner of the town plaza. You can’t do Sunday brunch without yummy bloody mary’s! I think I liked the balasamic bloody mary a little better because it had a more vibrant flavor.
Beautiful red-orange roses (Rosa sp., Rosaceae), Gundlach Bundschu Winery. This was my favorite winery of this Sonoma trip. The wine was delicious and the lady behind the bar was SO helpful and friendly.
Tripas a moda do Porto, a dish typical to the city of Porto made with small intestines and white beans. 7-item Tasca tasting plates $34
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
I’m not a huge tripe fan, but I definitely wanted to try this preparation. It was very delicious! It’s hard to get grossed out when the stew is this flavorful. The white beans also add a firmness to combat the sometimes squishy soft texture of the tripe.
Outdoor lounge and pool area, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa. We stayed at this hotel and it was very relaxing. I loved the outdoor sofas with their retractable canvas shades!
These almonds came out with our tasting plates and they were very good. I loved the seasoning they put on them because it had a deep, strong flavor. Complimentary
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
Bread roll and butter. Complimentary
Sonoma Valley view, Viansa Winery. The back area of Viansa has tables and chairs set up overlooking Sonoma Valley where you can relax and enjoy your glasses of wine.
Creamy sauvignon blanc, tarragon, warm garlic crouton. $13
Farley Bar, Sausalito CA
Another delicious dish from Farley Bar. Almost made me forget about the bloody mary that the waitress dumped on me! The white wine sauce with tarragon was SO flavorful and delicous. The mussels were also very large, meaty, tender and juicy. Don’t know why they called the sliced bread “croutons” though. I was expecting something different.
Jose Maria da Fonseca, Periquita, Terras do Sado, Portugal, 2009. Glass $8.50
Riviera, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California, 2010. Glass $9.50
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
When in Sonoma, it’s kind of a given that you’re gonna drink wine with dinner. I love my cocktails, but I enjoy wine too especially in this setting. These light reds paired really well with our Portuguese tapas!
Grapevine metal railing, Viansa Winery. I love the metalwork along the ramps at Viansa. I think it’s funny that David was taking a photo of me taking a photo, while I was doing the same. Hehe.
Hobb’s bacon, avocado, roasted toamtoes, butter lettuce on ciabatta bread. Served with coal roasted onion dip and fresh cut gaufrette potatoes. $19
Farley Bar, Sausalito CA
This sandwich was SO good! The crab was delicious and they weren’t skimpy with it either. And do I even have to say anything about the bacon – omg, loved it! This sandwich was also quite large so David and I had a hard time finishing it, but there was no way we were going to let it go to waste!
Don’t think that the waffle fries were a throw away either. They were absolutely delicious and perfectly fried. And that roasted onion dip – amazing! We were SO full that we unfortunately had to leave some of this on the plate, hehe.
Presidio Yacht Club, Horseshoe Bay. San Francisco Bay is so relaxing and beautiful especially facing The City.
Vittle Monster 