Where-To-Wednesday: Adventures In Wine Country!

Back in Elementary school, field trip days were the best. You got to skip school, hang out with your friends, and visit cool places. What could be better? I’ll tell you: Field trips with WINE. Yes…being a grown up has its perks.  And so, who would we be to not take advantage of them?  Fools, that’s who. And just like Mr. T taught us back in the day, “I pity the fool”….  So, pity party averted, we packed ourselves up and hustled off to the grand ‘ole land of wine country. Tunes pumped up, social media blazing and our thirsty little selves couldn’t be more excited to take W2W on the road and try ourselves some amazing wine and even enjoy a little dinner at the end.


First stop: Swanson Winery

Here’s a great place to go when you want to feel like…a BIG deal. Appointment needed, so make sure you do that prior to heading up, but oh is it worth it. Pull up and type in your code in the key pad to get in. (Already feeling like a celebrity). We pull in to park and as we walk up to the winery, our host greets us with a glass of wine. Um, yes please. Why doesn’t this happen everywhere I go? This is doing nothing to diminish the delusions of grandeur I’m still relishing from our slick entry. As we walk into the tasting salon, we see the table is fully set for us with numerous wine glasses and a beautiful plate of cheese, crackers, and chocolates. The room is happy and bright, with a large chandelier centering the room, hanging over a large table set for six, next to a warm fire setting a glow about the festive, pink room. I feel like I’m dreaming. And that I live here…or at least I’d like to. One more glass of wine and I just might move in. We settle in to our tasting with an incredibly sweet couple from Boston who join us. Our host begins by telling us about Swanson winery while pouring us a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and passing us each a crisp chip with crème fraiche topped with caviar. Never before having caviar, I couldn’t think of a better time to try this delicacy – and with a perfectly matched wine, it was a no brainer. Yes, delicious; yes, I’m officially moving in. We tasted another five wines in this fashion while trading stories with the other couple and overall had a fabulous time.

Overall – our thoughts are:

-         Ambiance: 5

-         Amenities: 4.6 (If you are looking for something intimate, this is perfect for small groups. However, groups over 8 or high-energy birthday/bachelorette parties.. NOT the place)

-         Wine Quality: 4.3

-         Staff Knowledge: 4.3

-         Service and Friendliness: 5

-         Value: 3

Total Score: 4.3

To “Somm” It Up: (hey, we may not be wine sommeliers but after this trip, we damn sure know our wineries. In a sentence, here’s our quick take on the winery)

Lindsey: A place where strangers quickly become friends. An intimate and lovely experience that is completed with delicious wine.

Gabrielle: A warm, cozy setting where you can sip on delicious wine and feel a million bucks.

Elizabeth: The minute I walked into Swanson, I was transplanted into a mystical Alice in Wonderland type environment. The tasting room was bright and vibrant and the community table-esque tasting made the wine and cheese that much more enjoyable getting to know fellow wine tasters.

We hated to leave but…duty calls: 2 more wineries to hit

Next Stop: Odette Winery

A newcomer on the block, Odette looks as if it was transported here right from the Hamptons. Sleek and modern with an open-air design, this winery is very inviting – offering seating both inside and out.  The inside of the winery is small, with the tasting bar right in the middle and merchandise for sale on either side. Though it was a bit chilly out, we opted to sit outside to enjoy the space and relax. The winery guides were great – coming out to pour each new wine for us but giving us room to chat. We were there for quite a while and they never once rushed us through, allowing us to truly enjoy our time there together. As a Plumpjack winery, Odette was pouring a few of its own wines along with a few bottles under the Cade brand. I will say, however, I wasn’t blown away by the wines as much as I enjoyed the atmosphere.  Overall:

-         Ambiance: 4

-         Amenities: 3.3

-         Wine Quality: 3

-         Staff Knowledge: 2.3 (NOTE: - we didn't ask much nor did they offer a ton about the wine)

-         Service and Friendliness: 4

-         Value: 3.6

Total Score: 3.3

To “Somm” it up:

Lindsey: A new modern style designed winery, nicely tucked away. The perfect patio to relax with good friends and family…all day!

Gabrielle: Grab a glass, a chair, and sit and talk for hours. Just bring a jacket for those chilly November nights.

Elizabeth: Beautiful natural light beams in through the garage type door in the front. It's a very inviting yet quaint tasting room, with a simple patio adorned with a few tables and chairs to enjoy your tasting on a warm summer night.    

Last stop…James Cole Winery

We arrived here close to closing time. Too close, and were turned away with ten minutes to close. Ouch. Do these guys not know who we are? Someone, get Swanson on the phone. We’re…kind of a big deal. You know us, we weren’t going to give up that easily.  Before you knew it, our new friends at JamesCole pulled through and the fun began.

We probably had the most fun together at this winery - tasting just about every wine they offered, chatting about everything under the sun and…even ending with a dance party. The hosts were awesome and completely let us have a ball in there. Unfortunately...having a ball does not include selling me the coolest, largest wine decanter I have seen. Sure, there was no price on it and perhaps it wasn’t for sale, but hey, money is money. And my twenty dollars seemed like a pretty sufficient offer. At the time….

Overall:

-         Ambiance: 4

-         Amenities: 4

-         Wine Quality: 3.6

-         Staff Knowledge: 4.3

-         Service and Friendliness: 5

-         Value: 3.3

Total Score: 4

To “Somm” It Up:

Lindsey: Friendly staff that will allow you to have a dance party after hours, but will not allow you to take home the fancy wine decanter. 

Gabrielle: Fun and friendly winery. Bonus: Best place to have an impromptu dance party.

Elizabeth:  Super friendly staff as they let us in for "one last tasting" after we begged (well...asked repeatedly amongst 4 girls) for a little tasting. They closed the door, turned up the music and let us have our own little party in the tasting room.  I would like to go back to actually see the grounds, they looked beautiful as we were driving up, but never got to it :)

Dinner Spot: Farm at Carneros

I’m going to be honest…by this point, I was in no shape to be taking notes on dinner. I’ll just say this: it was phenomenally good, the ambiance was warm and inviting and the chef, who was a personal friend of our very own Jocelyn, was amazing and even stopped by our table to chat with us. Overall – great time here, a must do! And with that, I will leave you with photos from our dinner to do all the talking you need – enjoy!

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #26: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I never understood that. Of course it does. What kind of world of magical forests do people live in, who would even contemplate a question like that? In the words of Sweet Brown – ain’t nobody got time for that! Trees are heavy. Heavy things make noise when they fall. Question answered. Now…let’s move on to more important things, such as: where are we going to eat tonight? When the location for our latest where-to-Wednesday was announced I was surprised: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria. Think about it – Jackson and Fillmore. I’ve been to this area…I don’t know, a hundred times? How have I never seen this place? It must be new, was my first thought – expelling any notion that a restaurant would go unnoticed by my eagle eyes. Turns out it’s been around for 25 years. Oops. In addition to scheduling my latest eye exam, I anxiously counted down the days until we had our chance to try this neighborhood gem that has been able to fly under the radar whilst drawing a local crowd long enough to stay in business for decades. Move over trees…there’s a new question in town. If a restaurant exists right under your nose and you’ve never heard of it….is it a hidden gem? Check out our latest W2W adventure, planned by Lindsey, which myself, Joce, Elizabeth, Becky and Chelsea attended, to find out if the 25 year wait was worth it. Cheers!

Ambiance 5: We all remember Cheers. How can you not? It’s the place where everyone knows your name! Which is exactly how I think we’d be greeted here…had we not been complete strangers to this 25 year-old-staple in the community. It’s a no-nonsense, no-frills restaurant. You come here to eat, grab a glass of wine, and leave. Even the restaurant feels no need to go above and beyond that. There is food. There is wine. There are servers. But…there is no ambiance. We go out to dinner for the experience – meaning, sitting at the table for a few hours, catching up, telling stories and basking in a warm, welcoming ambiance around you. If you’re looking to do the same…this, my friend, is not the place. Attempt as you may, and you’ll get the stink eye from a dedicated local eyeing your seat from the 2x2 doorway/holding area for those that do not fit into this 20 seat capacity place. It is, for all intents and purposes, a diner of sorts. There are MAYBE eight tables in the restaurant, which spillover into the counter lined with patrons. With the exception of a few sad looking paintings placed sporadically across the restaurant, there is little to no décor. Unless you count the numerous wine boxes above the counter that double as storage. Er…nevermind, that’s just storage. But it’s wine. So…it’s cool. Speaking of….

Wine 8: Seeing that wine won the battle over wallpaper, I had high hopes for what lay inside those precious boxes. Unfortunately, I decided to take the month of September off of wine (I know, I know…isn’t drinking wine a job requirement for the blog?** Don’t worry though, I’m right back at it, so go ahead and breathe out that sigh of relief) so my friends were nice enough to taste for me (tough job, right?) and provide their thoughts which I’m relaying here for you…and for me to regret over. Awesome. Let’s get to it. We started off with Silvio Jerman Pinot Grigio – crisp, light, well-balanced and refreshing, it was a great start to dinner and paired well with the food as well. Later, we moved to the red, and selected the Mediterra Toscana (2009) which had deep blackberry notes and a smooth finish. Yeah, these sound great, but the water was out of this world!*

* As in “get me out of this world of water.” Boo.

**Turns out it’s NOT. Weird. I know. Don’t worry I’m also working on changing that. Obviously.

Food 7: YAY. Finally something I didn’t give up. Food. Bring it on! And that we did:

-          Mezzaluna Espinacci: I always thought mezzaluna was a kitchen utensil, but if it is…it must be made out of something amazing because apparently…YOU CAN EAT IT. Since I’m 0 for 1 against the wine at this point, I’m all for eating everything. So – mezzaluna…let’s do this. These turned out to be ravioli done al dente, filled with cheese and served in a sea of creamy tomato.

-          Carpaccio di Zucchini: This came highly recommended by everyone but…I’m not sure why. Maybe they had given up food for the month and this was their first dish?? ZING! I know, we haven’t had one of those for a while now. Well needed. Anyways. It kind of looks like a large dish of coleslaw topped with almonds, which…I guess it kind of is. Except by coleslaw I mean julienned zucchini… which in my book is exactly the same thing. So yeah, a name change is in order. And…so is a skip.

-          Burrata Caprese: Creamy, buttery topped with fresh tomatoes and spicy arugula. How can you not like this?

-          Eggplant Parmesan: Ooey. Gooey. Cheesy. This dish comes out looking like something from Grandma’s kitchen. With the eggplant on the bottom, there is a thick top layer of cheese that adds a whole new dimension to the dish. With tomato sauce swimming in between the layers and topped with fresh parsley, this hearty dish was an Italiano favorite.

-          Pesce Fra Diavolo: Local red snapper done to perfection, served with a spicy hot tomato sauce and topped with scallions for the perfect finish. I love tomato sauce with a kick, so that addition made this dish for me.

-          Pollo alla Noci: Great hearty dish of boneless chicken breast with deep, rich flavors stemming from the mushrooms, walnuts and pine nuts. A sauce combining sherry wine and cream added a rich savory aspect to every bite.

-          Gnocchi Scarmozza: Soft potato filled dumplings rest in a creamy, cheese sauce. Basil and fresh tomatoes add a kick of flavor, while the smoked mozzarella perfectly rounds out the dish with a rich depth of flavor.

-          Bombolotti Sugo de Carne: Large tubes of pasta in a spicy tomato sauce filled with veal, spicy sausage and mushrooms and finally topped with mascarpone cheese. This dish was simple, yet one of my favorites.

Dessert: Yes…it’s that time.

-          Zabaglione Freddo: Say that five times fast! Or just eat it…because you’ll be glad you did. Creamy custard is served up in a glass, topped with pistachios, crushed amaretto cookies and strawberries. I could not stop eating this. I would have rolled around in it if they would have let me. This dessert was absolutely delicious. And since I wasn’t drinking, I should have gotten two. I mean, come on. It’s only fair. Where are your manners JF Trattoria??

-          Fantasia di Cioccolata: I want to talk about this, but American Idol seems to be the only thing filling my head at this point. By the way, WHAT happened there? Try, just try, to make a bad decision today. Then look at her track record and realize that today you were a winner. See? Fist pumps all around. I digress… although this dish was a hot mess. Oh! Did it again. It’s too easy Fantasia. Except, well, it was actually a cold dish. And really not that messy. But…almost the same thing. But different. Anyways – it looks like just a slice of cake but it’s oh-so-much-more. Rich chocolate fudge torte filled with layers of cookies, served over chilled (I did warn you) custard with fresh fruit sauce.

-          Gelato: I mean..pretty standard stuff here. You’ve got vanilla. You’ve got chocolate. You’ve got pistachio. So..there’s that.

Service 8: Our server was very nice, gave good recommendations and brought out the food very fast. Can we talk about fast dishes for a second? Does anyone really like when their dish comes out quickly, except for those late night stops- i.e. Burger King? That scares the bejesus out of me. How do these things come out so fast? Are they frozen? Have they anticipated every order and are cooking EVERYTHING as we speak on the happenstance that we decide to order it? Are they practicing magic back there? Whatever it is. I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing the waiter walk away and the instantly walk back with our food in hand. It freaks me out and I judge that food before it even hits my mouth. And also makes me feel as though I’m taking way too long in my own kitchen to boil water. Overall, I felt pretty rushed from the get-go, but that’s likely because the set-up seemed to be modeled after a Coney Island. And I mean that in the nicest way possible*. Their ultimate goal is to get your orders as quickly as possible, so they can give you your food as quickly as possible, so they can get you out as quickly as possible and get someone else in….you guessed it….as quickly as possible. Is this the server’s fault? No…but I mean, I don’t have a “management” or “process” category here…mainly because that sounds boring…so, yeah, the service is going to get the brunt of this. I love to go to dinner and dine for hours – because to me, that’s the experience. The talking while our food is being cooked, the discussion of each dish as it’s served individually (not all at once), and the lingering at the end over last drink sips. Eating out should be a dining experience – not one where we are ushered in and out and served all our food at once. That’s…Coney Island. Fast dishes. In and out. On to the next. So yeah, bad feels all around. But the guy – our waiter – super nice. So, there was that.  

*Mainly because I love their Hanis. I even love to say the word Hani. And I love even more that you won’t know what a Hani is unless you go to the special Coney Island that serves it. That’s right. VIP Coney Island people. Jealous?**

**Never mind, don’t answer that.

Price 10: I knew there was an upside. $55 bucks each. Not too bad for sharing 11 dishes...and staring at wine boxes all night. Next time I’m breaking into one of those.

Noise Level 6: Let’s ignore the fact that there was a table of hyenas in the front, laughing hysterically and obnoxiously every sixty seconds…just so you would remember they were still there. Noted, hyenas. The place is small. Basically, the size of my family room – and packed with people and wine boxes. So, the acoustics pretty much suck. And maybe that’s all part of the design to get you out of there as fast as possible. Ah…it all makes sense now. Well played, JF Trattoria. Well played.

All About The Area: You’re in the heart of Pac Heights…in the heart of Fillmore street. Perfect place. A beautiful busy area, filled with gorgeous shops, fun bars, people watching, and tons of restaurant options…in case you decide you’d rather drink wine than stare at it. Too soon? Honestly though, this area is one of my favorites. It’s very safe as it’s a very busy and popular area, and home to great restaurants and bars. As long as you’re not going North towards Union (beware of a massive downward hill. Literally. Get your walking shoes on and do not blink), this area is great to bounce around, people watch, and soak up the night in San Francisco.

OVERALL GRADE: 7.3

Carpaccio di Zucchini

Mezzaluna Espinacci

Burrata Caprese

Eggplant Parmesan

Pesce Fra Diavolo

Pollo alla Noci

Bombolotti Sugo de Carne

Gnocchi Scarmozza

Zabaglione Freddo

Gelato

Fantasia di Cioccolata

Yep. Wine boxes...see 'em? Better than wallpaper, still....

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #25: Radius

Moving here from LA, where hour commutes to *insert anywhere you need to be* were par for the course, I had no idea just how much of my life I was wasting in my car traveling from one side of LA to the other, until I arrived in San Francisco. Sure, those ‘learn Italian’ tapes sounded like a great idea when I bought them, but an hour of reciting phrases I would never use: “Martha makes bread” (silly Martha, why doesn’t she just buy it at Whole Foods like the rest of us?) while simultaneously uselessly yelling at cars at a standstill in front of me, only served to make me look like a crazy person in traffic and resulted in the incurred knowledge of the sole word: andiamo! 7x7. Who knew how sweet those three little letters would sound for my commute and yet how much culture, activity, eating, drinking…just life in general, such a small radius could hold? For seven dollars and ten minutes, a magical ride known as ‘the taxi’ (and later the Uber + two dollars and a snazzy ride) would drop me off at my destination within this small big city and for the first time in my life, I was *gasp* early. Who knew I had it in me? This 7x7 radius held everything I needed and although San Francisco is easily one of the largest cities of this country…this small circumference of land gave it the small town feel that brings out the charm and friendliness of each neighborhood: your coffee barista has your order ready as soon as you walk in…with your name on it, your local cashier at the grocery store spots you when you’re a short a buck, your dry cleaner smiles and reaches for your clothes as you walk in the door… And as a result – we root for our local neighbors. Five dollars for a latte? When it’s pre-made with my name on it, I say okay. Ever the San Francisco neighbor, our latest new Where-To-Wednesday destination: ‘Radius’ took this idea to heart – sourcing all of their food and wine from within a 100 mile radius. What a concept. Radius is making friends with the neighbors AND delicious food. You go, Radius…you go. Ironically and…well, completely unrelated to the premise of the restaurant naming convention, the waiters are all French and the cuisine has a French flair to it. What a twist. Perhaps a ….french twist?? It’s time to stop, isn’t it. I can already feel the French scowl my way. Okay…I’m wrapping up. At this Where To Wednesday adventure at Radius, planned by Becky, which myself, Chelsea, Jenny and Lindsey attended on August 7th – we enjoyed this locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. Yep…that’s a mouthful. And we had it all.

Ambiance 8: At first, I was a little taken aback. I mean sure, sometimes our restaurant selections are a bit on the casual side. But when I saw people were placing their orders (mostly for coffee) with the cashier up front and only then, taking a cue from the ‘please seat yourself’ sign, sitting down at little tables scattered amongst the  linoleum-tiled restaurant…I ran. ‘I ran so far away. I just ran. I ran all night and day’. Okay…I didn’t actually run away. I mean, come on, I was STARVING…how could I possibly have the energy to run…and ‘far away’ at that? Keep dreaming. (And for the record, neither did Flock of Seagulls. They’re in a house of mirrors for crying out loud…how does anyone REALLY run in a house of mirrors without a death wish? Get real, Flock of Seagulls. And choose your girlfriends a little more carefully before you take them to a carnival). But anyways, yes, that’s what I felt like doing. Instead, I kept turning around and around in a little circular dance by myself in the middle of the restaurant looking for…help. Finding none and seeing as though my crazy antics were falling on blind eyes here, I walked back outside, and stumbled upon…wait for it, wait for it…the REAL restaurant. Yes, tricky tricky. Neighboring restaurants – both under the Radius umbrella – one being the café, and one being the sit-down restaurant. As soon as I walked into the next door restaurant, I knew I had found home. Low lighting and candles illuminated the restaurant casting a soft glow, while the elongated bar in the front and graffiti-framed artwork told you to stop short of relaxing too much, because this place was about to get kicked up a notch. It seamlessly meshes modern with rustic and spits out a lively atmosphere that you’ll be glad you stopped in for…even if it did take you two tries.

Wine 9: With a similar premise as the food, the wine is sourced from a radius no greater than 50 miles. Looking at the wine list I’m reminded how damn lucky we are to live in such a close vicinity to amazing wines! With only one bottle over a hundred dollars and most resting comfortably in the forty-ish range, the list was just begging for us to dig in…and so, we did. We started with the Tres Sabores Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma – smooth with hints of honey and chamomile it was slightly sweet without the tartness that Sauvignon Blancs can sometimes bring. Great starter and we probably should have stuck with what worked, but…we moved on to the Elizabeth Rose Chardonnay which was slightly oaky with a bit more fruit than is typical for a chardonnay. When your biggest problem of the night is drinking the wine that was almost as good as you expected, you know you should shut your mouth and sip on. Things could be worse. And soon enough though…it was time for the main event: Red. We kicked it off with Dashe Cellars Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley – velvety smooth with hints of peppery spice and oak. So good, we stuck with the Dashe for the rest of the night. In retrospect we probably spent a little too much time with Dashe….but hey, we’re really just getting to know our neighbors. And to quote the wise words of the leader in my day (and by ‘my day’ I do mean kindergarten) - Mr. Rodgers, himself – “would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” (Trick question, Dashe – you already ARE. I win).

Food 9.5: So… locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. What does it all mean? Rest easy and leave your translation dictionary at home. You’ve got this.

-          Heirloom Salad: A perfect start to the meal. Fresh and delicious with a perfect consistency of succulent watermelon mixed with light, sesame crisp and topped with sweet tomatoes.

-          Flat Bread: Easing into the meal, this one was a bit heartier. The warm flatbread was topped with oyster mushrooms, dry jack, arugula and a hint of chili flake to give it kick. Now we’re getting into the good stuff.

-          Hommage a San Francisco: Well..the French do know how to butter us up. (For the record, actual ‘butter’ works well too, Mon Frere. Right Paula? It was too soon, wasn’t it….) The heirloom salad was light and juicy and if there was ever a salad-off…this one would take the cake. (I mean, not literally, because well – cake always wins. Those are just the rules. But…you get it). The Hommage a San Francisco was a very unique dish with a truly unique combination of flavors. This little gem salad was topped with pine nuts and foraged herbs and flowers (I know this sounds extremely hippy but just imagine the most aromatic spices that didn’t overpower the dish, dancing in your mouth amongst the greens…truly delicious. And yes…I do realize that sentence reads exactly the opposite of how I imagined when I started writing it). And to top it off, green goddess dressing was drizzled at the very bottom of the dish, and was bursting with flavors of chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper. Truly a dish that pays homage to San Francisco.

-          Trout:  Moist (I know…some people can’t deal with that word but here…you must) and delicious, the trout just about melted in your mouth. Slightly salted on the outside, it held a light crisp to the bite before giving way to the tender meat inside.

-          Broccolini: Roasted with crushed red pepper and topped with garlic chips…you’ll never want to pass over veggies again. Seconds!

-          Pork Chop: Tender, juicy, generously thick pieces of pork chop were arranged atop a bed of butterbeans, oyster mushrooms, and bacon white chocolate gastrique. This dish is bursting with peaks of flavor in every bite, as the gastrique marinates the pork chop in its savory sauce, bringing you back for another bite!

-          Potato Gnocchi: Fresh and light, each piece of gnocchi held a slight crisp before caving in to the soft potato. Immersed in a bed of fresh peas, confit mushroom and pancetta…this one is not to miss.

-          Fried Chicken: If chicken and a donut had a baby...this would be it. Imagine juicy chicken coated in sweet crumbs that melt in your mouth leaving the sweet taste of honey behind. Borderline a dessert....just spectacular!

Dessert: Oh yes we did....

-          Lemon Curd Tart: Light, tart Italian meringue sitting amongst of whisk of chocolate sauce with delicate, toasted marshmellow clouds atop. Candied almonds to the side added the perfect crunch addition to this dish to complete it's perfection.

-          Mint & Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta: topped with strawberry and rhubarb compote, the delicate mint panna canna was balanced with the tart of the rhubarb, and topped with honey brioche croutons it gave the dish the crunchy kick it needed.

-          Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake: I know some people would shudder and shake their heads at this ("olive oil in a dessert??") I know...BUT...get over that simple little fact and slurp up a taste of heaven. So savory and smooth, and accompanied with delicious dark chocolate shortbreads perfect for dipping, you can't go wrong.

-          Dark Chocolate Cake: chocolate cake laid upon salted caramel (if you're not already salivating...get ready), topped with a white chocolate granache (that resembled a light marshmellow layer) and finally sprinkled with cocoa nibs. Delicious!

Service 10: That's right, 10 - for 3 reasons. 1) the service was great. Our waiter was extremely helpful, patient and friendly. 2) He was French. I don't know why I feel like that's a reason for a higher score but...it just does. I think we felt important with that accent. And as René Descartes once said "I think...therefore I am." So, there you go, thanks to Franz, we ARE important. (Note: I do NOT know his name was Franz. But I mean, it SHOULD be so...let's go with that). 3) We liked the little chocolate shortbread cookies that accompanied the milkshake SO much, that we asked how it was made. And instead of humoring us with nonsense such as "a little flour, dark chocolate, milk..." which I would have expected, he actually excused himself and appeared ten minutes later with THE ACTUAL RECIPE. Oui! That’s right, we sure MUST be important. Now granted the recipe is chalk full of gram measurements which we'll need to dig out our old grade school conversion charts for, but hey...it's a small price to pay for chocolate.

Price 7: French waiters serving you locally sourced food with a French flair. Price: close to $100 each. Reality: it's cheaper than going to France. It's all about perspective, people. Do you really need a refill? Your glass looks half-full to me! See how easy that was?? (Truth: this applies to any drink sans wine. Let's be real here).

Noise Level 6:  We discuss all of our ratings at each restaurant, and when 'noise level' came up, I said: "They call it energetic on open table. I think it actually means "'loud.'" Response from the other side of the table: "It's loud in here, what did you say?" Exactly.

All About the Area: Well...it's not France. Soma is pocketed...with portions that are populated/fun/safe and portions that are vacant/sketchy/unsafe. Folsom itself in this vicinity is home to several bars/restaurants close by...but come 6th street, I would recommend halting quickly. Know where you're going and what areas are unsafe (i.e. ALL of 6th). So bring your street smarts, be aware and stop texting on your phone and looking down. Unless you're reading your latest dose of where-to-wednesday. Then..as you were*. 

*Kidding...seriously people, be aware of your surroundings. Read the blog at home. But I mean, as SOON as you get home. No lagging. Franz will not stand for that.

Overall Grade: 8.25

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

Front of the restaurant facing the bar area

Shot towards the back of the restaurant that opens to a larger dining area

Heirloom Salad

 

Flatbread

Hommage a San Francisco

Trout

Broccolini

Pork Chop

Potato Gnocchi

Fried Chicken

Lemon Curd Tart

Mint and Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta

Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake

Lindsey digging into the milkshake...mmmm!

Dark Chocolate Cake