I live just 45 minutes from Napa Valley. Lucky me, right? Yet I rarely take advantage of the amazing food and beautiful landscapes. Mainly because I am not a big drinker, as in hardly ever. When I do enjoy a glass of wine I pay dearly that night or the next day. So when I go wine tasting with friends I am the designated driver.
Wine crusher statue greets visitors to Napa Valley
Over the years I have had many, many great meals in Napa, Yountville, St Helena and Calistoga. Recently I participated in 2014 Global Co-Active Summit at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa. I took my Brompton bike to be able to ride everyday. The Meritage is located in an industrial park right on the other side of the hill that the Wine Crusher statue. There is a great walk through a vineyard to a pretty view once the morning fog burns off.
Meritage Resort pool area from hill walk.
The cycling opportunities are a little less readily available from the Meritgage. The Summit kept me busy and my riding was limited to the industrial park. I having been thinking about driving back to the Valley to ride some hills. I found this great blog post on 7X7 SF offering 6 bike routes.
The Meritage is staffed by exceptionally friendly and capable people, but the food service was limited for some mysterious reason, so I jumped on Trip Advisor and Yelp looking for a Mexican restaurant. The first place I looked for did not appear to exist. I drove a few more blocks to an address for another taco place by another name. Instead I found the Hacienda Taqueria at 1851 Old Sonoma Road. It was very authentic and affordable. The freshly made chips are delicious. The hot sauce on the tacos is very spicy and the chicken enchiladas very delicious. Went back two nights later with friends when we needed some quick, filling, tasty food to go.
I will share when I try one of the routes from the 7X7 SF blog post.
A blue sky day like this one is the kind that suckers Californians into moving to the Pacific Northwest. Of my three days in Seattle I had this stunner, and rain, and clouds and rain. I traveled to Seattle for a combination of personal and business reasons. I have not been to Seattle in a few years and it has increased its cool factor in my absence.
Eat
Pizza from Serious Pie
I ate so well that I am glad I took my Brompton to get some exercise each day. And it was Pi(e) Day on my last day there!
“Bite” of Pie at Dahlia Bakery
I stayed in the hip and chic Hotel Andra, centrally located in the heart of downtown and surrounded by a number of Tom Douglas restaurants. My colleague and I had a great meal at Serious Pie. I ate a tasty greek salad at Lola, although the slab of feta was a challenge to eat in bite size pieces. And after seeing the Pi(e) Day reminder, I started my day with a slice of coconut cream pie and coffee at Dahlia Bakery.
Drinking local means Starbucks
I also enjoyed coffee guilt free at Starbucks. Where else can you drink local coffee, at Starbucks? My colleague and I had an adventure trying to find the Pike Street Fish Fry that UrbanSpoon said had amazing fish and chips. We started at Pike Place Market and walked most of the way to Capitol Hill before we found it. It was worth the effort.
Pi(e) Day inspired me to seek out a berry pie at A La Mode Pies across from the Woodland Park Zoo. If I did not already have my heart set on Marionberry Hazlenut, I would have been torn between Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart and Star-Spangled Sour Cherry.
Slice of Marionberry Hazlenut
Sleep
I received an email from Stash Hotels telling me about Hotel Andra. I looked up the reviews in Trip Advisor and then making my reservation via Booking.com. I enjoyed every aspect of my stay. The staff especially excelled in making my stay a success. the bellman especially offered great advice about biking routes. My room was very comfortable and the wifi very fast. I will gladly stay here again.
Bike
Bicycle and jogging path through Sculpture Park
I brought Black Beauty along so I could be sure to keep my commitment of riding my bicycle every day for 30 minutes. I had a terrific ride along the shoreline one morning. Another day I rode to the Seattle Center and around downtown. Seattle has invested in bike paths and there were large numbers of bicycle commuters on the street. Impressive considering the inclement weather.
Last month when the rest of the nation was in the grip of the polar vortex, I found myself driving across the Golden Gate Bridge on a glorious blue sky day.
Golden Gate Bridge in winter (ha!)
My beautiful friend Ray was visiting friends in San Francisco for the weekend and called me to join them for lunch in Tiburon. I used the jaunt to the Bay Area to take care of some bike business and so found myself crossing the Golden Gate to get to Tiburon in Marin County. The mid-day traffic was moving and I was making good time, so I pulled off at the popular vista point on the Marin side of the bridge. Every family visiting San Francisco that weekend seemed to be here to take photos. It was worth the effort navigating a parking space.
Continuing on past the turn off to Saucelito, I was not sure how difficult it was going to be to get to Tiburon, yet I was thankful Ray did not choose a restaurant in Saucelito as the last couple of times I have tried to drive through I have been caught in seriously slow traffic on the main drag. Soon enough I was zipping down a beautiful road that hugs the bay to Tiburon.
What a gem of a place! I passed a large gathering of bicyclists to park in the public parking (not free). We met up at Guaymas Mexican restaurant next to the ferry terminal. We could watch people coming and going from our outdoor table. Climate change stinks except when you can eat outside on a winter’s Saturday and worry about getting a sunburn.
Tiburon, California in Marin County
The food was good. The company made the lunch great. We had fun talking and trying each others food. I asked about all of the cyclists and Ray and friends explained that a lot people ride from SF, across the bridge to Tiburon and then take the ferry home. Brilliant.
Afterward we walked around the corner to Caffe Acri for a coffee and dessert. Perfect accent to a beautiful day with my beautiful friend Ray.
What is the opposite of an bungy-jumping, parasailing, luge riding tourist? Me, my mom and friends. I could not even convince all of them to take the gondola ride! We still enjoyed Queenstown and nearby Arrowtown.
Gaze all day? Lake Wakatipu from our apartment in The Rees
Staying at The Rees hotel means having to overcome the temptation to stay in room all day gazing at the gorgeous view of Lake Wakatipu and watching the weather and light move across the sky. We all agree that our 2 bedroom apartment was one of the nicest we had ever enjoyed and the kitchen was much larger and better appointed than mine at home. Plus they have a great dining room, True South, with a creative albeit pricey menu inspired by local ingredients and room service.
The first day Mom and friends took the hotel shuttle into town and joined the Real Journey’s lake cruise on the TSS Earnslaw to a sheep station and enjoyed a delicious barbeque lunch. They loved it and highly recommend this experience. I took advantage of a quiet day of walking around town and caught up on emails and did some light grocery shopping.
Queenstown is truly beautiful. Comparisons to Lake Tahoe are inevitable and full of so many exceptions it is not worth the breath. It stands on its own.
The next day we spent in Milford Sound and that will be its own post. The final full day in Queenstown we took a cab into town and we all enjoyed the Kiwi Birdlife Park, especially the conservation show and the kiwi house at feeding time. Lisa and I bought combo tickets that allowed us a ride on the gondola.
The trip up the mountain in the gondola took only a few minutes (less than the line we waited in to board). We were at the shrine to adrenaline in Queenstown. Mountain bikers hung their cycles off their gondola chair and headed up looking dusty and determined. We lofted above the luge ride and watched the bungy jumpers prep for their brave leap. As we approached the top we level with the paragliders as they took off over town.
The views at the top were as spectacular as you might expect. My best memory was the incredible Tip Top ice cream cone!
We rejoined Mom and Nancy and we called a cab to drive us to Arrowtown. Several friends recommended checking out this charming gold rush town. It is lovingly maintained and an interesting place for shopping and dining. We ate delicious blue cod and chips at the Fork and Tap. We were ready to head back The Rees and attempt to eat all the food still in the fridge. My crew was definitely from the waste not-want not generation.
As we watched the light fade over the lake we understood deep in our souls why so many people make the effort to visit Queenstown.
This lamb burger with bacon and avocado inspired much photography.
There is a lot to love about dining in New Zealand. Fresh, local food is easy to find. Gluten free is catered to, although the regular breads are phenomenal so I am happy I am not sensitive to gluten. The eggs are all free range and some of the yolks are so yellow as to be neon orange from a diet of greens. The dairy products are among the best in the world. (I ran the gauntlet of US customs to bring home Edam cheese.) The beef and lamb are yummy because they are grass-fed. The wine, the bacon, the honey… obviously I could go on and on.
This lamb dish was delicious and beautiful.
The food in New Zealand is not cheap. Even when you factor in the exchange rate (lowers price to Americans and Brits), and tax is included in your bill, and tipping is not customary, food is more expensive than in the United States. There are no 99 cent deals on any menus. Step out of the mindset of quantity over quality, “value” equals mass, and embrace the idea of high quality, tasty food served in just enough quantities.
Cafe Kohi on Tamaki Drive on a summer day.
Then enjoy dining outdoors whenever possible. And treat yourself to dessert.
The coffee is also an art form. Is it the milk that makes the flat white so special? Or the coffee? I could write a whole post just on coffee, however a young American living in Auckland has done such a good job I am going to refer you to Sedona Wilson’s blog post. Good on you Sedona for capturing the magic of a coffee in New Zealand.
P.S. Hokey Pokey is a Kiwi specialty and means it contains honeycomb.
Chocolate and Hokey Pokey ice cream tastes great at top of gondola in Queenstown
Trinidad can boast a lot of really great places to eat for such a small town. The Lighthouse Grill is casual, affordable and delicious. The hamburger buns and ice cream are homemade and the fish is fresh from the Trinidad bay. Their most famous dish is the mashed potato cone. It is mashed potatoes with gravy and bacon in a cornmeal waffle cone. I have eaten here a couple of times and ordered the mashed potato cone, fish and chips, tuna fish sandwich and cheeseburger. Everything was delicious. It is a fun place with indoor and outdoor seating. The location in the Murphy’s Market parking lot is not picturesque, but they make up for it in original and good tasting food. Just watch the fat intake (or look the other way)
Consistently excellent Larrupin’s Cafe in Trinidad
Our dinner meal on New Years Eve was one of the best in memory. The service was topnotch and the interior is elegant and cozy. Until the sun set we had a view of the pretty garden. We went for the food and it lived up to its reputation: YUM! My friend started with the barbequed oysters: excellent. I have been eating the Larrupin’s red sauce (bbq-esque) for over 20 years and it has been almost that long since I dined in the restaurant. Why did I wait so long?
The wine list is comprehensive and you can buy anything by the glass or bottle. Entrees are priced between $25-38 and is a good value because it includes the appetizer board, salad and a choice of potato or vegetable. We varied our orders so we could taste more but we all ordered the twice-baked potato–old school and so delicious. I am not sure if they still sell their salad sauce; they should. It is amazing.
I ordered the lamb chops, Harriet ordered the chicken in phyllo, and Brian ordered the prime rib special. The prime rib was truly amazing. I loved my lamb chops and the chicken in phyllo was excellent.
We didn’t have room for dessert but our friend Jodie is the dessert chef so I had to try one. We all ordered coffee (it was a long time until midnight) and it was excellent. So many times restaurants do not get the coffee right. This Trinidad institution still delivers consistently excellence after all of these years. The triple layer chocolate cake with amaretto creme filling and caramel topping was out of this world. H and I said we’d only take a few bites and then it was almost gone!
Wow! beautiful and delicious
I am not waiting 20 years before I eat at Larrupin’s again!
Jodie’s chocolate cake
Simply delicious chocolate cake
I eat really well when I am in Humboldt County because so many people in Harriet’s family are terrific cooks. Jodie is a pastry chef, Matt is also a chef. Nora is a great cook, and so is Jenny, and Harriet. When everyone gets together it is delightful and impossible to eat moderately. Steph and Jodie hosted a holiday open house and Jodie made this simple chocolate cake. I took my first bite and thought “this is what cake is supposed to taste like!” So many times you bite into cake hoping for this. Oh my. I asked Jodie for the recipe (he is generous that way) and he went to the recycling and dug out the notes he made while he made it. It is all in grams and is missing some of the usual information about oven tempurature and how long to bake it–just the notes an accomplished baker needs to stay on track. I may frame it!
I started eating breakfast here on my first morning and went almost every morning during my stay. I tried the Parker Street pancakes with banana and pecans because I’m staying at Parker Creek Cottage. Other mornings I ate the oatmeal, or buttermilk pancakes, or eggs over medium, or a ham and cheese omelette. It was a great way to start the day. Michelle, my waitress, would brew a pot of decaf coffee for me and make sure I had what I needed. There are a lot of regulars eating breakfast and I did not mean to eavesdrop and I learned a
Parker Street Pancakes
lot about the character of the town. There is a lot to like.
The last place I tried is located down at the fishing pier and is on the water. It recently got a new ramp and entrance but the indoors have not ever been remodeled! I was craving clam chowder so we went to the Seascape for lunch. The service is the best part of the experience at Seascape. Our waitress was very sweet and competent. The food is good and nothing memorable. There is a lot of fish on the menu and the prices are reasonable.
Beachcomber Cafe
It was the only restaurant of note (beside the casino) in Trinidad that I did not try because it was closed with the owners on vacation from December 24 to January 3. From the menu on the door it appears that breakfast seems to be focused on bagels and they have a commitment to organic food and not using throw away dishes. There is another sign on the door that explains that you can take their real mugs to go if you bring them back.
I also tried the Murphy’s Market deli–they made a ham and swiss sandwich for my New Years Day hike. I requested Larrupin’s mustard and it was made to order and tasty. Of course after hiking 5 miles, sandwiches taste exceptionally good.
I focused on Trinidad restaurants during my stay and there are many more options if I drove into Arcata or Eureka. This is also the home of Cypress Grove goat cheese–my favorite is “Purple Haze.” I have places I want to try–guess I will have to return one day soon.
I just finished a 5 mile hike and was driving away from the State park, when I spied this sign across the highway from Humboldt Lagoons State Park:
PIe and coffee–it is a siren song!
My car was running on fumes and I needed to find gas within 15 miles, so I thought “Why not check this place (pie) out and ask about the closest gas station?” The Elk Valley RV Park and Campground turns out to be a happy place. The people who manage it were organizing a New Years lunch with salmon pate and bouillabaisse. Woowhee. A step up from hot dogs and beans.
The blackberry pie was just coming out of the oven, so I decided to go put some gas in my Passat up the road in Orick and come back for a slice of pie.
Got Gas? Nope. Please sell me some Betty.
The spot in the road that is Orick is just 5 miles down the road and one of those places time forgot. Betty sold me $20 worth of gas and I used one of the oldest gas pumps I have seen in awhile!
I went back to the Elk Valley RV Park and finally got my piece of pie to go. When I got back to Radar at the rental I took my first bite. Oh my! The pie crust was flaky and the filling was sweet, sour, and berry good.
I learned a couple of things while I was hanging out waiting for pie. There is a local wild elk herd of about 60 cows that roams through the campground about once a day. I saw them from the highway about 8 miles north of Trinidad on my way back! And I thought someone told me there is a rock band called “There will be pie later.” When I tried to google it other pies came up: Humble Pie and a Russian band called Apple Pie. And then there is the classic Don McClean “American Pie”. (I may have to make a pie themed mixed CD.) I could not discover the Pie Later band, so if you know it please share. Apparently after their concerts spontaneous pie potlucks happen.
Remember if you are following me on the highway, I brake for pie!
Called the secret dessert garden, it was easy to talk my friend Diana into trying a new desserts-only restaurant, Milse, in the Pavilions of Britomart in downtown Auckland. Another friend Beverley told me about Milse while we ate lunch at another of the restauranteur’s eateries (St. Heliers Bay Cafe and Bistro) These are all new additions since I was last in Auckland JUST 10 MONTHS AGO!
The entrance to Milse is slightly hidden, just like the gate in the classic children’s book. The front entrance is filled with cases of delectable chocolate and other desserts. There is a hostess station where you can buy your dessert to go. There are people waiting to be seated at one of the 5 or 6 small tables. We went early enough that we were seated promptly.
Cozy dining area inside MilseTruffles, truffels, truffels.
The hostess led us past a bar where you could sit and eat divine desserts while watching the chefs create similar confections. Or you can sit in a cozy table that feels like the inside of a beehive.
We decided to go for it! We ordered four different menu items and our eyes rolled back in our heads depending on our individual tastes. For Diana it was the pecan and honey tart. For me it was, well all of them, but especially the chocolate covered ice cream bar.
Diana admiring our selections before we devoured them!
Forget my pledge to eat sugar free! This is just too amazing of a dining experience to pass up.
There are so many amazing small towns in New Zealand and Oamaru is one of them. I went for the penguins and enjoyed the other bits as bonus.
Oamaru is also the Steampunk Capital of NZ
When you drive into town on Highway 1, there are signs to victorian Oamaru. (This part of town is also closest to the penguin colonies. ) These couple of blocks of historic buildings are home to a creative revival. There are clever shops, including a bookbindery and an old fashioned toy store, and it is the home of the Steampunk Headquarters in the self-proclaimed Steampunk Capital of New Zealand.
First, as background, if like me you are not familiar with what it is all about, you can read the Wikipedia entry for Steampunk. Or you rely on the definition in the Oamaru brochure: “Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.” Much clearer. Yeah, right.
This became a fun focus of conversation with shopkeepers as the townspeople are divided in their opinion of steampunk culture. One artist said that the arrival of Steampunk about 5 or so years ago created schisms in the art community. And then admitted that every art community has its schisms and politics. Another person said they loved the creativity and openness of Steampunk and we talked about “creating from” the historic victorian with a futuristic “Dr. Who” flair.
It co-exists alongside the purist Victorian re-enactors. Some love the steampunk fashion and others are into the art. Either way, there is now a Steampunk New Zealand festival with a kick-off event called Oamaru On Fire. The Steampunk HQ were closed on the day I tried to stop in (even though it says open 7 days a week). The League of Victorian Imagineers hosts a Fashion Show and Ball in June each year.
My curiosity is mainly for penguins, so in addition to the blue penguin colony, I rose before sunrise one fine morning and drove out to Bushy Beach to the hide and waited over an hour for a Yelllow-eyed penguin to appear.
The view from the hide at Bushy Beach..
Even though a pair of binoculars would have been handy, I could still see the lone penguin emerge from the brush and saunter across the sand and rocks to the surf. He/she then dove into the water and swam around the shoreline. The Yellow-eyed penguin is at least twice the size of a blue penguin. I left the hide and hiked the 50 yards to my car as by this time I was a popsicle. It was worth the cold and wait. And I have a new appreciation for field scientists who have to patiently endure the elements to count a species or observe behavior. I also better understood how “sampling error” can happen as it takes a person of integrity to maintain an observation post in the cold and sleet day in and day out.
When I was a kid, sometimes my favorite part of watching late night fireworks or stargazing or walking through the neighborhood singing carols, was the hot chocolate at the end. This time my reward was a delicious hot breakfast and flat white at the Bridge Cafe in Oamaru. Then a hot shower at Highfield Mews Motel before hitting the road to Dunedin.
I gave myself plenty of time for the drive back to Dunedin because I wanted to stop at the Moeraki Boulders and check out the Yellow-eyed penguin colony at the Kataki Lighthouse in Moeraki. I do not know what I expected with the boulders. I laughed at what seemed the anti-climax.
God left his bocce ball set behind.
It made for a good 15-20 minute stretch of the legs. I learned from a South Island native later in the week that there used to be more boulders but that people have removed some of them. Now they are protected. It is interesting how our attitudes toward conservation have changed, thankfully. The Kataki lighthouse is automated now. Before the keepers were relocated they heroically replanted the denuded hillsides to native bush and made a much more convivial place for the yellow eyed penguins to nest. They also build and equipped a very good hide. Whereas Bushy Beach was accessible, this is only reached by a very steep path and some other obstacles that are available only to fit people. I did not expect to see any penguins as they make their appearance at sunrise and 1-2 hours before sunset. They are also more solitary and so appear one or two at a time, not in rafts. This would be a worthwhile spot to return to at the right time of day. The road to the lighthouse is gravel with just the steepest part paved in tarmac. Allow 20 minutes to drive out in one direction.
It was lunchtime and I noticed a place on my Moeraki tourist map that said, “Fleur’s Place” and boasted fresh caught fish and organic vegetables. I found it easily and walked in and requested a table. Have you ever asked for a table in a practically empty restaurant and had the hostess look at you like you were crazy? Apparently (I did not know) I was in world-famous in NZ restaurant. She deigned to find me a table without a booking. Lots more people did come in after me, but the restaurant never filled completely. The fish and veg were delicious, and pricey. I paid my bill and made a note to eat more cheaply at dinner.
I completed my drive to Dunedin fairly quickly and enjoyed this lovely University town with the heavy Scottish accent.
At the end of another easy Air New Zealand flight, we landed in Auckland ahead of schedule. As soon as I got through customs I made a beeline to the coffee truck for a flat white. If you have not been to New Zealand and imbibed on the famous “flat white” allow me to explain. The En Zed flat white is essentially a latte. Except that New Zealand dairy cows are all grass fed and it makes for incredible tasty milk. And Kiwis are not hung up about Cuba so when a coffee crazy guy from New Zealand decided to import roasters and introduce espresso drinks, he went to Cuba where they have the best coffee in the world. Put the two together and YUM–even the flat white at the airport is a treat.
There is a stark difference between interest in America’s Cup in New Zealand versus NorCal. I got an earful from Kiwis in the airport and on the plane who went to see the Cup and had strong opinions about Team Oracle and the cheating incident. The pilots on both flights gave us updates. It was the only thing on the television in the Auckland airport and everyone is collectively holding their breath. Some people are pessimistic out of an innate modesty; however, radio disc jockeys are holding contests to encourage Team New Zealand. It would be great to see America’s Cup return to Auckland, so I hope they win their 9th race tomorrow.
Dunedin is lovely and this morning (Tuesday) I drove through beautiful countryside to Oamaru in my rental car. It is always an adjustment to remember how to drive a manual car with the shift stick on the left and driving on the other side. Plus I was distracted by the many adorable newborn lambs on green, green grass. It is great to be breathing New Zealand air. Looking forward to my first penguin encounter tonight.
americanjulie.com 