Dear Friends,
In January, my husband John, stepson Cole, and I traveled to London and Paris, followed by my solo leg to Waterford, Ireland to see my nephew and his family.
One of most gratifying moments on our trip was at
L'Ebauchoir, a wonderful neighborhood bistro in Paris. The owner told me he'd been to the Napa Valley and his favorite restaurant was Mustards Grill! He then asked me if I knew it. I kid you not, what a small and wonderful world.
For those traveling to London or Paris,
click here or on the top left photo to see some of my favorite spots, old and new.
Back in the U.S., there are a couple of new discoveries I want to share with you. One is Pok Pok Som, the drinking vinegars. I found them at
Bi-Rite Market, one of the best grocery/food emporiums in San Francisco. The vinegars are made in Portland, Oregon and come in three flavors: pomegranate, tamarind, and honey. You dilute them to your taste, about four to one, with still or sparkling water. Wow, so refreshing.
The other discovery is the book
Mission Street Food by Anthony Myint & Karen Leibowitz. It's the story of a restaurant that started as a one-night-stand in someone else's food truck, became popular, then turned a "decrepit Chinese Joint" into a community-based, wildly hip culinary destination. It's a good read and the recipes I have tried have come out great.
Here in the Napa Valley, a new tradition has begun at
Brassica. Every Sunday beginning at 5:30pm we're serving
Italian Porchetta. We stuff a whole loin of pork with garlic, sage, rosemary, fennel fronds and pollen, rolled and roast it in our Caja China charcoal oven. It's slow roasted for 3½ hours to an incredible deliciousness and served with braised gigante white beans. Jen, our fantastic wine sommelier, suggests pairing it with the Six Sigma Tempranillo (on tap) and the Rossi-Wallace Pinot Noir (one of our "
Brassica 12"). Come on in and try it with a 2 oz. pour of each!
At
Cindy's this month, we're featuring cooking inspired by what I view as new American cuisine. Look for our interpretation of modern dishes originating from San Francisco's Mission Street to New York City.
We're serving flavorful Korean dishes for this month's
Pour-Off Pair-Off at Mustards. With all the wonderful cabbages and brassicas in season, now is the perfect time to play with Kim Chee and Korean BBQ. What a treat in the Napa Valley!
All three restaurants will offer delicious prix fixe
Valentine's menus in addition to their regular menus from Friday, Feb. 10 through Tuesday, Feb. 14. We hope to see you and your loved ones celebrating with us.
Happy Valentine's and Leap Days!
P.S. Clever writer alert!! Name our new pizza & wine special at Brassica and win a gift certificate for TEN of our scrumptious pizzas! The daily special will include the pizza of your choice AND your choice of three 2-oz. glasses of wines-on-tap for just $20. (Add a second flight of wines for just $10.) To be offered from 3-6pm and 9-10pm (late night only in the bar).
Thinking caps on, pencils ready, go! Submit your best entries
(as many as you like) to info@brassicanapavalley.com by midnight Friday, Feb. 10. Good luck!
