Late Summer Trip: Maui!
I recently found out this is where I’ll be spending the beginning of August! Of the five islands Maui is known for incredible natural landscapes and a perfect mix of refined and agrarian lifestyles. I’ve started collecting a list of recommendations for the trip:
- Watch the sunrise from Haleakala’s Summit at 10,000 ft above sea level
- Visit Tedeschi Winery in Upcountry
- Take a Vespa on the Road to Hana
- Swim with the sea turtles
- Drive Kahekili Highway and visit little villiage Kahakuloa
Las Vegas – Restaurants to Visit
A list of exciting yet moderately priced spots around town.
Raku
Highly acclaimed tiny restaurant featuring exquisite charcoal grilled small plates.
Mon Ami Gabi at Paris
Go for lunch and grab a seat on the patio or garden atrium to people watch and see the Bellagio fountains across the street.
Buddy V’s
New York Italian by the Cake Boss guy. Of course order dessert.
Payard’s patisserie at Ceasar’s
It’s pricey but the quality is worth it. Go for a breakfast treat or snack.
Las Vegas – Places to Get a Drink
Some bars are just too cool to miss, even if you only have time to stop in for just one! Here is my list to hit, in no particular order.
Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan
It’s over the top lux.
Fireside Lounge at the Peppermill
Go for the technicolor retro Vegas vibe and pyrotechnics.
Revolution at Mirage
A tribute to The Beatles complete with psychedelic atmosphere.
Rhumbar at Mirage
An open air cigar bar with a tropical vibe.
Tea Lounge at the Mandarin
For a non-alcoholic break, visit at tea time 2-5p for calm atmosphere and a spectacular overlook of the strip.
Las Vegas NYE 2015 Parties
It can be tough to get in anywhere on New Year’s Eve in any city, and Las Vegas is no exception. Even the big casinos won’t let more people in if they’ve hit their occupancy max, unless you have a room key or event ticket in hand. There are a ton of party options out there for New Year’s Eve. I put together the list below as I was choosing where we would hang out this year. By no means is this a comprehensive list, but there are some pretty good deals (comparatively) and they should all be an awesome time.
Chateau at Paris
$99 pp, or $120 pp for VIP table
– Open Bar 9-12a
– Champagne Toast
– Access to all rooms, terrace and rooftop
http://www.ournightlife.com/event.aspx?e=27190
Lavo at The Palazzo with DJ Khaled
$50-75 pp
– Open Bar 9-11p
– 9-12a Hors d’oeuvres
– Champagne Toast
– Terrace Access
– After party at TAO
http://lavolv.com/event.cfm?id=136123&cart
Dal Toro at The Palazzo
$75 pp
– Open Bar 8p-2a
– Champagne Toast
– Favors
http://www.ournightlife.com/event.aspx?e=13158
Revolution at The Mirage
$199 per couple
– Open bar 9-1a
http://www.ournightlife.com/event.aspx?e=27203
Vegas Baby! NYE 2015
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I just found out Taylor and I will be spending NYE 2015 in Las Vegas! We went ahead and booked our nights and a table at the party at Chateau in Paris since the entire town is getting booked up. It should be a pretty awesome time on one of the few roof terraces in town to watch the 7 firework shows going off at midnight! We got a super good deal on a table for four with bottle service, open bar, and access to all 3 club rooms including the terrace and rooftop. More to come! Tickets available here: http://www.ournightlife.com/event.aspx?e=27190
Firenze Gastronomica!
+39 055 238 2609
Roma Gastronomica!
Thank you to Jenna Hogan and Julie Richey for this post!
Palatium Regional Enoteca Via Frattina 94 Tel. 06 692.02132
Very long regional wine list (ask them to recommend). Just a few blocks from the Spanish Steps.
Great locally-sourced food. If they have stuffed squash blossoms on the menu, GET THEM! Delish. Everything there is delicious. You should probably get a reservation. It’s pretty small. I think they are closed Sundays. Open for weekday lunches and dinners, and Saturdays.
Spirito Di Vino Via dei Genovesi, 31 Tel.06 5896689 **** You MUST have a reservation to dine here – they are so popular, they lock the doors and only let in the folks with reservations.
Located in Trastevere, the hip and oldest neighborhood of Rome. I would take a taxi there, since it’s a bit tricky to find and not in the main historic center. Absolutely great food, wonderful owners – a husband, wife and their grown son. We ate there twice on my trip. Their wine cellar, located below the restaurant level, is older than the Colosseum! The building once housed Rome’s oldest synagogue. They make a stewed beef dish that utilizes the recipe from the Roman emperor’s time. Juniper berries, etc. They can also call a taxi for your ride home if you just ask them at the end of your meal. For a great evening, make the trip to Trastevere and at about 7 p.m., walk through the neighborhood to the church Santa Maria in Trastevere. It’s one of Rome’s oldest churches, and it has a beautiful cycle of mosaics depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. It’s really glorious when lit. You might need to put some coins in the light meter at the front of the church. From there, it’s a pretty easy walk to Spirito Divino.
La Berninetta Via P. Cavallini, 14 Tel. 06 3204405
This restaurant was recommended by our hotel owner. I’ve been there with the family, with my clients all three years, and with my girlfriends. It’s very much a local place – although they have English menus, you see almost exclusively Romans here. They have pizzas, pastas, meat, and a selection of home made desserts. Very reasonable prices. Located just one block off the Tiber River on the St. Peter’s side, as you walk down the Via del Corso past the Richard Meier building containing, the Ara Pacis (worth a peek if you have time). I think they’re closed Tuesdays. (Cross the Tiber River on Ponte Cavour, turn right along the river, then the first street on the left as it leads down away from the river, you will see the restaurant sign)
Orso 80 Via dell’Orso 33 Tel. 06 6861710
In a tiny side street a few doors down from the Portuguese church. They have a huge array of vegetable plates, which they bring to you family style. You can eat just antipasti and be filled with veggies and not even need pasta or meat. Order wine from the list; their house wine isn’t very good. Very friendly service. The owner’s name is Maria, I believe.
A great place for lunch is Obikà, a fresh mozzarella and salad bar. They have more than one location in Rome. One is in Campo dei Fiori, near the Piazza Navona; the other is in Piazza Firenze. Piazza di Firenze 26 on the corner with Via dei Prefetti. 06 6832630 You can order all kinds of fresh Italian cheeses and meats, as well as a big salad. Try getting a platter that contains all kinds of cheeses and meat selections. They have a nice shaded patio outside on the Piazza Firenze location.
Also in Rome:
The Palazzo Barberini is a beautiful small museum with works by Raphael, da Vinci and others. It’s about a one hour visit – and there’s a great little restaurant right across the street called Taverna Barberini. Their restaurant is one level downstairs from the street. Great food and friendly service. Also one of the most modern, clean, and FREE bathrooms in Rome. But it’s only convenient if you’re in that neighborhood, of course! When you see old family crests with bees on them, this is a Barberini family crest.
The Galleria Borghese and the park it’s in are also lovely. You have to have a reservation for tickets and collect them 1/2 hr before your appointment time. Each group of visitors gets 2 hrs. There are two floors. The most amazing Bernini statues and an entire room of Caravaggio paintings! You can purchase tickets online, or ask the concierge at your hotel if they can call Galleria Borghese and get you reserved tickets. Don’t show up late! You must collect your tickets 1/2 hr before the time of your entrance ticket. There is a little cinema cafe in the Borghese Gardens. I don’t know if it’s open in winter – maybe not? If you walk the shaded road that is leading directly out of the front door of the gallery, you will climb a slight rise on the path and to the right is the little Cafe delle Rose. It’s with the cinema. You can have light sandwiches and drinks and coffee. http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/einfo.htm
If you are down near the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, the Museum of the Ara Pacis is cool. Right on the Tiber River where the bridge (Ponte Cavour) crosses the Tiber. That’s also the bridge you cross to get to La Berninetta Restaurant. Ara Pacis is very small and no line to get in. Downstairs they had a temporary exhibit of how the world media depicts Italy. Not sure if it’s still up. Some really great clippings and photos you’ll remember.
Have a fantastic time, and remember: now it’s forbidden to picnic on monuments. So no eating a sandwich on the Spanish Steps!
Tuscany & Lazio Bucket List
I’ve created this list in preparation for my honeymoon trip. I’m going back to some of the places where we first fell in love, as well as throwing in some new must-do adventures.
1. Apertivi over the Rooftops of Roma http://www.italiannotebook.com/places/capitoline-hill-terrace/
2. Visit the fountains at Villa d’Este, UNESCO World Heritage Site
3. Enjoy a glass of Sassicaia – Reputedly one of the best wines in the world
4. Natural Hot Springs Spa Day – Roman baths, anyone? http://www.adler-thermae.com/en/hotel-adler-thermae/water-worlds/
5. Photo on Via dell’Amore in perfect Montepulciano
6. Throw the key to our love into the Tibor
7. Pizza! Maybe from Rosciolo? http://www.salumeriaroscioli.com/
8. Finally eat lunch here, on the piazza in Arrezzo after morning at the Saturday market
9. Find out if Trastavere is cooler than Testaccio
10. Drink 100 cappuccini http://www.caffepoliziano.it/
11. Walk the streets of Rome at night
12. Finally visit Montalcino and drink a lot of Brunello
13. Taste Vino Nobile at Avignonesi http://www.avignonesi.it/
14. Visit Todi
15. Drive the Via Francigena, Roman road in Val d’Orcia, UNESCO Site
16. Visit Urbino
17. Gelato every day
18. Visit Sorano
19. Buy Sandy Coffee in Arezzo http://www.torrefazionecaffe.com/
20. Have a beer at Peroni Brewery http://www.anticabirreriaperoni.net/
Napa Coupons!
Artesa Vineyards: A cool new winery focued on ultra-premium that a normal guy like you can taste….now that there’s a 2 fer 1! Coupon / Map
Andersons’s Conn Valley Vineyards: Cave tasting (I mean, tasting in a cave) can be expensive, but not if you use this coupon for a big discount. Coupon / Map
Beaulieu Vineyards: You’ll forget about the low end BV Coastal after you try the good stuff Great winery, should be on your short list. Can’t pronounce it? Just say “BV”. Easy. Coupon / Map
Beringer: An iconic winery, beautiful setting with the historic grounds and stone building. Do this one! Coupon / Map
Black Stallion: At the start of the Silverado Trail, a nice and open tasting room and great way to start the day. Coupon / Map
Bouchaine Vineyards: The oldest continually operating winery in Carneros with beautiful Chardonnays and Pinots, get the discount coupon and save some bucks! Coupon / Map
Bourassa Vineyards: Don’t let the warehouse location fool you. Great wines at an unusual location at the Southern tip of Napa. Coupon / Map
Burgess Cellars: Complimentary tasting in their barrel aging cellar. That’s right. What a deal! Coupon / Map
Castello di Amorosa: The famous Napa castle, a full blown “Lord of the Rings” sort of place. Best with a discount coupon, of course. Discounts not always available but always worth checking just to make sure. Check 4 Coupon / Map
Chateau Montelena Winery: These guys smoked the French in the famous Paris blind tastings with their chardonnay. Now it’s your turn to check them out with a 2 for 1. Coupon / Map
Conn Creek Winery: Right in the heart of the valley on the Silverado Trail side, if you like cabs you need to stop in – made all the better with a two for one. Coupon / Map
Consentino Winery: Impatient? Then make the first winery on Highway 29 your first stop. Located next to Mustards, a great stop for lunch. Coupon / Map
Cuvaison Estate Wines: A cool contemporary winery in Calistoga area, perfect for a nice sunny day. Free winetasting with purchase! Coupon / Map
Domaine Chandon: Fantastic first stop for a glass of bubbly, essential! Coupon / Map
Duckhorn Vineyards: Such a nice winery! You’ve driven past this one and thought it was too fancy for you but now you have a reason to stop! Beautiful grounds and a nice tableside tasting experience. Coupon / Map
Etude: Cab lovers, pinot lovers, coupon lovers, this is your stop! Coupon / Map
Folie a Deux: Free wine. Yes. Free. For real! Coupon / Map
Flora Springs: Whacky looking tasting room on Highway 29 next to Dean and DeLuca, another essential stop. Coupon / Map
Franciscan: $5 off any tasting, or $10 off their upgraded Exploration tasting. Great winery! Coupon / Map
Freemark Abbey: Taste in a historic winery and sample their wine and cheese pairing, all the better with a 2 for 1. Coupon / Map
Grgich Hills: I can’t believe it, one of my favorite wineries and part of The Judgement of Paris! Try the chardonnay. Coupon / Map
Hagafen Vineyards: Pay attention, FREE wine alert on the Silverado Trail! Got that, FREE!Coupon / Map
Hall Winery: Small boutique winery on Highway 29, get a free reserve tasting with standard tasting flight. Coupon / Map
Hess Collection: Off the beaten track, a scenic drive up the mountain, great art exhibit, two-for-one. Coupon / Map
Merryvale Vineyards: The first new winery built in Napa after prohibition has a 2-fer-1 offer. Coupon / Map
Midsummer Cellars: Tour and taste with the winemaker. Come on, this has to be good! Coupon / Map
Mumm Napa: Free 2-for-1 flute tasting. Start your day with champagne, free tour at 10am. Coupon / Map
Robert Mondavi Winery: This is the one you wanted! Discounts not always available but check this link to see if it’s active. Coupon / Map
Rutherford Hill: With a great cave tour and picnic grounds, what’s not to like? Coupon / Map
St. Supery: One of my favorite boutiques with free self-tour and art gallery – great wines, too, and a complimentary pour with coupon – yes please! Coupon / Map
Sterling: The tram ride to the top of the mountain is the main attraction, made better with $5 off coupon.. Coupon / Map
Sutter Home Winery: They invented the White Zinfandel but don’t be a wine snob, especially when the wine is FREE! Come on, admit it, you liked white zins at one time in your life! Coupon / Map
Tamber Bey Vineyards: 100% estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Chardonnay in St Helena. Free cookies with your wine tastings. Really?? Coupon / Map
Trinchero Napa Valley: I always stop in to Trinchero, mainly because it’s the first winery I see on the right when I hit the valley. Exclusive offer from NapaTouristGuide.com, FREE wine! Coupon / Map
Taste at Oxbow: Free wine tasting in a cool gourmet market downtown. Coupon / Map
V. Sattuii: Free upgrade to the good stuff. V. Sattuii is a great stop, nice picnic grounds.. Coupon / Map
William Hill Estates:The Tasting Room overlooks 140 vineyard acres in the Silverado Bench. Coupon / Map
St Supery: A free self guided tour, free art exhibit, and a cool aroma sensory interactive display so you can test your skills at sniffing out wines. Website / Map
Best Free Sonoma Tastings
Credit: Linda Murphy
Siduri Wines
Using grapes transported from vineyards throughout California and Oregon, Adam and Dianna Lee make an astonishing 27 different Pinot Noirs under the Siduri label and 12 Syrahs for Novy Family Wines. Their winery is in a bare-bones warehouse in not-so-sexy Santa Rosa, but the appointment-only tours—usually given by one of the Lees—include a sampling of wines aging in barrels for a preview of upcoming vintages.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The ripe 2005 Sonatera Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($45) and the intense 2005 Novy Page-Nord Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah ($32).
DETAILS Free. 980-C Airway Court, Santa Rosa; 707-578-3882 or siduri.com.
Lancaster Estate
This small estate winery puts nearly all of its efforts into one great wine: a Bordeaux-style red blend called Lancaster Estate. Owner Ted Simpkins, a wine distributor, purchased the former Maacama Creek Winery in 1995 and has transformed it into a star. Private tours are followed by a tasting of three wines in the caves. Tip: Lancaster and Medlock Ames are neighbors, so schedule appointments together.
MUST-BUY BOTTLESThe polished 2003 Lancaster Estate Alexander Valley ($65) and the 2003 Lancaster Estate Nicole’s Proprietary Red ($100), available only at the winery.
DETAILS Free. 15001 Chalk Hill Rd., Healdsburg; 707-433-8178 or lancaster-estate.com.
Medlock Ames
Medlock Ames is so young that it has produced just six vintages, yet its Merlots, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons show fine depth of flavor and balance. Owners Ames Morison (who’s also the winemaker) and Christopher Medlock James give tours of the eco-friendly 350-acre ranch and its 50-acre organic winery by appointment only, via electric car and on foot. Stops include the gravity-fed winery, organic vegetable garden and viewing points for wildlife corridors, where deer, coyotes and mountain lions can move freely across the property.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The 2003 Medlock Ames Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50), with its chocolate-covered cherry lusciousness, and the ripe, plummy 2002 Medlock Ames Alexander Valley Merlot ($35).
DETAILS Free. 13414 Chalk Hill Rd., Healdsburg; 707-431-8845 or medlock ames.com.
Peay Vineyards
Emerging superstar-vintner brothers Nick and Andy Peay, together with winemaker Vanessa Wong (Nick’s wife), make amazing Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne/Marsanne, Pinot Noir and Syrah in the chilly northwest corner of the Sonoma Coast region, just four miles from the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard is an hour’s drive from both Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, but it’s worth the trip to get an inside look at a mom-and-pop operation—and to see vines planted on hillsides so steep that tractors tip over. Tip: Go online and join the winery’s mailing list while it’s still open.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The minerally 2005 Pomarium Estate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($50) and the dense, meaty 2004 Les Titans Estate Sonoma Coast Syrah ($45).
DETAILS Free. 33201 Annapolis Rd., Annapolis; 707-894-8720 or peayvineyards.com.
Kozlowski Farms
This family berry farm—one of the first certified organic farms in the county—offers tastes of its homemade jams, spreads and other products. 5566 Gravenstein Hwy. 116, Forestville; 707-887-1587.
The Olive Press
The free tasting bar at this Sonoma shop pours six to eight different oils each day, all made on-site at the company’s own mill. 24724 Hwy. 121, Sonoma; 707-939-8900.
Vella Cheese Company
This Sonoma institution is the home of one of America’s best cheeses, Vella Dry Monterey Jack. Free samples are available by request. 315 Second St. E., Sonoma; 707-938-3232.
Wine Country Chocolates
A large window in this shop reveals chocolatiers at work on a variety of luscious wine-flavored truffles. 14301 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen; 707-996-1010.
Not Free, But Probably a Good Deal:
A. Rafanelli
Dave and Patty Rafanelli’s heralded Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons (now made by their daughter, Shelly Rafanelli Fehlman) are available only at the winery and on restaurant lists. Chances are, a member of the family will lead the tour and talk about the influence that Italian immigrants have had on grape-growing in Dry Creek Valley, home to some of the oldest producing vines in California. There are no bells, no whistles, just outstanding wines sold from a rustic barn— old-school yet still cool.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The spicy 2005 A. Rafanelli Dry Creek Zinfandel ($32), the winery’s flagship, and the elegant, supple 2004 A. Rafanelli Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($42).
DETAILS $5 per person for tour(not free, but cheap), six-person minimum. 4685 W. Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg; 707-433-1385 or arafanelliwinery.com.
Seghesio Family Vineyard
Seghesio offers a fantastic appointment-only Family Table program, in which guests gather in private dining rooms to enjoy the winery’s famous Zinfandels (it makes five kinds) paired with Italian dishes from chef Jon Helquist (an alum of Chez Panisse, Oliveto and Martini House). Helquist might serve a creamy risotto with pancetta or a zucchini- and-tomato frittata using vegetables grown in the winery’s garden—and the four appetizer-size portions are enough for a light lunch.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The big, muscular 2004 Seghesio San Lorenzo Alexander Valley Zinfandel ($42) and the fruity, medium-bodied 2006 Seghesio Russian River Valley Fiano ($20).
DETAILS $25 for the Family Table (not free, but you get food), offered Friday through Sunday. 14730 Grove St., Healdsburg; 707-433-3579 or seghesio.com.
Chateau St. Jean
Guests who book an appointment here can have unusual experiences, including a seminar in which they blend their own wine with the varietals used in Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon. The visitor center (where walk-in tastings are held) sells good panini, charcuterie and cheese for picnics.
MUST-BUY BOTTLES The toasty 2004 Reserve Sonoma County Chardonnay ($45) and the juicy 2004 Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($75).
DETAILS $60 for blending class (not free, but sounds fun). 8555 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood; 707-833-4134 or chateaustjean.com.
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