Wine Country

All the chicks were back in the nest this week, as my mom likes to say, meaning that both of my sisters were in town. We had a great time hanging out, introducing my new brother-in-law to the Bay Area, and enjoying lots of good food, of course! I just have to rave about our day in Napa, where I enjoyed some of my best meals in a while, allergy restricted or not!

First we went to the Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa. It's sort of a glorified food court with some outstanding restaurants. At Pica Pica, I ordered a sweet corn cake with marinated skirt steak, black beans, and plantains with a side of yucca fries. Where has this meal been all my life? I am currently plotting my next trip so I can order another.

From there we took Isaac to his first big-screen movie (in 3D, no less!). Toy Story 3 was delightful, as were my Junior Mints. Our last destination was downtown Sonoma. After some wine tasting,

Isaac covering himself in dirt during said wine tasting

we walked over to The Girl and the Fig, a French restaurant right on the square. Our knowledgeable waiter took me through the entire menu and there were actually several suitable options, but my heart sang when he uttered the words, "The duck confit would be ok." Duck confit? Are you kidding? I could go 1,000 years without cheese if there is duck confit in my world! So rich, so luxurious, so melt-in-your mouth fabulous nestled there on top of a warm frisée salad and roasted fingerling potatoes. And then, on the wall of the dining room on our way out, what did I see? The duck confit recipe published in Bon Appétit magazine! Not that I have time for any such elaborate undertaking, but it's nice to know I could, in theory, anyway. If there is someone out there with a little more free time than me, here is the link to the recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Duck-Confit-241124

On a side note, Isaac had the grilled cheese with pommes frites and garlic aioli. As we walked through the square on our way home, he lifted his head off his daddy's shoulder to say, "Mommy, those were very good fries." That's my boy!