Bottega and Chef Chiarello

So after the first two days of biking, drinking and eating, I called "Uncle". The following morning we headed to Sonoma square for breakfast at Basque Boulangerie. It was only okay, Model Bakery is the standard by which all bakeries in Wine Country are compared. So we then headed to Corner Stone Sonoma. This is an intriguing place. There are various gardens set up with different artists and landscape artists having put their vision in a confined space.

Like most art, some of it was bizarre, but one that really stood out was these silver clouds hanging from trees. The clouds were made from chicken wire and really looked like storm clouds. And hanging from the bottom of these clouds were hundreds of crystal baubles. They caught the sun and sparkled in great contrast to the storm clouds. I was intrigued. There were amazing shops full of architectural pieces, garden pieces, lots of artsy objects that were different and distinct.

There was a cafe, but since we had breakfast and were looking forward to an amazing dinner, we passed. But they were stoking the fire and it smelled delicious. Of course there is a wine bar but we passed. I know. You have every right to be disappointed in me.

We headed back to the hotel, had a little nap, and awoke refreshed, and amazingly, thirsty! We had a few hours before dinner, so we headed to Yountville for some strolling. First stop was Bouchon Bakery. I was so disappointed to find they had a small fire and were not up and running at full capacity. There were no French pastries, macarons, breads etc. I was bummed. But we did buy some caramel corn and toffee (Scott's weaknesses) and a crazy thing called a Thingamajig. I can't remember for sure though. It was a Rice Crispy treat with caramel on top, bathed in chocolate and adorned with a little fleur de sel. Delicious! And no, we did not eat all this before dinner! We had to have a little moment of reflection at the great Thomas Keller establishments, Bouchon, Ad Hoc and French Laundry. Gorgeous settings and all terribly unpretentious. At least until the check comes. I dream of dinner at French Laundry, but Scott would never enjoy it to the degree I would. It is also nearly impossible to get a reservation, unless you carry an American Express Black Card. If you need someone to share this experience, give me a call, I am great dinner company!

There is a small shopping center called the V, and we strolled in and out of the shops, there is also a beautiful wine store with tastings and an impressive assortment of wines. Not just the oddball ones, and we'll talk about that later. Behind this little mall is the entrance to Bottega and the store Napa Style. Both are the brainchild of Michael Chiarello. Napa Style was first. I have been ogling over their catalogs for a long while, and in person it is full of charm.

It is exactly the type of store someone like me falls for. It is truly designed for the entertainer who loves a home with personality and charm. I could gush about so many things there, but you should look at the website yourself. You know I have been working in a similar type of retail establishment for 14 years, but I cannot lie. This store has so much personality. There is also a wine tasting bar, which was fortuitous. So tasted the selections in Chef Chiarellos winery. We loved a lot of them, and chose a few to take home. We also discovered if you bought his wine there and took it to his restaurant they would waive corkage. So that was a win, win. We did some serious shopping here and had it all sent home for us. I also made my Christmas list. The next day, Scott wanted to go back...what? Yep, he loved it as much as I did!

Then to the HIGHLIGHT of the entire trip. First let me tell you about me. I am a blogger, love to cook and bake. I am also addicted to reality TV. I TiVo every Top Chef, including Just Desserts and Masters, Hell's Kitchen, and a few others. I also watch all the Top Chef reruns. I love it. Chef Chiarello of Bottega had a show called NapaStyle on Fine Living which I am pretty sure I have seen them all. He also has a show on The Cooking Channel called Easy Entertaining. This what I love about his vision. It isn't food that blows people away with its crazy components or plating. It is food that brings people together. Food that showcases his heritage (yep, paisano, like me) and his very beautiful home in Napa Valley. The food may seem pretentious to some, but it is simple and beautiful and I love the feeling his shows, his store and his restaurant evoke.  I'm a fan, plain and simple.

So as we shop in Napa Style the gals tell us that Chef is indeed in town and generally comes to the restaurant when he is. Of course I knew he was in town, because I saw him at the airport. I sort of slunked around the men's room exit, but I missed him somewhere, but I did tweet that I would see him later in the week for dinner! Among my purchases was the Bottega cookbook and they told me he would personalize it for me. Yea! Another for my collection!  So dinner... We were seated outside, a gorgeous evening. Our waiter was charming and adorable, named XXXXX from Turkey. Very attentive but not annoying. He was happy we had our Chiarello Vineyards wine and promptly opened it for us. They start you with some fantastic bread and Chef's signature spread, Salsa di Parmigiano. You can Google it, but I have a blog about it that I have been writing for a few months, coming soon I promise. I have found other uses for this delicious spread. Also of note, are the charming copper tumblers. I love these little guys, and I have amassed a nice copper collection. I love the warmth of the color and hope Santa paid close attention to my obsession with these.

We began the meal with Monterey Calamari crisped with Arborio Rice Flour and Aioli Nero. The calamari were delicious. The Aioli Nero was basically an aioli with squid ink that made it black and rather tar-looking. It was really delicious, but we laughed and laughed with black teeth and tongues. After being married for 25 years, it was hilarious. On a first date, it could be a deal breaker! Our pasta course was Calabrian Sausage Lemon Ricotta Tortellini with Spicy Brocolli Rabe, Tomato-Pork au jus, and Mostro Oro Olive Oil. There were some tortellini with the sausage which was deep red and spicy. The other tortellinis had the lemon ricotta which was bright and fresh. They were truly delicious. Both of the first courses were ample for sharing.

So on to dinner. I hate to complain. I spend a lot of time alone these days, and I usually eat vegetarian on those nights. I was hankering for a nice piece of beef. Like rib eye, not a filet (ew!). It was not to be, the rib eye did not make the menu this night. So I went with the Wood Grilled Loin of Grass-fed Lamb, Saffron Braised Potatoes, Green Onions, Pistachio, Pesto and Rosemary Scented Lamb jus. I do chops at home but not loin, and I enjoyed this beautiful cut of lamb. Everything on the plate was right. Scott ordered Smoked and Braised Short Ribs with Whole Grain Mustard Spaetzle, Sicilian Pickles, Quince Paste and Smoky Horseradish jus. The meat fell off the bones, and Scott requested I duplicate this at home. It was terrific, and the mustard spaetzle was so flavorful.   I also ordered the Truffle-Parmigiano Fries because I just knew they would be good. I was right, and I seriously wanted to eat the entire plate of them.

We relaxed a bit before dessert. Finished the wine of course, and ordered coffee. Scott ordered the Molten Chocolate Cake and I ordered the Fig Crostada. We happily munched away, and as I went to take a bite, Scott said, "I wouldn't stick that in your mouth just yet."  Shut up....he was approaching our table! Yes, I met the famous Chef Chiarello. He is handsome and sweet and unassuming. Scott graciously took our photo and he chatted with us so easily.  I told him if he opened a Napa Style  in Nashville, it would need a little leather, but I would happily manage it!  I am an even bigger fan! It was certainly an anniversary to remember!  Next up, our last day in the valley.

May I Have Your Autograph?

I've collected autographs from a young age. It started with an autograph book that everyone at grade school would sign (we didn't have yearbooks until high school). As I got older I would grab an autograph on whatever I had. Harry Caray on a napkin when I met him in a bar (where else?), Little Oscar (the Oscar Meyer "little person")on a Walt Disney World menu circa 1974,programs from PGA tournaments, NCAA tournaments and all sorts of sporting events. After I got married, my husband became sort of obsessed with signed objects. Pete Rose will never be in the Hall of Fame, does that make a signed ball more or less valuable? Baseball bats, home plate, golf balls, baseballs, footballs, helmets, jerseys. But seriously, who falls faster off the popularity scale than an athlete. One arrest, one bad season, one life changing injury. It all becomes nothing more than clutter.
I, on the other hand like culinary autographs. I'll never get Julia or James, and wouldn't pay out the wazoo for one for fear it would be a fake. I would have loved Richard Sax as I have almost all of his books. Jacques Pepin, Tom Colicchio, and Anthony Bourdain are on my current chef wish list to add to my small but nice collection.
My dad was a grocer and over the years we were very lucky with the people we met and places we would go.
In 1985 when I was planning my wedding, no one in Iowa knew who Martha Stewart was. I was introduced to her work by my florist who raved about her first book, Entertaining. I found it at the library and read it cover to cover. I rechecked that book out as I planned our wedding, and my cake can be found on page 269. Just after the wedding, my parents were at an event at a California winery, and Martha was a speaker. My mom bought a book and had it signed for me. Somewhere in the course of that day, somebody took it. (If you have that book inscribed to Susie, it could be mine!) When word got back to the hosts, they sent my mom another book and a hand written card from Martha to me, it says "For Susie, Be entertaining always! Martha Stewart". I taped it to the front of my book, and a collection was born.
The next book was also from an event my parents attended, this one hosted by Dinah Shore. Now very few people younger than me know who she is, but I was a big fan of the afternoon talk shows in the summer. I would sit on our huge screened in porch and watch Merv Griffin and Phil Donahue. Back then it was entertainment, not reality TV, and Dinah was a frequent guest of Merv's. She signed her book, American Kitchen, "To Susie, Have Fun Cooking! Dinah Shore". She was really part of old Hollywood and her recipes are dotted with little stories from her life. She was 70 when the book was published.
In the winter of 1994, Christina was a baby, Nic just a toddler, and we would spend a few weeks in the winter in Florida. One weekend I spotted a Shipwreck Party at a restaurant in Pass-a-Grille called the Hurricane. I dragged both kids and my parents, and met the cast of Gilligan's Island. I have seen every episode at least 3 times as it was a year round staple, every day 3:30. We used to play Gilligan's Island in the woods behind our house, what fun to be shipwrecked! They were there selling Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook. Bob Denver (Gilligan), Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) and Russell Johnson (the professor) were there to sign. I bought one for my childhood best friend Barb Lingle, because she was most likely the one I watched every episode with and my high school best friend, Mary Beth, because it really was a part of all of our childhoods. This book isn't a culinary classic, but it is full of trivia, pictures, episode guide and, count 'em, 13 recipes for coconut cream pie!
One of my next books came from a real culinary icon. Chuck Williams. Many people know little about the man that founded my place of employment. He had a hardware store in Sonoma, CA and after a trip to France, he was enlightened much like Julia Child. He began to sell French copper cookware in his hardware store. As his product lines grew, so did his store, and the rest is retail history. I met Mr. Williams at the Williams Sonoma in Las Vegas in 1999. I was out there for my dad's 60th birthday, and popped my head in the store looking for someone I knew that had transferred to that store. I had only been working for the company a few years, and he couldn't have been nicer to me. There was no customers in the store, and I'm not exactly sure why he was there. I bought a book called Williams Sonoma Savoring Italy, and he signed it "For Susie, with inspiration to cook! Chuck Williams". He is a testament to living right. He is now into his 90's and has spent his life eating great food and drinking good wine. It has been my pleasure to work for him for the last 11+ years, I look forward to many more!

The last 3 are what you might consider television personalities. Ina, Giada and Wolfgang. Ina and Giada are being handled by corporations and networks. Their signings (in my experience) have rules. No personalization, no photos (although that rule was bent for the hundreds of people who complained), and because of their enormous popularity, you wait hours for a hello, sign and go. But hey, Back to Basics by Ina Garten and Giada's Kitchen by Giada de Laurentis are great cookbooks, and the autograph is just an added bonus!
Wolfgang Puck was one of the earlier celebrity television chefs. I would read about him in the cooking magazines and see clips of him on TV. When I would go to Los Angeles to visit my sister she would humor me and take me to the Wolfie restaurants: Chinois on Main, Spago, Granita and Postrio. I never saw the master at work however, but of course Scott, who runs smack into celebrities all the time (honest) was at Postrio and meets him. He introduces himself, chats up Wolfie and gets me a book. Adventures in the Kitchen, signed "to Susie, good luck, Wolfgang Puck".
To be honest, I did travel across the country for Ina and Giada, but I don't really hunt these things out.I simply take advantage of signings when they come.
Williams Sonoma in Saddle Creek is hosting a book signing by a Birmingham author and restaurateur, Frank Stitt. I am most impressed that he was on the PBS series, Great Chefs, I loved the program and its easy flow. He is most noted recently, however for Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham where he is famous for his French cuisine and he recently opened Bottega which focuses more on the Italian cuisines. He was just announced as a finalist for the 2009 James Beard Awards and has been featured in Southern Living. He will be signing his book Bottega Favorita, A Southern Chef's Love for Italian Food, Thursday Feb. 26, between 1-3pm. The book must be purchased at Williams Sonoma for the signing. Of course I will attend and blog!
So another autograph to add to the collection. Keeping my eye out for other signings, and feeling a little hankering for coconut cream pie....Mary Ann's? Ginger's? Maybe Mrs. Thurston Howell III's version, hell, she probably ordered it from the bakery! Until the next...