Wine Country

No, I haven't been back again, but I'm definitely ready. There's something about the wine country that's so enticingly relaxing. I think it would be ideal to have a place in the city and a place in the country. Maybe someday.



Can't you just smell the sulphur?

Chubby Cherub

In fact, it's called Fat Angel.


It's a lovely new wine bar in the Fillmore. Nonetheless, you are greeted by a golden angel above the door. But, make no mistake (did I just say that?), the food and wine are modern and hip. It's a small space, but very cozy. Georgia and I sat by the window and shared one (ok, actually we had two) of their yummy flatbreads. It was like a healthy pizza on a cracker. We also had one glass of expensive wine and a second glass of cheaper wine. Georgia swears she couldn't tell the difference.


It's a good happy hour spot - if you stick to the specials. We did not and we ended up spending more than we'd planned.

Corn Crab Chowder

Summers in SF are cold and foggy - perfect for soup.


I combined two recipes - from Food Network and Weight Watchers to make a low-fat chowder. It had chunks of crab, corn, potato and red pepper and the broth was thick and spicy with lots of Old Bay seasoning and dashes of sherry and Dijon mustard.

Buttleya

Either this is a very rare flower or I'm spelling it wrong.


Aren't they lovely?

Battery Park

Okay. I need to go back tonight and take photos. What a great place! Combination bookstore and wine bar. Need I say more? Plus they have cheese and crackers and all kinds of yummy snacks. All my favorite things gathered together in one spot.

Susan and I enjoyed vino verde (green wine), a lightly carbonated white wine and we snacked on crackers and smoked trout dip. Nice.

LAB

I went last night to the Lexington Avenue Brewery - known in these parts as LAB. I love to try Caesar salads in all different places. They vary as much as the restaurants and bars that serve them.


I didn't take a photo, but the salad was fantastic.

Back in Asheville

This time I'll be here five days rather than my crazy 24-hour trip last month.

I'm staying downtown at the ultra-modern Hotel Indigo that offered incredibly comfy bed and the most awesome hotel shower ever.

I had dinner last night at the Laughing Seed, a vegetarian restaurant where I enjoyed a roasted artichoke appetizer and mushroom enchiladas. Yum.

The River

For me, weekends away are generally about three things: good food, good friends and good weather. Monte Rio with Linda and Holden definitely covered all the bases.


Linda stuffed avocados with crab and shrimp. Yum!


I grilled corn, asparagus and mahi mahi.


The trio after a day at the beach and swimming in the river.

Russian River Getaway

That's the name of the aptly named company Linda and I used to book this cute house for the weekend.


When SF is socked in by summer fog and work feels like I'm juggling three bowling balls - it's time for a getaway.

Farmer's Market Find

I swung by the Civic Center farmer's market just as it was closing last night and I stumbled upon these adorable little eggplants. I roasted them with equally cute tomatoes, garlic and onion for a yummy dinner.

So Many Books, So Little Time

For me, the main point of belonging to a book group is to read books that I otherwise wouldn't - because I wasn't interested or because I was unaware of its existence. My latest read was one of the latter. "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick is a beautifully illustrated young adult book that's really worth checking out.

Milwaukee's Best

I think Milwaukee is at its best during the summer. Ignore the humidity and the mosquitoes and it's gosh darn close to perfect.


The gorgeous Calatrava pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum.


Kites above Lake Michigan.


I'm sure this park has a name.

Thanks to Uncle Tom who took this beautiful shots from the War Memorial where we watched fireworks on July 3.

Penny

She's 16, blind and deaf. It's fascinating to watch her maneuver through her world.

Woodhouse Fish Company

After browsing at the kitty shelter, Georgia and I had dinner at Woodhouse Fish Company on Fillmore Street. What a treat!


We shared the stuffed artichoke, which was very unusual and quite tasty. It was very lightly breaded, then grilled and stuffed with shrimp on one side and crab on the other. Highly recommended.

Martha and Penny

Yes, I'm dog-sitting. My neighbor was in a jam and I couldn't resist. Martha is an 11-year-old cocker spaniel with glaucoma. Penny is a 16-year-old blind and deaf shi tzu. (Photo coming soon).

Milwaukee Eats

During my week in Milwaukee, I visited three different restaurants - The Jack, Cafe Corazon and The Comet Cafe.

Imagine my delight (and surprise!) when I learned all three offered locally produced ingredients - from meat and poultry to fruits and vegetables grown at the owner's farm.

My favorite dish was this incredibly tasty Mexican-style salad - greens, rice, beans and fresh salsa and avocado.

I'm glad to see the localvore movement has made its way to the Midwest. Plus they're able to keep their prices low and stay competitive. Amazing.

Whiskey Bound

I think I set a record in Milwaukee this visit. I saw my brother(s) play in three separate bands during the course of one week.


On my last night in town, I enjoyed Mike's country band, Whiskey Bound, at Summerfest.

The Kid

Okay, so he's a bonafide kid. Shaelin's word of the week was "dude."


At least "kid stuff," like blowing bubbles is still fun.


Father and son.

Wisconsin

To me, Wisconsin means a lot of things - hometown, family ... and cheese curds! I can't leave this great state without sampling them.

True Milwaukeean

Mike, Brian, Kristine and I went to Pabst Brewery's newly opened beer garden. Harley Davidson and beer. Can't get more local than that.