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.