We got into town on Saturday around late lunch time...caught up with Rob's parents and then headed to a little Christmas Party that was being held by one of his mom's friends. Apparantly the only pics I took the whole night were of the adorable puppies she was fostering... this one was my favorite because he was so lazy. Here he is falling asleep while drinking out of his water bowl!! What a sweet little thing....it's a good thing we were in California because if we had been in Ohio I think one of them would have come home with me!
Afterwards we had about an hour before our dinner reservations and decided to spend it getting a glass of champagne at the Top of the Mark. The Top of the Mark is the bar on the top of the Intercontinental Hotel in Nob Hill and from it you have a 360 degree angle of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fishermen's Wharf, Alcatraz, etc etc. It was just gorgeous and a bubbly glass of champagne while overlooking the cold lit up city felt SO festive!
View from the Top of the Mark
As if this wasn't already a great night, add in a fabulous dinner at a small Italian place down the street , Venticello- (restaurant review to come later) and I'd pretty much call it a perfect night! Cozy Italian Restaurant, good wine, delicious food...seriously does it get ANY better?
The next morning we woke up Bright & Early to head to the Napa Valley where we had a morning tour scheduled to tour a Castle/winery in Calistoga: Castello di Amorosa. The owner/builder of this castle went to GREAT lengths to make this castle as true to form as possible as one that would be found in 14th century Italy. The Stonework, the details, etc was all like it was actually a product of the 14th century...kind of crazy actually! We got an hour and a half tour of the castle anda then got to taste some wine right out of a barrel in a barrel storage room, which was fun!...then we went on to the tasting room to try some more of their wines there.. The movie BedTime Stories (with Adam Sandler) was also filmed there so I am looking forward to renting that and seeing the castle on the big screen.
Tasting straight from the barrel!
5 comments:
The sushi pictures don't do it justice - those pieces are huge! Anyone know a place in Cincinnati that serves sushi this big?
the sushi looks flippin delicious!!!
jen, what is the chocolate mallow banana delight?
i once had a banana cut in half, filled with chocolate and mallows, wrapped in foil and baked in the oven.
sounds simple enough but i've never quite known how to make it myself. what is the correct oven temp and time on something like that?
is this the recipe you have? if so, PLEASE share.
Happy New Year Lady!
YES. we used to make it in girlscout camp over the campfire and wrap it in foil, but now when I make it at home, I just cut out a little slit of the peel, then take a spoon and scoop out a really thin layer of the banana. Then I stuff it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, then cover that up with the little slit of the peel and just bake in the oven until its melty and the marshmallows are a little toasty.. I think I usually do 350, but not sure it matters too much. The banana peel will get all black but it's DELISH.
Happy New Year to YOU!
WOW - That sushi looks amazing. And now I'm starving to have some and don't know where to find any over here!! Bummer. I'm gonna have to try your banana/marshmallow/chocolate dessert, though - sounds delish!
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