Posted from Glen Ellen, CA We’ve enjoyed dining at Glen Ellen Inn. Owners Chris and Karen Bertrand kindly shared their story. When Chef Chris and Karen Bertrand opened Glen Ellen Inn 20 years ago, Chris literally chased their first customerRead more
In hopes of inspiring your own journeys through the U.S., here’s a full list of stories I’ve shared from around the country: California Goosecross Cellars Renews its Storied Wine Traditions in Napa Valley Santa Monica Sun and Fun at PalisadesRead more
Monique Risch is standing at the gas cooktop in her kitchen, intently stirring the contents of a large, deep pot when I enter the room. I peek in and see an orange-red liquid slowly simmering. Knowing her garden produces anRead more
Maybe the brown T-shirt imprinted with the eye-catching COOKIE…take a bite! logo that Tracy Mattson is wearing signifies super powers, something like the “S” emblazoned on Superman’s chest. Inside the 400-square-foot commercial kitchen of Tracy’s boutique, artisan bakery in Santa Rosa,Read more
Hiking atop Tomales Point’s craggy cliffs on the California coast, dense fog swirls with abandon, obliterating my view a few yards ahead. Just as quickly it shifts, allowing a fleeting glimpse of scrubby vegetation hugging the sandy trail. Save forRead more
Sixty-eight. Sixty-seven. Sixty-six. The countdown is under way as Bill and I drive the winding, two-lane Bodega Highway toward Bodega Head on the Sonoma Coast of California. Bill is at the wheel. He steals frequent glances at the thermometer onRead more
My left hand covers a small plastic container of pungent Italian Blend olive oil to capture the aromas while I gently swirl it in my right palm. With the pale green-gold contents now sufficiently warm. I sip, swallow, and eruptRead more
Historians who say the California Gold Rush is over are misinformed, for I’ve struck it rich in the Golden State. My gold isn’t the same metal whose discovery in the water wheel of a sawmill in the Sacramento Valley inRead more
It was 10:00 am and my stomach was rumbling as I walked through the orderly rows of chardonnay, pinot noir, and zinfandel vines in the Morelli Lane Vineyard at Dutton-Goldfield Winery, my footsteps kicking up the fine, beach-like earth thatRead more
When Bill and I first entered Silver Moon Cottage, our airbnb rental home for our month-long stay in Kenwood, CA, we could tell its owner, Monique Risch, has a deep love for food and wine. First of all was theRead more
