Your guide to the tastiest foodie happenings going down this week. Bon appetit!
Picnic at Ram's Gate Winery
From the Ram’s Gate Winery, you can hear the roar of the hot rods vrooming around the track at the Sonoma Speedway. The sonance is strangely comforting, and exciting at the same time, like white noise. When my male counterpart and I headed up a couple of Saturdays ago to partake in one of their custom picnics, we found that the guitar he brought to serenade me wasn’t necessary because, that’s right, the immense horsepower across the street seemed melodious enough. And besides, we were gorging (translation: though it felt like we were haplessly devouring, we were actually very aware of appearing like the kind of sophisticates who would do something like picnic in Wine Country on a Saturday afternoon) on the contents of our wicker basket, laying the prosciutto and salami and warm baguette and cheese assortment and olives and beet salad and spiced nuts and chocolate cake on the picnic blanket provided, too entrenched in our gourmet food experience to care what the soundtrack was. A crisp and fruity Chardonnay was the token bottle; after all, we had settled among the property’s grapevines, near the edge of the pond, the winery’s impressive pavilion (the last in Sausalito architect Howard Backen’s barn series) looming above. If this romantic alfresco dining experience isn’t on your Summer 2014 bucket list, it should be.
To inquire about reserving your own picnic call 707-721-8700 or email concierge@ramsgatewinery.com.
Hopscotch's 2nd Anniversary
Oakland's American diner with Japanese sensibilities, Hopscotch is celebrating their 2nd anniversary all next week with a three course, family-style prix fixe menu from chef Kyle Itani, with suggested beverage pairings including custom cocktails and wines from the cellar. Plus, $2 Asahi drafts during happy hour for those looking to toast the birthday party with a pint. The menu includes a little green salad with cress, endive, cherry tomatoes, tamari-sesame dressing; fried okra with sesame salt; 20 ounce veal chop with grilled shishito peppers; cast iron skillet of baked gnocchi, braised mustard greens, and shiitake mushrooms; and celery root croquette with celery root remoulade. And for dessert yuzu meringue pie! We're already drooling.
Monday, June 16 - Sunday, June 22: $80 for two, Dinner 5:00 p.m. to close, Happy Hour 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., 1915 San Pablo Ave.
Farm to Table Brunch
Start off your summer with a Saturday brunch on the farm! Hosted by cookbook author, former New York City food editor, and 7x7 contributor Stacy Adimando, brunch will start off with a hike through the organic pastures of Toluma Farms & Tomales Farmstead Creamery to meet the goats and sheep. Then sit on the porch, take in the West Marin vistas, and chow down on farm-fresh eggs, sausages and bacon, seasonal salads, fruit, and goat and sheep's milk cheeses and yogurt made from milk on the farm. Wash it all down with Banshee wines.
Saturday, June 14: $55, 11:00 a.m., 5488 Middle Rd., Tomales. Get tickets here.
Samovar's New Space
Samovar debuts their new concept space in the Mission this week, bringing 3rd Wave Tea to Bay Area beverage connoisseurs. A handcrafted tea experience, the new Samovar will be offering up flavorful coffee alternatives like Crucible Brewed: English Breakfast, Green Ecstasy, Spearmint Sage, Masala Chai, Matcha Shake, Matcha Shot, California Persian infused cocktails, along with freshly baked scones.
Thursday, June 12: 411 Valencia Street
