PODERE LA ROTA

After our drive from Rome with a stop along the way in Orvieto, we were so excited as we drove down the road to Podere La Rota. Everything looked much the same, though very green and lush now. Ally and Bob, hosts extraordinaire, were there to meet us, as was their wonderful Maremma sheep dog, Livia. We soon collapsed into chairs on the terrace with the best view in Italy and enjoyed the two wonderful platters of food in the fridge, which was our dinner that evening, prosciutto, cheese, rocket, tomatoes, and pickled olives and cipollini. We were truly back in Paradise!

The Chianti hills from the terrace at
Podere La Rota

Our welcome platters of cheeses,
meats, and antipasti

ITALY - 2009

Italia Redux!

Many hours after leaving San Francisco, we finally got our first view of our beloved country when the Isle of Corsica appeared below us and soon we were flying above the coast, before turning inland for the descent to the Fiumicino. After an interminable wait for our luggage, we boarded the train that takes you to the Roma Termini, the city’s main train station. It was a hot, steamy Italian day, and our railcar was like an oven---I worried that Vicki was going to pass out. After an overpriced cab ride, we arrived at our little B&B in the Campo Marzio district, near the river. We barely fit into the tiny lift with our two bags, but we were soon greeted by our charming hostess, and shown to our small but comfortable room, which Vicki had found on the internet for 100 euro a night, a real bargain for Rome, with its high-priced hotels.

A lack of sleep on the flight meant a little nap before we ventured out, excitedly heading for our favorite bar on the Via dell’Orso, the street we stayed on last October. We were soon happily planted at a small table next to a heavenly smelling star jasmine, enjoying a Negroni, our favorite Italian cocktail.


Drinks and snacks at Papa's Bar, Roma

From there we walked over to view the always interesting scene at the Piazza Navona, where tourists gather at the Bernini fountains and wander through many displays of artwork offered for sale. We continued our walk towards the Campo d’Fiore, by way of the lovely Via Giulia, where one can peek through the gates at the beautiful gardens of the Villa Farnese. The campo was the usual evening mob scene and as we entered, we saw a new restaurant, a mozzarella bar

A tasting of mozzarella and Tuscan salami

called Obika, which offered “tastings” of different buffalo mozzarellas paired with various other accompaniments such as meats and vegetables. We chose an excellent full flavored cheese along with the Tuscan salami to go with our cocktails. We had a lovely couple of hours there and chatted with an interesting Italian couple, Elisabetta and Matteo, who enjoyed speaking English with us.

On our way back to the hotel we found ourselves hungry again so we stopped at a little restaurant called Ristorante Clemente on the Piazza Maddalena where we each had a nice bowl of pasta. After we had a gelato from San Crispino, banana and strawberry. Everyone else out walking was eating gelato too.

On our only full day in Rome we didn’t rise too early, but by nine we were headed back to the Campo d’Fiore where the market was already in full swing.


Ahh. A cappucino at Campo de Fiori

We sat in Vicki’s favorite bar/café and had a couple of cappuccinos before exploring the market. For anyone interested in food, or Italian culture for that matter, this market has marvelous displays of fish, meat, and the freshest of vegetables, much of it local, and almost all of it from Italy. There are also booths selling the usual t-shirts, hats, belts and other apparel, and at the west end, a huge offering of freshly cut flowers and plants.

Produce at the Campo de Fiori market

We left the campo and walked across the Tiber river to the Villa Farnesina, built by Antonio Chigi in the early sixteenth-century, now a museum and part of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. The villa is seldom visited by tourists despite having incredible frescoes painted by Rafaello and his studio. As long as we were over the river in Trastevere, we decided to go to our favorite pizza bakery. Located on a narrow little street, Al Forno is a pretty nondescript place that sells lots of freshly baked loaves of bread. We go there, however, for the pizza al taglio —pizza-by-the-piece. There are usually four or five sheets of pizza sitting behind a glass display counter; the toppings vary from day to day. You tell them what you want and how much and they cut you a slice and place it on a paper plate. A can of soda and you’re all set to take it away or sit on a stool at a narrow counter that runs all along the side of the restaurant. Today, we had tonno and carciofi—tuna and artichoke, and a margherita with the traditional cheese and pomodoro sauce.

Pizza at Forno Renella

After our pizza we walked back to our room for a nap and a break from the heat. Early evening found us back at a table at the little bar on the Via del’Orso. We planned to have cocktails and then go find a trattoria we’d read about in the NY Times, but we got pretty settled in, watching the world walk by, from tourists to locals, and even a religious procession. We spent a long time talking to Jakob and Petra, a charming couple from Holland who were visiting Rome for a few days. It was very enlightening to learn that wooden shoes are now longer part of Dutch apparel and modern engineering has supplanted the need for a finger in the dike.

Italy - Volpaia

On our recent trip to Italy, Vicki and I visited a delightful little village called Volpaia in the hills high above Radda in Chianti. The hills and valleys along the narrow winding road were filled with vineyards in autumn color. We parked near the outdoor restaurant La Bottega di Valpaia and asked for a table. We were told that the only table available was a small one near the entrance so we took that even though there were many empty tables toward the back overlooking the valley. We asked about those tables and were told they were reserved. We found ourselves seated next to two very loud German men and knew this would not be a pleasant lunch so we got up and removed ourselves.

We walked up to the village and found a very pleasant place to eat, Osteria di Valpaia,with quiet terrace seating—this was more like it! I had a dish of sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms and olives in a lovely wine-based sauce.

Vicki had an excellent plate of ravioli and we also had a two contorno, wonderful vegetables—zucchini, red onions, carrots— that were lightly grilled to retain some of their crispness, and I couldn't resist a bowl of delicious sautéed potatoes.

After lunch we walked around the village, which has a winery right in the middle of what looks like residences. There was a lovely view of the from the northern wall and a got a great photograph of a house surrounded by trees in a myriad of fall colors.

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Cock-A-Doodle Cafe

Last weekend we were in the East Bay for the Cal-Stanford game in Berkeley. On Sunday we were joined by our good friends Dan and Sandy, for breakfast at the Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. Although we've stayed in downtown Oakland many times, we weren't aware of this cute little diner at Seventh and Washington Streets until I found a short review of it in Oakland Magazine.

The sun was streaming through the windows of the narrow dining room as we were promptly seated and brought big mugs of excellent coffee. Vicki and I had arrived a little early so I read the sports page and didn't pickup the menu until she said, “This is an amazing menu.” And it does have very innovative breakfast offerings such as omelets, scrambles, pancakes, french toast, all with a variety of interesting combinations and most with a Latin American emphasis. I chose the Oaxacan slow-roasted pork omelet with tomatillo salsa, mozzarella, green onions and avocado. When it came to the table it looked like a compact egg burrito, but it tasted divine. The eggs were cooked perfectly, firm, but creamy and light, and the pork melted in my mouth. This combination of ingredients made it one of the best omelets I've ever eaten—honestly! It came with excellent fried potatoes, brown on the outside and creamy within.

Vicki had the lemon ricotta pancakes with applewood-smoked bacon. They were light and fluffy with outstanding flavor, a real winner. Sandy also had pancakes and Dan chose the Chicken Apple Scramble, eggs with shiitake mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, grilled onions, and red bell pepper basil aioli. It was served in a crepe and looked yummy.

So we've found a new favorite breakfast place right in good ol' Oakland, my home town. I know we'll be back and we'd better get there early on the weekend because by the time we left, the place was jammed and people were waiting. Aside from the inside dining room there is also a garden patio. The Cock-A-Doodle Cafe also serves lunch and their menu features an array of interesting salads, sandwiches, burgers, and shrimp tacos. Evenings, Thursday-Saturday, tapas and beverages are served from 5-10 p.m.



Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. 710 Washington Street, Downtown Oakland. (510) 465-5400.

Sahn Maru

This weekend Vicki and I went down to the Big Game, Cal vs. Stanford. On the way down we made our favorite mid-point stop at the Flour Garden Bakery in Auburn, CA where we bought sandwiches and cookies to eat at the game. I got a marvelous black forest ham on foccacia and Vicki, chicken salad—a good alternative to game food.

After a satisfying game that saw Cal win, 36-16, we checked in at our hotel, Marriott Courtyard, at the Oakland airport. We had a nice big room with two queen beds—Vicki thought it looked like it was brand new, though according to Travelocity it was built in 2001. We were tired and for dinner were eyeing Yoshino, a Japanese restaurant across the street from the hotel; no driving. We rallied, however, and got back in the car for a fifteen-minute drive to Sahn Maru restaurant on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

SAHN MARU

Located in north Oakland's Temescal area in the Korean district, Sahn Maru is one of the outstanding Korean restaurants in this area. We entered a well lit room that was about a quarter full of diners and were immediately greeted and let to our table. The atmosphere was large and open, the walls on one side decorated with beautiful Korean artwork. The tables are very unique, the tops consisting of a single piece wood, cross cut from a large pine log.

We started with Duk Bok Gi, a sauteed rice cake served with a sauce of soy and scallions—delicious! We'd been led to Sahn Maru by a short review in Oakland Magazine, which touted its Black Goat Stew, Heuk Yum So Tang, so I ordered that for my main course. It came in a bowl with sesame leaves and a mustard and bean paste broth, and a sesame, mustard, and chili dipping sauce. The meat was excellent, tender and flavorful, really great with the sauce. Vicki chose braised pork with sweet potatoes and dates and it was also outstanding. It takes a little getting used to picking the pork off the bones, but the flavor of the pork with the sweet potatoes was excellent.

Black Goat Stew

As always, our meal came with banchan, those little side dishes. Here's what we had:

Kimchi, sweetened yams, marinated bean sprouts, sauteed spinach, anchovies, pickled radishes, broccoli, tofu.

By the time we left, about eight, the place was pretty full. It was generally a young crowd and most of the diners were asian, with a sprinkling of anglos. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Sahn Maru has exceptional food and a great atmosphere, it's a great part of the East Bay restaurant scene.

Sahn Maru. 4315 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94701. (510)653-3366.

France!

We arrived in Dijon, in the Burgundy region of France, after a rather uncomfortable overnight train trip from Florence. It was very cold when we stepped off the train! We got our car rented and since it was Saturday morning and market day in Dijon, we spent some time looking at stalls selling a variety of things from used books to fashionable clothing. We spent a longtime in the covered market looking at case after case of French food—fantastic vegetables, beautiful poultry, incredible cheeses and amazing “french” bread. We made a few purchases then headed off into the countryside of Burgundy.

Our destination was a small town called Mont-Saint-Jean and a small “boutique” hotel called Chateau Les Roches. It has an interesting history as it was commissioned at the turn of the 19^th century by a Parisian judge as a place for his mistress to live.

Chateau Les Roches

It was occupied by German soldiers during WWII and a Nazi flag hung in the front of the building. 5 1/2 years ago the building was purchased by Tobias and Marco who have turned it into a beautiful hotel. We are staying in the recently renovated “gardener’s cottage,” a lovely two bedroom next to the main hotel with a kitchen and living/dining area.

We arrived in Mont-Saint-Jean about noon and since our check-in time was four we decided to have lunch at the local Restaurant Le Medieval. We were greeted by a warm fireplace and a lovely country French atmosphere. After looking over the menu we chose the Menu du Terroir, which is a prix fixe four course meal featuring the local cuisine. Here’s what we had:

Restaurant Le Medieval

Menu du Terroir

Les incontournables œufs en meurette et leurs croûtons aillés

Eggs poached in burgundy served on toast in a bowl with a wine sauce

Pavé de charolais à la crème d’Epoisses

Charolais beef with a cream sauce d’Epoisses

Suprême de sandre au coulis d’écrevisses

A small filet of pike with a sauce of crayfish

* * *

Assiette de duo de fromages de Bourgogne et leur verdure

A selection of Burgundy cheeses

* * *

Vacherin cassis et sa crème de cassis

Cassis sorbet with meringue and whipped cream

All this was washed down with a couple of glasses of white and red burgundy wine—the perfect way to begin our cuisine in France, a fabulous four-course French country meal.

Final days in Tuscany

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in Tuscany for 2 1/2 weeks and leave here in two days. We’ve traveled a lot of beautiful country and those winding Chianti roads have been challenging. We’ve visited many little towns in the Chianti region with names like Gaiole, Radda, Greve, and Volpaia. They are all part of a region they are all in an area classified as “Chianti Classico,” meaning that wines produced here can have that designation on the bottle. What we’ve enjoyed most, however, are the lovely buildings, churches, and of course, the little restaurants, which all seem to serve wonderful food. We visited also visited two larger cities, Siena and Arezzo, located on opposite sides of Tuscany, west and east. Siena is one of our favorite cities in Italy and we love the beautiful Campo with its tall tower.

Vineyards on the road to Siena

We like to chuckle about the campo because the first time we stayed in Tuscany our little house didn’t have a washer so one afternoon found us traversing the lovely campo with large bags of laundry over our shoulders as we make our way to Siena’s self-service launderia. We also purchased Vicki’s wedding ring in Siena in 2004 when we had our wedding in Montalcino.

Campo - Siena

Duomo - Siena

On our trip last week we visited the gorgeous cathedral and also the picture gallery Pinacoteca Nazionale where we could practically touch our noses to some stunning work by Duccio, Simone Martini, and the brothers Lorenzetti. We also made a return trip to Arezzo where we saw the amazing Piero della Francesco Legend of the True Cross in San Francesco and the mysterious Mary Magdalene in the cathedral.

Vicki made a nice dinner of pici, a Tuscan pasta,
breadcrumbs, and marinated vegetables.

In Raddia in Chianti we found these amazing porcini mushrooms

Prosciutto on the hoof outside a macelleria (butcher shop) in Greve in Chianti

Our entire experience here has been fantastic and certainly enhanced greatly by the hospitality of our hosts, Bob and Ally. They have gone well beyond what we expected and we’ve enjoyed our dinners with them, great talks, and all the other things they’ve provided. This place, Podere La Rota, is a little piece of heaven.

Yesterday morning, fog rolled into the hills to the west