It’s Labor Day today

Summertime is bookended by Memorial Day and Labor Day. Everyone tries to go on vacation, airfares and hotels have ridiculous prices and gas prices traditionally spike. This year, even worse. But it’s nice on Labor Day because all the idiots leave The City for Burning Man. Lots of Labor Day parties, despite inflation. And opportunities for rooftop views of a peaceful and empty Civic Center.

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Empty City Hall and Civic Center from the roof of 150 Van Ness. Taken with a GR Digital

Napa Valley Overload

I’ve recently realized that the Napa Valley, for all of its greatness (great wine, great food), CAN be overdone.

Two weekends ago, I did my annual pilgrimage to Silver Oak and surrounding wineries. This past Friday and Saturday (CNY eve, yes I know…) I did Napa all over again with my visiting from overseas friend. I can truthfully say that’s I’m knackered. Too much good wine, too much good food, too much CHOCKY (yes, S-A, it IS possible) that I’m actually craving something more ghetto, something more common.

Maybe like a chef salad? Or a Chicken McNugget? No, not THAT tired of good food yet…

Friday was a great day of wine and food. It started with Domaine Chandon. Champagne, whoops I mean “sparkling wine” and salmon. Not bad for the first snack of the day…

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Salmon. Looks good and it’s so easy to assemble!

Lunch was at the Rutherford Grill along with a visit to BV. These two always go together. For over three hours!!

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Rutherford Grill’s famous Spinach and Artichoke dip

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Someone’s at the dip…

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They make a great rotisserie chicken! Moist and everything!

By the time we finished lunch, there was only time to hit one more winery before closing time. And that was V. Sattui again. Remember the adult ho-ho? Well, we bought one and mostly split it.

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A mostly devoured Adult Ho-Ho. And it wasn’t all me!  My half is still on the plate..

It was SOOO rich and filling that there was no dinner! That was a lot of chocolate…
Saturday we went to Copia for their annual “Death by Chocolate” event.

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This….is Copia’s parking lot

And yes, the title of the event was an accurate description. Besides the very long demonstration events where dessert cooks were making desserts (takes a very long time to do that), there was a tasting event from 1300-1500 on both floors. Every form of gourmet chocky and wine to complement it. So much that I’m actually swearing off sweets.
For a week.

Copia also has a fancy restaurant named after Julia Child. We had a small lunch.

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Cream of Cauliflower soup.

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The happy diner.

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A very good burger

Things in Napa usually shut down by 17:00 so it was back to SFO to wind up this visit. And if you live in The City, you know that traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge is crap going inbound. So we wound up watching the traffic roll in from the Headlands instead.

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Watch that fog roll in!

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Fog

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I live under that

Something to make all Native (that mean born and raised) San Franciscians homesick, no matter where they are in the world.  Especially in Summertime.