Restaurants

I recently visited Le Pigeon with my friends, Linda and Mora. I loved the casual atmosphere of the place, the friendliness of the chef and of the staff, and the delicious and creative dishes they served.

The menu changes each week. Chef Gabriel Rucker visits the local farmers markets several times a week and bases his menu on whatever is fresh and seasonal. When I was there, they were featuring such inventive starters as, Foie Gras with Waffles, Rhubarb and Almonds (my choice), Lobster with Frisee, Corn and Fennel and Lamb B.L.T. Among the main courses were Roasted and Fried Pork with Green Beans, Mushrooms and Cream Fraiche (my choice), Monkfish with Peppers and Olives, Quail with Squash, Marrow and Cherry Tomatoes and Cauliflower with Crepe, Asparagus and Mushrooms. The desserts were creative and delicious, too - Profiteroles with Foie Gras Ice Cream, Southern-style Cornbread with Dried Apricots, Bacon, and Honey (my choice) and a Cauliflower Cherry Clafoutis.

The wine list was extensive and included wines from Oregon, California, France and Italy, among other regions. There was a nice selection of beer, too, from the U.S., Czech Republic, Australia, Belgium, Germany and Poland.

The customers at Le Pigeon were friendly as well, and it was apparent that they make Le Pigeon their choice on a frequent basis. It will be on my list, too, when I return to Portland for another culinary weekend.

Le Pigeon
738 East Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97214
Telephone: 503-546-8796
Website: lepigeon.com

Caffe Divino has become our favorite local restaurant in Sausalito.  Under the ownership of Elizabeth Nebot, this restaurant has undergone a transformation.  One of the first things Elizabeth did was hire Chef Elena Fabbri.  Elena is from Tuscany and her creations are rustic, Italian specialties.  She focuses on simple, fresh, and primarily local ingredients.   

Dinner at Caffe Divino typically starts with a complimentary antipasto plate of roasted eggplant and zucchini, olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and focaccia bread.  The focaccia is warm and flavorful, sprinkled lightly with sea salt.  On a recent visit, we had tuna tartare with celery and fresh mint, as well as an exquisite seafood salad.  The base for the salad was farro (a grain), and it had just the right amount of oregano pesto for a super-fresh flavor.  The salad was also rich with seafood favorites such as calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams.  In the past, we have feasted on incredible porcini mushroom risotto, as well as succulent lamb chops.  Desserts are great there, too.  We just had a housemade cherry tart that was sweetened with apple juice and that featured a delicious, crisp crust.   Oh, yes, and we recommend their sparkling rosato wine for a nice starter during the summer months! 

The restaurant has gone through some re-modeling, too, under Elizabeth’s ownership, and the walls are now adorned with local art.  Although it is a full-fledged restaurant and not just a coffee shop, they still serve amazing Italian coffee drinks all day long. 

Caffe Divino features musical entertainment at night.  If you prefer a quieter experience, book a table in their back room. 

The atmosphere at Caffe Divino is casual and friendly, and the food really shines.  We always look forward to eating there. 

Caffe Divino
37 Caladonia Street
Sausalito, CA  94965
415-331-9355
www.caffedivinosausalito.com/

FARM Restaurant at the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley is worth a visit. I recently had occasion to dine there with some of my guests from Canada.   When we stepped out of the car, I was immediately drawn to FARM’s huge outdoor living room.  This open-air room is filled with large overstuffed sofas and chairs and has high ceiling fans.  It is adjacent to a big outdoor bocci court.  What a great place to relax for a few minutes before moving into the restaurant! 

The restaurant itself is casual but elegant with tea green walls, dark furnishings and beautiful lighting fixtures.  Chef de Cuisine, Christophe Gerard from France’s Loire Valley, trained at the famed three-star Michelin restaurant, Taillevent.  The menu features items that are mostly produced within 150 miles of the restaurant.  The wine list is extensive, featuring wines within a wide range of prices.  We started out with a salad of organic field greens with walnut vinaigrette, organic tuna carpaccio with roasted golden beets, and chilled white corn soup with peekytoe crab.   Our main courses were pan-seared flounder with creamed nettles, dayboat scallops with organic sunchoke puree and oven-roasted lamb sirloin with basil jus.  For dessert, we chose a passion fruit and pineapple parfait and a lemon tart with citrus fruits and orange sorbet. 

The service was very friendly and knowledgeable, adding to the pleasure of this marvelous dining experience. 

FARM at the Carneros Inn
4048 Sonoma Highway
Napa, CA 
Telephone: 707-299-4880
http://www.thecarnerosinn.com/thecarnerosinn/restaurant_farm.aspx

My husband recently took me to dinner at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen in San Francisco. CAV started out as a wine bar but has developed into both a wine bar and a noted kitchen. The concept behind the food is that the menu revolves around the wine list, which contains about 250 wines from around the world.

I liked the casual feel of CAV. There is a dining room in the back but we sat in the front bar area. The staff was super friendly and helpful, making suggestions and giving us their opinions on the food and the wines.

Chef Michael Lamina’s menu consists of small plates and large plates, as well as a wonderful assortment of French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and American cheeses. And, of course, desserts!

We tried several things on the menu - the Lobster Pot-au-Feu, the Truffled Leek Terrine with Crispy Pig’s Ear and Wood Mushroom Salad, the English Pea Ravioli with Mushroom Veloute, Fresh Peas and Chanterelles and the Sweet Potato Frites with Tomato Jam. The Lobster Pot-au-Feu was outstanding - chunks of lobster and peas in a deep, rich lobster stock. The crispy pig’s ear really made the Truffled Leek Terrine dish, but we felt that the ravioli was slightly undercooked (and we like our pasta al dente). The Tomato Jam was outstanding - filled with cloves and spices. We each had a glass of 2001 Francois Jobard Chardonnay from Burgundy.

We ordered a cheese course with three cheeses - Abbaye de Citeaux (a washed rind cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy), Azeitao (a sheep’s milk cheese from the Arrabida Mountains of Portugal) and Azul de Valdeon (a cow and goat’s milk blue cheese from Spain, wrapped in a chestnut leaf). With the cheeses, we had a glass of 2005 Pietri-Geraud Banyuls Blanc.

For dessert, we had Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies and a glass of 1989 L’Etoile Banyuls Grand Cru Reserve.

Overall, we really enjoyed the food, the wines, the atmosphere and the staff.   

CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen
1666 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 437-1770
cavwinebar.com