Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Wine Club, San Francisco
by C. Populus-Eudave
It’s a three day weekend and we want to indulge in some wine tasting without having to drive anywhere so a trip to The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Wine Bar, via the local bus, is in order. Apart from having an outstanding selection of artisan wines (they have devoted about a third of the store to exposing 15-20 different wines by the 2 oz. taste, the 5 oz. glass, (in some cases) the half bottle, and the full bottle), they also serve delightful snacks (cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery and bread from Acme bakery, assorted meats, nuts and olives are also available), count with knowledgeable bartenders and score big points with their charming “outdoor” seating area which is really indoors if you want to get technical. Managing to score said charming seating area we settled in to sample the featured Wine Club Sampler ($12) which consisted of 4 pours: 1.- 2007 Oscar Sturm Sauvignon, Collio, Friuli, Italy, 2.- 2008 Cucao PX, Elqui Valley, Chile, 3.- 2005 Chateau Galtier, Coteaux du Languedoc, France and 4.- 2005 Parador Tempranillo, Rancho Chimiles Vineyard, Napa Valley, California. I had to declare the Parador Tempranillo as the winner, imagine growing Tempranillo grapes (Spanish grapes) in Napa and doing it right! You’ll find sumptuous plums, earthy leather and minerals dancing within your glass. Sabroso!
The standout from the Red Cellar Trio club flight was the 2007 Blockheadia Ringnosi Zinfandel, Organic Block, Dark Horse Vineyard, Ukiah, Mendocino County, California. Smooth as silk, this Zin had us smiling so much we ordered two rounds! Lovely balance between black pepper spiciness and ripe black raspberry adds to the complexity of this wine which also counts with a subtle wood treatment reminiscent of pure Rhone like flavors. A must try!
Listen, you certainly don’t have to wait for a three day weekend to hit the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Wine Bar, all that’s needed is a desire to taste intriguing, sometimes eclectic, always interestingly delicious wines. Most palates will be well served.
The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant motto: We spit so you don’t have to (gods bless them!)
Location: One Ferry Building, Shop 23, San Francisco, CA 94111
Have a taste of an upcoming travel piece ... direct from Belize!
by C. Populus-Eudave
Rico’s (our first eating experience in San Pedro, uh oh!)
http://www.banyanbay.com/ricos.php
Tired from three plane rides, hungry and not in the mood to walk all around town looking for a place to eat, Linda, the manageress at the place we were staying suggested we try Rico’s as it was closer than any alternative so we decided to go for the short walk south and have dinner there. The grounds where Rico’s is located is gorgeous so I wondered why there were no patrons inside the place, the door was open and I could see members of the staff who assured us that they were indeed open and the empty tables were simply due to it being early in the evening (6pm). Despite a red flag going up, we decided to give it a go, plus we didn’t want to go wandering aimlessly along the beach hoping to find a more “jumping” restaurant. We sat at an outside table, lovely view of the ocean and the construction of a soon to be completed dive shop, thankfully there wasn’t any work going on at the time. For an appetizer, Rafael ordered the conch fritters and he was happy with it, I thought they had a suspect fishy aftertaste so my experience was limited to one bite. My entrée of chicken and pasta was a wrestling match, honestly, that was some of the toughest chicken I had ever encountered and finally I gave up trying to eat it, piled it on the side of my plate and simply ate the pasta. Rafael had chicken cordon bleu and mashed potatoes but they forgot the mashed potatoes, his chicken was on the tough side as well but nothing like the bruiser sitting on my plate. In summary, except for the attentive service and lovely grounds, there was nothing rico at Rico’s.
George’s Kitchen
Coconut Drive, across from Corona Del Mar Condos
Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
and 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m
Closed on Tuesdays
This was the restaurant we originally wanted to visit on our first day in San Pedro, however a taxi driver misinformed us and stated that George’s would be closed on May 1st, Labor Day. Bummer.
Next day we were delighted to see the Open sign prominently posted in front of George’s Kitchen so in we went. The interior is done in an unexpected shade of lime and I was immediately transported to the many small restaurants found in rural Mexico, complete with the easy to maintain plastic tablecloths. Plastic tables and plastic chairs, no view, interior dining is the only option, sparse and dated décor…so why do I love this place? The food, the food, the food! Fresh ingredients, made to order selections and simple but delicious recipes make George’s Kitchen a true gem. Jorge (owner/cook) and Maria (owner/waitress) offer up a tasty menu, which includes steak and eggs, chicken quesadillas, sandwiches, hamburgers, daily fish selections, stew, rice and beans basically something for everybody. For dinner I had the chicken quesadilla and french fries, the servings were more than sufficient with the chicken being cooked to perfection, juicy and tender. My dining mate and husband had the tilapia with coleslaw and loved it. The tilapia was fresh and flavorful, the coleslaw ‘the best I’ve ever had’ grinned Rafael. The second time we went to George’s Kitchen was for lunch, I had the chicken sandwich and it was perfect, the chicken is marinated in a wonderful blend of spices that made each bite rich and succulent, Rafael had the stew with a side of coleslaw, now Rafael has never been a fan of coleslaw but he was easily being converted by the prowess of Jorge’s cooking. Jorge and Maria are basically the only staff at George’s Kitchen so be prepared to wait a little bit for your meal, trust me, the wait is worth it and can be spent enjoying a couple of Belikins (the local beer) or by trying one of the many fresh fruit juices available which are out of this world.
PepperOni's
What do you do when it’s 2002 and for the past 10 years you’ve been managing three pizza shops and 40 employees in the Tri-Cities area in southern Washington? Well, if you’re Dave Soukup you sell them off and move to Ambergis Caye accompanied by a 1960 Boles Aero trailer equipped with a customized pizza kitchen.
No, really that’s what you do. Then, after things settle down a bit you have your wife Denise join you and together, in under a year, establish the best pizza place on the island. See? Easy!
You may not be able to miss the big and bright PepperOni’s sign but you may be hard pressed to make out the Aero trailer sitting behind that sign - and that’s because Dave had it covered with bamboo so it would fit in nicely with the island’s natural surroundings. Hey, it works! Ok, on to the pizza: Dave starts out with hand tossed whole-wheat dough and a blend of spices and then the pizza creations fly from there; simple, I know! We tried slices of the veggie, pepperoni, and some meat combo pies. The veggies, cheese and meat were fresh and bursting with flavor, the whole-wheat crust is to die for and can’t be categorized as either thin or thick; suffice it so say it’s unpretentiously perfect.
After our first sampling of the pies we decided, a few days later, to have a couple of medium pizzas delivered to our condo by one of the many lads employed by Dave. Each time the experience was deliciously great with service being attentive and laid back at the same time (you may get to experience free bat acrobatics if you decide to eat at PepperOni’s, just mind your head). One cool thing for Dave and Denise is that the place shuts down after the food is all gone (not so good for late night grazers so get there early). We met Dave at Crazy Canuck’s one Sunday afternoon, he was getting ready to open shop in order to satisfy those Sunday evening pizza cravings and although he was a bit bummed to give up his bar stool at Canuck’s he was excited to start cooking and looking forward to Monday, his only day off. I could have very well eaten there every single night but you know, have to expand my foodie horizon.
On Coconut Drive, across the street from Exotic Caye's Hotel Playador and Crazy Canuck’s
Open from 5 –10 every night except Monday. Photo of PepperOni's by Jennifer McCallon