i will be the first person to tell you that while i may still be in love with the bay area, san francisco has never really done it for me.  i find it to be a little too grimy, the car break in rates too high and i will never understand the cost per square foot for apartments that are literally the size of a postage stamp.  after a 12 year love affair with the bay area, this past weekend may have just changed my mind about san francisco.

 

since i was already going to be in the bay for jason’s birthday, i wanted to be sure i carved out some time to see dana since we had not seen each other since summer.  dana might as well be a five star chef so i figured we would explore her new neighborhood in sf, cook a little something and just catch up.  when my friend stephanie hit me up about this wine event, i was intrigued but assumed it would not be doable.  when she said it was in sf, i figured i would ask dana if she were interested since she is a wine connoisseur.  i mapped it out perfectly.  if i got to the city by 11am, dana and i could have a couple of hours to catch up one on one before the event started and that is just what we did.  not only am i in love with dana’s new neighborhood, i am in love with this event.

 

let’s be honest – i am not the type to ever say no to wine tasting but this was on another level.  now, stephanie had already been to this event a few years ago at a different location in the bay.  i have the best time with stephanie and i trust her completely so i would literally follow her off of a cliff because it is guaranteed to be a good time and we would miraculously make it back.

 

*a special thank you to stephanie for bring so many amazing women together

 

now let’s talk about the event.

 

if asked to describe this event in five words i would say: fun, overwhelming, beautiful, delicious, short.  it was fun both because i went with an amazing group of girls and because the people we met selling wine were truly passionate about their brands.  it was overwhelming because there were over 100 different wineries there.  it was beautiful because it was a 70 degree day with clear skies and a view of golden gate bridge.  it was delicious because you get to try as many wines as your heart desires and you can double back if you really love something.  i left having purchased five bottles (which we will get into later).  and it was short – even with us arriving within 10 minutes of the event start time, three hours did not seem like quite enough time to explore all of the tables i wanted to.  now, stephanie bought us the mid range tickets which gave us access to two private rooms which were much easier to navigate.  when we went to the center room, it was jam packed.  i found that to be a bit much but still thought it was worth it and purchased wine from all three rooms.  the cheapest ticket does not provide access to the two private ate rooms and the most expensive ticket grants you access to a balcony upstairs to drink on.  even if we had that ticket, i don’t think we would have ever made it up!

 

 

the two photos above are from the calmer rooms (vip) whereas the two below are from the main room.

 

 

okay.  onto the wine that i purchased.  you are going to notice that the photos are taken in a variety of places.  this is because i was only able to take three of my five purchases back with me to la because i did not want to exceed the 50 pound weight limit southwest has for luggage.  now, i am eerily good at guessing the weight of my suitcase.  my thought was that i would pack two of the bottles, drink the mini bottle en route to the airport and leave the other two at dana’s apartment because i know she will drive to la for winter break and i can just retrieve them then.  this ended up being a great decision because at the airport, my suitcase was EXACTLY (yes, i just used caps) 50 pounds.  the guy checking my bag even showed his coworker and was like, “she’s done this before.”

 

 

the back of beyond 2015 pinot grigio and holme estate cellars 2016 rosé were must haves.  i loved them so much that i knew i needed to pack them to bring home to la with me because i did not want to wait until december to be reunited with them.  both were crisp and light but with a substantial alcohol content.  i eat a ton of seafood and knew both of these would pair excellently.

 

 

what drew me to the usual rosé was that the bottle resembled a beaker.  naturally, someone that works at a school appreciates this nerdy shit.  i also decided that i needed a glass of wine en route to the airport and that this would be the perfect to go drink.  i loved how much of the berries and rhubarb i could taste and will definitely be going online to order more.

 

 

taylor treated me to a bottle of spanish white wine by albariño eleusis.  it was so fruity, subtly sweet and just tasted like summer.  while i loved this one, with the weather finally cooling down, i knew i did not have to have it immediately.  now, these cans of rosé.  people hate on canned wine and they should not when it tastes this delightful.  baca’s ring around the rosé is just to die for.  what i love is that it comes in a four pack which is the equivalent of two full bottles.  it is perfect for a picnic or a to go drink since you won’t need a wine opener and because it is in aluminum, it is as cold as wine can be without placing it in the freezer.  while i thought about trying to pack these, i resisted the urge.  dana is keeping both of the above safe for me until the holidays.

 

i was able to get all of the wine you see pictured above for under $100 – some wineries were even doing a 2 for 1 special.  every single station we went to had friendly and knowledgeable people.  i am already counting down until next year’s event.

 

have you been to this event or one like it?  i would love to hear about your experience.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

if you are following along via instagram, you know i was in new orleans aka the big easy this past weekend.  the occasion was a special one – my very first girlfriend from undergrad, brittany, was celebrating both her bachelorette party and 30th birthday.  not only does she have family ties to new orleans but what a fun city to celebrate two amazing events in?!  her little sister, bridgett, the maid of honor, planned the best trip ever for a type a human like me.  there were typed booklets that included full fledged itineraries and kits with useful things for the weekend and life thereafter.

 

let’s first start with the airbnb – it was absolutely gorgeous.  there was tons of natural light, beautiful exposed brick and lots of open space – perfect for hosting a large group of women.  with it being in the arts/warehouse district, we were within a ten minute ride to wherever we wanted to go.

 

as soon as i walked into the airbnb, in addition to being obsessed with the huge navy tufted sofas on either side of the living room, i saw these cute, personalized gifts for each of us.  at first glance, i thought that the canvas item with our names on them were tote bags but to my surprise, they were aprons!!

 

 

little did i know, we would be using them to make beignets with chef syrena johnson, a chopped champion who is a new orleans native!  she prepared an amazing dinner that included gumbo, jambalaya, an outstanding salad with fresh berries and goat cheese and of course, beignets with homemade caramel, a berry compote and fresh whipped cream.  our starters included a roasted beet and goat cheese bruschetta and catfish fritters.  the flavor profiles were UNREAL. she was an absolute pleasure to have around and ridiculously humble.  it felt like we were catching up with an old friend who knew how to cook better than all of us.

 

*pictured here with brittany (the bride) and garnette

**pardon my hair – i had been in a dad cap all day and so it was a little more unruly than usual

 

*chef syrena and the bride, doing their thang

 

we stayed in after dinner and played a variety of games and had some in home entertainment.  what i can say about this group is that there was never a dull moment.  i think we will be 80 years old and still have inside jokes about this weekend.

 

saturday, we went to brunch at cavan.  this place was a dream.  i want a chandelier and a bar like this in whatever home i own longterm.  the service was great and our waiter was so personable.  she answered all of our questions about the menu and was more than willing to make modifications as requested.  the things i would recommend for sharing are the biscuits and gravy, the pancake (it is both sweet and spicy) and the rosé sangria (which has bourbon in it).  for my entree, i had the salmon cake benedict and it was to die for.   there is not a bad cocktail on this menu – we tried several from the bloody mary to the delta pearl – all were flavorful and smooth.

 

*there was tons of cute outdoor seating but it was far too humid for that

*this is that chandelier/bar combo i was saying i need for my future home

*elisa and i (you might recognize this beauty from my post about spain)

*the salmon cake benedict

 

after brunch, all eight of us had tarot card readings at the dark lady.  while i know this is not everyone’s cup of tea, the eight of us had a wonderful experience and i think each person took something of value from our session.

 

we went home to rest up/change for dinner and headed out to the commander’s palace.  while for the most part, dinner was good, there were a few mishaps but they were properly addressed by management.  when making a reservation, ask to sit in brandt’s section – he was honestly one of the best waiters i have ever had in any restaurant.  i would highly recommend the pecan crusted fish as an entree and the creme brûlée as a dessert.

*britt and her boos

 

post dinner, we headed home to play another game before heading out for drinks and dancing on both bourbon street and frenchmen street.  while enjoyable, i honestly do not know how anyone braves the outdoors during summer in nola.  this frozen little treat definitely helped.

 

 

while many of the girls had to leave early sunday morning to catch flights, a few of us were able to enjoy a phenomenal brunch at shaya before heading to the airport.  the best advice i could give is to go with other foodies so you can order pretty much everything.  this may have been the best meal we had in a restaurant setting throughout the entire trip.

 

 

i would definitely go back to the big easy but in the fall or winter when the humidity is a bit less intense.

 

if you’ve been to nola, what was your favorite part?

 

xoxo,

k. tap