Happy Stomach: Why I Had to Drive in San Francisco

Hiking in Berkeley

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I didn't really go to SF. We had one meal at the fabulous Slanted Door, and cocktails at Hard Water. But since we were staying in Berkeley, and going to Napa for a couple of days, we thought getting a car was a good idea.

It turned out to be a great idea.

Heated and cooled leather seats in the Mazda6

We stayed in Berkeley for 4 nights, at the Doubletree by Hilton Berkeley Marina. This waterfront hotel is a little off the beaten path, though you can easily bike, run, or take a free shuttle to the adorable shops and restaurants along Fourth Street.

Fermented tea leaf salad at Burma Superstar

Getting anywhere else is a bit more complicated. The shuttle takes you to BART, the train station, where you can get into San Francisco in about 20 minutes. But factor in waiting for the train, waiting for the shuttle, and a 10pm cut off, and we were glad to have a car.

And what a car

My daughter, hiking in Redwood Regional Park

Mazda loaned us its top of the line Mazda6 sedan. This 2018 Signature model, with came tricked out with a should red crystal pain job and soft nappa leather, had both a sunroof and heated steering wheel. Turns out we needed both. Our first couple of days, it was about 60, with clear blue skies. Then we had persistent rain, and temperatures in the 40s. That heated steering wheel made me forget that I left my gloves in New York. And rain sensing windshield wipers were great when the rain finally stopped. And started. And stopped...

The roomy Mazda6 trunk. We had 3 suitcases behind these

The car had heated and cooled seats, but we didn't need these features.

On a hike: Redwood Regional Park

With a car, we were also able to drive up to Redwood Regional Park, near the Berkeley Hills in Oakland. I was amazed at how short a drive it was to such excellent hiking. There are 40 miles of trails through a redwood forest.

Only the main gate charges for parking, and weekend only, April - October. If you use the main gate, you also have to pay a dog fee if you bring one. And almost everyone had a dog with them.

Checking out Oakland

Along the road from the Doubletree, a biking and running path

My daughter lives on the border of Berkeley, close to Oakland, and the Mazda6 was very convenient for driving around that neighboring city. We ate at Burma Superstar, a sister restaurant to Burma Love in San Francisco, where we ate last year. This is the original location and has the same excellent, very flavorful food. There are lots of vegetarian and vegan choices, but my meat eating brothers-in-law were pleased with their beef and lamp dishes.

Spicy tofu at Burma Superstar

My cousin's three year old was also happy with her plain white rice and veggie samosas.

Another day, we drove to the Oakland Farmer's Market and sampled our way through the lively market. There was local cheese and bread, along with unusual citrus to try. We even got large hunks of pomegranate.

The area near the market is filled with shops and restaurants. There is even a vintage movie theater that plays first run movies. On the weekends, a huge Wurlitzer organ is played before screenings.

We were so taken with Oakland that we drove there another time for a vegan brunch. Millennium has a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, which recognizes great food at a good value.

Brunch at Millennium: mushroom sandwich with pickled veggies 

Heads up driving

Berkeley has Bicycle Boulevards that give priority to cyclists. So I was happy to have the Head Up Display to help me keep my eyes on the road. The Mazda6 also had lane departure warning and lane keep assist. And the adaptive front lighting was useful in returning to the hotel late at night. The roads were dark and the adaptive lights also prevent you from blinding oncoming traffic.

The soulful Soul Red Mazda 6, on the waterfront in Berkeley 

Driving in comfort

We never had more than three people in the car, so we had plenty of room to stretch out. The roomy trunk easily fit all the luggage we brought. We had to bring a huge bag for our daughter of stuff she couldn't fit on her last trip. In a combination of city and highway driving, we got about 26 miles per gallon.

All this for $36,435.

Note: Mazda loaned me the Mazda6. I was not otherwise compensated. Opinions expressed are my own.

A Show of Its Very Own: Fiat 500 F

The adorable, and well designed, Fiat 500 F

The New York International Auto Show isn't until April, but car enthusiasts can see a special class of car: the Fiat 500 F. At the Museum of Modern Art. The showstopper, in the new exhibit The Value of Good Design, runs until May 27.

The 500 F, aka the Cinquecento, was an inexpensive car for the masses. Watch the grainy video, showing a family taking the car on a day trip. But although the car seats four, kids are better suited to the back seat. And my 6'5" friend said he likely wouldn't fit. [Note: you can't touch the car, so no getting in to test out that theory].

What's cool about the car is how adorable it is. And how the price of steel led the designers to use a fabric roof - which then turned the car into a convertible. A convertible at economy prices is like getting Alexander McQueen clothes at Target.

The Fiat is just as cute from behind, especially with an Italian license plate

Cars that make you happy

When my father-in-law turned 50, he bought himself a Fiat Spider. He had been driving Cadillacs most of his adult life, so this was quite a pivot. These fun to drive cars make even grumpy New Yorkers happy.

Everyday kitchen objects at MoMa - and an axe

More Good Design 

The MoMa exhibit includes everyday objects like a bicycle, a sewing machine and a camera. The kitchen utensils include a shrimp cleaner, a whisk and - an axe? Not sure how heated things get in your home, but this is a gorgeous axe. Maybe for chopping the ends of carrots?

The Value of Good Design closes June 15, when the entire museum shuts down for a four month renovation.

Note: I was a guest of Fiat at the exhibit. Opinions are, of course, my own.

How Sweet it is: Local Hive Honey

Winter greens with honey

A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, but a spoonful of honey imparts a unique flavor. I recently sampled Local Hive from Rice's Honey.

Local hive honey

This company sells 17 varieties of raw, unfiltered honey from around the United States. I tasted both the Northeast and New England honeys, known for their bold flavor. I mean, Brooklyn, right? And Boston - we make ourselves heard.

I used the Local Hive honey is a winter salad of hearty greens , where the sweetness balanced the bitter.

Winter Salad:

I bunch Swiss chard, leaves only
1 small head radicchio
1/4 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half, sprinkled with olive oil and salt and roasted at 450 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, until slightly charred
1/4 C kimchi

Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon kimchi juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Loca Hive varieties

Chop Swiss chard leaves and radicchio into ribbons. Slice Brussels sprouts into silvers and chop kimchi. Put in all in a salad bowl.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and pour over greens. Toss to combine.

Note: I was given 2 bottles of Local Hive honey. I was not otherwise compensated.

Wisconsin Eats: Cheese, with Beer

Winter scene in the Northwoods of Wisconsin

The first food that comes to mind in Wisconsin is cheese. Green Bay Packers fans are cheeseheads and although I was heading to the Northwoods, regional pride means that everyone is a cheese fan.

Fried cheese curds at the Sawmill Saloon

I spent 5 days in the frozen tundra of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, in the small towns of Cable and Hayward. I was there to experience winter outdoor adventures, though in the record cold, we had to curtail some activities. No amount of hot cheese can warm you up from minus 37 below.

Greetings from the North Pole

But the polar vortex meant that we were all burning extra fuel just to get in and out of restaurants, so we didn't have to worry about calories. Which was great when we had dish after dish of cheese.

Cheese curds for all

At the Sawmill Saloon, between Cable and Hayward, I finally understood the fuss about cheese curds. I'd only had fresh cheese curds, which seemed like mozzarella's less flavorful cousin. But dipped in breadcrumbs and fried, these cheese curds oozed melted cheese and tasted great.

The pizza oven at Tamarack Farms Winery

The Saloon also makes pizza, and had a vegetarian version with fresh mushrooms, peppers and olives.

Wine, and cheese

We also previewed the food at the new Tamarack Farms Winery. This brand new winery has a wood fired pizza oven. The winery uses local cheese in its pizza and appetizer plates.

Come warm weather, (July?) Tamarack will have a dog friendly outdoor patio. The winery specializes in fruit favored wine, using local cranberries in its award winning cranberry wine. Apples, strawberries and blueberries are used in other wines. The winery also sells California wine, and beer.

The local beer scene

Some of the vegetarian options at Old Southern BBQ

Wisconsin has a hyper local brewery, New Glarus. Available only in Wisconsin, the cult brewery makes Spotted Cow, a farmhouse ale ubiquitous in the state. I tried it on tap and in a bottle. I also had Moon Man, a hoppy session pale ale. Beer isn't the first thing you think of when it's many degrees below zero, but these were tasty.

Southern BBQ in the Northwoods

Local Dave Anderson had a restaurant, Famous Dave's, that burned down. He rebuilt it as Old Southern BBQ. While meats, with meat on the side, is the reason to go here, vegetarians aren't forgotten. There is a rich and creamy macaroni and cheese, chickpea salad, creamed corn and roasted sweet potatoes. I tried them all, with every homemade BBQ sauce. The spicy Diablo was my favorite.  There is also cornbread, served as muffin top so everyone gets a crunchy part.

Old Southern has 5 locations including a branch in Minneapolis. Dave is a partner in Tamarack Farms Winery.

Local cocktail

Warm up with a maple old fashioned

Wisconsin riffs on a classic old fashioned, with brandy instead of bourbon. This is a great way to warm up. Have I mentioned the polar vortex?

At Birches Roadhouse, which specializes in organic, made from scratch food, a bourbon old fashioned still has a Wisconsin twist. Local, bourbon aged maple syrup subs in for the mundane sugar.

Birches would be at home in any big city, with delicious food like wild mushroom and caramelized onion flatbread and butternut squash ravioli with sage.

The wild mushroom and caramelized onion flatbread at Birches Roadhouse. Yum!

Note: I was a guest of Travel Wisconsin, which covered my travel expenses. Full belly and near frostbite were all my own.

Tickled Pink at Red Feather: Farm to Table in Cincinnati

Whipped ricotta 

At first glance, Red Feather might not be an obvious choice for vegetarians. And entire section of the menu is 'shells & bones." But the 'scratch kitchen' had more than enough to satisfy several plant eaters, as wells meat lovers.

Vegetarian cauliflower

While we drank our delicious cocktails, we had warm roasted olives with grilled lemon. And whipped ricotta on grilled bread with truffle honey. We might have gone sparingly on the cheese; after we finished all the bread, we still had a mound of soft, creamy ricotta. We were offered, and devoured, more bread.

Red Feather is in Oakley, a developing neighborhood close to downtown Cincinnatired. On a freezing night, the place was packed, but we had a relatively quiet table in the corner. There's a chef's table and an inviting bar.

Unique menu

Roasted beets with arugula

Brussels sprouts and broccoli sounded good except they were served with pig's ears. That's a hard pass. But the excellent salads included one with roasted beets, honey yogurt and baby arugula, and a simple greens salad with pine nuts and shallots.

My husband and I shared the spiced cauliflower with barley, which had an intense sauce. We also had the excellent scallops, on a parsnip puree with trumpet and maitake mushrooms. I could have had the mushrooms and puree as a main course and been thrilled.

Scallops

There were a coupe of fish dishes and enough interesting cocktails and wines by the glass that I could definitely return.

My friend was disappointed in his $73 steak, but it was cheerfully replaced with an $18 burger that he loved. (And we were paying, so were happy not to pay for that giant hunk of meat).

Middle Eastern Delights: Persian Hot Spot Sofreh

A Taste of Cherry cocktail

If you like lots of herbs and seasoning - in your cocktails and food - Sofreh is for you. The always packed restaurant has delicious vegetarian and meat dishes, and interesting cocktails to accompany. 

Tahdig, the crunchy rice scraped from the bottom of the pan

Where to start

Share one of the fabulous dips: eggplant with mint, yogurt with shallots or feta with tons of herbs. They all come with warm, house made seeded bread. 

The recently departed beet salad

We had a new dish recently, grilled cauliflower with pickled vegetables and pistachios. Yummy. The beet salad is no longer on the menu, but if it returns, grab it.

Grilled cauliflower with pickled vegetables 

The vegan Zershk sour

You’ll want Tahdig, the crunchy bits of rice scraped from the bottom of the pan. There’s usually a chicken sauce over it, but we leave it off. Warning: this dish runs out by the end of the night. There are also rice dishes to accompany your main course, with saffron, or a new one with carrots.

Get a salad or two: pomegranate and feta, or the new tahini and date. The herb and noodle stew, listed with the salads can be your entree. It has lentils, onions, mint and tons of flavor. The only one we weren't cray about is the Shiraz salad, maybe because the cucumber, tomato and onion salad was too familiar. I like the surprise of all the unusual flavors at Sofreh.

Smoked eggplant entree

Meat eaters rave about the chicken with plum and barberries and duck with a rich walnut pomegranate sauce. 

Vegetarian options abound

I love the smoked eggplant with poached eggs and more of that great bread. There’s also fish with tamarind sauce and fenugreek and a new butter bean and dill dish. 

The Vesper martini: vodka, gin, saffron and rose petals

Persian Cocktails

The Zereshk sour has bourbon, beet, and aquafaba (chickpea water instead of an egg white. So it's vegan!)  The martini variations include a Vesper with saffron and Hendricks with mint and cucumber. All fantastic. A new 'Taste of Cherry' has Old Tom gin and sour cherry syrup. Yummy. 

Desserts

Desserts so far are not for chocolate lovers. The saffron rice pudding and rosewater sorbet are fine but I’ll hold out for chocolate.

Luxury Lifestyle: Swanky Eats at Intersect by Lexus

Buratta with roasted pears at Intersect by Lexus

If you've walked past the Soho House or NeueHouse and longed for access to the exclusive spaces, check out Intersect by Lexus. The new meatpacking space has a deluxe cafe, chic bar and ritzy restaurant, along with gallery space occupied now by the LF-1 Limitless concept SUV.

On the ground level, right across 14th Street from an Apple Store and the designer shoes and clothing store Jeffrey New York, is a cafe. You can get a perfect espresso and a pastry. There is also an extremely cool bathroom with automatic doors and high end toilets.

In New York, you get excited by clean public toilets.

Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept SUV at Intersect by Lexus

Frenchie - a bit of Paris in NYC

The restaurant upstairs will switch chefs every four to six months. Currently, Gregory Marchand from Frenchie is in charge.

As a guest of Lexus, I got the full court press at lunch. We started with fluke crudo. It had contrasting textures with raw and roasted beets, and crispy quinoa.

Crudo with beets

We also shared buratta with roasted pears and granola. The creamy cheese was excellent with the crusty whole grain sourdough.

Save room for dessert

A vegetarian main course of cauliflower steak spoke to me. It was described as having 'curry, seeds & nuts, dates.' The crispy hunk of cauliflower had to be dipped in the sauces, a vibrant yellow curry and a slightly sweet, thick date sauce. The crunchy bits and micro greens gave every bite a burst of flavor.

There was also monkfish with mushrooms and a coffee / black garlic sabayon.

For dessert, we had Banoffee - banana with dulche de leche and pecans. Again, this had a contrast of flavors and textures that made it irresistible.

Vegetarian main course at Intersect by Lexus

Swanky but less Formal Bar

At the lovely bar, in the front, you can have specialty cocktails. I have to come back later in the day to try the gin based Intersect, which includes rose, almond milk, sesame, and of the moment Aquafaba. Bar food includes a cheese plate or a lobster roll. Most of the wines are from France. The beer is from Brooklyn.

Model cars on the way to the bathrooms

Global Presence

There is an Intersect by Lexus in Tokyo, and another in Dubai.

Note: I was a guest of Lexus at lunch. Opinions and full stomach were all my own. I was not otherwise compensated.