hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. here’s a recap of ours… in the wine country =)
my former roomie, sophie, got married in sonoma last saturday and mike and i decided to make a weekend of it. i am happy to say that my record as the bringer of wedding sunshine remains perfect. even the times when it had been pouring rain just 15 minutes prior to the wedding, the sun always came out shining bright just in time for the ceremony. sophie’s wedding was another perfect display for my magical sun-bringing powers. unfortunately, the call to move the wedding indoors had been made in advance, but it was beautiful and perfect anyway.
the couple’s names are Sophie and Mike. they got married at the Sonoma Mission inn. everything was monogrammed with their initials! it took me a moment to realize that the monograms were not put on display just for them, but were perhaps a happy coincidence. how perfect! the wedding was everything romantic and pink — pink peonies, pink rose-petal lined aisle, pink blossom cake, and pink heart-shaped soap favors. unfortunately, our point-and-shoot camera was no match for the soft mood lighting created by the glow of the candles. all of our photos of the happy couple are grainy and/or blurry. boo! =( you’ll just have to take my word for it that sophie looked absolutely stunning.
during the wedding banquet, we had the opportunity to catch up with some old friends and spend some time with new ones. due to a chain of musical chairs, we got to sit next to some friends who would have known nobody at their assigned table. (sophie, don’t be mad — we didn’t do it!) it all seemed to work out for the best, anyway. oh, and let’s not forget judy. for those of you who wanted to see judy in a dress, here ya go! remind me to show you the photo of her sexy metallic strappy shoes, too! btw, judy is a totally different girl after a glass of wine. but don’t take my word for it — pour her a drink. hahaha! i love that girl.
on saturday, mimi drove up from oakland and spent a couple of hours with us. we strolled around sonoma plaza, which is a one-square-block patch of grass surrounded on all four sides by shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms. the el dorado — the boutique hotel that we called home for the weekend — is a historic building that sits on the northwest (i think) corner of the plaza. if we were writing a hotel review, we’d have a ton to write about that place =P it’s a cute little inn, but check with us if you’re thinking about staying there. in the center of sonoma square is an old building that resembles the alamo — it’s the city hall. how quaint. mimi, mike and i ate lunch, drank a pretty latte (well, i did, anyway), shopped at the charming little boutiques around the plaza, and met ms. moo-lot (the near lifesize cork cow who lives in the Charles Creek Vineyard tasting room).
we then headed up to the vineyards in search of some great wine. first stop was st. francis, where i was hoping to buy a case of the 2003 merlot that i’ve had an ongoing love affair with at bing crosby’s. as much as i enjoy trying different wines, i always end up ordering the same glass when i eat at bing’s. much to my dismay, st. francis was sold out of that particular wine =( i guess i’m not the only one who loves it. we tasted some wines there anyway, and we also stopped at imagery, where we bought a few bottles. by that time, the wineries were closing and mimi had to get home.
i had been looking forward to dinner at shiso all day. and despite mike’s attempt to foil our plans so that we’d have to eat at mary’s pizza shack, we made it to the restaurant with time to spare. the food was good, but the portions were tiny. after eating miso soup, a 20-piece sashimi platter, roasted wild mushrooms, miso black cod, and a $13 roll (you would think that a roll that expensive would be huge, right? not.), we were still hungry. we each ordered another roll. i mean, i know that sushi is generally expensive, but this was ridiculous. good food + small portions = a darn expensive dinner.
on sunday, mike and decided to make the most of our wine country visit and take a detour through napa. he selected a new winery to visit — black stallion. mike says they’re known for the huge black horse and larger-than-life red doors (both of which i photographed), but i’m choosing to post this photo instead because it’s my favorite from the weekend. all weekend, we had been seeing row after row of green vines, but at this new winery, there were lots of itty bitty baby vines that were just barely peeking out of the ground. all the wines we tasted there were good, but the only one that i liked enough to buy was a $78 bottle. i decided to pass. when you’ve had 6 large “tastes” of wine at 11am on empty stomach, judgment could be a bit impaired — especially when you’re a lightweight like me. =P
next stop: lunch at brix. omg, the food was incredible. before this weekend, i thought i disliked halibut, but it turns out that i love it. at least, i loved the halibut that i ate at brix. it was perfectly steamed and served on a delicious vegetable ragout. the ragout consisted of asparagus, zucchini, and summer squash. i am not a fan of squash, but it was so perfectly prepared that it left me wanting more. who talks that way about veggies, right? no kidding. it was that good.
we spent time with good friends. we ate a lot of delicious food. we drank a lot of nice wines. we caught up on much-needed sleep. all in all, a wonderful weekend. hope yours was, as well.
*lookout weekend* -debbie deb
