remnants

Yesterday was monthly online drinks.  Rather late this month, and no Conrad or Chris to enjoy it with us.  Alas.

But it was a fun theme.  Over time, we've each purchased bottles of something or other to make a specific cocktail once, maybe twice, and then... yeah.  These bottles sit.  I have been ruthless and tossed a few, I admit.  I hate the waste, though.  So, this month we tried to address it.  Remnants - that was the theme.  I selected three bottles that sit there, staring at me, and made a cocktail with each.  Ranked from least favourite to favourite, they were

The Trade Secret. 

I didn't end up fully drinking this one, only a few sips to decide what I thought of it.  Not bad, and if I had only made this, I would have been happy.  A way to use the ginger liqueur I had purchased for our Britpop themed drinks.  I may try this cocktail again some day.

The Vanilla Sour. 

I can't remember what I bought the Galliano for, but I always associate it with the Harvey Wallbangers that my mother drank back in the 70s.  This was a simple drink, it felt light enough and elegant, and I ended up enjoying it as the first of two drinks with the gang.

The Naked and Sunburnt. 

A play on a Naked and Famous but the Ancho Reyes taking the place of yellow Chartreuse.  A very light burn to this one, just enough to make the chile known but not so much that Van didn't drink it.  I liked it, though, and I will definitely make this one again!

Next month:  make our favourite cocktail.  Now then, what is my favourite cocktail...? 

let's dip back into the Sonoma trip

The Sonoma trip of, oh, a month ago, that is.  Sheesh, Peter!

Oh, I'll give myself some grace.  I am feeling better though far from 100%.  Nonetheless, let's press on....

First off, our hotel was really lovely.  Van picks out fantastic places for us all the time.  He and Conrad and stayed at the MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa previously, and he had wanted me to enjoy it as well.  A short walk into downtown Sonoma, a not-too sprawling collection of buildings,

some of them historic.  We had half of a one-story bungalow,

a sizeable room with seating area and,

hey!  An outdoor tub on our private patio. 

Why yes, the two of us did ease ourselves into that for a soak together.

We had our dinner the night we arrived at Layla, the hotel restaurant. 

My fish was outstanding,

the crab cake was fine enough,

the cocktails were tasty,

and the citrus dessert (which photographed badly) was outstanding. 

We never did make it there for breakfast in the mornings, alas - I had heard the hash browns were excellent - nor did we drop by for a drink.  There were a lot of other dining options in the city that we instead enjoyed.  Still, the hotel was very very comfortable, and I would happily go back.  And even if I wasn't staying there, I'd go to The Porch again if I could, the lobby coffee shop that made a damn good decaf latte and some terrific pastries.  Right, Van?

We did a lot on foot in Sonoma, which I appreciated.  Step count!  The mission

surprised me in two ways.  First, I didn't realize Sonoma had one of the old missions.  It turns out it was the last and farthest north of the old missions, and second, unlike, say Santa Barbara, it's but a shell of what it was.  We didn't venture in, only outside of it.  But we popped into a number of shops around the town square nearby and bought a few smaller things as well as making time to enjoy tastings

at Prohibition Spirits.  What lovely people there, and what a cool shop. 

I couldn't fit too much into the suitcase home, but I picked up a small bottle of a gin that I liked.

Lunch on our day in town was at LaSalette, which sounds like a French cafe but instead is very fine Portuguese dining.  A nice discovery, and shamefully less busy than it deserves.  We sat at a counter and watched the cooking in action.  A non-alcoholic cocktail to start,

then an asparagus soup for me

and grilled sardines. 

I was gobsmacked when I saw them on the menu, and I knew they were mine.  So good, I stopped in after tasting spirits later to buy the cookbook.  I have yet to give it the good browse it merits.  Dinner, meanwhile, was at The Girl and the Fig, a restaurant that I realized I had been to before with Conrad, Courtney, and Robert years back.  Lively place.  I ordered a vodka martini,

a small heresy, but I was intrigued by the use of fresh bay leaf.  The deviled eggs we shared

were a delight, and that bone-in pork schnitzel was quite the dinner. 

I loved it, I couldn't finish it.

It wasn't a lot of time in the town, though I made up for it with my morning walks, I think.  Sonoma proved to be a handsome town worth a return!