California Visitors Guide 2014 - (Page 36)

GO FOR IT DAY 3 Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station ULTIMATE FOODIE DAY DESTINATION: San Francisco Bay Area Ferry Building Marketplace MORE INFO San Francisco sanfrancisco.travel Napa Valley visitnapavalley.com Marin County visitmarin.org 36 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM Meadowood Resort -MOLLY WATSON LAURA FLIPPEN (ALL) I SAMPLE CREAMY, STINKY RED HAWK (DELICIOUS). . . AND SLURP OYSTERS FRESH FROM TOMALES BAY. I n the name of foodies everywhere, I have a challenge: discover California's perfect gastronomic experience. My food-and-wine road map: begin the day in San Francisco and head north into a mix of glorious wine country and coastal farmlands. Starting in the city's Ferry Building Marketplace, filled with farm-to-table foods, I prime myself with a fresh-baked pastry from Acme Bread and a Blue Bottle brewed-to-order coffee, then point the car north across the Golden Gate Bridge. Winding through the rolling hills, I reach Napa Valley's Silverado Trail wine road, past signs identifying world-famous labels, like Stag's Leap, ZD, and Mumm, priming my palate for the region's celebrated wine-and-food experiences. Not everyone has the budget and luck to score a reservation at The French Laundry, Thomas Keller's world-famous Yountville restaurant, but fear not, there are plenty of restaurants serving excellent wines paired with dishes showcasing local ingredients. My choice: The Grille at St. Helena's luxurious Meadowood resort. I sample hyper-seasonal dishes and (mostly local) food-friendly wines. Perfect. For dessert, I drive south to Yountville for macarons at Bouchon Bakery (another Keller enterprise). Now I head west, heeding the foodie's siren call to West Marin, where coastal hills are dotted with cows and sheep. First stop in this farm-to-table mecca: Point Reyes Station, home to famed artisan cheese company Cowgirl Creamery, where I sample creamy, stinky Red Hawk (delicious), then head north on Highway 1 to tiny Marshall to slurp oysters fresh from Tomales Bay. Heading back towards San Francisco, I detour in Sausalito to visit beautiful Murray Circle Restaurant at Cavallo Point lodge, where I drink in an orangey Manhattan and Golden Gate views. Then I pop upstairs for a hands-on cooking class, offered throughout the year by local experts. I finish the day toasting fellow classmates, then head home across the most beautiful bridge in the world. SAN FRANCISCO http://www.sanfrancisco.travel http://www.visitnapavalley.com http://www.visitmarin.org http://www.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Visitors Guide 2014

California Vacation Guide 2014
Table of Contents
Travel Planning Info & Extras
Insider
The Years of Living Playfully
Down on the Farm
Califashionistas
Chef's Favorites
Live Tv Shows
Three Dream Days
Why We Love California Snow Resorts
Good Sports
Wine Country Discoveries
Theme Parks at Night
Urban Base Camp
Parks With Perks
Statewide Resources & California Welcome Centerssm
Free Advertisers’ Info
California City Index

California Visitors Guide 2014