I have a saying about trips down memory lane, “they usually end up in the ditch on fire”. This was one of those trips. When I first moved to the Bay Area, I knew very little about the night life. I don’t remember exactly how I found out about “Three Babes and a Bus” (http://www.threebabes.com/) or exactly who I went with on it, but I do remember having a great time. To sum up what this experience was; three women stock brokers got feed up with hustling stocks, and decided to do what they love. What they loved was partying at the hottest nightclubs in San Francisco. How does one make a living doing that you ask? You buy a twenty person luxury mini bus, and charge $35 dollars a head to take folks around to the hottest clubs. Sound like fun, you bet it was. Fast forward about twenty years to roughly now. What I didn’t know was that the three babes have been wildly successful, and the 20 person luxury bus, has grown into four not luxury greyhound busses. The tour now mostly attracts the bachelorette party crowd, so if you are a single guy looking to score, this is the ticket (I was the only guy on the bus before we bailed). If you are trying to hit some dance clubs on your 16th anniversary skip the babes and go directly to: Ruby Skye or the Glas Kat. The evening was not lost, we managed to make it to the Bubble Lounge where the music is loud and the champagne is cold.

Todd’s Cheesecake

I love cheesecake, and this is my favorite recipe for it. It goes well with last months balsamic berries.

1 1/2 cups ground crumbs from chocolate hazelnut biscotti. This is not the kind that has chocolate melted on top of it.
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream.
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs

Tightly wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.

Mix biscotti crumbs and butter in a bowl.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan.
Chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream and sugar in large bowl until smooth.

Add eggs 1 at a time; beat just until blended.

Spread cheese mixture evenly over crust in pan.

Place spring form pan in large roasting pan.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of spring form pan.

Bake until cheesecake is golden and center of cake moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Transfer cake to a cooling rack; cool 1 hour.

Chill overnight. (Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.)

Rombauer Vineyards, 2004 Carneros Chardonnay

Last year I had written this winery off, they had radically changed the style of the wine, not that change is bad, but it certainly was not to my liking. Rombauer built its niche by producing, what I like to call “Butter Bombs”; the wine has been described by more than one friend as being like, “drinking liquid butter”. This year’s vintage is a return to that style, it has strong peach and pear flavors that transition nicely into a long buttery finish. It goes quick so grab it while you can.

Kistler Vineyards, 2002 Kistler Vineyard Pinot Noir

This was a first taste of a Kistler Pinot. My brother Jeff and I split a bottle last Saturday. What I can say is all wine should be like this. Once again, Alexa gives it thumbs up on the nose (I feel sorry for the first guy that takes her out on a dinner date that includes wine). Lots of fruit flavor, a little forward, but not at all over powering. The flavor is blackberry and black cherry, with a syrupy feel in your mouth. Finishes long, slightly tannic, but will soften later. Delicious now, perfect in a year.