Surviving The "Union Square Shoe Shopping Trip"

Summer is nearly here, and this is the time when the ladies are looking desperately for new shoes. These can not be just any shoes, they must be strappy, open toed, fun, bright and sexy. They are required to have names like Icon, Jimmy Chu, Kate Spade, or Manolo Blahnik. Most of you now are asking what does this have to do with “Fathers Day”. Well I am going to share my secret for surviving the dreaded “Union Square Shoe Shopping Trip”. If you are from the Bay Area you know about Union Square and the surrounding blocks. If your not, lets just say there are more shoe stores than most people have brain cells. I normally lose it about an hour into the trip, that’s when I say I am going for a short walk. I sneak away too “Mocca on Maiden”. Mocca is a small café with outdoor seating, a good wine list (by the glass), cocktails, and gourmet deli foods. This place goes mostly un-noticed on the weekends (during the week is another matter). Easy to find, just go to the east side of Union Square, in the middle of the block you will find Maiden Lane, look east and you will see it. Find a table, order a drink and chill. You are not more that two minutes walk from any of the stores on the square, and the staff understands if the cell phone rings and you have to “slam and jam”.

Pan Seared Foie Gras

Okay, this is really bad for both you and the duck (hence the political incorrectness, you may want to ask why, but don’t, you really don’t want to know). What I have also found (your experience may vary) is that generally this is a guy thing to eat. Finding some place that has fresh Foie Gras is a bit of a challenge as well. The best way I have found is to order it from Hudson Valley Foie Gras (http://www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com) they overnight it to you. The only problem is that you have to buy a pound and a half (enough for about 10-12 servings, or one each for Bob and me).

12 very thin slices rustic country-style bread (such as pain rustique)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 Whole Foie Gras ( 1 to 1.5 lbs )

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet; brush lightly with melted butter. Bake until golden brown, about 14 minutes.

Slice the Foie Gras into about 1.5 to 2 ounce slices (10-12 if have a whole Foie Gras from Hudson Valley). Score each side with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Then sauté in a very hot, dry cast-iron skillet for about 30 seconds per side. The goal is to lightly sear the outside and warm through; if you cook it to long it will disappear. This is why it is bad for you, pure fat. Serve with one or both of the following.

Grilled Pineapple with Tequila Brown Sugar Glaze

3/4 cup tequila
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 2x1-inch pieces
6 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes, drained

Stir first 4 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Thread pineapple pieces onto 6 skewers, dividing equally. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill pineapple until brown, basting with tequila mixture and turning occasionally, about 10 minutes total. Remove pineapple from skewers, and quarter the chunks; serve hot or warm.

Bing Cherry Reduction


1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
12 fresh Bing cherries, pitted, quartered
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil


Combine in a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons of liquid, about 2 minutes.

Final Assembly

Arrange the toast on plates with foie gras toping each toast. Arrange pineapple chunks around the toasts. Drizzle with vinegar reduction. Serve.

Martinelli, 2004 Zio Tony Ranch Pinot Noir

This is also a great wine, not quite on the level of its sister chardonnay though. When I first opened the bottle I was very disappointed, it was very acidic. After letting it breathe for about an hour, it softened up dramatically to reveal a very intensely flavored wine (all cherries and plums). A very sexy nose and a long lingering finish. The only thing I don’t like about this wine is that the alcohol content seems a bit high, two glasses and you are unsafe at any speed.

Martinelli, 2004 Zio Tony Ranch Chardonnay

This wine is stellar. It is as good as any chardonnay I have ever had. It has a light golden color and a noise of white peach. A slightly oily texture in your mouth, with a long complex finish. Lots of flavor transitions and a citrus finish, without the bite. Best chardonnay of the year so far (but I have some killer ones to taste in the coming months)

Do you know what Nobel Prize winner is from Salinas?

Do you know what Nobel Prize winner is from Salinas? If you said John Steinbeck you are right. This is one of those things I knew, but didn’t know. Anyway, a few weeks ago we drove down to the Steinbeck museum and found that not only Lisa and I enjoyed it, Alexa did as well. The museum is very interactive and gives you the readers digest version of a number of his books. It was a great way to introduce Alexa to the genius of Steinbeck. And for me, it brought a big smile as I thought of the, “frog hunt for Doc’s party”.

L’Angevin, 2004 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

The first vintage for this winery was 2002; the current production is about 800 cases of Chardonnay and about 150 cases of Pinot Noir. The winemaker Robbie Meyer worked at Peter Michael Winery for five years as an assistant winemaker, as well as two years as the winemaker for Lewis Cellars. The wine is crisp without much intensity. The feel in your mouth substantial with a reasonably long finish, it reminds me of Peter Michael chardonnays, but without the complexity. I will try this one again next year; it is close but not quite there yet.

Solitude Vineyards, 2004 Chardonnay

Richard Litsch began Solitude as a hobby when he was working at Chalone vineyards. His focus is on direct sales in California to restaurants and specialty retailers. He personally handles all sales calls, and often delivers the wine himself (he was in Joseph George, the day I bought this bottle). Solitude produces about 5000 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir each year. This wine reminds me of the Rombauer Chardonnays of old, buttery, soft fruit textures, heavily oak’d, with a firm full taste. Well worth the price, which is very modest.