Highlights from My San Francisco Trip

Our week long trip to San Francisco has officially come to a close and I am back to the grind in DC.  The "End of Vacation" depression is starting to sink in, so in an effort to keep that sad feeling at bay I wanted to share one last San Francisco post with you all.  While our trip was certainly action packed (Trip to Napa and Cheesescaping), one day that I especially loved was my birthday.  No, I didn't love the day because it was my birthday, that was merely a bonus to the day.  Rather, I loved the day because of all of the fun events and adventures my husband and I experienced with my sister and brother-in-law.  

My Birthday 

On Saturday morning I woke up to find my husband delivering the family Breakfast in Bed tray complete with the travel birthday crown and a delicious cup of coffee from Cafe St. Jorge (a local place in the Mission District).  After enjoying a tasty breakfast, and receiving a very special piece of hardware from my husband, we all got dressed and headed out for a hike near Palo Alto at the Purisma Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.  This was a beautiful trail that gave us the opportunity to see real California Redwoods (when in Rome/Northern California…Redwood viewing is a must!).  The hiking trail was located less than 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean, which made it a slightly cold and misty (ie. perfect hiking weather!).  It was amazing to see how quickly the weather changed after our hike as we ventured further away from the Pacific Ocean, down to Buck's of Woodside for lunch.  

Buck's of Woodside was a fabulous lunch spot.  This casual restaurant served delicious food that catered to all sorts of diets (Healthy, Indulgent, Gluten Free, etc.).  In addition to the delicious food, the highlight of Buck's was horse parking out front.  Yes, that's right, HORSE Parking!  Horseback riding is quite popular in the town of Woodside, so Buck's has found a way to accommodate those riders who want to stop by for a bite before/during/after their horse rides.  

After lunch, we visited the Woodside Bakery (next door to Buck's) to purchase a Double Chocolate Mousse Birthday Cake (pictured above), which was absolutely decadent (*Cake Topper is from Target).  We then headed home to rest up for dinner that night at Parallel 37.  

Dinner at Parallel 37 was quite the experience.  Upon arriving, the host escorted us to our seats and delivered a round of complementary Birthday Champagne for the table.  Dinner was a 4 course prefix with 3 options to choose from per course, and a wine pairing served with each dish.  I have to say that one of my favorite dishes in terms of presentation, was the bread and butter course.  I know that sounds crazy, but I have never had 4 different butters/oils/salts served so extravagantly.  The entire evening was nothing short of spectacular.  

My 30th birthday was absolute perfection.  Breakfast in bed, a little orange box, hiking near Palo Alto, visiting Woodside and of course dinner at Parallel 37, were all individually wonderful moments, and to have them all occurring on the same day was more than I could have ever imagined for this special milestone birthday.  If you have the chance to visit San Francisco in the future, I highly recommend trying any of the activities mentioned in today's post.  The restaurants, locations and hiking are all great ways to experience California.  

A huge thank you to my sister and brother-in-law, who showed us such a wonderful and truly memorable time in San Francisco.  And of course an even bigger thank you to my husband, for always being so thoughtful, generous and unconditionally loving.  

Cheesescaping in San Francisco

This week I am in San Francisco with my husband, visiting my sister and brother-in-law for my 30th birthday.  The trip so far has been beyond fun and packed with plenty of activities (see my instagram page for additional updates), including a cheesescape!  Creating a cheesescape in a new city was fantastic because not only did it yield a tasty cocktail hour for the evening, but it forced me to explore the area in order to come up with a scape that was both representative of the area but also interesting and of course delicious. 

First Stop

Prior to this trip I had done a little research on places (restaurants, cheese shops, etc.) that I wanted to visit at some point over the course of our stay in San Francisco.  In addition to my own research I also made it a point to ask a local (my sister) what places she would recommend that I visit.  One of the places she recommended that I visit was Mission Cheese Shop.  

Upon arrival, I knew immediately that my sister had given be a great recommendation because the store was packed.   I managed to make it up to the cheese bar where I was able to talk with one of the store's cheese associates about the types of cheeses they offered and what I was looking for.  The cheese associate graciously let me sample a number of cheeses and did an excellent job of selecting 4 cheeses that fit the flavor profiles I had been in search of.  After my visit to Mission Cheese, I headed to the closest Whole Foods Market for a few additional cheesescape essentials and then I was on my way back to the house to get to work.

Cheeses

• Mt. Tam by Cow Girl Creamery (CA)- cow's milk, triple cream.  Flavors include: cultured butter with hints of white mushroom. 
• Sofia by Capriole Dairy (IN)- goat's milk, soft.  Character: silky to the tongue, marbled with ash, delicate and sweet.  
• Classico Reserve by Tumalo Farm (OR)-goat's milk, hard.  Flavors include: slightly sweet brown butter, nutty flavor and has a hint of honeysuckle in the finish.  **Recommend not pairing this cheese with any crackers or fruits.
• Clothbound Cheddar by Cabot Jasper Hill (VT)- cow's milk, semi-hard.  Flavors include: deeply savory and slightly tangy with a caramel sweetness to finish. 
• Mimolette (Boule de Lille) (FR)- cow's milk, semi-hard.  Flavors include: buttery, caramel, nutty and salty.

Cheesescape Accoutrements

• Pig & Squirrel's Dried Apricot and Shallot Compote
• Dried Tart Cherries
• Fresh, Thinly Sliced Granny Smith Apple
• Fig and Almond Cake
• 34 degree's Rosemary Crisps and Carr's Original Water Crackers
• Fresh Savory Herbs
• Board Garnishes: Edible Flowers and Fresh Lemon Leaves from the lemon tree in my sister's backyard (only in California!)
• All served on this Nambe Cheeseblock with Knife and Spreader

Cheesescaping in a new city was so much fun!  I learned about a fabulous local cheese shop, had the opportunity to try a variety of new cheeses and it gave me a chance to give back to our very generous host and hostess.  While I am totally envious of my sister's lemon trees, there are still so many new cheesescape ideas and additional accessories that I am looking forward to incorporating in future boards when I return to DC.