Has Napa Become Too Big For Its Britches? (A Day at the Oxbow)

610 & 644 1st Street, Napa,  CA 94559. (707) 226-6529
http://oxbowpublicmarket.com/
Open 7 days a Week

I've always been a big fan of Napa. I have fond memories of wine tasting, dining and staying at cute little bed and breakfasts there in my twenties and thirties. But the last year or two, I've notice a sharp change in Napa. Sure, Napa's always been noted for being a wee bit snooty compared to other wine destinations like Sonoma County but it seems like it's surpassed that and now sports a pronounced Godzilla sized ego. It seems as its popularity has increased, Napa's businesses and clientele have morphed into pretentious, ill-mannered, obnoxious gremlins.

 

Case in point, Mr.S and I decided to take a lovely day trip on Saturday sans kidlets. We wanted to idle around somewhere for the day and perhaps soak in some of the lovely weather over a cup of coffee and a delicious lunch. We decided to check out the Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Oddly enough, despite having been to Napa numerous times I've never been to the Oxbow. The best way I can describe it is that it resembles a mini SF Ferry Building. It's a lovely 40,000 square foot marketplace with tons of natural light, a variety of specialty food purveyor kiosks and several gourmet dining counters where you can order food and drinks. There are tables scattered throughout the facility and outdoors on the patio where you can sit down and eat. (A glorified food court, if you will.)  There are also a few sit-down restaurants along the perimeter.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the food vendors and a sampling of what they carry:

 

Hog Island Oyster Bar (fresh oysters, oysters Rockefeller, chowder, oyster po' boy)

Pica Pica (arepas, empanadas, cachapas)

Ritual Coffee

C Casa (spiced lamb tacos, whole chile crusted duck, seasoned ground buffalo meat tacos)

The Kitchen Door (curried deviled eggs, duck banh mi sandwich, whole roasted chicken)

Ca' Momi (VPN certified authentic Neapolitan pizza, baccala alla veneziana, tagliatelle al ragu)

Gott's Roadside (ahi burger, chili spice-dusted sweet potato fries)

Three Twins Ice Cream (cardamom organic ice cream)

 

Shops:

 

Model Bakery (giant English muffins, cookies)

The Fatted Calf (charcuterie and butcher shop)

Napa Valley Distillery (fruit-based distilled spirits, shrubs, tonics and syrups, vintage barware)

Whole Spice (300+ bulk spices and blends)

 

 

Poor House (gifts, housewares)

Annette's Chocolates (truffles, brittles, chocolate sauces)

Five Dot Ranch (natural beef)

Oxbow Produce and Grocery

Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant

The Monkey Flower Group

Kanaloa Seafood

Marshall's Farm Honey

The Olive Press (olive oils, balsamic vinegars, tapenades)

Cate & Co (gluten-free pastries, breads and treats)

Kara's Cupcakes

 

 

We spent the first half hour of our visit browsing around. I bought some amazing brittle at Annette's Chocolates. The flavor sounds a bit wonky but it works really well together- Chili Lime Tequila Tortilla Chip Brittle. It's tart, sweet and spicy all at once. I love it! There's a couple of other intriguing flavors sold there as well- Beer Brittle with Spanish Peanuts, Triple Nut Bourbon with Pistachios/Almonds/Pecans, and Chardonnay Wine Brittle. The lone salesgirl that was working there was of no help. When I asked her a question about the brittle, she responded with a curt, "Um, I don't like brittle," and seemed put out that there was a customer in the shop. I probably would have bought more stuff had she been less surly and more helpful.

 

 

After purchasing the brittle, we wandered over to Pica Pica for lunch. I had read about the arepas and really wanted to try one. Mr S ordered the Pulled Pork Pernil with sliced tomatoes, avocado, pica’pun (a hot sauce) and garlic aioli. I ordered Shredded Beef Pabellón with plantains, black bean spread and queso fresco along with a cup of passion fruit fresca. We also shared an order of garlic yucca fries. The meal was disappointing on many levels. First of all, it took us over 20 minutes to get our food (this is food counter, not a sit down restaurant). There was only one other customer so it wasn't as though the place was hopping. They had four girls working back there who moved slower than molasses. The arepas we got were soggy and you couldn't pick them up (which is how you're supposed to eat them), they would have fallen apart instantly. We ended up having to eat ours with a fork. This wouldn't have been too bad if they tasted ok, but honestly they were on the mediocre side. Neither Mr. S nor I finished our meals. My beef arepa was too sweet and the yellow corn pocket was dense and sat in my stomach like a bowling ball the rest of the day. The garlic yucca fries weren't crisp but they still tasted ok. I wish we had been offered some kind of dipping sauce however as they were a bit boring.

 

 

 

 

After lunch, we went to check the shops on the other side. We popped into the Model Bakery, where the cashier looked at me like I had just fallen off a turnip truck when I asked to purchase some English muffins. I guess at noon, they're already sold out - but as an out of-towner how was I supposed to know that?

 

 

 

  

The customer service was so subpar during our visit that I was beginning to think there was something wrong with ME. But then I noticed that as I wandered around the marketplace (waiting for the heartburn from my craptastic arepa to subside), almost all of the clerks and cashiers looked annoyed and inconvenienced with their jobs. It was like it actually pained them to help the people who were buying things. It was the weirdest thing. I heard no friendly greetings or thank you's and didn't see one smile. Not one. It wasn't only the staff at the marketplace that bothered me though and made me feel like I was in some weird pod person alternate reality- it was the customers too. The customers were obnoxiously rude and entitled. Examples- when I was waiting for my arepas, a woman walked up and picked up and moved MY belongings down the counter and sat down in the chair directly in front of me without an "excuse me," or anything.  Mr.S had a lady who was so absorbed in texting on her cell phone as she was walking that she ran directly into him and then look at him as though it was HIS fault. Also, when I was in the restroom I saw this woman in her 30's actually push women and children in line out of the way and take the next open stall. And that was just in the span of an hour and a half. WTF? What happened to manners and civility?

 

Mr.S and I were so disappointed with the poor behavior and attitude we saw exhibited at the Oxbow that we cut our trip short and decided to head home. On the way back, we stopped off for some coffee in Davis at Mischka's. The atmosphere was so nice that we decided to stay and sit at a small table outside enjoying our drinks and chatting for about an hour, then we decided to walk around a bit. What we noticed was that the Davis storekeepers and cashiers were pleasant, people were polite and cars even stopped to allow pedestrians to cross (unlike in Napa where it was like playing Frogger even if you're walking in a designated crossing area). It was such a different vibe, a BETTER kinder vibe and in a way, it salvaged our day. Mr.S and I rarely ever go to Davis but after our detour there Saturday, I think we'll visit more frequently. As for Napa...I've been left with a bad taste in my mouth after this visit and I think I'll be taking a break for awhile.

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Seakor Polish Delicatessen and Sausage Factory

5957 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121. (415) 387-8660  

http://www.seakordeli.com    

 

On a recent trip to San Francisco, my friend Amanda suggested that since we were going to be in the vicinity of the Inner Richmond we should stop at a Polish delicatessen/butcher shop, that her boyfriend (a local chef) recommended- Seakor Polish Delicatessen and Sausage Factory. (Seakor has been making sausage in the Bay Area since 1977.) The shop was easy to find, a tiny storefront that looked like it had been a long time fixture in the neighborhood. As we made our way to the back of the store and to the meat counter, we passed a wall of shelves heavily laden with jams, Polish candies, pastries, various dried mushrooms, Vegeta seasoning and jars packed full of sauerkraut. To the left were cold cases, showcasing the housemade sausages, smoked meats, cold cuts and containers of pickled and creamed herring. The store also carries pierogis (frozen) and bigos.  At the rear of the store, we were greeted by a friendly butcher (Jerry) who kind of reminded me of a cross between Danny Aiello and Tony Soprano. Both Amanda and I ordered a pound of house-cured bacon (sliced to order) each. She also ordered some Polish sausage and I went with a smoked pork shoulder (baleron). As Jerry put our order together, we chatted with one of the regulars- a little old man (who assured me everything there was wonderful) and looked over the display of kabanosy, kielbasa, hunter sausage (mysliwska), śląska,  head cheese, veal, liverwurst, garlic sausage and summer sausage.

 

Amanda advised me that the bacon and sausage she brought home were terrific. I really liked the bacon but wasn't as impressed with the smoked pork shoulder. It was just okay. Next time, I think I'll stick to their bacon and sausages.

 

Seakorn has a great Old-World feel to it and the service is terrific. If you're in the SF area and like sausage and fresh bacon, stop by and check them out. If you're not in the neighborhood, the butcher also told us that from time to time they make their way to Sacramento to the Polish American Community Hall in Roseville to sell their products (at the Hall's Christmas eve dinner, Easter breakfast and Spring Festival).

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Villa Sicilia Fine Olive Oil Co.

2600 Fair Oaks Blvd. Suite 103, Sacramento, CA 95864. (916) 974-7467

I love the Temple Coffee by my cottage (the S Street location) but every once in awhile I'll stop by the one on Fair Oaks Blvd. when I'm out and about in Mr.S.'s neighborhood. This week while frantically running errands, I stopped at the F.O. location to pick up a cup of joe to go. As I walked towards the coffee shop,  I noticed a cute scooter parked in front of a new business called Villa Sicilia. Turns out it's a small shop dedicated to olive oil. Perfecto! I thought maybe I'd pop in and see if there were any cool Christmas goodies I could pick up as gifts. Most of my friends cook and I know a good olive oil is always appreciated.

Vroom! Vroom! ☺

The interior of the shop was quite nice. The left wall was equipped with several stainless steel tasting dispensers of olive oils and balsamic vinegars where you could pour yourself a sample to taste and smell. Each dispenser is labeled with the flavor and a brief description of the product. There was a variety of flavors; the ones that caught my eye were Ginger-Honey, Wild Mushroom and Sage, and Black Truffle. Mmm! There were also several fruit (such as apricot, lemon, peach) infused olive oils and vinegars. Once you found an oil or vinegar flavor you liked you could take the pre-poured bottle to the counter and the sales assistant would shrink wrap a seal on the top of the bottle for you. They can make gift baskets for you too if you ask. On the right side, the shop carried a smattering of imported pasta, jams and decorative serving plates. There were also a few jars of tasty sounding condiments like Calabrian hot pepper paste and pistachio butter. I also heard that Villa Sicilia may in the near future be carrying some cool Italian craft beers and wines.

Overall, my impression of Villa Sicilia was that it was a cute store with reasonable prices (the smaller bottles run about $8) and a varied selection. It's a nice addition to the Arden-Arcade shopping scene (which has always been a bit lackluster) and would be a great place to pick up a gift for a foodie friend or a last minute hostess gift. My only issue with the establishment was that the sales staff seemed especially enthusiastic to help the 45+ crowd (most likely because they think they'll spend more) but ignored other customers. I was in the small shop for over 25 minutes and not once was I greeted, asked if I needed any assistance or even given a smile until I went up to the counter to pay for my purchase (and the store wasn't that busy). The owner (I believe it was the owner--a brunette with long, dark, curly hair. She seemed to be running the show.) practically jumped on the patrons that came in after me but I was left to wander about on my own. I even made several passes around the shop to see if she would say anything, but...nothing.  I finally went and stood at the counter and waited to ask the cashier my question and it turned out she was new and had to ask the owner. The owner answered my inquiry but seemed slightly irked that she had to stop her fawning on another customer to answer a question about a product that I was interested in buying. The whole situation left me feeling a bit awkward and annoyed. It also reminded me of something from a job I worked at years ago. I worked for Raley's Corporate Office in their Shopping Services division. One of the big things we would evaluate the store employees on was a concept called the "5 Foot Rule." If a customer was within five feet of you, you needed to acknowledge them verbally somehow. It really personalizes the service and makes the customer feel welcome. As a small business, Villa Sicilia should embrace this concept. Considering there are plenty of companies to buy olive oil from in the area (Bariani, Lucero, Big Paw and Coldani; not to mention, there's another boutique olive oil store in town- The Chefs' Olive Mix in Old Sac); I would hope they would look into remedying the situation and extend friendly welcomes to all customers in the future whether they look like your typical specialty olive oil buying clientele or not.

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Day Trip: Cowgirl Creamery & The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store

Last week, the weather here in Sacramento took a turn and became quite uncharacteristically hot for April. To escape the heat and to have some fun, my friend Amanda and I decided to head out of town for a day trip. Embracing Henry Miller's saying of "One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things," we decided to hit up the small town of Petaluma and learn how some of our favorite cheeses are made at the Cowgirl Creamery. We arrived a little early so we decided to wander about the little industrial area where the creamery is housed. While reading a flyer about the town's annual Butter and Eggs Days in the window of a small café (Aqus Café), we were approached by a friendly Irishman. He turned out to be the proprietor of the stylish coffee house and was kind enough to walk us over to our destination. Glad he did because we might have passed by the creamery completely--walking by on the road, it's easy to miss the inconspicuous sign jutting out high above.

Inside the creamery, we were greeted by Vivien Straus of the Strauss Creamery in Marshall. (Cowgirl Creamery gets a lot of their dairy from the Straus farm.) Vivien was the perfect person to guide our tour- she's sweet, enthusiastic and has a true love for her work. The tour started with a simple demonstration on how cheese in general is made. We then moved onto learning about how the Straus family got involved in the making of cheeses with Cowgirl Creamery, how the various artisanal cheeses are created and packaged and how the Marin Agricultural Land Trust was formed. This was followed by a guided tour of the cheesemaking facility and of course the tasting of an assortment of delicious cheeses (including the Mt. Tam in various points of the aging process). My favorites were the Red Hawk (a pungent triple crème with a washed rind, that is very full-flavored with a slight hint of tang) and the ever popular Mt. Tam (a smooth triple crème with an edible bloomy rind and buttery taste). Can you say cheese nirvana? Yum.

At the conclusion of the tour, we were sent home with a couple of issues of Culture magazine (a publication devoted to cheese) and little Cowgirl Creamery refrigerated lunch bags that included a wrapped round of Mt. Tam, a container of Fromage Blanc (a clean tasting creamed cheese) and a cute little cheese knife.

419 First Street,  Petaluma, CA 94952. (866) 433-7834
www.cowgirlcreamery.com

* Tours are held on Wednesdays at 11:30am and are about a hour long. $30
* Reservations required.
* This facility does not offer retail sales.
* More info can be found here: Cowgirl Creamery Tour

After our tour, we headed over to downtown Petaluma. We decided to have some lunch at Della Fattoria on Petaluma Boulevard. In hindsight, I wish we had chosen somewhere else. Although the décor of the bistro was quite adorable, the food was nothing to write home about and the service downright awful. To make up for our craptacular meal, we decide to walk down the street and check out the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store. This store is housed in a gorgeous historic building (it was constructed in the 1920's and formerly housed the Sonoma County National Bank) and offers a plethora of heirloom seeds (1200 varieties!), plants, gardening supplies, books and gourmet spices.

 

If you go downstairs, they have various gardening gifts and a small room devoted to air plants. While the sheer choice of seeds will awe you, make sure to look up and check out the ceiling of the store. The architecture is breathtaking.

(Photo of Seed Bank interior by Amanda Blosser)

 

* 199 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma, CA 94952. (707) 773-1336. http://rareseeds.com
* Closed Saturdays and major holidays.

All in all, the town of Petaluma is quite charming. The weather was great, there's a lot of fun shops and businesses to explore and it's just a short drive from Sacramento. For those who are interested- the Butter and Eggs Days is coming up on April 27th & 18th. You can find out more info here: Petaluma's Butter and Eggs Days 2013

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99 Ranch Market Opens Up

 fresh steamed dumplings

4220 Florin Rd, Sacramento, CA 95823

One of the small things I'm always thankful for is living in California where Asian food is plentiful. I have Oto's Japanese Market on Freeport that I hit up for most of my Japanese cooking needs and the Asian Farmers' Market (kitty corner from the W Street Farmers' Market on Sundays) that I can pick up fresh Asian veggies at; but once in awhile, I need specialty ingredients when I'm attempting a new Thai, Indian, Hmong, etc. recipe. For the most part when the need has come up, I've been able to find what I need at SF Supermarket on 65th Street. But variety is the spice of life and I was pleased to know another large Pan-Asian market had opened in Sacramento (thanks for the heads up Anthony!). Since I had a few hours to kill, I trekked out to So. Sac to check out the new 99 Ranch Market located at Florin and Franklin (just down the road from Luther Burbank High School).  I didn't know much about 99 Ranch but many of my Bay Area friends seemed familiar with the chain. 

yucca root

jujubes and longan

Upon walking in, I was struck by two things: the behemoth size of the store and that it was extremely clean. As you walk in, to the left is the produce area. The area was well organized and the fruits and veggies were colorful and fresh. There was a wide variety of ethnicities represented- I found myself next to rambutans, kholrabi, bitter melons, daikon and indian eggplants to name a few. Toward the back of the store is the live seafood area. The area was non-stop busy. I immediately noticed that the pungent "fishy" smell of other Asian markets and cloudy watered tanks were missing; looks like 99 Ranch is on top of their sanitation issues. The store states that they will "cut and gut" (and even fry) the fish for you if you like, which is a great deal. Amazingly, the entire time I was there (mid-day on a Monday) the area was hopping with people purchasing large prawns, bags of oysters, a plethora of fish and even sea cucumbers! It never stopped! The middle of the store carries spices, treats, sauces, liquor and dry goods like noodles and rice. I came across several sections of interesting looking frozen stuffed buns and dumplings. There's a few aisles of housewares and electronic kitchen gadgets and then you're upon the chaos-- the bakery and "food court" section. Here you can buy fresh breads and made-from-scratch pastries as well as tasty dim sum items, steaming hot bowls of noodles and boxed lunches. Hopefully the food court lines die down a bit once the market's been open for awhile. I'd like to go back and pick up a BBQ'd duck or some crispy pork. During my visit there were so many people elbow to elbow and a confusing criss-cross of lines that you would have thought that they were giving out free Justin Bieber tickets.

fresh fish

rice cooking wines

 

fruit wines

99 Ranch Market's prices seem on par with it's competitors. The fact that it's clean and well-stocked will probably be what draws me back. I also like that the customer base is as diverse as the products they carry there and everyone seems welcomed. The staff that I came across during my visit were all polite and helpful. There was a language barrier issue with one store clerk that was trying his best to help me locate an item but several nearby customers immediately jumped in to help me out. In addition to finding out where the item was located, I got several useful cooking tips! Oh and before I forget, take heed-- much like the other Asian markets in town, this place is rampant with little old Asian ladies speeding along like Andretti and ramming you with their carts. But no pain, no gain right?

moon pie

dried chrysanthemum

pastries

 

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