Hot Tables
There’s a new restaurant in town, a true hot spot that expands the definition of taste! Toyo Japanese Bistro (3082 Marlow Road, Santa Rosa), Sonoma County’s newest, and best, sushi stop enchants with its captivating romantic beauty bewitching even the most cosmopolitan of patrons. Hosts David and Lisa Lin have meticulously created a destination restaurant where guests can bask in the charms of Toyo’s visual aesthetics while delighting in its exquisite cuisine. The decor and ambiance are the restaurant’s main appeal, but the menu is laced with undeniable treasures that caters to all tastes and appetites. This trendsetting establishment is the perfect place to gather with friends for appetizers, where drink options range from a distinctive wine list, including selections by the glass, to a large variety of exotic sakes (a delicious Sake Bomb makes for a great start). Mounted above the sushi bar is an unobtrusive flat panel for watching your favorite programs while catching a few bites. The spacious indoor dining room is filled with lively patrons and the extra comfy booths allow guests plenty of space to relax and enjoy the creative design, attentive staff and close to perfection Wine Country cuisine. Defining style rather than following it, Toyo Japanese Bistro is the ideal mix of trendy atmosphere, hip crowds and upscale Asian dining. Reservations are not required, but are recommended. To reserve your table, call (707) 527-8871.
Stellar Sips
Wine and food lovers, prepare to enjoy an enchanting night at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! When the doors of the Grand Tasting open at this world-class venue, guests will receive a commemorative wine glass and delight in a world of exciting new flavors from California and beyond. Over 300 wines and fantastic foods from local restaurants and national gourmet food manufacturers will be served – all the while you visit the incredible marine displays of the aquarium. Dip some juicy fruit into the huge chocolate fountain or enjoy the shrimp bar with a great Pinot Gris! Master sommeliers will be available to answer questions. Whether you are in the industry, a wine enthusiast or on your way to becoming one, it really is a magical experience at The Monterey Bay Aquarium. Cost to participate in the Thursday, October 16th event is $100 per person, all inclusive. For more information, call 1-800-422-0251 or go to www.montereywine.com. FYI: For overnight accommodations, stay at the Hofsas House in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. Most of the rooms have breathtaking views of the forest and Pacific Ocean with private lanais overlooking the aromatic pines. Guestrooms are spacious, comfortable and well appointed. Ergonomic chaise lounges surrounding a heated pool and intimate dry saunas are available. Easy walking to downtown dining and shopping and it’s less than 15 minutes to most major regional attractions. World-class hospitality, attractive pricing and the world’s best house-blend coffee (as recommended by white-hot jazz singer, Courtney Lemmon), makes Hofsas House your best bet when visiting the Monterey Peninsula. For reservations, call 1-800-221-2548 or go to www.hofsashouse.com.
Art Buzz
Inspired by the landscapes and people of Mugie Ranch, Kenya, vintner and artist Gaby Hahn’s African Artwork will premiere at Huntington Wine Cellars and will remain on display in the riverside tasting room for several weeks during the month of October. Along with her husband vintner Nicky Hahn, Gaby resides in Africa for much of each year. Together, they have created a black and white rhino conservancy and established a school that educates more than 150 Kenyan children. A reception for Gaby Hahn will be held at their Healdsburg tasting room of Saturday, October 18th. Complimentary wine from Huntington Wine Cellars and other Hahn Family Wines brands as well as upscale hors d’oeuvres prepared by Estate Chef Hunter Satterwhite (formerly of the Playboy Mansion) will be served. Wine Country visitors are in for a treat when they taste the full spectrum of world-class Hahn Family Wines while visiting the Huntington Wine Cellars Tasting Room and Art Gallery, a wine and arts destination. Located next to the Russian River, Huntington Wine Cellars is found at 53 Front Street, in Healdsburg; www.huntingtonwine.com; (707) 433-5215.
Mountain Magic
When Robert Craig first began growing grapes on Mount Veeder in 1978, no Napa Valley appellation existed and the idea of “terroir” or a “sense of place” in winemaking, was a concept found primarily in France. Today, Robert Craig celebrates three decades as a Napa Valley “mountain man,” producing distinctive Cabernet Sauvignons label from vineyards in the highest, most remote reaches of the Valley. His cellar-worthy, structured and stylish Cabernets are on the wine lists of top restaurants nationwide and are regularly praised for their balance, integration and fine tannins. The Robert Craig Winery, located at nearly 2300 feet along the summit of Howell Mountain in the northeastern range, is his crowning achievement, producing limited quantities of signature mountain Cabernets from the Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder appellations and Affinity, a Bordeaux-style Cabernet blend from the southeastern foothills of Mount George. Celebrating their 30th anniversary year, two new wines are being introduced: a 2005 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from a single vineyard at 2000 feet atop the northwestern appellation and a 2006 Howell Mountain Zinfandel which spotlights fruit from the renowned Black Sears Vineyard. When these wines debuted, Robert Craig was selected the “hot new winery” by The Wine Spectator. Fifteen vintages later, the same publication named Robert Craig a consistent Top 50 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon producer. To taste Robert Craig wines, visit the winery’s retro tasting room in Downtown Napa which perfectly recaptures the flavor and feel of the valley before the boom. Just minutes from COPIA, the Napa Valley Wine Train Depot and the Napa Town Center, Robert Craig’s tasting room is located at 880 Vallejo Street. Tastings are by appointment, but are easy to get by calling (707) 252-2250 ext 1. For additional details, visit www.robertcraigwine.com.