Napa Trip...not too much frugal food to be found...!

Well, as always happens, when I started my blog, I wasn't particularly busy, so I thought, what a lovely way to spend time, writing about food, and great foodie finds......but guess what....now I am super busy, and have been unable to give my blog the attention it deserves. As a friend said to me recently....it's either feast or famine, and that describes my life at the moment, and I suspect, a lot of other people's lives too. It's hard to find and maintain a balance.

Just got back from a gourmet trip up to Napa, visiting with my dear friend Erica, who has the most fabulous food blog, check it out....Bon Vivant, http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/.

To be honest, there were not too many frugal finds up in sunny Napa, but what a foodfest we all had! Got to visit the C.I.A....(some would say I am on their wanted list??!!) which was fun, and had some delicious food, including a wonderful dinner at a hip noodle joint in oh-so-trendy Berkeley, look at the menu, not exactly your average run-of-the-mill noodle joint, don't you agree, http://www.noodletheory.com/. I had noodles with chicken and ginger, it was to-die-for, so fresh and vibrant, the ginger had a real bite to it.

Also went to Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc, in Yountville, for a small birthday celebration. It was everything you would expect a Keller joint to be, buzzing, trendy, fabulous decor, very minamalist actually. Check it out....http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/

The idea is you get the daily menu, and that's it, no choices at all, which I really think is a great way to try something different once in a while. A lovely evening was had by all, and I especially liked lusting after one of the adorably cute waiters!!

So, getting back to frugality.....Napa and frugality do not really go together well, but I did get to go to several amazing foodie heavens, in particular The Ferry Building, in San Francisco, and on a smaller scale, Ox Bow Market in Napa itself, where we shopped for salumi and a selection of 'bits', my family name for a hodge podge of food, served buffet style. Think french bread, olives, cheeses, salami, you get the picture.

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/
http://www.oxbowpublicmarket.com/

Anyway, more later, when I am not so busy......