Soooo, this was supposed to be up at least a week ago but better late than never, right? If you missed part 1 of my SF recap, make sure to click here. I left off at Day 3, so let’s start there!
Breakfast at Palace Hotel
Day 3 was supposed to be our Napa day, but I had a shit ton of work to do so we ended up leaving a bit later. We were hungry though so we ended up grabbing breakfast at our hotel. Their restaurant, Pied Piper, was realllllly good so we had high hopes, but breakfast was meh. The dining area was stunning though so big ups on the interior!
Tasting Sparkling Wines at Domaine Carneros
My mom’s never been to Napa before so I, of course, had to take her for at least a day. She’s not a big drinker, so we ended up sharing a flight. They’re known for their sparkling wine so we got their Sparkling Château Tasting ($50):
- 2016 Ultra Brut: a rarely produced, very dry sparkling wine. The incredibly fine mousse delivers bright, crispy citrus notes and minerality with serious structure and a palate-cleansing, lingering finish.
- 2018 Brut Rosé: With the most vibrant fruit and floral notes of all our sparkling wines, this is characterized by wild strawberries and hints of peach.
- 2017 Blanc de Blancs: Aged for 6 years sur lie, this wine has profound richness expressed in aromatic notes of toasted macadamia nut and a plush palate of grilled pineapple, honeysuckle and orange marmalade.
- 2014 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs: Their most extraordinary sparkling wine from 100% Chardonnay has layers of toasted brioche, citrus blossoms and a hint of ginger. Honeycomb and toasty notes linter through the silky finish.
We also got a cheese plate to share, and it came with 3 delicious options – sorry, I forgot to write down names – along with Rustic Bakery crackers, Pink Bartlett pear cutting preserves, nuts and apricots.
Reservations are required, and their tasting room is GORGEOUS so I definitely recommend securing a res if you’re looking to enjoy sparkling vino with a view.
Shopping at the Napa Premium Outlets
We had a few hours to kill before dinner so we hit up some small shops + outlets! My mom ended up getting a STUNNING Kate Spade coat for a fraction of the price so she was in an extra good mood for the rest of the day, lol. Love that store, even though I miss getting student discounts.
Dinner at La Toque
I managed to find a Michelin star restaurant that offered a la carte dining because my mom’s so anti-tasting. I had heard great things about La Toque so we decided to join them for the evening. We had spent the majority of the day eating so we were especially hungry. We ended up getting a couple of dishes to share before heading back to SF.
- Lobster bisque with coconut milk and butter poached Maine lobster
- Rosti potato – half ounce of Regiis Ova Ossetra Caviar
- Tajarin corti di ortiche with fresh black winter truffle
- Bigoli nero with dungeness crab, Manila clams and Monterrey squid
The vibe was nice, and service was stellar, but we weren’t especially excited about the food. The rosti was probably the highlight of the evening? *shrugs*
Drinks at Trick Dog, SO DOPE!
My mom was reallllly tired afterwards so I ended up dropping her off and checking out Trick Dog with my business partner, Robby. Deke told me it was an absolute must so I obviously had to spend some time there before I left Frisco. The bar was totally packed so I grabbed a table upstairs and enjoyed the vibes from above. I got two drinks, and both were straight fire:
- Michaelangelo: Don Q rum, Amontillado sherry, pandan, coconut dulce de leche and lime
- Caballo Blanco: Banhez Pechuga & Madre mezcal, damiana, SHF passion fruit, pasilla chile, lime and marigold
I definitely wish I could’ve tried more of their menu, but I was pretty beat so I called it a night. I’m also not a heavy drinker, and I don’t function well hungover so I usually won’t have more than 2-3 cocktails, if that. My recovery time is no bueno, and if you know me, you know how I feel about productivity, lol.
Day 4: Brunch at Spruce
My mom’s adorbs, and she reallllly wanted to go to the premium outlet mall in Livemore so I set aside the day for some more shopping. We started the day off with brunch at Spruce (another Michelin star establishment), and we had a truly wonderful meal there.
For $70, you get a delicious 3 course meal + pastries for the table. We always enjoy everything family style so we got a bunch of dishes to share between the two of us.
For our first course, we got a half-dozen of their Saint Simon oysters and their Apulian burrata and shinko pear salad. The former came with a beautiful champagne mignonette and a killer house hot sauce, while the latter came with chiogga beets, brioche toasts, and aged balsamic. The salad was refreshingly delicious, but definitely go with the oysters.
For entrees, my mom got a French omelet (made with l’original brie, savoy spinach and mornay sauce), while I got their red wine braised short rib, served with poached eggs, potato rosti and hollandaise. Both tasty, but mine was ridiculous. Not even a competition, get the short rib if you decide to join them for brunch.
We were excited for dessert, but this wasn’t as strong as the other two courses IMHO. We ended up getting their beignets (served with chocolate sauce and crème anglaise) and apple “pie.”
Their pastries were amazing so I thought their beignets would be wild, but their apple pie ended up being the move. It came with whipped crème fraiche and a scoop of maple-bourbon ice cream, and I loved how creative the presentation was. It was a deconstructed version for all intents and purposes, and if I was a bigger fan of apple pie, I probably would’ve loved this. Solid though!
Dropped Way Too Much Money at the SF Premium Outlets
To be honest, I don’t really like shopping IRL anymore. I order all my stuff online because it’s more convenient, but I ended up having a blast with my mom. They have some crazzzzzzy designer names here, and we legit spent the entire day hitting as many places as possible.
Our favorite spots were: All Saints, Prada, Gucci, MaxMara, Rag & Bone, and Theory. I ended up getting 3 different things because treat yourself! I left with 2 SUPER discounted pieces from Rag & Bone (a blazer and mens coat) and a fab studded crossbody bag from Prada. LOVE! I haven’t shot them yet, but I’m super excited to share my haul with you guys.
Alright friends, that’s a wrap for today! I’ll be sure to update you with the last leg of my trip ASAP. I still have yet to craft my NY trip + latest DMV adventure recap so keep an eye out for more coming your way soon, and in the meantime, make sure you check out my travel tab.
