Farmhouse VERSUS Farmstead

I had a most wonderful birthday! Miles planned a mystery dinner and told me to not get too excited, which was obvious misdirection because we went to Farmhouse! I had the strip loin and Miles had the halibut with potato foam. We split the spring greens, fava bean pasta, seared salmon and s'mores parfait. It was all very delicious and dinner lasted over two hours. Earlier that day my boss (who shares my actual birth date) took me and Miles to lunch at Underwood, and of course I got the pancetta mac-and-cheese! On Friday Miles and I ate dinner at Big Bottom Market, where I had a bbq beef brisket sandwich that probably is in my top three now. Followed that with some discount cocktails at our new favorite neighborhood bar. On Saturday we drove to Yountville for some Ad Hoc fried chicken! It was 108 degrees at one point. We were determined to have a drink somewhere outside in the incredible heat, and we landed at a place called Farmstead. We were in the shade but it was still almost (but not quite) unbearable. When we got home it was still 95 degrees out so we went to the river at 5 PM for some lounge time. So to re-cap, we ate a ton of really great food, and I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday nor a better person to spend it with!

Potato Fort

A lot of patio beer-thirty has been happening in the last three months. The weather has been incredible. We've been having patio beers in so many locations: Dawn Ranch, Russian River Brewing, Stumptown, La Rosa, Underwood, Northwood, and of course on our beautiful deck. Summertime here feels so amazing. And now we have birdfeeders so we've been hanging with the Steller's Jays and the hummers. Miles had a birthday. We saw Chris Isaak (who is not dead by the way) and had dinner with Mom and Pop Franchino. I'm about to have a birthday in a couple days, yet I still get carded for looking about 19. I guess that's nicer and nicer the older I get! My parents visited and 10 feet in front of us we watched a great blue heron catch and eat a mouse. We went to a celebratory party in the city and saw friends and stayed up way too late. I went to see Hightower's last show and saw many people I have not seen in many years, including more than one ex-boyfriend. I found a new therapist. Summer makes it easier to not be anxious but my most-spoken phrase these days is "I hate going to sleep." Here is a photo of Charlie's giant black nose.