west coast adventure: cocktails

Though the drink of choice for the trip was wine, we managed to fit in a few cocktails. We focused on the classics. The first cocktail I had was a dry gin martini (19/100) at Tosca in San Francisco.





The martini was perfect - so cold and appropriately sized. This wasn't a jumbo martini glass that tips out of your hand and sloshes everywhere. Those big gulp glasses are meant to contain all the juices, puckers, and sugary adult candies that people call martinis. Bah humbug. Nah, mine was all gin and vermouth, baby. And, as it should be, if I had three of 'em, you woulda found me under a table. Granted, Tosca had outstanding tables (large, round red vinyl booths) and it would have been my great pleasure to end up underneath 'em. I liked that bar.



It is also worth nothing that my mom had her very first gin and tonic at Tosca. The first of her entire life. Can you believe it? Her second was at Carrie's house in Portland after day tripping around the city. Carrie imparted some valuable wisdom - gin in the summertime, whiskey in the fall. So simple and beautiful, I almost take it for granted.





Another gin drink that simple and sublime is the Negroni (20/100). I ordered this at Clyde Common because they had a Barrel-Aged Negroni on the menu. Unfortunately, they were out of it the night that I was there so I just had a traditional, fresh made drink. Someone please go drink the barrel-aged version because it sounds stupendous.







As rules are made to be broken, I strayed from gin and had (scotch) whiskey in the summertime in a Rob Roy (21/100) at the Doug Fir. Ain't that place relaxed-classy-kitschy-fun? The atmosphere begged a Rob Roy - Drewars, sweet vermouth, and a Maraschino cherry. Yes.

The next two drinks I debated putting in the wine blog, but one's a total classic and the other should be.

Mom and I started our last day in Portland with mimosas (22/100) at Broder. I brunched at this spot with Emily on my last visit west. While the food and drinks were just as delicious as last visit, I spent much of the meal wishing Emily could be brunching with us. Alas.

Finally, I sampled a new favorite drink on this trip - the bicicletta (23/100). I know that I might be parital because I've got a little crush on my bicycle right now. I also recognize that alongside house-made salami, I might have declared Tang my new best drink.

But this mix of white wine, Campari, and club soda is a party in my mouth even without the cured meats or the two-wheel cruisin round town. I know because I've been sipping a homemade bicicletta while simply sitting and typing away.

west coast adventure: wine

My mom and I love wine. The Dionysian deliciousness helped inspire the whole vacation. Yes, like all the other lady tourists, we did wine tours and tastings in Napa, the amusement park for grown-ass women. It's crowded, a bit nauseating, full of over-priced souvenirs, and giddily fun.

We had a lovely start with Sterling Vineyards, which many travel guides refer to as the Disneyland of wineries. As you would expect, the wines weren't much good. Except for the Muscat Canelli dessert wine (13/100) which I could slurp down Capri Sun-Style. The best part of Sterling was the ride in to the tasting room: a gondola through the sky with amazing views of California countryside. It was better than the flying Dumbo rides.

We closed our first day of wine tasting at the Frank Family Vineyards because they serve champagnes (14/100). Coincidentally, Rich Frank, one of the owners of this winery, was a long time Disney executive. There were no rides except the bubble buzz.

On our way out to the coast, we happened upon the Francis Ford Coppola winery in Geyserville. While my mom got to see William Shatner at the airport, drinkin' Frank's Director's Cut Zinfandel (15/100) was as close as I got to any stars while in Cali.

Our final winery visit spun out of serendipity. We drove up from Northern California until we wanted to stop and landed in Eugene, Oregon. A woman at the motel recommended a Thai restaurant nearby. The waiter at the restaurant recommended an Oregon Chardonnay from King Estates (16/100) that's just the style my mom likes - more crisp than buttery with little oak.

We found out that King Estate Winery was right outside of Eugene, focused on sustainable practices, and had a restaurant to boot. Yes, please. We partook of an informative winery tour, unpretentious tasting, and a lunch with veggies grown on site. This was a winery that my mom actually considered buying wine from, but they didn't ship to Nebraska. You can't mail the magic kingdom.

Blackberry Bellini

Like everyone in my marketing demographic, I love brunch. I do not, however, love waiting an hour for it. I also feel a little weird about being surrounded by lots of people who look a lot like me but cuter and quirkier. An Ira Glass look alike totally got seated before us at Lula's Cafe. All this hemming and hawing to say mmm... brunch.

you can go home again and/but you'll be older

On this most recent trip to Omaha, I found myself doing homework at the same coffee shop I studied (and held gainful employment) at in high school. Ten years later and still the same thing but oh-so different.




My sister is just about to enter her early-mid-twenties and is facing that startling, requisite quarter-life-crisis. She said to me, "I just thought I would be in a different place by now." To which I lovingly replied, "When they said that you could be whatever you want, they lied." Perhaps I come off as a cynic, but I think there's something liberating about limitations.

And libations.

My mom, sister, and I finished our mini-pub crawl at the Homy Inn, a small bar in Omaha that has champagne on tap. We split a pitcher of surprisingly decently good bubbly, got some popcorn, played pickles and listened to my mom tell stories about she and my dad before we were born. They knew each other six months before they were married, had their wedding on Wednesday morning, and honeymooned in Jamaica on $160. They were young and in love in the late 70's and drove across the country in a junker. It makes me feel romantic and nostaligic for a time I didn't know.


Before we went Homy, we lounged at the Surfside Club, an Omaha instituion on the banks of the Missouri River. Mooned by a boater? Check. Corn fritters with honey? Check. $7 pitcher of Old Style? Nope, it's PBR now but we still got it.

The pub crawl started at home with lunch with the extended family. My sister and I discovered the new summer beer-verage: Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. It's like last year's Michelob Tuscan Orange & Grapefruit but better. Perfect to sip with ribs and all the Midwestern Memorial Day meal fixins. This beer brings a sunny disposition.

And even if you're not where you thought you'd be, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy where you've ended up.