Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sonoma County California

There are a huge number of wineries to be found in Northern California but being a huge movie buff one of the highlights for me had to be the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. As well as traditional Italian style wines they have an amazing on site tourist destination including a museum, restaurant and kitchen store.

The gates are postcard worthy with a view of the vines peaking out through a gorgeous stately entrance complete with a lead light glass sign. 

The buildings are equally impressive with no dollar spared - this is a loving tribute to wine and food from a man who has the funds to build his dream wine destination. The copper rooves and sandstone architecture hark back to his Italian roots.

The main grounds offer a huge number of events for locals and tourists to engage in fun and frivolity including regular concerts, dances and wine tastings. If you're bringing a family try visiting during the Summer months when the pool and cabines can be booked for some kid friendly fun while you enjoy the local wine. 

One of the main attractions is a museum devoted to Coppola's directorial career with one of a kind displays of costumes, props and accolades. I might love wine but this was the highlight of the visit for me especially with so many of the the goth fantasy Dracula items on display. 

Lucy Westenra's burial garb from Bram Stoker's Dracula

Dracula's mediaeval armour from Bram Stoker's Dracula

Props and memorabilia from Apocalypse Now

A restored 1948 Tucker from Tucker: The Man and His Dream

The infamous desk from The Godfather

Various film making accolades including several Academy Awards (Oscars) and Golden Globes

We were really here to have lunch and try the wine though, our basic visit structure was to speak to the hostess at the restaurant and get in line for a table, then spend the wait looking at the museum. If you've spent half an hour looking at the museum and then get asked to wait another half hour this will lead to cranky hungry people. 

The entire place is decked out with old school charm. I am particularly fond of the dark wooden bar with its classically trained cocktail staff and glorious Italian espresso machine. 

The restaurant itself Rustic looks a little like an Italian steakhouse but with gorgeous Californian views and an airy high ceiling. The menu highlights Francis' favourite meals along with many Italian classic rustic dishes. 

Coppola Winery Director's Cut Zinfandel 2011 $8.50USD

Zinfandel to me is a uniquely American wine, it's something I'd never really encountered before moving to the United States and it's still growing on me. This is definitely a food wine and would benefit from a few years grace but nonetheless it's an enjoyable tipple with an Italian meal.

Pettole (Zeppole) $3USD

A fried doughnut style bread product filled with a melted cheese, not too oily or too rich but just right!

Salad with candied walnuts and Sonoma County blue cheese $9USD

This was a lunch special included in the 3 course selection that we chose but anything that features that delicious local blue cheese is fine by me. Other salad offerings are primarily American rather than Italian classics like Cobb Salad.

Bumbola con Broccoli e Salsicce $17USD

I admit I spent a great deal of this meal trying to understand the pasta shape having never seen a bumbola noodle before. Some research proves that the name is given for the "bumblebee" shape and that the pasta is made custom for the Coppola brand. As well as being served in the restaurant it can be purchased retail in the kitchen store on site it is recommended for heavy sauces (rather like a large pasta shell). Served in a wine, fontina and cream sauce with broccoli rabe and loose sausage mince this is a very rich dish with a smooth but bitter end. As well as the rich sauce the pasta is very weighty - I can only manage a few noodles before I'm full. Both the pasta and sauce are delicious though, the simplicity of the meal means that all the focus is in the quality of the ingredients and I am not disappointed.

Rigatoni and Meatballs $18USD

Sometimes the simple things in life are best and while this might seem like a comfort food classic it is a great dish to order. Thick doughy pasta is perfectly al dente and served with freshly made meatballs (I want to say veal and lamb?) with flakes of real Parmiggiano Reggiano. A simple classic dish served exactly as it should be.

After you're done eating check out the kitchen store with high end oils, pasta and sauces, utensils and cook books as well as cute souvenirs. The entire place is well worth a trip, even if you're not a big wine lover for a simple meal made with a love and a great side stop on a roadtrip for the whole family. Kids, food lovers and movie fanatics will all be satisfied!

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/

300 Via Archimedes

Geyserville CA 95441

(707) 857-1471

Review: Blossom on Columbus, New York City

Too often Vegan restaurants cater only to the down home hippy market, failing to capture the dining dollar of the wealthier ethical diner. Luckily New York City is a bustling food market with a restaurant to cater for every possible variation. Blossom own multiple restaurants in Manhattan, but the venue on Columbus is a lovely formal dining affair within stone's throw of the Central park. The wonderful food and easy distance make this the perfect stop for a post Park or Museum outing. 

By being entirely free of animal products the menu at Blossom also caters easily to the allergen market - gluten free, dairy free, wheat free, nut free and low carb options appear throughout. 

Buffalo Risotto Croquettes $10USD

Spicy risotto is breaded and fried served with vegan "blue cheese"

Heirloom Tomato Salad $14USD

A vegan rendition of a classic Caprese salad with vegan mozzarella and cashew cream. 

Mushroom Ravioli $13USD

Hand made ravioli stuffed with mushroom with a vegan butter sauce.

Southern Style Seitan Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries $17USD

Seitan is a gluten based meat alternative which is not to my taste but was well enjoyed by my friend. Each of the Sandwiches could be served with a variety of sides 

Vegetable Lasagne Stack $20USD

As a low carb eater I always love to find pasta alternatives. This vegie stack included pasta sauce, vegan mozzarella interleaved between layers of eggplant and zucchini and topped with arugula.  

Fetuccine Alfredo $19USD

Vegan cheese and nut milks are used to prepare this animal free alfredo and served on fettucine with mushrooms, herbs and grape tomatoes.

For a group with very specific food needs this was a perfect choice, while some of the food may seem a little bland or strange to omnivores the chance to have an entire selection of Vegan dishes is rare. The restaurant is well decorated and the customer service immaculate, much recommended. 

Blossom on Columbus

http://blossomnyc.com/

507 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
United States

Upscale Vegan formal dining

Review: Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana, Las Vegas

Months on a low carb diet mean that I've tended to avoid Italian given the heavy bread and pasta components. Trying to eat healthy in a tourist destination without endless serves of chicken and salad means exploring some different food choices... and then I remembered veal, glorious veal.

Il Fornaio is an authentic Italian restaurant and bakery chain imported from Italy with locations throughout Californa and Nevada. Unlike the heavy 'red sauce and provolone' Italian you often find on the East Coast Il Fornaio focuses more on fresh seasonal choices. 

Insalata di Bietole $11.99USD

Golden and red beets served with arugula, walnuts and Asiago. Light and fresh with good ingredients; golden beets are an increasingly common trend in the US of which I am a fan. 

Carpaccio $11.99USD

Raw beef pounded paper thin and served with Grana Padano, capers, arugula and lemon. The beef is grass fed and holds up on it's own while raw; the capers and lemon cut through the fat well. 

Pasta con Pesto $11.99USD

This was a special at the restaurant when we dined and does not seem to be a regular featured item. A standard offering but good quality comfort food - shell pasta served with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Not too heavy or overpowering. 

Scaloppine ai Carciofi e Limone $25.99USD

I'm not entirely sure why they chose to present this dish as such when it is one ingredient off Saltimbocca but it was delicious nonetheless. Usually in the US the artichokes are canned and pickled but these were fresh local baby artichokes. The sauce was rich but light such that the dish was filling without being glutinous.

Service was American Tourist Destination attentive with refreshingly Italian staff. Sometimes I find the multiple staff you deal with in American restaurants overwhelming - in this case we saw a host, our server, 2 bus boys, a patissier and a sommelier. To me this is overkill for a two course meal; I'd have been happy to have my bread and wine brought by the same person who brought my food. 

Upmarket without being snooty, comforting without being coma inducing Il Fornaio is a solid pre-theatre choice. 

Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana

http://www.ilfornaio.com/

Family friendly food

Upmarket casual dining

New York-New York Hotel & Casino

3790 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV ‎

Ph: (702) 650-6500

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Twitpic food round up

I know I've been terrible with the posting but here's some of my Twitpic deliciousness of recent times:



Dim Sum at the Pyrmont Fish Market



Espetada at Bartino... Pyrmont



Beef Rendang at Chinta Ria Darling Harbour



Kalbe ssam with ssamjang at Ashfield Korean BBQ



Chorizo al a plancha and albondigas at Captain Torres Sydney CBD



Meatballs and pasta at XXII Pyrmont



Freshly smoked salmon, cheese and all the trimmings at my father's house in Brisbane, Qld



Health Potion and Mana Potion Cocktails at Mana Bar Fortitude Valley, Qld



Gnocchi, pesto oil and rocket with goats cheese at the Botany View Hotel Newtown

Review: La Casa Ristorante, Russell Lea

 You always know that you're in for a good meal when a foodie chooses a restaurant for her birthday, and so it was going to the newly opened La Casa Ristorante in Russell Lea. La Casa is something that I have looked for quite some time in Sydney, a truly excellent Italian homestyle restaurant. This is a bit sad when you consider that I used to live in the Italian Forum and did not find any such thing there.

Brought to you by the brother sister Ruggeri team La Casa brings heart, soul, fresh ingredients and friendly faces to their restaurant which is already teaming with eager diners and reviewers only a short time after opening.



We went with a large group for a birthday dinner and they were still able to accomodate wonderfully and stayed up beat and pleasant the whole way. We had a banquet including wine for a very reasonable price but as this is not listed on the menu I am not certain if this was a special for our group and so will list the al a carte prices.



Luccarelli Negroamaro alla Toscana $22 ($6 by the glass)

For a moderately priced wine this is not a bad drop and goes excellently with the pasta and antipasto.

I felt strongly for the staff as we were... not shy in lapping up the wine and the sound raised to meet the drinking levels.



Pizza all'oglio (Garlic Pizza) $9

A great light starter on an excellent bread base, not to oily or filling.



Antipasto di casa per due persone con salumi, arrosto di verdure e formaggi $18

A fantastic antipasto plate including light soft prosciutto, fresh roasted vegetables and delightful home made salami. Ask for a small bowl for the olive pits though as they're very morish and one was not provided.



Polpette della Mamma $14

I have quite the weakness for a good mediterranean meatball having grown up in a Spanish family with a well guarded albondigas recipe. This dish is every childhood memory of grandma's cooking reaching out to the nostalgia centre of your brain and stroking it lovingly. The secret is multiple kinds of meat and a fresh tomato sauce that glistens with good quality oil. Served up with a fresh heavy slice of sour dough bread to chase the last morsels of sauce around the plate... and let me tell you we all did. I will be returning to La Casa for this dish if nothing else.



Fettucine con gamberi, aglio, olio, spinaci i pomodori $22

If you're going to order this make sure your date tries some as it's simply dripping in garlic. I would have liked a little more bite to the chilli but this is an excellent rendition of a classic fresh pasta with perfect al dente noodles.



Pappardelle con pancetta e fungi, vino bianco e crema

Mushrooms and cream aren't really my kind of food so I limited my trying of this dish, and you can tell I didn't take this picture! Still if you're a mushroom fan this would have been an excellent dish and the pappardelle were soft and luscious.



Penne alla Norma $16

This was definitely one of the table favourites! The sauce was thick and sweet studded with eggplant and olives and topped with the most amazing smooth ricotta I've ever enountered. A definite 'must order' and a great option for the vegetarians.

The food was already warming and fantastic but then we started onto the pizza, oh god the pizza! This is without a doubt the best pizza I've had in Sydney.



Diavola $17

OMG I WANT ANOTHER SLICE OF THIS PIZZA. The perfect base, the perfect amount of fresh tomato sauce, just the right mix of cheeses and the most amazing home made chilli pepperoni. The simplest pleasures are some times the best and by god this is a pizza to remember.



Bresaola $19

I'm very impartial to rocket on pizza and combined with the shaved parmesan and soft cold meats on another crisp but soft base, just excellent.

There were more pizzas and plenty of salad but by this time I was stuck into tales of new restaurants and food television with some of the other dinner goers so apologies.



Cannoli Siciliani $8

Sweet ricotta filled canoli are definitely up there as one of my favourite foods in the world, however I've been inundated with excellent Five Dock Canoli after years of running a small business with an Italian business partner, so I skipped these. If they're using the same ricotta as for the pasta though I would definitely order as it was amazing.



Birthday Tiramisu $9.50

Birthday dessert! I like cake but tiramisu is hard to beat and this came very recommended.



Affogato con liquore $14

Amazing sweet nut studded hazelnut gelato with Disaronno almond liqueur and excellent Italian espresso. I was so happy with this order I danced in my place; the ice cream and coffee were the perfect quality and just the right balance of tart and sweet.

All in all I must say that I cannot fault a damn thing about this restaurant. The quality of ingredients, the love and passion going into the food and the friendliness of the crew were absolutely paramount and highly recommended. The fact that this restaurant is so popular so quickly is no surprise to me and my advice is try and get in before the whole city discovers it.

La Casa Ristorante
http://www.lacasaristorante.com.au/
@_LaCasa on Twitter

271 Lyons Road
Russell Lea
(located between Five Dock & Drummoyne)
Phone 9712 3882

Open Tuesday - Sunday for dinner from 5pm

Casual traditional atmosphere in a warm but modern setting
Licensed but family friendly

Review: Signorelli Gastronomia, Pyrmont

As many of you will know I recently got a job in Pyrmont, which means that I'm actually close to other foodies to take out for lunch. To top this off I get provided with food at work so I don't mind splurging on the occasional dining out experience ... enter the Pyrmont Lunch Club in all its glory.



Signorelli Gastronomia is a foodies delight where you can dine, shop or even learn to cook in a sea of gourmet offerings. The very Italian staff and food are not my usual tastes but they are worth stopping for, especially after a bad day and when the Season suits your tastes.



There's a number of light offerings if you're after a more casual affair, charcuturie to make the mouth water or you can even watch the chefs prepare your pizza on the in kitchen cameras. We're no casual diners though and it's winter so it's time to lap up the seasonal fare with gusto and a side order of vino rosso.



Ham hock and foie gras terrine $18

It's not a large lunch dish on it's own but I never met a liver I didn't like. This dish is very salty, especially with the pickled vegetables so don't be light on the water but this is the perfect late Autumn dish and worth a try when available. Not for the feint hearted the terrine is hardly light on fat, the bread fried, the vegetables picked and the dish basted with butter.



Osso bucco Milanese $30

Another good hearty seasonal favourite with its rich tomato sauce and slow simmered meat but not the best rendition I've encountered and certainly not for the price tag. For me the risotto is too cheesey and you can see the plasticising film on the surface, a little more stock might have done the chef a favour.



Open Lasagne $16

Not your average lasagne al forno this dish has the perfect textured noodles, shredded oxtail and a light perfect collagen filled stock; definitely a return visit for this lactic intolerant.



Fettucine with braised goat, Jerusalem artichoke and chilli $18 / $26

Goat you say? Jerusalem artichoke? You had me at hello. The light chilli laced jus on the noodles doesn't overpower the delicate flavour of the goat, the pasta is perfectly al dente and the artichokes melt in my mouth. A perfect warming winter meal and a wonderful order.

Signorelli Gastronomia for me can be a little hit and miss. Their meat, cheese and wine selection are enviable and any gourmande would be well to spend their time browsing the shelves and the fridges in their retail section. The meals are very seasonal and in short runs depending on the quality of available ingredients and the appropriate weather; this means that finding the excellent dishes can be difficult when you're not sure if the winning items will be back on the menu on your next return. When they do get the dishes right though they're stunning and compiled of excellent fresh ingredients.

For a fairly small restaurant the service can be delayed at lunch, a very early or late seating would be advised. Keep an eye out for their Master Class offerings which change with the seasons.

Signorelli Gastronomia
http://www.signorelli.com.au/
Ground floor of Accenture/Google Building
48 Pirrama Rd
Pyrmont NSW 2009

Phone: 02 8571 0616

Formal dining atmosphere
Gourmet retail store attached
Very busy at lunch due to local business parks