Write On Rubee

First visit to Roman God of Fire and... bonus! We always love to catch up with Pretty Decent Concepts Culinary Director Ivan Gonza.

Bangers and mash tonight with onion gravy and colcannon (creamy mashed potatoes with kale).

Working on some fun assignments for The SOMM Journal 🍷🍾 Napa Somm Camp, like this one: The "World Values: Acidity, Structure, and Age-ability" panel at Silverado Vineyards. Look for my recap in the October issue!

Closed out Arizona Restaurant Association Chef's Week with a fabulous Chef Reardon feast at Thompson 105 Woodfired Grill (wish we had this in our neighborhood!). Hard to pick my favorite courses, but if I HAD to, it would be the gougeres stuffed with whipped brie and preserved lemon to start, and then the pluma Ibérico with red chimichurri, sweet corn fritter (Robert Reardon's tribute to his mom) and amazing Colorado Palisades Peaches glazed with maple syrup and bourbon. Also loved the cocktails here, including our preview of a Glazed Donut Old Fashioned and a tequila-banana-coffee dessert drink coming to the menu, and the Cocktail of the Week (a Clover Club riff) - thanks Kris Korf, Riley, and Tanner!

Spoiled with a Kris Korf Negroni and a plate of Chef Reardon's warm gougeres at Thompson 105 Woodfired Grill.

Kicked off our dinner at LATHA Restaurant & Bar ™ | Phoenix, AZ with Quenton Leon Charley
& Tracy and Peter McQuaid Jr. & ashley cibor
with a round of cocktails (and a Saint Benevolence Rum flight for me).

In the current issue of The SOMM Journal 🍷🍾, I traveled to Northern Virginia wine country and fell in love with Barrel Oak Winery & Brewery. Story starts on p. 68 (digital issue is on the SOMM Journal website). Photos by VA WINE + HOSPITALITY + BRAND PHOTOGRAPHER

A fitting finale to a week of incredible meals, wines, and cocktails across California - Bourbon Steak San Francisco was THE perfect final stop. Thank you to David, Gregory Poux, and the rest of the team for the generous hospitality! Our feast:
⭐️ Signature lobster pot pie with brandy cream sauce
⭐️ Mr. Muir cocktail
⭐️ Duck fat fries
⭐️ Wines with somm Greg
⭐️ Lobster and melon salad
⭐️ Steak tartare "pizza"
⭐️ Onion soup
⭐️ Agnolotti with morels, corn and truffles
⭐️ Creamed spinach poptart and whipped potato trio
⭐️ Dessert

Thank you to the team at Bourbon Steak San Francisco for sending out the Steak Tartare Pizza, which turned out to be one of my favorites of the night. With sun-dried tomatoes, capers, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Calabrian chili, and lemon oil. Loved!

Thank you to the team at Bourbon Steak San Francisco for sending out the Steak Tartare Pizza, one of my favorites of the night. With sun-dried tomatoes, capers, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Calabrian chili, and lemon oil. Loved!