Tag Archive | California Cuisine

BNP Paribas Open

Jan2

Indian Wells, CA

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BNP Paribas Living Wall

I am a huge tennis fan, a Roger Federer groupie to be more exact. One of my all-time favorite vacations has been to Indian Wells, California to watch the BNP Paribas Open each March. I have had the opportunity to attend this professional tennis tournament several times and would go again tomorrow if given the chance!

What makes this tennis tournament so special? How long do you have?

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Roger Federer – greatest of all time

The location is spectacular! Indian Wells is located in Southern California in the gorgeous Coachella Valley. You can fly into Palm Springs or Orange County and easily drive to beautiful Indian Wells. This is the perfect setting for tennis in early spring and includes snowcapped mountains, blue skies, palm trees, citrus trees, colorful bogainvilleas, and dessert breezes.

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on the grounds at the Renaissance

The hotels and resorts located around the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are all top-notch. We have had the opportunity to stay at the Renaissance and the La Quinta resorts and both were enjoyable in their own way. The Renaissance is a favorite of the tennis pros and coaches and you get to “rub elbows” with some of the world’s top players on a daily basis. A beautiful pool, fantastic breakfast buffet, firepits, ping pong tables, and great restaurants make this a great choice. The elegant La Quinta is more spread out and provides you with a private “casita” and beautiful desert-landscaped grounds. Each set of 8 casitas surrounds their own private pool. There are several restaurants, bars, and grills on the property as well as nightly music in the common area. The spa and tennis center are both very upscale and everything here is near perfection.

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fire pit at the Renaissance 

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view from our room at the Renaissance

Transportation to and from the tennis matches is a breeze. This tournament has been going on since 2000 and travel options around the event are well-orchestrated. The local resorts offer bus service every 20-30 minutes. When staying at the Renaissance, we walked right out of the hotel lobby and caught a bus that dropped us at the gate. We purchased a parking pass when staying at the La Quinta and drove our own rental car and parked in VIP parking each day. We pulled into the designated lot and our car was valet parked for us – very nice! We left the grounds one day just to go have lunch in the town of La Quinta and enjoyed the freedom that a car provided us.

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behind our casita at La Quinta 

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La Quinta Tennis Center

 

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is one of the best on tour. The 29 courts, the 16,000 seat main stadium, the grounds, the shops and restaurants, and the activities make this my “hands-down favorite” tennis venue. Try out tennis racquets, watch some pros warm up on the practice courts, buy some new tennis clothes, get some great vendor “freebies,”  take photos in a special photo booth, register to win prizes, or sip champagne under the palm trees. When you tire from all those activities, pull up a chair and watch matches on the big outdoor screen or grab a bite to eat from one of the various eateries and sit at a picnic table and enjoy people-watching. You may also see James Blake signing autographs, the Bryan brothers on stage with their band, Rod Laver walking around, or Chrissie Evert having a question-and-answer session with the crowd.  The grounds are alive and happening!

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night tennis

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maybe I can hit the ball with this!

 

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practice courts

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Chris Evert

Now for the best part – the tennis! I have had the opportunity to see my favorite players play (and win!) only a short distance from me.  Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovich, and Juan Martin Del Potro, etc. all speak about how much they enjoy this tournament every year and it is easy to see why. The stadiums give you the feeling of being “up close and personal” with the top players in the world. After having attended Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, I can honestly say this is by far my favorite tennis venue.

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Roger Federer

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Juan Martin Del Potro

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enjoying a match

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Rafa Nadal

 

There are also many interesting and fun things to see and to do while in the Indian Wells and Palm Springs area, so be certain to add a few days to the beginning or end of your tennis time here. Check out all the little restaurants and shops in Old Town La Quinta. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for great views of the Coachella Valley. Explore Joshua Tree National Park for great hiking and rockclimbing opportunities. Drive into downtown Palm Springs for a great meal, a museum visit, and see the Walk of Stars. Drive a few miles to The Cafe at Shields Date Garden for a great meal on the patio, see the “date sex” movie, and have a delicious date shake. Take a day and drive over the mountains to Temecula and enjoy exploring and winetasting at some of the finest Southern California wineries.  Take a guided jeep or ATV tour and visit a desert oasis. Many possibilities await you!

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enjoying chardonnay in Temecula

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bacon-wrapped stuffed dates at Shields Date Garden 

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view of Palm Springs from the San Jacinto Mountains

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cozying up to Sonny Bono in downtown Palm Springs

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the Palm Springs Aerial Tram

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a joshua treet in Joshua Tree National Park

For all of you tennis fans, I hope that you get the opportunity to visit Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open at least once. We have had four great experiences and loved each and every visit (we book through Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours and let them handle the hotels, additional days, and tennis tickets).

If you are interested and or would like more information, I will be glad to give you my two cent’s worth.

Go Roger!!

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sunset at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden

La Jolla

May22

California

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If you are looking for a beautiful seaside resort for a vacation getaway, look no further than La Jolla, California. This little town north of San Diego is located on seven miles of gorgeous Pacific Ocean coastline.

 

La Jolla Beach
La Jolla Cove

The name La Jolla actually comes from the Spanish words “La Joya” which means “the jewel”. Once you see this area – you will understand how it earned this name. There are gorgeous ocean views at every turn. Luxury shops, waterfront restaurants, boutique hotels, art galleries, and parks are located steps away from beautiful blue waters and breathtaking sea cliffs.

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My husband and I recently visited La Jolla after a vacation that included Palm Springs and Temecula. San Diego and La Jolla were the last stops on this California trip and all are within easy driving distances. We stayed at a little boutique hotel in La Jolla (Pantai Inn) just steps away from the coastline and in walking distance of shopping and restaurants. It was a perfect location!

 

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The La Jolla Walking Trail was located right in front of our hotel property. This paved walkway runs from the La Jolla Shores Beach to the La Jolla Cove. It is favored by locals and tourists alike and is enjoyed by joggers, dog walkers, families, bikers and casual walkers – like us! We walked this trail several times and enjoyed the grassy parks, the spectacular ocean views, the hidden beaches, the rocky shores, and the sandstone cliffs.  We encountered numerous sea birds and sea lions along the way. One of the most popular spots along the trail is the La Jolla Cove. This is a very scenic, ecologically protected beach for swimming, snorkeling, and diving.  If you keep following the trail past La Jolla Cove, you end up at the La Jolla Sea Cave. This is a very unique, natural formation with heavy surf, crashing waves, and clear ocean water. This is also a popular area for divers and kayakers.  

 

La Jolla Cove
Sea Cave
sea gull
La Jolla Trail

One of our La Jolla excursions was to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. This park is located north of San Diego between La Jolla and Del Mar, along the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline. There are miles of hiking trails, odd-shaped pine trees, sandstone canyons, sea cliffs, ocean views, wide beaches, and championship golf courses. The park’s namesake, the Torrey pine, is the rarest native pine tree and is an endangered species that grows only in this park. You may recognize its familiar, wind-blown, asymmetrical shape.

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If you like outdoor adventure, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is definitely the place to visit near La Jolla. Just lace up your shoes, pack your sunscreen and water, and bring your camera! The hiking trails are all well-maintained and are well-marked. Some are easy, some are more difficult. There is plenty of parking and a ranger station to visit for info before heading out on the trailheads. All of the trails provide breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean from high vantage points. A couple of trails have beach access and will lead you to the cliff-lined, sandy beaches. Other trails are lined with huge sandstone structures, pine trees, succulents, and beautiful wild-flowers. I will never forget the picturesque views we encountered on the trails here.

 

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At the end of these busy days of exploring, we were always extremely hungry and ready for a great meal. We found restaurants very close to our hotel – most in walking distance. The first night we dined at 910 Restaurant and had a most exceptional meal! We sat on the patio and had cocktails and one of the best culinary dishes I have ever had. The next night, we ate at the Crab Catcher and had a great ocean-view table that looked over the Sea Cave. We drank local California wine and dined on fresh seafood – delicious!

 

short rib ravioli
lobster salad
chocolate pistachio dessert
crab louis salad
spaghetti & clams
fish filet
key lime pie
chocolate torte

Great views, great adventures, and great food – what is not to like? La Jolla, you were truly a “jewel” to me! I enjoyed every moment – even the extremely smelly sea lions.

 

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Food for thought – Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel, lived in La Jolla. I wonder if the strangely shaped, wind-blown Torrey pine trees were an inspiration for some of his crazy, whimsical, cartoon trees? There are reports that his Lorax tree was actually inspired by this tree we walked by in Scripps Park at La Jolla Cove. Who knew?!

 

 

Sixty Vines

Jun22

Plano, Texas

front of Sixty Vines
entry tile

I had the opportunity to dine here for a friend’s birthday brunch and we had an amazing time and a delicious meal. How had I not heard about this wonderful place? Sixty Vines is located in Plano off the tollway next to Whiskey Cake. I would describe it as a “casual American / Italian kitchen meets wine bar meets Farm-to-Market.” Now that I have you totally confused, I will try to describe it more accurately!

dining area
communal tables
side greenhouse seating
bar & kitchen area

When I first walked in, I noticed how welcoming the interior was. There are high ceilings, many windows and lots of greenery. It is very spacious, clean and modern and I would describe it as “fun, vibrant and chic”. The entire place (and menu) remind me of  the Northern California wine country and that local cuisine. The decor works perfectly with the wines and style of food they serve. The kitchen, wood-fired oven, and charcuterie bar are all open-viewing.

line drawing cat & farmer
wall of spigots

The centerpiece of Sixty Vines for me was the entire back wall. There is a huge line drawing (made with one line!) depicting the farmers, the grapes, wine making, farm animals, etc. The more you look at it, the more items you see. Underneath the drawing are 60 spigots – each labeled with the 40 wines and 20 beers they serve on tap…hence the name “Sixty Vines.” The slogan on their wine menu is “C’mon, get tappy!” 🙂

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There is quite a variety of seating options. Choose from communal tables, high tops, secluded sectionals, greenhouse, patio, bar or the charcuterie bar to dine in or out. I can imagine dining here on a date, for a business dinner, for a family meal or with a group of ladies enjoying brunch – like we did. I would like to note here, the food is a little “adventurous” and maybe not for the picky eater (leave them home this time)!

Bloody Mary
roasted cauliflower
beet salad

My group of ladies started our meal off with Mimosas and Bloody Marys – both were made with wine and tasted quite delicious and refreshing. We enjoyed the Wood Fired Cauliflower, an entire head with pesto, parmesan and a lemon dill yogurt dipping sauce…yum! We had the Roasted Beet Salad with gorgeous red, pink, and golden beets. Next up was the Butcher’s Brunch Pizza with prosciutto, provolone, mozzarella, soppresseta, and over-easy eggs (one of my favorites this day). The Egg White Frittata with goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach was also enjoyable.

egg white frittata
brunch pizza

Next came the desserts – my favorite part of the meal! The Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes were AMAZING. Words cannot describe how fluffy and delicious they were. (There is no photo because we devoured them so quickly.) The Angel Food French Toast with fresh berries and whipped cream was light and sweet. The Texas Olive Oil Citrus Cake was our birthday girl’s choice and she seemed to enjoy it.  The Sweet Board was another favorite of mine. It had sea-salt shortbread cookies, chocolate ganache, pistachio cookies, brie, walnuts, pear butter, and matcha cake. There was not one bad dish our entire meal – everything, and I do mean “everything” – was eaten in its entirety!

sweet board
angel food french toast

I felt that I would do a disservice to Sixty Vines without trying some of their wine. I had watched other patrons tasting their wine flights and enjoying their wines by the glass, so I gave in finally and ordered a “Vine Hugger” (their house brand) rose’. The glass of rose’ was served at the perfect temperature and was crisp and delicious. I plan to return soon for dinner and give some of those other wines a try. (Only 39 left to sample!)

making pasta
wine wall

From beginning to end, we had a wonderful experience at Sixty Vines. The service was very attentive. The quality of the food was perfect. The food selections were plentiful. The ambiance was most enjoyable.

Anyone up for a night out? I know just the place!

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Fun birthday brunch!!!