fav eats for napa and sonoma

So after visiting all the wineries in last week's post, you're definitely going to need a spot or two to fill up on wine country's other not-to-be-missed attraction: the cuisine.

Now there are countless upon countless AMAZING options when it comes to dining in Napa or Sonoma, but these are just a few of my favorites.


Sonoma Valley:

• El Dorado Kitchen
• Located in downtown Sonoma, this hip and contemporary restaurant boasts a menu packed to the brim with so many tantalizing choices you'll wish you came with enough people to order it all.  Whether you're dining inside or out, the service is perfection.  An excellent choice for a romantic evening for two or a bubbly party for 10 (ask for the long table in the middle).  

• the girl & the fig
• Whether you're going for brunch or dinner, their melt-in-your-mouth quiche is always a good idea.  If you're not feeling eggs, their steak tartare, fresh radish salad, and flounder (yes! flounder!) are to-die-for.  Right across from the El Dorado on Sonoma's main downtown square - a fabulous choice for dinner, brunch or lunch!  Reservations recommended.

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• Estate
• A sister restaurant to the girl & the fig with a bit more Italian flair.  While it's a good walk from Sonoma's main downtown plaza, it's well worth it.

• Barndiva 
• Located right off the main square in downtown Healdsburg, this serious diva of a restaurant whips up extraordinary dishes like no other.  If you only have one night in Healdsburg, start it off here with freshly-made cocktails (they'll make anything you want with fresh off the vine ingredients right before your eyes) and appetizers before trekking over to the DCK (see next) for the main attraction.

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• Dry Creek Kitchen
• Unreal.  Amazing service.  Spectacular food.  Incredible wine list.  What more do you want?

pork belly

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Napa Valley:

• Rutherford Grill
• Stefan's personal favorite in all of wine country (and perhaps in all of California...).   A perfect lunch stop mid-wine-tasting.  Stefan swears by their ribs, but their rib-eye, prime rib french dip, sashimi tuna salad, and dip & chips are pretty awesome as well.   If you're game for more wine, swing by Beaulieu next door and pick up a bottle to bring with you - they don't charge corkage from their next-door neighbor who makes some pretty delicious wines that pair perfectly with Rutherford's red meat.

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• Mustard's Grill
• My first Napa Valley culinary love - this classic American-style eatery is where locals dine on their nights off.  As their sign says, everything is seriously delicious.  The perfect spot to fill up on tender rabbit nachos, Mongolian pork chops, or grilled quail with hot chili dip before heading out to the Silverado Trail's finest.

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• Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen
• As a sister restaurant to Mustard's (only located in downtown St. Helena), this place does not disappoint.  The charming little house in which you'll dine is romantic yet approachable, cozy yet sophisticated, elegant yet casual.  

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• ad hoc
• Located in downtown Yountville, this popular Thomas Keller spot is always popping with patrons.  If you're not game to wait, sneak next door to addendum for their famous buttermilk fried chicken to go.

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• Zuzu
• Downtown Napa's most fun establishment, this tapas and paella hot spot rocks amazing food and even more amazing staff.  Sit at their bar and pick the bartender's brain on the best beers and wine in the region and you may very well end up sampling the house's finest on them.

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Happy eating!

xoxo
KK

thrifty thursday: stamping

I know it's been awhile but Thrifty Thursdays are back! 

And since I've been bombarding you with wedding details and pictures and stories galore (and I'm not done yet), I figured I'd make this Thursday's an only quasi-wedding-themed one.

 

After yesterday's post on how to "print" paper bag programs on the cheap using a stamp, I wanted to spark your interest in how to use stamps in other ways to trim cost.

 

 

The two stamps we ordered to do our brown paper bags

coming in at $80 and $20 respectively

The KATHERINE & STEFAN banner matched

Paper Source's original graphic to perfection

 

Because I'm all about having things tie together, our wedding thank-you notes had to work with our overall vibe.  We decided on Paper Source kraft paper 4x6ish note cards with a KATHERINE & STEFAN banner (just like the one on our wedding weekend schedule in the invitation suite) printed on the top.  We had Paper Source print them for $2.50ish a pop.

 

When writing my parents' thank-you, however, just one note card would not do.  Rather than just write on plain jane 8.5x11 paper, I STAMPED an 8.5x11 kraft paper card stock sheet that I got for pennies at Paper Source.

Can you tell which banner was printed versus stamped?

It worked so well that I regretted having ordered the printed note cards in the first place - why hadn't we just stamped them all for a fraction of the cost? 

And then it got me thinking about all the other ways you could use stamps to not only save your pennies, but produce an awesome, fun and unique look. 

Hand-write your return address label and have it turned into a stamp

so you never have to pen it again

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Stamp yourself an endless supply of rocking and original business cards

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Totally personalize cocktail napkins for any occasion

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Stamp long skinny envelopes for an alternative way

to serve up silverware

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Stamp some boxes to add spice to your favors

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Or make plain old cups your own by adding a signature stamp

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The possibilities are endless!  There are tons of stamp-making spots nationwide, but I can tell you City Stamp n Sign does awesome work in record time.

 

xoxo

KK

brown paper program bags

So as already mentioned, by far my most favorite part of the wedding planning process was the creation of the ceremony.  After writing it from scratch, infusing it with as much KK-and-Stefan tid-bits as we could manage, we felt we needed a ceremony program equally as us.

 

During my hot-and-heavy inspiration gathering period, I stumbled across the following idea:

 

  

brown paper bag ceremony programs!

read more here

 

Not only did they fit perfectly with our kraft paper, approachable, rustic, not-too-many-frills theme, they were multi-purpose (we could fill them up with all sorts of goodies), inexpensive and - best of all - loads of fun.

 

Only problem was that printing on a brown paper bag poses quite a problem.

You can't run them through a printer. (Trust me, I tried.)

Kinkos/Copy Max/You-Name-It won't do it for you.  (Again, pleaded my heart out.)

And minimum order for an online brown paper bag print job is 100,000 bags.

 

So what to do (if you're not a professional silk-screener like the maker of the bags shown above)?

 

Enter: City Stamp n Sign.

For around $80 (for their largest, largest size), they will custom-make a stamp designed exactly to your specifications.  Instead of printing on the bags, we would STAMP on them.  Even more perfect.

(Except for my fabulous maid-of-honor and sister Gretchen who had to actually do the stamping.  Thanks Gretters!)

 

Inside our stamped brown paper bags, we included:

• Dried lavender for tossing
• Traditional Swiss wedding candies (an absolute MUST at any Swiss nuptials)
• A three-fold with:
• a welcome & thank-you from us,
• song lyrics for our two all-guest sing-alongs,
• a listing of our fabulous family and wedding party, and
• a little story on the history behind the lemonade stand
• A notecard + pen (Katherine & Stefan trademarked, of course, thanks to my fabulous mom who designed and ordered them in record time)
• We asked guests to pen us some marriage words of wisdom that were collected during the ceremony for a special box ceremony where everyone helped us prepare a box to break open when we begin to doubt this decision of ours.
• Inside the box we included the words of wisdom from all our guests, little tid-bits to help us remember good days together (our wedding invitation, our favorite Swiss chocolates, a newspaper from the hotel we stayed at the night we got engaged, among others), and an excellent bottle of wine to be enjoyed when needed.

 

 

While the stamping, folding, stuffing, assembling and clipping took my mom, sister, and I an entire night, I like to think it was worth it.

Check in tomorrow for some other ideas on how to be thrifty using custom-made stamps.

xoxo
KK

 

to rsvp

After deciding on Kunde, we knew we wanted to build a wedding that highlighted and complemented the site's beauty and character. We wanted an approachable, rustic, not-too-many-frills type of affair that represented as much about the two of us as we could possibly squeeze in.

When we stumbled upon the plain yet playful brown-and-white kraft paper invites from Paper Source, we knew they were The One.

 

 

 

We decided to do a version of their invite (with our own version of the text), but with one side in German and one side in English. Because such a feat had never been done (nor could they double-print on their precious cardstock), we had them print two and mount them together - making the invite extra-thick and special.  

 

 

 

 

With so many out-of-towners, we decided to also do a little schedule of the weekend and all its happenings.

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of the invitation suite, however, was the RSVP.

We included boxes for guests to mark off which events they'd attend (drinks, wedding, brunch) because if you know me, you know how much I love checking off boxes.

We allowed guests to specify what they'd like for dinner by circling their icon of choice (cow, fish, vegetable).

AND we asked for a song request!

 

some fun responses that made us smile

While you may not be planning a wedding anytime soon, you likely will be attending one sometime down the road.

 

So some words of advice on wedding invitation/RSVP etiquette from my recent days as a bride:

 

1. RSVP!!!!

You would not believe the number of people we had to go chasing down to find out if they were really attending or not.  You may think that mentioning that you're excited for the big day over coffee counts as a formal response, but it really does not.  Even if you're the bride or groom's very best friend, do the right thing and send in your response.  It's already stamped for you!  And if you really can't get yourself to a mailbox, just shoot the bride or groom an email ASAP to let them know your plans.

 

2. RSVP early!!!!

My mom and I were always so excited to check the mailbox each day and so appreciated all those who let us know early.  It's amazing the amount of decisions that depend on one's guest count and the earlier the bride and groom know, the better.  I guarantee your prompt response will be very much appreciated.

 

3. RSVP with love

I was so impressed by so many of the adorable cards we got sent as RSVPs in return - little notes, little pictures, even some done up in red and white stripes!  It takes you just a minute or two to jot down something extra to add spice to your response, but it will bring the soon-to-be newlyweds much, much joy.

 

xoxo

KK

morning-of mystery

So after hearing about all the fun us girls had the morning-of, I'm sure you're dying to know what the boys were up to. 

 

My fabulous father - being the surprise lover that he is - decided to craft a mystery activity for Stefan and the rest of the male crew (grandfathers, groomsmen, father of the groom).  A few weeks before the big day, he sent the following email invite:

 

Dear Esteemed Wedding Participants,

 

The countdown has begun for the magnificent wedding that will occur in Sonoma on Sunday afternoon August 5^th!
 

Stefan has provided me with the honor and privilege of hosting one final all-male bonding event prior to the celebration that afternoon of my becoming his father in law.  We do not have fancy invitations, but we hope that the event will make up for this shortcoming.

 

Thus, you are invited to attend Stefan’s send-off celebration.  He loves his “pilot/co-pilot” analogy so our focus will be to prepare him for the fabulous future flight for the rest of his life with his co-pilot, KK.

 

Dress:  Clothes that you can get muddy; jeans, sneakers or non-dress shoes; only cameras that can be attached to your body.

 

Important Other Information:  Bring a positive attitude like the one Stefan is known for!!!

 

Please RSVP to me directly at the above email and include any additional questions.

 

 

Let the games begin!!!

 

I was DYING to know what was on the agenda, but both my parents - even my Mom who can't keep a secret for her life - kept their lips sealed shut.  Stefan and his dad and all his groomsmen spent the next few weeks nervously debating about what could be in store for them come wedding morn.

 

Around 11am August 5th - whilst all us girls were beautifying and brunching - I got the following text from Stefan:

 

Hoooooly $#!&!

 

And then this picture of him:

 

 

 

They were taking old-school biplanes to do aerobatics, tricks and turns galore.

My dad with his dad gearing up to ride together

Since the planes weren't enclosed,

each of them needed to wear parachutes

in case they were to accidentally fall out mid-flight. 

 

Not only that - they'd be flying the planes directly over Kunde, where us girls were having our brunch.

 

At around noon, we got the call to head outside and look up at the sky.  Sure enough, two planes came soaring overhead looping in circles and swaying back and forth.

We tried our best to shout to them, but I'm not sure they heard us.

 

After that, I'm sure a wedding seemed like no big deal.

 

xoxo

KK

favs for napa & sonoma

Over the past two weeks, I've gotten six (!!) separate inquiries from friends and family for my Napa / Sonoma recommendations.  It seems as though everyone is planning a fall trip to sample the region's sweet nectar, and boy oh boy, are they in for a treat because fall harvest is absolutely magical in either valley.  

Now I always LOVE giving advice on the best things to do in places near and dear to my heart (wine country is chief among them), but after spending an hour each responding to just two of these inquiries, I figured there was a better way to document my suggestions.  And so here I am today bringing you my favs from these two fabulous regions.  

We'll start with the real reason most of you are (or will be) visiting: the wine.

Sonoma Valley

• Kunde
• Full disclosure: I'm extremely biased on this one as it was the locale of our nuptials, but I must say we choose the spot for good reason: spectacular views, rich history, family owners, expansive property, yummy but affordable wine, friendly staff, the list goes on and on.
• If you do make a visit, it's definitely worth the extra time and dollars to do their Mountain Top Tasting, where they take you up to the tippy-top of their property to do a sampling of their wines overlooking the entire Sonoma Valley with a glimpse of Pablo Bay.  Make a reservation ahead of time as they fill up quick.  
• More details on why we ended up getting married at this rocking spot here.

 

admiring the views back in February
for more about this trip here

• BR Cohn  
• A lovely little spot not too far away from Kunde with really delicious wine and a spectacular vintage car collection.  A perfect spot to hit up with a picnic lunch (think: baguette, cheese, prosciutto, peaches) as they have an inviting outdoor patio where you can munch and sip.  Simply order some vino inside at their tasting bar and bring it outside to enjoy with your snacks.  Don't forget to save room to sample their delicious olive oils and vinegars.

 

• Ram's Gate
• While I've never actually been to this special spot, it is TOP of my list.  As the first winery en route from San Francisco to Sonoma, you can't miss it.  The wines are supposed to be unreal.  The views are supposedly spectacular.  The architecture - genius.  What more do you want?  Reservations highly recommended.

• Scribe
• This secluded spot has a chilled, laid-back vibe like no other.  Reservations needed as they only allow a very small number of guests on their gorgeous property.  We fell in love with it from the get-go and would have tied the knot here if they allowed more than 60 guests for a party.  (Again, all about focusing on the chill, no frills, laid back approach to winemaking.) Their wines are quite pricey but limited and delicious. 

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Napa Valley

• Domaine Carneros
• This French-style chateau is known for their fabulous sparkling wines (as it's the sister vineyard to Tattinger and my personal fav sparking in California) but they make very good reds as well.  They also make a delicious, interesting and very rare white Pinot Noir, which they call their Pinot Clair.  Not always available, but if it, definitely worth a taste!
• The property and chateau are gorgeous.  They have an amazing outdoor terrace that is heavenly on a sunny day.  
• If you're interested in more history and learning on wine making, their "Art of Sparkling Wine" tour is one of the best.  It's lengthy but chocked full of great info about how to make good sparkling and fabulous sips of their bubbly!

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• Robert Sinskey  
• Really good wines, but the best thing about this place is that they do their tastings with a food pairing.  It's just tiny little bites (a few rosemary almonds or a Gruyere croquette or a few bites of a savory blue cheese) but each bite is matched perfectly with one of their wines.  They explain to you exactly how the two pair and in which order you should sample.  Very fun.

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• Pine Ridge 
• Really, really great reds.  Their tasting room is simple and modest.  While their wines are on the more expensive side, they're often trying to finish selling one year's vintage so you can get quite a steal if you play it right.  

 

• Del Dotto  
• If you're looking for a more wild experience, do a barrel tasting tour at Del Dotto.  While I've only been to their Napa location,  their St. Helena spot is supposedly fabulous as well.  
• Their barrel tasting tour starts off with an hour of touring around their unreal caves and tasting straight out of the barrel as much as you possibly can, then moves into a smaller tasting room for more wine paired with delicious savory meats and cheeses before finishing off with luscious chocolate truffles and a tasting of their port.  
• They're quite well known for their reds, but they've never knocked our socks off, especially given the high price tag.  Go for the experience, not necessarily the wine.

 

you'll be tasting by candlelight

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• Rubicon
• Delicious wines, amazing property, but if you make the trip, go for their Janus Wine and Food Pairing lunch.  While pricey, you'll leave full of delicious wine + food in addition to buckets of knowledge about the winery's history and how to pair to perfection.

after a guided tour of the property (with wine in hand of course),

you'll enjoy lunch with wine pairings in one of their private cellars

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• Round Pond  
• Amazing wines and amazing olive oils - if you can make a visit during their olive oil press, definitely worth a trip.

their estate isn't so shabby either

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• Opus One 
• This one's only worth it if you're a SERIOUS wine drinker as the wines are to-die-for but super, super expensive.  I have never been but Stefan has and he raves that the wine is unreal - just be ready to pay ridiculous amounts for it.

You can also never go wrong with the classic names you all know:
Robert Mondavi (do their reserve tasting to beat the crowds and sample delicious wines),
Beringer (they often have live music on weekends),
Stag's Leap (pricey but good - for my take, read here),
Gloria Ferria (tour bus central but their patio is perfection if you can snab a spot), and
Chandon (classic bubbly with beautiful grounds - don't miss their sparkling red pinot - amazingly good).

And if you're looking to get a bit further afield, try driving up to the Dry Creek / Russian River Valley region.  For a recount of our trip up there this spring (and where you should and shouldn't spend your time), read here. 

Stop back next week for my favs for eating in wine country.  Almost as good as the wine.

 

xoxo

KK

when life gives you lemons

One of my favorite memories growing up was our annual family trip to Kennebunkport, Maine to visit my fabulous grandparents: Nana & Pops.  

their little antique shop

next door to their Maine cottage

One trip, we arrived and were told they had a little something waiting for us in the basement.  Delighted, the three of us followed them through the dark door into their musty cellar.  The gift’s beautiful fresh yellow coat of paint practically glowed in the dark: an old-fashioned, wooden, hand-painted lemonade stand!  We squealed at the sight of it.  Within minutes, we had it up and out in front of the house (prime location for lemonade selling – minutes away from the center of town) ready to open shop for customers.

 

The lemonade stand ended up being the most fun activity of the entire trip (and every trip after that for that matter).  Each morning, Sam, Gretch, and I would dress up in our cute little outfits, prep our goods for the day, and get to work selling our “freshly squeezed” lemonade, “home-baked” chocolate cookies, and our adorable smiles. 

 

Nanny and Poppy monitored our work offering a kind bit of advice here and there, but they mostly let us run the show.  Pops has this incredible way of never needing to be at the center of it, but always being a part of it – listening, observing, absorbing, and then – all of the sudden – adding some incredibly witty or wise tid-bit. 

 

 

 

It’s something I’ve always been so in awe of – especially since I’m one of those need-to-be-the-center-of-everything type of people.  I’ve always so loved and appreciated how Pops is always fine not being the center, but is such a rock in all of our lives – being there for all of us with a smile and joke (and boy are his jokes good, let me know tell YOU) right when we need him.

Anyway, back to the lemonade stand and how it changed my life.  I’d always been a curious (and motivated, I like to think) kid, but the lemonade stand and what it created for us kids really sparked my love of business and creation – running a business, brainstorming ideas to optimize that business, managing that business, and - of course - collecting profits from that business.  And we raked in 1000s upon 1000s of dollars.  No joke.  Unlike most kids who spent their summers lounging by the pool or playing tennis or goofing off with their friends, Sam, Gretch and I literally ran our own business – thanks to Nana and Pops’ incredibly insightful gift.  

 

For our wedding, we wanted to honor all the lessons, memories and laughs shared during this cherished childhood pastime by having my little cousins "sell" lemonade to our guests pre-ceremony.

 

So for our Fourth of July celebration, Stefan and I (well, mainly Stefan) went about building a replica of the original lemonade stand that has since been put to rest. 

 

a nice little trip to the home depot

 

On a trip up to visit Nana and Pops in Maine earlier this year, my parents even tracked down the original sign which we worked into our construction.  We had a romantic evening of sawing, sanding, and drilling in our oh-so-lovely garage.

 

And I have to say, I think it turned out pretty well.

 

 

If I could get away with selling lemonade at age 26, I’d totally do it, but somehow I don’t think people will be quite as inclined to buy from me as they were when I was 8.  But who knows.

 

xoxo

KK

PS. We're still waiting on pictures from our fabulous photographer, so I don't have any of the kids behind the lemonade stand in action, so if you happened to snap some, please send them my way!