Hampton Inn, Hilton Head

We stayed at the Hampton Inn on Hilton Head. It was a nice enough hotel but it was still undergoing clean-up after Hurricane Matthew 1 month ago. There was free wi-fi and breakfast was included.

There was an outdoor pool but it was too cold to use it in November.

2016 11 12

Gwen & Franny's Fried Chicken

We were headed to Hilton Head for our first night and I searched on Yelp for a place to eat along the way.

I found Gwen & Franny's Fried Chicken in Hardeeville, just 17 miles and 18 minutes from the Savannah Airport.

Gwen & Franny's is located on Hwy 17, just a few minutes from I-95N. Driving north on Hwy 17, Gwen & Franny's is located on the left after State Bank. Google Maps leads you to the wrong location.

Fried Chicken Plate--$7.75. Two pieces of dark meat (leg & thigh) with 2 sides. I chose collard greens and red rice. The chicken was crispy and very juicy. It was delicious but not so fantastic I would go out of my way to try it. The collard greens were good with a slight hint of sweetness. The red rice was not as good--a little too sweet for my taste. The plate also came with either cornbread or a roll. I chose the cornbread and it was light and delicious.

My husband ordered the Fried Fish (whiting fish) Plate--$8.25. Two pieces of absolutely delicious fish. So light and delicious. He had the mac n cheese and coleslaw sides. They were both delicious.

Pint of Fried Liver & Gizzard--$3.95. These were bland. They were lightly fried and not greasy but it just needed a sauce of some kind.

Bread Pudding--$2.50. My husband is a bread pudding fan. It was moist but he thought it needed a sauce.

Jumbo Sweet Tea--$2.50. We shared it. At first, I thought it would be too much but it was just the right amount for the 2 of us.

2016 11 12

CLT & SAV

I can't remember if I've ever been to the Charlotte airport. If I did, it was a long time ago because the airport is so modern and beautiful. The airport was huge and much busier than I expected. There was free wi-fi.

Charlotte had rocking chairs and real trees in the terminal.

Savannah had a little village in the main terminal. There were benches and storefronts.

There were also ads for guns--we're not in California anymore.

2016 11 12

Savannah & Charleston and My Lucky Day

I had a week off in November and had to find a vacation to fit in that week. I decided to visit Savannah & Charleston. I had never been and it seemed like a good time to go. It's considered off-season but the weather was still decent.

I usually have terrible luck with flights but the stars all aligned on this trip. My flight from SFO to Charlotte, NC departed on time and arrived on time. We only had a little over an hour layover and it was just the right amount of time to get from one terminal to another for our puddle jumper to Savannah.

It must have been my lucky day because in addition to the flights arriving on time, other things went my way:

• There were signs all over 101 that Van Ness had major construction. Since my husband usually takes 19th Avenue through San Francisco, I thought we would miss the mess. As we got off the Golden Gate Bridge, my husband bypassed the 19th Avenue turnoff. I asked what he was doing and he said he wanted to try something different. He had missed the 3-4 warning signs on Hwy 101. Fortunately, there wasn't much construction at 5 am so we breezed through the city. Lucky #1.
• We parked at the Hilton and on the shuttle back to the airport, we passed the turnoff we had just taken and noticed the street shut down by 5-6 police cars. We were fortunate to have missed all that. Lucky #2.
• Our flight from SFO to CLT was pretty full but there were 2 empty seats in front of our row. The passenger in our row moved to that row and gave us an empty middle seat. Lucky #3.
• My husband found a nickel at the Charlotte airport. Lucky #4.
• Our connecting flight to Savannah was empty and we moved to the exit row. Lucky #5.
• I found a dime on the plane. Lucky #6.
• At the hotel that night, Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" featured Charleston. What timing! Lucky #7.

2016 11 12

Winter Wineland, Part 2

On Sunday, we woke up to a chilly foggy morning.

Our first stop was Armida. They were voted #1 Zin producer in 2016. 

I loved their Poizin bottle but unfortunately not the zin inside the bottle.

Our next stop was thumbprint cellars in downtown Healdsburg. They had their 6th annual "Mac Off." JK's Catering offered a truffle mac and cheese that had peas and vegetables in it. It had a nice truffle flavor and in our group, it came in 2nd.

Kinsmoke had the creamiest mac and cheese but the Velveeta was too prominent. This came in 3rd.

First place went to Persimmon on the Square. This was a very unique green curry mac and cheese. It was my favorite.

We walked down the street to La Crema. They served a Duck Cassoulet that was delicious. It was paired with 2013 Fog Veil Pinot Noir.

Next up was SIMI Winery. They had a muffuleta that was better than Central Grocery in New Orleans. I loved their homemade olive tapenade. It paired so nicely with their Zin.

At Soda Rock Winery, there was a large metal boar that was displayed at Burning Man 2016. 

Coq Au Vin was the offering at Soda Rock. I really liked their 2014 White Entourage and at $144 per case, it was a great deal.

Our next stop was Lancaster Estate. This was the first time in a decade they had participated in Winter Wineland. They poured a Sauvignon Blanc when you arrived.

In their cave, they served an amazing chili--I think it had chipotle in it. It paired well with their Sophia's Hillside Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon. If you wanted to try other wines, it was an additional $10.

One of their sister wineries was Chalk Hill Estate. They served a corn and clam chowder paired with their 2014 Estate Chardonnay. Chalk Hill also charged $10 for additional tastings.

Right across the street was Roth Estate. They had a broccoli cheese chowder.

2017 01 15

Winter Wineland

This past weekend was Winter Wineland on the Wine Road. It was a beautiful, sunny weekend although it was chilly.

Purchase a 2-day pass for $52.38 (or a 1-day pass good only on Sunday) and choose your starting winery. Pick up your wristband and a wine glass. We chose J Rickards to start and our wine glass was decorated with J Rickards' signature mustache. 

Some wineries serve food with their wine tastings. At J Rickards, there was Pasta e Fagioli, perfect for a cold winter morning. It was paired with their 2015 Carignane.

Our next stop was Silver Oak, just up the road from J Rickards.

They served Beef Stew with Farro and Lacinto Kale, paired with 2012 Alexander Valley Cabernet.

After Silver Oaks, we stopped at Coppola. Their event was in the West Tower, just beyond the pools. In the summertime, you can rent a Cabine and hang out at the pool. For Winter Wineland, they had no food. They poured a sauvignon blanc, 2 Cabernets and their 2013 Director's Cut Cinema for tasting.

Inside the winery, there are movie memorabilia, including the Tucker sedan.

Francis Ford Coppola has all 5 of his Academy Awards on display.

Our next stop was Mazzocco. There were 14 wines to taste and if you were a member, an additional 2 special selection reserve wines. I really liked one of their cabernet blends--the 2010 Inheritance. It was a great deal at $216 for a case, if you were a wine member. They served no food but you could bring your own picnic. There were plenty of tables and chairs outside to enjoy the sunshine and all the wines.

After Mazzocco, we stopped at Truett Hurst. Last year, they had great case sales but the sales were not as great this year. They did serve a delicious steak. 

After Truett Hurst, our last stop of the day was the Dry Creek Cooperative, which included several smaller wineries. They had a delicious seafood cioppino.

Kokomo was in the same area and served potato leek soup with caramelized onions.

The event started at 11 am and ended at 4 pm. It was plenty of time. We went home and took a nap from all the wine.

2017 01 14

Best of Burma 2

When we got back to Santa Rosa, we needed a place to eat. We tried to go to Sol in San Rafael but the line was huge.

There wasn't much open on 12/26 but we did find Best of Burma 2, located at 528 7th Street. I normally don't eat Asian in Santa Rosa because it's so disappointing but I had high hopes because Best of Burma has a sister restaurant in San Mateo.

Tea Leaf Salad--$12. Romaine lettuce, fried yellow beans, fried garlic, sesame seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, fresh tomatoes, jalapeños and died shrimp. It was tossed table side. This didn't have the flavor I've had at other Burmese restaurants.

Nan Gyi Thoke--$11. Burmese rice noodles with a mild chicken coconut curry sauce, egg, split yellow pea, fried wonton chips and fried onion. This was also disappointing. There wasn't much flavor. 

Burmese Garlic Eggplant--$11. Wok tossed eggplant in garlic infused oil with jalapeños and topped with green onion. This was the highlight of the meal. The eggplant was well prepared and this dish had some good flavor.

Biryani Rice--$3. This was also very good and had nice cardamon flavor but it was such a small portion.

2016 12 26