I think there is a connotation in ‘Living off the Land and Sea” that may suggest I am acquiring my food directly but it is this amazing place where it is not only my home; it is not only a place where I find sustenance but it is a land that nourishes my body and soul.
Northern Californians are passionate about food and wine; I am no exception. I sometimes don’t realize how amazing the food and wine is until I travel. That doesn’t mean that Northern California has a monopoly on great food and wine but there is a passion that manifests in so many ways. I find that I expect a certain level of excellence in ingredients, food execution, ambiance and service. I do take for granted and I quickly remind myself that excellence in cuisine still comes out in many of my culinary crawls that still surprise and delight me. There are so many talented chefs; known and still-to-be discovered; have set San Francisco, the Bay Area, wine countries and Northern California as bonafide food and wine destinations. I am romanced in reading restaurant menus and wine lists. I take notice where the ingredients are from and the dynamics flavors that will make any skeptic take notice on the importance of fresh and seasonal ingredients. I am amazed by the ingredients because some of what I find eating out are not available to me; and that is simply because, for example, a mushroom hunter may have only a very small supply that is not viable to sell in a grocery store but is much more likely to be utilized in a restaurant. Knowing that some ingredients are difficult to find and seeing them on the menu is a thrill for me. It is a stunning moment when a rare gift of the earth, from the land that I call my home, is available for me to enjoy. I am not only delighted to see things like sea urchin or Abalone (which is extremely rare to find on any menu but does happen on occasion) but simple things like Beauregard sweet potatoes, Gravenstein apple juice, sweet limes, Heirloom tomatoes, Meyer lemons, California olive oil, and there is nothing like finding a white Rhone-varietal like a Roussanne from California’s Central Coast I enjoy equally.
I am often asked to describe a restaurant’s cuisine (those that have no specific and obvious ethnic identification) and those that in my opinion have a cuisine that is familiar and yet unique in presentation and the fusing of cultural and ethnic experience, freshness, innovation and newness together—without hesitation I say “California cuisine.”
One of my most celebrated moments in my life here is a simple Saturday dinner where I have collected some of the finest ingredients at farmers market; phenomenal wine, great music, surrounded by friends, fresh cut flowers, candle flicker and the back stage is an un-paralleled view of San Francisco—I know I am home and everything feels so right.