>> scenes from san francisco

The General Store in The Sunset: me likes.

Mollusk Surf Shop rules.

Post-run grilled cheese at Outerlands and a quick pop into the Heath Ceramics factory in Sausalito.

>> just married!

Last weekend two of Matt and my besties tied the knot on the North Shore of Massachusetts overlooking the ocean on a perfect August day. Everything about it was breathtaking. We just ordered them a case of Just Married from the newly re-vamped Swanson Vineyards website to be delivered when they return from their honeymoon (Don't worry, I am pretty confident Griff and Ashley aren't reading this as they are in a remote area of Northern India). Congrats A+G!

French Antique Demijohns, etc.

I was reading the September issue of Domino, which I rarely read anymore because—frankly—I feel like I have to pop a Dramamine in order to get from cover to cover. Anyway, I thought this month was a superb issue. My favorite part was the feature on the two creative forces (Johnson Hartig + Cindy Greene) behind the fashion label Libertine. Specifically what I loved was a little sidebar called Libertine Rules To Live By. The first of the 15 rules is: Invest in one good antique to anchor a room. Profound, isn't it? Haha. I had been on the hunt for a French antique demijohn (bulbous, long-neck bottles that can hold three to 10 gallons of liquid, sometimes called carboys) ever since I saw them at Swanson Vineyard's tasting salon in Napa. It would be a great anchor to a modern table or kitchen or just on the floor. The problem with the above pictured demijohn I spotted from Alhambra Antiques is—I'm looking for one with a label, not sure why, just want one. A few of the other Libertine maxim's I like are:

Always have an extra case of champagne on hand.

Forget about purebred dogs; adopt a mutt.

Buy your favorite books in hardback—that's one thing you'll never grow tired of.

Monogram as much as you can! It shows you care.

Bouchon

Somehow while in Napa Matt and I got a table at Thomas Keller's Bouchon (of The French Laundry and Per Se fame) with no reservation at 7:45pm on a Friday. With that kind of unlikely luck we thought maybe we should buy some Lotto tickets. Bouchon opened about ten years ago and is the most authentic French bistro fare I think I've eaten in this country. We had a croque madame, mussels frites, and profiteroles and a delicious Cliff Lede Cabernet. Renowned designer Adam D. Tihany, who also designed Per Se and has collaborated in the past with Christofle on an unbelievable tabletop line, mastered the French bistro design with a stunning zinc bar, a vibrant mosaic floor, burgundy velvet banquettes, antique light fixtures and a hand-painted mural by French artist Paulin Paris. I also managed to snag a matchbook for my collection. (top photo courtesy of Dr. Tuke)

more Swanson Vineyards

Not to be redundant, but I couldn't resist, the Swanson Salon was amazing. The antiques were incredible, as you can see in the above shot of the wine bottle, the walnut tasting table was sprinkled with pieces of blue agate, and the bursting coral fauxed walls just made you feel energized. The decor reaffirmed to me that bright colors can be really elegant. I've been to a few vineyards but I have no recollection of what they look like. The Swanson salon on the other hand made a huge impression on me and I won't likely forget about what it looked like.

Swanson Vineyards

Off to Napa tomorrow morning for a wedding. During our downtime I hope to stop by Swanson Vineyards just north of Napa in Rutherford, CA. Not only do I love their wines, especially "Alexis", but their vineyard has been featured by Elle Decor (above is a shot of their tasting salon), and everything they make has a whimsical design and creative aesthetic. I'm also a fan of their wild caviar which you can get right here for $80 (2 ounces).