A Trip To San Francicso Just Isn't Complete Without Visiting Wine Country...

Our last full day in California found us in Napa Valley.  OK...I LOVE Napa for many different reasons.  But one simply cannot visit Napa without at least going to one vineyard.

When Robby and I travel, we like to check out all of the great restaurants in the area too.  This particular morning we decided to visit the Number 3 breakfast restaurant in San Francisco, Taylor Street Coffee Shop.  We, of course, had to stand in a bit of a line while waiting to be seated...there were not that many seats.  While we were standing there, we got to watch the cooks prepare the food...

And there were huge United States and World maps on the wall that people had pinned while standing in line to show where they were from...

                                     This is the restaurant!  See why there is a long line?!

With our bellies full, it was time to drive to Napa Valley for a little shopping and some wine tasting.  When we first arrived, Robby and I headed over to The Napa Valley Toy Company, where we promptly found Parker Ann some super "prizes" from California...

I HAD to get her that stuffed goat!  REALLY now, have you ever seen a stuffed goat before?!  It is SO CUTE with those little horns and chin hairs!

                        See how much she loved her "prizes"?!  (Had to throw this picture in...)

After leaving the toy store, we headed over to probably my favorite store in Napa, Yarns On First Street.  When I was in Napa before, I bought some wonderful yarn from this little shop and could have stayed in it for hours.  Of course, I wouldn't do that to Robby, but he is always such a good sport and sits at the table visiting with all the women who are in there knitting while I shop.  This time I was smart...I bought a LOT of yarn and patterns and got the owner to ship it to me so I wouldn't have to worry about carrying it on the plane.  Robby thanked her too because he knew that HE would be the one carrying it.  I can't wait for that package to arrive this week!

                                       This was taped to the check-out counter...I SO AGREE!

I was happy that I had made my purchases in Napa and now it was time to head to a couple of vineyards...

                                          The grounds at Chandon Vineyards were beautiful.

     And the wines were wonderful...We should be expecting a shipment from them very soon also!

At the next vineyard, I HAD to have Robby take my picture in front of this poster; I just LOVE that movie!

While we were doing some wine tasting there, Robby saw this cookbook and decided to buy it.  That's when they told us that his restaurant was right there in Napa!  I had forgotten that.  Robby and I watch a lot of The Food Network's competitions and we had followed Michael Chiarello to the finals of both Top Chef and The Next Iron Chef; he was one of our favorites!  Well, it was settled...we got them to make us a dinner reservation there for that evening.

Michael's restaurant, Bottega, was a wonderfully warm, cozy and rustic restaurant, with decor of brick and wood.  The atmosphere was great and the food was fantastic!

          This was just my appetizer; a mushroom risotto.  Don't you love all of the rustic plating?

We left Napa after dinner and headed back to San Francisco.  We would be leaving the next day and it seemed we had only arrived...

Napa instantly became one of my favorite areas to travel to when I visited California a couple of years ago.  I'm sure I will return soon!