Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line, Spire, the Point Bonita Lighthouse, etc.

on my mondays off from work i like to roam about and find cool local things i have somehow never discovered before. this usually involves the outdoors and a camera, whether it be my dslr or just my phone. here are some recents...

Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line is found just parallel to the Lover's Lane trail in SF's presidio and Spire is found just up the road about half a mile away on the Bay Area Ridge Trail near Inspiration Point. 

Wood Line

Spire

Point Bonita Lighthouse in Sausalito, only open on saturday, sunday and monday from 12:30-3:30pm

a 6 mile hike from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach

Muir Beach

=)

State Bird Provisions

this is round 3 for me at State Bird Provisions. the first time was recapped here and the second time went undocumented. since then the restaurant has acquired a Michelin star! hooray! this time around was a little bit different in that we had a party of eight people meaning that rather than ordering from the menu a la carte or from their dimsum style of service, they gave us a pre fixe menu highlighting their best dishes. for $65 we were met with a generous sampling that covered a good amount of their currently offered menu. the dishes were brought out to be served family style in four courses. with every dish we each only got a couple of bites but with eighteen dishes to try we left with little room in our pants to breathe. seriously, the next time i anticipate eating a meal like that i'm going to lay out my pajama pants in the back seat of my car so that the moment i'm out of direct eyesight from the public i can let it all hang out and drive home in an awesome food coma already ready for bed.

please excuse the grainy photos as they were taken with my phone in a fairly dark setting. 

duck liver mousse with almond biscuits

this wasn't a part of our pre fixe but i can't go to State Bird and not order this staple from their menu. it tastes of foie gras and oh how i miss that flavor. the almond biscuits are slightly sweet and go really well with the rich unique flavor of duck liver mousse. 

raw oyster with spicy kohlrabi kraut and sesame

i don't typically like oysters but these were pretty good. i'm thinking that when dressed with other flavors to mask enhance the natural flavor and texture of oysters, i am game. 

local halibut-avocado and seaweed cracker

yummm! i don't know if they fry or bake the nori crackers but they're yummmmmy! the halibut and avocado is fresh and there is a sour note that brings it all together. 

stone-ground whole grain 'shortstack' with smoked duck, pecans

whole grain pancakes with duck and pecans can't be a bad thing. these were good but nothing to write home about.

zucchini frites 'caesar'

unfortunately this was nothing greater than a good version of the fried zucchini you might find in chain restaurants. still levels above TGIF but i wouldn't order it again for a restaurant with as much hype as it's got around it. 

smoked trout 'chip & dip'

this doesn't look very appetizing at all but it was really tasty! from the first courses, this was my favorite dish. simple but really good!

spicy steak tartare

full of lots of different flavors with some kick. this was served with a very thin cracker that i think was made from rice wrappers used in vietnamese spring rolls or something very similar to it. 

garlic bread with burrata

another staple on their menu. i LOVE this. the texture to the garlic knot is perfectly chewy and crisp and the simple creamy burrata with salt and pepper bring it home.

pork belly plum salad

aside from the duck liver mousse, this hands down my favorite dish of the night. but then again, when isn't pork belly the winner? the fatty, succulent dices of belly were fried in a light batter and matched with sweet plums, spicy jalapenos and fresh mint. this, for me, was a perfect dish. salty, sweet, spicy, fragrant, rich, bright. excellence! 

porcini & duck fried rice

there were some little bits of rice that were overly cooked and crisp, which i think was intentional and reminded me of the crispy rice at the bottom of a rice cooker or clay pot used for sizzling rice soup. mMmm!

1/2 dozen cast iron quail eggs, pea hummus, preserved lemon and mt. tam

lots of random things put together but this worked well. it was not a memorable dish but it wasn't bad.

fresh hearts of palm, avocado, necatrine salad with tahini-chili oil

the server said this salad had about 26 different items in it. hearts of palm, avocado, nectarine, tofu skin, pepitas, quinoa, various greens, etc etc. this was surprisingly my second favorite dish from the pre fixe menu. the dressing was a tad bit spicy. there was a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. i could probably eat this on a daily basis.

CA state bird with provisions

as much as i want to love the signature dish which gave name to the restaurant itself, i can't. this dish is okay for me. yes, the batter crispy and the meat tender and juicy but there is something missing from this. it's very one note and not super flavorful.

spicy kimchi yuba 'primavera' with poached egg

yuba is pretty much tofu skin. had there not been an overpowering flavor of ginger in this, i would've probably loved it. unfortunately i don't like ginger so my first bite was also my last bite. according to the koreans at the table, the kimchee flavor was on point though.

red trout, mandarin, hazelnut-garum vinaigrette

a very well cooked and tasty piece of fish brightened up by the acidity of the mandarin oranges and given texture through the crisped skin and hazelnuts. 

don watson's lamb with cumin, squid, snap peas, thai basil & dates

an interesting dish. while i've had squid and pork belly paired before, i've only ever seen lamb and squid paired together on an episode of Top Chef. twas good but not super memorable. 

lemon verbena chocolate crunch 'ice cream' sandwich, aprium and coconut

i've always enjoyed State Bird's ice cream sandwiches. the cookies are chewy and the ice cream light. we also had grilled poppy seed cake with blueberries but i didn't take a photo as it wasn't presented to look any better than a plate of cubed cheese might look. the ice cream sandwiches were far more pretty. this was a nice last sweet bite to end the meal off right. 

Restaurant 1833

if you find yourself in Monterey and are in need of a meal that isn't some form of fried seafood, Restaurant 1833 might be THE best option. from the street view it's pretty unassuming and if you weren't looking for it you would definitely miss it. while it's located right near downtown Monterey, it's not amidst the strip of restaurants and bars. it's in an almost residential area and looks like a large house enclosed by a wall of greenery. the structure itself has an interesting history as it's former existence was a doctor's office and eventually a private residence until it became Restaurant 1833. somewhere down the line the house was expanded giving way to lots of different rooms for the restaurant, each with it's own character (my favorite being the sitting room that looks like it used to the library). the seats around the tables are large and comfortable much like cigar chairs, inviting you to stay as long as you wish. we took that unsaid offer up ordering far too much food for two people and spent a couple of hours there (you'll notice the photos become darker as the meal progresses). increasingly becoming uncomfortably full from all of the gastropub-esque food and delicious cocktails, we were happy to sit back after each dish and lounge around as if we were being served in our own home. they've got an area outside with fire pits and seating, perfect for warm nights too! this is an awesome place for a date night or even a great place to bring a bunch of friends.

carrot soup amuse bouche

nothing special about the shooter but it's always a nice touch when you are offered an amuse. the cocktail (i can't remember exactly what was in it) was light, refreshing and tasty. 

bacon cheddar biscuits with maple chili butter

these biscuits were enormous for being placed in the "small bites" section of the menu and i say that with no complaints. it was super cheesy and bacony without being too salty. moist, fluffy and luscious, which is every quality a good biscuit should possess. 

consomme with duck liver tortellini 

the broth was light but rich in flavor. the tortellini were also very light but for me the flavor was just okay. also, i sort of expected a sort of fluffly, creamy center but instead the texture was more like a meatball. maybe i was wishfully hoping for a taste of something like foie gras as i miss the flavor after it's ban from california. 

roasted bone marrow 

exactly as you'd expect it to be...fat and rich. i like it paired with the roasted garlic, however it doesn't necessarily enhance the flavor so i prefer to eat the marrow on it's own spread atop plain bread to enjoy the natural flavor more. 

deep canoes full of pure fat and heaven.

poached hen egg on toasted truffle brioche with crisp proscuitto 

holy cow this was as decadent as they come! the bread was toasted up and nearly soaked with tons of truffle oil. the bechamel sauce was super rich and to top it off they threw on a poached egg just in case you felt like the arugula was making it too healthy. oh, and add some crispy proscuitto for some extra protein too. this dish was almost too much. i say alllllmost though. it was crazy good and had i not eaten a bunch of already rich stuff and known there was yet another dish to come, i would've gladly demolished this. still, i ate a hearty amount because it was awesome.

almost like breakfast for dinner. rich people breakfast though. 

branzino with thai coconut sauce and rice

the branzino is hiding somewhere underneath that "skin" made of a very thin layer of buttery crisped up bread. the fish was cooked perfectly, the sauce light and creamy yet packed full of all of the thai flavors you know and love (a tad bit more tart but in a good way) and the bread gave it some good texture. i lurved this. 

bourbon pudding with palmiers

smooth and creamy with a hint of bourbon. twas okay. maybe not the first thing i personally would've ordered but my date sure enjoyed it!