That was Fun

Lots of wine and food. Perfect weather. Good times.

Frank & Dot are Octogenarians!

We took a short trip to Cambria and Paso Robles to celebrate dual birthdays with the Hunter clan. On the way, we stopped at the spectacular Post Ranch Inn for a tasty lunch with a view. We both loved the little town of Cambria. Moonstone Beach is lined with cozy hotels, and the pace is…

Burtie Num Num

Thanks to ultimate hosts Chris and Ben Burt for the lovely soirée on this gorgeous day.

Last Night

I like this shot of thedude and Kellster a lot. So I’m posting it. It’s my blog. So there.

Tudal Winery

Tudal Winery hosted an event at their winery in St. Helena yesterday. We knew the event would feature excellent wines and food, but when we learned that there was no driving involved, we jumped at the chance!

Grillin’ with the Gang

Chris and Ben prepared pork AND lamb for last weekend’s feast. I’m trying out settings on the Fuji X100s. Hope you like the “HD” aspect ratio. These were shot with the Film Simulation mode set to “Pro Negative, High Contrast”. Now, I usually (always) shoot RAW, but it turns out that there are some advantages…

Alert the Media!

The paparazzi caught this glimpse of Kellster sporting a sassy new do tonight at Dopo.

Christmas Crabs

The Hunter Clan wanted to try something new this holiday, so we decided to have a crab feast at the Franciscan. Our expectations were low due to the touristy location, but we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and outstanding service.

Crazy Beautiful Wine Country

Our dear friends Ann and Lynne provided the excuse for a trip to the Napa Valley. As it happens, the trip could not have been timed more perfectly. We arrived just in time to witness Mother Nature at her scenic best. Thanks to Lynne, we visited some of the most beautiful wineries we have ever…

Eat Real Oakland

Another of the many fabulous food events in Oakland. All images were shot with the fantastic SONY DSC-RX100, and converted from RAW with the powerful RAW Photo Processor using a Kodachrome 64 color profile for extra fun.

Best Meal in a Glass

This is what Oakland Magazine had to say about the “Baconized” Bloody Mary at Chop Bar. The corned-beef hash was pretty darn good too! Thanks to Grant and Sandy for providing the perfect excuse to over-indulge.

Happy Anniversary

We’re 2-1/2 months late, but we finally got around to celebrating our anniversary with a day trip to wine country. What a beautiful day. Happy Anniversary, Kellster!

Point Arena, 2011

Thanks Tom and Julie, for including us in your trip fabulous food-filled trip up nort’. The whole weekend was fabulous. Steaks on the grill, shopping in Mendo… But that meal at Cafe Beaujolais was one of the most memorable ever. Awesome.

Our White Christmas

I was not looking forward to driving 5 hours to Shaver Lake to be held prisoner in a cabin in the snow, but that’s not how it turned out at all. The holiday I dread the most turned out to be more than tolerable this year. At times, it was actually fun. The food and…

No Fireworks Here

According to weather expert Chris, The San Francisco Bay Area was the coldest spot in the US this Fourth of July, with the possible exception of a few locations in Alaska. Along with temperatures in the 50’s came the famous fog, which obliterated any hope of seeing any fireworks. Oh well… We did get to…

Gettin’ Better All the Time

Things just keep getting better and better in the Jack London District. It’s been a long time coming, but it seems almost every week, there’s a new and exciting business opening in the area. Last night we dined at a new restaurant two blocks away – Encuentro. The 100% vegetarian menu was 100% delicious. And…

Happy Birthday, Tom

As always, a great time. Fabulous food and friends! I managed to get only a few in-focus shots in the pitch darkness at Tom and Julie’s. 🙂

Bixby Bridge and Post Ranch Inn

On the second day of Matt & Kerry’s visit, we drove down past the scenic Bixby Bridge through Big Sur and on to our destination – lunch at the Post Ranch Inn. The overcast skies didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for this terrific lunch. I’m getting hungry thinking about that pork chop.

Congratulations, Bailey and Oscar!

Bailey and Oscar tied the knot this weekend at a lovely ceremony. Luckily, they hired a professional photographer, which left me free to concentrate on the fun and the pretty girls!

Whisky Tasting

Andrew and I tasted a dozen Whisky’s last night at a nice event sponsored by the Whisky Shop. The tasting was held at the swanky E & O Trading Company, which means that in addition to the delicious spirits, we had fabulous food as well. If you get the chance, I highly recommend you attend…

Carmel Weekend

One of the best things about the Bay Area is that you can drive two hours and see sights like these and end up in Carmel-By-The-Sea. And if you’re like us, you’ll take the wrong turn at least once and discover a cemetery bursting with colorful flowers, lush, green fields, happy cows and sea lions…

Burma Bound!

It’s official! Last night over dinner with a group of friends who have all been to Burma several times, we decided that we’re really gonna do it. We’re planning a November trip to Burma! Everyone in the group is very excited – and even a bit jealous of our budding travel plans. Their enthusiasm has…

I Will Work for Food

This photos-for-food-and-drinks deal we have with our friends at MoNO is working out very nicely for us. Yum!

MōNO Grand Opening Soiree

The Grand Opening at our favorite new restaurant appeared to be a smashing success. Lots of delicious food, wine and a few of our favorite neighbors. Thanks, Todd and Eloisa! BTW, I went “old school” when I shot these. Just to see what kind of results I could get, I mounted an older Nikkor 50…

D3 Saves the Night

I was asked at the very last moment to shoot a few pictures of the new restaurant for an upcoming issue of Bon Appétit. With the deadline literally hours away, I went downstairs to see what I could do. The funny thing is that I was apologizing for the photos all the while I was…

Brunch with the Goyas

Still loving the new camera. Any excuse to shoot with it is good enough for me, but especially when it involves good food and fine friends!

MoNo “Soft Opening”

The new restaurant opened its doors for dinner last night. The invitation-only event, held primarily for residents of the building, neighbors and close friends, was a smashing success. I can say without reservation that the food and wine at our new restaurant is excellent. It was also a blast to hang out with some of…