Bowling with Balboa

Alvin Garcia, manager at Balboa Mill Valley, tells us about PlumpJack's latest venture into the world of amateur bowling...

When I was hired at PlumpJack back in October, I was told of our annual bowling tournament at Presidio Bowl in San Francisco. Being a bowler since I was young, I was really excited about the tournament.

The importance of the bowling title is high in the PlumpJack world and The Carneros Inn always wins, but I'm questioning the validity of these "wins"... There are claims of steroid use among their bowlers... ineligible bowlers--one might have been as young as twelve with a fake mustache... and ringers that don’t even work there!

This year is going to be different. Our entire staff is excited about the tournament and we want to do nothing but win. That’s where all of our competitiveness comes out. Over the last few weeks there have been claims of scores of 297, uncles on the PBA, cousins that own bowling alleys in St Louis, and an average of just under 200 (that was me but I swear it’s true, ummm… like 10 years ago).

The other day Adam Ross, the Vice President of Restaurant Operations, suggested we take our employees out to bowl and “audition” for the team. So there we were. At the bowling alley. All bowling together to prove our greatness... And then the unthinkable began: “These lanes are oiled weird” “ I think the wood is warped” “ My elbow has been bothering me all day” “ I think this ball is too light, yeah that must be the reason!” I won’t use any specific names of people making excuses (Tim and Moses who both serve at Balboa) but all of us seemed a little rusty.

So what does a good manager do? Well he posts an employment ad at the bowling alley stating: “Balboa Cafe Mill Valley needs three temporary employees to help with restaurant operations for a period of two days. Must have a bowling average above 220!!"

Watch out Carneros Inn, we’re coming for you.

Tune in later to find out how the tournament turns out...and pop on into Balboa Mill Valley to meet the team (and give them some much needed pointers!)

It's MAGIC...

Vegas Baby, Vegas. PlumpJackSport Buyer Sara Dedeo talks fashion.

Ahh so let’s talk Vegas. Not the “Elvis loving, casino & clubbing Vegas” we all know and love but the “Fashionable Vegas” only some of us know!

We just returned from MAGIC/Project & Pool where we buyers gathered to purchase summer and early Fall Fashion deliveries. Not only did we get a glimpse into the future of fashion (and judging from the attendees it’s safe to say ANYTHING goes) but we also got to pick up on our fair share of new items for both our PlumpJackSport locations. We saw buyers and retailers wearing boyfriend jeans, skinny jeans, ripped jeans and high waist jeans, tall boots and short boots, along with flats and some seriously high heels. Now the key is to find your style, work it to fit your body type and simply stick with it.

That being said about the attendees let’s talk about what your “fashion future” realistically looks like!

• Adorable easy knits for casual weekends.
  
• Tunics (which is just another way to say “a dress for the daring or a top for the more conservative”).


• Ruffles, Ruffles and more ruffles!! They were seen on anything from evening dresses in a tear style to the front of a basic white tee, giving it that special feel.


• Denim is all over the map and destructed wash seems to be showing up again. The rolled short with leggings or tights seems important to some….


• Feminine lace is also popping up on tee’s and dresses, but be careful you don’t resemble a doily.


• Leggings also seem to be a somewhat permanent staple, although I hope the shiny spandex go away soon.


• Exposed zippers are hot, again showing up just about anywhere!


• Maxi dresses that say I am cool, relaxed and romantic are as hot as ever.
  

All in all as a woman in fashion I am looking forward to the feminine trends with the occasional hint of toughness. Finding your style and making it work for you may seem like a challenge in this “anything goes” era. My advice, next Sunday go through your closet and try as much on as you can. Set aside the items which fit properly and you know will work into next season, take them to be altered and cleaned if necessary and then buy a few new key items to brighten up your spring wardrobe. A new belt and a pair of cute flats can go along way today, knits are easy and the maxi dress isn’t going anywhere soon. Some may disagree with me but I already can’t live with out my BF jeans on the weekends. And as you can see from the pic, stylehog.com picked them as a lasting trend from '08...still rockin'! Do keep in mind fashion is getting brighter and brighter in color so don’t be afraid to start small with an accessory or two!

Inspired? Stop in to PlumpJackSport at The Carneros Inn or at PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn and get your fashion on.

Sleeping Around in Marin...

Where to stay? PlumpJack hints at the best beds north of the Golden Gate Bridge...

The Mill Valley Inn: Steps away from the Mill Valley's vibrant downtown, The Mill Valley Inn is a PlumpJack favorite. Tucked in a redwood grove at the foot of Mt. Tamalpais, the Inn has just over 20 distinctive guestrooms, including two creekside cottages with French Doors--which we LOVE. (Check out the photo to the left...loving that creekside walkway...straight to Balboa Mill Valley for me!) Ask for Justin and tell him PlumpJack sent you. (To the front of the VIP list!)

Cavallo Point: Peering up at the Golden Gate Bridge, Cavallo Point is the major resurrection of Fort Baker... just next to the Bay Area Discovery Museum. A family favorite--bring the kids and the pooch. Tons to do in downtown Sausalito, and Mill Valley is moments away. (Is that another Balboa Mill Valley plug I hear?) Classic cottages are our personal faves. When PJ'er Michelle stopped by for cocktails with her restless chocolate lab she made ample use of the enormous grassy field, a tennis ball, and the ever-popular "ChuckIt."

The Gables Inn: A historic bed and breakfast that has been freshly renovated, The Gables Inn is just steps from the Sausalito waterfront. The new ownership, cozy rooms, and gorgeous views make you want to take the week off (no wait...the month!) and stay awhile. Don't be fooled by the Crazy Shirt on the corner, Sausalito isn't just for tourists. PlumpJackers can come up with any reason to take a stay-cation north of the Bay. And Bottomless Brunch Mimosas are one of our favorite excuses.

No matter what night of the week, drop in to Balboa Cafe Mill Valley and ask for Chef Dave's Braised Short Ribs.

P.S. Check out Michael Bauer's blog entry yesterday, Bring on the $6 cocktail. Jack Falstaff's feelin' the love for "Happy Jack Hour" and the "Cena de Familia."

Notes from Napa...

Ryan Keith, Marketing Manager for PlumpJack and CADE Wineries, blogs about the much anticipated PJ Cab release and open house...

Well I have been meaning to get to this for quite some time now. My first blog entry!!!! In this very first installment of the PlumpJack and CADE Wineries blogdom I'll share a story about a wonderful Saturday that just took place a couple weeks ago here in Napa Valley. Annually, on the first Saturday of February we release our 2006 PlumpJack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The lucky date this year was February 7th.

Our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon could be considered our flagship wine, it represents our largest production (the 2006 vintage was roughly a 5700 case production wine, out of our 10,000 cases over all our wines). In conjunction with the release of the PlumpJack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, many other wineries in the Valley tend to have special releases or open houses on the same day. Most notably Silver Oak, but in one day you can also visit the likes of Far Niente, Nickel and Nickel and a host of other wineries that typically don't have the doors wide open for visitors. Combining the release of our flagship wine and other wineries participating in similar annual events, the first Saturday in February is filled with energy and excitement like no other weekend throughout the year.

We were very fortunate as this year visitors came out in droves. In fact, we have never seen more visitors for one of our release celebrations. Blessed with warm weather, our guests couldn't' have asked for a better experience as people were able to lounge outside in the sun sipping on Cabernet Sauvignon like it was the first day of spring. While the day turned out to be a long day, as I got into my car, I said to myself that we couldn't have asked for a better release party as we were able to make many new friends and reconnect with our annual release day visitors.

Meet Ryan and grab the PlumpJack Estate Cabernet while visiting the PlumpJack Winery in Napa or have it shipped straight to you.

PS... Check Out tonight's Jack Falstaff Growers Dinner on SF Weekly's Blog and Happy Jack Hour on SF Gate.

What's Cooking at Balboa North...

Straight from the kitchen of Balboa Cafe Mill Valley, Chef David Wasem gives us his spin on Balboa classics old and new.

After being a Sous Chef at Balboa San Francisco for three years I was excited for the opportunity to open Mill Valley and not only to bring over staple dishes, but to add my flair. Not to my surprise our biggest seller is the Balboa Burger. We prepare it the exact same way as San Francisco: It is as simple as pickles, onions, bread and beef. If you are feeling crazy you can add all the fixings.

Another top seller during dinner is our Braised Hereford Short Ribs. We start by hickory smoking the mirepoix (a mixture of celery, carrots, and onions) that we braise the beef with for over three hours. This gives the meat a slightly smokey taste. The dish is served with roasted baby carrots, gremolata (a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest), and spiced polenta served crispy to play off the soft texture of the short ribs.

Other house favorites include Huevos Rancheros and Corned Beef Hash at Brunch; French Dip and Pulled Pork Sandwich at Lunch; and our “Buck a Burger” Sliders at Happy Hour.


Join David for dinner at Balboa Cafe Mill Valley and try the new weekly specials. Sundays- Prime Rib, Mondays- Baby Back Ribs, Tuesdays- Chicken Paillard, Wednesdays- Enchiladas. Bottomless Brunch Mimosas on Saturday and Sunday and Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 3pm-6pm.

Bringing Farm-to-Table...A Chef's Perspective

Chef Jonnatan Leiva from Jack Falstaff tells us about the upcoming Growers Dinner...Hurray up and book your spot!

People often ask me why I think the Growers Dinner Series we began at Jack Falstaff is important. My answer is simply this: How often can you say that you've had dinner with the person who put their heart and soul into the product you are about to eat?

This is your opportunity to have that meal! And ask questions about how the food is farmed and produced. I am still surprised, especially here in San Francisco, that folks don't have this close connection to the food that they eat.

But I know that as a chef, I can play a role in this education, too. Chefs aren't only here to cook and prepare food, but also to improve the community around us by bringing people closer to culinary culture. It doesn't matter if you're a vegan or a carnivore, people should know the importance of the food chain and the hard work it takes to put food on a table. For me, this is the real "Slow Food"... Our way of course.

The inspiration and education don’t stop with the diners we invite. As an added bonus, I have often called on other local chefs and friends to participate in giving back to the growers, through the dinners. We do this to say “Thank you!” to the farmers, who often have no idea what we do with their product after it leaves the market. When they take that first bite, we often see a simple yet very subtle smile as they realize the fruit of their labor. That's the ultimate goal—for diners to smile in understanding where their food comes from, and for the growers and producers to smile in seeing where the product of their hard work is going.

Our next Grower's dinner is Feb. 24th, we are happy to have the legendary Hamada Farms from Kingsburg, Ca. They have the some of the best seasonal fruits and vegetables that you will ever taste! Also, we are excited to feature the very talented Chef Staffan Terje from Perbacco. So please make your reservation and experience this very unique and memorable night.

Salud!

Jonnatan Leiva, Executive Chef at Jack Falstaff

Check out the photo gallery from November's Beer and Bison Growers Dinner to get a hint of what's in store on Tuesday...Hurray up and reserve your spot, you don't want to miss out on this exciting night!























P.S. Jonnatan and the PlumpJack Blog are on EaterSF!

PJ in NY

Barbara from PlumpJackSport at The Carneros Inn gives us an inside look at PJ fashion in New York…

Everyone knows that New York is a fashion Mecca, so I was thrilled on my recent trip when I was given a compliment from a super chic woman and her daughter while we were all stomping the snow off our boots in the Barney's elevator. She loved my hat and I thanked her while we commiserated about how hard it is to look cute in this weather. The hat was a green plaid number with subtle ear flaps purchased at none other than PlumpJackSport at Squaw Valley.

The next night I ditched the hat and donned my polka dotted Tolani scarf a la Jessica Alba (check out those Tolani scarf pics from People.com…). It fashionably doubled as a snow deflector while I braved the 6 block walk from our hotel to Broadway where we had tickets for the play, August in Osage County. While the play was brilliantly acted with some old familiar faces from the cast of Roseanne, I wouldn't recommend seeing the show unless you feel like going through an emotional ringer. At each intermission the audience seemed to let out a collective sigh at having survived another round of the screaming and yelling that is this play. Still I felt snug as a bug and back to my reality as I walked to the restaurant after the show, bundled once again in my lightweight wool scarf by Tolani, in the perfect shades of black and grey.

Barbara Shook, Manager/Assistant Buyer at PlumpJackSport at The Carneros Inn.

To get a Tolani scarf of your own, call Barbara and the PJSport team at (707) 299- 4858. They are more than happy to add to your fashion collection!

PS Check out PlumpJack Cafe Squaw Valley's shout out here on Vivanista!

Snow Days at Squaw

Snow is here! Molly Fathman from the PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn tells us all about it and puts her “Tahoe-spin” on blogging…

Remember that crazy movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray wakes up and re-lives the same day over and over? Well…this week felt like that in Squaw Valley, as I thankfully woke up every morning to a snow-buried car and the sound of Ski Patrol bombs. Check out this picture of the sunrise on our first bluebird powder day of this storm cycle. Imagine waking up to that over and over again. Heaven.

Last week we reportedly received upward of 3 feet of powder…though it felt like we had 3 feet of snow just on Monday, and about a foot every day since. I can’t tell you how many times I choked on pow, due to the mouth-open perma-grin plastered on my face. We sure earned it, after staying positive about riding groomers daily throughout January. Don’t get me wrong, groomers are the best way to work out the kinks from a long summer, and makes for a great group-ski day with all the buddies.

Seriously, these are the glory days. I love powder, and it sure loves me back! They say that “the storm door is open” and the conditions just keep getting better. The base is set, and my tired thighs are anxiously awaiting the next round of fluffy white snow. The more the merrier… friends, inches, and days on the mountain! Be here now.



Molly Fathman, Marketing Manager, PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn

Grab some friends and join Molly on the slopes with our The More the Merrier Package. Fill two rooms with your best ski buddies and get the third room completely free!

Cocktail Hour... Win a party for you and ten friends

We need a name for this not-so-normal deal. Have any ideas?

Tired of the usual? Over the mundane? MatrixFillmore General Manager Kenneth Luciano is spicing up the lives of people just like you with his new Specialty Cocktail Menu. Thirteen sip-a-licious cocktails. And they are all just $7 before 10pm Monday- Friday.

Leave your ideas in the Comments below and click here to have them entered into the competition to win a party for you and ten of your friends at MatrixFillmore. (Certain restrictions apply.)

A few weeks ago, the MatrixFillmore Bartenders and I had the amazing opportunity to hang out with Cesar Cestari, Master Distiller at Cabana Cachaca, and Ed Hamilton of The Ministry of Rum, in an all-day cachaca tasting. Cachaca is one of the most popular distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil and the third most distilled beverage in the world. Usually it is used in a Caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail that combines Cachaca with limes and sugar. After we had a chance to do a blind taste testing of twelve different cachacas, learn about how each was produced, and get to know the important differences between each of the selections, we knew we had to put cachaca on the MatrixFillmore menu. But we wanted something different.

With the best of the best of mixologists in the room and behind the bar, we finally met the perfect cachaca cocktail.

The Brazilian Club
Leblon Cachaca
Rhum Clement Creole Shrub
Spiced Simple Syrup
Angostura & Orange Bitters

Cachaca is a rising star in the Spirit World. Get to know it and meet Kenneth at MatrixFillmore.

In The News... Executive Chef Jose Lemus of Balboa Cafe

On average, how many Balboa Burgers does Balboa Cafe serve each week?
a) 500
b) 850
c) 1,200

Write down your answers... and no cheating!

Time is almost up...

And the answer is... 1,200 Balboa Burgers each week!

But don't think for a second that Balboa Cafe Executive Chef Jose Lemus is limited to burgers and Chicken Paillard. Check out "Chef's Night In," by Carey Sweet in the February 15th edition of The San Francisco Chronicle. Get to know Jose, his family, and his rise to the top.

Then swing by for dinner.

And The Winner Is...

Jonnatan Leiva, Executive Chef of Jack Falstaff, takes us behind the scenes of the Macy’s Battle of the Chefs. Leiva went head-to-head with Chef Hoss Zare on February 11, 2009 in the intense competition in The Cellar at Macys in Union Square.

Wednesday February 11, 2009:

It’s 12 noon and it's game time. I’ve been in this situation before. The anxiety starts to build and the adrenaline starts to pump. I immediately start to talk to my right-hand man, sous chef and partner in crime, Matt Garcia. We have already talked about each possible secret ingredient: crab, pomegranate or beef, and the ideas and dishes we had in mind. Not an easy thing to anticipate - let me tell you!

It took about an hour of intense brainstorming, but we finally came up with some solid dishes that we knew we could execute within the 40 minute time period. Matt and I are a little crazy, so we didn’t even write anything down. We knew that our ability to execute with an understanding of food style, flavor and teamwork would be the deciding factor. We didn’t think a written recipe would make a difference. Fortunately, in the end, we were right!!

My competitor, Hoss Zare, is a great chef and has been a fixture here in the SF dining scene for years. He has such an old school approach in comparison to my modern take on ingredients- two complete sides of the culinary spectrum but with equal passion & dedication.

So finally Matt and I are there, at Macy's Cellar, standing in front of the secret ingredient, mysteriously veiled in black. We pull back the napkin to expose the secret: it's beef, yes!! We rush and start hammering away. In our brainstorming we came up with three dishes. For the Beef & Raisin Empanada with Romesco sauce we used a tool called the smoking gun to add a depth of flavor & evoke the senses from the start. It’s truly something to talk about since it resembles something you would find in a pipe shop! Next was a Beef Heart Carpaccio with Fried Oysters in honor of Valentine’s Day. The heart is a special cut of meat and something that I grew up with my grandmother. We created a classically prepared rib eye tartare to go along with the carpaccio…delish. Our final dish was a take on Vietnamese Pho: a light soy-lime broth with fennel, mushrooms, charred spring onions and perfectly cooked filet on top.

As time rushed to a close, we came to a sudden stop! And then breathed our first semi- sigh of relief. The judges, including 7x7's Jessica Battilana, offered us their take on all of the dishes and gave rave reviews about both sides of the playing field. After hearing them, I still couldn’t tell who would win. I’ve been here before, you just never know.

A few minutes go by. The points are counted. Finally Marissa Churchill, the MC, looks at me and says, “The winner of today’s battle is Jonnatan Leiva of Jack Falstaff!”…I looked at Matt, we gave each other a high-five and we finally got to relax.

Hungry yet? Check out more of Chef Jonnatan's award-winning cuisine at Jack Falstaff. Join us for Happy Jack Hour featuring $6 specialty cocktails and $6 bar bites every Monday- Friday from 5 pm-7 pm. Or bring the whole family for "La Cena De Familia" (Family Dinner) and enjoy our four-course family style tasting menu for only $40. See you at Jack.

So You Can Feel Good About Shopping...

Debbie Brown, General Manager of PlumpJack Wines, is working to decrease our carbon footprint.

The entire staff at PlumpJack Wines is extremely ecologically minded and we always recycle our lunch bags that we bring from home. It bothered me that we were still using those silly ‘peanuts’ used for packaging so I did some research and found a company that produced those annoying Styrofoam pieces that were actually eco-friendly because they dissolved in water. Big score!

At the urging of my eco-friendly colleagues, my next step was to find shipping materials that were not Styrofoam for shipping 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 bottles of wine. After a few quick phone calls, I settled on some that look like egg cartons. I was so jazzed to think that we would not be blatantly adding to the ‘carbon footprint’. Unfortunately, that idea had a basic problem—many more bottles of wine broke through shipping. Sadly, our carrier wouldn’t make good on the claims since we were using cartons instead of Styrofoam, and we had to switch back. Though we still use the Styrofoam shippers, we always encourage our customers to bring in their old shippers so that we can reuse them.

The final hurdle for me was that the very bags that we use for our customers were plastic. Grrr!! The bags were strong and would hold 4-5 bottles of wine, but I wanted biodegradable and wouldn’t stop until I found something!! It didn’t occur to me that this would be a long-term project. Little did I know that it would take me 8 months, 6 different companies, 14 meetings, too many phone calls and 51 e-mails, before I would find an eco-friendly, biodegradable, sturdy bag for our customers. The good news is that I found them, and we proudly use them at both of our wine stores.

Debbie Brown, General Manager, PlumpJack Wines

Meet Debbie and join one of the exceptional PlumpJack Wine, Beer, or Scotch Clubs.

Ahhhhh....Benefits of a Bath

Ahhh…relax. A warm bath does the trick on cold winter days. Jeannie Jarnot, Spa Director at The Carneros Inn, gives us insight into the benefits of a bath, beyond putting you to sleep.

Are hot baths really good for you?

Being the Spa Director at The Carneros Inn, I get ALL the fun questions. Our guests always want to know if the therapies we offer are just fun and fluff or if they really are good for you. So for my first post I thought I would talk about one of my favorite things, hot baths. Our clients always want to know, are they really good for your health?

The answer is YES, they are REALLY REALLY good for you. One of the reasons I like hot baths in the winter is that they help your immunity. Just like a Sauna or a Steam room, a hot bath will raise your body temperature, faking a fever. This activates your body’s defense mechanisms and your immune system works to fight off any chance of getting sick. So right when you are starting to feel ill or if you just want to ward off a cold, a hot bath could help you stay well.

People also want to know if bath salts actually have a health benefit...and again, they really do. Bath salts have a high mineral content and soaking in them increases your circulation. This is great for your immune system but also works well for reducing swelling, body aches and skin irritations. The best bath salts are high mineral bath salts that come from the Dead Sea or certain high mineral lakes, but Epsom salts will work as well. The difference between a Dead Sea Salt and an Epsom salt can be compared to a rich flavorful French Grey Sea Salt versus regular white table salt for cooking. Dead Sea Salts are that much better. (I like to compare everything to food, you get the picture!)

What about aromatherapy? Are all those scented bath products really good for you?

Well, it depends. Real essential oils have very practical health benefits while bath products scented with fragrance just smell good. So, unfortunately, here you have to either read the labels of your bath salts or products to determine if real essential oils are in them or not. Or you can simply add a few drops of essential oil directly to your bath. We all know that lavender is relaxing, but did you know it is also an antibacterial, a sedative, and it will help with skin dryness and irritation? So if you are having trouble sleeping, a bath with lavender essential oil should do the trick. Add grapefruit oil to a bath when you are down and it will help you feel better. Ylang ylang oil is great for romance and is also uplifting. And rosemary oil in your bath before you go out on the town can be energizing.

Most of all, baths are fun! They are good for your physical health, they are relaxing and help you reduce stress, and they create time for yourself to sit back, breathe and reflect on your day or week. These are all things we have promised ourselves to do more of, and a bath accomplishes them all at once.

I love baths so much that we created a totally unique bath for our guests at The Carneros Inn: the Huichica Creek Bath, named after the nearby running creek. We have 2 baths side by side so couples can take the baths at the same time (very fun and romantic). The water flows over your shoulders to an infinity edge as you lay on the hot stone tiled bath. Eight massaging jets work on key muscles while an attendant feeds you anti-oxidant water and seasonal fruit. We add goat milk and honey, mineral rich salts, essential oils and therapeutic mustard seed powder. We go ALL out! So, if you come to The Carneros Inn, be sure not to miss this bath. We designed it especially for you!

Jeannie Jarnot, Spa Director, The Carneros Inn

Behind the Bar at Balboa

A San Francisco classic since 1913 (although you’ll read on the doors in 1914 because of the founders’ superstition with the number 13—another great piece of trivia for our loyal blog readers), Balboa Cafe has seen generations and generations ring in the new year. General Manager Scott McCoy tells PlumpJack Blog readers what the scene looks like from the other side of the bar.

I have never seen so many…..

I am talking about Bloody Mary's at Balboa Cafe. You think you have seen it all, and there I was, bringing in the New Year at my “home away from home,” working the opening shift on New Year’s Day. I thought we were prepared for what was to come. Sven and Josh had prepared roughly 100 glasses so that all we would have to do is pour in the Vodka and Tomato Juice and away the glass goes to the guest who ordered it. (That’s how we usually do it, just not on such a grand scale.) An hour goes by and already Sven looks at me and says, “Can you believe this?” He was already making another round of 50 prep glasses. After another 30 minutes, I had to buy all of the celery from every market that was open in a 5 block radius. After the day was over, we sold roughly 700 Bloody Marys.

I am frequently asked by people what makes Balboa Cafe such a “Hot Spot?” There are many things that contribute to why Balboa Café continues to be a “Hot Spot,” my guess is that one thing is certainly the Bloody Mary’s.

Scott McCoy, General Manger, Balboa Cafe

If you think Bloody Mary’s at Balboa Cafe San Francisco are a tradition, try Bottomless Brunch Mimosas every Saturday and Sunday at Balboa Cafe Mill Valley.

Welcome to the PlumpJack Blog!

Hi, I'm Hilary, President of PlumpJack Group. I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally see this project realized...PlumpJack has finally entered the blogosphere! If you are new to PlumpJack, I hope our blog will give you an insider's view to who we are and why we define ourselves as purveyors of Authentic Hospitality. And for you old friends—whether you're die-hard fans of the Chicken Paillard at Balboa Cafe, Spa-junkies at The Carneros Inn, Ski Bunnies who love relaxing at PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, or simply lovers of good food, good drinks, good hospitality, and great friends—we are looking forward to giving you the behind the scenes tour of everything PlumpJack.

As you'll see, the blog is a place for people from all different parts of the company to share something about themselves, and therefore to share what is truly PlumpJack. We've created a forum for you to get to know the PlumpJack Family, to share information with you about what is happening in our world, and to experience what we experience—great farmer’s market finds, cooking secrets, delicious wine deals, or our favorite designer clothes.

Our blog will be informal, off the cuff, organic, and often whimsical. Expect to hear from many unique and varied characters with one very important thing in common…our passion for PlumpJack.

We can't wait to share our ideas on how to EAT, DRINK, SLEEP, SHOP, and LIVE better. Leave comments, we want to hear from you. Share with us your experiences at PlumpJack and throughout the world of hospitality.

As our first true entry we welcome our chef Rick Edge and some cooking thoughts on how to steam (fry, roast, bake, you get the idea…) up your Valentine’s Day. Here’s to a great first week!

Cheers,
Hil

Valentines Day is almost here. Executive Chef Rick Edge from PlumpJack Cafe gives PlumpJack Blog readers a glimpse into the world of aphrodisiac fare.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the first thing many think of is aphrodisiacs. There is debate whether these foods have an aphrodisiac effect at all, but it's a fun debate to have…and who am I to argue?

Oysters
Romans documented oysters as aphrodisiacs in the second century A.D. They are known to be high in zinc, which has been associated with improving sexual potency in men. Recently, mussels, clams and oysters have been found to contain D-aspartic acid and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) compounds that may be effective in releasing hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Scientists have not determined whether there are enough of those compounds in the shellfish to make any difference, but it’s worth a shot!

Cardamom
Cardamom is an aromatic spice. Certain cultures deem it a powerful aphrodisiac. It is high in cineole, which can increase blood flow in areas where it is applied…

Chocolate
Chocolate has forever been associated with love and romance. It was originally found in the South American rainforests. The Mayan civilizations worshipped the Cacao tree and called it "food of the gods." Rumor has it that the Aztec ruler Montezuma drank 50 goblets of chocolate each day to enhance his sexual abilities.

Researchers have studied chocolate and found it to contain phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are both "feel good" chemicals. They occur naturally in our bodies and are released by our brains when we are happy or feeling loving or passionate. It produces a euphoric feeling, like when you're in love.
Regardless of whether or not these foods have a scientific aphrodisiac effect, I certainly know that they will stimulate at least some senses. So grab your other half and join me in celebrating love all February long at the PlumpJack Cafe.

Rick Edge, Executive Chef, PlumpJack Cafe