Beau Voir… Just came back from the amazing Old Bath House Hospitality Dinner. The good folks at the Bath House, owner Dave Bindel and Operations Queen Dorothy Maras-Ildiz, throw this shindig because there are all sorts of people, from concierges at the hotels to other folks in hospitality, who are kind enough to recommend their establishment as a wonderful dining experience.

OBH throws twice-yearly lunches for the hospitality folks too, but it is the dinner that truly shows off just what this delightful place is all about, and the good people who love the Bath House need to see it in its glorious evening splendor, with the staff working so well to make the night special. As usual, the delicious food from Chef Boris Ilbacca, along with Bath House top-notch service, turned this into a memorable event.

I was fortunate enough to be sitting at the bar with the unflappable David, bartender for the ages, at the helm. You should make a point of devoting part of every week, or part of every month, to sitting at David’s bar at the Old Bath House and allowing the evening to progress wherever it may. Also at the bar were the Coneheads …the brain trust of the Carmel Pine Cone . I proceeded to pepper them with insults and ended up in a wrestling match with their multi-talented food writer (I lost in two out of three falls), who shall remain nameless until all lawsuits and countersuits are settled.

All in all it was a tough assignment, having to sit through a delicious dinner in one of our area’s best restaurants while being pampered with first class service. Sometimes, I just don’t know how I can take this job.

Working for A Living… Another tough assignment was the Estates Group wine tasting at Spanish Bay. A three-hour tasting of most of their wines at Peppoli , which also showed off some of the food prepared there, was followed by a magnum tasting in one of the suites. That was where all the heavy hitters in the local wine-buying trade—guys like Jacques of Rancho Cellars, Dominique of Sierra Mar, Dmitri of Fandango, Ted of Passionfish, and others—were invited to sample many of the great brands Estates carries, all out of magnums. We were struggling through tasting stuff like Salon, Tignanello, Sassicaia, Cakebread, Montelena Estate, etc. Keith Lindstrom, the local Estates Group wine guru, was in his glory hobnobbing with all his constituents…I think he should probably be a preacher.

 

J’aime le Gilroy… I picked up Sweet Thing at SJC the other evening. We had a long drive back home and we stopped in Gilroy at the absolutely stunning Old City Hall, on the corner of Monterey Street and 4th. Daniel Barduzzi, managing partner, has assembled a stellar staff of talented French and other types to bring diners a beautiful overall restaurant experience.

There’s Alex, the ridiculously handsome French maitre d’ and wine guy whose gentle service and helpfulness makes it acceptable that your wife or girlfriend has just fallen in love with him. Then we had a great waiter, Jordan —yes, another Frenchman. Wonderful skills, great timing and care, a joy. Oh yeah, did a stint with Alaine Ducasse. The chef is a 24-year old wunderkind named Lionel Haeberle, (you guessed it, French). Tremendous appreciation of classical French technique, along with enthusiasm and a willingness to introduce the local Gilroy dining public to his versions of French classics with a local twist.

The décor is stunning, with wood, warmth, openness, and grace—even the bathrooms are delightful. The men’s room was extremely pleasant, from the lighting to the cleanliness to the fragrance, which was floral tinted and quite wonderful (I’m starting to worry myself). Anyway, try this place anytime you happen to be near Gilroy. Call (408) 846-0880 or if you’re watching pennies, toll free, 886-OLD-1905.

Small and Big Stuff… Stopped by the Wild Plum Café & Bakery in Monterey, across from the entrance to Casa Munras Hotel, between Margie’s Diner and Thai Café. It’s a wonderful place for a great homemade breakfast or lunch with many well done fresh baked items, great sandwiches, salads—it’s a guaranteed hit.

The people are really nice, everything is homemade and fresh, and you want to keep coming back. If I worked nearby I would show up every day for breakfast or lunch. They do a tremendous catering business too. Check it out at wildplumcafe.com, or stop by, or call 646-3109.

Just want to say how excited I am. My partner Jeff Moses and I hooked up with Shoreline Amphitheater to do a Halloween beer bash called Brew With A “Boo” on October 16. We’ll be partnering with Clear Channel, owners of Shoreline, to bring Bay Area folks a great beer festival and Halloween party. I’ll keep you posted…Cheers.