Discovering the Food and Wine Delights of Napa and Beyond—Wine-Tasting and Dinner at Chez Panisse in Sausalito

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Morro Bay-Napa Valley, California

Discovering the Food and Wine Delights of Napa and Beyond—Wine-Tasting and Dinner at Chez Panisse in Sausalito

We arrived at the most glamorous day of our travels as we settled down into the gastronomic treats of the famous Napa Valley. Indeed it was a red letter day for it ticked off one more item from a long-standing Bucket List.

Checking Out of The Landing at Morro Bay and Journey Northwards:

It was still dark when we set out of our rooms at The Landing at Morro Bay, checked out and set off in our car for our long (four hour) drive northwards to Napa Valley. The town of Morro Bay was empty (it was about 6.00 am) as we negotiated the streets that got us out of the grid and on to the highway. We resolved to look for breakfast (or at least coffee) along the route. I had a large box of untouched pancakes from my breakfast of yesterday and I shared them with Llew as we drove off. Slowly but surely, we inched along towards our destination, En route, we passed through Silicon Valley and began to see the tech companies along the highway that proclaimed the industry and expertise of the area.

Arrival at Napa Valley and Check-Into the Best Western Plus:

About an hour into our journey (around 9.00 am), I made a call to Deepak Gulrajani, a wine enthusiast and entrepreneur to whom I had been introduced in Bombay, about a year ago. Deepak owns both a vineyard (Nicholson Ranch) and a winery (Gulrajani Estate), the first in Sonoma, the latter in Napa, and he had invited me to visit them, if ever I was in the area. Since we did have reservations at another winery, I was reluctant to call him (time would not permit us to visit both), plus he did not grow Cabernet grapes and, therefore, did not (as far as I knew) produce Cabernet Sauvignon wines (which are Llew’s favorites). However, I decided to make him a courtesy call en route and was delighted when he reiterated his invitation and insisted that we come to see him because yes, indeed, he was able to serve us Cabernets as well. So, we did make a last-minute change, cancelled the original wine-tasting reservation we had, and decided to make our way to Sonoma County instead to meet Deepak. But first, we would find and check into our accommodation for the next two nights—the Best Western Plus Hotel.

The hotel was very centrally located and turned out to be rather more charming than we had imagined considering that it was a chain and very reasonably priced (for a neighborhood that is definitely upper crust). In fact, the cost of living in this neck of the California woods is high and it is rather challenging to have a reasonably-priced holiday in this area. We loved the fact that it had a secluded look to it, was a sprawling property with an outdoor pool, a hot tub and a gym, free beverages in the lobby, coffee makers in the room and a general sense of generosity in the air. We had rooms side by side and obtaining the keys, we checked into them and stashed away our baggage. Then, we re-entered the car to begin our drive to the wine estate.

Our First Wine-Tasting in Napa—at Nicholson Ranch:

And so it was that we arrived at Nicholson Ranch, a vast property with a winding road that led up to the main Tuscan-styled structure—the Reception area and wine cave. There, Deepak was waiting for us and he greeted and welcomed us warmly. It was a fairly warm day…so we were happy to be seated outside on the patio overlooking the acreage of land that included cattle who, periodically, made their way across the fields to the stream on the opposite side. Deepak put us into the hands of his assistant, Jessie, a lovely young lady from New Jersey, who, in turn, put us through the paces and was our hostess for the morning. Deepak did not leave our sides as he launched on his commentary and told us all about his entry into the field of wine-making after a long and very successful career in IIT India, followed by an MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU (which made him a kindred spirit), then a stint as a hedge fund manager. This background prepared him well for taking the entrepreneurial plunge into the world of the vintner when he bought a working vineyard and a wine-production unit. His establishment is artisanal, which means it is kept deliberately small and does not compete with the likes of manufacturers such as Robert Mondavi who manufacture en masse for the mid-priced table. Deepak’s wines are priced at upwards of Rs. 150 a bottle, they are top of the line products and, therefore, exclusive.

Llew and Chrsielle indulged in the wine-tasting as my sulphur allergy kept me away from them and AJ is a teetotaller. However, we did sit around, enjoying the serenity of the atmosphere, viewing the sauntering line of cows in the distance, taking in the unusual contemporary sculpture on the estate and shooting the breeze with Deepak. We were with him for more than an hour, during which we were introduced to a range of at least six wines including Cabernets. Deepak never left us alone and played the role of the perfect host. He told us that, time permitting, he would be happy to introduce us to his production unit where we could see the apparatus involved in the making of superior wines. At the end of the session, both Llew and Chriselle liked the wines they sampled and felt pleased that we had made the detour to Nicholson Winery. We were delighted to find that Deepak did not charge us for the wines plus offered them to us on the house although we were more than ready to pay for them. Thanking him profusely, we made our way out of the estate but not before pausing at the gate to take group pictures with his property in the background. It had been an admirable morning indeed.

Lunch at Taco Bell En Route to Sausalito and the San Francisco Bay Area:

With one wine-tasting behind us, we drove deeper and deeper into Napa Valley as we headed for our next site of discovery—the San Francisco Bay Area. Although all of us had been to this part of California before, we had been there separately and at various times over the years—never together. This trip would give us an opportunity to see the city from a long distance away and to explore the Bay Area; and I have to say that I quite fell in love with it. Our destination was the snazzy town of Sausalito that many people had told me was the prettiest in the Bay.

But first we needed to find lunch as we’d not really eaten breakfast anywhere. Since we had talked about eating the Mexican fast food called chalupas, we decided to go to Taco Bell, a chain that offers plentiful outlets in the region. Yes, we did end up ordering burritos, tacos and chalupas from this place—all of which were really very good indeed because we were indulging in them after many years. With that meal behind us, we proceeded towards Sausalito.

Exploring Snazzy Sausalito:

Sausalito is one of those beautiful gems in the San Francisco Bay Area that is highly exclusive and very expensive. On driving into the city itself, we got the impression that we were in a very affluent neighborhood. Finding parking in the vast public car parks close to the water, we began our exploration on foot of the town. We passed by a pretty, old-world looking public garden to arrive at the waterfront which area is completely lined by exclusive boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops that we enjoyed browsing in, buying our magnet and indulging in a bit of window-shopping. Spiffy cars wound in and out of this area and added to the posh ambience of the place. Gradually, we made our way to the wide promenade overlooking the Bay. The water was clear and blue to match the skies above. It was truly idyllic, the weather just perfect. In the distance, we could easily spy the misty skyscrapers of the city of Sam Francisco and the hazy outlines of the famous Golden Gate Bridge. We posed for pictures on the waterfront, then began the walk back to the car park. We had about an hour’s drive ahead of us to Berkeley where we would be stopping for dinner at Chez Panisse, perhaps the most famous restaurant in the area, where we had made reservations. As we made our way there, we had the chance to skirt around the Bay and take in the beautiful, water-front manors and condos that offer some of the world’s most stirring views to the lucky inhabitants of this area.

Arriving in Berkeley and Dinner at Chez Panisse:

Finally, after an hour or so and at a very comfortable pace, we reached Berkeley, the famous university town of Northern California, which I would very much have liked to explore too (as we were only a stone’s throw from it and we were well in time for our dinner appointment). However, there was not much enthusiasm from other members of our party who were concerned about finding parking in the area. In the end, we did find parking very easily and used the extra time to explore the area along Sattuck Avenue on foot (after we passed by and identified the restaurant in which we would be eating). Llew and I enjoyed taking in the relaxed, scholarly ambience of this academic town that made history in the 1960s for being the venue at which student protests against the Vietnam War ultimately led to the its end.

At 7.00 pm, we were at the entrance to the restaurant. We were led upstairs to the more casual eatery—the one below being restricted to fine dining. After being seated at the table and placed in the hands of a wonderful waiter called Cameron, we perused the menu for drinks. I chose to have a cocktail (it has become customary for me to choose an exotic drink in special places) while Llew had red wine. As for our food, we chose two starters to share: the shaved zucchini salad with lemon, mint, pecorino and toasted almonds—it was a delightful fresh salad with a zing—and the Jimmy Nardella roasted red peppers with fig vinaigrette, escarole, prosciutto and sage. They were wonderful palates teasers that left us aching for more. As for our mains, I chose the Duck Leg confit with shell bean gratin, toasted breadcrumbs, fenel salad and sauce verde (I eat duck so rarely that I always choose it when on a menu) and Llew chose the Autumn squash ravioli with chanterelle mushrooms and gremolata. We shared them so that we both had two things to taste. Chriselle and AJ had the Grilled grass-fed New York roast beef with fried sweet peppers, garlicky greens and black olive butter as well as the Halibut baked in a fig leaf with romano beans, new potatoes, fennel salad and sauce verde.Our mains were followed by dessert, of course, but we simply decided to share two of them: the sticky gingerbread cake with crème fraiche ice-cream and fresh fruit and raspberry and crème fraiche sorbet with gratineed figs, raspberries and an almond biscotti. Then, we gave ourselves up completely to the pleasure of healthy eating, keeping in mind the revolutionary concept of farm to table eating that was initiated by chef Alice Waters who founded and ran Chez Panisse and, in the process, revolutionized American gastronomy.

Chez Panisse, incidentally, gets its name from the characters in one of the French writer Marcel Pagnol’s novels. It happens that Waters knew Pagnol personally through her husband who was good friends with the celebrated writer. Posters advertising films adapted from Pagnol’s novels decorate the walls of the restaurant which is very casual. I saw little children seated at the table with grown-ups, the elderly sipping their apertifs in fastidious fashion and teenagers too enjoying the thrills of a sophisticated table. Yes, for me, dining at Chez Panisse was a long-held dream (I once owned all of Wasters’ cook books), but because Berkeley is so far away from where I was based in the US, the chances of me actually eating in this place were remote—which is why I was so thrilled to finally make a dream come true.

And on that triumphant note, we left the restaurant and made our way towards the car park where we entered, fully satiated, and then sank down quietly to enjoy the drive back to Napa Valley and our Best Western Hotel where we hunkered down for the night.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

A Day Well Spent at Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Madonna and San Luis Obispo, California

Monday, October 6, 2025

Exploring a Handful of Mid-California Towns

A Day Well Spent at Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Madonna and San Luis Obispo, California

We spent a day of leisurely exploration as we scoured one little California town after the other. Indeed, the little hamlets along the mid-California coast are truly delightful, particularly in the off-season when they are not mobbed by holidaying crowds. But our day began in the nicest possible way with a humongous breakfast, courtesy of AJ, who decided to give Llew and me a belated Mothers-Father’s Day treat since they are never with us in person to celebrate those holidays. And so, off to breakfast it was…

Breakfast of Champions at Dorn’s:

Very conveniently located, in fact right across the road from our beautiful hotel was Dorn’s, a darling little café right on the waterfront. Yes, in normal circumstances, it would provide staggering views of the famous, towering Morro Rock that seems to rise out of the sea like a giant Phoenix rising from the ashes. Except that it was a very foggy morning and visibility was nil, just a few feet beyond us. On a past visit to the area, Chriselle and AJ had eaten breakfast at this venue and knew that it would be the perfect place in which to treat us. They were spot on. We felt like Royalty, thanks to their generosity.

We were pretty much the only patrons that early in the morning (we were there by 8.00 am as we had a full day chalked out ahead of us) but, by the time we had stuffed our faces and were ready to leave, several others had the same idea. We had our pick of the tables and chose one parallel to the Rock. In terms of food, well…it seemed as if you could not go wrong, no matter what you chose to eat. After orders for hot drinks were taken (Chriselle had a cocktail while the rest of us settled for coffee), we dived in for the food. I had a Ham, Swiss Cheese and Mushroom Omlette, Llew had Eggs Over Easy with Bacon and Hash Browns, AJ got the Southwestern Omlette with Fruit on the side and Chriselle got Eggs with Sausages and Fruit. A Couple of us got Pancakes (on top of everything else with our omlettes). I chose to save my pancakes for breakfast, the next morning, as I simply could not imagine sitting and devouring two breakfasts at the same meal—no matter how scrunps! Everything was delicious, conversation was a load of fun and we were excited to begin our day with the wealth of sight-seeing that lay ahead.

Drive to Pismo Beach:

We posed for a few pictures outside Dorn’s and outside our Hotel (The Landing at Morro Bay), then left for the next item on our day’s agenda: A Drive to Pismo Beach.

Pismo Beach is another one of the mid-California state beach towns that is a popular venue during the summer. After parking in the public parking lot, Chriselle went out in search of a coffee and I browsed in a shop that was closing for the season—in order to pick up our souvenir magnet. Then, the lot of us walked towards the giant sign spelling out Pismo Beach along the waterfront and that done, we took a little walk towards the pier to look at the pristine beach itself from the height of the viewing platform. It was a lovely day although the sun played peekaboo with us for a good part of the morning. After enjoying our brisk walk, and posing for pictures on the pier, we were ready for the next attraction.

Off to the Butterfly Grove:

As the young folks with us had already been to Pismo Beach before and had happy memories of a Butterfly Grove nearby, that was the next venue to which AJ drove us. Chriselle had happy memories of a short hike along a raised pathway that led to the sea and she was keen that we should undertake it. Accordingly, we parked our car and set out, only to discover that the place was officially closed for the season although visitors were free to saunter around at their leisure. Also, since the migrating monarch butterflies do not come to the venue until the end of October, we really did not see a single one of them. Apparently, they arrive in droves and cling to the surfaces of the trees all along the boardwalk. Despite their absence, however, it was grand to walk towards the sea, We could hear the thundering sound of the waves, but after about fifteen minutes of lingering in a very beautiful, very sheltered area, we decided to make our way back to the car.

Exploring the Unique Madonna Inn at Madonna, California:

A few years ago, when Llew, Chriselle and I had undertaken another driving tour of the mid-California coast, we had stopped at a town called Madonna which is famous for a most unique structure—a place called Madonna Inn. This site is pure 1950s kitsch and Chriselle, who had recently stopped there on a work trip, was keen for us to pause there again. Frankly, I did not remember much of it at all—so I was quite enthusiastic about exploring it again, As it turned out, the place was a study in pinks; every shade of the color is used in the inside and outside decoration. Furthermore, the garden is just gorgeous with glorious pink blooms of various sizes and shades filling it with photo ops. And so, en route, we stopped to take pictures and gradually worked our way towards the main doors (somewhat reminiscent of a castle) before we entered.

The Madonna Inn is really a visual delight—pure eye candy. Everywhere the eye could turn, there was something of curiosity that was entirely OTT (Over The Top). Of course, we explored the place pretty thoroughly and stopped frequently to take pictures: there was winding Cinderella staircases, straight out of a fairy tale; loads of pretty stained glass in windows and doors; bright chandeliers laden with tumbling bunches of grapes; massive stone fireplaces and mantelpieces decorated with stone sculpture; bathrooms and toilets done in mid-century style and resembling the green rooms of famous theaters; vast dining rooms dropping with fairy lights and loads of Fall and Halloween decorations as to resemble Disneyland. And everywhere the dominant color is pink. Truly, this is a photographer’s dream. We made use of every venue to take lovely family and couple photographs before we were ready to move on.

Back to Morro Bay for More Exploration:

By this point in the day (it was past noon), we kept fingers crossed that the fog of the morning would have lifted and we would actually be able to glimpse the gigantic Rock for which Morro Bay is reputed. So, we drove back to Morro Bay, parked our car and made the slow and exploratory walk towards the shops. Like many seaside towns, there are souvenir shops stacked with the usual tat: sea glass jewlery, toys for the kids, beach towels, magnets, post cards, wall art, etc., not to mention ice-cream places. Every store was empty—we could just imagine how much the place buzzed in the summer; but with the season having passed us by, we were solitary visitors everywhere. Having explored the stores (yes, we picked up our magnet), it was time to hit the actual Rock itself. Yes indeed, the fog had cleared up, although the sun was still missing, but it seemed like a good time to make the drive that would take us to the very foot of the Rock for some more photo ops.

Piling into the car again, we drove around the Town as we headed to the Rock. It loomed ahead of it with its momentous proportions and allowed us to take lovely family photographs. We watched the antics of pretty, spotted wood squirrels on the rocks as we sat down to take in the sight of the distinctive scene in front of us. Seagulls flew screeching ahead and the salt smell of the sea was in our nostrils as we decided to move on to the next port of call after what had been a truly lovely stop in what had been a completely unknown corner of California for me.

Exploring San Luis Obispo:

Yes, the three of us had been to San Luis Obispo before, a few years ago, but honestly, I had only very hazy memories of this town. This time round, I was charmed by the place which had a lot to offer the occasional visitor. It’s beautiful downtown area is a maze of streets sporting enticing shops with sophisticated merchandise from beautiful clothes and housewares to mid-century modern furniture and very sophisticated restaurants. It was after sauntering the streets and pausing to briefly take in the joys of window shopping before looking for lotions and potions in The Body Shop that we made our way to Novo, the glorious restaurant where Chriselle had made reservations for our dinner.

Dining in Style at Novo:

Novo is one of those restaurants that offers an inside-outside experience that is equally great, no matter where one chooses to sit. As it turned out to be a really beautiful evening, most patrons were out in the lovely courtyard garden. We had a table reserved for us and, literally, just a few meters away, the walls of one of the famous California missions of Fr. Junipero Serra could be glimpsed. We looked forward to the thrill of visiting it after our meal.

But first, our food and drink. We started off with cocktails and aperitifs: Llew had red wine and I chose a cocktail made with gin, elderflower liquor and elderflower cordial. It was delicious and very refreshing indeed. For our starter, we chose the Mediterranean platter that contains hummus, a beetroot dip, babganoush, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), marinated olives and red peppers, fresh cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber and toasted pita bread. Believe me, a better appetizer would be hard to find. I realize that I really do love these platters for they offer something for everyone. Chriselle chose the buratta with beetroot and it was also very satisfying indeed. For my main, Llew and I chose to share pappardelle with shrimp, artichoke and spinach (absolutely delectable) while Chriselle and AJ chose to share a filet mignon with a lush barbecue sauce. Our mains were just superb and truly, this meal set the tone for the number of absolutely awesome meals we would enjoy through the rest of our travels. Although we were pretty stuffed, I have to say that we could not resist dessert and chose to share a fabulous slab of chocolate ganache cake that came with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and fresh raspberries on the side, What a truly magnificent meal it was and what a superb choice for a venue! It remains one of my most memorable meals of all time because it was so unexpectedly good!

Visiting Mission San Luis Obispo:

Yes, after our fabulous meal, the only thing left was to follow the mission bells, as it were, and walk just around the precincts of Novo, to get to the compound of the Mission. Built in 1772, as one of the working missions envisioned by the wandering Spaniard priest, Fr. Junipero Serra, this place is highly atmospheric, especially at night, when it is softly flood-lit, most strategically. Fr. Serra built about seven missions along the California coast along what is known as El Camino Real as he brought Christianity to the native, Spanish-speakers of this area when it was still part of Mexican territory. In past years, I (as an individual) and the three of us (as a family) have visited the ones in Santa Barbara, Carmel by the Sea and Capistrano and now, here we were together in San Luis Obispo. It was indeed a treat and a perfect way by which to end a really splendid day.

And on that spiritual note, we made our way back to the carpark for our short drive back to our hotel, The Landing at Morro Bay where we would spend one more night.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

A Terrific First Day of Motoring Adventure in California—Brunch in Irvine, Pausing in Montecito ad Santa Barbara and Arriving at Morro Bay

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Los Angeles-Morro Bay, California

A Terrific First Day of Motoring Adventure in California—Brunch in Irvine, Pausing in Montecito ad Santa Barbara and Arriving at Morro Bay

And so the day dawned when we began our driving tour of Northern California. We awoke, showered and got dressed for a long drive ahead. But just as we were checking out, we discovered that our room included breakfast in the adjoining restaurant. Hence, we made our way to the restaurant at The Glenmark and ordered decaff coffee for the two of us and Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon for me and Eggs Over Easy with Hash Browns and Sausages for Llew. As Chriselle and AJ arrived just before we were seated, they shared our breakfast which was humongous to begin with and would leave all of us room for brunch as that was where we were headed.

Brunch With Friends in Irvine:

Yes, indeed. The next item son our agenda was Brunch in Irvine at the home of our Bombay landlandy, Annu, who had graciously invited us for a meal while en route northwards. Annu was accompanied by her daughters Deepti and Ritu and her spouse Kinshook and her cute little grandson, Vir. Of course, we had a very happy reunion with them as they are extremely hospitable and gracious and treated us like royalty. Brunch was a variety of Indo-Western foods: Annu had taken the trouble to make us idlis with sambar and coconut chutney (as a first course, as it were) and followed it up with masala omlettes served over hot, buttered toast with semolina pudding or sheera together with fruit. Gosh, were we stuffed! But, best of all, we really got to catch up as Chriselle was meeting Ritu and Kinshook for the first time while re-connecting with Deepti whom we had all met last year. Vir has grown up so sweetly. We loved their new home with its spaciousness and its outdoor space and the quiet environs of their locality. After we had also discussed some business matters very cordially, we had to take our leave of our generous hosts and continue on our long way northwards. What a lovely break it was and how delighted we were to have had the opportunity to squeeze in a visit with them!

The Drive Northwards Continues--Montecito and Santa Barabara:

And so, as our journey continued, we made our way along the scenic route, occasionally going past the blue of the Pacific Ocean as at landmark spots such as Malibu. The Pacific Coast Highway is always a joy to drive along and we truly enjoyed it. We had good music in the car to entertain us and we kept our travel spirits up. Just before we got to Santa Barbara (which we had visited before), I requested we drive through Montecito as I have suddenly heard so much about it, being the US residence of Prince Harry. Since it was a Sunday, the place was particularly quieter than usual, but it was still quite interesting to drive around it, to take in the multi-million dollar properties with their high gates, manicured lawns and sprawling gardens. We stopped at a gas station to fill up. The place was called Milpas Motors. We used the facilities and took a few pictures of the antique cars that were parked there for sale—quite swanky indeed--before we continued on our way. As we were all so full, we did not have any intentions of stopping for lunch but kept ourselves snacking healthily on nuts.

Since Santa Barbara was so close by and I was looking for a soap and hand lotion caddied set in TJ Maxx, we stopped in the main street of the pretty town. However, I did not find the items and moved quickly on. Just before we left Santa Barbara, we passed by a Mexican mariachi band crossing the street which provided us with an interesting photo op.

The route was generally quite stimulating visually especially when we passed occasional bodies of water. Of these, Cachuma Lake was especially vast and pretty as we made our way towards Morro Bay. It was not too long before we reached our destination and our accommodation—a place called The Landing at Morro Bay. Yes, it offered wonderful sea views of a very pretty part of California.

Viewing Morro Bay, Glimpsing Morro Rock and Dinner while watching the Buffalo Bills Play:

Just before we arrived at our lodging for the night, we had stopped at In ‘N Out Burgers to pick up dinner as once we reached the hotel, we knew we’d stay put. The Bills were playing tonight and AJ is a huge fan. He and Llew looked forward to catching it on TV. Hence, as soon as we checked in, Llew fiddled around with the TV channels and found the game. The four of us then sat in the same room watching the game as we munched on our burgers and fries and sodas—a true-blue American meal, if ever there was one, as we undertook a true-blue American past-time.

At the end of the day, all that was left was to marvel at our location and to hope that we would explore the huge Morro Rock for which the place is known, on the morrow, in daylight. And on that happy note, we went to bed.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…