No abalone for you - how about some buffalo?

Summer is over. OVER ...and it never really arrived. I've got a garden full of green tomatoes to prove the point. And the perfect punctuation to this atrocity? Abalone season abruptly cancelled for the of the year due to a deadly "red bloom" resulting in a massive die off of shell fish off the Sonoma and Mendocino Coasts. In a word, "craptastic".

However, the summer was not a total loss. Gastro Grrrl and I took several local road trips and found some excellent food and beverage to be had at some hidden gem eateries. Our travels featured 3 closeby valleys: Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley and Redwood Valley, and Gastro Grrrl documented our adventures in expert fashion.

First up was our camping trip to Anderson Valley during the World Music Festival

Enjoying rose at Esterlina winery. Beautiful view and damn good rose made of Pinot Noir. I must say the quality of rose in California has greatly improved of late. 2 points deduction for the somewhat tired cheese puffs we were served.


Breakfast pizza at Anderson Valley Market. Tasty enough, but was lacking "umph". Some chorizo crumbled on top would have done the trick.


Lighting my beard on fire. I only ever used the stove for coffee, as we pretty much subsisted off guacamole and bloody marys. Gastro Grrrl makes a "sludge" which is the base for this most tasty of beverages. I know the secret but am sworn to secrecy. Sorry all!


Next we took a day trip to the Russian River valley hamlet of Duncan's Mills. We stopped off at the Blue Heron - a watering hole popular with the locals, and now with us as well. Here's why:

Cheese n Gravy fries. Echoing Montreal's "poutine", these fries were damn good. A perfect match with a cold beer.


Boyd's BBQ oysters. Boyd can be seen during the weekends, working his mollusk magic out back by the deck. He makes a mango infused sauce that is outstanding when paired with the smokey goodness of the oysters. Another perfect match for a cold beer.


Grillmaster Boyd



A most memorable trip was to Redwood Valley for a Buffalo BBQ. Tons of buffalo top round, marinated for weeks and grilled to smokey, rare perfection. What could be better? It was my birthday! Thanks to all who made it such a great time.


Slice it already!


Hound and Grrrl at Esterlina.



The smiles say it all. Good times, good food and great company. Rinse and repeat as necessary.