Month: March 2023

Whistler, A Winter Wonderland

Table of Contents

INTRO, LOCATION & TRANSPORTATION

Whistler ranks as a top ski destination by TripAdvisor, The Telegraph, Conde Nast Traveller and so many more. Two elements contribute to its world class reputation: 1) the caliber of the mountain and 2) the “Apres” scene. Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains merged in 1997. The easy access to both mountains makes Whistler/Blackcomb the largest ski resort in North America. Here it also ranks as the 7th most difficult ski resort in North America.

Not only can you have a full day of shredding in Whistler, but post mountain, you can hit up high-end restaurants, Irish pubs, and the infamous Longhorn Saloon. If you want a luxury trip, Whistler ranks within the top 10 most luxurious ski resorts in the world and top 2 in North America. It also has many restaurant options, also noted here by ski.com.

Whistler is ~75 miles northeast of Vancouver. If you’re traveling via plane, your best option is to fly into Vancouver International Airport and rent a car. We drive to Whistler from Seattle, which takes anywhere from ~3.5 to 6 hours, depending on border traffic. Look into Nexus to speed this drive time up. If you’re driving in with your dog, a signed rabies vaccine report is needed.

Finally, Whistler is incredibly walkable… arguably the most walkable resort and town in North America. The Blackcomb Mountain Gondola and Whistler Village Gondola, two different gondolas, are less than a few minute walk from the village. Creekside Village, a smaller “town” area is ~2.9 miles, less than a 7-minute drive, from the main village. Creekside has it’s own gondola which is also extremely walkable if you’re staying on that side of town. We’ve noticed Creekside to be less busy than the main village. The map below outlines this a bit more.

LODGING

For high-end accomodations, Whistler has the traditional options that you can’t go wrong with. The Four Seasons and Fairmont Chateau Whistler are in the main village and have great reviews. The Pan Pacific, Sundial and Summit Lodge Boutique Hotels are also great, highly reviewed, centrally located options. In Creekside Village, we really enjoy staying at The Nita Lake Lodge, located right on Nita Lake. It has world class views and a luxury mountain feel. The Nita’s transportation to and from the main village is seamless. All of these hotels are dog-friendly except for Sundial.

If you’re traveling with a group or family, there are many multi-bedroom condo, townhome and home options that (frankly) offer more space and comfortability than the above hotels. We’ve used Harmony Whistler, which has a few dog friendly options, and had a fantastic experience. Their customer service is top-notch and they went out of their way to help us reschedule a trip that was cancelled because of COVID. Airbnb has great options at a variety of price points. Because of the village and mountain’s proximity, you can easily book an Airbnb that’s walking distance to the gondolas, i.e., pretty darn close to ski-in, ski-out, for less money than other North American ski resorts. E.g., Nick and I stayed here for ~$150/night for a week in March 2023. While it isn’t luxurious, it is a 5-minute walk to the Creekside Gondola and Creekside restaurants. It is also clean and dog friendly.

Incredible “Ski-In, Ski-Out” Airbnbs that I recommend are below.

2-Bedrooms

3-Bedrooms

4-Bedrooms

PARKING

If you are not walking distance from one of the Gondolas, here is my google map list of parking options. If you’re skiing on a weekday, you should have no problem snagging a spot. Arrive early on weekends, as parking gets challenging.

If you’re staying at Nita Lake Lodge, the Creekside Lift is a 5-10 minute walk from the Lodge. You can use a locker to store your skis at the base of the lift. They will provide transportation to and from Creekside to the main Whistler Village.

BRUNCH & LUNCH

We usually do not go out for brunch or breakfast on our Whistler ski trips in an effort to maximize mountain time. We stop at Creekside Market on our way into town to get yogurt, bagels, etc. Purebread Whistler and Bred, in creekside, offer incredible bakery. If you forgo skiing one morning, below is what I’d checkout. Everything mentioned has respectable reviews on google and yelp.

Stonesedge Kitchen is a bit hidden off the main village area and offers all of your classic breakfast dishes in a rustic, elegant, mountain environment. Hunter Gather is an eatery and taphouse that serves classic southern food right in the village. Menu highlights include waffles, pulled pork eggs Benedict, and anything barbecue. Southside Diner is a classic Creekside Village diner with everything that you could want from a classic diner spot. The no frills joint is a ~5 minute walk from the Creekside Gondola. I’d visit Peaked Pies for breakfast or lunch. It’s a family spot run spot that’s owned by an Aussie and her Canadian husband.

Joe Fortes, a lunch and dinner spot, recently opened a Whistler village location after receiving much praise in Vancouver. This is a seafood and steakhouse type of high-end joint that also does dinner. Allegedly the lobster rolls are not to be missed. Portobello Restaurant is conveniently located in the Fairmont Hotel and offers casual, yet solid sandwiches, barbecue dishes and Poutine. Finally, if you can get a reservation, word is that Christine’s is a lovely fine-dining experience on top of the mountain. I have not successfully gotten a table yet.

MORE MOUNTAIN INFORMATION

As noted above, the mountain is huge. Your epic pass will work for the Whistler and Blackcomb side. Having a sense of direction beforehand is helpful. Generally, the Whistler side has more beginner terrain. Both sides have abundant intermediate and expert terrain. The Big Red Express, off of Creekside Gondola, and Emerald 6 Express, both on the Whistler side, will take you to some nice beginner and intermediate runs. Nice beginner runs include Pony Trail, Upper Whiskey Jack, Harmony Bowl and Burnt Stew Trail. The Saddle, Harmony Ridge, Symphony Bowl and Jeff’s Ode-to-Joy are nice intermediate runs on the Whistler side.

On the Blackcomb side, checkout Glacier Express Lift and 7th Heaven for additional intermediate runs with nice advanced trails sprinkled in. Remember, the Peak-to-Peak gondola is what you’ll take to get from Whistler to Blackcomb, and visa versa. For advanced terrain, Peak Express, a personal favorite on the Whistler side, offers fantastic bowls.

Regardless of level, if financially viable, I highly recommend booking time with the Snow School. In typical PNW fashion, Whistler has ever changing conditions. One side of the mountain might have zero visibility and the other side might be sunny. As such, snow conditions, e.g., icy versus pow, vary across the resort. Instructors have spent hundreds of hours on the mountain and instinctually know where to go for the best conditions. Having someone tell you where to go will get you more runs and help avoid crowds. Not to mention, you can skip the lift lines on busy days. An instructor will also help you hone technique, again regardless of level.

Overall, Whistler’s mountain offers top-caliber terrain and easily competes with Snowbird and Jackson Hole, but is larger. The only downfall is that the snow can be heavier than Rocky Mountain powder. But, the opportunities for exploration are endless. E.g., Whistler has INSANE runs off the lifts, which require trekking and backcountry avalanche expertise. It also has world-class Heli-Skiing.

HIGH-END DINNER

Whistler has an abundance of fine-dining restaurants. While the restaurants are high-end, remember that it is a ski town, so casual mountain attire is ok. I’ve listed my favorite spots below, all of which I’d revisit. The first three listed below are in the main village. Be sure to make a reservation in advanced. 

Wild Blue

Wild Blue serves “elevated Pacific Northwest cuisine,” which features sustainable seafood and locally sourced ingredients. The inside is modern and swanky, as is the food. We enjoyed dishes like Octopus with nduja, organic beets with miso sesame dressing, winter squash with burrata, fresh scallops and shrimp, a Cavatelli pasta that felt like a grown up, luxurious Mac and cheese, and the famous Lobster entree. Every dish was good, but the lobster was a standout. Don’t sleep on the dessert or cocktails either. AD’s Review: 4.5. 

Alta Bistro

This is tied as my favorite restaurant in Whistler. The interior and atmosphere is nice without being swanky or pretentious. The food will blow you away with creativity. While everything is exceptional, the roasted side stripe shrimp, smoked lamb belly and seared scallop, and brant lake wagyu Babette steak were amongst some of the best restaurant dishes that we’ve ever had. AD’s Review: 4.8.

Il Caminetto

Il Caminetto is a high-end, beautiful Italian restaurant. It has wonderful service and great food. While the entire menu is good, the meatballs and Veal Cheek Ragu + Ricotta Gnocchi are stellar dishes. Don’t sleep on the cocktails. AD’s Review: 4.45. 

The Rimrock Cafe

Rimrock Cafe is my other favorite restaurant in Whistler. It took 3-trips before I made a reservation, because I thought the menu appeared too “standard.” Boy, was I wrong. While Rimrock serves traditional fare, it does so exceptionally well. The service is attentive and friendly and the atmosphere is rustic elegence. The oysters (we got Rockefeller and Rimrock) were terrific, the seared scallops and spiced cauliflower are delicious, and the mixed grill is simply amazing. Ask for the mixed grill with lobster mashed potatoes. The wine selection and dessert are also great. AD’s Review: 4.95.

There are a few more spots that I hope to try on the next visit that I’d still recommend to readers based on reviews and research. I really want to try Red Door Bistro, but have had a tough time securing a reservation. Word is that it’s fantastic. Araxi Restaurant, owned by the folks of Il Caminetto, in the main village is also highly praised. I found their menus to be a tad less interesting, i.e., more traditional, and haven’t prioritize a reservation at these two spots.

LOWER-KEY DINNER

Barn Nork Aharn Thai

This joint is a ~7 minute drive outside of the main village and is located next to The Riverside Campground. It’s the perfect mix up in-between a bunch of fine-dining meals. They only have 2-4 tables inside, so if you dine in, make a reservation a week in advance. Otherwise, it’s a great takeout option. The food is fantastic. AD’s Review: 4.75. 

Creekbread

Located right in the Creekside village, Creekbread serves pizzas with locally sourced, unique ingredients. The pizzas are not traditional, but they’re tasty. The salad is also very good. For two of us, we did a 16″ with half the Mopsy’s Kalua Pork and half the Pemberton Potato Pie. The garlic oil and hot sauce that they give on the side are both addicting. The drinks are good. AD’s Review: 4.5. 

HandleBar Pizza

This brewpub, located right in Whistler village, serves great, no frills, NY inspired pizza and beer. There’s really nothing else to say. AD’s Review: 4.9. 

Bar Oso

Bar Oso, owned by the folks Araxi Restaurant and Il Caminetto, is the definition of trendy. This tapas style restaurant/bar features tasty cocktails and small-bites. The restaurant does not take reservations and serves as the perfect happy hour or early dinner spot. We enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching all the action. AD’s Review: 4.5.

DRINKS

The Longhorn Saloon is where you should go if you’re looking for a lit Apres scene. Admittedly, this place is a bit too “cluby” for me, especially at peak times, so I have yet to pay it a visit. Apres Apres is another “cluby,” popular place. There are also a lot of more low key spots that you can wonder into.

Here’s what’s more my speed… For great cocktails, a cool, swanky environment, I’d recommend The Raven Room, located in Pan Pacific. They also have small bites that are supposed to be really good. I’d also checkout the Mallard Lounge, located inside the Fairmont. Wild Blue and Handlebar, mentioned above, also have sections with fun “bar” vibes.

DO, IF NOT SKIING

Whistler’s village is comprised of many famous clothing brands and high-end ski stores. These include ARC’TERYX, Artizia, Billabong, Columbia, Evo, Helly Hansen, Lululemon, North Face, Patagonia, Peak Performance, Salomon, Smartwool, and many more. But, you get the picture. Whistler also has a nice arts scene. Checkout Audain Art Museum and the Whistler Contemporary Gallery. The Fairmont, which seems to have everything, also has a nice gallery.

For relaxation, spend time at the Scandinave Spa, which offers thermal therapy and massages. If you’re seeking a bit more adventure, visit Canadian Wilderness Adventures for snowmobiling, snowshoeing and dog sledding. They also offer some interesting foodie adventures.

FINAL VERDICT ON WHISTLER

Whistler offers a well rounded trip for skiers and foodies alike. The mountain’s terrain is fantastic and exploring its vastness is an absolute treat for me. Because of this, I’m more than willing to tolerate the wet PNW conditions, even if such doesn’t produce the best snow in the world. The gondolas’ proximity to lodging and the village, make it incredibly convenient for getting on and off the mountain fast. E.g., at North Star, unless you have the budget to stay at the Four Seasons, it can easily take 45+ minutes to get to the first gondola. Whistler has WAY more property options that allow you to be on a gondola within 5 minutes of leaving your lodge.

For folks coming in from east of the Mississippi, travel logistics can be challenging but it is worth it.

The village is very nice. However, Nick and I find it to be slightly less quaint than Park City, our favorite ski destination. Whistler village has more of a super high-end, luxurious “strip mall” or corporate-ish feel.

Nevertheless, Whistler, as a mountain and general vacation destination, is 100% world-class. It should be on your list of ski-vacation destinations.

Our Top Olive Oil Membership Recommendation

Coldani Ranch, in Lodi, CA, produces some of the best olive oil and balsamic that I’ve had. Epicurious classifies them as producers of the “Best high-end” olive oil on their list of Best Olive Oils at Every Price Point here, and like anything, I’ve found that their higher quality goes a long way. Before we delve into further information, it’s also worth noting that Nick’s relatives are the owners. However, I can assure you that there is not any nepotism here. I mention this, because we know first hand that it’s a true family business, i.e., a labor of love.

Calivirgin is the “oil” branch, they have wine, but the oil is where it’s at. We have the Club Calivirgin membership, which means that we get 2-3 bottles per release, with releases being in March, July and November. Through our membership, we get 20% off all Calivirgin & Lodi Olive Oil products.

OLIVE OIL

The Calivirgin Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a fantastic, cold pressed, full, yet light oil. We buy the Calivirgin One Gallon Jug, and use it for everything. They make flavored olive oils, including Basil Crush, Lusty Lemon, Jalapeño, Jalapeño Garlic, Lime, etc, which are often included in our membership box. While these are great, I find myself favoring the original iteration for its simplicity. I do believe that this is the best olive oil on the market. AD’s Review: 5.

BALSAMIC

Balsamic Vinegar: The Coldani Ranch also produces the best balsamic. The Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegars come in flavors like Pear, Strawberry (my favorite), Very Berry, Blood Orange, etc. While I have heard some people critique the thickness of the balsamic, they are thick, this is how I personally prefer it. I find the thickness gives a luxurious taste perfect for drizzling over stuff.

Wine Vinegar: I have not noticed a difference in their Red and White Wine Vinegars compared to other products on the market. We usually get them as part of our subscription box, but I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to purchase these as I would the Olive Oil and Balsamic. They’re not by any means bad, just comparable to other options I’ve had. AD’s Balsamic Review: 4.8.

72 Hours in Palm Springs

Table of Contents

Intro, Location & Transportation

Palm Springs, in the Sonoran Desert, is 141 miles northeast of San Diego and 108 miles East of Los Angeles. It’s known for its mid-century modern architecture and sunny, spunky vibe. Celebrities have flocked to Palm Springs since the 1930s, and there’s no question why. It has fantastic hiking, world-class hotels, great restaurants and shopping, and beautiful winter weather. So, we traded the Seattle winter gloom for Palm Spring’s sunshine and packed a full itinerary into 3-days. We checked into our hotel on Sunday afternoon and checked out on Wednesday morning.

Seattle International airport flies directly into Palm Springs International airport. The Palm Springs airport is small, but many west coast or mountain region airports offer direct flights in at reasonable prices. The airport is ~10 minutes from downtown.

We picked up a rental car from the airport on Sunday for our drive to Joshua Tree early Monday am. We dropped the rental car off after we got done at Joshua Tree on Monday pm. Otherwise, we walked or biked everywhere (most of the hotels have bikes for guests to use). Ubers were more difficult to get than in a large city.

Lodging

Palm Springs has an abundance of fun, luxury hotels. Airbnb options are still fantastic in this area, but for this trip, since it was just the two of us, we felt that the hotel perks made the space to cost payoff worth it (**note, my theory is that the cost:space ratio of a hotel will always be greater than an airbnb, so staying at a hotel has to provide some other value-add to justify this).

Ingleside Inn

We selected Ingleside Inn, a boutique, 4-star hotel located in the up-scale Historic Tennis Club neighborhood. The hotel is adults only, though pets are welcome (Leia sadly couldn’t join us on this trip, as we flew). The Spanish architecture, past famous visitors, including Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra, and iconic Palm Springs styled pool make this a terrific, classic option. Melvyn’s, the hotel’s restaurant, is fairly well-known.

The hotel does not have a spa or gym onsite, but its sister property, The Avalon, which is a 2-minute walk away, does. Ingleside guests can use these amenities for free. Room styles and sizes vary, so prices range from ~$400-$1500 per night depending on selection and season.

The resort passes my would I stay here again test. Though the rooms, or at least the “less expensive rooms,” are on the smaller side, the location, pool and atmosphere make this a definite potential repeat spot. However, there are many other interesting hotels in the area and I will dive into additional options below.

Additional Hotels

There are plenty more worthy hotels than what this list calls out. The listed prices range depending on hotel room layout (most of the hotels have different layouts), season, and weekday versus weekend. All of the hotels have prime, and walkable, locations. As always, for larger groups, Airbnb offers some incredible options.

Korakia Pensione

romantic Moroccan styled resort. Prices and layouts range, ~$300-$900/night

La Serena Villas

laid back boutique hotel. Prices and layouts range, ~$400-$1500/night

Casa Cody

oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs. Prices and layouts range, ~$350-$800/night.

DAY 1:

Below is the itinerary that we followed. Obviously, you can change this as needed.

11:00AM: Visited Sunnylands Center & Gardens, the historic grounds that host global leaders, including most past presidents. We walked the beautiful gardens (free). If you plan in advance, like months in advance, you can get tickets for the Historic Estate.

1:30pm: Grabbed a late lunch at Gabino’s Creperie . The featured Diners, Drive-ins and Dives spot lives up to the hype. We tried the Chicken Pesto and the BBQ Chicken, both are phenomenal. The seating is outdoor only in a cute little pink alley-way. AD’s Review: 4.9.

2:00pm: Walked next-door for ice cream at Kreem, which serves up artisanal, hand-crafted, unique scoops. AD’s Review: 4.8. Then, stopped by the California famous Big Bud Press Desert Shop, also next-door, to check out some groovy clothing items. 

Kreem

2:30pm: Walked to Moorten Botanical Garden and appreciated the cute gardens and cacti (takes ~30 minutes). Then drove 7-minutes to The Palm Springs Art Museum, where we wondered around and enjoyed visiting exhibits from Gabriela Ruiz and Petra Cortright. Both were cool af, but I loved Gabriela Ruiz’s freaky, out of body work. After, we took some pictures of the Marilyn Monroe statue and crawling baby art exhibit.

5:00pm: We had a wonderful home-cooked dinner with Nick’s grandma and her college best friend, who rent a house in Palm Springs every January. We also enjoyed a game of cribbage. For those of you who don’t have grandmas in the area, I would swap in happy hour drinks at Las Palmas Brewing, followed by a stroll through downtown and dinner at French Miso Cafe.

9:00pm: Went to bed early to get adequate sleep for our early morning wakeup call and I promise that it was worth it.

DAY 2

We embarked upon an ambitious journey to Joshua Tree National Park. The park was empty while we were there, which was on Monday from 6:30am to ~11:30am. The area was under a severe wind warning, though enduring the harsh winds and cold temperatures were well worthwhile (it’s rarity to enjoy an empty National Park, which have become more like crowded tourist attractions than avenues to disconnect and appreciate nature). I did not dress accordingly, and recommend bringing a hat, gloves, something to cover part of your face with (I got wind burn), and many layers. As always, weekdays are always better than weekends for avoiding people.

Joshua Tree is, in my opinion, not the spot to set out to rack up hiking mileage and elevation gains. The park has an incredible variety in landscape, as it has two distinct deserts that run through it, The Mojave and Colorado Deserts. The elevation and precipitation patterns between deserts varies, and thus we opted to tackle more of the park’s famous sites to “see more”… especially since we did not have to worry about crowds.

Here is the map which outlines the path that we took and our stops along the way. Keep in mind that cell service is extremely limited at the park, so download your directions in advance. We took the longer way, by ~20 minutes, back to Palm Springs to stop at TKB Bakery & Deli, America’s #1 rated yelp restaurant in 2018 (more on this below).

5:00am: Left Ingleside Inn for Cholla Cactus Garden. The drive is ~1 hour and 30 minutes, so we got there around 6:30am, with time to spare before the 6:47am Sunrise. I am not a “wake up early for the sake of waking up early person,” BUT I 100% recommend waking early for this. It is well worth it.While the hike is short, we ventured around for a while, which was a theme during our Joshua Tree adventures.

7:00am: Drove, ~20 minutes, to Skull Rock. We didn’t exactly follow the AllTrails loop, but clocked in ~the same mileage. We then warmed up in our car for a few minutes, with the heat on full blast, before crossing the street to hike around Split Rock Loop Trail. With any hiking, one should be careful and have experience when veering off trail, but it’s worth noting that exploring off trail and scrambling on some of the rock formations is pretty fun (be careful and know what you’re doing).

10:00am: Drove ~10 minutes to Arch Rock Nature Trail, which was the “busiest” trail, though considering that we did not see anyone else on the other trails, this doesn’t mean much. The wind picked up during this trek, but it remained incredibly worthwhile.

11:30am: Drove to Indio, ~1 hour and 10 mins away from Arch Rock, to eat at TKB Bakery & Deli . As noted above, we took the longer route back to Palm Springs, by ~20 minutes, to stop at TKB, which is short for “The Kid’s Business.” TKB is a true family deli that started in 1991 and rose to well-deserved stardom (I’m sure Coachella traffic helped with this). We ordered the Mexican Marilyn Monroe and Sexy Italian and peanut butter cheesecake bar from the bakery side, which was 10/10. While I can see why the Sexy Italian is popular, it’s safe and neutral, it is not amongst the best Italian sandwiches that I’ve ever had (sorry – no canned black olives for me). BUT, the Mexican Marilyn Monroe was fantastic and unlike any chicken salad sandwich that I’ve had before… honestly it seems offensive to call it a chicken salad sandwich. Get it with the jalapeño cheddar focaccia, which is more of a cheddar bagel texture, but delicious nevertheless. AD’s Review: 4.8. I recommend driving the long way back for this stop.

2:00pm: Dropped our car rental off and had R&R and spa time at the hotel. I enjoyed using The Avalon‘s gym and had a fantastic massage there, especially compared to other one-time “hotel spa” massages that I’ve had in the past. It was conveniently located next to Ingleside.

4:30pm: Walked to The Front Porch , where we sat at the bar for Happy Hour drinks. The cocktails are fantastic. Nick had the Pistachio Old Fashioned, an absolute can’t miss. I had the La Passion Pour la Vie, which was winner of the 2020 Palm Springs craft cocktail competition. The spot also has nice farm-to-table food. AD’s Review: 4.75.

6:15pm: Walked to dinner at Tac/Quila, which is owned by the husband and wife duo that own The Front Porch. I highly recommend having a reservation here, but we got lucky and were seated in ~20 minutes. I had the Refrescado margarita, spicy (Nick opted for a beer) and if salty, spicy margs are your thing (like they are mine), then this might be the best you’ll ever had. We were pleasantly surprised by how great the Jicama and papaya salad was. The braised short rib, lobster, and al pastor tacos were all excellent and this was Nick’s favorite meal of the trip. AD’s Review: 4.8.

8:30pm: Got gelato at Gelato Granucci, which was yet another top spot and walked home to end the night.

DAY 3:

8:30: Ventured to the famous Sherman’s Deli , an NYC-style deli that serves kosher fare all-day, for a traditional breakfast. While we opted to split a simple scramble, portions are large, you SHOULD get the corned beef hash. Solid, classic spot. AD’s Review: 4.45.

9:30am: Walked to our hike, Palm Springs Museum and North Lykken Trail, which we started behind The Art Museum. While this is an out-and-back trail, the turnaround point is right behind The Historic Tennis Club neighborhood, where Ingleside is located. So, when we got to our turnaround point, we walked back to the Inn. The elevation gain is nice, but the rocky terrain and scrambling makes it not ideal for an older crowd.

11:30am: Enjoyed R&R and pool time at the hotel with a kale juice in hand.

1:00pm: Walked to lunch, which was supposed to be at The Farm, also owned by The Front Porch and TAC folks, though because we did not have a reservation, we found the wait time to be too long. We instead went back to The Front Porch, and had a lovely lunch. Try to get into The Farm, it’s a Palm Springs institution.

2:30pm: Enjoyed browsing the funky shops, art galleries and books stores of downtown Palm Springs.

5:00pm: Had more pool time (hey, us Seattle folks have to soak up the sunshine when we can).

6:00pm: Walked to Bar Cecil, Palm Spring’s hottest restaurant. It is difficult to get a reservation here and I set multiple alarms 1-month in advance (that’s when reservations open) to ensure that we’d get in. The restaurant’s buzz is well deserved. The ambiance is lovely. We ate on their patio, which is dog friendly, and it ranks in my top favorite 3 restaurant patios of all time. The inside was equally as lovely. The restaurant was buzzing, yet the service was great. Count on this being a “European style meal,” my favorite way to dine, in that dinner will be ~2 hours and coursed out.

Plated First Course Beet Salad

This “plated” beet salad feels luxurious and impressive, yet is incredibly easy. It requires little cooking, other than the roasting of the beets, which can be done a day or two ahead of time. It can also be made family style. Like all of my recipes, the below is more of a methodology than anything. As always, add or replace depending on taste preferences.

Serves ~4

This is meant to be a high-end, small plate salad. I approximate ~1 beet per person.

Beets~4 beets
Good Olive OilI use Calivirgin
SaltMaldon is best
Lemon~2 lemons
Goat CheeseEnough to be sprinkled on each serving
Fresh Herbs, e.g., Mint, Parsley, Dill, Basil, etc. Enough to be sprinkled on each serving
Marcona AlmondsEnough to be sprinkled on each serving
Thick, Good Quality Balsamic I use Calivirgin

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the stems off the beets. Don’t worry about peeling the beets, they’re easier to peel after they’ve roasted. Wrap the whole beets in aluminum foil (you can drizzle some olive oil over them before hand). Bake for ~50 minutes, or until you can nicely put a fork into the beets (similar to a potato).

STEP 2

Once done baking, let the beets cool and then peel the skin off. If using a peeler, the skin will fall right off. After skinned, cut the beets in thin slices, ~1/2 cm. If making ahead of time, store the beets in the fridge until ready to serve. The salad is best if the beets are fully cooled before serving.

In the meantime, mince 1) herbs and 2) pistachios or almonds, which will be used as garnish. Of course, you can mince these ahead of time to make assembly easier.

STEP 3

Begin assembling the salad ~30 minutes before serving. Lay ~4-5 beet slices per serving, depending on size, on 4 plates. Salt each beet and let the salted beets sit for ~25 minutes before putting the below finishing touches on the dish.

After sitting, squeeze a ~2-3 small drops of fresh lemon juice on each beet on each plate. Crumble and sprinkle goat cheese over beets. Sprinkle a generous pinch of herbs over beets and sprinkle a generous pinch of almonds over beets. Drizzle a tad of olive oil and good quality, thick balsamic over beets. Serve.

TIP: Assemble these in an assembly line format:

  1. Plate beets on all plates first.
  2. Salt all beets (then let sit).
  3. Squeeze lemon over beets on each plate.
  4. Crumble cheese over each plate.
  5. Sprinkle herbs over each plate.
  6. Sprinkle chopped almonds over each plate.
  7. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over each plate.