Move over Alice, Rachelle in Wonderland ( West Marin) & Artisan Cheese

I did not mean to tell a lie. In my last post I promised to continue my "Mustard Tale" but I have some incredible events coming right up, so "Mustard, Part Two" will have to wait...

"Drawn" Down the Rabbit Hole: 

How do you get to Wonderland? I will tell you, happy to. Get yourself to San Francisco, head north on highway 101 over the world's most magnificent bridge, go past central San Rafael, exit at Lucas Valley Road and go west. That is the beginning...

Last Friday, my mission was to travel out to West Marin to the most magical town of Point Reyes to visit the fabulous new Fork at Point Reyes Culinary Center on the legendary Giacomini Ranch. My dear friend and first cousin to my best friend in NYC, Lynn Giacomini- Stray invited me to see the new cooking and education center in preparation for a private tour and lunch this Friday, March 26th. It was so exciting to see a gleaming new "virgin" kitchen, all stainless and shiny, with the mesmerizing hum of new commercial appliances in the air.

Our tour is part of the fourth annual California's Artisan Cheese Festival, March 26th -29th, a rocking four day party at the waterfront  Petaluma Sheraton. Created by my brilliant buddy, cheese expert Lynne Devereaux ( the heart of this shindig) the event celebrates glorious cheeses and artisans from my beloved state. The Friday Tour is sold out, but join me on Sunday the 29th at the Marketplace at my Chefs Demonstration at 11:00 am. Taste incredible cheeses, learn from national experts and oh, the wine...buy tickets now at:
http://www.artisancheesefestival.com/

Back to Wonderland... 
As you travel down Lucas Valley Road, past George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, you come to a great forest of copper and evergreen redwood trees. This is the Rabbit Hole...enter. Come out into a bright planet-scape and continue to Point Reyes.

Point Reyes is a tiny town and a culinary mecca. My visit was to see the Culinary Center and plan a great menu to cook next Friday of Original Blue and Bacon Puffs, Balsamic and Spring Greens Salad, Antipasto Stuffed Picnic Breads featuring Pt. Reyes' Farmstead Cheese Company's new Toma and their fresh mozzarella, Original Blue Stuffed Chicken Breasts and YES, an reputedly excellent Blue Cheese Ice Cream with Balsamic Strawberries! I have never had it, Lynn is making it, I will report back!

Continuing on to the Tea Party...

In this culinary land, the tea party is at Tomales Bay Foods. Really, you must go. Live cheese making, world class local products, an incredible deli. I ducked in and out of the happy crowds to my lunch of a ridiculous Charcuterie platter from famous, fabulous Cowgirl Creamery. Devils' Gulch and Landaff Creamery Cheeses, Fra Mani Salametto, spectacular marinated olives and house made pickled radish and fennel salad. Plus a half - bottle of chilled Chard. Who's mad now, Hatter? You can keep your tea. Add in a Cheshire Cat sighting of one of my best friends , super Swede Marielle and I was all grin.

One Pill Makes You Larger at  the Wild Western

Hmm, 1:30, not going anywhere for hours...prefect, almost surreal day. Natural next step, tequila shot at the Western. From bright and sunny crowds to a dark wild west bar with 3 patrons at the bar and 5 bikers and a biker chick at the pool table. Above the bar hang several photos of Prince Charles and Camilla at said bar. Point Reyes made international news when they visited to learn about the incredible food and farming practices in this area. They did NOT have tea at the Western. A shot of Patron for me. Strange being in a bar in the afternoon, really fun, actually.

Back Again Through the Rabbit Hole: 

As I looked down the bar at the lone guy at the window, I realized the fun of being in a bar in the day time, is, like Alice, you must find your may out. I hope he finds his pot of gold. Something told me that he had stopped looking.

On this, March 23rd my birthday, I am reminded about Alice's sister and her vision of Alice at the end of the story:
She pictured how ( Alice) "would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood, remembering her own child-life and the happy summer days. "

Here's to these ripe years, and adult -life happy summer days...