Category Archives: General

A Visit to Charlie Palmer Steak and the Archer Hotel in Napa

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The Flannery ribeye at Charlie Palmer Steak in downtown Napa.
The Flannery ribeye at Charlie Palmer Steak in downtown Napa.

The Flannery ribeye at Charlie Palmer Steak in downtown Napa.

Celebrated Chef Charlie Palmer operates a variety of restaurants from coast to coast. But he has only three Charlie Palmer Steak restaurants across the country: New York, Reno, and downtown Napa.

Recently, I had a chance to check out the Napa restaurant inside the Archer Hotel, when I was invited in as a guest of both establishments.

The swank boutique hotel that opened in 2018 on First Street is a perfect place to stay when you want to be in the thick of things, as it’s as easy walk to a variety of tasting rooms, retail stores, restaurants, the wonderful Moulin bakery, the lively Saturday farmers market, the CIA at Copia and Oxbow Public Market.

The hotel is a convenient walk to so many Napa attractions.
The hotel is a convenient walk to so many Napa attractions.
Steph Curry's bourbon whiskey is featured.
Steph Curry’s bourbon whiskey is featured.

The soaring hotel lobby includes a showcase of Steph Curry paraphernalia touting the Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon Whiskey curated by the Warriors point guard that’s a featured spirit at the bar.

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Frankie Celenza’s Take On Argentinian Choripan

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A sandwich that's just meat and sauce -- and perfectly put together.
A sandwich that’s just meat and sauce — and perfectly put together.

The first time I stumbled upon the cooking show, “Struggle Meals” with host Frankie Celenza, he was wielding a fork that he referred to as his “Struggle Whip 9000” and pulling out individual packs of chili flakes, honey and butter from the “packet drawer” in a kitchen outfitted with pink pig figurines everywhere.

I just thought, “What the heck?”

But it wasn’t long before I was hooked by the show’s many charms, and by a guy who obviously had serious knife skills and know-how from working at New York City restaurants.

Now comes his first cookbook, “EAT: Easy, Affordable, Tasty” (Union Square & Co.), of which I received a review copy.

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The Pressroom — Extra! Extra! Read All About It

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The ribeye -- worthy of page one -- at the new Pressroom.
The ribeye — worthy of page one — at the new Pressroom.

Although I was a reporter for 18 years at the San Jose Mercury News, I, like so many of my colleagues, regretted never having had the chance to work in its original downtown location instead of in the larger plant it eventually built on the outskirts of Ridder Park Drive.

However, I did have the chance recently to enjoy the newest incarnation of that historic 1884 building on W. Santa Clara Street, now aptly named The Pressroom, which opened in March.

Created by Nuvo Hospitality, the group behind San Jose’s Dr. Funk and Five Points cocktail bars, The Press Room not surprisingly also boasts the attached and equally on-point Bar Mercury.

The building was the original home of the San Jose Mercury News.
The building was the original home of the San Jose Mercury News.
The adjacent bar.
The adjacent bar.

I have to say I love the way they have paid homage to the building’s past. The 160-seat dining room has soaring ceilings with exposed ductwork, giving it the industrial feel like that of a printing press.

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Zareen’s Irresistible Grilled Chicken Boti

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A home version of Zareen's fabled grilled chicken boti.
A home version of Zareen’s fabled grilled chicken boti.

The first time I had the pleasure of dining at Zareen’s in Palo Alto, my husband and I ordered chicken samosas, thali plates, and an obscene amount of flatbreads.

But apparently, that wasn’t enough. Because just as we began digging into it all, Owner Zareen Khan walked over with a plate of grilled chicken botti, sizzling away on a cast-iron platter and filling the air with the warm scent of garlic, cumin, and paprika. “You have to try this,” she said, proudly.

She was right. It is now a must-order for us whenever we dine there. We’re definitely not alone, as it’s the most popular dish at the restaurant.

You’ll find that “Grilled Chicken Boti” recipe in her new cookbook, “Zareen’s Pakistani Kitchen” (Sasquatch Books), of which I received a review copy.

The book was written with her husband, Umair Khan, who is the founder of Folio3 Software and a founding partner of Mentors Fund, as well as a visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

She and her husband, who met in high school, were both born in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan. The cookbook showcases the Pakistani and North Indian specialties of Zareen’s, as well as beloved home-cooking staples and street-food favorites.

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Watching Over Milk-Braised Pork Loin

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Lean pork loin gets cooked gently in milk -- a lot of it.
Lean pork loin gets cooked gently in milk — a lot of it.

Pork loin is a very lean cut. Good news if you’re watching your calories. But bad news if you’re not careful with the cooking and turn it as dry as shoe leather.

“Milk-Braised Pork Loin” gives you a leg up on that by adding milk — a lot of it — to the equation.

I’ve come across many recipes like this, in which the pork loin is submerged in milk to cover it, then simmered until tender. Those recipes always end with the milk reducing and curdling, a natural byproduct that leaves tasty yet lumpy curds that don’t make for the prettiest presentation.

This recipe differs in that the pork is simmered so gently that the milk never breaks, and remains completely liquid.

It’s from “La Cocina Vasca” (Ryland Peters & Small), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook, which focuses on recipes from the Basque Country, was written by Madrid-born Maria Jose Sevilla, a former lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America, and writer for the award-winning BBC series “Spain on a Plate.”

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