I’m a little behind on my postings but I guess it’s better late than never.  Last weekend Brother and Joy came up and we had a good time eating, drinking, exploring, and drinking some more.  On Saturday morning we went to the Ferry Plaza to check out the Farmers’ Market.  We got to taste lots of yummy fruits and samples and checked out the cute stores inside.  Unfortunately the peanut monster attacked the Brother again and he ended up having to yak in a quiet corner into a plastic bag.  Poor guy.

Later that morning we headed up to Napa.  We stopped for lunch at Genova and then headed to Nickel & Nickel for their Cabernet Release Party.  They served 11 wines along with a spread of cheese and appetizers.

It was set in one of their underground cellars and even had valet service and a red carpet entrance.

We went home with a pretty wooden box filled with our favorite wines and a good buzz that lasted the rest of the afternoon.

We tried to stop at Mumm for a champagne tasting before dinner but they were running so behind that we decided to head out before the waitress was able to say hello to our table.  For dinner we went to Ad Hoc, which is another one of Thomas Keller’s creations.

It’s a casual restaurant offering a different menu each day and serves everything family style.  It was complete with a salad straight from The French Laundry garden, succulent lamb and potatoes, savory cheese with honey, and two different desserts!  The Bangs joined us but they had to get a separate table across the walkway.

On Sunday, we ventured out to Chinatown for jook and fried dough at Washington Bakery & Restaurant.  Mmmm…that really hit the spot.

We also walked around looking for cheap t-shirts and visited the Fortune Cookie Factory.

Afterward, I took them to Bi-Rite Creamery and then Fisherman’s Wharf for some snacks before their flight back to LA.

Here are more photos from the weekend (including Debbie’s birthday dinner).  And here are photos from our day in Napa.  It was fun seeing you two again!!!  Come back soon!