Bridge and Moon — San Francisco, California

[Submitted from Stephen Boyle -- Stephen Boyle Photography]

I took this photograph on the night of a full moon in February 2006.

I started the evening up on the Marin headlands with a group of fellow photographers. Afterwards, we headed into The City, and later parted ways. After
midnight, as I was driving north over the Golden Gate bridge,heading back to Sonoma county,
I decided to go back up onto the headlands by myself. That’s when I took this photograph of
the bridge, city, and full moon.

As it turns out, I was not the only photographer taking pictures
well after midnight. If you look closely at the ridge to the left of the bridge, you’ll see another
photographer with his camera and tripod aimed towards the city.

This photograph was taken as 2 separate exposures. The exposure of the moon required a
shutter speed of 1/125th of a second. The exposure of the bridge required a shutter speed
of almost 3 minutes.

Francis Ford Coppola Interns and Fois Gras

My friend Mitch wrote me last year and told me he and an his familial entourage are taking a tour of Napa Valley. He forwarded me their itinerary and asked if I knew anything about the wineries on the list:

• Domaine Carneros
• Tour of Napa, boutique wineries
• Rubicon Estate
• Clos Pegase

So, even though I know nothing about these wineries nor the wines, I wrote him a long and convoluted email back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hhmmm….

Carneros is an appellation that is known for their Chardonays and Pinots. I’m guessing they capitalize on the hot days and cool breezes…but I don’t know if they get the cool breezes from the Bay or from the Petaluma Gap.

…quick google search says from San Pablo Bay.

I know about the Carneros Inn because the lady at PlumpJack Cafe wanted me to send Bush-Field Pinot there. …now a google search indicates that the Carneros Inn is part of the PlumpJack family and probably resides in the Carneros appellation…and has nothing what-so-ever to do with Domaine Carneros except the proximity. So–you’re going to have to let me know what you think. Judging by their website, you’ll be suitably impressed.

Rubicon…that’s the sister winery (or parent winery?) to Rosso & Bianco Winery. Rubicon is the original FFC (Francis Ford Coppola). Cindy (my housemate for a few months last year) was the winery intern at Rosso & Bianco for the harvest season 2007. She toured Rubicon in late August for a day. She says it’s much nicer than Rosso & Bianco .. except Rosso & Bianco is pretty damn nice (see: An Afternoon at Rosso & Bianco Winery).

Oh. Side note—Francis Ford Coppola apparently started a community concert band in St. Helena. He plays the tuba.

Other than that…I know nothing about their wine. I do know, however, that I don’t like the new Rosso & Bianco label….it doesn’t pop. The label is red and sits on a red bottle. It disappears on the shelf.

Here is a picture of the winemakers from Rosso & Bianco Winery in my back yard. We had them over for dinner! One night last summer, Cindy made an evening of French cuisine local to her region in France. She invited her colleagues. That was a funny story.

She’d brought over some homemade preserves. Her family are farmers–so everything is grown and preserved right there on the farm. One thing she’d brought over was her Mum’s foie gras.

Everybody was tasting a bit of this and a bit of that and somebody asked her how she made the foie gras. (Keep in mind, that when she arrived, she spoke in broken English–she now speaks in less broken English–but she has greatly improved).

She said:

“At my parents, we have ducks.”
“In the spring, we start to feed them a lot of mais…What is mais?”
“Corn,” we piped up.
“Ok. So. We feed them corn. A LOT of corn. Maybe three of those bowls a day.” She pointed to a dish on the table.
“Ok,” We said. “So you feed them a lot of corn.”
“Yes,” She continued: “They eat a lot of corn for two or three months then…bup!” She motioned with her hands like she was cutting off their heads. “Bup! We harvest them.”
“What?” We exclaimed. “That’s it? You harvest them?”
“Yes.” She nodded her head. “We harvest them. We kill them and take their liver…and…Voila! Foie gras.”
“Don’t you do something to their livers? You know, before we eat it?” We asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “Harvest the liver. Put it in the jar. Cover it with oil and Voila! Foie Gras.”

Nobody ate the rest of the foie gras. We just let it sit on the table while we ate the gratin and salads and prunes—even though they were harvested in much the same fashion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So. That’s it. That’s the story about how I know nothing about Domaine Carneros and Rubicon Wineries. But, I do know a little bit more about Foie Gras.

The Cheese Shop: On the Map

I meet Doralice through Spence. I met Spence one day in front of Dan’s Soda Rock Farm stand at a Tuesday night Farmer’s Market. Mateo was sweet taking Dan to get his order by Thursday, and Spence wanders over to join the conversation … but more probably just to buy Dan’s tomatoes.

Regardless, I’d never met Spence before that evening. When he finds out I’m working on this website, he says: “Hey, have you checked out Late Night at Scopa?”

And I reply that I’ve never been invited to “check out late night at Scopa.”

He scoffs and says, “You don’t need to be invited. Just show up.”

I’m leery. Even though I’ve been living here since 2001, I’m a pretty private person. I like to hang out and have back yard dinners with friends.

He tells me: “7:30. Friday. Be there.”

So I just show up. He’s sitting with someone he introduces to me as Doralice, from The Cheese Shop. And I get excited because I’ve been by her shop over on Center Street a few times (to buy cheese for the Tuesday nights in the Plaza and to ask if she’d like to be on my map). But I’d never been lucky enough to meet her.

I tell her, “When I talk to people and tell them what I am doing and who I’m targeting, they all say: Oh…you have to get the Cheese Lady on your map!” So I was excited to meet her in a social setting where I can explain a bit more about the purpose of my site and the purpose of the map.

We had an awesome evening. Talking and chatting. And I’m a definitely a chatter. And I definitely have to go back to Scopa. The only thing I remember were the meat balls…and the fact that the lady next to me exclaimed, “Oh, You’re The Cheese Lady!” when we introduced ourselves to each other.

I told her I wasn’t prepared to sell my map that evening, but I would stop by on Monday with my wares and present myself more accordingly.

When I arrived at her cheese shop on Monday, I started presentation. But I could tell she was still concerned over who I was and what I was selling. She questioned me on the distribution. She questioned me on the timeframe. She is a good business person.

I eventually just stopped my presentation and said, “Know what? It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to be on my map. I just wanted you because you’re a different part of Healdsburg and my goal is to showcase everything different about Healdsburg. It’s OK. If you can’t support me this time, there’ll be another edition. I’m just starting.”

I left thinking I wouldn’t get her sponsorship this time, and I was wondering how I could better answer her questions and get her sponsorship next time.

Later that evening, I received an email through Facebook. Doralice had gone to my site and read about my map project. She was willing to sponsor an advertisement for the first edition.

THANK YOU DORALICE!!! Welcome to the Healdsburg Map.

Zack Gemmell Photographs Pedro Rusk at the Wine Shop

I met Zack Gemmell in the Wine Shop last Saturday. He was preparing to take a few pictures of local Pedro Rusk, manager of and buyer for the Wine Shop in Healdsburg.

Zack is a student photographer from Brooks Institute of Photography. He was here in Healdsburg last weekend because his good friend Ron Montbleau was renting a house on West Dry Creek Road and had invited Zack to stay.

“I had an assignment to do over the weekend so I walked down the street and the first place I came to was Pedro’s “The Wine Shop” and he was completely open to the idea of me shooting some portraits of him.”

Zack submitted two photos of Pedro to the Day in the Life event:

Pedro Rusk poses for a portrait The Wine Shop in Healdsburg, California on July 19, 2008.
Pedro is a wine connoisseur and knows many local growers.
(Photograph by Zack Gemmell/Brooks Institute of Photography)

Pedro Rusk serves a glass of wine in The Wine Shop in Healdsburg, California on July 19, 2008. Many of his friends come to visit him throughout the day.
(Photograph by Zack Gemmell/Brooks Institute of Photography)

You can view more of Zack’s photographs at www.zackgemmell.com.

Trees and Figs and Surprises

You never know who you might be talking to when you’re in Healdsburg. The other day I was on my morning walk–just getting some exercise before I started my day and this big old truck pulled up to the side of the road. I looked through the windshield and saw Mike Mahoney’s face peering back at me. He leans over and winds down the passenger window. “Hey–I’m going over to trim some birch trees at Julie’s. Come watch!”

And I don’t think I have anything to lose, I might get a story. I climb in the rickety truck and we trundle over to Julie’s house. He meets his helper and they start assessing the trees he needs to trim. He tells me: “They’re dying. I told her a few years ago they’re going to have to come out. But she’s been watering and fertilizing..and they actually look pretty good. The tops just need to come off.”

They start to get busy, and I have a meeting downtown at 11:00 am. I walk back to my house, change, get my meeting things together, and head back downtown. I stop by Julie’s house to check on progress.

They’re all done. The trees are topped. The yard is cleaned up. Everything is chipped. I go round back to inspect the handiwork.

Mike points up to the top of a tree and shows me where he’s cut just above a bird hole. “I saved a blue jay’s home.”

His helper comes round to talk with us and brings a hand full of figs from Black Mission tree in the back yard. We peel the skin back and start munching on them.

“How can you get better than this?” I ask. “Fresh figs. Right from the tree.” I pry one in half and suck out the inside. Thinking you can’t really get a much tastier fig.

“Stuff it with a bit of goat cheese and wrap it in pancetta.” Mike’s helper says.

Turns out he used to be a chef at Bistro Ralph.

Feet at Window — Provence, France

[Submitted from Stephen Boyle -- Stephen Boyle Photography]

In the summer of 2000, I spent some time in Provence, France. One of the towns that I visited was Arles - I wanted to see the cafe depicted in Van Goch’s famous painting “Cafe La Nuit”.

The atmosphere in Arles, as in most of the towns is that area, was perfect for relaxing. There are so many wonderful outdoor spaces between all the narrow streets and alleyways. I spent most of my morning wandering from one sidewalk cafe to the next, reading, sipping coffee, and people-watching. Just relaxing in general.

I finally decided that it was time to pick up my camera and go in search of some inspiring images. As I headed down a long narrow street, I looked to the very end of the street, and two stories up I saw this open window. The only things I could see in the window were two feet and what looked like a newspaper. I thought, “Ah. Another person relaxing in Provence”. I took this picture, returned to the cafe that I’d just left, and went back about my business of reading, sipping coffee, and people-watching.

Two-Drink Minimum: Two Cocktails Recommended by Shana

Scott Beattie has certainly raised the bar for cocktails, not just in Healdsburg, but all over the United States. His soon to be released book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus (you can pre-order it on Amazon) is all about using local ingredients to create unique, fresh custom cocktails. Though I have still not visited Cyrus to try one of his signature cocktails, I have enjoyed my fair share of beverages at many other establishments in Healdsburg.

Months ago I discovered my favorite cocktail — A hand-made Blueberry Lemondrop by Anthony DeMaria in the Hotel Healdsburg lobby bar. Anthony hand muttles the blueberries ending up with a Hotel Healdsburg signature cocktail that is so good it can be dangerous.

Currently, they are making the same drink with blackberries, lime juice and tequila, so ask for a Blackberry Limedrop and they will make it for you.

Selecting a second favorite cocktail was a bit difficult because I am in love with a few different drinks from a few favorite bartenders. Chelsea and KC’s Mojitos at Ravenous are deliciously refreshing, while the Pineapple Lemondrop from Daniel at Willies Seafood & Raw Bar is tart and quenching. In the end, I had to go with an old favorite, that Erin Beecher from the B&B Lounge calls a “Hibiscus.”

It is a combination of Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Blanc de Noirs and cranberry juice with a splash of orange juice for an extra tangy kick. Ever since I tried the combination of sparkling wine and cranberry juice one Thanksgiving, I fell in love with this nameless drink. Erin randomly poured it for me one day and named it a Hibiscus. If you are looking for a zesty pick-me-up, visit Erin during the day on a Saturday and she will make this drink for you, or a spicy Bloody Mary that will cure any hangover better than any espresso.

Visit either one of these establishments and tell Anthony or Erin that Shana sent you…. Oh. and don’t forget…tip your bartenders.

Hotel Healdsburg Bar: 25 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448
The B&B Lounge: 420 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448

What Do You Like to Eat, Healdsburg?

My friend Sean told me the other day he’d visited each and every of the 53 eateries in town (not on one day–but over the course of the last few years). And I realized that every Healdsburgian probably has something to say about each and every one of these places.

You live here, my friends. Who knows better than you what you like to eat and where.

So, I just thought I would ask. What is your favorite menu item at any of our local restaurants?

Please leave a comment at the bottom of this article.

You can leave an anonymous comment if you aren’t comfortable using your name. Just fill out anonymous in the name field and something that resembles an email.

I do have some guidelines though. If you want to comment on somebody else’s comment, please respect their opinions and experiences. In other words, don’t dis another commenter. Talk to them as if they were in the same room as you…not a faceless person from the internet. Present your own perspective.

That’s it. What do you think Healdsburg? Where do you eat? What do you like on the menus?

The Benefits of Being on the Healdsburg Map

I’ve been around Healdsburg an awful lot this summer and I’ve been talking to locals and business owners alike. And lately about I’ve been talking to business owners about advertising on my Map of Healdsburg project I’m working on with Hotel Healdsburg.

The concept was that I would make this printed map as a starting point for the advertising revenue structure for the website. I’ve had to figure out my story. I’ve had to sell myself. What I was surprised at–however, was that I had to sell the benefits of being online.

Maybe I haven’t made myself clear when I’m pitching my ideas and what I’m trying to do. But basically, here are the benefits to advertising on the first edition of the printed Healdsburg Map:

• The printed map will be distributed by Hotel Healdsburg and any other subsequent advertiser and distribution point I can arrange for as long as 10,000 copies last. I’m only charging $150 for the space. Some people feel that’s too much. Some people feel that’s too little. Regardless, that’s the fixed price for the first edition.
• The map will appear in various multimedia forms on my website.
• I also want to use the content from my first 60 advertisers to structure my content strategy and advertising on this website for the next few months.

Let me explain the benefit of appearing on the website. You’ll be in my archives and any subsequent stories I publish about you or your business will remain in my archives. When I eventually get my ranking strategy sorted out, and people find my site (and therefore your business), not only will they see your “paid advertising”, they will also see all relevant content (stories, pictures, what have you) that gets published along with it (related articles, random posts). For example, check out the bottom of this feature article on Mateo Granados. This is called long-tail content (content that gets found-even after it’s been published (or printed) and has moved off the home page.

Also, I’d like to start educating Healdsburg about building out your websites to incorporate some web 2.0 features. For some people–that means blogging. For others, it means developing either an internet marketing strategy or a content development strategy. It means telling your story NOT ONLY TO THOSE people who walk through your front door, but to anybody who WANTS TO COME TO HEALDSBURG. Why wait for them to walk by? Until you actually have a mobile presence and then–you can do that. But that’s another topic entirely–don’t get me started there.

Regardless, I have found that Healdsburg has an appalling lack of quality content on the internet. HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOU? And where you are? And relate that to wanting to meet you when they do spend the time and money to visit?

I started this site to showcase everything local and interesting about Healdsburg. With the MAP project, I’m adding some historical depth to the content (mainly about wine) existing already out there. Without stories and history, where would we be now? I’m working with Bo Simons–the Wine Librarian. We have some great content planned. I’d like to work with the Healdsburg Museum–researching and writing about some interesting historical buildings and characters–there is so much potential–it just all takes time and support to build something with integrity that is authentic and useful.

So. That’s my plan. I hope you support me as I am trying to find ways to support you. It’s sort of like that quote from Bottle Shocked: “If one wins, we all win.”

The Healdsburg Community: Real and Virtual

I’ve spent some time over the weekend working on showcasing more local voices. I started an RSS aggregator for those who are already blogging (or if you have an RSS feed on your business website). Check it out: Local Blogs. Oh…and if you already have a blog and I am already feeding your RSS…I wouldn’t mind some link love (thank you very much).

If you don’t have a blog but want to start one…I recommend WordPress.com. If you’re intimated about starting, let me know–we can start a blogging circle.

Also, I’ve spent some time over the weekend and a few moments now creating some community forums for you. Check them out: Classifieds.

I was thinking you could start some interesting discussions (about local politics or about federal politics or about public schools–and, if you don’t start one about the local schools, I most definitely will!).

You can list your mommy groups and activities.

You can also list your business or service in the Services forum.

I added (upon request), Missed Connections and Personals (because that could lead to some fun reading.)

Personally, I’m looking forward to the impending rants in the discussion forum.

I’m probably missing categories, but if you let me know what you need, I’ll create it for you. Also, if something isn’t working…you have to let me know. Everything looks peachy-keen on my end.

Come on Healdsburg. Let’s get you online.

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