A16 - Review of the new Rockridge Location

Another Birthday and another dinner with my fab BrixChicks at A16  on College which last year was Hudson's and the year before that it was Garibladi's.  but  A16 is a name I know and love from lunches and dinners in SF

The Rockridge A16, in contrast to the San Francisco location is bigger, lighter and brighter and most important: A LOT easier to park.  It's meant to focus on the eastern side of the highway closer to the sea so a lot more seafood options.  They had my favorite, grilled calamari.  Zesty southern Italian flair, it was spiced with lovage root, whose almost gingery notes made for an interesting starter. . Followed by tender roast lamb, pink and perfect.  I shared some of Liza's roasted Pork Shoulder---that girl has a knack for finding the "dish of the night".  Succulent, juicy and sauce to spare.  Our server thoughtfully provided a dish of crusty bread for dipping.

The wine list is packed with unfamiliar Italian wines.  But they promote a Sommelier on duty at all times.  We went with Somm Jim's recommendation for wine and were happy with a minerally Pinot Noir like Red wine. 2007 I Custodi, 'Ætneus,' Etna Rosso, Castiglione di Sicilia, Catania .  A blend of  Nerello Mascalese/Nerello Cappuccio/Alicante.  It was good with all our dishes. Thanks, Jim, it worked.  I prefer white wine and would have liked to have tried the Malvasia since they had one on the menu and Liza has been raving about that variety.  Next time.

I almost forgot to mention:  Pizza!  The new woodburning oven burns properly at 900 degrees and produces delicious pizza.  The interesting shears you see next to my perfect martini were dedicated pizza divvying tools.  We had fun sharing such good food and good times.

Well, third time the charm.  I predict the new A16 on College will be there next year when I dust off my birthday tiara ... lucky me ...martinis are perfectly chilled and dry. Expectations for next year...

The Yogurt Fell from Heaven - Visit to Azienda Agricola Zoff,

Culture. Culture. Culture.  In my recent exploration of the wine regions of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, that one word in three contexts proved delightful.  Viticulture.  Yum.  Arts and culture. Awesome.  But another of the contexts is yogurt and by extension, all things dairy.  In college I did an internship in Switzerland, and every since then have been hooked like a meth head junkie on all things European dairy.  If you haven't experienced the creamy, wholesome deliciousness of dairy products that transcend this world.  Well, okay our normal US world, then just another reason to add FVG (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia) onto your bucket list.

Agritourism is a growing field as we travellers look to connect with the land and seek out adventure beyond the "If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium/Let's run through the Cairo museum in 45 min/Art/Culture/Souvenir" pit stops that can sucker you into trying to see everything. Newsflash. By trying not to miss anything, you miss a lot.  Agritourism is a way to reverse that and stop time for a second to savor an experience.

Visiting Azienda Agricola Zoff was definitely a moment to savor in all its contexts.  The stars of the show are the Pezzata Rosso cows that deliver the rich milk that Beppino Zoff and his team convert to wonderful cheeses, butter and best of all yogurt.  The Zoffs have been making cheeses for 15 years as a way of using the raw milk from their adorably delicious cows. They have been raising cows for three generations. Originally, a dairy, they found they could be more successful making the milk into products. We tried several cheeses ranging from fresh to aged for 4 months.  

Caciotta: A fresh cheese that they served both plain, flavored with rose petals and flavored with thyme.  Some other flavors available are elderflower, peppermint, mallow, marigold, sage, rosemary and basil. After 10 days, the fat on the outside of the cheese creates a matrix that is perfect to accept these floral/herbal flavor enhancements. 

Latteria: They served us two selections with different aging.  We noticed a huge difference between 4 days and 60 days.  The aged cheese had nuttier flavors and a deeper richness to its textures. Both were delicious 

But what completely blew us away was the yogurt.  Fresh, creamy, sweetened with caramel.  If any had fallen on the floor I would have licked it up it was that good.  And because each gram contains 1,5 billion probiotic organisms, it's actually an amazing treat that is good for you.  Beppino charmed us with his energy and how he put his passion on the plate.  As he told us, cheese lets you experience not just the terroir, but the culture as well.  Artisanal methods Zoff uses connect you both to that land and to the old ways.  

Azienda Agricola Zoff also has a 5 room guesthouse you can book. More information here

You get the yogurt for breakfast.   They call it "paradise in a jar"  and they are not exaggerating.  I came back with a monkey on my back for the Special "Y".  Glad to say after several bouts of yogurt making, I duplicated the texture more or less and found that Trader Joe Caramel sauce came pretty close to matching the caramel goodness.  Tasty probiotic goodness.  When they invent the Star Trek replicators, it's the first thing I am ordering

To visit:

Farm Zoff Joseph - Farm Borg OCJS 
34071 Via Parini, 18 - Borgnano Cormons (GO) 
CF. ZFF GPP 55P06 D014L PI 00457350312 
Tel. / Fax. +39.0481.67204 - +39.340.3619874 
Email: info@borgdaocjs.it

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Abbazia Di Rosazzo - History in a glass

Located in the town of Udine, Abbazia de Rosazzo has a long history we could see in the architecture as we scurried in out of the rain.  The name translates to: Monastery of roses. Legend says it was started around 800 by a hermit monk named Allemanus, who started an oratory on the present day site.  It was such a culture of peace, that it grew to Abbey status.  When the Benedictines took over, they brought wine and olive oil technology.  These advances moved the Abbey forward economically and it grew  very powerful under the  protection of Rome.  Even the Venetian doge had them make him a special wine. Then Venetians fought to capture the area and the abbey became a fortress, which caused  spiritual decline as warrior monks took over and the peace was lost for many years.

 In 1533, the reconstruction was finished.  After it was rebuilt, an artist was engaged to create frescoes all about St Peter to whom abbey had been dedicated in 1070. The area suffered after World War II as the formerly peaceful lifestyle was disturbed.  People left the area abandoned.  Until Livio  Felluga, who couldn't bear to see the post war depression continue started to bring back viticulture, mixing new modern technology with hard work and a singular dedication toward rebuilding the wine culture in the area.  He is credited with bringing back the Friuli wine region and thanks to his dedication and passion, we can visit the beautiful grounds and taste the lovely wine. 

And the Wine tasted more lovely drinking it in situ with awareness of the history of it.

A blend of Friulano - Pinot Blanc - Sauvignon - Malvasia - Ribolla, it gave me a jolt of terroir.  The wine was pale gold with aromas of flowers and citrus.  It had round mouthfeel with flavors of something tropical and spice.  The finish was medium.  I marvelled at the taste of place it gave me, being able to look out on the terraced ronchi planted by monks, but restored by the visionary, Livio Felluga in 1979.

There is more than destiny of taste. Our guide told us the story of how the original rose of the Abbey present for so many hundreds of years disappeared after World War I.  Turned out, a soldier had brought a cutting to America. nurtured it and in 1929, when he heard of the rose's extinction, sent a clipping back and so the original rose of the abbey is there to this day.  

Pretty? "Slap yo Mama, we're in Italy"- pretty Vista

Make an appointment to visit:
La Cantina Dal Abbazzia Rosazzo
info@liviofelluga.it

Piazza Abbazia, 5, 33044 Manzano Udine, Italy

Phone:+39 0432 759091