Do You Like Sake?

Sake lovers rejoice!  If you haven't found this store in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco yet, you've been missing out.  True Sake is the first store outside of Japan that is dedicated to just selling sake.  Sake has grown with the rise of sushi bars throughout the country, especially in the Bay Area.  Although the younger crowd is more use to sake through "sake-bombs,"  it has become as much a delicacy as wine is to other restaurants.  The great thing about the store is that they have such a wide variety of bottles to choose from, small or large.  Each bottle has a description of the sake, what type it is, how it was brewed and a general description of what food pairs best with it.  For the "sake newbies," owner Beau Timken gives each bottle a comparable wine and beer that might match your taste buds.  If you like big cabs or a hoppy ale, the staff can help you match the right sake for what you are looking for.  True Sake also sponsors monthly events where customers can try different sakes and see how they are paired with Japanese food.  If you have never tried sake or are a veteran of tasting, try the store out; you won't be disappointed!  

Green Day Rocks!!!

Green Day happens to be one of my favorite bands in the world.  And I was lucky enough to see them 

perform last night at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA.  The Berkeley trio is set to release their newest album "21st Century Breakdown" in mid May and decided to come back home to play in front of the locals.  They had a pair of shows last week in San Francisco and graced the East Bay in what proved to be a very eclectic night in Oakland.  Mos Def was playing at Yoshi's Jazz Club, Leonard Cohen was at the Paramount Theater and the A's played the Red Sox at the Coliseum.  The band started the sold out show with their entire catalog from the new album.  It proved to be very similar to their last release, "American Idiot," heavy on the political messages, while switching off and on from punk ballads to hard rock.  My personal favorite track was "Horseshoes and Handgrenades."   After pumping up the crowd with all the new stuff,  the boys took a short break, with the crowd chanting for more.  They came back on stage and played an hour's worth of older, more familiar tunes.  The show was a huge success and I'm one of the fortunate to have heard the whole album before it comes out.  As much grief as Green Day gets from some who say they sold out and aren't a true punk band, I know that Billie Joe, Mike and Tre always put on an awesome show and treat their fans like gods.  I'm still amazed that they have the energy to run around, pump up the crowd and play great music each and every time.  If you get a chance to see them when they tour later this year, run to the ticket line and snatch them up before they sell out.  You won't be disappointed.  The Fox Theater is a great place to see a show.  Here's a list of acts that are playing in the near future. 

Finally, Golf!!

So I started this to give you a look into golf in Northern California and haven't even mentioned any courses yet!  

This area has a rich history of golf, from the Monterey Peninsula to Napa and all points in between.  Most of my posts will be on public courses, although I will mention a few private facilities that are must plays in the area if you get a chance to do so.  The first course is in my neck of the woods, The Course at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, CA.  Wente was designed by Greg Norman and was host to a Nationwide Tour event the last three years.  The course provides a challenge for all skill levels, stretching out to as far as 7167 yards from the black tees.  It provides a number of elevation changes throughout the course and is quite unique, with a number of shorter par 4's, reachable par 5's, but also several longer, more challenging holes.  Vineyards line many holes, serving as "natural hazards" for the course and making it key to keep your ball in play throughout the day.  The layout is very well-maintained and pace of play is usually okay, although at times, it can stretch past 5 hours.   Although there is a good variety of holes, a few of the elevation changes make some of the holes a little quirky, including the short par 4 6th and downhill dogleg 13th.  Overall, the course is one of the nicer public tracks in the East Bay Area.  Fees range from $55-110.  Check out their site for more info, tee time information and news and events at their restaurant and concert facility.    

Private Dining in SF--Prive

So I wanted my first official post to be golf related, but had to write about a dining experience I had over the weekend.  I was invited to a dinner by Prive SF, a group that organizes small, private, multi-course dinners in private locations.  I was very intrigued, so I RSVP'd and received my formal invite a week later.  The secret location ended up being a producer's loft in the Mission District of San Francisco.  My girlfriend and I were the first to arrive and we were awestruck by the whole setting!  Everything was perfect.  Our host, Alex greeted us warmly and started us with a glass of champagne.  As more people arrived, everyone was able to mingle, drink and enjoy each other's company.  There was such a wide variety of people in the room, it made the night very interesting.  Once everyone had arrived, we were seated at a communal table next to a wide projection screen.  The screen showed highlights of past dinners and a preview of what we were in store for.  Our first course was an amuse bouche featuring crudo, shaved asparagus, tarragon and citrus, paired with the brut champagne we had been drinking.  

Both Alex and Chef Tom explained the dishes and why the wine pairing worked well with each one.  Another nice aspect was that we were able to take our time with each course, discussing all the intricacies with our fellow "foodie" neighbors.  Our next course (starter) was seared quail, with a poached egg, radish and salsa verde paired with a 2005 Paso Robles Viognier.  As far as wine goes, I'm usually a red drinker through and through.  But if you like a combo of both red and white, viogniers are the way to go.  Chef Tom's next item was a young pea triangole, with a myer lemon and mint sauce, paired with a 2006 Chardonnay.  The dish was well prepared, but this was probably my least favorite wine of the night.  

Our main course was a braised lamb shank, with nettle, lentil and artichoke.

This was paired with a great Italian Red from South Tyrol.  By the way, each dish had this type of artistic look and the plating's were done magnificently.  This was by far my favorite item on the menu!   

We ended with a pair of deserts: "Sweet and Salty", which featured Fiore Sardo, quince, honey comb, sherry and sea salt, paired with a Portuguese Tawny Port.  And Humphrey Slocumbe thyme honey ice cream, olive oil cake and blood orange salad with a 2006 Honig Sauvignon Blanc.  Both deserts and wines were phenomenal and gave our taste buds a little bit of everything.  

We finished the night with more great conversation and wine before calling it an evening.  The experience was one of those truly magical dining adventures that you'll never forget.  It was pricey, but well worth it.  Chef Tom is opening a new restaurant in San Francisco called Flour+Water in the Mission District.  Hence, he and Alex figured this might be the last Prive dinner for awhile.  Here is the info in case they do have more dinners in the future.  Happy Dining and long live PriveSF!!

Let the Journey Begin!

A quick introduction.  My name is Keith Mizuguchi and I work in the golf industry in the Bay Area.  I plan to lead you on an adventure throughout Northern California to the finest public and private courses in this region   I'll include my personal favorites, a few lesser expensive gems and private facilities in case you get the opportunity to play them.  As an avid sports fan, I'll also post blurbs about the sports world in general, including a preview of each week's PGA tour stop.  But along with golf, I plan to also detail restaurants, bars, lodging and the sites and sounds surrounding these golfing venues.  Hopefully, this can be used as a guide for any golf trips in your near future.  So enough warming up on the range, let's get to the first tee!!!