Happy 34th Birthday, ME!

By MAGGIE DING

 For my birthday most years, Kevin is usually on the road and not around to celebrate. But this year, he planned it so that he would be with me by taking me on the road with him.

I've been drinking much more wine lately -- refining my taste now that I'm an adult with children (ha-ha). So I wanted to learn what I like and don't like in tasting. I'm not sure that was fully accomplished on this trip to the Sonoma wine country in advance of the Lakers playing in Oakland -- but at least we now know Kevin's likes and dislikes, as he figured his palate out! :-)

When the planning began, I thought it would be fun to have longtime pal Debs join without thinking it would be possible. But as usual, she made it possible!!! It was fabulous! She brought along Drew, her significant other.

Kevin wasn't stopped by the broken leg he suffered a week ago playing softball. He and I landed, drove straight to The Lodge at Sonoma (stayed in a fabulous cottage with a fireplace -- happy!) with a limo to greet us!



First stop, Gundlach Bundschu (Gun-Lock-Bun-Shoe!)

Second stop: Lunch and more wine at Ledson. Their wines were our second favorite on the day, with a yummy discovery of curry mustard sauce they also made.

Third stop: Chateau Ste. Michelle -- probably our least favorite because everything was too bland and commercialized.

We savored our fourth stop so long that we missed our fifth. It was the fabulous Deerfield Ranch with the tasting room inside a cave. Loved the 2002 DRX and 2007 Red Rex so much that we shipped quite a few bottles home!

Then a super yummy dinner at Ad Hoc by Thomas Keller in nearby Napa.

Before Debbie and Drew left us, we had a great breakfast at Fremont Diner (highly recommend the chicken and waffles, hangtown fries and shrimp and grits). Without them, we went back to scout out Napa further and did lunch at BarBersQ. We had high expectations for dinner back in Sonoma at The Girl and The Fig, and it was super, super yummy: Highly recommend the steak tartare, mussels and duck confit.

The day of my actual birthday we headed into SF to dine at a spot we've long loved: the ever-so-yummy Vietnamese joint La Vie, with their $50 garlic dungeness crab. Then I got quality time with Teddy Liaw at the Lakers-Warriors game, which the Lakers won!

Sedona and Maven stayed behind with A-Gong and A-Ma Ding and were super well-behaved. While we were away, Sedona kept us posted with brief e-mail reports!