Roasted garlic in vacuum sealed pouches from Christopher Ranch
is a slam-dunk new product. The packaging is a perfect size
– not too many cloves so it won’t spoil in the refrigerator –
and the flavor is great. Nob Hill has ’em along with the best apple
selection on the planet.
Roasted garlic in vacuum sealed pouches from Christopher Ranch is a slam-dunk new product. The packaging is a perfect size – not too many cloves so it won’t spoil in the refrigerator – and the flavor is great. Nob Hill has ’em along with the best apple selection on the planet.
The Chiala Family has one of the most beautiful homes on the South County planet, the former Kodak Estate in the eastern foothills of Morgan Hill. It’s an understated beauty and a perfect way to enjoy it is the Friday evening, July 16 benefit for the Saint Louise Regional Hospital Foundation. Stroll the grounds and enjoy the scenery as well as the wine, hors d’oeuvres and music by jazz vocalist Anna Maria Flechero. It’s $75 for a good cause, a night out and a trip back in time to an inspirational home. Tickets at www.saintlouiseregionalhospital.org or give them a buzz at 776-4510.
Plenty of buzz for the new sushi palace out across the way from Barnes and Noble over by the pool supply store in the Target shopping center. Top-notch flavors, fresh, fun, inventive and reasonably priced is truly a winning combination for Sushi Omakase. Plus, the most favored chef calls himself “SamIam” – and a creative sushi chef with a great sense of humor is a treasure indeed. Sean Kattner, owner and new Gilroyan, delivers a menu with flair that features specialty rolls with a kick. Hot Night Roll: spicy tuna on top of shrimp tempura avocado roll with spicy unagi sauce and chili oil or the G. Clooney roll: Fresh avocado on top of spicy shrimp and crab meat with spicy mayo sauce. Seven Spice Seared Ahi Tataki is a fan favorite, too. Goes great with one of the signature specialty drinks made with Japanese vodka, too.
Specialty local wine pairings will be the order of the day on an expanded and even more dynamic Garlic Festival Cook-off Stage this year. Great idea that fits with the theme of local and sustainability that has taken root under Volunteer President Greg Bozzo’s wing and enhanced by energetic Cook-off Chairman Dennis Harrigan. Next year, perhaps, some more visibility for the Rotary Club wine tent to show off our area’s vintages and a classy expansion to enhance the festival experience.
No reason to wait for the Fest to taste, either. John and Carolyn Aver, co-owners of Aver Family Vineyards in Gilroy, are a special South County secret that’s not going to last long. The Rhone style blends coming from the boutique winery across Watsonville Road from Jason-Stephens Winery are fruitlicious. Taste for yourself on Thursday, July 15 at the “Wine Down” event from 6 to 8 p.m. at D’Vine Jazz & Wine, 775 Cochrane Road, in Morgan Hill. You might see Danielle Fiegel, wine connoisseur and co-owner of the very well-managed Massage Envy franchise in Morgan Hill, there, too. She’s a big Aver fan … hmmm, what about a mini-chair-massage and wine night at D’Vine. Now that would really be a “Wind Down Thursday” attraction.
Downtown Gilroy is apparently attracting more dollars – up 20 percent in the latest sales tax revenue figures according to the city. Rather interesting given all the vacancies downtown. Just imagine what could be if a new, carrot-laden incentive plan for building owners to fix the unreinforced masonry structures took hold. There are downtown gems, too, like Clocks and Collectibles that, when mixed with new business would really form an eclectic and interesting downtown. Clocks and Collectibles, where Larry and Randy make things tick and tock again, is a throwback to be sure. But it’s also a fascinating place featuring skilled workers who are in short supply. Finding people who get broken down clocks to work again, fit wrist watches with new batteries and take care of subtracting a link from a watchband in 180 ticks of a clock is no easy task. It’s all done professionally and efficiently, plus there are cool antique clocks and watches for sale.
Sold out just about is Gilroy Golf Course pro Donny DeLorenzo’s 25-year anniversary tournament on Saturday, July 31. Proceeds to charity of course, befitting the gregarious pro’s generous nature. Hard to believe he’s been running the local links for a quarter century. Should be one heckuva party with plenty of good memories shared. Let the DeLo roast begin …
Dave Perez will, no doubt, be there. Wife Jenny just tried Mr. Perez’s chili verde recipe, borrowed from the “Any Bozzo Can Cook” book authored by “SamtheMan” Bozzo and fellow Italian Geno Sakahara. Man, that’s good stuff. If you like to look good and eat well, you can get a haircut and pick up a copy at the Looking Good Salon from Loretta or Jill so you don’t have to cart a copy around the Festival after buying it at the Mercantile booth. Buy six and the haircut is half off …
Special sale, by the way, on the 2007 Herbie Bobbleheads. There’s 100 of the little fellows at the Garlic Festival office clad in Garlic Fun Run centipede-style running shorts. $10 for a collectible Herbie.
Not sure what the Tim Lincecum bobblehead to be given away to the first 20,000 fans through the turnstyles at AT&T Park on Saturday, July 17 will go for on eBay, but I’m pretty sure the two-time Cy Young Award winner for the giants thinks he’s Sampson. What else could it be? That hair is just godawful … calling Loretta in from the bullpen …
