2014 Top Ten List -
A very Happy New Year’s to you and Epiphany as well, this late Tuesday evening, January 6th, 2015! Did you happen to catch the gorgeous sunset tonight? Breathtaking…
Here, once again I offer up my list of 10 or so favorite things from 2014* which I hope will bring you as much pleasure as they brought me. May these offerings once again lead you to good new opportunities to eat, drink & live better!
A word about this list: COMMUNITY. This is not meant to be ‘pro-consumerism’, rather it is meant to introduce wonderful high quality - predominantly local - resources you may have yet to come across. So, have at it, folks!
* Caveat emptor: As always - advance apologies for any incompatibility or disagreement you may experience in accepting one or all of the following suggestions. With that said, let’s begin…
1. EAT/Mangia/Grub IN: Always a bounty to choose from in the beautiful Bay Area we inhabit! Let’s start w home cooking. To enhance all that you eat su casa, stock up on Renaissance Forge blacksmith/chef extraordinaire Angelo Garro’s Omnivore Salt, a proprietary blend of CA sea salt + organic seasonings (we add it to everything); also Omnivore Sauce his latest lip-smacking offering, smoky and delicious, best slathered on crostini or polenta.
2. Umami Mart: a pop-up version in the back room of Perish Trust on Divisidero, behold Miracle Mile yuzu bitters! Say no more…
3. EAT/Mangia/Grub OUT: Actually, I will say more – to credit another absolute fave this year for my new-found obsession with the Asian citrus fruit yuzu: the ever-lovely Marcia & Paul Masse of Masse’s Pastries – on my radar for ages as the epitome of fine patisseries and yet largely unexplored - their yuzu éclairs are TO-DIE-FOR… Also, Nido Kitchen & Bar near Jack London Square area Oakland. De-lish Mexican cuisine made with heart..
4. READ: In her latest book Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent author Mandy Aftel, the fragrance purveyor of Aftelier, discusses her passion with scent, as she hand blends and bottles the finest custom-made fragrances using only pure and natural essences. She’s created an alchemist’s dream world here in her Berkeley studio... I also caught her in fascinating discussion with friend & restaurateur, Daniel Patterson (Coi), at the SFJCC last November – you can check out their video podcast here. The SFJCC lecture series ROCKS!
MY FAVORITE THINGS, by artist/author Maira Kalman, is one of my favorite things... This beautifully illustrated offering by my genius-hero is a slender and fanciful yet thought-provoking rumination on the importance of objects in our lives.
At the risk of flying in the face of the Pulitzer Prize board of 2014 - if you haven’t already read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, please don’t bother (exactly unlike cult uber-fave The Secret History). Here’s what I suggest you do: read the first 25 pages to get the gist of the story; sidestep the entire nihilistic self-immolating mind-numbingly inconsistent and scathingly cynical chewy middle, then skip ahead to the final dozen pages which – inexplicably - become momentarily luminous, eloquent, and revelatory in their insights. Then just call it a day.
Lomelino’s Cakes by Swede Linda Lomelino - this one’s as much READ as it is EAT (plus LOOK, for its beauty) - Heaps of practical + clever, useful baking basics, plus sublimely gorgeous styling and photography to accompany.
5. BLOG/GRAM’G: Lomelino’s Call Me Cupcake! is another daily pleasure to behold; along with the consistently inspired Nicole Franzen @ http://instagram.com/nicole_franzen.
6. FILM: Do you think you know how you’d react in an unexpected catastrophe? Well, if you’re in the mood for a surprisingly quiet film that plumbs the depths of such questions, this intense psychological study of human behavior - as seen through the lens of a Swiss family’s French ski resort holiday - could be for you. Ruben Ostlund’s Force Majeure is a riveting tale, explored from multiple viewpoints, watch esp for the layered performance of Norweigan actor, Kristofer Hivju. Vivaldi’s powerful score is a character in itself. Alejandro Inarritu’s Birdman was pure unadulterated cinematic pleasure from its mostly-single-shot start to finish – not to be missed. Hector and the Search for Happiness the rare film w a non-cynical view of relationships starring Simon Pegg & (newest girl crush) Rosamund Pike, plus dreamy doctor pal played by Barry Atsma, with a feel-good take away. Surprisingly honest spot-on dialogue by Toni Collette – an awesome date movie, people! (In sharp contrast to Gone Girl, also decent, + starring R Pike, however quite possibly the worst date night movie ever.)
7. LISTEN: a pair of Icelandic oddities: IAMBEAR’s hypnotic funk; plus exhilaratingly moody and haunting cellist/singer Hildur Gudnadottir (at the Independent for the last night of Dustin O’Halloran’s A Winged Victory for the Sullen tour). Last, Acid Pauli’s Robot Heart, Burning Man 2014 =FUN not-so-guilty pleasure earworm to groove to (for about 3 hours).
8. STAY: In Napa Valley wine country’s charming town of Calistoga, tucked-away yet hiding in plain sight Cottage Grove Inn is a short stroll from the main street of shops, spas, and restaurants. Located on the tidy tree-lined block sits a double row of individual cottages - the coziest stay we’ve had in forever! In-room wood-burning fireplaces & jacuzzi tubs, bicycles, DVD library, nightly wine and cheese tasting and full breakfast all included… the stellar list of amenities go on and on!
9. VISIT: While you’re in Napa, fancy a day trip to Italy? Jaw-droppingly beautiful Castello Di Amorosa, the 30-years-in-the-making life’s dream of 4th generation Italian-American winemaker Dario Sattui, is an authentically reproduced 13th c medieval Tuscan castle in Napa Valley. The 8 level, 107 room wonder – complete with moat, drawbridge, towers, Great hall, courtyards, stables, dungeon (& torture chamber) - is made solely with original, hand-cut building materials imported fr Europe, fabricated in the old traditional methods.
10. QUAFF: Chartreuse, green a delectable French liqueur, made by Carthusian monks these past 278 odd years, aged and macerated in alcohol with 130 plants, herbs and flowers. And yes, chartreuse as in ‘that’s where the name of the color comes from’ chartreuse, herbal elixir of the gods.
Reciprocity welcomed & encouraged! ~ let’s spread some good news, people! *Deb (Matt & Sadie)
~ wishing for you in 2015: abundance, kindness, clarity, balance, happiness, inspiration ~
FEEL FREE TO FWD THIS if you know someone who might appreciate it! And find more of my musings at debdurant@instagram.com or www.5050light.com
(If you’re receiving this but wish not to - no worries! Just drop me a note so I can take you off of the list. No judgment, just my apologies!)
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deb durant, berkeley