Tag Archives: wine

Top Shelf

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I would like to introduce everyone on my corner of the internet to my friend, Tucker.

My friends Emily, Tucker, & their son Atlas

Tucker is not shy in saying what he feels, which I find very refreshing. He is one half of a duo I have known quite a long time. I first met Tucker and his significant other, Emily, when she moved in to our college home rather unexpectedly. I had spent days alone in the house unpacking and was busy nursing a bowl of cereal in my pajamas when an entire, bright-eyed family walked into the living room. I sat there stunned, staring across the way at an awkwardly small tv screen, accutely aware of my bed head and how deranged I probably looked to my new housemate’s family. Fast forward about 10 years and all of us still keep in touch.

He often shares the most concise, no-nonsense pieces of advice he gleaned from his days in the military. Gems like: “Giving a shit is a choice.”

But Tucker holds the record for perhaps the nicest thing a guy friend has ever said to me when I was feeling down:

“Eva: you are a top shelf bottle of wine. Why are you putting yourself on the bottom shelf?”

Of course, there were some choice words after that that he used to elaborate (“All the douchebags are reaching for you on the bottom shelf! C’mon, dude!”), but I’m sure you get the gist of it. This is something I continuously ask myself when I find myself all too frequently baffled by other people’s behavior. There I am, sitting with my fancy label next to the bulbous jugs of Carlos Rossi sangria wondering why I’m apparently unloveable. Some people are there just for the cheap sangria, and I guess I’m just not your lady if that’s what you’re looking for. Case in point: there are some people in life that you’re better off without, but that’s a hard lesson to learn. Unless you fully isolate yourself from that outside world, I think one that it’s one we continuously learn.

Throughout the years, my friends have seen me through a lot of ups and downs–we’re talking forcibly putting cookies in my hands whilst I ugly cry, topping off my holiday coffee with a little more Baileys in the name of “pain management,” and even helping me clean my house when I’m feeling too down-in-the-dumps to function. Seriously. Please imagine my friends determinedly swiffering around me as I lie on the ground on the fetal position. If I hadn’t been so nonfunctional at the time, it would have been quite comical. But, it’s moments like these that make me so grateful to have a community of people that support me so unconditionally. They’ve seen me at my lowest, and even taken care of me when I was sick. They’re the kind of people you hope to have by your side in life.

Surround yourself with people that meet you on the top shelf and know you belong there, too.

You’ll know where to find me.

EVA ♥

Urban Night Market

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Hello all!

Growing up in the Bay Area, I can often remember times where I felt like there was absolutely nothing to do on my little island. Granted, the only movie theater in my town closed when I was in elementary school, and only reopened long after I had left for college. Luckily, things tend to change quite a bit when you return to your hometown as an adult. While I’m still spending a ton of time around the studio, most of my leisure time goes to exploring the area- visiting the newest restaurants, meeting my friends for a cocktail, and finding the best cup of coffee. Of all the places out there, one of my favorite has popped up where I would least expect: the old Navy base right here on Alameda.

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It’s Rock Wall Wine Company!

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Rocking my favorite new signature Alameda hat from Honour brand.

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In addition to the usual tasting room and cheese plates you might find at any winery, Rock Wall boasts an amazing view of the San Francisco skyline. On occasion, they host events, like the Urban Night Market I recently went to. Complete with drinks, food trucks, aerialists, local vendors, and much more; it was quite a nice way to spend an evening on the island. When I tell my friends from out of town about the hidden gem that is Rock Wall, they immediately assume that something like that (Local wine? Lobster rolls? Views of the Bay Bridge?) must be on the expensive side. Not only is it affordable, but it’s relatively accessible, once you figure out where on the base you’re going, that is! When you’re there, make sure to take the time out to visit the historic aircraft carriers, St. George distillery, and the famous Alameda Antiques fair. What can I say? It seems my little island in the bay is up-and-coming!

EVA♥

Five Things

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Hello all!

It’s been far too long since my last Five Things! Thankfully, the internet in my apartment is fully up and running (huzzah!), but I’ve been living the true 20-something life lately, and only using my apartment to sleep/occasionally chug coffee in. Even with all the running around, I’ve still been able to grab the occasional snapshot of my life. In case you haven’t realized it by now, I really enjoy food. Perhaps a bit too much. So, without further ado, I give you: Five Things!

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If you haven’t yet been to Craftsman and Wolves in San Francisco, you are missing out. Although it might be the most hipster bakery I’ve ever seen, their highly curated selection of pastries and sandwiches are just as tasty as they are beautiful. In case you’re wondering the dessert above is some sort of strawberry, lychee, early grey-cake-thing. Don’t ask questions- just eat.

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During my long internet drought, I amused myself by making massive dinners, like the above pictured turkey nachos. It would have been somewhat healthy had it not been for the whole chips/cheese combination. Delicious nonetheless, especially when paired with a good book! (And yes, I like to eat dinner in bed sometimes. Don’t worry, you will find a plate under all that food and foil.)

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My mother and I celebrated the most recent Mother’s Day with a little wine and cheese from our local Rock Wall Winery. It’s quickly become one of my favorite spots in town.

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If you happened to walk around San Francisco’s city hall lately, you might have noticed the giant inflatable bunny art installation happening outside. I’ve been told that they’re meant to represent the environmental destruction wrought by settlers in Australia during the late 1880s. Apparently, those bunnies can wreak some havoc.

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An amazing poke place opened up just a short walk away from my office. Ever since my first trip to Hawaii, I’ve been mildly obsessed with poke. It’s the perfect indulgent meal, while still feeling light. This serving was so big, I ended up eating it in shifts. I opted for some spicy salmon over brown rice, although you might not be able to see it quite well under the mountain of toppings.

EVA♥

Girls’ Weekend

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Hi all!

My friend Emily made a quick jaunt from her home in AZ to the Bay Area for work a while back, and I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with her. I wish I could say that the weather here behaved for my desert-dwelling friend but alas, that is not at all the case. However, I can’t remember the last weekend I did so many fun things! We certainly made the most of it.

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I tried…okay. My giant hand is in the shot, and such is life. What matters is that we’re ecstatic about our coffee. Also, can we also take a minute and gawk at Emily’s vintage earrings. So sparkly!

Meanwhile, outside….it consistently looked like this:

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Windy, dreary, cold buckets o’rain. But, that didn’t stop us from having a good time!

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Friday’s itinerary involved delicious sushi and drinks at Prizefighter in Emeryville, where the rain let up enough for us to enjoy the patio and meet countless dogs. Saturday involved a pit stop at Trouble Coffee before popping on the freeway and heading to my favorite places in wine country. I finally got to sink my teeth into the ahi burger at Gott’s, albeit hiding from the rain with dozens of other people outside. We followed lunch up with some wine tasting at one of my new favorites in Yountville: Jessup cellars. We almost walked away with a totally indulgent bottle of port- amazing when paired with disks of dark chocolate. I highly recommend checking them out, if you’re ever in the area!

We ended the evening with drinks and dancing at Blondie’s in San Francisco’s Mission district, followed up by late-night tacos at Pancho Villa. Emily was a good sport when I dragged her out of bed early the next morning to grab dim sum at a local spot. I would like to think that her first dim sum experience was worth the early morning. Look at that expression! That’s how I feel when I get up and get to eat egg custard buns too. After eating, we zipped across town and got our nails done to start the next week off right.

EVA ♥

Five Things

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Hello everyone!

Five Things is back! I’ve missed sharing my day-to-day snaps of random things that pique my interest. Photography is not at all my strong suit, but I’m aiming to get better at it. Thank goodness for the nice cameras on the iPhone 6! Without further ado, here are the latest “things”:

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I couldn’t help but take a photo of this beautiful display of flowers in a home decor store in downtown St. Helena. Real or fake? I leave it up to you.

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I recently got a chance to catch up with some old co-workers of mine on the back patio of one of my favorite spots in Hayes Valley. We each ended up ordering a different color of wine. If you guessed that the Sauvignon blanc belonged to me, you are correct!

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My world-traveling friend Rachel brought this little treat for me back from her recent jaunt to Argentina and Antarctica. While we knew it was a cookie, we had no idea what flavor. Apparently Tita is an Argentinian chocolate-covered, lemon cookie sandwich. You learn something new everyday.

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My friend Emily was in town recently, and I dragged her all over the entire Bay Area in search of impressive food and drinks. We actually ended up making two stops at Trouble Coffee in West Oakland, if for the toast alone. Pictured above is their peanut butter and honey variety, but my favorite is easily the cinnamon toast. Nom.

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Image c/o Pinterest

The boss lady and I have been pinning our hearts out on Pinterest lately, and enjoy sending each other things. The above image ended up in my messages one morning with the caption “For my traveler.”

Until next time!

EVA♥

Five Things

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Hello everyone!

It’s been a long week, but we’ve made it this far! Happy Wednesday. Funnily enough, despite resting up sufficiently this last weekend, I somehow have enough energy to unnecessarily exhaust myself all over again during the day. Take today for example: all I had was a quick, 10 minute jaunt on the freeway to get to an appointment. What do I do instead? Take a wrong turn that includes a 20 minute detour in the complete opposite direction that I need to go. When I finally got to my destination, I managed to run around (literally back and forth across the street to find a functioning parking ticket dispenser) a bit while only being five minutes late to my appointment. Go me! I somehow adult my way through these things. Things like this seem to be the pattern recently- I’m taking the “scenic route” everywhere, both literally and figuratively. You would think I would have better things to do with my time- like peruse Instagram, have a glass of wine, or shop online for shoes. Well, in between doing these things instead of going to bed like a responsible adult, I lined up this week’s Five Things, just as random as always:

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Here’s a little snapshot from Jessup Cellars in Yountville. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but if a tasting room supplies snacks, chances are I’ll be back. I loved finishing my red wine with a bit of dark chocolate.

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A quick shout-out to #NationalLipstickDay today! The above is one of my favorite clips from one of my favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I watch it at least once a year, usually around my birthday. There are still certain things you cannot read without your lipstick.

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I snapped a clip of the snarky decor at Bunny’s Shoes in Santa Cruz on my latest trip. Stop by if you get a chance- they have a little something for everyone.

I recently stumbled across this spot for Boston Ballet and have been fascinated. It has minimal bells-and-whistles, but packs a punch by showcasing the dancers’ amazing athletic ability. Check out Dusty Button’s amazing extension at 46 seconds! Yowza.

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I give you: one of my favorite pieces of art on the Yountville Art Walk. Yes, it’s a giant salmon sculpture with a broken tail. No, I have no idea why it’s there or who created it. But, there was just something about it’s bright colors and shark-like teeth that made me happy. It was either that or all the wine.

Who knows?

EVA♥

Five Things

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Hello all!

It’s time for Five Things, yet again. Quite honestly, life can get so cyclical sometimes that collecting my Five Things of the week acts as a time-stamp of sorts. Oh look- another week’s gone by! To give you all a quick, unbidden update, things have been quite interesting over the last few days. With the dance studio on summer schedule, I suddenly find myself working only one job. You know, a 9-to-5, like a normal person. What is this nonsense? I get to go home, and sit down? Highly unnatural behavior in Watch-Me-Juggle-land. It always takes a bit of getting used to, but the positive side is that I can sleep in two days in a row now, if I so choose. I can also check out that stand-up paddle boarding lesson off my to-do list this summer. I’m determined. It’s going to happen. Stay tuned for embarrassing photos of me falling off a surfboard.

In the meantime, here are this week’s Five Things as entertainment.

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Once upon a time, I worked in a flower shop. I spent my days arranging flowers and even creating bridal bouquets. Though I found myself only with bunches of flowers and some ribbon (no floral tape, no pearl-topped pins) I made it work! There is something amazingly therapeutic about working with flowers, and I must do it more often.

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In between answering phone calls, chugging coffee, and staring at spreadsheets today, I managed to find time to buy these spunky red flats from Topshop. They’re dead-ringers for Aquazzura’s Christy flats that retail for a whopping $675.

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Did you know that my little island town is home to a winery? Because it is! Rock Wall winery has incredible views of the San Francisco skyline, and a mighty fine happy hour. While I’m not one to jump on the rosé bandwagon, their sparkling rosé is delicious.

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I’ve found myself reminiscing over the goodies at Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola. A day trip is very much in store this summer.

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Ever wonder how the marzipan in the Nutcracker get their multicolored shoes? Pointe shoes come in very few colors, and most companies have to special order their shoes if they need something other than the traditional pink satin. But, even then the options are limited. Two words: spray paint. It’s very high tech, I know.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

EVA♥

Favorite Places

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Hello everyone!

Those of you who know me, know that I’m a fan of going on adventures. I’ll use anything as a motivation: a mundane errand, a really good lunch, a stopover on the way to something else…you name it! So it’s funny that in a place that’s ultimately know for its fabulous wine and vineyards, I go for the cheeseburgers. Now, granted that this last weekend was bloody hot, I opted for something a little bit different with Ahi Poke tacos.  My favorite spot in Napa, Gott’s Roadside, formerly of Taylor’s Automatic Refresher fame, is the place to go if you want a no-frills good food, with a little bit of a Napa twist. And, while there’s almost always a sizable line at this diner, the trick is to get a refreshing glass of wine to keep you company while you decide on your order. What’s even better is its great proximity to a number of sprawling wineries. Did you know that there’s a castle in St. Helena? Neither did I. Unfortunately, my poorly charged brick of a phone gave out before I could take a vast amount of pictures. There’s always next time…

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Oh, hello Bowzer. As you can see, I was feeling a bit grungy that day.

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The best meal for a hot day. Fresh and delicious.

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Oh, hey, wine country castle! I was perhaps the biggest fan of the wine cellar at Castello di Amorosa, as well as the outdoor Roman-style bathtub. A girl could get used to that.

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Photo c/o Patrick Baron

Remember my Summer List? While it looks like I might not have been able to make it SUP’ing this year, I did get to spend a last day on the last official weekend of summer in St. Helena.

Whatever…I’m still all for wearing white after Labor Day.

EVA♥