2010 Fireworks Party

Again, we can't THANK YOU enough for your generosity! We raised over $1100 for out new neighbor Good Neighbor House helping people in the Dayton area through tough times. I am continually amazed at how each of us giving a little can add up to make a big difference. Since December 2008, your support brings the total giving from Smith-Roberts parties to over $6000!

73 people braved traffic, parking, and 500 people in the Firefly Building to view the City of Dayton fireworks. John's cocktails were VERY popular! Now on to the damages! :) In addition to 6 lbs of me, 176 lbs of ice, and all the delicious goodies that you provided, we consumed:

	Used
Liquor	2575	ml
Beer	37	bottles
Red Wine	1	bottles
Champagne	4	bottles
White Wine	4	bottles
Pop	52	cans
Water	113	bottles

Special thanks go to Becky and Sherri for their help!

Thank you for helping us celebrate the 4th of July!

Ann and John

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 4: Heading Back to San Francisco

Rodney, Don, John and I drove back to San Francisco on Monday. We got a late start because I HAD to take advantage of the spa at the Healdsburg Inn and had a "little" shopping to do at Xtravaganza on the square. Okay, noon isn't that late.

We decided to drive back through Napa for a change of pace and I wanted to make a stop at the St. Helena Olive Oil Company. On the way across Mark West Road, I suggested a detour to another of our club wineries - Dutch Henry. In addition to their great red wines, we found a wonderful 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and Rose. Both had just been released the day before. Rodney and Don also picked up a great Merlot and the Chafen Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. They promised to share the Chafen with us if we cooked...a small price to pay.

Next stop was the St. Helena Olive Oil Company where we picked up some Rosemary Olive Oil, 19 year old Balsamic Vinegar (see post about Barndiva Sandra's Balsy), Smoked Sea Salt, Hot Pepper Sauce, and Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. I'm pleased to say that Rodney and Don did even more damage.

Next stop was a recommendation from Elizabeth Wiley at Meadowlark Restaurant. (Wiley has never steered us wrong and this was no exception.) Mustard's Grill is not your typical truck stop. They have their own garden where they grown vegetables and herbs for use in the restaurant. None of us could decide what to have and everything we had was wonderful. I bought the cookbook so be nice and maybe I'll cook for you.

We made one last stop at Chandon for a quick sparkling tasting.

We are already planning on returning for Passport 2011 (April 30 - May 1). If you are interested in joining us, let me know. I'm already looking into our lodging options as we would all like to stay at the same place this time.

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Read my review of Barndiva

Restaurant Reservations Free - Instant - Confirmed This email was sent to you by: Ann Roberts (info@Noumena.Com) from a reservation made on OpenTable.com. Message from Sender: I recently dined at Barndiva through a reservation I made on OpenTable.com. Below summarizes my dining experience. I hope you will find this helpful next time you are deciding where to dine. Feedback on Barndiva Ratings: Food Good Ambiance Very Good Service Very Good Overall Very Good Noise Moderate I would classify this restaurant as: Fit for Foodies, Great for Outdoor Dining, Notable Wine List Review by Ann Roberts: Don't miss out on the cocktail selections! My favorite was Sandra's Balsy (Champagne with 20 year old balsamic vinegar) or the Dealer's Choice. Fascinating selection of liquor and mixers. Check out Barndiva on OpenTable.com. Make your next reservation now. Join OpenTable now - It's

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 6 : Truett-Hurst

Truett-Hurst wasn't on anyone's radar until we had the Zinfandel with dinner Saturday night at Dry Creek Kitchen. After 3 bottles of the Zinfandel, we added Truett-Hurst to our day.

T-H was a great last stop! There was a great local band, lots of wine and food. Okay, I can't find my wine list from that stop so I'm winging it.

T-H was doing a barrel tasting and there was a very nice wine sorbet/ice cream. I think we sent a case home so be very nice to me. :) Of course, the barrel wine won't be bottled until sometime in November/December.

Truett-Hurst was a great place to unwind at the end of a long wine tasting day.

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