Gardens of Salonica

Give the treat of your heart to your heart this Valentine Weekend! And along with that slip in a few truffles to be shared with a cognac, a chewy red, or an extra black brew! Take a moment and breath the dusky aromatherapy of a tastily crafted chocolate. Ready for you gift priced at $6 for four!

We couldn't resist sharing this: Kleftiko ready to be tied up in parchment. The all-natural lamb shoulder has been seared, semi-braised in wine, and here awaits its en papillote finish...find the accompanying vegetables: eggplant, okra, fava bean, sun choke, red bell, feta, thyme, marjoram, rosemary...it's all there. And with the magic of cooking, the sum total exceeds its parts!

With Guest Presenter, Bonnie Fournier, Girl Photographer of the Smooch Project: the effort to gather 10,000 images from around the world to support the cultivation of Peace, Kindness, Generosity, Compassion, Forgiveness and Joy within Human Hearts throughout the world. Fournier will start off the pre-Valentine Season describing her challenges & successes, favorite anecdotes and images of the project thus far. Anna will cook up a four-course, wine-paired, family-style dinner of new recipes and our guests will experience civilized and inspired dining as it was meant to be!

It was a golden celebration in more than one sense: with sun pouring in the front windows, John & Sara joined by Calder continued their five year tradition of celebrating their same day birthdays. What did they eat?

For all of January, our 21is Anniversary month, order a bottle of extra dry Korbel at $21 per bottle!

You never know who's going to stop by at the Gardens! Today, a nearly full house was treated to Santa and Christmas Carol's lunch stop. The lively chatter dropped to a whisper when Santa was spied, and true to his generous nature, stopped at each table and greeted our customers. Santa seemed to be on a running theme from suit to menu: red, red, red...beets, roasted red bell peppers topped off with a Baklava sundae.

It's all arrived: the pomegranates, the quince (weren't even available last week) the "mystery" vegetable, the racks, rosemary, marjoram, chestnuts, Balsamic...we're stirring up pots and pots of new food and it's electric in the kitchen. Yes, we are singing! We've shopped and shopped and paired and written up new recipes! What are we using for tonight's meal?

Think that you're done eating?! The table has been set! Symposia. A Series, XII, this Wednesday, Nov 30 at 6pm! Guest Presenter Susan Thurston, poet, cook, educator, has challenged Anna to create a dish inspired by her favorite poem, "I Would Like to Describe," which will be revealed table side (see the hint). Challenging her own Muse, Susan has promised to create a personal poem (we're calling it Stoihi tyhis--personal lines of fortune) inspired by Anna's "reading" of each guests' coffee grounds! Limit 30. RSVP required. $30/pp.