Fare to Remember in Sonoma: The Fremont Diner

You know me. If I find a memorable spot for a meal, I'll share it with you. But this one... well, I've been tempted to keep this place to myself. But alas, I'm afraid the cat's pretty much out of the bag by now judging by the increasing number of cars in the parking lot, so what the hell. Get yourself to the Fremont Diner. Now.

It used to be a dive. It used to be Babe's - a dilapidated shack on the two-lane highway between Napa and Sonoma. I never stopped there - not once - despite a daily commute that took me right on by, twice a day. Apparently no one else did either, because Babe's fell into shuttered disrepair.

But this past year, the place went through a transformation. The weed patch parking lot gave way to a lovely crushed granite patio, complete with picnic tables and colorful umbrellas. The weathered and tilting building got a facelift and a fresh coat of whitewash. The place had some bustle, some activity. I eagerly watched the transformation, and hoped that the finished project would be a worthwhile place to grab a snack or maybe, just maybe, a spot to get a decent cup of coffee on my way to work.

Those hopes have pretty much been blown out of the water. This place rocks.

In all of it's retro shabby-chic-ness (complete with rusting antique truck parked outside), the people behind The Fremont Diner are turning out fabulous diner fare with somewhat of a Southern flair, all with the freshest local ingredients possible (purveyors and sources always listed on the menu). They're open for breakfast and lunch, and even though there are standard offerings (their already-famous "whole hog" BBQ, biscuits and gravy, fried pies or fried green tomatoes, for instance), there are daily specials based on what's fresh (the soup of the day is always a treat).

The Fremont Diner is not a joint to visit if you're looking for "health food" per se - even though there are a couple healthy options. But honestly, go for the diner classics if you're making the trip: burgers, BLTs, grilled cheese and the like. I recently splurged on a cheeseburger there as a special treat (I can't even remember the last time I had a diner cheeseburger!) - and it was "all that." It looked like a burger you would make at home - fresh ground beef, hand-formed patty, dripping with juice and super moist. Theirs is a simple presentation (you have to ask if you want things like lettuce, onions, tomatoes) - but that's because the burger is the star - no need to pollute it with accoutrements. But if you do get accoutrements... they are stellar. House made pickles and pickled onions; light and crispy onion rings; perfectly crisp bacon. Mmm.

At any rate, The Fremont Diner's food and the ambiance are winners. I've been several times now, and I will continue to go back and obviously recommend it to others. I hope you can see from the few pictures I took (mostly with my iPhone) that it's as cute as a button - a throw-back to diners of old without being kitschy or trite. And I can't say enough about the food.

But... (don't you hate it when there's a "but"?) there is room for improvement. Granted, this place is young, still finding its pace. But if I ran the world, here's a few things that I'd change or make better (here's where the marketing pro in me rears her ugly head):

• Signage. The signage for The Fremont Diner is terrible. They got some new signs when they opened, but they are too small to be readable from the road, and of such poor design that even up close they're pretty illegible. Bummer. And there's still some random signage left over from the days of Babe's... huge mistake, in my opinion. But I think the powers that be at The Fremont Diner know their signage is inadequate - they've taken to putting out sandwich boards on the road. Better, but it just adds to the hodgepodge. Blow it all away and start from scratch, that's what I say.
• Website. Seriously, no website? There's plenty of reviews on Yelp and Chowhound, and they even have a Facebook fan page (of course I'm a fan), but no website to call their own. Huh?
  
• Hours. The Fremont Diner's hours appear to be what you'd call "flexible." The signs say they open at 7 a.m., but I'm often driving by at exactly that same time and rarely, if ever, is the place anything but dark. For that reason, I still have yet to stop in for that highly anticipated cup of coffee to go. Which is a shame - I hear that their coffee is pretty darn amazing. Another beef about the hours - they're closed on Sunday. The owners must have pretty strong moral grounds for not capitalizing on the weekend Wine Country traffic that flows past the diner in a steady stream. I respect that. But selfishly, Sunday is the only day I ever have the time or the inclination to go out for breakfast, and if you've read much of this blog, you know that I'm on a quest to find a good breakfast place in my neighborhood - and this could be it! So I have yet to try their amazing-sounding breakfast items. It's a source of great sadness in my heart.
• Hospitality. Now this is a minor issue, and something I only experienced once in the several times I've been there, but as the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. On my very first visit - a lunch date with my mom, where I had talked up the place based on its online reviews alone - we were greeted (or not greeted, as the case may be) by the most sullen teenager perhaps this side of high school detention. Our inquiries about the menu were met, literally, by blank stares. When we did get an answer, it was generally "I don't know." What kind of dressing comes with the salad? "I don't know." Is there a soup of the day? "I don't know." Are you open on Sunday? "I don't know." She didn't know? Seriously? This was the face of the business, and she didn't have even the most basic knowledge of her job. Perhaps it was the first hour of her first day on the job - I have no idea. But if that's the case, you still don't shove a greenhorn to the wolves and hope she survives. I haven't seen that girl since, and every other experience of mine at the counter has been warm, hospitable, cheery and efficient. But based on that one experience alone, I don't know that my mom is eager to give The Fremont Diner a second shot. Lucky for me, I was.

So there you have it - a flat-out shameless plug for one of the newest destinations in my neck of the woods. If you've been there, leave me a comment and let me know how your experience compares. At the end of the day, I love the place. Although there's some room for improvement, I expect that The Fremont Diner is just going to keep refining and thriving. I'm excited to be along for the ride!

Eat Orange Food, Part 1: Curry Pumpkin Soup

I love me some orange food - and if my blog posts for the week are any indication, I eat naturally orange food a lot this time of year when the gorgeous winter squash are abundant and turning on the oven is a reasonable thing to do. Here's the first of a five-part series on some of my favorite Fall recipes, brought to you by the color orange.

Halloween is this week, so you know what that means: ghosts, goblins and ghouls (boo!), the end of the season for the Napa Farmers Market (boo hoo!), and pumpkins (booyah!).

Pumpkins are just a matter of fact - everyone will have them at home this week. I love everything about them: toasting the seeds (I add chili powder and garlic salt - mmm), carving the Jack-o-Lanterns, roasting them for a side dish, making soups.

In order to load up on our Halloween haul, I dutifully made the pilgrimage to our neighborhood pumpkin patch at the Stanley Lane Market in Napa. Even without a kid in tow this year (just the big kid, Randall - he's good at pulling the wagon), we had fun wandering the corn rows, climbing the hay bale towers and inspecting the goods. With the dizzying sea of choices available, picking out our one pumpkin each was daunting. But we passed by the Turban, Buttercup and Carnival Squash; said so-long to the Fairytale, Gold Nugget and Sugar Pie Pumpkins, and just opted for the plain old big, round, orange variety. And that will suit us just fine.



This Curry Pumpkin Soup is one of my favorite Fall recipes; a perfect use for retired Jack-o-Lanterns that get roasted and turned into puree. (That is, considering they make it unscathed on the porch from the merry tricksters, aren't loaded with candle wax drippings, and are brought inside and used well before fuzzy mildew takes over. I've been guilty of all three at one time or another. Duh.) But it's a super quick recipe, and a crowd pleaser for sure. Serve it in small pumpkins that have been hallowed out to serve as a bowl, a beautiful presentation every time.

Curry Pumpkin Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree (cheat and use canned - I won't tell)
• 1 13.5 oz. can of coconut milk (not light)
• 1/4 cup +/- red curry paste (to your taste)
• The juice of 4 limes; lime zest for garnish
• Salt, to taste

In a large pot saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, until the onions are soft. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well (use an immersion blender to for a smooth consistency - but sort of chunky is good too!). Simmer and stir, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt; garnish with lime zest when served.

Eat Orange Food, Part 2: Turkish Orange Eggplant

This is another case of a vegetable purchase made solely on good looks. My nephew Michael had these beautiful little heirloom Turkish Orange eggplants, which he had grown and was selling at his Sun Born Organics booth at the farmer's market. I snapped them up, eager to see how they compared to the other varieties of eggplants I had been devouring this summer.

I've gotten into a bit of an eggplant rut. Every week, I'll come home laden with eggplant from the market - Thai eggplants; bulbous, shiny aubergines; creamy white albino eggplants... whatever looks good. I load up my BBQ with eggplant slices, and add the grilled results to salads and sandwiches for lunches all week long. Sometimes, I just eat the grilled eggplant mezza style- plain, but alongside tabouleh, hummus, grilled peppers, olives and pita. Or, I'll roast it in halves (rather than slices), and make a baba ganoush-style spread. I can't seem to get enough. so when I saw these stunning specimens, I knew I had to throw them in the mix.

They were too small to slice, so the went onto the grill cut in half. When they were soft and charred, off they came for a taste test. I found the skins to be very bitter - too bitter for my taste, even after having been heavily salted*. But once I slipped the skins off, the flesh was as delicate and tender and tasteful as any other. I commenced eating them one by one.

And that's it for eggplant for me until next season. It can't come soon enough!

*If you're not an eggplant fan because you find the flesh to be bitter: heed my advice. Salt the eggplant slices liberally in a colander and let sit/drain for an hour or so before attempting to use in any recipe (rinse the salt prior to using). The salt will leach out the bitterness, leaving you with perfectly palatable eggplant.

Eat Orange Food, Part 3: Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This recipe is one of those that can satisfy quite a few things: a healthy dose of leafy greens; comfort food in the form of warm, roasted butternut squash; seasonal, fresh ingredients; and a burst of flavors guaranteed to satisfy. There's really not much more to say. Curl up with this salad alongside a warm bowl of soup and some crusty bread - heaven. My version was inspired by an Ina Garten recipe; hope it inspires you as well.

Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 1 to 1-1/2-pounds of butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Vinaigrette

• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan; coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender.

For the vinaigrette, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

To assemble, place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well (the warm vinaigrette will wilt the arugula). Garnish with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Eat Orange Food, Part 4: Carrot-Harissa Spread

The first time I tried this recipe, I have to admit I was skeptical. It was being made by a friend for inclusion in the Fare to Remember cookbook, and I was astounded that her go-to dish was a spread made from a base of only steamed carrots. I like carrots plenty, but still... the dish sounded... mushy. But one bite and I was hooked. Really hooked. It is, in a word, irresistible. But if I had to give you a few more words, I'd include simple, healthy, colorful, flavorful and addictive. Trust me on this one, even if the idea of steamed carrots doesn't appeal to you, this spread will change your mind forever.

Carrot-Harissa Spread
Contributed by Anne Vrolyk

• 2 pounds carrots (if large, cut into pieces for steaming; if small, steam whole)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons harissa paste (North African chili/spice paste available at gourmet specialty stores or online; recommended brand: Mustapha)
• 1 teaspoon powdered cumin

Steam carrots until soft. Put together into a food processor with oil, harissa and cumin. Process until smooth. Salt to taste. A little more oil can be added if texture is not creamy enough. Serve with toasted Pita bread triangles, crackers or flatbread.

Eat Orange Food, Part 5: Roasted Golden Hubbard Squash

Beta-carotene! Get your beta-carotene here! Like any orange food, Hubbard squash is loaded with an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins (A and C), fiber and phytonutrients, all proven to be good for your skin, eyes and heart. Research has even shown that vibrantly-colored fruits and vegetables (orange, enter stage left) may also decrease your risk of cancer.

So eat up! I sure do. This time of year when winter squash is in-season, you will almost always find one variety or another sitting on my kitchen counter awaiting its turn in the meal rotation. This bright orange Hubbard squash is one good example, and the prep couldn't be easier.

I simply roast the squash in a really hot oven (400 degrees) with a little coating of olive oil, maybe a dash of salt. But to really crank it up a notch and make it like mom used to do (or Ran's mom used to do... I don't recall my mom ever making winter squash while we were growing up. Hm. No wonder we all wear glasses.), I finish it off with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of dark brown sugar. That makes my DH happy, and it certainly makes me happy. It'll make you happy too.

Bottom line: eat more naturally orange food. Start with squash. You'll be glad you did.

Working Out, Dining In

What would you get if you put a half dozen hardcore workout fanatics and fitness freaks in a room together for a dinner party? (No - this isn't the opening line of a joke...) Protein shakes? Egg white omelets with steamed broccoli? Brown rice heaped with lean protein? (Oh wait- maybe that opening line was a joke! Those are all things I eat on a regular basis!)

But no. Not this time around.

Last weekend, my oh-so-fun group of workout partners and their spouses got together for a long-overdue dinner party, and let me tell you: we all know how to appreciate a good meal.

A little background on our group: I have been a devoted member of the Napa Adventure Boot Camp for more than three years (has it really been that long?). Once I signed on for their outdoor boot camp-style fitness program, I never looked back. Buh-bye gym! Working out has always been a priority in my life; a requirement for not only my physical well-being, but my mental health as well. Boot camp just turned the heat up on the intensity of my fitness training, at precisely a time when my body started to betray me and I was having to abandon some of my long-time, much-loved physical pursuits in search of something different. Boot camp has since become my drug, my addiction, my sanity. Along the way, I have met some truly incredible people, and have forged wonderful new friendships - also very much needed, since I scarcely knew a soul in Napa prior to joining the camp. I am an unabashed fan, and can't imagine my life without it.

That being said, about a year or so ago, a small group of us from camp started Kettelbell training twice a week with our fearless leader, Jeff. Read up on Kettelbells if you're not familiar; to say that it is the toughest, most intense, most effective workout I've ever subjected myself to is an understatement. I love it. Our group is there to train rain or shine, every Monday and Wednesday; if one of us is unexpectedly absent, it is cause for concern. I spend more time with these people than anyone, with the exception of coworkers and my husband (we all also attend regular boot camp on the other nights of the week). Lucky for us, we all click. It's a great group of people, and we have entirely too much fun for people who may appear utterly insane (swinging hulking balls of iron around isn't exactly an everyday sight). This group motivates me, challenges me and keeps me striving to do my best (I'm the youngest in the group, but by far the weakest, slowest and most in need of physical improvement. I'm working on it!)

But it's a strange phenomenon: nearly every one of our workout conversations inevitably gets steered toward the topic of food. It seems as though almost everyone there is like me: food is fuel, yes, but it's also one of the great pleasures in life. We all are very conscious of our diets, and do watch what we eat, but we'll work out harder if it means we can earn a cheeseburger from Taylor's.

So after a year of our bonding over intense physical exertion and much talk of our dining habits, we finally made it official and had a dinner party. And what a dinner party it was.

Allison, our gracious hostess, opened her beautiful home to us for the evening, and we all contributed to the meal, pot-luck style. The wine was free-flowing (thanks Rick!), and the appetizers got us off to a delicious start: Rick's wife Terri made decadent cheese-stuffed and bacon-wrapped jalepenos (my version below); Melodie pitched in an amazing artichoke and spinach dip unlike any I've ever had before (if I beg, can I get the recipe?!!).

We sat down to a dinner table resplendent with grilled beef filet topped with homemade chimichurri sauce, courtesy of Alison and Tom; a grilled vegetable pasta salad of Glen's creation (does Dolly get any credit?) that would have fed an Army; my favorite raddichio salad; and a Caprese-style salad that was a bit of a group effort, made with some of the season's last gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Dessert came in the form of a dozen Kara's Cupcakes, as well as Carmelita Bars from The Model Bakery about which Jeff had been tempting us for weeks.

Calorie and carb counters flew out the window that night. We were just there to enjoy and, of course, make some memories. So we ate and we ate; we talked and we talked. There were many laughs, lots of stories, and plenty of chatter about the detox workout that would inevitably follow sometime this week.

So to Jeff, Tiff, Glen, Dolly, Alison, Rick and Melodie: thank you for the good food and good times. Looking forward to more of the same down the line. Keep on swinging!

As I mentioned, Rick's wife brought along this amazing appetizer to the party. I happened to have reason to bring an appetizer to a mixer the very next afternoon, so I gave my hand at recreating her dish. I used Anaheim chilis, whereas she used jalepenos, but they turned out to be just as decadent and delicious. Clear out your arteries and make way for this snack - it's a keeper!

Cheese Stuffed and Bacon-Wrapped Peppers

• Anaheim chili peppers, sliced lengthwise, seeds removed
• Cheddar cheese, cut into long, thin rectangles to fit inside the chili pepper halves
• Applewood smoked bacon, 1 strip per pepper half

Place the cheese inside the cleaned chile pepper half; wrap with a strip of uncooked bacon. Place on a baking sheet; roast in a preheated 400-degree oven until cheese is melted and bacon is cooked to your preferred crispness (mine went for about 10 minutes).