Christina!

Scott and I have a dear friend, Christina, who lives in Peru. She and Scott met in culinary school, and they used to have a catering business together in Orange County. She moved back to Peru a few weeks before I met Scott, but has come to visit a few times in the past few years; and we get along grandly as a result of our shared passion for wine and cheese!
Christina and her boyfriend, Rodrigo, stumbled upon some cheap tickets up to California, and planned a vacation with an emphasis on wine. After spending a few days in Orange County, Christina and Rodrigo arrived in the Bay Area on Saturday evening. Here was our 5 day agenda:
Day 1: Dinner at Walnut Creek Yacht Club...we had martinis and oysters, then ordered all sorts of dishes to share.
Day 2: Napa (deserves its own post...)
Day 3: San Francisco...wonderful lunch at Hog Island Oyster Co. at the Ferry Building and Phish inspired beer at a gastropub in Haight/Ashbury (Big Cypress Brew...for when the circus comes to town)
Day 4: Shopping in Walnut Creek
Day 5: More wine tasting in Healdsburg
Each night was topped off by a wonderful dining and drinking experience, as my home was graced with the presence of 2 chefs all week. They bought the best cuts of meat and freshest seafood and whipped up such feasts as:
Halibut ceviche
Buttermilk biscuit and country ham egg benedict
Grilled rib eye steaks with smokey paprika potatoes
Rack of lamb with mushroom risotto
Vanilla bean ice cream sandwiches with chocolate mousse
Peruvian tacu-tacu with mussels, clams, and sea bass
Cheese platter after cheese platter after cheese platter...
2 wine country picnics
Wine, wine, wine!

Steak dinner at home
Check out these steaks!

Fresh halibut ceviche

Cheese platter (one of many)

Tacu tacu and shellfish (Peruvian dish)

Now that you have a taste of my week, watch for more posts...so much to write!
ps--Christina left today, and I headed straight to the gym =)