On a Sunday evening I got to be wined and dined with my neighbors for our last Pleasanton Dishcrawl. The new Sunday dinner perhaps?
Upon arrival to the garden area of A Touch of Health Day Spa, Dishcrawlers were welcomed with a wine reception thanks to Little Valley Winery. Locals and those familiar with the wine affectionately nickname the winery “Little Valley”. The wines are produced and bottled just minutes away in Sunol and the tasting room has now moved to a beautiful garden where live music will be offered on a weekly basis in the warmer months to come. Feel free to bring your best friend because little fido is welcome!
Sandi Bohner and Bill Webster offered an array of their best wines for us to try along with delicious nibbles from Bibiane Bakery and live music provided by Roger Kardinal. At the first tasting station, Sandi had four different pours: 2008 Livermore Petite Sirah, Grand Cuvee Champagne, Raspberry Champagne, and the unique Almond Champagne.
In another part of the garden, winemaker Bill was stationed next to the appetizers and treats from the bakery. Sweet tooth’s rejoice! Bill poured Little Valley’s famous Pure Decadence Port served in chocolate cups. Strawberries and tuxedos filled with chocolate mousse were on the same table to bring out the notes in this tasty port.
As the sun started to set, we bid adieu to the garden and Little Valley. We were wined and now it was time to be dined! A short stroll down Main Street past one of California’s oldest original archways brought us to our next palate pleaser.
The owner of Pans On Fire, Linda Wyner, greeted us in the front of what seemed to be just a retail cookware store. Little did some know that besides tools for the average and experienced cook, tips and techniques are also offered by knowledgeable staff and through various cooking classes. There are specific classes like knife skills, master sauces, and soup group as well as more general classes like couples night, dad & me do lunch, and table grilling. Our adventurous Dishcrawlers were served a mixed green salad with berries and raspberry honey mustard vinaigrette as we made our way back to the kitchen.
As we noshed away on our refreshing salads, Linda began to talk about cooking for us. Linda has been trained through the California Culinary Academy and through her own life as a foodie, personally and institutionally. She now hosts classes at Pans On Fire to audiences of amateurs and experts alike. We were treated to two different cooking demonstrations right before our very eyes!
Linda showed us how easily it can be done to make a delicious meal and how quickly you can be eating your own creation. Gnocchi with brown butter sage sauce and chicken marsala served over sautéed vegetables were the two demos we witnessed during our crawl through Pleasanton.
Recipe books of the night’s dishes were handed out as we exited the store so that we could try to make these tasty and easy creations just as Linda did before our eyes. As we exited one destination, it seemed we stepped right into another because Alberto’s Cantina was just an eye shot away.
Greeting us at Alberto’s Cantina was the manager, Renee, and the owner himself, Alberto! This local establishment has been a staple of downtown Pleasanton for 19 years and continues to offer Mexican comfort food to the masses. The outdoor patio offers great seating for a fun romantic night out or for larger parties and has heat lamps for the cooler nights that the Bay Area seems to enjoy quite often. Dishcrawlers, however were escorted to take pleasure in the amenities of the lounge as Alberto announced a margarita special just for us!
Guests were able to sit with new friends or have the pleasure of conversing with old ones as drinks were served alongside house made chips and salsa. Although we did not get to see the large portions they normally offer patrons due to the room we had to save in our bellies for our other dining destinations, we were still able to feast on some house favorites. We had pork and chile Colorado mini burritos and quesadillas to try and boy were they good.
Happy hour at Alberto’s Cantina is a great value and the exciting atmosphere can lift or intensify anyone’s mood. With some of the East Bay’s best margaritas consumed and just enough room for dessert left in our stomachs, we said “adios” and crossed the street to our last stop.
The owner of Cold Stone Creamery, Mike Salas, brought us inside the store to tell us more about his operation. Most of us have the image of Cold Stone as a place that you go when you want to cheat on a diet, where you can pick your ice cream and mix-ins to create a flavor all your own to have in a cup or waffle. What most people may not know is that the ice creams are made fresh daily in house in each store and there are many healthier options to choose from now. Pleasanton is one of the few stores in the Bay Area that offers multiple flavors of sorbet!
For special occasions or just the guilty pleasure, Cold Stone has awesome items that are outside the realm of a scoop to-go. There are pre-made pints of Cold Stone creations that are ready to be picked up as well as pre-made cupcakes and specialty cakes. Want something more personalized or have a creation all your own that you want to be made into a specialty cake or some cupcakes? Mike and his wonderful staff can get it done for you in as short notice as a day! What’s even better about this location is that when you stop by the store and put a tip in the jar the staff here still sings! We got to hear their melodious song and enjoyed their hard work of making the cookies and creamery specialty cake and the strawberry passion specialty cake to top off the night.
And what a wonderful night it was! But have no fear of hunger pains if you missed out because we have a slew of food to offer you Bay Area. Take a look at some of our upcoming events:
- June 7 – Lunch in 60 in San Mateo (San Mateo, CA)
- June 7 – Lunch in 60 in Palo Alto (Palo Alto, CA)
- June 7 – Dishcrawl Goes to Palo Alto (Palto Alto, CA)
- June 8 – Lunch in 60 in San Jose (San Jose, CA)
- June 14 – Magic Dishcrawls: Eat Around the World in Inner Sunset (San Francisco, CA)
- June 14 – Dishcrawlin’ For More Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)
- June 15 – Lunch in the Tri-Valley (Tri-Valley, CA)
With hugs, kisses, and delicious dishes,
Jennifer
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More about Little Valley Winery . 
