One of the great things about staying in a hotel in the middle of nowhere is the ability to stay in one place for a little while without having to drive or walk very far. Timber Cove Inn offers a restaurant right on the property, Alexander’s, and all we had to do for dinner was to walk down a flight of stairs and we were there. For our dinner, I started out with a glass of Cline Cellars Syrah and hubs got a glass of Rodney Strong Pinot Noir.
We shared the hazelnut crusted brie with a fall fruit compote, the fruits sweet and spiciness complementing the buttery brie which had a crunchy, nutty coating.
For my entree I ordered mahi mahi with creamy coconut rice, caramelized pineapple, and vegetable slaw. The photo is a bit blurry as the restaurant had a lovely, candlelit glow.
Caramelized pineapple where have you been all my life? It was so sweet and just popped full of flavor in my mouth. The meatiness of the fish worked really well with the pineapple, and what can you say about creamy coconut rice except for, yum? Hubs ordered cioppino which came with made to order garlic bread.
The light, spicy tomato broth housed perfectly cooked prawns, mussels, and clams which tasted like they were just out of the sea. Thick cut buttery, garlicky bread, dipped into the broth provided just the right amount of heft to this dish. We were both very happy with our choices. We were quite full from the meal, but when we saw chocolate soup on the menu, we had to have it.
Velvety, warm chocolate mixed with incredibly fresh berries, the kind that you can smell from several feet away. They tasted like they had just been picked. We retired to our room shortly after dinner and got to watch a bonfire that was down near the ocean. It smelled so incredible and provided the perfect glow to the surrounding area. The next morning, we planned on skipping breakfast at the inn so that we could explore and then head to Sonoma for some wine tasting. But our stomachs had other plans, and boy am I glad! Breakfast at the Timber Cove Inn is just as gorgeous as dinner. We sat in the same, ocean facing table and started out with a cappucino and a latte. I ordered the Coastal Continental breakfast which included fresh fruit, half of a buttery croissant, a wedge of brie cheese, and a couple of miniature cranberry scones.
![IMG00278[1]](http://traveleatlove.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/img002781.jpg "IMG00278[1]")
Hubs ordered the Eggs Stewart, basically Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon instead of Canadian bacon.
![IMG00277[1]](http://traveleatlove.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/img002771.jpg "IMG00277[1]")
This ended up being one of the best breakfasts we have ever had. We sort of shared both plates so that we had equal portions of runny, bright yellow egg mixed with Hollandaise over melt like butter smoky salmon with fruit and cheese. The service for both meals was friendly and outstanding, in fact everyone in the area was just very friendly and welcoming. Prices are very reasonable, especially after you have been dining in San Francisco for a few days, and all of the food was just fresh, well prepared, and downright good. Thank you, Timber Cove Inn and Alexander’s for a fantastic retreat! We will be back, hopefully with friends or family. This place is too good not to share. edited to add: Hubs was telling his sister about our trip over the phone, explaining how far out we had to go to get to Timber Cove. She knew EXACTLY where it was because they got engaged there! What are the odds? 😉 Go here, its very special.
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Tags: breakfast, California, Dining out, dinner, Food, Restaurants, Sonoma Coast, Timber Cove, Travel, wine, wine tasting
When we woke up on Monday morning, the sky covered the sea in a light gray blanket, and the smell of wood burning stoves was in the air. I won’t lie, it felt like an Irish morning, and I loved it. The in room coffee at Timber Cove Inn was SO good. I can not remember what the brand was, but after another bad night of sleep, it was just what we needed. Recaps of breakfast at the Timber Cove Inn, along with our Sunday dinner, will be up later tonight. In the meantime I will skip to our drive from the coast inland to the Russian River Valley of Sonoma, aka Heaven In mere miles we went from the beautiful, rugged Northern California coastline to forests full of massive trees.
Tree hugger, that’s me 🙂 Without much warning at all, the landscape changed from dark forests to fields decorated with grape leaves in their full autumn glory.
Our first wine country stop was DeLoach, one of my friend Jill’s favorite Sonoma wineries and one of the “can’t miss” spots on my list.
While we tried several wines at DeLoach, our absolute favorite was the 2007 Forgotten Vines Zinfandel. DeLoach’s tasting notes say: Offering aromas of cherry compote laced with exotic spices, this Zinfandel exemplifies the vibrant elements that old-vine wines are known for. Notes of orange rind and black currant engage the palate as cranberry flavors mingle with clove and cardamom spice. Sweet oak and elegant tannins lend lush mouthfeel to this wine for a lingering finish. For me, the definite spice in this wine really made it stand out. Not overly jammy like some Zinfandels, this one is really a lovely journey through layers of flavor. Our bottle is en route to New Jersey at the moment, as we could not ship to Massachusetts from Buffalo Bill’s Shipping Post (more on this later, truly a godsend if you want to buy wine from various wineries and ship it home altogether). After snapping a few photos at DeLoach, we moved on to Hook & Ladder, a winery I had heard about through Su Chang’s wine dinner back in September when I tried their Gewurtztraminer. Our visit to the winery, however, was all about the reds. The tasting room itself is vastly different that the one at DeLoach but has a ton of character and firefighting memorabilia representing the background of their founder.
Zinfandel won again. Hook & Ladder’s estate grown 2005 Gambogi Ranch Russian River Valley Zin, to be specific. Here is what they have to say about it: Bring on the BBQ with this dark purple red “zin-fully” delicious Russian River classic. A nose full of blackberry, vanilla, sandal wood and spice accentuates the bright berry flavor of this hearty old-vine Zin. Aged in American oak for 11 months, only 470 cases of this hand-made, open-fermented, single-vineyard Zinfandel were produced. I would like at some point very soon to host a wine dinner using some of our California purchases. Planning the menu and blogging about it will be fun. . . finding the time to actually get
people together will be more of a challenge! Next up. . . the Dry Creek Valley and my husband’s favorite meal of the trip!
Tags: California, DeLoach, Sonoma, Sonoma County, vineyards, wine, wine country, wine tasting, Zinfandel
We woke up bright and early Sunday morning after another bad night of sleep. I think that is my only gripe about visiting California. I just can’t seem to get more than a couple of hours, and I never catch up with the time difference like I do easily in Europe. Looking at our trusty map, we realized that our next destination, Timber Cove Inn, was quite the drive. I decided to miss the closing brunch of the Foodbuzz Festival, and we hit the road. It turned out to be a good thing. We took Route 1 which is entirely along the coast, and it was narrow, winding, and pretty scary at times! The two and a half hour drive we planned for ending up taking closer to twice as long. It was 100% worth it! We left San Francisco and drove to Point Reyes Station about an hour north of the city. Point Reyes Station is a small Western town, complete with a Western saloon and a feed store that also houses a yoga studio, art gallery, and grocery store. Sue from Cowgirl Creamery talked about the town in her Foodbuzz session on Saturday as that is where the creamery and cows are, and I was excited to be able to see it for myself. Next time, I am planning an entire day for this drive. There were many cute villages along the way as well as fun activities like hiking and sprawling beaches for picnicking. 
We decided to get a quick lunch in the local deli/Mexican joint/video store/wine shop. I opted for the bean tacos which came with tons of cilantro, onions, shredded cheese, and hot sauce. Note to Boston taco shops, cilantro is amazing. Pile it on!
Drizzled with a squeeze of fresh lime, this was spicy and tangy with a nice citrus kick. Tacos in California are so much better than tacos in Boston, I want them now! Once on the road again, we passed by miles and miles of gorgeous open countryside and rocky coasts. The fields were full of free range animals. We saw plenty of cows, horses, chickens, fields of wandering pigs, and even this guy.
We passed many oyster shacks along the road with picnic tables and oysters pulled fresh from the sea. Next time we will definitely be stopping. But we had a mission, and that mission was getting to Timber Cove for some much needed fresh air and relaxation. Timber Cove Inn is a rustic, beautiful lodge located about 14 miles North of the town of Jenner on the Sonoma Coast. It offers an otherworldly beauty in its surroundings, and a comfortable, well built place to rest for a couple of days. The architecture blends in well with its surroundings, an effort that I appreciate in places where the natural beauty speaks for itself. There were no McMansions here.
Alexander’s Restaurant The back of the inn 
The view from our balcony Our cozy room complete with a fireplace
Enjoying a refreshing seltzer water
The inside of the inn from the balcony outside of our room 
We watched the sun from the comfort of our balcony, and it seemed to just drop into the sea. Timber Cove Inn is essentially in the middle of nowhere, in a good way, without city light pollution to distract from beautiful sunsets and starlit nights. It was so incredibly quiet and was enveloped in a gentle shroud of misty, salty air throughout our stay. We slept with the sliding door open and listened to the gentle crash of the waves on the rocky coast. They offer free wi fi internet, but my cell phone did not get service within about 2 hours of the inn which caused me a little bit of panic. . . however for most people on vacation this is a good thing. There is so much more to say about Timber Cove Inn, so I will leave off here but will be back with dinner and breakfast tomorrow!
Tags: California, Northern Sonoma Coast. wine country, Sonoma, Sonoma Coast, Timber Cove Inn, Travel, wine tasting
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