Paradigm rosé

I know I keep mentioning the pronounced difference between east and west coast life, but allow me to share yet another example: the lunch hour.

Granted I'm speaking from a biased perspective, but back where I come from on the east coast the "lunch hour" was an unheard of thing. Yes, I did eat lunch, but it was usually at my desk, staring at my computer. I called it "multi-tasking."

Yet, on the west coast, the lunch hour, that mythic concept, actually exists! Today I put in a full day of work (okay, it's only my second day so not that much work), but when 1pm struck I was in my car and on my way downtown to meet my new friend, Harry, for lunch.

Harry works at the Beazley Inn, a family-run Bed & Breakfast. Instead of scarfing down a make-your-own salad in front of my monitor, I got a tour of a lovely Napa inn and a leftover homemade breakfast - mediterranean polenta with scrambled eggs and pesto, grilled vegetables and an artichoke fritatta - in a beautiful garden while playing fetch with a three-legged golden retriever (the missing leg didn't slow him down at all). And then I went back to the office with a basket of homemade pineapple cranberry muffins with coconut flakes, courtesy of the Beazleys.














I don't quite know how to describe it, but there's something to be said for taking an hour for yourself during the day. I'm not the only one to do it at my office - everyone seems to get out, even if only for a half hour. One of my colleagues even drives home everyday for lunch and to take her dog for a walk. Though we're losing that hour, it really seems that everyone is more productive during the other eight hours of the day because of it.

What's more, we have our nights, too. None of this staying in the office through dinner or getting home just in time to go to bed. 5pm rolls around and everyone is out the door, on their way home to see their families or out and about to see their friends. Tonight, I went to one of the area's biggest cultural activities: the bocce ball league.

It wasn't my first appearance. In fact, on my second night in California I was already invited to attend this prestigious inner circle of Napa county society. It takes place in a park in St. Helena and people of all ages participate. I was too late to join the team (the season had started before I arrived), but Harry and I are self-proclaimed "refreshment coordinators." He made corn and black bean salsa and curried shrimp for tonight's game. My contribution? I drank the Paradigm rosé that was handed to me when I arrived. It's a rough life.














After the game, my roommate, Nathalie, and I went to Mustard's Grill for dinner - a staple in Napa. It was there that we decided on our mission for the next year: one new restaurant a week, a minimum of one trip to San Francisco each month, regular cooking nights and just plain enjoying what this part of the world has to offer. Watch this space - I think it's going to be a good year.