BLUE POLKA DOTS WITH THE GIRL AND THE FIG

Greetings!!!  Omg I am so behind on my Cali posts!  I am writing this as I am having my last dinner here in Miami though this post will probably go up on Friday.  I pulled up my blog and went "oh crap!  I have to catch up!"  I can't wait to share with you my Miami adventure but I obvi have to finish telling you about my NorCal adventure first.  And there is so much to share!

This day was the day we explored Sonoma Square for the first time and also had our first taste of The Girl and The Fig.  We knew we had to check it out because we heard from so many people and locals that it is definitely a place to try.  So off we went with one of our favorite newlyweds, Peter and Ashley.  Without a reservation, we had to wait about an hour and a half for a table so what did we do? We went a couple doors down and had a wine tasting.  There's wine tasting everywhere you go!  The wines were only ooooohhhkaaaay which is probably why I can't remember what it was called.  But it did it's job.  With a pretty good buzz going, I dragged The Hubster out to the square for a little photoshoot in my blue polka dot dress. 

If you didn't know, one of my favorite online stores, ASOS, asked me to put together a few of my fall faves and this definitely made the list.  See the full list HERE.  My homegirl Mich sent me the link to this dress saying that it was totally my style and yep, it totes is!  It's no secret that I am currently obsessed with blues and the fact that the dress matched my baby Bleutigona was a huge plus.  I love how easy it is to wear and the whimsical nature of the details and its shape.  Ashley said I looked like a doll.  Haha.  The dress pairs amazing with a lot of my knee high boots, which by the way is one of my fall staples.  Knee high boots are my jam!!!  This pair by Ash is about 3 years old now but still one of my favorite pairs. So easy to slip on and a great comfortable height so I can last pretty long in them. 

Sonoma Square is sooooooo cute and it's a perfect place to bring a picnic basket and just sip on a bottle of wine... or two... or three, while enjoying the weather and watch tourists being tourist-y.  Or watch a random Asian girl twirling and posing.  Pro Tip:  I guess Sonoma Square is one of the few places where you can drink on public property and bring your own vino. #awesome #winning

Here comes that #foodporn.  I had the duck confit which is one of their signature dishes and it has every right to be.  The duck leg was amazing and juicy without being overly heavy or greasy.  I also had the arugula salad with figs which I LOVED but no one else really did.  Bitter greens is not for everyone I guess but for me it was perfect.  If you want to try out The Girl and The Fig, I suggest going for lunch.  The place is adorable and lively, and sitting out in their patio area feels amazing.  The service is spot on!  Our server was informative and bubbly and we all had a great time.  Try to bring a few people with you so that you can taste more of their amazing menu.  I had bites of everyone's dish and it all was so yummy!  I can't remember what it was all called but I definitely recommend a visit if you are in the Sonoma area.  The lunch price point is very reasonable and each dish in my opinion was worth it.  Highly highly recommend the duck confit and I will definitely go back the next time I am in Sonoma.

I hope you enjoyed the post!  I will frantically be trying to post up the rest of my Cali pics next week!  GAH!  Thanks so much for stopping by and showing the blog some love. 

Dress - THANKS TO ASOS  |  Boots - Ash  |  Bag - Givenchy  |  Accessories - Vita Fede, Stella & Dot, Chanel, Madewell

Photos by The Hubster

xoxo,

DOS

A SONOMA WEDDING IN THAT PLAID DRESS

Hello hello!  Another post from my NorCal/Sonoma trip!  The wedding day!  So if you weren't paying attention (shame on you), about two weeks ago, I was on an amazing trip in Sonoma for the main reason of seeing my soho HJ marry the love of her life Jimmers.  The wedding was at Cornerstone Sonoma which is a winery/art gallery and it was GORGYPANTS!  The ceremony had an amazing backdrop of grape vines and the sun setting over the hillside.  The dinner portion was in a cute tented area and was small and intimate.  The dancing portion was in a barn type building with crystal chandeliers hanging overhead.  Overall, it was beautiful!!  I loved every detail and the couple seemed so happy and just sank into the day like every couple should on their wedding day.  It was absolute perfection and everyone whooped it up on a never ending flow of vino and whiskey.  And the food, omg the food.  Each hors d'oeuvre was delectable and my fish which I believe was sea bass was flaky and juicy and I may or may not have licked my plate.  BEST EVER!  Congratulations to the happy couple!  I had such a great time!  Everyone should get married in Sonoma.

The best mini burgers I've ever had!

The white flower is everythaaaaang!

Yup it was sea bass.

The happy couple cutting the prettiest cake EVER!!!  Doesn't the bride look amazing?!?!

Just two of the items on the giant dessert spread.

Dress - All Saints  |  Jacket - H&M x Margiela  |  Clutch - Zara  |  Shoes - ASOS

Photos by The Hubster

xoxo,

DOS

A SLICE OF HEAVEN AT BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY

And sooooo.... After a successful hearty brunch at Dotties and a less successful dump (=x) we all hopped in the car for the short hour or so car ride into Sonoma.  The road trip was like traveling into another world as the landscape after the Golden Gate Bridge started to unfold.  We started to see miles of open space, some roaming cattle, smaller country roads, majestic hawks soaring the sky, and then finally, rows and rows of grape vines and rolling hills. It took my breath away as I thought that this must be a small slice of heaven. 

We checked into the house I had rented for a week and quickly settled our things and got ready to head out to our very first wine tour at Benziger Family Winery.   The minute we turned into the small uphill road which marked the entrance to the gigantic estate, our minds got blown away.  The road was lined with trees which seemed to hide a beautiful secret because it opened up into acres and acres of vines and nature that renders you speechless.  We ran a little late due to some crazy construction so we had to scramble to meet up our tour group.

At Benziger, there are two tour options.  We opted for the semi private Partners Tour, which I recommend to anyone who has never done a wine tour before.  Not only did they drive us around the grounds of the winery, but we also got to explore the caves that house what seemed like never ending lines of barrels.  Our tour guide taught us a ton about the barrels and the importance of the different woods and "roasts" of the wood and how it can result in various tastes within the wine.  We walked further into the caves and next came the best part. The DRAAAANKS!   Hashtag nommanomnomnomma.

Inside this quaint room, the table is set up with wine glasses and various wine bottles. The room is so adorable that you forget that you are deep within a mountain and beyond the glass doors it's about a 10 minute walk to get out and at any moment there could be a small quake and the walls could cave in and you would be trapped. But hey, you gots tons o' wine so you'd probably be the happiest trapped person evz!  Our guide took us through a variety of their wine offerings, the best being the Pinot Noir.  He took us through the various taste profiles and how to do that swirl and sniff thing and to pay attention to where the flavors hit on the different areas on your tongue.  Basically telling me that I've never been truly tasting my wines.  He also let us taste the difference between wine after its been bottled and one straight from the barrel.  After getting good and toasted, we left the caves and were driven to the public tasting rooms where we had even more wine!  Score!!  At this point you can choose to join their wine club and/or purchase bottles of wine.  If you plan to bring it back home in your checked luggage, I suggest you get the bubble wrap wine bag they offer (because Southwest will make you buy one anyway at the airport).  Apparently my 6 layers of sweaters and plastic bags and scarves around my one bottle was not good enough. 

After the tour and after acquiring a hefty buzz, we decided to stick around and explore on our own. We tried to invite ourselves to a wedding rehearsal dinner that we stumbled on at a different cave entrance. We failed. We explored their little information area that talks about their organic and closed system for the winery. They even have their own livestock that provides the poo-age for their fertilizers. They apparently have their own water source and to ensure that Benziger controls pretty much every natural aspect that goes into their grapes that they can.  I find that very cool.  Overall, it was a fantastic way to start our Sonoma visit.  Benziger also has a fig balsamic vinaigrette that will rock your socks!  I suggest you take a bottle home for the best damn caprese salad EVER!

Vow renewal location for us?  Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

We may or may not have hopped a small little fence to get this close.  Thanks for your poo big guy.  It makes good wine.

Beanie - H&M  |  Kimono - Aritzia  |  Shorts - (Old)  |  Tank - Vince  |  Sunnies - Givenchy  |  Shoes - Converse  |  Accessories - Stella and Dot, Vita Fede, Hermes, Nasty Gal

xoxo,
DOS