May 17, 2011

Under the Bridge

It was one of those perfect Bay Area days.  The sun was shining.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky.  The air was warm, and the breeze was gentle.  In other words,  the kind of day to leave work early and get outside.  Luckily, my co-workers and I had scheduled a networking meeting (aka very early happy hour) on this beautiful afternoon.  Is this where I confess that we planned it only after checking the weather report, and purposely picked a beautiful outdoor location?  I think our company is very lucky to have such a smart, and forward thinking group of employees.


Cavallo Point, also know as The Lodge at the Golden Gate, is a resort/spa/restaurant destination located at Fort Baker, a former U.S. Army post.  Visitors can wander along the hillside among trees, historic buildings and retired officer's residences, now converted to guest rooms.   



We decided to meet at Farley Bar, a popular, casual lounge at Cavallo Point, known for it's tasty small plates and creative cocktails.  And did I mention that it is located right under the Golden Gate Bridge complete with sweeping views of the bay?


Naturally, we picked an outdoor table....


....with just a simple little view.


Our canine companion was tempted by the field stretched out in front of her, but she patiently waited for us humans to socialize until it was her turn to run around.  


First up, drinks!  The drink menu rotates for each season, and we got to sample Spring. 


I ordered a Strawberry-Rhubarb, a blend of Dubonnet Blanc, Skyy citron vodka and Moscato d'asti that somehow lived up to it's namesake in flavors.    


P ordered The Pineapple, made from Meyer's platinum run, lime, crushed ice and mint.  I'm not sure when mint and lime combined started tasting like pineapples, but this drink did.  


And J?  Well, he was happily sampling a few drinks.  


  We ordered some appetizers, starting with wood grilled Japanese shishito peppers, sprinkled with sea salt.



Next, we got organic Rancho Gordo popcorn, flavored with truffle.  At the time, I couldn't have told you that it is a very rare, red colored kernel, but I could have told you it was delicious.    



The platter of house baked breads consisting of olive and onion focaccia, multigrain flat bread and a pretzel roll, was served with a spread sampler.


The trio of spreads was made up of sundried tomato, marscapone with chives, and creme fraiche with mustard seeds and cracked pepper.  



We ended with the seafood fritto misto (which is Italian for mixed fried items), accompanied by grilled lemon and fresh mayonnaise.  



 Cavallo Point is the kind of place you visit to lounge for hours, enjoy good company, indulge in delicious food and soak up incredible views.  
You can bet that we'll be back.  Maybe next time we'll even invite the boss.



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2 comments:

  1. Beautiful place! I love how they set up the table outside. Also great choice on the appetizer! I love shisito, too.

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  2. Great story of a nice way to have a meeting. A bridge too far and a spectacular view. The food looked so appetizing and that fancy shmancy popcorn must have been a treat. Delicious looking spreads to cover the enticing breads. That alone would be enough to fill me up. Yum!

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