GREAT EATS HAWAII

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

CONCANNON UNDERDOG WINE BAR

CONCANNON UNDERDOG WINE BAR
4590 TESLA ROAD
LIVERMORE, CA 94550
808-258-9866
HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Underdog Wine Bar Sunday thru Thursday11:30 AM - 8:00 PM / 9:00 PM Fri & Sat
www.concannonvineyard.com

Enjoyed a great lunch at the Underdog Wine Bar at the Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, California. Livermore is now a vibrant little town bursting with small wineries and breweries. Highly recommend that any wine lover discover this little gem of a region just south of Oakland and across the Bay from San Francisco. Concannon is a beautiful property and the food and service were excellent. Loved the Deviled Chicken Endive here. Probably the best Chicken Salad I have ever tasted. The Petite Sirah was also excellent. Would love to go back right now and enjoy a bottle of Concannon Sirah and some Chicken Salad.

CONCANNON UNDERGROUND WINE BAR

CONCANNON VINEYARDS, TASTING ROOM AND UNDERDOG WINE BAR

THE LAWN AT CONCANNON IS PACKED WITH PEOPLE EATING AND DRINKING

VINEYARDS AT CONCANNON

CONCANNON GRAPES

ENTRANCE TO CONCANNON VINEYARD

TASTING ROOM WAS VERY BUSY

YOUNG LIVELY CROWN ENJOYING SOME VINO AT CONCANNON

VISIT THE UNDERDOG WINE BAR ADJACENT TO THE TASTING ROOM

WHAT'S NEW WITH UNDERDOG

CHEESE AND SALAMI - I'M IN!

AWARD WINNING WINES FROM CONCANNON

AWARDS AND PRESS FOR ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S FIRST WINERIES

THE UNDERDOG WINE BAR

UNDERDOG WINE BAR MENU

APPETIZERS, SALADS, SHARED PLATES AND FLATBREADS

CHEESE, MEATS AND SMALL BITES

SALADS, SMALL PLATES, FLATBREADS AND SWEETS

CONCANNON WINE MENU

COCKTAILS ANYONE?

SPECIALS MENU

LOVED THE ARTWORK HERE

COMFORTABLE BOOTH TUCKED AWAY IN THE CORNER OF UNDERDOG WINE BAR

CONCANNON PETITE SIRAH WAS EXCELLENT

ASSORTED CHEESES WITH PROSCUITTO

ROAST BEEF SLIDERS

DEVILED CHICKEN ENDIVE IS THE BOMB - ORDER THIS AND YOU WILL LOVE IT!

EVERYONE AT THE TABLE LOVED THE DEVILED CHICKEN ENDIVE

FORGOT WHAT THESE WERE BUT THEY WERE NOT THAT GOOD

SEARED AHI TUNA

SEARED AHI TUNA ON WONTONS WAS DELICIOUS

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

THE RESTAURANT AT WENTE VINEYARDS - LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA

THE RESTAURANT AT WENTE VINEYARDS
5050 ARROYO ROAD
LIVERMORE, CA 94550
925-456-2450
HOURS: Monday 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM / 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday thru Saturday 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM / 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM / 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
www.wentevineyards.com/restaurant

Enjoyed a really good meal and even better company at The Restaurant at Wente Vinyards in Livermore, California. This very relaxing indoor/outdoor restaurant is a great place to enjoy a bottle of wine and dinner. The food is good but not great. Service was excellent.

THE RESTAURANT AT WENTE VINEYARDS

THE RESTAURANT AT WENTE VINEYARDS IN LIVERMORE, CA

SMALL BAR LEADS TO INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DINING AREAS

THE RESTAURANT AT WENTE VINEYARDS MENU

MAIN COURSES AND WOOD GRILLED STEAKS

WENTE - THE NTH DEGREE WINE WAS EXCELLENT

ESTATE BEEF TARTAR

BEEF TARTAR AND DEVILED EGG WERE DELICIOUS

DEVILED EGGS

CAESAR SALAD

ROASTED GARDEN BEET SALAD

KAMPACHI CRUDO

GARDEN SQUASH SOUP

SEA SCALLOPS - LOOKED LIKE CRAP BUT TASTED OK

CALLIPPE PRESERVE GOLF COURSE

CALLIPPE PRESERVE GOLF COURS

8500 CLUBHOUSE DRIVE

PLEASANTON, CA 94566

925-426-6666

HOURS: Daily 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

www.playcallippe.com

Enjoyed a very nice day golfing at the Callippe Preserve in Pleasanton, California. This is a nice little course nestled in the hills of Pleasanton. Recovering from a bicep tear so this was a day of half swings and getting back in the game. No complaints about my arm or the course.

CALLIPPE PRESERVE GOLF COURSE IN PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA

DINNER IN PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA

DINNER WITH FRIENDS

PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA

Sometimes simplicity is best. Our dinner with good friends in Pleasanton, California was just perfect. Great friends, wine and food served up in the backyard on a warm July evening.

My Buddy Tom and his Wife Arlene are the perfect hosts always making sure you are eating and drinking something good. We enjoyed wines from two wineries that we visited in neighboring Livermore. A light crisp Chardonnay from Wente Vineyards and a smooth Petite Sirah from Concannon. Dinner was great and we all fell in love with Tom's Tuscan Chicken.

MY BUDDY TOM COOKS UP THE NOW FAMOUS "TOM'S TUSCAN CHICKEN"

DINNER IN THE BACKYARD ON A VERY WARM JULY EVENING

BEAUTIFUL SETTING AND GREAT FOOD

GRILLED STEAK

ARLENE'S SPECIAL BEANS WITH CHEESE

TOSSED SALAD

TOM'S TUSCAN CHICKEN

LOCAL WENTE CHARDONNAY FROM LIVERMORE

LOCAL CONCANNON PETIE SIRAH FROM LIVERMORE

MY DAUGHTER SNAPPED THIS PHOTO IN THE BACKYARD WITH HER IPHONE

TUSCAN CHICKEN

TUSCAN CHICKEN

DINNER AT HOME

We visited our friends in California and they cooked up some delicious chicken for dinner one night. My friend Tom who is married to a beautiful Italian woman named Arlene showed us his simple recipe for moist and delicious chicken breasts. The meal was so good that I was craving the chicken when we returned to Honolulu. I gave Tom a call to verify the recipe and then gave it a try. We loved the dish so much that we named it Tom's Tuscan Chicken. Recipe is so easy and you will be delighted with how moist and flavorful the chicken breasts turn out. Simply lightly coat the chicken breasts with olive oil and add salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning on both sides. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet and heat for four minutes. Add the chicken breasts and cook on each side for 8 minutes. That is 8 minutes on each side over medium heat. Do not touch the chicken breasts or turn. Let them sit and cook for 8 minutes on each side. The 8 minutes on each side will give you perfectly cooked through chicken breasts that are moist and lightly browned.