$500 Hunt on for Cannery’s Landmark Plaque
Old-Time Charm, Holiday Gifts of Culinary Nature at Zlaket’s in Garden Grove
EXECUTIVE DINING
by Fifi Chao
As most people know, veteran restaurateur Ron Salisbury (El Cholo restaurants), partner Steve Herbert and property owner Jack Croul are working toward a re-opening of Newport’s historic Cannery restaurant about the end of January. I’ve taken a hard-hat walkthrough and it’s obvious that it is going to be stunning. But, I’ll tell you more about all that when the opening is more eminent.
Now the fellows are in search of an old Cannery plaque designating the place a historical landmark, and I am hoping my readers can help. The plaque is seen in old photos. However, it has gone missing in latter years. Ron has said that he feels it is an important part of the rich history of this building and would like to have the plaque back in its rightful place. He is offering $500 to anyone who will bring in the plaque so that it can again be part of the honor he feels about this building and its place in Newport history. Anyone with information on the plaque can contact Ron at the Cannery, (949) 566-0060.
Culinary Christmas at Zlaket’s
It’s always a pleasure to soak up the nostalgia at Zlaket’s Market in Garden Grove. But this time of year, poignant memories of holidays past make the 74-year-old store even more special. Beyond a pleasurable place to visit,if you’ve ever been to the famous Oakville Grocery in the Napa Valley, this is old-time charm akin to that,Zlaket’s is a wonderful place to get holiday gifts of a culinary nature and your own turkeys and meats. Zlaket’s is the only family-owned, single-location market in the county featuring only the finest quality, custom-cut meats and poultry (no hormones or antibiotics), free-range Diestel turkeys, and ready-to-cook stuffed and marinated meats, per your request.
Owner Leo Zlaket not only cuts all his own meat, he will put virtually any stuffing into a roast or rolled steak, chicken or duck and tie and fully prepare it for your oven. He is a true throwback to the era when small shop owners knew each of their customers personally.
Another reason you may want to visit this market is for the vast array of epicurean marinades, sauces, salsas, mustards, international condiments and oils and vinegars. Leo’s wife, Virginia, has wonderful gift baskets any time of year, filled with special cheeses, the bottled wonders listed above, sweet biscuits and such. They are definitely what one would consider a cut above, but the price is family friendly. They also do a big catering business.
This is a unique experience that can solve some of your last-minute shopping jitters now and will add smiles along with good food to your life all year ’round. Zlaket’s: 12921 Main St., Garden Grove, (714) 534-1873.
The Wine Cellar
California has a new wine appellation, Santa Rita Hills American Viticultural Area in Santa Barbara County. It took three years for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to approve the 1998 petition covering about 100 square miles that contains some of Santa Barbara’s most prestigious vineyards. The new AVA sits on the western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley and stretches about four miles west of Highway 101 at Buellton to about 2 miles east of Lompoc. The new appellation was predicated by the unique flavor and style of wines coming from this region as observed by winegrowers and winemakers, as well as agri-scientists during the past 30 years.
In order to get a new AVA designation, geographical uniqueness and specific microclimate must be proven. According to complete information released on the forming of the appellation, “The boundaries lie in an east-west series of rolling hills that have no barriers between the hillside vineyards and the adjacent Pacific Ocean.” This occurrence means that strong winds, cool temperatures and morning fog lengthen the growing season. It also limits vineyard yields, the end result being grapes with extraordinary structure, mineral accents and good acidity. The soils of this AVA are also unique to the area. They contain more calcium and less clay than surrounding territory and in the last three decades, viticulturists have come to fully understand the combination of microclimate and soil in defining the quality of grapes.
One of the interesting features of this newly designated area is that it falls within the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA, making it a small but special area within a special region.
Santa Rita Hills will now represent to consumers (and writers) a specific area producing world-class, cool-climate wine grape varietals, most particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, that speak with their own flavor voice. Some of the local winegrowers and vintners that began the effort in 1997 include Bryan Babcock (Babcock Winery), Rick Longoria (Richard Longoria Wines), Bruce McGuire (Lafond Winery), Richard Sanford (Sanford Winery) and Wes Hagen (Clos Pepe Vineyards). That’s already a stellar list of renowned wineries. A few other world-class wineries and producers that source grapes from the Santa Rita Hills AVA: Au Bon Climat, Foxen, Brewer-Clifton, Fess Parker and Gainey.
The whole Santa Ynez Valley,often referred to as the Napa Valley of the South,is dotted with wineries of fine repute, and this newly acclaimed AVA can only add to the cach & #233; of wines made from these vineyards. If you are interested in further information on the AVA or wineries within, call Wes Hagen at (805) 735-2196 or send him an e-mail at weshagen@thegrid.net.
