Sideways - you gotta see it. I haven't had so much fun at the movies in a long time.
Being a California-ite, the scenery is very familiar, including the ratty bungalow and funky waitress apartment. Also the elaborate wine-tasting emporium and the gorgeous vineyards in between hills.
We drove some of those Central coast back roads a couple of years ago when we vacationed in San Luis Obispo. Hope that the movie doesn't "ruin" the area because it is gorgeous *and* unpretentious; plenty of good food and the folks aren't spoiled. Yet. People feel much more "middle America" in that wine country (than in say Sonoma or Napa) - Santa Maria is home to an indigenous grilling tradition and you'll see lots of monster barbecue grills on the back of trailers or pickups. More American flags and Support the Troops stickers than you see in Northern California, to be expected with all the bases nearby. So all you red staters who think you wouldn't be happy in California ought to come for a visit - it's our red state wine country.
I'm not into wine tasting particularly - I like vineyards and the wineries themselves, though, and great farmers' markets seem to go with the territory (Thursday night in San Luis Obispo is a *huge* party, with live bands and barbecue as well as fresh produce).
prime ribHere's a method from my local newspaper that has been repeated every christmas season since the first time it ran. I use this method and I...
Fried Chicken for PandoraRobb Dabb's, don't know what happened to him but he was a poster on another food ng, knows how to make American (southern) Fried Chicken! Here's his recipe: 2-1-2 lbs. cut up chicken 1-2 c...
Oh I just have to say a little more for out-of-staters who don't know - the beauty of this area is that you are within 40 minutes of the coast and Big Sur. You could do the wine country for a couple of days, then go to Hearst Castle another day and be back for afternoon tea. You could go look at the livestock at University paddocks in the morning, then attend a clbuttical music (or jazz, or rock) concert at night. SLO has independent bookstores, fabulous coffee, plenty of darling shops, a restored river with cafes and walk downtown, an old mission, etc. etc. The local paper called the area the Gold Coast and also Bliss State and they're not kidding. And if you didn't want to pay SLO hotel prices (which when we were there were a bargain, but it was the beginning of the Iraq war and the only other guests were Army reserve officers called up for maneuvers) you can stay in Paso Robles or Santa Maria or whatever that town was where they stay in the movie.
The movie is a hoot. Jill, rent it on DVD or VHS if it never came to Memphis. Then spend your vacation in the Central Coast - cheaper than Europe now that the dollar is down. Closest airport would be Santa Barbara; if you flew to LAX it would be a 3-4 hour drive (I think). Four hours from San Francisco (by car).
Leila
