A Visit to Merced, Part I: El Capitan Hotel, Rainbird Restaurant, and Mainzer Restaurant

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Terrific ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote at Rainbird restaurant at the El Capitan Hotel.
Terrific ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote at Rainbird restaurant at the El Capitan Hotel.

Merced, CA — This San Joaquin Valley town has long been known as the “Gateway to Yosemite” from as far back as when stagecoaches and the Central Pacific Railroad turned it into a major transportation hub. Nowadays, most folks make the journey between the two by car, which will take close to 2 hours (if Highway 140 is open).

As many times as I’ve visited Yosemite, I had never stopped in Merced. But I had the opportunity to do just that last month when I was invited for a stay as a guest of the landmark El Capitan Hotel.

Opened in 2021 after three years of construction, it may be downtown Merced’s newest hotel to open, but it wisely maintains links to its history.

The original El Capitan was built a block away in 1872 as a waystop for travelers continuing on to Yosemite. In 1900, however it was razed by the railroad company to make way for a railroad stop. It was later rebuilt at its current location of M and Main Streets in 1912, and restored after a fire ravaged it in the 1930s.

The hotel is a mix of old and new.
The hotel is a mix of old and new.
The stylish common area in the hotel.
The stylish common area in the hotel.
An antique piece that used to hold room keys and messages at the original hotel on the site.
An antique piece that used to hold room keys and messages at the original hotel on the site.

The 114-room boutique hotel is largely new construction, but connects with the original annex in the back. Wander back there, and you’ll even find an antique furniture piece from the early 1900s with slots that once held room keys and written messages.

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The Aptly Named “Pasta To Make When You’re Not Near the Sea (But Wish You Were)”

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This lemony, briny, and buttery pasta comes together easily with pantry items.
This lemony, briny, and buttery pasta comes together easily with pantry items.

It says it all that I’ve happily made “Pasta to Make When You’re Not Near the Sea (But Wish You Were)” three times already.

And it’s not because I’m longing to be near the water.

It’s simply because it’s such a thoroughly satisfying pasta dish that’s easy enough to make on a whim.

The recipe is from “Le Sud” (Chronicle Books, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

Rebekah Peppler, a Paris-based writer and stylist, wrote the cookbook to highlight recipes from Provence- Alpes-Cote D’Azur, the southern region of France where the French throng for holidays. The 12,000-square-mile region is bounded in the north by the Southern Alps, to the south by the French Mediterranean, the east by Italy, and the west by the Rhone River. As the book illustrates with beautiful photos of the crystalline sea, it’s a postcard come to life.

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Women Getting It Done, Part II: Sherri Wood of Capay Valley Lavender Farm

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The irrepressible Sherri Wood in front of one of her stills at her Capay Valley Lavender Farm.
The irrepressible Sherri Wood in front of one of her stills at her Capay Valley Lavender Farm.

Capay, CA — No one will ever accuse Sherri Wood of lacking gumption or audacity.

After years of working in investment banking, she pivoted to the non-profit world, becoming national founder and chair of One Warm Coat, president of the Girl Scouts of Northern California, and board member of St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco.

Then, at age 64, when most folks would have eased into retirement, the former San Franciscan went full throttle in the other direction. She started a farm. With no farming experience whatsoever.

And that’s how Capay Valley Lavender Farm came to be in rural Capay that has a population of all of 300.

A bouquet of dried lavender from her farm.
A bouquet of dried lavender from her farm.

“I had no idea that I would do this,” she told me when I visited last month. “But it’s not in my nature to take it easy. I like challenges.

“Plus,” she quipped, “it helps with my golf game.”

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Women Getting It Done, Part I: Amina Harris of The Hive

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Amina Harris, the "Queen Bee,'' at The Hive.
Amina Harris, the “Queen Bee,” at The Hive.

Woodland, CA — You’ve probably done wine tastings, cheese tastings, even olive oil tastings.

But have you ever indulged in a honey tasting?

If not, you need to experience one — pronto.

At The Hive Tasting Room & Kitchen, the largest honey tasting room in California, you can sample honey that naturally tastes like marshmallows (Northwestern Meadowfarm from Central Oregon), cardamom (California Coriander from the Sacramento Valley), Red Hots (High Plains Sweet Clover from the Midwest), and so much more.

I had the pleasure of doing exactly that last month when I was invited in for a visit.

Ishai Zeldner grew fascinated with bee keeping while living in Kibbutz Beit Hashita in Northern Israel. So much so that when he returned to the United States, he immediately dove even further into bee research by enrolling at the University of California at Davis. He went on to become a commercial beekeeper, even bottling his own California Yellow Star Thistle honey with its delightful creme brulee-like taste.

The Hive is a production facility, as well as a tasting room and cafe.
The Hive is a production facility, as well as a tasting room and cafe.
All manner of honey varietals are available.
All manner of honey varietals are available.

Zeldner passed away in 2018, but not before instilling in his family a true passion for bees and honey that continues to this day.

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The Name Says It All at Z&Y Peking Duck

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Maybe the best Peking duck you'll ever sink your teeth into.
Maybe the best Peking duck you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

Z&Y Peking Duck in San Francisco’s Chinatown serves what might just be the holy grail of ducks.

As a Chinese American who grew up in San Francisco, where Peking duck was the star attraction of many a celebratory banquet dinner, I rarely recall a version that was this outstanding as the one I enjoyed when I dined at the restaurant last week.

We’re talking duck meat that’s not dry or tough in the least, but juicy and tender throughout, and skin that’s incredibly crisp with all of its fat underneath completely rendered out, a rare feat in and of itself.

Chef-Owner Li Jun Han, who formerly was the executive chef at the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco, opened Z&Y Peking Duck in 2023. USA Today recently touted it as one of its “10 Best New Restaurants of 2025.” It is the sister restaurant to Han’s Z&Y restaurant, across the street that opened in 2008 and has garnered a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.

Ducks hanging in the window are a familiar sight in Chinatown. But these are actually fake ones. You'll have to snag a table to enjoy the real deal.
Ducks hanging in the window are a familiar sight in Chinatown. But these are actually fake ones. You’ll have to snag a table to enjoy the real deal.

At Z&Y Peking Duck, it pays to dine as a party of 4 or more. That’s because that’s the minimum you need to make a reservation. Otherwise, you take your chances as a walk-in, which can be dicey, especially on a Saturday night as when I was there and people were crowded inside the entryway, waiting for tables.

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