my burgeoning love affair with the girl and the fig

For those of you unfortunate enough to have never had an encounter with Sonoma's The Girl and The Fig, I am telling you now - get yourself there! It is breathtakingly fabulous, addictively delicious and I am in love. The head over heels kind.

Again, it was a place that multiple friends had recommended and I have been trying to get there for over a year now. And at long last, this weekend, I made it. Joy!

My partner in culinary crime (my aunt) and I headed into downtown Sonoma Sunday morning to experience the delights that The Girl had to offer. In our eagerness we got there a bit too early for the burgers we were jonesing for so we cruised the square for awhile, constantly checking the time.

Finally 11:30 arrived and we were promptly seated and served. We started with some festive morning beverages - a Bellini for my aunt and a Mimosa for me, accompanied by a flavortastic arugula and fig vinaigrette salad with feta cheese and pancetta. And then....our burgers arrived.

Now let me just take a moment to describe the wonder that are the burgers at this fine establishment. They are made from ground sirloin - sirloin - and come on a perfectly crisp Dutch Crunch bun with greens, red onions sauteed in balsamic vinegar and your choice of Brie or Cambazola cheese. I chose the Cambazola and it was sheer heaven. Melted to ooey gooey goodness and bursting with flavor, it was the perfect compliment to the beef. As our server set our plates before us my aunt and I looked at each other with unmitigated glee, preparing ourselves to dive in. The first bite of a big burger is something that must be approached with all the concentration and forethought of a good battle plan. You have to discern where the best place is to breach the bun's defences so that you get everything in one bite - bun, meat, cheese and all the toppings. After considering carefully I picked the big, juicy, messy slice of heaven up and struck gold on first bite perfection.

Now, while we were victims to the throes of a massive burger craving this weekend, The Girl has an extensive and varied menu so I shall be returning to sample some of her other charms...as should you!!