Queenie's Take: Drinking your way through Napa.

Welcome to second edition of Queenie's Take! This week, we're talking travel!

Hall (no stranger to first-class travel experiences) is headed to Napa for a vacation in June, and is looking for some off-the-beaten-path spots to visit. He's been to Napa before, and he's done most of my favorites - Schramsberg, Far Niente, and so on. This time, he wants to try something new. And so I racked my brain, consulted my tweeps, and got down to business.

The question is where to go next? Any 'cult' vineyards that are worth seeing? Any over-the-top oenological experiences there that are hiding under my nose? Or, is there something else that is a must do? - Hall, Christchurch, New Zealand

After rigorous research and vetting (read: visiting a couple of these myself and asking some trusted friends), I think I have some ideas for you, Hall. First up, Frank Family Vineyards. I'm not really sure that Frank Family qualifies as a hidden treasure, since so many people mention them to me, but I love them all the same. Tucked away on a dusty side road just south of Calistoga, Frank Family produces delicious wines (I am particularly fond of their sparkling wines and their cabernet). They also have one of the livelier tasting rooms I've visited, with a casual, easy-going atmosphere.

Next, Reynolds Family. (Apparently, I have a thing for families.) I visited Reynolds Family with - appropriately enough - my mother, when we went to Napa in 2007. Our friends Rick and Aimee had alerted us to the awesomeness to be found at Reynolds, and they were right. The staff were some of the most knowledgable I've encountered in Napa, and the thirty-minute tasting was pure fun. They specialize in reds, and I actually have a bottle of their cabernet that needs drinkin'. Hmmm...

If you are hankering for a twisty drive, impressive views, and a gorgeous tasting room, head for Pride Mountain, which straddles the borders of Sonoma and Napa counties (and has the taxation headaches to prove it, it seems). Perched at the peak of the hill, the tasting room has expansive views of the valleys below, and the wines ain't bad, either. Just remember to designate a driver for the trek back down. (Safety first, kids!)

My friends Caroline and Brian are the ultimate Napa experts, so I trust their every word. They both (separately, so I REALLY trust it) recomment Vincent Arroyo, where the wine is so good that you really buy futures, as opposed to bottles. It sells out before it's out of the barrels. Seriously. And Brian says that August Brigg's Dijon Clones Pinot Noir is the best thing he tasted on his last trip.

So, Hall - I hope that'll do ya good for this trip. Don't forget to stop in at Bouchon Bakery for a caramel macaron, and you're golden.

As for the rest of you - please chime in with your favorite Napa and Sonoma destinations, and, also, with any questions you'd like to see me take on in a future edition of Queenie's Take!

Speaking of macarons...

The king of macarons himself, the great Pierre Hermé, is featured today on The Selby. They have a recurring series that takes you inside the homes and studio spaces of creative people, and today they have some great photos of Hermé's Paris apartment.

Since I am a bit of a design addict and more than a bit of a macaron lover, this is pretty much online Nirvana for me. I think New Yorkers can learn a lot from how Parisians effortlessly mix the ancient and the modern - just look at that yellow Eames rocker next to the intricate marble fireplace.

This isn't the apartment I'd choose for myself, but you have to admire the courage. Too often Americans let the space dictate the style, rather than expressing themselves within the space provided. I'll remember this chair + fireplace combination the next time I start with a new apartment.

Photos courtesy of The Selby.

The caramel ones just slay me.

Normally, I'm not a big advocate for chains. Outside of an annual visit to McDonald's and an admitted fondness for Ikea, I try to frequent small and/or locally-owned businesses whenever possible, particularly when it comes to all things food-related.

That said, I might just be in love with Bouchon Bakery. It sits in the closest thing Manhattan has to a mall (the Time Warner Center), and it's an offshoot of the original in Yountville, but that doesn't make its coffee any less delicious or its pastries any less divine.

Part of Thomas Keller's ever-expanding empire, Bouchon Bakery features coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads and soups. Everything looks delicious, but I can't ever seem to make it past the macarons. They slay me every time.

The caramel is my favorite, but I try to work at least one seasonal flavor into the mix on each visit. Today, they had raspberry, and lemon with chocolate buttercream. Neither of these was enough to tear me away from my beloved caramel, but I feel confident saying they were both delicious.

Seriously, go buy a macaron, as soon as possible. Bring some home, and your family will be your slaves. For reals.

Playing hooky - well, sort of.

My mom came to New York this week - and even though I took the whole day off to spend with her, she went and made lunch plans with her friend! The nerve! Of course, it did afford me the opportunity to finally have lunch at Bouchon Bakery, something I've been meaning to do since it opened.

Few things feel more indulgent than a leisurely lunch, particularly when the rest of the city is humming and buzzing itself through a work day. I love to sit, read, eat, sip a little wine, and watch the world swirl around me for a bit.

After a quick trip to Barnes & Noble to get some reading material (One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson - really good so far), I arrived at Time Warner Center around 12:45. I was seated right away at the communal table, ordered the lobster roll, and settled in with a glass of Roederer and the amazing bread basket. Obviously, that wasn't all for me.

My lobster roll arrived, absolutely humongous and topped with the seemingly ubiquitous pickled red onion (which I love, no complaints here). It was really too big for one person, and lobster salad is a terrible doggie bag candidate, I had to leave about half the sandwich behind on the plate. Sad. But still tasty. The lobster was very sweet, and the herb mayonnaise dressing it was suitably tangy. I particularly liked the combination of the lobster with the cornichons and the salad - and, of course, all of it went beautifully with the champagne.

I had plans to meet Mom in Williams-Sonoma, but before that I headed to the bakery counter to pick up some of our favorite Bouchon macarons - the caramel ones. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the current crop of seasonal macarons includes strawberry-rhubarb. The caramel were reliably delicious - rich, slightly salty, perfect. But, sadly, the strawberry-rhubarb were too sweet for me. But oh, so pretty in pink.