I had debated briefly whether or not to dine at LMR’s Farmstead Restaurant last Friday night: On one hand, the space has been open for less than one month, and Friday nights can often be unpredictable, even for the most established hot spots. I wondered if enough of the kinks had been ironed out already, [...]

From what I’ve heard, Erasto and Pablo Jacinto will shutter The Border, and they will open a new Mexican concept — called “Casa” — inside of the OxBow Market. Upon hearing these rumors, I can’t say that I’m all too surprised by the idea of The Border closing: (1) the economy has been troublesome, and [...]

Cheeseburgers still get plenty of discussion around these parts, even though the Napa Valley is known more for its regal fare. The fact is, if you live here, you just can’t always eat foie gras (and anyway, there are definitely times when only a burger will suffice). In my article “The Tell-Tale Burger,” I go [...]

I continue to receive hundreds of searches per day regarding the Farmstead Restaurant, which is set to open in St. Helena next month. To that end, I’m working on scheduling an interview with proprietors Ted and Chris Hall very shortly, so hopefully I can uncover a few more details about this new project. In the [...]

I’ve mentioned La Morenita in this blog before, even the very items pictured above, although this picture had been missing from my original review. For me, these tacos la plancha continue to stand out, if for no other reason than they represent a taco that is fundamentally different than most other tacos found here in [...]

I’m all about second chances, but never third chances. As I had promised my readers a while back, I would eventually revisit Neela’s Contemporary Indian Cuisine to see how this much-needed Napa restaurant was faring six months after its opening. I finally returned to Neela’s about two weeks ago for lunch, inspired by the rumors [...]

I made my first visit to Bardessono last night for the restaurant’s weekly Sunday Supper, a $39 four-course dinner which offers one of the best deals in wine country. My dinner last night was delicious, bordering on exceptional, and if the restaurant can continue along this path every Sunday night, then Bardesonno will easily become [...]

I have to wonder if the Michelin Guide is trying to stay relevant by offering some big shake-ups this year. Maybe I’m reading into things too much, but it seems like the 2010 San Francisco guide featured quite a bit of promotions and demotions, especially within Napa wine country. Of course, I’m not taking anything [...]

Those who have been keeping up with the Thirsty Reader realize that occasionally I’ll do more than offer my humble opinion on food and wine. From time to time, I’ll break legitimate news stories. So, from the person who first leaked the news regarding Masuharu Morimoto coming to Napa, I bring you the latest culinary [...]

If you ever want a truly visceral Napa Valley experience, I recommend strolling into Pancha’s in Yountville after midnight on a weekday. More than any other place in wine country, Pancha’s is the home-away-from-home for the hospitality industry. It’s where cooks and servers go to get a drink after work, and where cigarette smoking indoors [...]