The Accidental Wino » Napa

Photos: Three Lunch Options from Wine Country and Elsewhere…

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:32:18 +0000

As I’ve mentioned here before, my goal in life is to only eat well, whether that means cooking at home or dining out. With that basic principle in mind, I definitely try to document everything delicious along the way, although sometimes certain meals get lost in the shuffle. And sometimes I may repeat myself, especially when I have certain favorites that I’ll revisit when I have the chance. I’ve actually mentioned all three of these lunches in previous posts, but never presented a photo alongside the article (I only upgraded my camera last May). Eventually, I’ll insert these photos into my past entries, but I wanted to give them a little shine on the front page as well.

The Chinatown Duck Burger @ Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena

For the duck burger at Cindy’s, the real draw for me isn’t so much the fact that the burger is made of ground duck; what really sets this burger apart is the “shiitake ketchup” that dresses the sandwich. For my January 2009 entry about Cindy’s Duck Burger, click here.

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Pizza Slices @ Gioia Pizzeria, North Berkeley

My old buddy Ross, who lives in the Oakland Hills, got me hooked on Gioia a few years back, and whenever I’m parked on the 580 and I see the Gilman Street exit, I’ll often seize that opportunity to get a couple slices. I’d much rather eat pizza than sit in traffic. For my February 2009 review of Gioia Pizzeria, click here.

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The Tri-Tip Sandwich @ Buster's Southern Barbecue and Bakery, Calistoga

The tri-tip sandwich at Buster’s is always a treat, as long as you don’t order the hot barbecue sauce. I can handle a fair amount of heat, but that sauce tests my limits, so keep that in mind. The cornbread muffin is one of the very best out there — it doesn’t actually require the pat of butter, although I use it nonetheless. Their fresh lemonade (not pictured) is also a terrific accompaniment. For my June 2008 entry for Buster’s, click here.

Breakfast & Lunch: Photos from Napa Valley Wine Country

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:48:06 +0000

Cachapas Pernil, Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Oxbow Market, Napa

Though I had been to Pica Pica Maize Kitchen before, I hadn’t actually tasted the cachapas pernil (#7) until I attended the Napa Valley Chefs’ Market a few weeks ago. The yellow corn pancake is just sturdy enough to provide the exterior, with a flavor profile that’s slightly sweet. The cachapas pabellon (#3), which is shredded skirt steak with plantains, is also a tasty alternative.

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Market Burger, Market Restaurant, St. Helena

As far as cheeseburgers are concerned, the Market Burger is an adequate choice, although the shredded Fiscalini cheese in the photo above reminds me of McDonald’s diced onions. This shredded cheese aesthetic has never really appealed to me, especially since a well-melted slice of cheese features so much more panache.

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Chicken and Waffles, Fremont Diner, Sonoma Carneros

I had assumed that the chicken and waffles at the Fremont Diner would be based upon their Nashville spicy fried chicken, which they offer at lunch. As it is, I’m not a big fan of the boneless chicken paillard; these pieces typically lack character, and they seem to dry out easily. The buttermilk waffle, which easily out-shined the fried chicken, was airy and light, yet delicately crisp.

Early Review: The Pre-Opening Festivities @ Morimoto Napa

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:33:07 +0000

I was fortunate enough to attend the Napa Valley Opera House’s sold-out fundraiser at Morimoto Napa on Sunday evening, which allowed me to feast to my heart’s content while inspecting the Iron Chef’s brand-new Napa Valley digs. Tickets for the reception were $95, and about 200 people gathered to taste what was easily the best sushi that has ever been offered in Napa. The restaurant, which will also host a few press- and industry-related dinners in the early week, is now taking reservations for its Thursday opening. Considering the scope of Sunday’s event, and knowing how difficult it can be to launch a new restaurant, I have to applaud Morimoto Napa for handling the fundraiser with aplomb. Of course, the Big Man himself was on hand for pictures and a book signing. Towards the end of the night, I was actually turning away sushi and sliders (highly uncharacteristic), which can only mean that I was hopelessly beyond full. Here are just a few photos…

In terms of sheer quality and skill, the sushi roll on the left really does speak for itself. So I'll just allow the photo to do the talking. On the right, a canapé version of Morimoto's tuna pizza.

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Pork belly slider. This delicious belly was braised for 10 hours. Just one more reason to love pork.

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Golden big eye snapper (kinmedai) nigiri. Simple, yet sublime. The fish arrives directly from Tokyo, just three days from the ocean in total. No one else in the United States can procure this particular fish in less than a week (they say).

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Steamed scallop with ginger-lemongrass broth. Great flavors and a perfectly cooked scallop.

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Vanilla ice cream over cherries, with chocolate-hazelnut shavings. A very nice dessert.

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Macerated strawberries with ginger syrup and Champagne geleé. Also delicious to the last.

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Interior view, near the Morimoto Napa entrance.

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Interior view, hallway mural (for perspective, there are probably about 50 fish in the entire mural, and the fishes' eyes are about as wide as your hand).

Wine Tasting Notes: Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:33:20 +0000

"A Night on the Town," dedicated to Schramsberg's legendary riddler of more than 36 years, Ramon Viera, who retired last December.

As a Napa Valley local, I’ve visited Schramsberg maybe half a dozen times over the last few years, but today I’ve finally decided that this winery offers the mother of all wine tours, hands down. The deep history, the unique property, and the world-class sparkling wines are practically unrivaled here in the Napa Valley, and for these three reasons, Schramsberg truly belongs in a class by itself. I’ll just leave it at that. Below, I’ve posted scans of my Schramsberg tasting sheet, with my scrawled notes included. It’s kind of a lazy approach, I know, but I have to drive up to Mendocino for wine tasting tomorrow morning, and it’s late. I will quickly acknowledge that the 2006 Schramsberg Brut Rosé ($41) crushes all of the local competition. And as expected, the 2003 Schramsberg J. Schram ($100) is a stunner. I may flesh out some additional details later, but will probably just move on. It’s all pretty much there, anyway. Read it, and weep (bonus points for those who can decipher VC”GD”).

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Tale of Two Chilaquiles: Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros & Miguel’s Restaurant, Calistoga

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:40:50 +0000

The Chilaquiles @ Miguel's Restaurant, Calistoga (minus the sour cream)

I was first introduced to chilaquiles while I was living in Los Angeles. Back then, I was working a prep cook at Houston’s Santa Monica, trying to get some real-world kitchen experience before heading off to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Since I was working mostly mornings at that time, the “family meal” at Houston’s was often chilaquiles, which I would best describe as breakfast nachos, for lack of better terminology. These meals would assume varying forms from day to day, based upon whatever was available in the kitchen at the time. That said, there are a couple fundamental rules as to what can be considered chilaquiles and what cannot. As the foundation of the dish, the tortilla chips themselves are inherently fundamental to chilaquiles, and proper chilaquiles should also feature eggs (since it is breakfast), as well as some sort of salsa for added flavor. From that point, however, the recipe can allow for many variations and additions, as many comfort foods tend to do.

When my friend Emmy asked me about chilaquiles a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about the Napa Valley’s options for this dish. I had two restaurants on my radar: (1) the Boonfly Cafe in Napa Carneros and (2) Miguel’s Restaurant in Calistoga. For the regular readers of this blog, Boonfly has long been my favorite local spot for fried chicken, and as part of the Plumpjack Group, the restaurant is fairly well-known, especially since it shares property with the Carneros Inn. In contrast, Miguel’s is tucked away in Calistoga, which is one of the least-trafficked areas in the Napa Valley (few people venture north of St. Helena, it seems). As for myself, Calistoga is approximatetly 30 minutes from where I call home, versus just five minutes down to Carneros.

However, when Emmy mentioned that Hiro Sone, the chef-owner of Terra in St. Helena, would frequent Miguel’s for the chilaquiles, I was naturally intrigued. Perhaps Calistoga needed to become a larger part of my culinary routine, especially if a restaurant like Miguel’s was serving up what I call a “destination” breakfast (that is, something worth the 30-minute drive up-valley). I decided to see what Miguel’s and Boonfly had to offer (someone’s got to). But before I delve further into the breakfast scene, it’s also worth addressing Carneros and Calistoga as they relate to wine.

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Among the 15 recognized wine-growing appellations (AVAs) within the Napa Valley, Calistoga occupies the northernmost region, while Carneros occupies the southernmost region. As one might expect, simple geography implies that these two appellations are quite different from one another, yet each is also markedly different from most of the other Napa Valley AVAs. For the last 30 years or so, the Napa Valley has been synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, and this will always be the case: AVAs such as Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain each excel with this particular varietal, and when people visit Napa to seek out world-class Cabernets, smart money should lead folks to these four areas, at the very least.

On the other hand, one will rarely encounter any noteworthy Cabernets from either Carneros or Calistoga. The fact is, neither region features a climate that suits itself to growing top-quality Cabernet grapes. Carneros, which is just a few short miles from the San Pablo Bay, is far too cool for Cabernet, and so the Burgundian varietals, such Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, take center stage in this region. Thirty miles to the north, Calistoga is easily the warmest region in Napa, and so Zinfandel and Petite Sirah become far more prevalent here than anywhere else in the valley. Frankly, I feel that the Calistoga wineries are much more interesting than the Carneros wineries, but that’s just my own personal preference (I’ll take Zin over Chard, and I prefer my Pinot from Sonoma).

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The Chilaquiles @ Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros

The chilaquiles at Boonfly and Miguel’s are quite different, but both are worth ordering (both are extremely filling, as well). Aside from the requisite tortilla chips and eggs, the Boonfly chilaquiles features chorizo, black beans, salsa verde, and pico de gallo. As you can see from the photo directly above, the egg component is cooked on the flat-top and draped over the entire dish, which makes for an impressive presentation. The entree is served on a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, which is also a nice touch. At Miguel’s, the tortilla chips and scrambled eggs are finished with salsa roja, a sprinkling of Mexican cheese, and an ample dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The flavors are simple yet amazing, and the dish is also accompanied by strips of marinated grilled steak and fried cubed potatoes, which are delicious in their own right. Among these two versions, I’d probably give the slight edge to Miguel’s, although Boonfly is definitely a worthy plan B, especially if you’re already in Carneros.

There Will Be Pastries: Scouting Napa Valley’s Breakfast Options

Thirsty Reader — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:01:12 +0000

As I’ve continued to explore the culture of breakfast and lunch here in the Napa Valley, I felt that it was certainly worthwhile to mention a few of the better pastry options out there. After all, even if you’ve enjoyed a large breakfast in the morning, pastries remain a great take-away item, especially if you plan to spend the day wine tasting, when lunch can often get pushed back, or pushed aside altogether. Without a proper lunch, that same cheese danish that may seem gluttonous in the early morning can actually become your salvation in the early afternoon (and maybe help prevent you from drooling at the dinner table, as well). I speak only from personal experience: Don’t fear indulgence. Embrace it. So with that caveat in mind, I have seven pastries to consider below — many hailing from very different walks of life — but each noteworthy in its own right.

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The Cream Cheese Danish @ Bouchon Bakery, Yountville

It’s no secret that I’m tepid on Ad Hoc (even their fried chicken dinner) and that I’m also somewhat ambivalent about Bouchon. I have long-standing reasons for both opinions, but at the same time, I certainly don’t blame anyone who might choose to dine at either restaurant. Both places can definitely have their moments — especially Bouchon — but I just don’t find myself making regular visits to either restaurant these days (and just to set the record straight, these humble opinions aren’t meant as any sort of Thomas Keller “backlash” — I acknowledge that TK is the greatest chef in American history, as well as at the present moment). For me, it’s just one of those things: With limited time and limited resources, some places are bound to be passed over in lieu of other favorites. But before I come across as a complete Negative Nancy, I’ll gladly go on record that Bouchon Bakery rates as the very best bakery in the Napa Valley, hands down. Among the many wonderful selections at Bouchon, my favorite is probably the cream cheese Danish pictured above, while my friend Marissa swears by the chocolate-almond croissant pictured below. Despite their apparent differences, both pastries fit safely and squarely within the “buttery-flaky” category, and either one could double as a dessert. Who doesn’t want to eat dessert for breakfast?

The Chocolate-Almond Croissant @ Bouchon Bakery, Yountville

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One Order of Donuts @ The Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros

It’s important to point out that the Boonfly donuts pictured above are quite close to actual size (they’re akin to a Hostess “Donette,” just for another comparison). As a result, most people could easily eat a Boonfly donut in one single bite, and I suspect that many people do, myself included. Other than their dainty proportions, there’s really no need to discuss much: The Boonfly donuts are fried to order and dusted with cinnamon and sugar — a simple approach, to be sure, but one that also trades on its a la minute freshness.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin @ The Fremont Diner, Sonoma Carneros

Established late last year, the Fremont Diner has quickly proven a strong addition to Napa wine country, and I’ve included it here, even though it’s technically located in Sonoma County (but within minutes of the Boonfly Cafe, for what it’s worth). The lemon poppy seed muffin pictured above features the consistency and crumb of a top-quality cake donut. It’s honest, and if you enjoy lemon poppy seed muffins, it’s also delicious.

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English Muffin @ The Model Bakery, St. Helena

For most people from the United States, the thought of an English muffin might recall something similar to a Thomas’ English muffin. However, this notion is way off-base, especially if you have ever been across the Atlantic. In terms of its design, the English muffin from the Model Bakery is relatively unassuming, except that it is twice the height as a Thomas’ muffin, and probably twice as buttery, to boot. The packets of preserves are somewhat small for the task, so I recommend ordering two.

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Cinnamon Roll @ 7-Eleven, Napa

I’m definitely not recommending a trip to 7-Eleven in lieu of something more local, especially for those people who might be visiting the Napa Valley. I present the 7-Eleven cinnamon roll only as a late night option, since I used to sometimes stop there for cinnamon rolls on my way home from Auberge du Soleil. I can tell you from experience that the pastry vendor delivers the goods at about 11pm each night, so when I was rolling through 7-Eleven around midnight after a night of cooking on the line, these cinnamon rolls were usually still warm from the bakery. Even average pastries, when consumed so quickly after baking, can be transcendent. Timing is everything.

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Señoritra Bread @ Starbread Bakery, Vallejo

Again, some gerrymandering of Napa County lines for the sake of discussion: Vallejo is actually located in Solano County. However, anyone who journeys to Napa Valley from the Bay Area has the option of a quick trip to Starbread Bakery (take the 29 exit right after the Carquinez Bridge). I’ve mentioned Starbread here before — I think I called their señorita bread the love-child of a freshly-baked croissant and a Hawaiian dinner roll. I continue to stand behind that remark. What more do you need to know?

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Wine Tasting Notes: Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley

Thirsty Reader — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 03:46:45 +0000

I’ve covered so much about food lately that I haven’t been keeping up with my wine tasting notes. The best wines that I’ve tasted recently were some older vintages of Chappellet Cab, but I’ll try to address those in the future. For the sake of staying a little more relevant to the here and the now, I do have a few notes from my recent tasting at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. I’ll cut to the chase and discuss the 2006 Insignia ($200) the winery’s flagship bottling, and a wine that has developed a loyal following over the years. Recent buzz is that Robert Parker has already anointed the 2007 Insignia with a score of 97-100 (based upon a barrel sample). We’ll see. The 2007 Insignia goes retail later this summer. As for the 2006 Insignia, I found it as underwhelming as I found the 2005 before it. Perhaps it’s just not to my tastes. Others have raved about it, but not me. I’m just not seeing it, even when I want to see it.

I did, however, enjoy the 2005 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet ($225), and I felt that the extra $25 would be very well spent purchasing the Backus in lieu of the Insignia. On the other hand, smart money wouldn’t purchase any current-release Napa Cabernet at the $200 level, which is why I haven’t ever purchased Shafer’s “Hillside Select” or Loyoka’s Mount Veeder (these are the two wines that have almost convinced me to reconsider). Although the Backus does boast some terrific attributes — it’s velvety and complex — I can’t say that it ever encouraged me to break my own spending rules, so I wouldn’t place this wine in the same class as Shafer, or Lokoya, or many Napa Cabernets at the $100 level. The Backus was tasty, though. Unfortunately, it’s priced for egos.

One of the more interesting wines of the flight was the 2006 Freestone Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($55), which is produced under Phelps’ second label. But again, even though the Sonoma Coast appellation is producing plenty of Pinot Noir gems these days, the retail price of the 2006 Freestone was pushing the upper limits of what might be typical for that quality level. I encountered a similar scenario with the 2008 Joseph Phelps “St. Helena” Sauvignon Blanc ($32) and the 2006 Freestone Chardonnay ($55). Both of these wines were well-crafted, but they were priced at prohibitive levels. Again, if I’m going to spend $50 on Chardonnay, then I’ll simply opt for my all-time favorite, Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch. Meanwhile, I can’t ever justify spending more than $30 on Sauvignon Blanc (and that goes for you, too, Duckhorn).

At the risk of sounding cheap and bitter (too late), I did feel that the 2006 Joseph Phelps Merlot ($40) and the 2006 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) presented appropriate values, but I’m not really trying to stock up on my decent-to-good reds these days. Bring on the sparkling, instead.

Breakfast & Lunch: Los Huevos Rancheros @ Soscol Cafe, Napa

Thirsty Reader — Fri, 28 May 2010 07:51:39 +0000

Look closely. It's all there.

If you live in the United States and you ever decide to visit the Napa Valley, then I probably wouldn’t recommend the Soscol Cafe as a breakfast destination. For lack of a better term, it’s your classic hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon, and you probably know of a similar-style place somewhere in your own home town. However, for those who might be visiting the U.S. from abroad (and therefore, who may have never dined at a classic greasy spoon), then the Soscol Cafe could represent a venerable culinary landmark, something that’s authentic to its very core. So if it’s the American experience you truly seek, then belly up to the counter and do your best. Certainly, if you’re a Napa local, and you crave something honest and filling, then the Soscol Cafe should be on your radar as well. The huevos rancheros pictured above is only $7, if I remember correctly.

Breakfast & Lunch: The Muffaletta @ Farmstead, St. Helena

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:13:37 +0000

Almost famous.

Only in New Orleans could a sandwich as glorious as the muffaletta take a backseat to the po-boy. In just about any other city in the United States, the muffaletta would certainly rank as a culinary claim-to-fame, earning a mention alongside the cheesesteaks of Philly or the towering deli pastramis of New York City. But even in the shadow of the more famous po-boy, the muffaletta of New Orleans boasts a loyal legion of followers (after all, one cannot exist on po-boys alone). With its roots at the Central Grocery in the French Quarter, the classic muffaletta features a round sesame roll, olive spread, a slice of provolone cheese and an assortment of Italian cured meats. It’s thought that the original muffaletta dates back about 100 years, and traditionally, these unusually large sandwiches were sold either as halves or quarter-slices.

At Farmstead, the muffaletta is scaled down to an individual portion, but in terms of flavor and execution, the St. Helena restaurant features an admirable version of the New Orleans classic. Even better, the sandwich comes with Farmstead’s roasted-then-fried new potatoes.

Four Courses @ Terra, St. Helena

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 18 May 2010 07:26:16 +0000

There’s no possible way that I could ever review Terra in St. Helena without heavy bias: I know too many people in that restaurant — from the kitchen, to the GM, to the waitstaff — to maintain any semblance of impartiality. For similar reasons, I can’t really offer my unbiased opinions about Martini House, Auberge du Soleil, or Etoile at Domain Chandon, either. Of the people whom I know socially in the Napa Valley, most of them work at either of these three restaurants. But despite these personal connections, I don’t think there’s much harm in showing some pictures from my latest dinner at Terra. If you’re looking for a short and impartial review of Terra, I’ll have to defer to my own personal hero, LA Weekly food-critic Jonathan Gold.

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Foie Gras on Crostini: This amuse was garnished with cocoa nibs, black cherry, rhubarb compote, one tiny mint leaf, and of course, the bright yellow foie gras fat-cap from the terrine itself.

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Tuna Tartare: Frozen shavings of miso-cured foie gras adorn the tuna tartare on avocado. The bkack-and-white sesame chips featured the taste and texture of crispy wonton wrappers.

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Green Garlic Soup: One of the great surprises of the night, garnished with a deep-fried oyster that featured an incredibly briny component. I said I would try not to show my biases, but this dish was terrific.

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Seared Black Cod with Shrimp Wontons in Shiso Broth: This umami-bomb is the signature dish at Terra, and one of the few times that fish can out-duel pork on a menu. Killer in the summertime, as you might imagine.

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