The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned.
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The family-style seating area at the Kitchen Door. Two-tops and four-tops are located on either side, along with some bar-style seating.
If you were ever a fan of Martini House in St. Helena, the first thing you need to know about the Kitchen Door at Oxbow is that the mushroom soup is back. Good thing, too. I developed a lasting taste for that very soup when I used to cook at the Martini House — in those days, I ate a little mushroom soup almost every night, ladling the last remainders over cubes of left-over walnut bread, which [... read more ...]
As I’ve alluded in my sidebar over there on the left, I’ll be journeying into the Crescent City in less than two weeks for a 10-day po-boy and gumbo bender. As such, I haven’t been the prolific blogger recently that my readers have come to know and love. Like an athlete training for a key event, it is now time for me to back off and rest up, so that I’m able to eat five square meals per day while I’m in New Orleans. In the meantime, I’d like to do a little campaigning on behalf of a friend [... read more ...]
The Mother of All Tortas: The Torta Cubana.
In the spirit of late-night eating, Bistro Sabor’s torta cubana has been carefully constructed: Ham, carnitas, frijoles, cheese, pickles, onions, mustard. These aren’t bashful flavors, by any means. The sweet potato chips, paper-thin and perfectly fried, offer a delicate counter-point to the dish, and although this sandwich can make for a terrific lunch, the torta cubana can sometimes gain its appeal as the night progresses (as comfort foods tend to do). Not to worry, on Fridays and Saturdays, Bistro Sabor is open until 2am.
Sharing is [... read more ...]
Chicken & Waffles @ the Boon Fly Cafe (blue plate) and the Fremont Diner (white plate): It's always nice too see an upward trend in the Southern-fried sector. Images can be super-sized with a click.
Unless I’m missing something, the Napa Valley offers just two reliable versions of chicken and waffles, both of which are located at the very southern end of the valley, along the scenic Carneros Highway, separated by just a few miles of rolling hills and perhaps one or two stoplights. Of course, the Boon Fly Cafe and the Fremont Diner are the two restaurants [... read more ...]
After breaking the news late last year regarding the October closure of the Martini House, I had also reported that Paul Fleming of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse had planned to move into the newly-vacated space. However, just a few weeks after this news broke, I soon learned that the Fleming deal had fallen through. Now, with the old Martini House property in turn-around, I’ve recently discovered that Hillstone Restaurant Group has apparently stepped in, and the new owners will allegedly be moving forward on the project rather quickly.
Hillstone, of course, is the same entity behind Rutherford Grill, and is also the same [... read more ...]
Quintessa features a unique and creative set-up for wine-making: The grapes are sorted and destemmed at roof level, then gravity-fed into the winery via the skylights. The custom-made conduit, pictured above, funnels the grapes from the skylights into the fermentation tanks below (click the photo for higher resolution).
I scheduled a wine-tasting session at Quintessa last week, and if there’s one thing that I appreciate about Quintessa’s format, it’s the rare opportunity to taste a three-year vertical of premium Napa Cabernet. At the moment, Quintessa is pouring its 2005, 2006 and 2007 vintages, and I carefully evaluated all [... read more ...]
Golden brown, and then some.
The fish and chips at Silverado Brewing Company remains one of my favorite comfort foods here in the Napa Valley, although this dish succeeds more on its execution than its authenticity: The fish itself is a Vietnamese catfish called basa — definitely not traditional within the dish — but on the other hand, the crispy beer batter and the house-made tartar sauce are always pitch-perfect. And that’s what really counts.
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The banh mi sandwich @ Auberge du Soleil, with a yellow and green bean salad (not pictured: Auberge's unrivaled patio view).
Back when I first moved to the Napa Valley, I took a job as a line cook at Auberge du Soleil, and despite two years of chef school and several years of prior professional experience, Auberge proved to be an education unto itself. It not only redefined my standards, but it also redefined stress and adrenaline. These elements are inseparable, especially with Michelin-star cooking, and I reserve so much respect and admiration for the line cooks who [... read more ...]
End-of-the-year recaps present a great opportunity to “re-purpose” some old content (I learned this valuable euphemism during the dot-com era). Here are 10 dishes that I really enjoyed this year, in no particular order. I’m not saying this list comprises my top 10 dishes for the year, but some of them could definitely qualify. Clicking the photos will transport you back to the original article — and perhaps, a much simpler time and place.
Crispy shrimp with ginger and onions @ Huong Tra, Richmond.
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Flounder special @ Yuet Lee, San Francisco.
Pizzas on Parade (clockwise, from upper left): Oenotri, Solbar, Redd, Pizzeria Azzurro, Auberge du Soleil, Uva, Cantinara Piero, Ca' Momi, Boon Fly Cafe, Pizzeria Tra Vigne, Papa Joe's, Bistro Don Giovanni.
If there’s one food that can achieve total global supremacy, pizza seems like the natural front-runner. You don’t ever have to sell anybody on pizza. It just seems to endear itself to everybody, like a wealthy uncle, or a gregarious bartender. Although pizza has only become popular here in America since World War II, different schools of thought regarding pizza have already emerged: Individual preferences towards pizza [... read more ...]
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