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 [... read more ...]
Yolk so shiny, it picks up the ceiling fan.
One of my favorite breakfasts in wine country is the black-pepper brisket hash at the Fremont Diner in Sonoma Carneros. Earlier this week, I made a specific point of ordering this dish on my way out to Mendocino County, a road trip that usually pushes lunch back to the late afternoon. This brisket hash is a 100-mile breakfast if there ever was one. The potatoes are crispy, yet tender, and cooked with fresh herbs, while the brisket features a smoke-and-black-pepper pungency that I would best describe as addictive. Of [... read more ...]
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 [... read more ...]
Knife optional.
I first became acquainted with the Fremont Diner’s smoked black pepper brisket when I ordered their breakfast hash a few weeks ago. That particular plate of hash was just heavenly and it’s definitely in the running for the best breakfast in the Napa Valley, although I’m not ready to bestow any lofty titles just yet. I have many more breakfasts to consider in the meantime, and I’ll delve into the specific greatness of the Fremont Diner’s brisket hash when the time is right. For now, I submit the lunch version of their smoked black pepper brisket, [... read more ...]
Southern style.
There’s not much of a breakfast culture here in the Napa Valley, at least compared to the dinner scene. I think that mornings tend to be reserved for sleeping it off from the night before, or else having a little “hair of the dog” at a Napa Valley tasting room at 10am. Bouchon Bakery does a brisk morning business, of course, but I don’t consider that breakfast. For one, there’s no bacon at Bouchon Bakery, and eggs are merely an ingredient, not a main course. But there is breakfast out there, and I’m going to cover [... read more ...]
