I’ve been remiss in posting this past week because I’ve had company in town. My former roommate from culinary school had been here in Napa for a few days, having taken time off from his sous chef duties in New York City. I hadn’t seen Dave in three years, and we’ve taken very divergent paths since graduation. Still, it was interesting to discover how like-minded we were about food. For one thing, we’ve both become dismissive of tasting menus. After all, few restaurants, whether in Napa or NYC, warrant a four-hour marathon dinner. It’s a bit much. At some point, I think that anyone who cooks at the fine-dining level will eventually come to adopt a renewed appreciation for the simpler things, if only because they’re different.
Although I’ve never wanted this blog to degenerate into some narcissistic diary (there are enough of those already), I will offer a brief run-down of where and what we ate. At the very least, this entry will answer the question that I am often asked: if you were visiting Napa, where would you eat? The answers may be somewhat surprising, since many people might assume that we would’ve tried to finagle a reservation at the French Laundry. But for people who take a serious interest in food, the obvious choices are often the least interesting. Besides, Dave had just been to Per Se in NYC. Therefore, this was a chance to assemble a short list of affordable favorites, and to share my own local perspective. Fine dining, therefore, was nixed from our plans. Here are a few of the highlights:
• The bar menu at Redd. The strength of Redd’s bar menu lies within its crisp chicken wings in Thai chili sauce and its glazed pork belly on apple puree (the latter was not officially on the bar menu during our visit, but available nonetheless). I noticed that the bar menu at Redd is looking especially Asian these days, with potstickers, lettuce cups, pork buns, and bahn mi (a Vietnamese sandwich). The only thing missing is spring rolls. I’ve had Redd’s potstickers before, and was not overly impressed. Besides, Dave is about to spend four months eating his way through Southeast Asia — so why bother eating gyoza in the Napa Valley?
• Katana-ya in San Francisco. Independent of my own recent fixation with Asian soups, Dave has also been on a ramen kick these last few months. I thought that was interesting. Naturally, we went to my favorite ramen spot in the Bay Area, Katana-ya, where we each had the fried chicken ramen with light soy broth. Afterward, we killed some time at the Cartoon Art Museum, which currently has a terrific Totoro exhibition. Then, it was down to the Mission District for an obligatory burrito at El Farolito. Before heading back to Napa, we ended up slurping down some oysters at Waterbar.
• Kobe burgers at Martini House. Although I have already claimed that the cheeseburger at Rutherford Grill is the best burger in Napa Valley, the Kobe burger at Martini House deserves special recognition as a hedonistic affair (at $17 for a burger, it damn well better be). Eating the Kobe burger requires folding and re-folding your napkin, as you search for a new clean spot to wipe your face. By the end, the napkin will look as if it has been tie-dyed in burger drippings, which is fine. Almost too rich to finish, the Kobe burger is served alongside a tower of crispy onion rings, and can be paired with an $8 glass of L’uvaggio Barbera from Lodi. It’s a great way to enjoy the ambiance of the Martini House bar.
• Dinner at Bistro Jeanty. This restaurant has fast become my favorite spot in the Napa Valley. It is classic bistro fare in the old-school sense, with a menu full of terrific comfort foods. I enjoy the cassoulet, especially when the weather gets cool. I revisited this dish again last week: the sausage had a delicate texture and a delicious hint of fennel, while the duck confit was amazingly tender. Dave had the pork chop, which I had ordered during my previous visit. I loved the pork chop when I had it, although I warned Dave that it was not a true “double” cut, as the menu states (it’s definitely a single cut, but it is also priced accordingly, so there’s not much room to complain). The chop is served with a terrific carmelized onion sauce, and brining has imparted the subtle flavor of juniper berries. Grilled to medium, it’s quite tasty. We downed a cheap bottle of Bourgeil with dinner, thus completing the true bistro experience.
