Recently in Napa Category

New Downtown Napa Deli

I had pretty much given up hope in finding a really good deli sandwich for lunch in downtown Napa. Too often workmates tried to lure me to makeshift deli places and each time I left disappointed and many times throwing my sandwich away on the sly. As a result, I decided to just part ways with this standard fare for lunch. And certainly, downtown Napa has plenty of other lunchtime options.

However, today I ventured into Frankie's Italian Deli located on 1502 Main Street at the urging of a friend who boasted she loved everything on the menu.  "Everything"?  Hmmm. I decided to order the Genoa sandwich which had Italian salami, provolone & anchovies, red onion, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette on a French roll. (had them add pepperonchinis too).  And my opinion on the matter?

By Deirdre Bourdet

The restaurant MECCA in San Francisco was one of my favorite spots in the city when Stephen Barber manned the stoves. I was devastated when he and the management team left to open BarBersQ in Napa's uber-suburban Bel Aire Plaza, so I moved to Napa as well. (Kidding... though I did move to Napa.) The new digs are not quite as sexy or dramatic, but they do have plenty of urban flash. And the restaurant's lusty flavors and mood music make up for whatever style points are lost for the slightly less soigné clientele.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Recession-special happy hours are still popping up at a fabulous pace, even though the recession tide has turned and is (officially) over.  Downtown Napa recently added a couple of new and exciting options for happy hour tippling, besides Pica Pica Bar with its fab $3 drinks and ceviche.

By Deirdre Bourdet

This time of year you can't turn around without a pumpkin or nine staring you in the face. Every storefront has trotted out at least ten or twelve for the window display, and the Stanly Ranch Pumpkin Patch is rockin' and rollin' with its hay bale maze, giant sunflowers, and pumpkins of every size and color. Though the decorative pumpkin frenzy will die down after Halloween, the edible pumpkin bandwagon is just getting going in wine country. It's one of my favorite seasons for sweets.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Pica Pica Bar has opened in Napa's Oxbow Public Market! I was delighted enough to hear that they would be serving ceviche with wine and beer, but news of their ridiculously awesome happy hour made me make haste to the comfortable leather bar stools at the south end of the Oxbow building. From 3-6pm on weekdays, all alcoholic drinks (white or red sangria, most of the ten draft beers, Venezuelan-style fruit juices called batidos, and your choice of red, white or rose wine) are $3, and a varied assortment of ceviches and corn arepa "sliders" are also yours for the same price.

By Deirdre Bourdet

The sensory delight of Napa Open Studios begins September 19th. What better way to celebrate wine country's artists than with local wines and nibbles?

Although many venues are hosting special events, the offbeat G Studio in the upstairs of an old factory in Napa lets visitors meet the artists and their creations in the actual studio space where they work. The resident artists include Kate Salenfriend, Reuben Godinez, Katie Roberts, Deb Lubin, and glass maven Patti Wessman, whose fabulous tableware designs look straight out of that sexy wine country restaurant you've been dying to visit. Visiting artists Yvonne Henry, Heather King and Nancy Shapiro join the party for Open Studios this year. Walk around and chat with these crazy colorful characters about their inspiration as you sip seriously good wine (Bennett Lane, Bighorn, Tres Sabores, and many others), enjoy the late summer light streaming in the windows, and ponder the beauty of life.

By Deirdre Bourdet

The heat is on! And few things are more glorious than summer dining alfresco in wine country. I offer only three recommendations here because there are far too many fabulous patios than I can do justice to in the space permitted.

Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar just off Healdsburg's main square has a blissfully shaded garden patio on which to sample their delectable and different small plates. Tuna tartare--normally a snore-inducing must-skip item for me--goes in an entirely new and awesome direction here with cashews and slivered chilies in a cool coconut milk sauce, served atop crispy taro chips. Pumpkin seed-cilantro pesto takes bacon-wrapped scallops to new levels of delicious depravity. If it hits triple digits on the patio, move inside to the bar and have Bob the bartender (or one of his compatriots) cool you down with a cucumber martini.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Summer romances are as old as time, and like clockwork, I find myself falling in love every year around this time. I speak of course of fresh salmon.

Nothing says summer more enticingly than a huge piece of barbecued wild salmon, charred and smoky from the grill, its succulent pearlescent flesh crying out to be devoured. Unless you consider sweet and toothsome and absolutely impossible-to-say-no-to grilled corn on the cob... ; or the intoxicating fragrance of farm-fresh heirloom tomatoes seducing the unwary into $30 salads... or hunks of cold watermelon so juicy that you need a napkin just to think about putting a piece in your mouth.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Napa recently experienced a sudden, tragic, and devastating loss... Ubuntu took its strawberry sofrito pizza off the dinner menu. In my humble opinion, this dish showcased all the best qualities of the restaurant: uber-local organic ingredients, creatively prepared, internationally inspired, and perfectly executed. Who else would think to combine Napa's famous summer strawberries with onions and garlic, slow cook the mixture in olive oil for three days to a sweet, savory, caramelized nirvana, and then spread it on a thin-crust pizza with fresh burrata and pine nuts? It was bliss, and I was in love.

Submitted by Chef Jim Filaroski of J. Alexander's

Wine Pairing: Merryvale Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Summer's here and the time is right... for a barbecue!  Invite your friends over, uncork a bottle of Merryvale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and get the coals hot.  This great grilled rib-eye dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser and pairs impeccably with Merryvale's Cab.

Liberte, Egalite, Block Parté

by Deirdre Bourdet

'Tis the season of Independence Day celebrations, and Francophiles in the Napa area will be fête-ing le quatorze juillet (aka Bastille Day) at the Oxbow Market - this year. Live music, dancing, games, and--bien sûr--a wide variety of frenchy food specials will celebrate 220 years of Gallic freedom in appropriately hedonistic style.

Starting at noon, Toni Cordioli and his Accordion Gang will roam the market and transport you to Paris, only without the b.o. and pushy donation collection. Cooper masters from Nadalie USA will be there from 2-6 to demonstrate the fine art of barrel-making--an entirely different kind of French toast we rarely get to see.

This food item is the absolute best; cheesy, tasty, and makes your mouth water. The tomatoes are awesome with the sour dough bread and the cheese. Everyone orders and loves this item at Silo's Wine Bar and Jazz Club.

Recipe: Killer Bread

Wine Pairing: Pinot Grigio (favorite is by Luna Vineyards)

Chef Name: Linda Whitted

Ingredients:
butter, mayo, Parmesan cheese, garlic, mozzarella cheese, sour dough bread

Directions:
I cant tell you anything more or give details . . . its a SECRET!

Readers: Looks pretty good from the picture and easy to make.  Probably perfect as a snack or along with dinner. Would love to get some readers thoughts on how to make this since we aren't given any directions...

Silo's Wine Bar and Jazz Club
"Pairing Great Wines with Great Music"
530 Main Street
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 251.5833
www.silosjazzclub.com

by Deirdre Bourdet

Far more could be said about the positive aspects of the recession than would fit on this blog, so I'll limit this discussion to some of the incredible discounts available these days on Napan indulgences.

One of my personal favorites is the all-day Monday happy hour at Bounty Hunter, where the entire stable of "house" brands is two-for-one by the glass... including the Waypoint Vineyards Beckstoffer/To Kalon wines, normally $20 a pop.  If you can make it in between 3 and 6 p.m.  on the other weekdays, the same deal applies.  Consider adding a "mini" barbecue sampler plate heaped with pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and coleslaw to your tab, and you've basically got dinner and two glasses of killer wine for $35.

by Deirdre Bourdet

For those of you who love food emporiums as much as I do, here is my list of the top five things to hit on an eating romp through Napa's Oxbow Public Market.  Warning: may be habit forming.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Who knew they would turn up in a suburban shopping plaza just off Highway 29 in Napa? Or that they would be offered alongside fabulous mushroom quesadillas and scarily good grilled octopus burritos?

La Taquiza is a gem. Though the restaurant name suggests that the fish tacos are the can't be missed signature item, do not be misled. Shrimp is the way to go here. Perfectly grilled to order, juicy, succulent shrimp, to be specific, buried under fresh shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, salsa verde, and a luxurious dollop of crema. All you need to attain nirvana is to anoint them with your condiments of choice--pickled onions, more pico de gallo, and/or one of the housemade salsas, as you prefer--and lift the Mexican masterpiece to your lips.

By Robert Farmer

Can somebody tell me what happened to Babe's Burgers? Actually, I think the official name was Babe's Burgers and Franks but everybody just called it Babe's. It's the little ramshackle shop along the highway (Hwy. 121, to be exact) that neatly ties together Napa and Sonoma valleys. You know the place. Or maybe you don't. That was the beauty of Babe's, it was beloved by some, completely off the radar for others. It was the kind of place that maintained an "insider" vibe no matter what restaurant was currently the talk of the valley - either valley. It was easily blown by when cruising along the Highway in the Carneros District, bouncing from one winery to the next.

NAPA, CA - Locals or any in the area during the work week trying to save a buck (or two) on a light late lunch or early dinner should stop by Bounty Hunter Wine Bar in downtown Napa.  Bounty Hunter boasts 40 wines by the glass and a seven page wine list of wines from around the world.

The items on their regular food menu can start to add up, but their happy hour is quite the bargain.  Happy Hour is Monday - Thursday only from 3 to 6 pm and features:

• 2 For 1 - Bounty Hunter Brands By-The-Glass
• 25% off the Wine List
• $5 Quarter Slab BBQ Ribs & Slaw
• $10 Smokin' BBQ Taster Plate
• (includes ribs, brisket, & pulled pork)

Stop by for a small respite from the worries of life.

Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ
975 First Street
Napa, CA 94559
www.bountyhunterwinebar.com

If you've ever been to Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley Wine Country, then most likely you have tried their signature chocolate treat called "Bouchon".  It is chocolaty, brownie, cake-like goodness that no person should be without! If you have yet to go, definitely make this as a must visit, see, and taste for yourself stop next time you are in town*.  But what will you do until then???

Apparently, Bouchon Bakery has partnered  exclusively with Williams-Sonoma who are now selling the Chocolate Bouchon Mix directly to consumers.  "The mix combines Guittard cocoa powder, Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla and a generous helping of Callebaut chocolate chips".

It's only $18.00 and yields 18 bouchons.  Of course, you also have to buy the "bouchon mold pan".  Sigh...just looking at the picture is making me salivate all over again. I may have to order my mix tonight or since I live local, maybe just pop over to the bakery itself.

If there are any readers out there that have already tried the mix and have tasted the original, let us know if it tastes the same!

*Note: Bouchon Bakery is also located in New York and Las Vegas.

By Courtney Cochran

Erika Heinemann is nuts.

You'd have to be to leave a comfy job as chef at one of Napa's best-known wineries to start from a business from home making and selling...nuts. Well, wine nuts, to be exact. Heinemann, a professionally trained chef who's logged time on the line at the French Laundry, left Duckhorn Wine Company several years ago to start Savvy Wine Food, a food-and-wine-pairing business headquartered in the Napa Valley.

by Courtney Cochran

Brenda and Dylan had The Peach Pit. Rachel and Ross had Central Perk. Even Carrie and Samantha shared many a gab fest in the same sunny Manhattan diner (what was it called??).

Whether we're talking 90210, 10010 or right here in wine country, there's an undeniable fascination with dining haunts frequented by our favorite locals. And, lucky for wine country travelers, the spots in our own backyard are much more accessible than their fictional TV counterparts.

By Courtney Cochran
Leave it to wine country dwellers to divine a venue where you can master downward dog, realign your chakras and dine on sustainably farmed eats and drink all in one place.  At Napa's new Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio (ubuntunapa.com), a daily roster of classes including Ashtanga, Hatha, prenatal and Vinyasa techniques is complemented by - what else? - vegetarian-inspired cuisine crafted from goods sourced from local farms and the spot's nearby biodynamic gardens.

by Courtney Cochran

If the flurry of construction that's been underway along the waterfront in downtown Napa is any indicator, the once-sleepy city is on the brink of becoming a major tourist destination. And the Oxbow Public Market (oxbowpublicmarket.com) - at just three months' old one of the newest additions to the downtown area - may be one of the city's most promising new arrivals.  Read on for the scoop on our favorite purveyors in this venue that looks poised to become the next big thing in a whole new Napa.

By Courtney Cochran

You know how the saying goes: “they’ve got everything but the kitchen sink in there!” And though this is usually shorthand for the fact that “in there” is overrun with clutter and other useless artifacts left over from the year 1982, this couldn’t be further from the truth in the case of the brand spanking new Oxbow Public Market (oxbowpublicmarket.com ) in downtown Napa.

Oxbow is to Napa what the Ferry Building is to San Francisco:  a hedonist’s food and wine paradise, a meandering indoor/outdoor market fabulously chock full of retailers pedaling provisions befitting the gourmet lifestyle.  Goods available or on view at the $11 million marketplace include culinary antiques, an on-site micro winery (run by none other than Michael Mondavi), artisanal chocolates, olive oils, culinary literature, exotic bulk spices, and much, much more.  

There’s so much there, in fact, that you might even be able to score a kitchen sink.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.
Top Shops

• The Fatted Calf – Choice cuts abound at this Bay Area cult-popular artisanal charcuterie and butcher shop.
• Taylor’s Automatic Refresher – Yes, the St. Helena hamburger standout is present at Oxbow – and aren’t we glad it is.
• The Model Bakery – This outpost of the popular St. Helena bakery ensures the smell of freshly baked bread wafts throughout the market.  Thanks.
• The Oxbow Cheese Merchant – Just try to resist the goods at this shop run by Kate Arding, who helped start Cowgirl Creamery.

By Robert Farmer

One of the best additions of any kind to San Francisco (where I reside) in recent years is definitely the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The public market, open every day and hosting an open-air farmers market three days a week, has simply revitalized the city’s waterfront. Now, I eagerly anticipate the same result in Napa, where the long-awaited Oxbow Public Market will make its debut Dec. 15.

Situated in Napa’s emerging Oxbow District the 40,000-square-foot marketplace on the riverbank will be a testament to the bounty of Wine Country. Dozens of tenants are already aboard—with more in the works—all of which represent the best in local food, wine, and artisinal craftsmanship for which the region is known and loved. Among the first-open tenants at the market are: The Olive Press, Anette’s Chocolate Factory, Tillerman Tea, and farm stands from Bera Ranch and DeSantis. The first couple weeks will bring in Folio Enoteca and Winery, Three Twins Organic Ice Cream, The Fatted Calf, Oxbow Cheese Merchant, and Five Dot Ranch, among others.

I will write much more about the Market as I get to know it better, but for now you can rejoice in the litany of mouthwatering goodness of it all.

Every now and then I have to be reminded just how great Mustard's really is. We have so many wonderful dining establishments in Napa Valley and I somehow tend to think of Mustard's Grill as a tourists' place (probably because it was one of the first places I went to when I was a tourist), so we just don't go to Mustard's all that often. I've always enjoyed this place, but it took the suggestion of friends visiting here from Southern California to bring me back to my senses - and a really fun dining experience.

The basic doughnut has been elevated to an art form at many of Napa Valley’s bakeries. In fact, all manner of pastries, including the undecorated croissant becomes the stuff of dreams. But it is the cakes that push your senses into the realm of fantasy. If you don’t believe us, you just have to drop by one of the places on WineCountry.com’s top bakery list. But hold on to your wallet and your diet, once you stand enthralled before the pastry case, you will throw common sense to the wind. Starting south, and heading north:
Sweetie Pies: Located in the Hatt building off south Main Street in Napa, this sensuous little bakery has a wide array of cakes for all occasions, cookies, and other baked delicacies. If you go for lunch (between 11 and 2 all days, except Sunday) try their Caprese panini. This pesto, tomato, and mozzarella sandwich is delicious, fresh, and leaves you room for a little something more. 520 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559 (707) 257.8817
ABC: In business for more than a decade, ABC, or Alexis Baking Company, practically started the gourmet bakery craze in Napa Valley. On Sunday morning, it is still the place to see and be seen for the up-and-coming crowd. And if you haven’t had one of their Pistachio cakes, you don’t know baking in Napa Valley. 1517 Third St., Napa, CA 94559 (707) 258.1827
Butter Cream Bakery: If it looks like Butter Cream is straight out of the 1950’s, it is. Pink vinyl banquets, an old-fashioned grill and counter, waitresses dressed in uniforms and a price list for doughnuts that still leave change in your pocket. 2297 Jefferson Street , Napa, CA 94559 (707) 255.6700
Bouchon Bakery: Superstar chef of Yountville and world, Thomas Keller, opened this tight little bakery right next to his Bouchon restaurant. If you can pass up the breads that this wonderfully aromatic place turns out, you have enough will power to conquer the world. 6528 Washington Street, Yountville, California (707) 944-2253
Model Bakery: The open glass windows of St. Helena’s main street bakery give you a birds-eye view of both the shopping action outside, and the pastry cases inside. If you love people watching with your tarts, coffee, and newspaper, this is a great place and on any given morning you are bound to see an upvalley vintner or two. 1357 Main St., St. Helena, CA 94574 (707) 963.8192

Sweetie Pies and Bouchon are a featured treat in these WineCountry.com Exclusive Experiences:

http://www.winecountry.com/exclusive-experiences/offers/PG00003/
http://www.winecountry.com/exclusive-experiences/offers/UW00002/

By Kimberly Wilson

Do you have an eight?
Nope, go fish.
Do you have a three?
Nope, go fish.

Remember this game? I'm sure you do. One could spend hours and hours playing. I particularly enjoyed it because for some odd reason I had a knack for beating my brother every time we played. There's a certain pleasure in telling someone to "Go fish". That being said, don't roll your eyes when I tell you to "Go Fish" on your next trip to Napa Valley.

Cindy Pawlcyn, chef and name behind Mustards Grill and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, has added another restaurant to her empire - Go Fish. Go Fish is a sushi and seafood restaurant located in St. Helena right off Highway 29, next to a local's hangout A&W. Whatever you do, make reservations or you might find yourself eating at the bar because there's not a table available until 10 pm that night.

FOOD
The food at Go Fish is prepared simply with the focus on quality of seafood, freshness and light seasonings. As a result, the fish actually becomes the focal point of your dining experience, as it should be.

Start off with a couple of sushi rolls or sashimi. The specialty Dragon roll (shrimp tempura wrapped with eel and avocado) - though a whopping $20 - was delicious and would definitely order again. However, if you are strictly a sushi roll fan, the choices are few compared to other sushi houses you might go to.

Be sure to order from the small plate's menu. My party ordered the salt encrusted gulf prawns accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce which was a fun diversion. Our request for the Peruvian Scallop Ceviche Inca corn was met with "Go Fish". Perhaps next time.

Venture into the fish selections featuring salmon, sturgeon and my personal favorite at most restaurants who dare to serve and prepare right - striped sea bass. Go Fish did not disappoint. The sea bass was cooked to perfection - wood-grilled, flaky, melt in your mouth lightly seasoned with a saffron vin blanc sauce. One is allowed to go fishing in any way they like - choose your own method of cooking (wood-grilled, steamed, or sauteed) and choose your own sauce ranging from a lemon caper parsley butter to curry inspired sauce.

Dessert, dessert, dessert....don't be foolish like the couple next to me and dismiss your server with "We'll stop in Yountville for dessert". Stay and try the out of this world roasted banana-rum ice cream sandwich. Paired with a cup of peppermint rose infused tea, desserts in Yountville will have to wait for your next dinner out.

WINE: Great wine selection - by the glass, by the half bottle and pages and pages of full bottle choices. If at a loss, try the Navarro 2004 Gewurztraminer with its slightly sweet, faint effervescence that nicely compliments the lightly-seasoned fish dishes.

PRICE: Expect to open your pocketbook a little wider than usual. Sushi ranges in price from $8 to $30. Entree selections range from $16 to $24. Add on some appetizers, side dishes, a bottle of wine AND dessert. My party of two barely escaped with a $150 tab.

To sum it up, GO FISH if you want a seafood experience to remember.

NAPA—After four days at Auction Napa Valley, I'm officially partied out. Every glass of wine has been drunk, every hand shaked, every plate cleaned, and my party dress is ready for a long soak—along with my aching feet. It's grueling work, all this festivity.

Each year, hundreds of patrons converge on the valley for the party of the year. They come from across the country, from Texas, the east coast, Los Angeles as well as nearer locales—Woodside, Sonoma, Napa and Palo Alto. And they're here for one main reason: the wine. (Okay, that and charity; the auction benefits health and youth services throughout the valley.) It's an exclusive club, really, only a few hundred tickets are sold. The lucky attendees then have the opportunity to bid on mind-boggling lots of equally mind-blowing Napa wine sell for thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars—even a million dollars. Names like Staglin, Grace Family and Screaming Eagle and so many others command top prices at the event, setting records each year for amounts spent on Napa wines and re-enforcing Napa's top-tier placement in the world of wine.

A newcomer to the event, I spent the weekend trying to learn the ropes. On my first night, Thursday, a well-meaning veteran had this advice: pace yourself. I failed to listen. We drank through ten glasses of incredible Merlot at Duckhorn Vineyards, paired with food from Auberge du Soleil, with several dozen other guests out on the veranda, watching the sun set. Pacing was not in the cards that night. Nor the next.

Friday night, at Gargiulo Vineyards, just off Oakville Cross Road was even more festive. Despite the mosquitoes nibbling my ankles, we drank through much of the family's incredible collection of sparkling, Rose, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet and "Super Oakville" Blend (a local version of Super Tuscan). Afterwards, Jeff Gargiulo passed out cigars and guitars from his personal collection for late-night-revelry. At 11pm, I was ready to head for home. My date stayed well into the night. Pacing, I thought, is for wimps.

But Saturday's auction, which this year raised a record $8.4 million dollars, is the big event of the weekend. And by then, I was tired, hot, sunburned and hung-over. I suddenly realized the advice of Thursday was more than well-intentioned: they were words to live by. Dragging myself to the massive tent set up at Meadowood, I arrived just in time to hear the Staglin lot sell for over a million dollars. Inside the tent, sweat rolling off my forehead and arms, I overheard someone say it was well over 95 degrees inside. The excitement was palpable, despite the heat. As bidders raised and lowered paddles, lots continued to go for $40, $50 and $60,000. I suddenly realized that the charities of Napa Valley, who receive this money, were in for a windfall again this year. Pacing, be damned, I was ready to celebrate with this incredible group of patrons and winemakers (Mike Grgich brushed past me as I entered, wearing his trademark beret). Geena Davis and Ryan Seacrest (of American Idol fame) were here…uh, somewhere. Friends from previous nights' dinners, old acquaintances and new introductions were made. We sweated, smiled and sipped through it all.

Exhausted, I crawled into my bed on Saturday night reminded once again of the words of my friend on Thursday night. Pace yourself. Next year, I thought. Next year.

NAPA—Top Chef, the reality cooking show on Bravo, came to Napa last week for its penultimate episode, and here's what we've learned:

-Lamb is nice, but not thrice. Contestants were given $250 to spend at St. Helena's Sunshine foods for ingredients for their dishes, which were cooked in the kitchens of COPIA for an all-star panel of Napa chefs. Three of the four made lamb dishes. By the time the third (and ultimately losing) contestant Lee Anne Wong served up lamb, yet again, the panel was lamb-enting having to face another round.

-Never tell a French chef that you don’t like using butter or cream. D'oh! Contestant Howard Dieterle made the massive faux pas in Chef Philippe Jeanty's presence when he served up a plate of lamb, spinach and sunchokes, telling the crowd that he really preferred the creaminess of the chokes to using butter and cream. Jeanty cried foul, saying, "I'm French. I'm all about butter and cream." Ouch.

-Hold the black pepper, or you might just get flattened by Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen chef, Cindy Pawlcyn. Underdog contestant Dave Martin was given the moniker Pepper Monkey for his overzealous use of the spice in his truffled macaroni and cheese. Double ouch.

-Nice girls finish…last. The last woman standing at the end of the evening is perhaps the nastiest chef known to man, or woman kind. Hard as nails contestant Tiffani Faison says she isn't on the show to make friends. Good thing, cause she isn't.

-When serving a rare wine like, say, Shafer Vineyards Hillside select it's probably a good idea to make sure you dish pairs well. Especially when the company's chairman, John Shafter is sitting at the table. Several of the dishes had trouble with their flavors not bringing out the richness of the wine. Rookie maneuver.

-The "front of the house" dining area of Julia's Kitchen at COPIA may be a great place to eat, but the "back of the house" (restaurant lingo for the kitchens) are incredible to behold.

-Cooking for a room full of chefs is a wickedly difficult task. Contestant Howard got nailed for gritty mushrooms, while the "gummy" texture of Tiffani's gnocchi being discussed was, well, cringe-worthy. Featured Napa valley chefs included: Phillippe Jeanty of Bistro Jeanty; Keith Luce of Press; Greg Cole of Celadon; James Devitt of Budo; Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustards Grill; Victor J. Scargle of Julia's Kitchen at COPIA; Doug Keane of Cyrus; Todd Humphries of Martini House; and John Ash of John Ash and Co. (who we never saw).

NAPA--One of the questions I get asked a lot is, "Where should I go to eat in Napa?" I usually answer by stammering, hemming, hawing and saying, uhhhh..... for about 20 seconds before the mental Roladex starts turning. It's such a hard question to answer without knowing a price range, occasion, food likes and dislikes, etc.

Scanning through our bulletin boards for inspiration the other day, found a "Where to Eat?" post that seemed answerable:

"We will be visiting Napa for three nights in August for our honeymoon. Since we live on the east coast and have never been to Napa, we are at a lost as to which resturants are "must" visit places. We are looking to stay around $10-20 an entree.

Ahhhh, young love. Ahhhh, the post wedding-budget. A few thoughts...

Frankly, the best place for breakfast is your bed. Hopefully our honeymooners are staying at one of the local Bed and Breakfasts in Napa. I've found that many of the local proprietors are closet chefs, making amazing Wine Country food. For brunch, we've got it on good authority that Brix (7377 St. Helena Hwy., Yountville) has an amazing spread. A little more intimate is the Boon Fly Cafe(4048 Sonoma Hwy., Napa). They've got really reasonable prices, dogs sitting on the porch, and a generally local clientele.

So, onto lunch. Grab a sandwich at the amazing Genova Delicatessen (1550 Trancas St., Napa). It's an authentic Italian deli with wonderfully fresh mozzarella, antipasti and the best homemde cannolis I've had since I left Brooklyn. Take a picnic out to the vineyards along Silverado Trail.

Dinner in Napa for under $20 a plate--at least at the "big" restaurants might be a stretch. If you really want to experience a top-tier restaurant like Redd, Pere Jeanty or Terra, sometimes making lunch reservations gets you in the door for an amazing experience for a lot less money.

Think about some of the less obvious choices for dinner. Places that are romantic and quiet...local...
Here are some of my favorites:

- Angele (540 Main St., Napa) has incredible outdoor seating in the summer
- Pilar (807 Main St., Napa) has amazing fresh, local ingredients in a bistro-like atmopshere
- Bouchon (6534 Washington, Yountville) comes up on my favorite list a lot. Amazing seafood.
- Martini House (1245 Spring St. St Helena, CA) is super romantic
- Julia's Kitchen (500 First St., Napa) I love Julia's, because its where you'll find the locals eating, along with many chefs. Classy, upscale food in the heart of COPIA.
- Zare (5091 Solano Ave, Napa) is also a lot of fun, with a focus on Mediterranean food.

What are some of your favorite romantic Napa restaurants? Tell us. Happy Eating!