Napa: January 2011 Archives

By Deirdre Bourdet

Historically, the City of Napa--not to be confused with the Napa Valley in which it's located--has not been known for its wine tasting options, tourist attractions, or epicurean sophistication.  In the last three years, however, the city has welcomed the Oxbow Public Market, a remarkable community of over 20 tasting rooms, and a critical mass of excellent restaurants all within an eminently walkable downtown district.  The arrival last year of nationally renowned chefs like Tyler Florence and Masaharu Morimoto marked the end of Napa's status as the culinary ugly step-child of the Napa Valley, and a huge leap forward for all the other entrepreneurs fighting to put Napa on the food and wine map.

By Deirdre Bourdet

February 3, 2011 marks the first day of the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Rabbit.  People born in years of the Rabbit (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2011) are supposed to enjoy the good things of life, and have excellent taste.  In honor of this particularly noble year, Napa's Food Truck Friday will be featuring New Year's specials themed around the animal of the year.

Food Truck Fridays started in Napa last October as the semi-guerilla "Circle the Wagons" event, which gathered the first gourmet food trucks of Napa Valley all in one place, for one night only.  Phat Salads & Wraps, Crossroad Chicken, and Mark's the Spot all convened at Dim Sum Charlie's shiny silver Airstream trailer to support the fledgling food truck movement in wine country.  The night was such a success, they wound up making it a monthly occurrence on the first Friday of each month. 

By Deirdre Bourdet

Who doesn't love a great burger?  (Other than vegetarians, of course.)  People have their own particular preferences about type of bun, cooking temperature, and toppings, but there is a burger out there for every individual palate.  Check out these gems from the Napa Valley, and see which style will become your favorite.

All around California, restaurants are celebrating the month of January with fabulous dining specials and savings for lunch and/or dinner. Splurge, savor, and save is the name of the game. See if your favorite restaurant or one you always wanted to try is on the list in the regions below.

Gold Country. You may not find gold, but with savings on food like these, you might as well have! Restaurant Week in Gold Country is January 32-30 with a grand finale on January 30th where the area's finest chefs will offer a unique opportunity to be an El Dorado Epicurean in a countywide progressive dinner. More Details

Monterey County. Catch some fresh seafood in Monterey during Restaurant Month. Participating restaurants are offering prix fixe dinner menus for $20.11 all month long. More Details.

Napa Valley - see our Food Writer's top restaurant picks for deals and steals. Or see the full list of Napa Valley restaurants and their specials here.

Santa Barbara Wine Country

• Santa Barbara -Dubbed "Film Feast", the prix fixe restaurant program coincides with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival all happening January 27-Feb 6, 2011. Film goers and foodies are invited to choose from "Short" (two-course), "Feature" (three-course) and "Epic" (four-course) length seasonal menus at participating restaurants. MORE DETAILS.
  
• Santa Ynez Valley - The foodie fun begins January 23rd and ends January 29th. It's this region's first time participating in Restaurant Month and they will be featuring special 3-course tasting menus for $20.11. A list of participating restaurants is listed, but you will need to contact restaurants directly for specific days, dining hours and to make reservations. MORE DETAILS.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Now is the time to dine in Napa Valley. The region's first ever Restaurant Month kicked off this January to complement Yountville's second annual Moveable Feast, offering sweet specials all over the valley. With over 30 participating restaurants--nearly all of which have different fine print on their deals--assessing the options can seem overwhelming. To save you time and headaches, I offer you my top picks for the most incredible, can't miss values on offer during this month only.