| Bayleaf Restaurant 2025 Monticello Road, Napa 707-257-9720 www.bayleafnapa.com
Classic Continental Cuisine |
When Egyptian-born owner Mounir Fahmy purchased Bayleaf on “January 15, 2001 at 2 p.m.,” it was the beginning of a more than two-year renovation project. And when a bay laurel tree was moved but didn’t survive the replanting, Mounir saved a branch and dried some of its leaves. Later, he sent them to a carpet maker, who used the pattern to create the carpet that covers some of Bayleaf’s floors (now guess where the name came from). That’s just one example of the many loving details Fahmy included. Another is the long, wooden table in the private Italian room (which has its own entrance and exit), and the carpet underneath it, both of which came from his family’s estate.
There are three other dining rooms, a custom-designed bar made with Egyptian alabaster and a patio with tile floors and a retractable roof. A large, beautifully decorated garden area holds up to 150 guests. There’s also a culinary herb and vegetable garden.
My friend Ian and I were in for a fabulous feast. Our meal began with two delightful, cold appetizers: fresh smoked salmon served with crostini, salmon roe, crème fraiche and caper berries; and a cranberry relish with endive, pine nuts, fresh strawberries and a balsamic vinaigrette reduction.
Next came oak-roasted oysters prepared with fresh spinach and mascarpone cheese. They were sprinkled with breadcrumbs and then baked in a wood-fired oven. After that was the calamari frito misto. Lightly breaded along with fresh asparagus, peppers and zucchini, it came out crisp and hot. Its roasted tomatillo sauce was a fun, edgy twist. Last was the seared crab cake, which came with a saffron aioli with onion agro dolce and a lobster demi-glace. The sweet sauce made it unique.
Two salads followed. First was a warm spinach and duck confit with walnuts, manchego cheese, sundried cherries and aged sherry vinegar (think comfort food). Next was a lighter, seasonal salad made with house-grown arugula, fresh strawberries, sliced almonds and apples. It was accompanied by phyllo-wrapped brie.
A citrus and spice intermezzo sorbet afterward cleansed the palate with a pleasant kick (the first one I’ve had with that sort of flavor). Very cool—literally and figuratively.
Our first entrée was the paella Cazuela. It came out sizzling and seasoned with saffron with calamari, chorizo, clams, shrimp and half a lobster tail on top. Definitely a flashback to Spain, and nice to actually see lobster (a lot of places leave that part out).
Next came the rack of lamb. Marinated in garlic and herbs, it was served with a wild mushroom and cheese strudel. The mushrooms had a pepper spice that set off the lamb’s flavor. Following that we tried the chicken mattone, a brick oven roasted chicken served with savory bread pudding. Its herbs were fresh and distinct.
For dessert we had three things. First was the bayleaf-infused crème brulée, which came with a Grand Marnier reduction and had a hazelnut crust. Next came the sorbet terrine, which had raspberry, pineapple star/anise, coconut and strawberry house-made sorbet.
Last but not least was the chocolate bombe, which is chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse, served with chocolate ice cream and topped with chocolate sprinkles. Having a chocolate attack? There’s your fix. Mounir told us a French chef created the recipe in the 1950s as a protest to the A-bomb. I like his way of looking at the world.
