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Farm 4048 Sonoma Hwy. Napa (707) 299-4880 www.thecarnerosinn.com Wine Country Cuisine |
The first thing you’ll notice at Farm is its large outdoor lounge, complete with plush furnishings and a fireplace. Next comes the well-appointed, full bar. Beyond that is the restaurant, which has cathedral ceilings, a glass-enclosed kitchen and wonderfully elegant, modern and inviting décor—with excellent service to match. The restaurant itself is located at The Carneros Inn, and is part of the PlumpJack group. On our visit, we sat near the fireplace and began with some cocktails. I was excited they had my new favorite gin (Hendrix). Next thing we knew, the chef (the kitchen is headed up by Jeff Jake and Christophe Gerard) sent us an amuse bouche of a savory cheese pastry that was warm and flaky.
We ordered some champagne (Piper-Heidsieck Brut) and the ahi tuna carpaccio to begin the meal. It came in a layer of thin slices, with sweet golden beets (each with a paper thin slice of radish on top). It was sprinkled with salty-crunchy and tiny crisp potatoes and some chives, then drizzled with basil oil.
Next we had roasted butternut squash soup and Farm’s market salad. The soup was bright in color and flavor. It came with chunks of Jonathan apples and a dollop of cinnamon sour cream, then sprinkled with a few tiny amaranth sprouts, which added a nice tartness. The flavor-packed salad was made with frisée and baby greens, then had some incredibly creamy goat cheese, cherry heirloom tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and a tart dressing.
To accompany our entrées, I had a glass of Monticello Vineyards 2005 Napa Cabernet Franc—very food-friendly, smooth and balanced, it practically held hands with my flatiron steak. The bartender made Brennen a pear lemon drop (which was delicious).
The steak was served medium rare and was perfectly tender. It was surrounded by a Bloomsdale spinach purée and topped with a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction. Some herbed gnocchi (crisp on the outside, moist inside) surrounded it. I was reluctant to share.
But then I tried the snapper, which was also wonderful. It came on a bed of bok choy and had a tangy, buttery citrus sauce. Served skin-on, the thin-sliced fish melted in the mouth. It was very light, flavorful and different from many other snappers I’ve tried.
The amuse bouche dessert, a Syrah “ice” and goat cheese ice cream, was an excellent palate cleanser. We also had the milk chocolate and hazelnut praline mille feuille. Think rich chocolate crème layered with crisp pastry. Mmm. The orange vanilla pot de crème had a rich orange flavor with a spicy edge and we enjoyed dipping the lemon sable cookies into it. Last came Black Jonathan apples atop a flaky, buttery pastry. Served with goat cheese ice cream, I think it was my favorite of the three.
