JoLe
1457 Lincoln Ave.
Calistoga
(707) 942-5938
www.jolerestaurant.com
Contemporary American
Dinner Tues.-Sun.
Small plates: $7-$18
Good wine list
Located within Calistoga’s Mount View Hotel & Spa, JoLe is a modern space with dark wooden furniture, a wood burning oven, a small wine bar and some picture windows looking out onto Calistoga’s main drag. The menu’s small plates are designed for sharing, so each person can create his or her own tasting menu. The wine list is eclectic, with offerings from around the world, and there’s a nice beer selection as well. A chalkboard behind the wine bar features off-menu choices and specials.
JoLe’s owners are husband-and-wife team Matt and Sonjia Spector, who are the chef and pastry chef. With a farm-to-table approach, they put a lot of care and personality into their offerings (including beautiful presentations), with an ever-changing menu featuring mainly local, organic ingredients.
We started with a 2007 Arger-Martucci Viognier (floral, citrus) along with a roasted baby beet salad, which had flavorful red beets piled atop a thin layer of goat cheese cream. Two thin crisps were placed on top along with some sprouts. We also had the baby arugula salad, with fresh chick peas, thin-sliced Serrano chilis, crumbled feta cheese, a hint of mint and a red pepper puree drizzle. Have you ever had a salad that packs a punch? It’s not overwhelming by any means, but spice lovers, this one’s for you.
The next course included sweet chili glazed shrimp, which had sliced roasted red peppers and a healthy portion of sautéed fresh shrimp that I’m actually going to call savory. We also had tender, perfectly cooked swordfish, sliced into medallions and served with a roasted eggplant puree, spiced raisins, thin-sliced almonds (which added some nice texture) and some salty capers that rounded the dish’s flavor nicely.
For wine we moved on to the 2004 Robert Sinskey Merlot, with a nose like chocolate covered cherries, soft tannins and dark berries with a hint of tobacco on the palate—a very masculine wine (but with soft lips). It paired well with the steamed mussels and crab stew, served in a spicy tomato and garlic broth. The crab was served in the center, surrounded by the mussels—all fresh and very enjoyable.
Next came some thin-cut parmesan truffle fries (we’d smelled some upon arrival—mmm), which we devoured almost immediately. They came alongside a sweet, tender, pan-roasted quail served with red peppers, garlic crostini and a hot anchovy vinaigrette (again, an excellent choice for those who can take the heat).
Dessert was coconut cream pie, which had a custard-like texture and a thin layer of bittersweet chocolate between the filling and the macadamia nut crust, topped with fresh whipped cream and fried coconut shavings. We also tried a melt-in-your-mouth Meyer lemon pound cake with housemade huckleberry ice cream (thick, rich—all the ice creams and sorbets are made in house). Both put big smiles on our happy faces.
