Given the frenzy of restaurant comings and goings this past year, it would appear that Napa Valley is well beyond the economic woes of the recent past. Here’s a look at how far the land of eats has come and what’s lurking around the bend for next year. If you’re a foodie, get ready to feast.
Calistoga
Calistoga seems to be amping up the culinary scene in preparation for the massive resort expansion that’s set to explode in the years to come. We saw the reopening of the Calistoga Inn just in time for the tail end of the summer swelter—much to the delight of locals.
Then came the cure for one of the most common up-valley restaurant complaints I hear—a lack of Asian-influenced restaurants—with the opening of the Calistoga Thai Kitchen. The restaurant offers an expansive menu ripe with classic curries and noodle dishes as wells as spunky spins on chef specials, sautés and grilled dishes. I’ve found the ingredients to be super fresh and the dishes packed with flavor. The vibe is casual and service spot-on, an excellent addition to the restaurant scene.
I guess townies won’t have anything left to complain about now, except for the bottlenecked roadways that will undoubtedly follow all the expansion.
Calistoga Kitchen graduated beyond its catering- and smoothie-spot roots to offer lunch, brunch and dinner service (Thursday through Sunday) in a quaint indoor/outdoor corner lot on Lincoln Avenue. The joint features fresh, local fare and juices and makes a point to showcase Calistoga AVA wines. The menu is simple yet solid and you can’t beat the outdoor atmosphere, which goes one step toward filling the void of al fresco dining spots.
Rounding out the Calistoga restaurant boon is the addition of d’Amici (part of the four-room hotel of the same name) in the former Flat Iron Grill space. The prices are Wine Country affordable and the space is snazzy and open without trying too hard. The menu is diverse and each night it features a lengthy list of specials. Quality dishes and service make this a standout on the Calistoga strip.
St. Helena
St. Helena had some moves and shakes with the closing of Vercelli Italian restaurant, which then reopened under the same management as St. Helena Bistro. Thankfully a few signature dishes remain, like the eggplant Parmesan and, my favorite, homemade gnocchi with tomato cream sauce and pancetta. The bistro menu branches out to include dishes like fried Cornish hen, grilled quail and lamb burgers.
Right next door, Sogni Di Dolci expanded its space and offerings from paninis, coffee and gelato to being a full-on restaurant and wine bar, adding a notch to the sparse list of St. Helena late night carousing spots. For devotees of the original coffee shop, you can still get grab-and-go java, the paninis with oh-so flakey bread and some of the best gelato around. In addition, there’s casual sit-down service (Wednesday through Sunday) offering tasty bites like the chicken and egg, lamb meatballs, pork belly and hanger steak. Indoor and outdoor seating has been expanded, along with the number of sports showing on flat screens, making it a favorite hang spot for locals.
Yountville
Never one to be left out of a restaurant roundup, this year brought the addition of R&D Kitchen in the former Napa Valley Grille space. The restaurant, from the Hillstone Company (of Rutherford Grill and Houston’s), has outposts in Santa Monica, Newport Beach and Dallas and features classic American cuisine with everything from deviled eggs and salads to burgers, carnitas and beyond. It’ll be interesting to see if this place keeps pace with Rutherford Grill and is able to compete with all its Michelin-starred neighbors. As I covered in a previous column, the Italian delight, Ciccio, opened earlier this year and continues to fire up some of the best pizza crust around.
Napa
Downtown Napa continues to burgeon on the food and drink front. Rodney Worth’s Pear Southern Bistro (which soft opened in December 2012) rolled out in the waterfront spot formerly occupied by Tyler Florence’s Rotisserie & Wine. The emphasis is heavy on Southern comfort fixings with savory delights like the Napa Smith IPA beer-battered pickles, meatloaf, shrimp and grits and batter-fried chicken and waffles. If it’s comfort food you crave, this joint is for you.
Lulu’s Kitchen opened within the wine bar at 1313 Main, offering a more expansive menu (cheese and charcuterie had been the mainstays) and an emphasis on small plates featuring local, seasonal ingredients. There’s eclectic bites like the pheasant flatbread, sweet breads with spatzle and fudgy funnel cake.
Then there’s the slew of downtown restaurants under development (some which may be open by press time). The folks behind the popular Tarla Mediterranean Grill have ambitious plans for Napkins Bar and Grill, which will occupy the former Peking Palace, and include an expanded outdoor space. The restaurant will feature American cuisine with global influences, and there’s talk about late night cocktail and dining hours. The vacant space next to Fagiani’s at 807 Main is slated to become a casual pizzeria run by former manager of Bouchon and the owner of the Yountville Deli. In the old Ubuntu space, chef Sean O’Toole, formerly of Bardessono, has plans to open his first solo restaurant, Torc, which comes from the Gaelic word for “wild boar.”
With all this action on the food front, let’s hope each town can support the growth. Because while the bevy of culinary delights is titillating, what’s not nearly as sweet is when said new ventures bite it before there’s even a chance to sink a fork in.
