As another year comes to a close, new biz and reboots rock on in Napa County.
Up Valley
In St. Helena, designer Ann Backen opened NO|MA House Cafe & Collective, where an all-female team showcases artisanal treasures in a fully remodeled 1920s building, which most recently housed the restaurant, Archetype. Backen has worked side-by-side with her husband Howard for the last decade at the architectural firm Backen & Backen, where as co-founder and CEO she added a lifestyle department, which includes regenerative practices for land, building and body. Those principles lean heavily into Backen’s concept for NO|MA House, which is part café, retail shop and interior design showcase where seating and the accent pillows you’re lounging on may also be available for purchase. The café serves everything from hearty grain bowls and turkey meatballs to Thai lettuce cups, alongside fresh pastries and a bevy of perk-em-up drinks. Breakfast and lunch service is available Wednesday through Sunday and the retail space is open seven days a week.
ACME Fine Wines has relocated to another St. Helena location, within a historic stone building dating back to 1882. For fans of the famed “Wall of Wine” the purveyor has become known for, another incarnation stands at the new space.
To the delight of local kids and families, Roman Holiday Gelato has opened at 1336 Oak Ave., in the space recently vacated by Chokolatte, which had been scooping out ice cream for the community for the past 40 years. Roman Holiday owner Elisha Smiley traded in an accounting career for time at the California Culinary Academy, Model Bakery and the Gelato University, in Bologna, Italy. She hopes to introduce kids to the frozen treat that boasts less fat and more flavor than traditional ice cream. In addition to gelato, coffee, tea and boba drinks are also on offer.
In other spirit-lifting news, the long-awaited Calistoga Depot Distillery—from Jean-Charles Boisset, owner of Raymond Vineyards, Oakville Grocery—released its initial portfolio at the grand space on Lincoln Avenue, which serves as the anchor of the building and railcars honoring Calistoga founder Sam Brannan. The 19th century entrepreneur’s legacy is woven into each spirit with pithily named pours including, The First Millionaire, Fame & Misfortune, Prosperous & Penniless, The Calistoga Star and Calistoga Depot Distillery 1868. In October, the distillery offered a master’s class in spirts when Boisset schooled visitors on his premium line of spirits and his decision to revive the Calistoga Depot building and railcars. While the entire Depot compound will close this month for renovations (with an expected reopen date of March 2024), the distillery space is available for private tastings and special events.
Also this fall, Calistoga-based Sterling Vineyards reopened after being seared by the Glass Fire in 2020. While the winery buildings remained intact, spare parts for the aerial gondola, offices and tasting room were damaged. To ready for the reopening, the gondola was reconfigured to meet current-day safety standards and is once again ferrying visitors to the top of a 300-foot hill for excellent views of the valley floor and an eye into the path of the firestorm. Another part of the winery’s readiness plan entailed wildfire resistance measures including sheep grazing to minimize fuels. Plans for the addition of a solar array are in progress which, when completed, will power the gondola and winery.
As one of only a few ethnic food options in the Upper Valley, Golden Harvest Chinese Restaurant closed its doors in St. Helena this summer. But an incarnation of the space will live on thanks to chef/restaurateur Bruce Marder, who stepped in with a proposal to repurpose the space for C29, a second location of his Santa Monica Italian/Mediterranean restaurant Capo. Plans include a tear down of the existing space, located at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 29, for a 76-seat, expanded 3,597 square foot building. The St. Helena Planning Commission approved the demolition permit and amendment in October.
Downtown
In Napa, the owners of the popular Cadet Wine and Beer Bar, opened Chispa, a tequila-centric lounge that draws from 80 different micro-producers with a dramatic display of tequila to fit every palate, alongside 40 mezcals. Co-owner Aubrey Bailey, who developed an affinity for tequila while exploring Mexico, became intrigued with the parallels between wine and tequila in the influences of territory on both. In addition to guests being able to taste through tequilas in much the same way they would with wine, bar manager Mario Garcia serves up creative cocktails including the Scenic Sling, which blends blanco tequila with fortified red wine, lemon and locally sourced strawberries. Beyond the bar program, the lively spot located at Napa’s West End features a diverse menu filled with raw seafood towers, ceviche and sharable plates including kung pao octopus, tequila hanger steak, lumpia’s with sweet and spicy chili sauce and a meringue cookie that nods to chef Mac De Chavez’s Filipino background. Prior to Chispa, De Chavez was at The Charter Oak in St. Helena.
As we sail into the New Year, I look forward to continued Napa County coverage and, as always, welcome comments and suggestions for the kinds of stories you would like to see in this column in the coming months.
