A great burger is appropriate in any season.
It’s October, yet I’m still pining away for the dog days of summer. Music in the park, longer days and, of course, backyard barbeques. Gratefully, the Thomas Keller-bred Burgers & Half Bottles is back to pick up where summer left off. I refuse to focus on the fact that this tasty pop-up is slated to close at the end of the month. Let this be a not so gentle cue to race to Yountville for some fast-casual comfort food (yes, somewhat of an oxymoron in town, but still) at the former La Calenda space. The repeat appearance of this popular pop-up came in August and it’s a pure slice of Americana served with a Napa Valley twist with grub like the grilled American Wagyu burger, Maine lobster roll (sublime), spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and crinkle-cut fries. All the sandos come on a Bouchon bun, and there’s even a meal deal that for $22 bucks grants a burger, fries and a drink ($6 upgrade for beer), which is as fast food as you can get in these parts.
Order at the counter and find a seat inside or out with casual vibes that keep the good times flowing right on out to the 1960 VW Brew Bus, which serves up a rotating list of Russian River Brewing Co. beers, including the always-sought-after Pliny the Elder and even root beer on tap for the wee ones. Expect a new beer release every Wednesday for pint night. Also, on tap (though not poured from one) is a curated list of affordable wines by the glass as well as a bevy of half bottles that are moderately priced by wine country standards. Thursdays bring free corkage, and happy hour deals are on offer every Friday between 3 to 5 p.m. If all that wasn’t enticing enough, top off your pitstop with house-made milkshakes and TK’s version of the It’s-It ice cream sandwich. This one, named the “It’s Ours,” features Bouchon Bakery’s signature TKO chocolate cookie with vanilla ice cream in the middle. Just like the dog days feel like they could go on forever, this pop-up will literally be gone before you know it so roll up your sleeves and grab some before the bus hits the road.
Also in Yountville, a new pop of color (and flavor) entered the food scene with the opening of Clementine, which blends Mediterranean influences with NorCal’s seasonal bounty. Billed as a less formal alternative to the white tablecloth and multicourse meals the town has become synonymous with, Clementine places seasonal produce at the forefront. Helmed by chef Rebecca Weitzman, whose culinary cred stretches from the buzzy Flora Farms in San José del Cabo, where she earned a Michelin Green Star, to Manhattan, Colorado and now Napa Valley.
The sunlit space, which was once a train station in the 1800s, leans on the bright side of things with citrusy-chic charm at the hands of designer Julie King who collaborated with Candace Hickman to create inviting spaces inside and out, including a breezy, shaded patio flanked by olive and citrus trees.
The menu flaunts sharable superstars like the burrata with corn pancakes, wood grilled octopus and flavorful flatbreads including one with Frog Hollow nectarines and prosciutto. Main dishes like the chilled lobster tail and Gemelli Pasta with Lobster Bottarga and the wood-grilled pork porterhouse chop with a clementine-mustard glaze don’t disappoint. Top things off with a rotating list of in-house gelatos and the signature clementine sorbet.
For those looking to get their drink on, Aperol spritzes are served with flare in a twirly looking tower with an assortment of options including the Aperol Classico Spritz, Aperol Gin Fizz, and the Aperol Betty with orange and grapefruit juice and sauvignon blanc. Other citrusy sips include the clementine tonic, the clementine margarita, and the Clemencello Drop (Vodka, Cointreau, Clemencello, Lemon Juice), featuring a housemade clementine liqueur, which banishes all memories of the sucker-sweet lemon drop shooters of my youth.
Closing doors
As new and revisited restaurant doors swing open, others swing shut. Don Perico, a downtown Napa fav, closed its doors after more than 30 years of serving up authentic Mexican fare in the area. The restaurant was the last business standing in the former Parkway Plaza complex (Kohl’s and Jax Diner closed earlier this year), and its closure makes way for the redevelopment plan from 300 Venture Group and primary funder Chris George. The plan, which includes a hotel, condo complex and retails stores, was approved by the Napa Planning Commission in June. The silver lining in this David/Goliath tale about how the little guy/gal gets squeezed in favor of the over commercialization of the Napa Valley, is that the Don Perico closure is a temporary one. The restaurant is slated to reopen at a nearby location downtown, in summer of 2026.
It’s clear to me, if no one else, that the swinging door syndrome and push for and against the development—or more aptly—the overdevelopment of Napa Valley, is one that shows no signs of stopping.
