Little Napa

Over Christmas we took a day trip to beautiful Napa Valley. We decided on the jaunt last minute, so I didn't have much time to plan. I found a blogger who'd posted her trip to Napa so we followed her footsteps and took the 1.5 hour drive west.

First stop: V Marketplace off of HWY 29 in Yountville. (Who am I kidding, everything in Napa is off 29.) The marketplace has several different shops inside and some decent art, I actually found something I would buy which doesn't happen often. Alas...$$$$. The landscaping is immaculate. It's rather sad we experienced the landscape during winter. I think I would DIE if I saw everything in full bloom.

Around back we bumped into Bottega, a restaurant featuring the food of Chef Michael Chiarello from Food Network. Here's a description of the food:

Chef Chiarello has created a menu of micro-regional Italian cuisine, selecting the best dishes from across Italy and anchoring them with artisanal, heritage, or house-made ingredients. Chef and his team carefully select the purveyors for produce, meat and fish, and focus as much as possible on local sources. Pastas, cured meats, fresh cheeses, cured olives and the like are all made in house.

It was 10:30 and while reviewing the menu, prices didnt make us choke, so we stepped inside for an early lunch.

Bottega wasn't technically open but they took our names and seated us a half an hour later. Soon after, the restaurant was completely full, so I think we were lucky to get in. I believe that if you want to eat anywhere in Napa Valley reservations HAVE to be made. Or you can arrive before opening and check out the restaurant sans patrons and try to take pictures without anyone noticing. :)

By the way, French Laundry, a Michelin 3 star is located just down the street.  Reservations must be made at least 6 months in advance. And you can expect an 8 course meal for $270 each.

Ahem...back to Bottega...

Our experience here was one of the ABSOLUTE best I've had. The waiter was witty, sharp, and professional. When I say professional, I mean to say, it was his profession and he enjoyed it. It's so wonderful to receive that kind of service and interaction at a restaurant. Ahhh, the things money can pay for.

ALL the food options looked unique and mouth watering. Narrowing down my decision was difficult and Adam simply couldn't do it. The waiter suggested he take care of it so Adam took him up on the offer (barring anything squid-like.)

Course 1:
Anna orders: Polpette all Griglia—Grilled short rib meatballs with pine nuts in Sicilian tomato sauce, sweet Italian Peppers in agrodolce, fresh ricotta and coal-roasted eggplant.

Here, Anna almost starts to cry. The flavors were perfection. She can tell it's been cooked in a brick oven and the coal roasted eggplant has SO MUCH flavor! The meatballs paired incredibly well with the tomato sauce and sweet peppers. She eats slowly and moves the food around in her mouth for maximum impact.

Adam is served—Something Off-menu. Crispy soft boiled egg with ham, greens, sauce and ???
The waiter tells Adam this dish is inspired by the chef's two daughters to whom he used to read "Green Eggs and Ham."

Adam can't believe his tastebuds. The egg is unexpectedly delicious and the ham tastes NOTHING like ham, tastes like something...much better...juicy and almost sweet? And the sauce. Oh the sauce! His eyes roll back in his head as he crunches down on another bite of soft egg.

Course 2:
Anna Orders: Raviolo di Uovo—Potato pasta filled with farm hen egg yolk, ricotta and Swiss chard with truffled brown butter and sage.
The chef recommended slicing into the pasta to allow the egg yolk to combine with the browned butter and sage, thus creating a delicious sauce.

Anna softly breaks into her pasta, as watches as the yellow takes over.  She mixes the sauce, takes a bite, and now her emotions have caused her sight to get blurry! So far the experience in Napa has been lovely and refreshingly different. The waiter is a pleasure to interact with, and the food is so fantastic it's hard to describe. She has a whole day she's looking forward to in a beautiful valley and now as she slowly chews this incredibly fresh pasta she's blinking back the tears. She's NEVER tasted pasta like this before and it just brings her emotions to the top! Hopefully the waiter doesn't come by and please let Adam be too distracted by his dish to notice.

Adam is Served: Conserve di Anatra—Confit of half Sonoma duck, sautéed with wild pea greens, grilled strawberry-rhubarb mustarda, duck jus. (Not pictured)

Adam is a little wary of duck, he's never had it prepared well. But as he lifts the fork to his mouth and takes the first bite his face lights up—it's simply delicious and juicy—not oily. The strawberry-rhubarb mustarda is a delight paired with this brown meat. He offers Anna a bite...but not a big one.  His dish is his main focus now. Each bite he takes in he savors. Soon his half duck will be gone and he's dreading it. (Duck not pictured. Sorry...it was a bad photo.)

After lunch we pulled back onto 29 and enjoyed the scenery until stopping at Oakville Grocery.
(It was a nice spot but...I wouldn't recommend it if you're pressed for time.)

It was a tiny little store and everything in it was gourmet, specialty food. I enjoyed looking at the packaging.

We might have bought a few items...but when a chocolate bar runs $12.00 I am happy to just look. I think their bread must be excellent though. They were sold out and a customer was upset by that fact.

We hopped back into the car and kept an eye open for the Sterling Vineyard Winery.

Then, suddenly there it was...glaringly white upon the hilltop. We've never been to a winery before. Imagine the excitement.

Now, the only way up to the winery is by a solar powered tram. Okay by me!!!

We exited the tram and made our way up and down the hallways of the building reading plaques  about the wine making process. Since it was off season, no production was taking place. Everything was still. The rooms were full of barrels going through the aging process and the smell of wine was wafting all through the building.

The view of the valley was superb. I hadn't realized how small Napa is. And only 5% of the world's wine comes from here...but what a lovely, lovely place tucked away among the hills of California.

The sun was QUICKLY setting. So we thought perhaps we could catch a quick glimpse of the Castello Di Amorosa before dark. You can read up on the whole project here. 

This is an "authentically-built, 13th century inspired Tuscan castle. Building materials included 8,000 tons of locally quarried stone, in addition to paving stones, terra cotta roofing tiles and some 850,000 bricks imported from Europe. Among other features is has: a moat, drawbridge, defensive towers, and interior courtyard, chapel/church, knight's chamber, and a great hall."

When we arrived the tours were booked for the day. We could have taken a self guided tour—but I thought that wouldn't be particularly as interesting as listening so someone rambling off a bunch of cool facts so we opted to try again someday. (I kind of want to take the children's tour because it includes grape juice instead of wine. We don't drink and I've always wondered how the grape-juice from different wineries might taste. Silly, but hey.)

It was dark when we left the castle so we were done in Napa. (It's hard to vacation in the winter when the days are so short!)  But to finish off the day I remembered Fentons was on the way home. Yes! It was the perfect ending to a good-food-day. Fenton's house made ice cream and chocolate sauce are incredible. (Even Dad says so. I consider him the expert because he MAKES excellent chocolate sauce too.) Plus, the serving sizes never disappoint.
Pictured below is the Saddle Back Brownie. Yes, there's a brownie under there, and I added a banana for good measure.

What a short but incredible day. I hope we make the time to go back again.