Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13711
 | | 05/21/2005 4:00 PM |
| Quote:
We had a nice meal there the other night. Nice, but not wonderful. It also looked like half the staff was new. Something is going there, but I'm not sure what. In any case, it has slipped back in to the "too expensive for what you get" category. I'll try again in a few months to see what's up.
Very bummed to hear that. I have yet to do my write-up from our dinner there over a month ago. It was a tremendously good meal. Hopefully it is extremely temporary. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 05/21/2005 8:04 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Tricia and I decided to take a little trip to the Napa Valley today [snip]
Sounds like a great day.
It was beautiful in the Valley today.
Indeed Babnik. No clouds at all and a comfortable 72 degrees. Sipping Champagne in the garden at the Laundry was etherial (except the Champage was too cold). | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 05/21/2005 8:11 PM |
| Quote:
David, I thought your best meal was at Manresa? Or was it Bernardus? or... does French Laundry just keep setting the bar higher?
How would you compare lunch to dinner? I'm thinking of lunch next time -- I like the idea of not falling into bed with a food coma.
I'll be up there today... FL is not on the plan. I'm going to try and hit Wine Garden, or else Bistro Jeanty.
I think Manresa is the best locally but only if it is a small group that has arranged for a menu ahead of time.
Marinus at Bernardus is absolutely the best overall dining experience I have ever had by a longshot.
The Laundry has the imo the best food and presentation available anywhere but it is sometimes difficult to have fun there. I will say we did have fun yesterday though. We sat downstaires and we had almost the whole room trying to remember what the green stuff in a crab is called. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 05/21/2005 8:13 PM |
| Quote:
You just happen to be in the valley and just happened to run into skwid and Pete and just happened to be able to get in the French Laundry last minute and just happened to have all of THOSE wines between the two of you? Anybody have a bridge for sale I can buy? 
The planets were aligned.
I was thinking of heading to Reno after the dinner. | | | |
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Randy Wigginton
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5510
| | 05/22/2005 1:42 PM |
| Barbara & I dropped by Budo. The restaurant doesn't open until 6 PM, and it was only 5:20, so we decided to just have a couple appetizers in the bar. What a beautiful restaurant, some big money has gone into the architecture and design. The food ranged from good to excellent. We had pistachio crusted soft shell crab on a bed of cucumber that was OK, but nothing to write home about. Then Watermelon and goat cheese salad that was a very good concept, and a beautiful presentation, but belonged in a larger meal -- it was extremely refreshing, just not appropriate for our extremely light meal. But the Foie & Tuna dish was outstanding.
The place is not inexpensive. We'll give it another try for a full meal. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 05/22/2005 2:51 PM |
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I've been to Budo twice now. Yes, the restaurant is gorgeous. A lot of money was definatly put into it. But I still feel empty about the food, and it's VASTLY overpriced - even for the destination restaurant that it's trying to become. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 05/22/2005 5:43 PM |
| | Budo; where is it? | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 05/22/2005 7:52 PM |
| | on Soscol about 2 blocks from Walmart - right across the street from The Vintage Bank, in front of the new River Terrace Inn. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 05/22/2005 11:49 PM |
| | Thanks. What is their corkage policy? Maybe we'll stop by Wal Mart and pick up a bottle. | | | |
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Randy Sloan
St. Helena
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2075
| | 05/23/2005 3:30 AM |
| | RandyW, we had better luck with the pistachio crusted crab... liked it a lot. But you're right -- the fois gras and tuna steal the show! | |
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 05/23/2005 6:15 AM |
| | corkage, I believe is around 25$ per bottle. | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4862
| | 05/28/2005 4:55 PM |
| We went to a pre-opening dinner at Press, a new restaurant in St Helena next to Dean & Deluca. Wide open spaces, tall ceilings, lots of glass (which made it somewhat noisy).
They feature roasted and grilled meats and fish. Some of the dishes are for two people and carved table-side. Like other steak places, veggies and potato are ordered as side dishes. Portions are large. We were a table of 6 and one side order of fries was enough for the table.
Granted, this was only a pre-opening dinner, and I'm sure the menu will evolve as they get more experience. However, I found the starters to be a bit weak. None of us ordered salads, so they may be better. The desserts were also disappointing - large, but disappointing.
The main dishes, however, were great. Maybe the best steak I've had in the Napa Valley.
It does come at a cost, though. Think Terra level pricing. Around $100/person with corkage. More if you order off the list. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 05/31/2005 10:29 PM |
| | Does Press have a website Bob? We are going this week and I'd like to do a little research prior to getting to the restaurant. How was the wine list? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Destemmer
Posts:56
| | 06/01/2005 5:28 PM |
| I drove by Press yesterday and the difference in one week was amazing!
Last week, just a few days before Bob went for opening dinner, it looked a ways from being ready.
Yesterday, it looked totally transformed for the good and looks pretty inviting.
On another restaurant note - I took my family to Brix Monday night and the outdoor dining experience was at its best there - perfect weather at sunset.
I know Brix gets mixed reviews, but that night they were good.
The garlic cream soup was excellent and the scallops were some of the best I've had anywhere. | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4862
| | 06/04/2005 8:21 PM |
| Another meal at Brix which reminds me why that place drives me crazy.
- good food, some of it excellent
- bad service, some of it abysmal
incorrectly cooked some of the dishes, got orders wrong, tried to remove plates before the person was finished. Took away the silverware at the end of a course (trying to be fancy), but forgot to bring new stuff.
We had 9 bottles of wine for 10 people. They opened the wines and gave each of us 2 glasses. Never replaced glasses, we had to pour all the wine (not that this is a bad thing, but they didn't offer). They charged us 9 corkages. | | | |
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Brent Null
Roseville, CA
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2194
| | 06/04/2005 10:30 PM |
| | Bob: We had lunch there yesterday (Friday, June 3rd) and had an excellent lunch all the way around. No one had incorrect orders, food was delicious and very good service. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 06/05/2005 4:38 PM |
| Quote:
We had 9 bottles of wine for 10 people. They opened the wines and gave each of us 2 glasses. Never replaced glasses, we had to pour all the wine (not that this is a bad thing, but they didn't offer). They charged us 9 corkages.
Did you let them know beforehand that you were planning on bringing 10 bottles of wine? Was there anything planned w/ the Manager about corkage? If everyone just showed up with a bottle unannounced, then I can definatly see them charging corkage for the full lot. | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4862
| | 06/05/2005 9:41 PM |
| Quote:
If everyone just showed up with a bottle unannounced, then I can definatly see them charging corkage for the full lot.
Actually we did tell them. But, even so, I wouldn't have objected to full corkage if they had given us reasonable wine service. I don't think they should be able to have it both ways. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 06/06/2005 3:43 PM |
| A restaurant the equivalent of Brix (especially in Napa Valley) should be prepared to properly handle nine bottles of brought in wine without prior notice. I've never known a restaurant to have problems serving my table nine bottles purchased from the wine list. Less than a bottle per person should not be a problem at all.
***
Had dinner at Press on Thursday night. Pricey but well executed food. Sides are excellent and one could happily dine just on the sides while skipping the $49 steak. Wine list has some notable bargains (plus some laughers - $285 for 99 Staglin?!?). Chardonnay selections are pedestrian. Service was better than expected given that the restaurant has recently opened. Starters are too small and need work. Tableside service is a nice touch but the numbers requirement (if you want lamb four people need to order it, chicken two etc.) means that the menu is extremely limited in operation. If one wants to people watch then Press is a good place to do it. I'll go back but as Bob astutely already pointed out for the same cost one can go to Terra. In a normal market, that could be a problem. In St. Helena I'd be surprised if Press does not make real money despite its price point competition. | | | |
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jaimetown
DC area
Wine Labeler
Posts:3503
| | 06/20/2005 3:28 PM |
| | This is a great thread - very informational since my wife and I just decided to go to Sonoma and Napa next month. | | | |
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