Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4809
 | | 01/28/2006 7:10 PM |
| | Wine Garden is closing its doors this weekend. I think that a combination of being closed on New Year's Eve (the storm) and a slow January was just too much. Maybe something exciting will happen with the property. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 01/28/2006 9:32 PM |
| | Might Redd have had something to do with it? | | | |
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kpak
Alaska
Wine Thief
Posts:2907
| | 01/30/2006 6:34 AM |
| Walked by Wine Garden just to see it and look at the menu. The place was empty - like a ghost town. Redd was hopping, Bistro Jeanty had a line, even Hurleys was full.
That told us plenty. I'm surprised they didn't just turn out the lights last night... | |
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits...
ps - friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon. | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Stomper
Posts:108
| | 01/30/2006 8:06 PM |
| | Here's a review from the Sunday SF Chronicle: REDD Review | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 01/31/2006 10:53 PM |
| Cindy's Backstreet continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in the valley.
I have a new problem however. I have always LOVED the meatloaf. It has always been a "must have" when I'm there. I still love the meatloaf but I have found a dish I lovemore better.
Duck Burgers.
Man oh man... succulent and sweeeeet... I need that recipe. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5015
| | 02/01/2006 2:54 PM |
| Not sure I see the problem:
Them: "Sir. What would you like on your Duck Burger?"
You: "The Meatloaf!" | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 02/01/2006 9:06 PM |
| Quote:
Here's a review from the Sunday SF Chronicle: REDD Review
"The largely unadorned white walls and glowing satin cabreuva vermelha wood floors from South America foretell the purity of his cooking."
Do you suppose he choose vermelha because it is red? | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 02/01/2006 9:08 PM |
| Quote:
Not sure I see the problem:
Them: "Sir. What would you like on your Duck Burger?"
You: "The Meatloaf!"
I'll have an order of meatloaf with extra bbq sauce now for dinner.
And a dozen duck burgers to go please.
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BellaDonna
Barrel Racker
Posts:1888
| | 02/02/2006 3:20 PM |
| Now you're talking!
davidn,
Can you describe the duck burger? Is it ground duck into a patty? Or is it more like a duck sandwich with the breast on the bun? | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4809
| | 02/02/2006 6:02 PM |
| Cindy's interpretation of a Duck Burger uses the meat done in confit style. It looks a little like pulled pork in that it is large shredded pieces on a bun with a great sauce.
When Cindy does them as appetizers, as with the meal David describes, she uses miniature hamburger buns so they look like the real thing - just tiny. | | | |
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BellaDonna
Barrel Racker
Posts:1888
| | 02/03/2006 1:17 AM |
| | Thanks Bob for the explaination. Darn you davidn...your posts make me drool...especially the one about Bouchon bakery and Taylor's Refreshers. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 02/03/2006 3:07 AM |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4809
| | 02/08/2006 5:33 PM |
| We had dinner at Press last night. In the past, I have always said good (not great) food and very expensive. Last night was a great dinner. They have added more choices to the menu - I had a chicken & sweetbread pot pie. It was excellent. The side dishes which had shrunk in size are back to being big enough for the table. The meat quality remains high.
It is still very expensive - dinner for 4 with 4 corkages (@ $20) came to $190 per couple before tip.
The wine list is a bit odd - it looks like it was put together based on a distributor's recommendation rather than a somm's personal knowledge. | | | |
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Robert Prosperino
Brewster, NY
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2483
| | 02/21/2006 2:58 AM |
| Has anyone been here lately? Any thoughts?
TIA! | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4809
| | 02/21/2006 6:21 AM |
| prosp,
we try about every 6 months - hoping for the best. I am always disappointed. The room is loud and cold. The food is expensive and only OK. | | | |
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jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts:6829
| | 02/21/2006 6:24 AM |
| | Crista ate there late last year with her mom and had about the same to say. Not impressed at all. | | | |
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Robert Prosperino
Brewster, NY
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2483
| | 02/22/2006 3:45 AM |
| | Thanks guys, I have read a couple of reviews that seem to concur with your assessments. They were from last year and 2004, so I was hoping to hear something different. | | | |
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Orlando De
Grape Destemmer
Posts:89
| | 02/24/2006 12:30 AM |
| Went to Reed last Sunday and the place was full and the ambiance was so LOUD that you can not ever hear what the people bringing the food from the kitchen will say as for each course of the tasting menu. I can not speak with the couple sitting next to me in the most quiet corner (I was at the entrance to the kitchen and no tables were in front of our tables) of the restaurant.
The tasting menu 9 course is $105 but they did not apeal much to me. The first course was a very acidic suchi with sticky rice. It was so acidic and sour that for the next course I still has the sour flavor on my mouth. I thought that an amush bushe was going to be given first, but no..
The other coursers were ok, but they had to much decoration and less food. One scallop. The pork was 1/8 of an inch thick and 1X1 inch square (two were given). And for dessert, I was given a regular apple tart with icecream. I thought that I was going to be given a good chocolate decadent preparation, but apple and ice cream...
I rather pay double at the French Laundry, which I have done more than ten times and always have been perfection.
Orlando | | | |
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Orlando De
Grape Destemmer
Posts:89
| | 02/24/2006 12:37 AM |
| Quote:
Went to Reed last Sunday and the place was full and the ambiance was so LOUD ...
Orlando
I just saw the SF chronicle report and they say that the noise was a Bomb, and a bomb for them is:
BOMB: Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
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Randy Sloan
St. Helena
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2054
| | 02/25/2006 3:32 PM |
| | Anyone tried the new little place in St. Helena called (I think) Wine Country? I believe it's in the space formerly a Thai restaurant. It was packed this past week. | |
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards | |
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