David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 08/20/2006 7:17 AM |
| | No. | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| | 08/28/2006 8:49 PM |
| This is a duplicate post from "What Am I Eating" but because WIML is the only person that reads that thread (almost) I am double-posting it here. This weekend was too good a time for me and I really want to share it with as many of you as I can. Thanks.
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Saturday and Sunday: WOW!
Saturday night at a 17th Anniversary Party with 200+ people (the food couldn't be good; right?) WRONG! A FANTASTIC Mexican buffet prepared by Peter Halikas of nv in Napa. He is argueably the hottest chef in the Valley at the moment and he proved to me that Mexican food and gourmet are not oxymorons. He made a shrimp burrito that was TO DIE FOR!!! No wine that night but I did put down a half-dozen of one of the best Margharitas! MOM! (that's WOW upside down).
Next morning (well maybe it was a little after noon)...
Huevos Rancheros
Two Eggs served over Corn Tortillas & topped w/ Peppers, Tomato & Onion in a spicy Rancheros Salsa* and melted cheese. Hashbrowns. YUM! atGillwoods Cafe in St. Helena.
Then we drove back to Oakville and up the Oakville Grade to Audellsa Winery and theirMountain Terraces Vineyard for an eBob offline. The wines were only outdone by the great food that some of the other participants brought including some fantastico bread by the baker Rob from The Model Bakery in St. Helena. We had a great time but we had to leave early before things evidently got down and dirty with 'gars etc. And what a beautiful place!
Headed back down the 15-mile 40-minute drive on Oakville Grade past Potelle, Harlan, Mayacamas, Diamond Oaks and more; really a beautiful drive. Hung a left onto 29 and drove to Calistoga for a birthday dinner with friends at Stomp. The four of us put our trust in Chef Chris Kennedy Aken's hands to do a tasting menu. We were have too much fun to take any notes but... I think we had five or six courses plus dessert. And for each course two of us had one dish and the other two another. We each ate as much of the first dish we could get away with and then traded so it was really two dishes for each course. And I gotta tell you... every bite was absolutely delicious.
It looks like it won't be until January that Stomp will be able to move into the new St. Helena location. The owner of the building has to complete an earthquake retro-fit and for some reason doesn't seem to have much urgency in finishing. I'll make a prediction here that when Stomp gets out of this hic town of Calistoga (that should raise a few eyebrows) and opens in downtown St. Helena it will become one of the most sought-after reservations in the Valley.
Our reservation at Stomp was for 6:30 and the first time I looked at my watch (seemed like about a half-hour later) it read 9:45. It indeed was a glorious evening and capped off a fantastic day. But now the not-so-good (but not bad) "task" of that day. Uneventful as it was we headed home from Calistoga a few minutes after 10:00. It's about 120 miles from the northern end of Napa Valley and the traffic was not bad so we were home in bed before 12:30. I fell asleep thinking about the corn and leak chowder with a floating scallop fritter that I went ga-ga over and chuckled about the delicious corn ice cream as one of the dessert portions. This weekend will go down in my memory as being "all time great". It's good to be me but more importantly it's better to have such wonderful friends to share the joys of life with. (Gee; more corn). | | | |
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BellaDonna
Barrel Racker
Posts:1880
| | 08/28/2006 11:59 PM |
| Oh goodness davidn...you are making me salivate...huevos rancheros on corn tortillas...corn ice cream...stop the torture!!!
Sounds like it was a fantastic time. Glad you got to enjoy it. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Destemmer
Posts:56
| | 09/09/2006 6:44 PM |
| Drove by Cindy's Go Fish Grill and it looks very close to being finished.
So, during a 3 hour leisurly meal at Cindy's Backstreet Thursday night (slowly ate through the "small plate" items - rabbit tostada, stuffed peppers, olive raviolis, sausage gumbo) I inquired about Go Fish and they said mid-September is the opening.
Sure were lots of workers at the new place, so must be hustling to finish in the next week or two.
Rutherford Grill at lunch on Friday was a zoo - packed to the gills even at 2:00.
"This place is always busy" I said to myself as I enjoyed the wonderful cornbread and then the delicious ribs! | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 09/22/2006 8:58 PM |
| We have now eaten at the new Go Fish Grill a couple of times (This is Cindy Pawlcyn's new place where Pinot Blanc used to be)
It is delightful to have a good fish restaurant in the Valley. First, the sushi is wonderful. Stacey says it is the best Uni she has had.
Small plates include: Hot & Bubbly Crab Dip;BBQ oysters; and Ceviche.
Salads include a sturgeon waldorf and shrimp or crab Louie.
I like the 'Fish Your Way' with 5 different fishes, 3 cooking preparation and 8 different sauces.
There are also a bunch of "Fish Our Way', 'No Fish' (including a 24 ounce T-bone), and 'Sandwiches' including Fried Green Tomato GLT and a Crispy Crab Cake which I bet will become DavidN's equivalent to Duck Burgers.
A very nice place to eat. | | | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 09/23/2006 12:01 AM |
| | How is the wine program? | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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kpak
Alaska
Wine Thief
Posts:2843
| | 09/23/2006 12:21 AM |
| | Putting this on our list for the next trip.... | |
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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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 09/23/2006 12:39 AM |
| Quote:
How is the wine program?
I only glanced casually at the list - I'll take a closer look and report back. They tend to share wines between the 3 restaurants, but this list is mostly focused on whites (surprise) | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| | 09/23/2006 6:26 PM |
| Quote:
'Sandwiches' including Fried Green Tomato GLT and a Crispy Crab Cake which I bet will become DavidN's equivalent to Duck Burgers.
Their MINI Duck Burger is IMO head and shoulders above any other similar dish I have ever had.
Crab Cakes are really difficult to do (at least the way I like them). The Crab Cake at Back Street does nothing for me. If they made the cake itself of 95% crab and then stuck it open face on a brioche I think I would love it. Otherwise, I don't know (just don't put in on an English Muffin).
What is their preparation? Is it in her new cookbook? The Duck Burger is  | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 10/02/2006 3:49 AM |
| Ad Hoc is a new restaurant in the space that was most recently Wine Garden and before that, The Diner. It is just south of REDD in Yountville. The restaurant was acquired by Thomas Keller (TFL) and is open temporarily as an very casual, informal restaurant.
No reservations and a single price fixed menu. We happened to go after the late afternoon football game so that we could still catch the 2nd half of the evening game. That meant that we walked right in. All the tables were full by 6pm and there were a lot of folks waiting by 7pm.
The food is all served family style, even just for two people. First course (tonight) was Heirloom tomatoes with Mozzarella cheese. Next course was Prime Rib. Several big pieces of meat with roasted potato and onion plus corn on the cob. Ample portions. Next course was a chunk of cheese with fig jam. Lastly was an apple and blueberry cobbler.
The food was excellent, if not very fancy. The bill was $48 per person (varies with the menu) plus $20 corkage. The wine list is not very extensive and has quite a few bottles under $50.
You can call that day to find out the menu before you go.
I believe that the current plan of record is to close the restaurant sometime this winter, renovate the interior and reopen as a high end Burger place. | | | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 10/03/2006 6:06 AM |
| Went to Go Fish today in Napa for lunch and all I can say is The food was good, but It was the worst service I have ever had by a "Fine Dining" restaurant in my life (They were 20% capacity at best). We sat at the sushi bar and had to ask for menues after 15 minutes. We realized by watching those around us that if we ordered from the regular menu and not the sushi menu (Or even worse a combination of both) we could be in for a screwed up confused wait. So we ordered sushi direct from the sushi chef. We were never offered drinks or a drink list and actuall had to ask for water so we had something at all.
Cindy is in "BIG" trouble if these problems aren't fixed fast. I talked to 3 people tonight ITB that have been and they shared the same exact situation with me (One a Napa chef and 2 S.F. Somms.). Don't get me wrong it will get another 2 chances to perform, but WOW!.
P.S. the sushi was good, and so was the tap water.
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"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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Randy Sloan
St. Helena
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2035
| | 10/30/2006 10:23 PM |
| Saturday night "Go Fish" was jam-packed at 9:15 when we arrived for our reservation. Service was slow but improved as the restaurant started thinning out. In fact, our waiter seemed overwhelmed, a bit confused, and preoccupied when we were first seated. A bad sign is when he is having trouble finding enough wine glasses for us... we only needed 4.
Anyway, the food was quite good. Everyone loved their dishes with sushi seeming to be the biggest winners. I was probably the only one disppointed as I skipped the sush and ordered one of their fresh cooked fish... I paired my fish, it's preparation choice, and sauce choice incorrectly and the fish ended up being overwhelmed. The waiter should have caught the mistake. Oh well. Despite being slow and a rough start on the service, we will definitely be going back. Hopefully these growing pains and newness will be put behind them soon.
But, if you want excellent sushi in a more traditional setting in a room where the volume is less than flight-line level, try BLUE. | |
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 11/03/2006 1:49 AM |
| Our first trip back to this west Napa restaurant since the new cooking team took over. The good news is that the ribs are still first class. The other news is that everything else was good, but not great.
For a change of pace, I tried their burger. They are using a Ciabatta bun, which must be about 4 times as massive as the meat. It was served with fries - the world's smallest portion and very oily as if it was fried only once and then not drained.
It was a pleasant dining experience, but I will not be rushing back. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1355
| | 11/10/2006 5:11 AM |
| Victor Scargle is leaving Julia's Kitchen to play around w/ Cindy Pawlcyn at Go Fish.
I don't know why. It's a waste of talent, imo. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| |
Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 01/16/2007 7:38 PM |
| I've not had many positive things to say about Tra Vigne over the years. 5 - 10 years ago, it somehow became a destination for visitors to the Valley and locals who didn't know the secret handshake couldn't get in. More recently, they lost the formula. Staff turnover went way up. Food consistency went way down. They tried a bunch of chefs, most recently a fellow from Italy who dropped most of the long time favorite menu items for new things. It was a complete disaster.
Finally, they seem to have woken up. The gentleman from Italy has been sent packing. Nash Cognetti has been promoted to Executive Chef and is bringing back the dishes that make Tra Vigne so popular as well as focusing on service.
We had a terrific meal there last night. If, like us, you had abandoned Tra Vigne, it is worth giving it another try. | | | |
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Randy Sloan
St. Helena
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2035
| | 01/16/2007 10:33 PM |
| Quote:
We had a terrific meal there last night. If, like us, you had abandoned Tra Vigne, it is worth giving it another try.
Good to hear. I've also had the complaint that they never seem to be able to seat you anywhere near your reservation time. How was the service?
Edited to correct stupid mistake:
Du-oh... my apologies to Tra Vigne. For some reason I had it in my headBistro Don Giovanni. They are the ones who seem to have trouble seating at the scheduled time. | |
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4771
| | 01/16/2007 10:42 PM |
| | They are obviously really trying. They even let us make a reservation at 7:15. Food service was good as was the wine service. | | | |
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Seaquam
Barrel Filler
Posts:1141
| | 01/16/2007 11:57 PM |
| It's hard to believe this happened almost 13 years ago, but I have a particulary fond memory of Tra Vigne.
Way back in 1994, my wife and I were in St. Helena, Napa Valley, a last-minute decision as we headed home from a motoring trip to LA. Couldn't get a dinner reservation (Sat. night) anywhere, but the staff at our hotel were able to finagle a reservation for us at one of two preferred restaurants, Tra Vigne. After a great day of wine-tasting, meeting some terrific people, perfect weather for tearing around in convertible sports car, etc., went to dinner. Got a great table on the patio (overlooking a courtyard that had those little tiny lights woven through the trees; very romantic) and were served by a waiter who had almost too much personality--a total BSer who kept us in stitches most of the evening. Great food, great service, good wine (most memorable was a Gary Farrel Zinfandel, a '91 or '92). We even had Michael Chiarello, the chef, come out and discuss polenta with us, and then he gave me a photocopy of his hand-written grilled polenta and sauce recipe, which I still have. Would have been a memorable night by anyone's standards if it had ended there. But after we had finished our main courses, a couple from a nearby table came over; they had noticed we were enjoying our wine(s), and they wondered if they could join us.
They had, she told us, far too much wine still to consume. Turns out she is (was?) a rep for Swanson Vineyards, and they had 4 or 5 bottles open on their table which they wanted to share with someone. Delighted to be recognized as "someone," I immediately got us moved to a larger table (most people had left by then) and we spent a great couple of hours discussing wine, politics, travel, etc. Wonderful, interesting people, and some pretty good Swanson wines--a merlot and an outstanding dessert wine were the ones that stood out. The restaurant staff were very kind to leave us be until well after 2:00 a.m., at which time someone moved my car to a safe location, and our waiter, who had kept us laughing all night, was kind enough to drive us back to our hotel (not far--maybe half a mile) after I had asked to have a cab called. Just a perfect Napa Valley experience, in my book.
Gosh, I have to wash the tears out of my eyes now. I should have submitted this to Reader's Digest. | | | |
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