Our dinner at Bistro Jeanty (http://www.bistrojeanty.com/) in Yountville, Napa Valley is one more example of the delightful dining experiences my wife and I had during our October trip to California. Bistro Jeanty, which is owned by chef Phillipe Jeanty, is a true French bistro. The cuisine, the decor, and the ambience are all French, but the ingredients are wonderful, locally-produced foods. The restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star for each of the past three years. (It is very difficult to get one Michelin star. The highest Michelin rating is 3 stars.)
Phillipe Jeanty was born and raised in the Champagne region of France. His father worked for the Moet & Chandon Champagne House. He came to California in 1977 with a team that established the Chandon restaurant at the Domaine Chandon winery in Yountville. He opened Bistro Jeanty in 1998. It deservedly has an excellent reputation.
The interior is decorated with lots of genuine French antique posters, signs, and other antiques, which Jeanty acquires during trips to France. One of the antiques close to our table was a metal horse head sculpture hanging over our fireplace. I commented to Kathy, our server, that such horse heads used to hang outside French eateries that specialized in serving horse meat. She explained that this horse head had been used in France for just such a purpose.
This fall's menu can be viewed at http://www.bistrojeanty.com/home/bistrojeanty/Fall%20Menu%20122311.pdf
Since the restaurant was busy and we were early, we had to wait a few minutes for our table. We were seated at a table near the fireplace.
We both started out with Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry (Crème de Tomate en Croute) for $10.50. Before coming to the bistro, I had read Internet reviews stating that this tomato soup was superb. That assessment was right on the mark. The recipe for this dish can be found at http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/creme_de_tomate_en_croute_bistro_jeanty.
Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry
As her main course, my wife had Ham and Leek Quiche (Quiche aux Poireaux) with butter lettuce salad for $17.50. She thought this dish was decent, but unexciting.
I had the Mussels Steamed in Red Wine with Grilled Bread (Moules au Vin Rouge) for $18.50. The dish was wonderful.
As you might expect, the baguette served with our dinner was great.
For dessert, my wife had the Lemon Meringue Tart with Candied Orange Sauce (Tarte au Citron) for $8.50. The meringue was really high. It was delicious.
Lemon Merignue Pie
I had the Creamy Rice Pudding with Brandied Cherries “Griotines” (Riz au Lait) for $8.50. It was good, but not great.
For our wine, we each had a glass of 2009 Venge “Muhlner Steps Vineyard” Napa Valley syrah for $12 per glass. It was very nice, but it was a big wine that took a while to open up.
I finished with an espresso for $3.
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