Tra Vigne, St. Helena, Napa Valley - A Delicious Dinner

The last restaurant where we dined during our stay in the Napa Valley was Tra Vigne (http://travignerestaurant.com/tv.html) in St. Helena. The meal was very nice.

Tra Vigne, which means "Among the Vines" was fairly large and was only about one third full. It had a neat-looking bar.

Inside Tra Vigne

Chef Michael Chiarello, the owner of Bottega, where we had dined the previous evening, had formerly worked at Tra Vigne.

We were seated at a table for two. Our waitress was a blonde woman named Cheryl.

My wife started with Forni Brown Gardens Organic Lettuces Salad for $9. In addition to the lettuces, it had Spring Mountain Pears, candied walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and red wine vinaigrette. It had lots of pears. She enjoyed it very much.

My first course was Mozzarella Cheese "Al Minuto" on grilled bruschetta for $14. The cheese was house-made that day. I added heirloom tomatoes for an extra $7. The melted cheese was put on four large slices of bread. The tomatoes were served separately. The bruschetta with cheese was tasty, but the best part was the heirloom tomatoes. They were incredibly delicious. I thought that one piece of bruschetta was a bit burned. I did not like its taste. My wife thought it was fine. The bruschetta portions were large enough that this dish could easily have been shared among four people.

The lady who served our meal (not the waitress) had an unenthusiastic, monotone voice. She said words like "enjoy" in a way that sounded robotic.

My wife's entrée was butternut squash ravioli with toasted sage brown butter, amaretti cookie crumbs, and parmesan for $18. She loved the dish and said that one great thing about it was that she could distinctly taste the ingredients with which the ravioli was filled.

My entrée was Maltagliati Verde - herb-infused, house-made pasta with Pozzi Ranch lamb and sangiovese wine sugo for $16. It was delicious. I was a bit put off by the olive green color of the pasta, but that was my problem, not any defect in the dish. The name of this pasta - maltagliati - means, "badly cut." It derives its name from the fact that it is made with scraps left over from making other pasta.

Our wine was a 2007 Benessere sangiovese from St. Helena for $58. It was very nice. It did not taste like a Tuscan sangiovese.

For dessert, we both had the butterscotch panna cotta with sea salt caramel, crème frâiche, and rosemary, accompanied by hazlenut cookies for $9. It was terrific.

We finished with espresso - a single for my wife for $3.25 and a double for me for $4. The espresso was delicious - much better than the miniscule serving we'd had at Bottega the previous evening.

The Wine Country Inn - A Nice Splurge in the Napa Valley

Since we were celebrating an upcoming anniversary during our trip to California, I decided to splurge on a stay at the Wine Country Inn (http://www.winecountryinn.com/) in St. Helena. I chose the inn because of what had I read about its comfort, ambience, customer service, and  great location. It turned out the reputation was very well deserved.

In addition to the customer-focus of the people who worked there, the Inn provided the following:

- An extensive complimentary breakfast buffet. One can eat breakfast on the outdoor patio, in the indoor dining room, or take it to one’s room.

- Complimentary afternoon wine and appetizers

- A complimentary shuttle to local restaurants (7 days per week in season, and weekends only off season)

- Complimentary concierge service with lots of good advice about local sights and dining.

- Complimentary wi-fi service. This service never worked for us because the wi-fi signal was never strong enough to use in our room. I had to take my laptop to the main building to use the wi-fi. I was told that the service would soon be upgraded.

The rooms do not have televisions in order “to encourage romantic behavior.”

The inn has rooms in two separate buildings. It also has five separate luxury cottages.

The grounds were beautifully landscaped with lawns, flowers, and trees. The entrance was tastefully decorated with heaps of pumpkins and gourds in fall colors.

Walking Path on the Grounds

The Wine Country Inn has been owned and operated by the same family since it opend 36 years ago.

We received a very pleasant surprise at check-in. When I had made our reservations a month and a half earlier, I had reserved room 11, which had a queen-size bed and a balcony with view of the vineyards. However, when we checked in, they said they would give us a free upgrade as an anniversary present if we were interested. They knew it was our anniversary because when I had made the reservation, they had asked if we were celebrating any special event.

The upgrade they offered was room 20, which was their most luxurious room, aside from their cottages. It had a king-size antique bed, fireplace, great vineyard views, and was very large and nicely furnished. It had a huge bathroom with heated tile floors, heated mirrors that don’t fog up, a huge jetted tub for two, walk-in shower for two, etc. Its normal cost was $120 more per night than room 11.

Two-Person Tub with a Vineyard View

A woman who worked at the front dest took us to the room to see if we wanted it. The room was wonderful and we accepted the offer.

I imagine the reason room 20 was available was that our stay was on Sunday and Monday nights, probably very slow nights.

I had originally tried to make the reservations for Friday night through Wednesday night. However, Saturday night was unavailable, so we spent Friday and Saturday night in Napa. I discovered that it's important to make reservations long in advance for weekends in October. I checked out several interesting places in St. Helena and Napa. Not one had a Saturday night vacancy.

The inn offers discounts for stays of 3 nights or longer. When I originally made the reservation, I had made it for 3 nights. However, I subsequently discovered that I had made a mistake because our flight reservation involved a red-eye return flight on the third night. Even though I cancelled the reservation for the third night, they still gave us a discount for the second night. The cost for the first night was $450.30 including tax. The cost for the second night was $382.75, including tax.

When we settled into our room, we were not only delighted with the room, but with the splendid views of vineyards and hills.

View from Our Room

Zoom Lens View from Our Room

Bistro Jeanty, Yountville, Napa Valley - A Very Enjoyable Dinner

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.

The wine list offered a nice mix of California and French wines with quite a range of prices - starting at $25 per bottle and going up to $5,000 per bottle for a 1918 (yes - 1918) Château Latour Pauillac 1er Grand Cru.

I finished with an espresso for $3.

Napa Valley Wine Train - A Very Pleasant Experience

One very pleasant experience we had during our October trip to California was a ride and lunch on the Napa Valley Wine Train (http://winetrain.com/)

We had learned about the wine train from several couples in our wine club. They had really enjoyed their experiences on the train and had recommended it to us. We are grateful for their recommendation, without which we would not have known about the train in time to make reservations.

The Napa Valley Wine Train travels through the heart of the Napa Valley between the towns of Napa and St. Helena. The rail line on which the train travels was established in 1864. In the 1980s, Southern Pacific, which owned the right of way and the line, planned to abandon the line and sell the property. However, various efforts to preserve the line led to the creation of the wine train. The most important financial player in the effort was Vincent DeDomenico, who had created Rice-a-Roni and who had owned Ghirardelli Chocolates and Golden Grain Pasta. A detailed history of the line can be found at: http://winetrain.com/about/our-train.

There is a single train with two engines and nine beautiful, early 20^th century rail cars. The train makes two trips per day:

1. A mid-day trip that departs at 11:30 am and returns at 2:30 pm.

2. An evening trip that departs at 6:30 pm and returns at 9:30 pm.

There are a variety of options one can choose for the train experience, including:

- A trip with lunch

- A trip with lunch and a visit to a winery

- A trip with dinner

- A trip with dinner and a winery tour

There are also special trips such as a Murder Mystery trip and a New Year’s Eve Ball trip.

In our opinion, it is best to take the mid-day trip in order to get a nice view of the Napa Valley.

It is important to make advance reservations because the train is very popular.

I made our reservations on the train’s web site about a month in advance. I wanted to take the mid-day trip without the winery tour. However, that option was sold out, so I reserved the lunch with winery tour at Grgich Hills Winery. I’m glad I did, because we had a very interesting tour and had the opportunity to meet Mike Grgich, a very historic figure in the California wine industry. (His Chateau Montelena chardonnay won a world-class blind tasting against French competition in 1972.) Our ticket cost for the train trip, lunch, and the winery tour was $124 per person. I understand that prices are to increase in 2012.

Check-in at the train station was an hour before departure. Prior to departure, there was a presentation on wine tasting, including the tasting of a wine. The wine we tasted was a 2009 Vino d’Angelo Rescue Red - a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Merlot. It is produced by veteran Napa Valley firefighter Dan D’Angelo and sells for $11 per bottle in the train station’s wine store. It was decent, and no more.

When we boarded the train, we were seated in Car B, a dining car. The car had tables for four separated by an aisle. Our table was on the left side of the car, giving us a good view toward the west side of the valley after we left the town of Napa. The car was nicely appointed and the tables were beautifully set. We were seated across from two nice younger women, with whom we enjoyed chatting.

Dining Car B

There are three different types of dining cars, each with its own kitchen and its own menu. Our luncheon menu was entitled the Gourmet Express Lunch. The first course was a choice of one salad or the soup du jour. There were five choices for a main course, including a vegetarian dish. There were at least two dessert choices. All beverages except coffee and water were extra.

My wife and I had the same first two courses:

- Baby lettuce salad with candied walnuts and smoked goat cheese in a honey cider vinaigrette

- Grilled & roasted beef tenderloin with sautéed potato topped with roasted mozzarella & artichoke hearts

For dessert, my wife had Tiramisu Truffle and I had Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée with Blueberries.

Both of our meals were very tasty.

Wine was not included with the lunch, but was available for purchase.

Our server was Meredith. She did a good job.

As we ate our lunch, we enjoyed beautiful views of the Napa Valley and its vineyards.

Near Rutherford, about 14 miles north of the Napa train station, the train stopped, and those of us who were going on the Grgich Hills winery tour got off the train. Then the train continued north about 4 miles north to the end of the line at St. Helena. It would return to pick us up en route back to Napa.

(I will discuss our tasting at Grgich Hills in a separate posting.)

When we reboarded the train about 1:30 pm, we were seated in easy chairs in a lounge car. The chairs faced the windows and were very comfortable. This car was also nicely appointed. We were seated on the same side of the train. Since it was now going in the opposite direction, we enjoyed views of the east side of the Napa Valley as we returned to Napa.

The Lounge Car

 A View of the East Side of the Valley

Another View of the East Side

While in the lounge car, we were served our dessert and coffee. The dessert was great, but the coffee was cold.

Morimoto Napa - An Iron Chef Experience

Famed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto operates a number of restaurants in the U.S. and abroad, including one in Napa (http://morimotonapa.com/). The cuisine is a fusion of Japanese and western ingredients. We enjoyed a superb meal there during our recent trip to California.

Morimoto was originally a professional baseball player in the Japanese major leagues. However, after a shoulder injury ended his career, he turned to cooking.

The entrance to Morimoto Napa is situated along Main St. in Napa. The restaurant features a sushi bar, lounge, large main dining room, and outdoor patio dining area. The dining room and outdoor patio front along the Napa River, with heaters to warm the outdoor area. The ambience is bright, modern, and very casual. The  restaurant is very large and it was packed. It was very lively.

The menu was great, with too many interesting choices. Every bite of our meal was wonderful. I would love to have dined there several times.

My wife started with a Tempura Shrimp Sushi Roll for $9, with tempura shrimp, asparagus, and a spicy sauce. It was fantastic.

My appetizer was pork gyoza with garlic, chives, tomato, and bacon cream for $16. It was different from traditional gyoza. The filling had the consistency of sausage. It was delicious.

 Pork Gyoza

My wife's entrée was Morimoto Pork Chop and Apple Sauce, with kimchee, bacon, and ginger apple purée for$34. The pork chop was marinated in miso sauce for 24 hours. It was a large serving and very tasty.

Pork Chop

My entrée was Seafood Toban Yaki - lobster, king crab, mussels, clams, and diver scallops, with baby bok choy in a red miso sake broth - for $39. It was seasoned with the Morimoto 7, which our server described as having 5 types of Korean chilis, cumin, and paprika. It was filled with seafood and the taste was terrific.

Seafood Toban Yaki



I had a side of Japanese-style rice for $6

We both had the same dessert - Bi Bim Bop - a sushi rice pudding with mango ice cream and tropical fruit for $12 per serving. Like everything else, it was delicious.

Our wine was a 2010 Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from St. Helena for $50. It was very nice and a perfect accompaniment for our meal.

The only minor problem with the restaurant was that it was noisy - both because of the lively crowd and the acoustics.

In view of the great popularity of this restaurant, I recommend reservations long in advance.

ご馳走様でした。大変おいしかったです。

A Memorable Dinner at Ristorante Bottega, Yountville

One of the best of many wonderful meals we had during our recent visit to California was at Bottega Ristorante in Yountville, Napa Valley. It was very close to Bistro Jeanty, where we'd had dinner the previous evening. It was an easy drive down Route 29 from our hotel in St. Helena.

The restaurant was large and doing a bustling business. It had a very nice, but not intimate atmosphere. Our server was James was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. I had lots of questions and he had lots of great answers.

The menu was extremely creative and the food was fantastic.  The owner is famous chef Michael Chiarello. The executive chef is Robert Hohmann.

When I told James that I wanted to order a bottle of Zinfandel, perhaps from Grgich Hills winery, he suggested instead a 2008 Paradigm Zinfandel from nearby Oakville. He said that only about 200 cases per year are produced. It was $53, and in the same price range as the Grgich Hills. We followed his suggestion and are glad we did. The wine, produced by famous winemaker Heidi Barrett, was terrific.

When I returned home, I discovered that the lowest on-line price I could find was $34.95 plus shipping, so the $53 cost was really low for a restaurant. Restaurant wine prices are generally two to three times retail. Michael Chiarello states in the introduction to his wine menu that his wines are aggressibely priced to afford diners the opportunity to drink better wines.

My wife's appetizer was "Succotash" - forno-roasted summer squash and sweet corn. cherry tomato, ricotta and chili-stuffed squash blossom, arugula leaves, and "corn pudding" that was really not a pudding. It was delicious.

My appetizer was Burrata Caprese - creamy whipped mozzarella burrata, Golden Bear Ranch heirloon tomatoes, deep-fried bruschetta, and basil oil and balsamic caviar. It was an incredible dish. The bruschetta was probably the best I've ever had. The "caviar" was made from the balsamic vinegar.

We both had the same main course - Risotto Calabrese - risotto with Calabrian sausage, butter, parmesan cheese, oregano, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese. It was terrific.

For dessert, my wife had Tiramisu Profiteroles - tiramisu and sponge cake gelato with "Cocoa Puff" chocolate sauce - for $10.

I had Caramel Fig Crostata for $10. Since I could not remember all the details of this mouth-watering dessert, I sent an email to Bottega, and received a detailed answer from the restaurant’s General Manager, Joël Hoachuck. The recipe for the dish is:

House made dough pie crust

Traditional caramel

Fresh fig halves

Fresh minced thyme & grated lemon zest

(about ½ tbsp of butter added for richness during baking)

Sprinkled with coarse “disco” sugar

To finish:

Scoop of house made crème fraîche sherbet

The gremolata is in fact a biscotti cookie crumble (consisting of almond anise, chocolate pistachio and cinnamon)

Caramel Fig Crostata

 After dessert, we each had an espresso for $3.25. These cups of espresso were the smallest I have ever had, and I’ve had many espressos all over the U.S., Italy, and France. We almost needed a microscope to find the coffee.