WINE COUNTRY

View from a Spoonbar table

HEALDSBURG

SPOONBAR – I could write a piece on the cocktails alone at brand new Spoonbar in the h2hotel off of Healdsburg’s town square. You’ve already heard me mention Scott Beattie many times over the years.

He truly is one of our country’s great bartenders and his cocktail menu at Spoonbar is a revelation. Yes, you’ll get waylaid by the initial menu, but don’t let that stop you from asking for the additional one. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since his Cyrus days. But there’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails. I sampled five, each exquisite. Stay tuned for next issue’s Imbiber for details on these cocktails – it feels right seeing Beattie behind the bar again.

But the joys at Spoonbar are many as the food and wine list are likewise robust, the space open and airy (playful with hints of mid-century modern), the price point a nice mid-range. In early opening weeks, this has automatically become my # 1 Healdsburg spot for drink or food (since I can only afford Cyrus for a special occasion), and one of my tops in all of Wine Country.

Where to start? There’s wines on tap, a trend I am happy to see growing from an environmental and casual accessibility standpoint. Let Wine Director, Ross Hallett, choose and you’ll likely get a nice range of local and international wines. With dinner, he paired a dry 2000 Villa Claudia Gattinara and a full  ‘05 Savuto Odoardi that yielded spice notes when paired with the Spoonbar Burger. For dessert, he poured thoughtful choices like Rare Wine Co.’s New York Malmsey Special Reserve Madeira, rich with earthy, coffee notes, and Ratafia de Bourgogne, a sweet but balanced liqueur.

The food? With Moroccan and Mediterranean influences, Chef Rudy Mihal’s menu shines as fine bar food with cocktails or as multi-course dinner. Appetizers offer all kinds of goodness, like addictive little Fried Smelt Fish ($8) dipped in a caper aioli. Or how about skewers of plump, grilled Calamari ($12) in a preserved lemon vinaigrette? You’ll find me equally hyped over imported Burrata ($13), creamy heaven in a pool of fine olive oil with melting, soft brioche and finely diced beet tartare.

On the entree front, the lamb/beef mix is right in the Spoonbar Burger ($15), albeit small, on a house-sesame bun with a mini-bucket of fries. Kudos for a restrained but permeating burger topping of sweet tomato confit, cucumber chutney and spiced yogurt.

Though I am easily bored with chicken, their signature Moorish-style Brick Chicken ($24) is rife with flavor from herbs and spices, tender over grilled lemon couscous. Definitely a highlight.

Restaurant Manager, Darren Abel, runs a relaxed, festive restaurant that truly is the whole package. I’ll be plotting my next chance to get to Spoonbar when up that way – at the very least for cocktails and apps. If only this place was in the city…

SIMI WINERY – Simi is one of those venerable wineries rich with colorful history.

Founded by Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, in 1876, their cellars date from 1890 on one half to 1904 once they doubled in size. When both brothers died within four months of each other, Giuseppe’s daughter, Isabelle, a savvy eighteen year old, took over the winery, making and storing wine even during Prohibition.

I’m fascinated by this young girl’s ingenuity, which eventually led to a successful winery she first popularized by giving away free samples on the side of the road pre-tasting room days. Isabelle planted a grove of redwood trees around the grounds and a tribute rose garden with bushes for each president during the days she ran the winery (except for one… take their interesting tour to hear the whole story. I’ll give you a hint: he was the one who helped usher in Prohibition).

Their pizza cafe is a lovely idea: held on Friday (2-6pm) and Saturday (11am-4pm) afternoons, it’s a welcome Summer respite on their shaded back patio under giant umbrellas where wood-fired oven shells out satisfying pizzas (wine is included). While I loved the concept, presentation and taste of their special Red, White & Blue Pizza (red – bacon, lettuce, tomato; blue – purple yam, blue cheese, red onion; white – corn, zucchini, onions, ricotta), my heart belonged first to their House Sausage Pizza with baked fennel bulbs.

They have a balanced (read: not jammy, punch-you-in-the-face) Zinfandel available only at the winery, a Landslide Cabernet and the mineral citrus of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, creamy with hints of hazelnut, lemon and oak.

On August 28 (12-3pm), they’re having a party to celebrate the latest 2007 Landslide Cabernet release with dancing to New Orleans jazz  on the Terrace ($20 per person, or $10 for wine club members). You know I’d be there if I could.

NAPA

MORIMOTO NAPA - Despite the celebrity chef status of the one and only Masaharu Morimoto (yes, I love the original Iron Chef), and the high price tag, his brand new Morimoto Napa restaurant is an experience and a welcome addition to Wine Country.

The space is huge, with a sea of greys enlivened by bright, yellow chairs. There’s patio waterfront seating and an ultra-cool touch of grape vines dramatically running the wall over the bar and in the lobby, as if to say, “Morimoto is now in Wine Country.”

As for the food, it adds up fast, but thankfully there’s beyond-the-norm presentations lending excitement to the expensive meal. Like me, you may have eaten a thousand tartares, but you haven’t had one quite like this: Toro Tartare ($25) comes on a little wood tray you scrape with a mini paddle, then dip in nori paste, wasabi, sour cream, chives, or a house dashi soy, smoky with a hint of bonito. Finish with a bright palate cleanser of Japanese plum.

Green Fig Tempura ($16) is a playful change of pace on the tempura front, but the real clincher is a creamy peanut butter foie gras sauce underneath, dotted with pomegranate reduction. Again, as a big beef tartare fan, I’ve had many a version. This one stands out. Beef Tartare ($18) Morimoto-style comes with asparagus flan hiding an egg in the center. As you slice through it, it oozes over the beef, asparagus slivers, lotus chips and teriyaki sauce. Morimoto Bone Marrow ($16) is an intriguing version: one giant bone loaded with gloppy, warm marrow, perked up with caramelized onions, teriyaki and spices on top.

Entrees continued in this creative vein, though Whole Roasted Lobster “Espice” ($35) had its flaws. It’s a generous portion but the lobster meat is lost in too much garam masala spice, coriander, peppercorn, and cayenne, even though that was what sold me on the dish initially. It was over-spiced but the saving grace was a divine, whipped lemon creme fraiche, contrasting the blackened spice aspect with airy tart.

Duck Duck Goose ($36) was my preferred entree – essentially duck in four parts, from a bowl of duck confit fried rice with frozen foie gras shavings topped with duck egg, to duck soup, duck confit leg, and slices of duck meat with gooseberries. Tofu Cheesecake ($12) in coffee maple syrup with maple ice cream is a signature dish for Morimoto, but though I liked the light texture of the tofu cheesecake, it was overwhelmed by thick maple syrup. A Raspberry Wasabi Sorbet was a better finish for me, hitting strong on both key ingredients.

Morimoto sat at the table next to us with friends, surveying the expansion of his growing restaurant empire. The GM stopped by our table to see how things were going and mentioned that Morimoto loved it so much here he was staying for a couple months. Even when the novelty of his first West Coast venture wears off (he’s opening in LA next), my initial visit, merely a week after opening, suggests that this restaurant will long remain one of downtown Napa’s destinations.

SONOMA

EL MOLINO CENTRAL – In a sea of taquerias lining Sonoma’s Highway 12, there’s a new addition I’ve been excited to tell you about that opened early Summer: El Molino Central. I pulled over after doing a double take: it looks like a charming taqueria, but reads hand-painted “tortillas… tamales… blue bottle coffee” on the side of the building. “Wait… what?”

With no dining space inside, there’s a leisurely patio out back. Inside, it’s an open kitchen where you survey self-proclaimed “Mexican street food” prepared with a high level of care and quality ingredients. They hand-grind corn masa and press tortillas in wood presses. There’s even fresh tortillas and pre-prepared dishes to heat up at home. The menu offers merely a handful of items: chilaquiles, tostadas, enchiladas and delightful tamales (I like the white corn and cheese version).

What surprises is the Blue Bottle Coffee menu straight down to New Orleans’ Iced Coffee (perfect on a hot Wine Country Summer day). You can get your individual drip or a cappuccino, happily savored with a tamale made from local ingredients.

The place looks plucked out of LA with palm trees and all, but exemplifying Slow Food sensibilities. The shock is the quality level (which costs a little more than an average taqueria, though still under $10)… and the Blue Bottle. You, too, can have your Blue Bottle and homemade tamales in a Mexican food joint. Sonoma is lucky to get this lovably quirky new addition.

LOKAL – Just off the Sonoma square, Lokal has been getting some love lately from SF folk like Michael Bauer. I’m in when you say Eastern European/Hungarian food, difficult to find done well anywhere, much less in Wine Country.

They won me over with shelves full of records/LPs in the dining room, then with sunny, back patio picnic tables. There’s a fine selection of beers making the patio beer garden-reminiscent. Service has it’s kinks, including a pricing discrepancy on their menu it took awhile to work out on my bill, but the food is a pleasure and is now a favored stop in downtown Sonoma.

They make a mean German Potato Salad ($5), sweetened by grilled red onions, punchy with mustard, maintaining a fresh profile despite starchiness. A Summer special of White Corn Puree Soup ($3.50 a cup) is sweet and bright. Count me in on the Eva Gabor’s Pork Schnitzel Sandwich/”Rueben” ($12). You almost forget there’s no pastrami in there with a breaded pork cutlet layered with mustard and sauerkraut. There’s a satisfying savoriness here reminiscent of a great Rueben. Lightly crunchy brown bread and house pickles seal the deal.

MONDO – Mondo, a short drive from downtown Sonoma, has the largest beer selection in the area: 23 on tap and more by the bottle, with a little beer garden courtyard through the restaurant. A couple years ago, this was a sausage and burger joint.

The burgers remain but there’s also the kind of bar food that puts a grin on my face: plump Jalapeno Poppers ($7.50) oozing with cheese and shreds of carnitas (pork). There’s fatty Braised Beef Brisket Sandwich ($9.50) piled with crumbly blue cheese and shaved red onion. For a little healthy balance, try specials like Sweet White Corn Salad ($5) tossed in lime, cilantro, red peppers and red onion.

This is a welcome Wine Country respite where you can break from excess wine for beer and cheap, gourmet bar fare. 

GEYSERVILLE

DIAVOLA PIZZERIA – Though these gourmet charcuterie/pizza/rustic Italian spots are a ‘dime a dozen’ in SF, it still helps that in a town as tiny as Geyserville there’s one dining destination like Diavola. In a high-ceilinged, century-old storefront, brick walls, wood-burning oven and wood floors lend it a country kitchen feel by way of Italy.

Kudos for being open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. There’s nothing that I haven’t seen here before but it’s all done well. Grilled Asparagus Salad ($13.75) is a Cali-farm type dish we often see done superbly in the Bay Area. Here it’s asparagus and arugula topped with pancetta, truffled Pecorino cheese and a fried egg. It’s a fine Salami & Cheese Platter ($13.75), reflecting meats they’ve been making in-house with select cheeses.

Pizzas shine, and while the Sonja ($16) isn’t the best version of a fresh prosciutto, mascarpone and arugula pizza I’ve had, the Inferno ($15), on the other hand, is one of the best spicy pizzas ever, balanced with the sweet of roasted red peppers and tomato against hot Italian peppers.

Don’t go out of your way if you live in SF near many similar restaurants, but on your way up in this northernmost stretch of Sonoma County, it’s a worthy stop.

NAPA EXCURSIONS

FARMSTEAD, St. Helena

St. Helena’s new kid on the block, Farmstead, is part of delightful Long Meadow Ranch, a welcome package of winery (tasty $42 2005 Cab), poultry farm (eggs for sale!), herb garden, grass-fed beef ranch, and olive press (LOVE their grassy, gorgeous select extra virgin olive oil, $20 – I prefer it to their $49 Prato Lungo oil).

Walking up to the modern, converted barn that is Farmstead, I’m taken in by the fireplace, tractors and chairs on the outdoor patio – this will be amazing on Summer nights. I can picture BBQ, beers and whole hog roasts now! Then succumb to the glow inside from funky light fixtures, cavernous ceilings and leather booths.

Their beef is, in a word, exemplary. It works well enough in a steak, but my money goes towards the Cheeseburger ($14). On a house potato bun, it’s lathered with their insanely addictive mustard (horseradish proclaims itself), California cheddar and arugula. I could eat this baby weekly. It’s that good.

The other stand-out is “Potted” Pig ($14) on toasts, with that brilliant horseradish mustard. Tender, shredded pig is packed into a mason jar with a layer of lard on top. The effect is playful, piggy goodness you can’t put down. I prefer this to similar styles of dishes in NYC’s famous Spotted Pig.

Chef Sheamus Feeley has Southern hospitality down – from Arkansas, you can taste his soulful pedigree in the food, though it’s certainly California fresh and utterly local. Almost  everything, from breads to greens, is local, if not directly from their own farm.

In its initial opening weeks, service and vibe are convivial, and even if all dishes aren’t memorable, they’re good. This is a welcome addition to Napa Valley and I envision its successful beefy future shining brightly.

REDD, Yountville

I’ve long been dying to visit Redd. Having heard often about the fabulous food but sterile dining room, I was actually digging the architecture, skylights, wood ceiling and patio, even if the main dining room overdoses on boring white. I was surprised, however, to find service a bit lackluster and seemingly blase, though our table was enthusiastic.

The meal was certainly tasty from start to finish, but not befitting the high accolades, often just behind Cyrus, which I  find far superior. But Redd has the welcome option to order a la carte, along with a $75 tasting menu.

Cocktails are solid, if a little on the sweet side, though the Waldorf ($11) doesn’t overdo it: apple-infused Eagle Rare Bourbon with Berentzen apple liqueur, lemon, Fee Bros Bitters. I had to politely refuse my waiter’s continued push of the day’s special cocktail with vodka and Acai juice (no, thanks). The wine selection goes well beyond local wines.

Yellowfin Tuna & Hamachi Tartare ($13 lunch; $15 dinner) is not the best tartare around but is playful with the crunch of crispy fried rice, avocado and chili oil. Hamachi Sashimi (same price as tartare) stands out with fresh edamame beans and lime ginger sauce.

Known for their Caramelized Diver Scallops ($14), I’ve had many a fine scallop over the years: this one ranks, though I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. I adore cauliflower puree: a fine underpinning to scallops, almonds and balsamic reduction. Roasted Organic Chicken ($20 lunch; $26 dinner) is plump and juicy with braised chanterelles, green garlic potatoes and liver toast. Duck Confit ($21) is crispy, with mixed savoy cabbage, spaetzle and foie gras meatballs, if you weren’t satisfied with the luscious fat quotient already.

The biggest stand-out was a dish I’ve had hundreds of times, in many variations: Pork Belly ($13).  Trends be damned, I can never get enough! I always love it and Redd’s version delivers. With apple puree, burdock and soy caramel sauce, it’s like remarkable, savory dessert.

Speaking of dessert, they make a mean Roasted Apple Tart ($10), creamy with cinnamon toast ice cream and milk jam. Don’t ask for Rhubarb Pain Perdu (my first choice) if you have your heart set on it, as they just don’t have it today.

IMBIBER IN NAPA & SONOMA

•  Viader is among the finer wines in Napa… and the place to go if you can’t stand California wines and remain married to old world, French sensibilities. Tucked up in the hills of Deer Park (between St. Helena and Calistoga), it’s a wonderland of mossy oaks and stunning vistas. Last month, founder, Delia Viader’s, daughter took my small group of friends on a private tour of the grounds and caves, while we sipped their catalog of wines. Delia story, launching the winery back in the ’80’s as a single mom with a passion for French-style wines, is truly inspiring, as it was to hear it directly from her daughter.

Though by appointment only, it’s a destination wine lovers would do well to plan towards. The $35 per person tasting fee is waived if you purchase 6 bottles or more. If you don’t, the experience is still well worth it.

Driving up a winding road, enter the drive, then walk an enchanting path of mossy oaks, arriving at a lovely stone house with airy main room facing a patio overlooking the Napa Valley with literally breathtaking views.

Then there’s the wines: a reasonable ($40), winery-exclusive Dare Tempranillo has berry aromatics but spice and cardamom notes. Balanced with a long finish, it’s the best value on the list for the money and was one of my favorites.

At the high end, it’s a pleasure to sip $120 “V”, a Petite Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend showcasing the former varietal. Comparing signature Viader ($100): both the 2006 and 2005 versions are refined blends of Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon. The ‘05 has subtleties of currant, tobacco, mocha, and refined tannins. The ‘06 hits more floral, lavender notes with hints of cigar, spice and bittersweet chocolate.

•  Robert Sinskey is nestled in idyllic rolling hillsides off Silverado Trail, our private food and wine tasting set in their caves. The staff is fun, engaging, and could not have made the five of us feel more welcome. We started with a silky, bright ‘08 Pinot Blanc. Seared skirt steak in olive butter paired ideally with an ‘07 Pinot Noir, subtle with cherries and winter spice, and with a ‘98 Cabernet Sauvignon redolent of earthy berries. My tops was ‘05 Marcien, a Carneros proprietary red with notes of cassis, tobacco, plum, smoke.

•  It’s been a couple years since I’ve done Sonoma’s Barrel Tasting March weekends, which only continue to grow in size (now over 100 wineries participating) and crowds. Though free bites and barrel tastings inside caves and wineries is a great time with friends (this year was no exception), a reasonable $20 price tag brings out a slew of young, soon-to-be alcoholics partying it up with as much as they can drink. Choose wineries wisely, however, and miss some of these crowds, finding instead a mellow party, chilling to good tunes in the cool of the caves.

Since barrel wines are not yet mature, you have to envision how they might taste, potentially investing in futures. I prefer moving on to final product from the bottle. Mixed in with a slew of “ok” wines, a couple highlights included Ridge Lytton Springs, where I paid a little extra to sample a $175 bottle of award-winning, earthy Monte Bello. Though I wasn’t connecting with any of their reds, Stonestreet’s (not participating in barrel tastings) ‘07 Red Point Chardonnay (a hefty $55 a bottle) tasted of Summer with creamy peach. I enjoyed a number of Mauritson’s wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and especially their Syrah.

Eating is highly subjective, and the man who accepts say-so in youth will wind up in bad and overtouted restaurants in middle age, ordering what the maitre d’hotel suggests.”- A.J. Liebling, “Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris”, 1962

I can barely keep up with all the amazing tastes this month. So, narrowing it down…

BREAKFAST

• Nothing like Chicken & Waffles (in maple syrup) on a chilly day. Hit the HP (Hunter’s Point, that is) for Auntie April’s $5 killer waffles with juicy fried chicken. Fills the void when I’m missing Roscoe’s.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

• Sweet Corn Tamales with a cup of excellent Champurrado (Mexican drink, traditionally served with churros, made of hominy flour base, water, chocolate, milk, cinnamon, anise… reminiscent of chai) from the Mission’s La Espiga de Oro

• Love Pizza Nostra’s beautifully creamy Burrata with fava beans and wheat toast.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

• Charleston She Crab Soup ($10) is served at new upscale Southern, Pican in Oakland. Since Charleston, I haven’t even seen She-Crab soup on a menu: a creamy, rich bisque with sherry, topped here with fresh Louisiana Blue crabmeat. Traditionally the soup is enhanced by crab roe, which I believe is the case here, though didn’t see any – maybe mixed in? Either way, it’s good.

• Bushi Tei Bistro, a casual offshoot of what’s long been my favorite upscale Japanese-with-French-cooking-ethos, Bushi-Tei, is a welcome all-day spot for sushi, udon and Japanese curry, inside Japantown Mall, but… it doesn’t begin to compare to the original. Starters are generally better than entrees, but a couple pieces of sushi were slightly rubbery (not ok!) I was, however, pleased to eat a Crab Salad ($9.95) inspired by Bushi-Tei’s brilliant Lobster Salad, replacing lobster with crab, tossed with smoky bacon and papaya, in a salad of Chrysanthemum leaves. Hopefully, BT’s bistro catches up.

• Overall freshness is the name of the game at brand new Otoro, a Japanese sushi joint that just opened this week in Hayes Valley (yes, they do have a lot of good sushi in HV!) Everything from spicy scallop handrolls, to cooked butterfish, to signature Otoro Roll, are made with ultra-fresh fish and generously portioned. The space is tiny, chic… a welcome lunchtime respite.

SAVORY – MEAT

• Kitchenette does it again! At the Dogpatch garage for another weekday lunch, I, once again, licked my fingers clean of Berkshire Pork Korean Tacos ($8) marinated in hot bean & sweet rice, with napa cabbage & apple salad and spring onion-cilantro salsa. Run, don’t walk, if you see it there again!

• Oh, Ryan Farr… if your Chicharrones weren’t addictive enough, I had to try your gourmet Corn Dogs straight out of the oven, dipped in mustard sauce at Meatpaper Magazine’s Pig Party at Camino. Damn!

• Pal’s Takeaway, inside dodgy Tony’s Market on 24th Street, has kick-ass sandwiches on ACME bread, like a Bahn Mi of pink/brown beef with jalapeno, cilantro and carrot.

• Celadon in downtown Napa is romantic, leisurely, with fine service. Starters rule: a Beef Satay ($12) cooked in yellow curry with cucumber, green papaya, pickled ginger, peanut sauce, transported me straight to Thailand. The tender meat was cooked just like I had it in my months there, not like most Thai places in the US. But equally as fabulous was crispy Soy-braised Pork Belly ($13; I know, I can’t get enough of the belly) with tons of watermelon cubes, radishes, mint and Thai basil.

SWEET

• Jardinere’s Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding with candied kumquat ice cream ($10) is hot, chocolately goodness punctuated with the candied tart bite of kumquat, served in a little cast-iron dish. Luxurious.

• Anthony’s Cookies in the Mission ($5 for a half dozen) taste like Mom’s homemade. They’re ALL good but I think I’d choose Cookies & Cream if you forced me.

DRINK

• 15 Romolo (15 Romolo Place, San Francisco, 94133, 415-398-1359) is back… and then some. With new managing partners, Scott Baird and Aaron Smith, joining owners, Greg Lindgren and Jon Gasparini, revamped Romolo still has the intrigue of alley access in the heart of North Beach, a well-chosen jukebox selection, and a hint of the Old West from handlebar-mustachioed bartenders, to a dim, woody bar. Cocktails hold rank with SF’s greats, including a Pimm’s Cup even better than at Napoleon House in New Orleans (though who can beat their 18th century ambiance?) I was crazy about maybe the lightest, freshest take on absinthe yet: L’arc de Triomphe, with Kubler Absinthe, Egg White, Orange, Lemon and Orange Bitter Syrup. With the care I see going into drinks from each talented bartender, to some of the most creatively playful bar bites around (addictive Jambalini: Italian arancini-style jambalaya balls with Creole aioli; $4 for five), I think we have a new classic on our hands.

• Adesso (4395 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, 94611, 510-601-0305) has pretty much the best happy hour ever… not only because cocktails are of artisan quality, like the Billionaire ($9) with Bakers’ 107 Bourbon Whiskey, Grenadine, Absinthe Bitters, Lemon, or seasonal, mercifully not-too-sweet Fragola Coppa ($8): Pimm’s No. 1, Cointreau, Limonata, with muddled strawberries, cucumber and mint; but because their FREE happy hour food is not just any free food: pork ragu arancini, salumi from their extensive selection, paninis, crostinis. It’s good stuff – all for the price of a drink.

• Passion fruit aroma burst from a glass of Terra Mia Sauvignon Blanc at Liberty Cafe… passion fruit on the tongue, too, with a nice, mineral finish.

• At Sidebar in Oakland, I appreciate the cocktail menu from none other than Jonny Raglin of Absinthe as consultant. Two versions of classic cocktails is a unique/cool concept: “Classicist” or “Locavore”, the latter being versions made with Bay Area liquors. My initial favorite was the hard to define, cinnamonny-cherry refresher, Zamboanga ‘Zenie’ ($10), a 1946 recipe from Charles H. Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion. The “locavore” is made with St. George Chardonnay Brandy, Acqua Perfecta Kirsch, pineapple gum, lime, bitters.

• At Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge, I always have a good time. My latest F.I. fling? The Nui Nui ($8) is a Don the Beachcomber classic with fresh citrus, housemade allspice liqueur and cinnamon syrup. I get the fresh breezes of Summer and the spiced comfort of Winter, all in one drink.

NAPA: of food, drink and Japanese cooking

A couple Spring excursions up to Napa this month meant more “Top Tastes” for me from new and not-so new restaurants. But first… an event that brought me up for a day was a rare afternoon of Japanese food at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). With a cadre of visitors, including the Consul General of Japan, and speciality food producers of Wagyu beef or versatile nagaimo (a type of yam), main demos were cooking and instruction from three superb chefs: Kimio Nonaga, a grand champion Iron Chef from Tokyo (I ‘heart’ watching Japanese Iron Chef competitions on You Tube), Douglas Keane from Healdsburg’s fine dining temple, Cyrus (which I recently wrote about), and Nori Kusakabe from my longtime sushi fave, Sushi Ran in Sausalito. What a line-up! Reason enough to go.

Things started off with a bang as Chef Nonaga (intrepeter by his side), carved a giant, 120 lb. plus tuna from Japan. At market price of $1000, it was fascinating watching him wield samuri-like knife to slice through this behemoth of a fish which needed three men to lift it. The best part was that we ate from this beauty all afternoon as all three chefs had different takes on the ingredients. With a little sampling of different dashi (cooking stocks for soup broth) in front of us, we tasted a range of dishes the chefs cooked for us that hit all five basic tastes (sour, bitter, salty, sweet, umami), and received recipes of every dish cooked.

Highlights were many, including Meat & Potato Nikujaga (like a stew), Seared Tuna with Black Garlic Puree, traditional simmered Beef with Burdock over Rice (Yukari-style Gyudon), and Wagyu Beef with lotus, burdock, mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley) and myoga (edible ginger flower). Besides Keane’s memorable Wagyu Beef dish, the most exciting for me was Kusakabe’s experimental dessert of Brown Sugar-cured Tuna with Nagaimo yam. Cured for a day in brown sugar and brandy, the tuna is jelly-like with red bean between thin, crispy slices of yam, like a sandwich, wrapped in a salted sakura leaf. Genius. You’d never know it was tuna, so sweetly playful and candied it was. He’s trying this out for Sushi Ran so I hope to see it there soon.

This was just a preview of the CIA’s Worlds of Flavor event in November (tickets went on sale April 1), representing countries around the world, both in time-honored traditions and creativity. If this Japanese afternoon was a sample of the three day event coming in November, it’s going to be some damn good eatin’ and cookin’, educating in detail on authentic cuisines from those who know it intimately.

Any vegetarian I know would likely love Napa’s Ubuntu, raved about even by the hippie/granola-averse New York Times as 2nd best vegetarian restaurant in the country. Ubuntu, helmed by Jeremy Fox, formerly of Manresa and Rubicon, equally pleases the non-vegetarian with robust, savory dishes that make you forget there’s no meat. The slick, open space is stimulating, while alternative rock hits play in the background, with attentive, young servers. I’d have to say Millennium is probably still my favorite upscale vegetarian, but this would be second with nary a throwaway dish but for the chickpea fries, which were just ok. Beet Tartare ($11) is brightly crisp, colorful, laid out like a museum display. Lemon fried Brussel Sprouts over yellow corn grits ($14) are smoky and heartwarming. Roasted, partially pureed, Indian-spiced Cauliflower in a Cast Iron Pot ($14) is hot and rich with little toasts to spread it on. Jeremy’s wife, Deanie Fox, is the pastry chef (also of now defunct Rubicon, where they met), whose Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache ($9) is an artfully presented serving of dark, fudgy mini-cakes with caramel-like butterscotch, brown butter ice cream, curried peanuts and popcorn foam which extracts from me a “Hell, yeah!”

Been meaning to try Napa’s Barbers Q for some time… though inviting and crisply clean (a refined BBQ joint, if that isn’t an oxymoron!), I was a little disappointed in the food. It was all good enough but not memorable or overly authentic BBQ. I liked best the sliced Beef Brisket, ideal with Green Apple Coleslaw. A $17.95 lunch platter with Ribs (a little dry), Brisket and coleslaw was more than enough for one. I added $5 Pulled Pork to the dish to taste all key BBQ meats – as a pulled pork fanatic, it was alright. Loved the side of Rancho Gordo Cranberry Beans ($3.50) with collard greens, onions and Callegio ham hocks: aromatic, simple, packed with flavor.

I had to try famed Food Network chef, Michael Chiarello’s, new Bottega, in Yountville, though after only one visit, certainly need to return. The place is quite large, with a somewhat corporate chain-looking dining room, but inviting, massive, wrap-around patio strung with lights and dotted with fireplaces. Methinks it’ll be a fab spot for late afternoon drinks and appetizers. Initially trying pastas, they’re rich, heavy, and didn’t quite pack the flavor punch pasta greats do. But there’s a slew of appetizers and entrees I’d like to try next, so I’m definitely going back. Stay tuned.

Bardessono is Yountville’s modernistic, eco-resort (opened in February) with hardcore Japanese toilets, walls of growing grasses and a bar with drinks from SF’s own Thad Vogler (Jardinere, Heaven’s Dog, Slanted Door, soon to come Bar Agricole). There hasn’t been a wealth of fine cocktail options in understandably wine-heavy Napa, but Bardessono’s fireside, chic bar area with outside pool and patio couches, is the right spot for $12 and up cocktails made with local citrus and quality spirits. The drinks, more often than not, are mostly the same ones us SF locals have on menus where Thad has already spread his magic, like Beretta, so no need to go out of your way if you frequent any of the spots he consults for. Still, a welcome all day locale for imbibement in Wine Country.

Bouchon, the original, the best… remains a most idyllic venue for early evening oysters and champagne at the silver bar. Warm, Spring air wafts through open doors, classic jazz softly swoons, new friends are made and the staff pours tastes of wines to help you choose a glass. I would say I’m transported to Paris here, but the experience is fully Wine Country (with a Parisian touch). On a recent visit, the Maine Lobster Salad ($14.50) with duck confit gizzard, frisee, arugula, poached cherries and foie gras vinagrette, couldn’t have been a sweeter respite before an intoxicating sunset.