Napa Valley in August

B and I headed up to Napa with some friends to take advantage of the perks that came with our new Goldeneye wine club membership – free tastings at their sister wineries. We’d been to Duckhorn before (great merlots), so we decided to give Paraduxx a try. But first, we needed to get some food into our systems!

We had lunch at Bottega Restaurant. I had wanted to try it after a friend gave it high praises, so I had made reservations as soon as we planned to go to Napa. However after watching the latest episode of Top Chef Masters (TCM) a few days before our trip, I had almost canceled our reservations. Chiarello’s display of his big, nasty ego left a very bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t want to support someone like that. However, since the recommendation came from a trusted foodie friend, I decided to give Bottega a try and hope that “reality" television editing made Chiarello seem much worse than he really is.

The restaurant is hidden in the back corner of a strip of other restaurants and shops, so it was a little hard to find. Walking up, I noticed their huge patio shaded by a bright orange awning and wished I had known to request outdoor seating with my reservation (of course, it was already filled). Fortunately, the inside of their restaurant was also quite pleasant and we got a table by the window. Bottega had a rustic yet contemporary feel to it – exposed brick walls, high ceilings, large black metal fixtures.

First up was the salmon tartare and halibut crudo. I was immediately impressed by the presentation – it came on a huge pink salt block. The salmon tartar was good, but didn’t stand out. I enjoyed the silky texture of the fresh halibut, but found the strong licorice/anise flavor of the fennel seed topping to overpower the delicate fish.
Next was the ‘polenta under glass’. I have never seen polenta come in a jar before so I thought the presentation was interesting. The polenta was rich and creamy, and the earthy flavors of the caramelized sautéed mushrooms made a perfect complement.
For my entrée, I had the chitarra-cut spaghetti with white gulf prawns. This dish tasted exactly like I had hoped it would. The hand-cut spaghetti had the springy texture of homemade pasta. The tomato-fennel sauce captured the rich, seafood flavor of the prawn heads, without being overwhelmingly fishy or cloying. The portion size was also just right – just enough to not leave me wanting more, but also didn’t leave me feeling stuffed (a difficult thing for me to balance given my large appetite!)
What *did* put me over the top was dessert! A warm, milk chocolate cake topped with crème anglaise and hazelnut toffee. This dessert is made-to-order so we literally got it right out of the oven. The cake was warm and fluffy like a dense soufflé, and it had that gooey molten center that I dream about. The crunchy texture of the hazelnut toffee provided a nice contrast.
The service was great. Our waitress was helpful and efficient – she even timed our dessert and brought our check out in advance so we could make our wine tasting appointment on time. Chiarello didn’t walk around the restaurant that day, so I can’t say whether he comes off as cocky in person as he did on TCM. However, I will say that his food did taste as good as they looked on the show. I will be back to Bottega.

After stuffing ourselves, we made our way over to Paraduxx. The winery has a much more modern look to it than its sister wineries. We were escorted to the back patio for our tasting. The area was set up well - only a few tables with sleek black Adirondack-like chairs, shaded with big umbrellas. It was a great atmosphere to sit back and drink lots of wine. We tasted 8 wines, each accompanied by a ‘postcard’ of the particular wine’s label filled with information and tasting notes on the back. I like the concept of their wine labels – different stamps with pictures of ducks. Paraduxx specializes in zinfandels, and we tasted their current releases as well as their limited production wines. I really liked their zins – they much more body than typical zins because of their higher cabernet sauvignon content, and you could taste many different layers of fruit and spice.
B and I purchased the 2004 Paraduxx because that was our favorite. Here is a Wine News review that describes the wine better than I ever could: “Dense inky purple hue. Spicy scents of powdered chocolate, nuts and earth. Dusty entry with spicy terroir notes that showcase raspberry flavors and echoes of walnut and mocha from this unusual blend of zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Rich and coating on the close with ripe berries and oak-laced tannins. 92 points”
We then went to Salvestrin Winery, a tiny family-owned winery that’s been around for almost 100 years. The tasting room manager was really friendly. We had the room to ourselves, and he sat at our table talking to us for quite a while. He also gave us recommendations for other small wineries, which I noted for my next trip to Napa. That’s what I love about the smaller wineries – the personal dialog and attention. Salvestrin makes more red wines, but I thought their 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc was the most interesting. It was bright and crisp, and had a very unique honeysuckle taste.

Believe it or not, we were hungry again. We had overheard people talking about Pizzeria Tra Vigne, so we decided to check it out. We immediately ordered a pitcher of strawberry lemonade to wake up our taste buds after all that heavy wine. We then had the chicken salad, the margherita pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil), and the ducati pizza (spicy Italian sausage, capicola, sun-dried tomatoes, mushroom, mozzarella, and tomato sauce). The food was just ok. The crusts should have been more crispy, and the margherita pizza was lacking that fresh mozzarella taste. At least the italian sausage on the ducati pizza had a good kick to it.

BITE METER:
Bottega Restaurant - 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Paraduxx Winery - 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Salvestrin Winery - 3.0 bites (out of 5)
Tra Vigne Pizzeria - 2.5 bites (out of 5)

Mendocino, California (Day 2)

After warming ourselves with a delicious 3-course breakfast at Agate Cove Inn, B and I head over to the nearby Mendocino Headlands State Park. We went hiking around the park (ok, maybe it was more of a leisurely walk). It was amazing to see so many wildflowers grow so close to the ocean. I loved watching the waves crash against cliffs and feeling the cold, crisp ocean breeze on my face.

I was surprised to see people swimming in the freezing ocean. It turns out there's lots of abalone in Mendocino, and they were abalone divers. I didn't know that abalone diving was legal...or maybe I just assumed that because abalone is so rare and expensive.

After walking around in the cold all morning, we drove back down to Anderson Valley in search of sunshine - such a drastic difference in climate! We did more wine tasting at Roederer Estate. I thought their sparkling wines would be really good since they are owned by the French producers of Cristal...wrong! We had a much better experience at our next winery, Meyer Family Cellars. The Meyers were the original founders of Silver Oak and sold it in 2001. Silver Oak still makes great wine, however, it is much more 'commercial' now. The son of the family, Matt Meyer, then started this winery. B and I actually talked to Matt and his wife, Karen, for a while and learned a lot about their wines. It was such a rare treat to talk to the owners/winemakers, and they were so friendly and down-to-earth! (I call it serendipity: although I rarely order syrahs, our waiter had recommended the Meyer syrah at a restaurant. The wine turned out to be excellent, and I then realized that it was also the same winery that made the beloved port that I had bought at Silver Oak several years ago...and here we are!)

After taking one of my rare naps (like I said this trip was all about relaxation!), we headed to Cafe Beaujolais for dinner. The restaurant is inside a charming, yellow farmhouse in the heart of Mendocino. Inside, the decor is simple and elegant. The sage walls were framed with white molding, and everything was illuminated by candles and the soft overhead lighting. It had the feel of an intimate, yet modern bistro. We were immediately greeted by a very friendly and inviting hostess (and no, I wasn't just buttered up by the way she and the other hostess kept complimenting my dress; everyone at the restaurant was quite friendly). Our waiter was excellent -- he recommended some fantastic wines to complement our meal, was very knowledgable about the menu, and was able to describe the preparations of the dishes and the ingredients in great detail. (Pet peeve: when I ask about a dish, and the waiter says exactly what is written on the menu)

I know this sounds bad, but I can not remember what I had for my appetizer. (This is what I get when I wait too long before I write about it! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of it either.) I think I had the crab cakes, but it must not have been memorable since good food usually sticks in my mind. For my entree, I had the arugula-stuffed organic free-range chicken on a bed of prosciutto and asparagus hash with champagne jus. The chicken was nicely roasted on the outside and juicy on the inside. The rich flavor of the champagne jus really accentuated the taste of the chicken. The hash was good, but could have used something tart or acidic to brighten it up.

I then had the chocolate lava cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream for dessert. Since my ears automatically perk up when I hear anything with the words "warm/lava/molten" and "chocolate cake" together, I have had this type of dessert a LOT and my bar is pretty high. This dessert was wasn't bad, but left something to be desired...it didn't have that warm, rich gooey center.
Overall, the food was good (not great), but the warmth and elegance of the ambience and staff make Cafe Beaujolais feel special.

BITE METER:
Roederer Estate - 2.0 bites (out of 5)
Meyer Family Cellars - 4.5 bites (out of 5)
Cafe Beaujolais - 3.7 bites (out of 5)

Mendocino, California (Day 1)

B and I head to Mendocino to celebrate our anniversary. We wanted to go somewhere relaxing after our big Paris trip and before having to deal with moving the following weekend. On our drive up, we stop by Goldeneye Winery. We really like their Goldeneye pinot noir and have been wanting to make a trip up to Anderson Valley to try more of their wines. Goldeneye Winery is a beautiful property with a great outdoor patio for wine tasting. Goldeneye specializes in pinor noirs, while their sister wineries in Napa focus on bordeaux blends (Duckhorn) and zinfandels (Paraduxx). We had a flight of 7 wines and enjoyed them all so much that we joined their wine club. The information cards with tasting notes that accompanied each glass were a nice and appreciated touch. I typically prefer cabernet sauvignon, but found their pinots to be well-structured and complex.

We then made up way up to Mendocino where it was quite foggy and much colder. We stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast called Agate Cove Inn. Our room was tastefully decorated and cozy. I especially loved the huge jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. Their towels were also really soft - it was like being at home, since most hotel towels are hard and don't feel like they use fabric softener. And to top it all off, they made the BEST breakfasts, far better than any other B&B that I've been to. Poached pear, home-made scones, blueberry bread pudding, eggs benedict...just to name a few of the things we had during our short stay.
To finish off our long day, we had dinner at La Petite Rive. After reading raving reviews on Yelp, I was looking forward to trying this tiny restaurant that is more off the beaten path. Also, the 5 course pre-fixe menu for $35/person seemed like a great deal. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. When we arrived, we found out that they gave our table to another couple who supposedly claimed to be us. The whole thing was handled very strangely, but we were seated at our table in the end. Our waitress was the daughter of the chef, but she surprisingly knew nothing about the food and could not describe the menu. Overall the food was average. The food served with each course was pretty basic - mushroom soup, green salad, asparagus and mashed potatoes for sides. The highlight of the evening was my peppercorn steak in a cabernet reduction - it was thick and juicy with a nice sear on the outside. However, that was offset by B's sad entree - his scallops were chewy and overcooked. I guess this is a prime example of "you get what you pay for."

BITE METER:
Goldeneye Winery - 4.5 bites (out of 5)
Agate Cove Inn - 4 bites (out of 5)
La Petite Rive - 2.5 bites (out of 5)