Wine Country
French Laundry Books at Amazon
With French Laundry it’s more than just a meal, it’s the whole experience. Beautiful atmosphere in the middle of the wine country, superb service, and of course great food. You could argue that this restaurant or that restaurant has a better beef course or appetizer, but few have the exquisite combination of everything.
Why did we dine here? – Charter Oak was on our list of places to hit in the Napa Valley. We had a good experience at Meadowood, so why not try this spot. It made it onto the SF Chronicles Top 100 list in 2019, so we made sure we ate here soon.
One of the Best Restaurants around! Why did we dine here? – SingleThread Farm is a 3 Michelin star restaurant, 90 minute North of San Francisco. We were celebrating an anniversary and have always wanted to dine here.
Classic French done right. Bouchon is a French bistro that is part of the Thomas Keller French Laundry empire. They have locations in Yountville and Las Vegas, we have been to both and finally had a chance to return to the Napa Valley location after 8 years.
New 2013 Foodie bible Michelin San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2013 was just released. Less than $12 at Amazon.
Ad Hoc at Home – This book is full of Thomas Keller’s insights from Ad hoc.
Be sure to check out the French Laundry Cookbook
Why did we dine here? – Bistro Jeanty was one of the last major restaurants in Yountville that we have not reviewed. Has any foodie knows, this town is an eaters paradise. As good a reason as any to give it a try! They lost their Michelin star a couple years back, so we did not have high expectations. Would this place make up for not going to Redd?
Terra is a one Michelin star restaurant in the heart of the Napa wine country, St. Helena. The owners also run Ame in San Francisco. Earlier in 2011, they added Bar Terra next door which serves more informal items.
Morimoto Napa is a Japanese restaurant run by world famous television Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. This celebrity chef, who also worked at Nobu, is known for his whimsical twists on Japanese cuisine. The restaurant has gotten lukewarm reviews from the major San Francisco food critics, so we came expecting a lot of flash and little substance. He has outposts around the world including in India and Hawaii. We had lunch at Morimoto Napa.
Solbar is a beautiful restaurant located in the Solage resort and Calistoga. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and received one Michelin star in 2011.
Bouchon Bakery in Yountville is a fabulous place we love to visit whenever we are passing through the wine country. This location is situated right next door to Bouchon in Yountville. They even bake for the legendary French Laundry. Here are some photos of their delectable products.
étoile Restaurant is the restaurant located at the Domain Chandon Winery in foodie capital Yountville, just to the left of Highway 29. (Etoile is French for “star”) They received one Michelin star in 2010 and serve French food that is the focus with “daily collaboration between the culinary team and Domaine Chandon’s winemakers, resulting in innovative, wine-inspired cuisine.” Chef Perry Hoffman was named a 2010 Rising Star Chef in the San Francisco Chronicle. We haven’t been to Domain Chandon in a long time and decided to give them a try as recent reviews have been positive.
Auberge du Soleil (Inn of the Sun) is a posh resort in the Napa Valley with a Michelin starred restaurant that opened in 1981. Executive Chef Robert Curry, formerly of Domain Chandon and Greystone, serves up Wine country cuisine.
