Favorite restaurants in Napa valley?

Do you have any favorite restaurants for dinner in the St. Helena/Calistoga/Yountville vicinity? I'm looking for small hidden gems, not big celebrity-chef establishments.

Ms. T
  • Posted by: Ms. T
  • January 5, 2012
  • 3128 views
  • 7 Comments

7 Comments

ChefJune January 6, 2012
Love Bistro Jeanty! also Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. Domaine Chandon is lovely for Sunday brunch.

Haven't been to CIA-Greystone in years, but remember enjoying a meal there, too.
 
bigpan January 6, 2012
Bottega, have the pork belly appetizer.
CIA is also fun for lunch. Bistro Jaunty, Fig and the Girl in Sonoma. Redd is too upscale and loud so we gave it a pass. IF you have the urge to spend $1000 per couple and can make a reservation a few months in advance ... The French Laundry.
 
pierino January 6, 2012
Actually Keller's Bouchon just down the street is affordable for trencherman sized portions. Zinc bar French style.
 
Tarragon January 5, 2012
We really enjoyed Redd in Yountville. Even better than French Laundry.
 
sarahlu January 5, 2012
I loved JoLe in Calistoga. http://jolerestaurant.com/
 
Author Comment
Lunch at the Culinary Institute of America (the old Christian Brothers winery) is delightful. I like to sit at the bar and watch what's going on in the kitchen, but they also have a lovely patio with a view out over the valley.
 
LLStone January 5, 2012
My husband and I just spent a handful of days in Yountville this past October. We enjoyed dinners at Bardessono and Bistro Jeanty (We stayed in Yountville so we ate dinner there), and had a very nice lunch at SolBar in Calistoga. If you go to SolBar, eat outside and make it a leisurely lunch - it's so pretty and the food is fantastic. Bardessono and Bistro Jeanty were very good - service, wine, food all excellent. One fun thing we did was a wine tasting and then an olive oil tasting at Round Pond. It's two tastings, but I would recommend it. The tour, wine and olive oils were all very good, and the surroundings (at Round Pond) were beautiful.
 
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