Weekend Getaway to Napa Valley
Not only is Napa Valley known for its wines, it's also known for its vibrant dining scene. It is, after all, home to the 3 Michelin star restaurant French Laundry (as well as many other fantastic restaurants that won't empty your bank account).
I've lived so close to Napa my entire life but have only been there twice so far (what a shame, I know). Every time I've visited, it's been in the winter so I have yet to see any grapes on the vines. However, the perk of visiting during low-season is that it's easier to get reservations or you can even get away without having one at some places.
Below is a recap of my weekend visit to Napa including where to eat, drink, and stay:
HOTEL:
Silverado Resort and Spa - Even though Napa is a close trip to make if you live in the Bay Area, I recommend staying overnight so that you have the time to enjoy your visit and make the most of it. I only stayed for one night and it definitely didn't feel long enough (going for a long weekend might be better). I chose to stay at Silverado because it is conveniently located between Downtown Napa and St. Helena, which were the 2 main areas I was visiting. The service throughout my stay was extremely attentive and friendly. They even surprised me with a fruit and cheese platter as well as a bottle of sparkling wine! Clearly I was a bit overjoyed but talk about great service and hospitality.
First of all, the resort is massive! There are 370 guest rooms, 2 championship golf courses, 10 swimming pools, 10 tennis courts, a full-service spa with a fitness center, and much more. You could practically spend your entire trip at the resort and never be bored. The check-in area looks a bit dated but the rooms have been renovated and are quite spacious. They have a wide variety of rooms so there's something for everyone!
As for dining options, Silverado has one restaurant called The Grill overlooking one of their beautiful golf courses. Additionally, the resort recently opened its new Silverado Market and Bakery, which offers baked goods from Bouchon Bakery and the best English muffins I've ever tried from Model Bakery. I recommend grabbing breakfast at either place (or ordering room service from The Grill) to get your day started before heading out to your first winery.
RESTAURANTS:
Harvest Table - I recently visited Burritt Room + Tavern at the Mystic Hotel in SF for an event and enjoyed the meal so much that I knew I had to try Chef Charlie Palmer's restaurant in Napa Valley too. Harvest Table is located in St. Helena at Chef Palmer's boutique hotel, Harvest Inn, and it's the perfect setting for a quiet weekend brunch. Even though it was chilly outside, their terrace was too cute to pass up on (they have space heaters and blankets to keep you warm). Harvest Table's menu features locally sourced ingredients and produce from their very own culinary gardens. The dishes are as fresh as it gets and you can certainly taste it too!
To start, I ordered the Pear Toast, Slow Poached Egg on Brioche Toast, Baby Beet Salad, and Sunchoke Soup. All were delicious but I would have to say my favorites were the egg toast slathered in truffle butter (need I say more?) and the creamy soup with sourdough croutons.
For the main course, I had the Sunnyside Eggs that were nestled in veggies and mushrooms and my boyfriend had the Grilled Flat Iron on French Toast. The French toast was out of this world! It came with a thick slice of sourdough toast, scrambled eggs, and a huge steak on top. It's their take on steak and eggs, but even better. I don't even eat meat but the eggs with the French toast alone was enough to convince me that the dish was as good as it sounded. Words can't even describe how amazing it was. Also, if you're not vegetarian, order the Shrimp and Grits as well (I've heard from multiple people that it's the chef's specialty dish so it must be just as delicious as the French toast, if not more...if that's even possible).
TORC - I don't even know where to begin. I chose to celebrate my birthday with dinner at TORC and boy did they spoil me. TORC offers a fine dining experience in a casual yet sophisticated setting. The main dining room includes a mile-long bar with a partially open kitchen. On the second floor is a private dining room with a wine cellar that overlooks the main room. Read about the unreal 5 course (maybe 10 course?) tasting in my upcoming post.
WINERIES:
Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves - I actually started off my trip with a visit to Del Dotto Estate in St. Helena for their Delicacies tasting. As our tour guide said, "This is probably the most well-known winery that you've never heard of." That's because Del Dotto Vineyards focuses on small production, premium wines and doesn't distribute to many retailers. Del Dotto Vineyards is also family-owned, which made my visit feel much more intimate and personalized (owner Dave Del Dotto even joined our table during our tasting!).
This winery is like nothing I've ever seen before because it is so unique. The winery itself is on the smaller side, but you don't even notice the size because it has such a grand presence once you step inside. Make sure to check back for an upcoming post about the amazing 5 course food and wine pairing I had as part of Delicacies by Del Dotto.
Domaine Carneros - This is probably one of THE MOST Instagrammed wineries. The Chateau sits on top of a hill with steps leading up to it and overlooking the vineyard-covered hills of Napa. Domaine Carneros is known for their sparkling wines. They offer tours and tastings everyday but require a reservation (we luckily got in without one because that's the perk of going during low-season!). Unfortunately, it was freezing cold outside so they were only hosting tastings indoors that day. But if you go when it is warmer, definitely sit outside on the patio to enjoy the view!
I chose the Sparkling Wine Sampler along with the Sparkling Wine Cheese Plate. A few people had recommended the 2010 Late Disgorged Brut, which wasn't on the tasting menu, but our server was kind enough to bring out a tasting of it and the 2008 Le Reve anyways. Out of the 6 wines that I sampled, the 2010 Late Disgorged was definitely my favorite. As for the cheese plate, skip it. Each cheese is very good but the rest of the plate was kind of disappointing.
