Napa Trip Part 2: Redd

Continuing with the Napa goodness ... photos from dinner at Redd, run by chef Richard Reddington, who has credentials from Masa's, Jardiniere, and Auberge du Soleil under his belt. The boyfriend and I each got the $80 five-course tasting menu, and were delighted that the chef gave us each a different dish per course, so we basically tried 10 different dishes! 

With the fairly reasonable prices and delicious, contemporary food, this place has landed a spot on my list of fave restaurants in the Napa area!

Our wine for the night -- Jarvis 2007 Merlot

Yellowfin tuna tartare, asian pear, avocado, chili oil, fried rice crackers

 Caramelized scallop, cauliflower puree, golden raisins

Hamachi sashimi, edamame, sticky rice, lime ginger sauce

Sole and clams in frothy broth

Glazed pork belly

Roasted chicken with polenta

Hangar steak

 Duck breast, bean cassoulet, bread crumbs

 Raspberry sorbet and peach shortcake

 Chocolate beignet, caramel ice cream, caramelized banana

Complimentary fruit snacks to finish!

Redd

6480 Washington Street

Yountville, CA 94599

www.reddnapavalley.com

Napa Trip Part 1: Bistro Jeanty, Etc.

As part of my birthday / anniversary this year, the boyfriend and I headed up to Napa for a lovely day trip. We went on the tour at Jarvis Winery at my co-worker's recommendation, and it was an amazing experience! They were the first guys to place all their wine-making operations -- with the exception of growing and harvesting the grapes -- completely underground, in a 45,000 square foot mountain cave that keeps a constant temperature of 61 degrees. Not only was the tour fascinating and the cave hauntingly beautiful, but their wines were pretty damn good! I fell in love with their merlot, and I don't even remember the last time a merlot had me swooning. Such luscious fruit and great balance. 

 Photo courtesy of WongCo Food

Other wineries visited -- V. Sattui  (always a pit stop for me in the area!) and Alpha Omega Winery (first and probably last time there).

And no Napa trip would be complete without some stellar meals! We had lunch at Bistro Jeanty, a casual French bistro that does all the classics right.

Roasted Bone Marrow

 Photo courtesy of WongCo Food

My first time trying bone marrow, and now I see what all the fuss is about. If you're into super rich and savory stuff (raises hand), this is for you! Though it's probably a good idea to split a dish like this so you're not loading up on all that fat...

 French Onion Soup

One of my fave versions of this soup, coming in close behind the one at Chapeau. Bistro Jeanty's version features a broth that is less meaty, allowing more of the sweet, fragrant flavors of the onions to come through. Both are delicious, but it just depends on what you're in the mood for.

Steamed Mussels

Big, juicy bivalves in a hearty broth. Perfect. 

Coming up next -- photos from our yummy dinner at REDD! Stay tuned!

Bistro Jeanty

6510 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599

www.bistrojeanty.com

Dine About Town 2011: Level III

Been MIA for awhile ... took a few quick trips and moved to a new job over in Walnut Creek (good-bye SF lunches!), so I've been pretty busy. The new gig demands quite a bit more time, so I actually considered stopping this little food blog project. But I'll keep at it for now! (I don't like quitting. It's been ingrained in me since childhood.) Maybe less text and more photos? Or shorter posts? 

Anyway, some belated photos from my Dine About Town dinner this year at Level III, which is part of the JW Marriott in the Union Square area. Loved the chic decor with all the color-coordinated touches. The quality and presentation of the food was surprisingly good. Sad that there weren't more people eating there, but I guess there are just so many options in downtown that folks might not want to go to a hotel restaurant. But it's worth a visit, especially since their daily three-course prix fixe dinner is only $39.

Ahi Tuna Tataki | avocado wasabi creme fraiche, wonton crisps

Pan Seared Boat Scallops | royal trumpet mushrooms, chorizo, fresh basil

I would go back for this dish alone! So perfect!

 

Pan Seared Halibut | artichoke hearts, fingerling potatoes, salsa verde

Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon | brandy jus, broccolini

Portabello Mushroom Ravioli | petit vegetables, roasted tomatoes, Napa verjus cream

Californian Artisan Cheese Selection

Dark Chocolate Pate With Strawberries

Level III

500 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

www.levelthreesf.com

Oeufs en Gelée

Came across this Tasting Table article praising the Oeufs en Gelée appetizer at Bar Agricole in SF:

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/sf/3678/The_best_dish_of_spring_needs_your_help.htm

The article caught my eye because I've been reading Julie & Julia, and Julie's experience making and eating this exotic-sounding eggs in aspic (meat stock gelatin) dish was pretty disastrous and almost made me swear off ever trying it, despite my love for most things French. But who knows, maybe I'm missing something...

Macarons from Lavish Berry

I wanted to pick up something special for Mother's Day, so I hit up my friend Linda who runs a baking business on the side (lavishberry.com). She's one of the most talented bakers I know personally, and she seems like kind of a perfectionist, which is a great quality to have in culinary circles. Anyway, even with her super busy schedule, she graciously accommodated my order of 2 dozen French macarons.

 

The whole thing turned out even better than I expected. The cookies were tucked into a box with pink tissue paper and decorated with a cute tag, which my mom liked so much that it's now dangling from one of our cabinet doors.

The macarons were both pretty and yummy! Slightly crisp on the outside, delightfully soft on the inside, with an airy, meringue-like consistency. The fillings - strawberry mascarpone and pistachio - were delicious and not overly sweet.

These little beauties are so light and airy that I could unwittingly eat a dozen of them in one sitting ... good for the taste buds but bad for the waistline!

And they were damn good with some vanilla ice cream too! (Did I mention waistline?)

I love supporting local bakers, especially the really promising ones, so if you're in the Silicon Valley area and need to order some baked goodies, please keep Lavish Berry in mind! And I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day!