Napa in a Nutshell: Wine & Dine Napa in Just 24 Hours

Posted: January 12th, 2012 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: A Day In My Life, Travel | Tags: Angèle Restaurant, California, French food, French Fries, French Laundry, Mustard's Grill, Napa Valley, Paul Maksy, Sonoma County, Swanson Vineyards, Travel, wine | 2 Comments »

The Napa Valley/Sonoma County area is just one of those magical places everyone ought to visit at least once in their lifetime. This photo was taken just after sunrise on a hot air balloon ride over all of Napa Valley just when the world is beginning to wake up. (I highly recommend for everyone to do this hot air balloon ride during their visit to Napa).  As you can see, even in January, the middle of winter, Napa is covered in green with acres of vineyards and surrounded by grassy mountains covered in trees.

Renowned for their exceptional wineries and acres and acres of vineyards, this is so much more than just a place to visit to get trashed off wine tastings, but it’s a lovely place to drive through and even just to explore by foot.

This was, by far, one of my favorite stops along our trip around California. Napa Valley is a place you can enjoy at any time of year and for any length of time you may have to spare. We only spent one night in Napa (stayed less than 24 hours) and still managed to visit over 6 different wineries, eat at some really top notch dining establishments, take a hot air balloon ride and even lounge around poolside for some extra sunshine.

Aside from the hot air balloon ride, I’d like to introduce to you some other great recommendations off-the-beaten-track of a few restaurants and vineyards you may not discover without word-of-mouth. First, there’s Mustard’s Grill which is right off of Highway 29 North (easy access if you are coming from San Fran).

This is a lovely restaurant that’s been around for 28 years (their slogan is “Sorry…everything has been delicious since 1983″) named after the wild mustard flowers that bloom in the vineyards every Spring and they even grow most of their produce in their own backyard gardens! Everything served is fresh and hearty…just see for yourself!

LumDimSum Snapshots of Mustard’s Cuisine:

Crispy Calamari with curried slaw and fresno chilies (USD$12.25) / Thai Chicken, garden greens, creamy peanut dressing, bean thread noodles (USD$14.95)

Special Salad of the Day: Beet Salad with Warm Goat Cheese / Slow Smoked BBQ Pork Sandwich (USD$13.25)

Mushroom and Spinach “Burger,” feta cheese, green papaya salad, mango vinaigrette (USD$12) / Famous Mongolian Pork Chop, sweet & sour red cabbage, housemade mustard (USD$26.50)

Fresh Fish of the Day with a Mountain of Wild Mushrooms / Seafood Pasta of the Day

Grilled Sweet Potatoes, avocado-tomatillo salsa, creme fraiche (USD$4.50)

Mustards Grill Restaurant Details:

• Address: 7399 St. Helena Highway, Napa, CA 94558
• Tel: 707.944.2424
• Email: info@mustardsgrill.com
• Website: Click here.

Next Napa Introduction:

Swanson Vineyards is one of the best wineries I have visited in Napa.

But this is not just any place you can stroll on into. They are available only by appointment, but they welcome all pre-appointed guests for wine tastings in their compounds.

We walked into a very rustic, homely environment with a fireplace, paintings all along the walls and a big, round table for guests to sit down and indulge in a beautiful 6-course wine tasting paired with various exotic cheeses, caviar and chocolate!

Famous for their Merlot wines, I actually fell in love with their whites – their 2010 Viognier in particular. But I gotta say, their 2008 Merlot and 2007 Alexis Cabernet were exceptionally beautiful wines as well.

“We take our wines very seriously, but passionately believe in glorifying the mundane, every way we can.” - Alexis Swanson Traina, Creative Director of Swanson Vineyards

Next Napa Point of Destination:

French Laundry was our first choice for dinner in Napa, but to get a seat in this extremely exclusive restaurant, you must book months in advance. Even though I was prepared to book our table last fall, the restaurant is not actually open until mid-January so unfortunately, I will have to wait until my next trip to try this legendary Napa restaurant.

French Laundry aside, we actually had a few other restaurant choices in mind to try (Napa is full of great restaurant choices), but my good friend Paul Maksy recommended a fabulous French country restaurant none of us had heard of before - Angèle Restaurant.

I’m not sure how such an impressive, high-rated and raved about restaurant could be so unknown.  We managed to make our way through about six different wineries and none of the sommeliers had been to Angèle before.  I guess that just goes to show how spoiled for choice Napa residents are when it comes to fine dining in their neck of the woods!  In any case, this restaurant is simply stunning. It’s rustic, it’s simple, elegant and refined – all the qualities you desire in a fine French country restaurant.

Angèle’s menu variety was diverse, portions were generous and we couldn’t have been happier dining here. They have a great champagne and wine list, the oysters were fantastic and stand out dishes included: Foie Gras and Fruits de Mer appetizers, Braised Pork Cheeks and Quail for main.  

An entire spread of Fresh Oysters literally devoured within minutes

Foie Gras au “Torchon (USD $18) / Petit Salé – Crispy Skin Suckling Pig (USD $16)

French Onion Soup (USD $9) / Fruits de Mer – Head-on Gulf Prawns, Savory Clam “Chowder”, Lardons, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Parmesan Broth (USD $16)

Main Courses:

Caille Rôti – Wolfe Ranch Quail Basted in Brown Butter, Herbs, Duck Confit Stuffing, Farro Verde, Crispy Pancetta (USD $26) / Jou de Pork – Braised Pork Cheeks, Butternut Squash Barley “Risotto”, Roasted Salsify, Brussels Sprouts (USD $26)

Esturgeon – Black Trumpet Crusted Sturgeon, Parsley Root, Quinoa and Wild Mushroom Ragoût, Oxtail (USD $24) / Faux Filet – Prime New York Steak, Bone Marrow Crusted Shortrib, Celery Root , Pommes Boulangére, Horseradish Bordelaise (USD $32)

While both appetizers and mains were a hit, what none of us expected to find: the best French Fries in the world. All of us concurrently agreed, never had we tried better french fries in our lives. Maybe they don’t look as impressive as they tasted, but they were out-of-this-world.

Dessert wasn’t bad either!

Pot de Crème – Valrhona Chocolate,  Butterscotch Candy (USD $8)

Angèle Restaurant Contact Details: 

• Address: 540 Main Street Napa, CA 94559

• Tel:  707.252.811

• Website: Click here.

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Wine Bar Enoteca Serves Up a Sweet Weekend Brunch

Posted: August 2nd, 2009 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: A Day In My Life, Foodies & Dining Scene | Tags: American food, Enoteca, French food, Weekend Brunch, wine | 1 Comment »

Turns Out – Enoteca (Located in The Place Shopping Mall), known for their fine wine selection, just served up another reason to extend your weekend stay – they just started a sweet weekend brunch! Shanghai’s ever-popular wine bar is now also a great Sunday Brunch destination. Who knew?

*Enoteca just launched a new menu 2 days ago and I’m a big fan of their brunch:

I highly recommend:

Enoteca’s Brunch (available Sat-Sun until 4pm) RMB 120, includes:

• Salmon Tartar
• Quiche (today it was mushroom)
• Chicken Caesar Salad
• Brie + Emmental Cheese paired with Parma Ham + Cooked Ham
• Egg ‘a la coque’ with caviar
• Bread
• Butter Croissant
• Jam
• Fresh Yogurt
• Fresh OJ/Grape Juice

For those who prefer a more typical American brunch, try their American Plate for RMB 98

• Eggs Benedict (choose from ham or salmon)
• Pesto Sauteed Mushrooms
• Pork Sausages
• Grilled Bacon
• Hash Brown
• Baked Tomato
• House Salad
• Fresh OJ/Grape Juice

For those who prefer a lighter brunch option, I recommend their

3 Tomatoes Salad for RMB 45 (all salads are RMB 45):

• Sundried, Roasted + Fresh Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Olives

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The Beginning of a new Tongli?

Posted: July 29th, 2009 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: A Day In My Life, Foodies & Dining Scene | Tags: Annabel Greene, Aperitivo, French food, Juliette's, Luga's, Maison Boulud, Salud, Sanlitun, Time Out | No Comments »

It’s remarkable how completely different Sanlitun looks during the day compared to the bustling night scene. And I’m not talking about the Village, I’m talking about the street running perpendicular, Tongli Studio – with Aperitivo, Luga’s, my favorite DVD spot, and about 5 new restaurants that just recently popped up: Muse, a Japanese restaurant with sushi, teriyaki and noodles, Salud, and Juliette’s – a fine-dining French restaurant with chef from Jaan, Guillaume Gaillot.

I’ve observed Juliette’s from the outside and by walking by it multiple times, and you can tell this venue was much more refined than it’s neighboring hubs like Shooters and Luga’s, but I was taken aback to find it to be so fine-dining, as in Maison Boulud fine-dining.  A la carte menu’s appetizers average about 75RMB, main entrees about RMB 200 (the lobster dish is RMB 450) and desserts in the same price range as appetizers.  It will be interesting to see how Juliette’s develops and whether its affect on its neighbors will be stronger than its neighbor’s affect on Juliette’s business/clientele/image.  Juliette’s is definitely the first of its caliber on Tongli Studio .

After flipping through the menu, the set lunch was the obvious choice:

• 2 courses for RMB 78
• 3 courses + coffee RMB 98
• 2 courses with 1 glass of house wine RMB 108
• 3 courses + 1 glass of wine + coffee RMB 128

For the starter, I tried the ‘Vichyssoise Soup with Pesto’ dressing followed by the ‘Poached beef tenderloin with fried potato, natural jus’  while my friend who works for the Village Times, Annabel Greene, opted for the Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Salad and the ‘Grill Salmon Fish with Celeriac Puree and Beetroot Reduction.’

Best Part:

• Portions were generous, Taste was on-point
• I like the name
• Set Lunch Meal was a great deal
• It’s conveniently located

Comments:

• Furniture, seating, and venue layout seems more suited for a more casual bistro rather than a fine-dining restaurant
• Prices from ordering off the a la carte menu is 8x more expensive than its neighboring venues, wow the contrast is quite extreme. When I see these prices, I immediately compare it to the standards set by Maison Boulud.  While the food and portions were satisfying, the service, interior, and dining experience as a whole is just not up to par with the Big Boulud.

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