Redd Wood in Yountville, Napa Valley

Yountville is an idyllic town nestled in the heart Napa Valley.  It is full of boutique hotels, world class restaurants and fantastic shopping.  Luckily for me, it is only about an hours drive from my house.  Two long term friends and I have a restaurant club that we shaped several years ago.  Our aspiration was to have a reason to try out new restaurants around the Bay Area every 5 or 6 weeks along with staying in touch and catching up. We set up the premise to rotate with the “pick and pay” concept with the caveat being it had to be a place none of us have been to prior. A simple concept that just gets better and better with each place we visit.

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Our Restaurant Club loves Yountville.  We have been to Bouchon, Bottega, Redd, Ad Hoc, Jeanty Bistro and now Redd Wood.  The Michelin star rated chef, Richard Reddington from the infamous Redd Napa Valley in Yountville brings a second showcase restaurant Redd Wood to this quaint town.  The vibe inside is ultra cool, extremely vogue with subway tiles, white marble and leather tufted chairs and bench seating.  Dark wood adorns the space with copper accents and groovy lighting embellishments.  Don’t miss a visit to the modern boutique hotel next door called North Block Hotel. (Note to self: need to take hubby here for a nice weekend)  If you need to use the facilities, this is where you will be directed.  Trust me, take a visit, you will be amazed by the sophisticated yet eclectic décor this commode offers. Check out how the mirror is secured to the wall. 

Forgive me since I forget our waiter’s name, but he was knowledgeable and had a certain disposition about him that we found quite charming along with being amusing at the same time.  His explanation of the specials made our mouths water along with wanting to order one of everything.  We do tend to go “family style” on our adventures so we can experience as many tastes as possible.  I began with a glass of 2011 Cabernet from Round Pond Estate in Napa that was simply perfect for our Sunday lunch.  We started the gastronomy of delights with the Chilled Corn Soup, Basil Pesto, Corn and Cherry Tomato Salsa.  Our waiter was kind enough to divide it into three small cups. It was sublime.

One of the specials was a Beet Ravioli with Whipped Goat Cheese, Brown Butter, Roasted Beet Wedges and Toasted Hazelnuts.  Such an interesting dish that left us wanting a second plate, but we resisted. Next we enjoyed two salads – first was Stone Fruit, Figs, Prosciutto, Burrata, Olives and Balsamico with a couple Grissini and then we had the Mielle’s Chopped, Romaine, Arugula, Salami, Ceci Beans, Black Olives, Provolone and Red Wine Vinaigrette.  We especially loved and devoured the stone fruit salad – it just bursted with wine country flaire. 

Another special that we enjoyed was the Handmade Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Shaved Truffles.  It was incredibility rich but simple decadent.  The Fennel Gratin, Grana Padano, Chili and Olive Oil side dish was something we really wanted to try.  It was unique with a bit of kick from the chili but very satisfying.  Since Redd Wood is known for their wood-fired pizzas, we knew we needed to make room to share one.  After previewing the menu we elected to try the Ricotta, Corn, Bacon, Chili, Basil, Pecorino and Red Onion Pizza.  I would describe this pizza as the epitome of wine country pizza.

Our lunches always ends with something sweet.  Once receiving the dessert menu, our first choice hands down was the Cannoli, Toffee, Ricotta and Almonds.  Along with that we were drawn to the home-made ice creams and selected the Caramel Brownie Swirl and the Mint Chocolate Chip.  Both desserts were transcendent. One of my friends who has a discerning palate like myself, mentioned that Redd Wood was perhaps the best restaurant we have been to thus far.  In fact, this sentiment was unanimous. I highly recommend and encourage you make a reservation at Redd Wood for the next time you are headed to Yountville. Check out all of the buzz they are receiving. Trust me – you won’t be disappointed. 

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits + Farmstead Restaurant in Napa Valley

In the heart of Napa Valley resides Long Meadow Ranch(LMR).  This 650-acre home ranch produces both wine and food in the Napa Valley from three different locations including the home for wine making at the 90 acre Rutherford Estate in the center of the Rutherford AVA. Among this vast estate, the destination spot is the Long Meadow Ranch Winery and the spectacular restaurant, Farmstead and the tasting room in the historic Logan-Ives House and the Farmers Market at Long Meadow Ranch. It is an impressive destination and not to be missed if you are in St. Helena and/or Napa Valley.

Yesterday we convened for our regular restaurant club get together and this month it was my turn to select our destination.  Farmstead had been on my list for a while. I was thrilled the day had finally arrived to experience this distinguished restaurant. 

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As you approach Saint Helena from Napa, it was apparent that the traffic slowed due to the popularity of the quaint wine valley town.  Farmstead is just on the other side of the train tracks and the driveway sneaks up on you to make a right hand turn. Once in the parking lot, I knew I arrived to a special location in wine country.  The rustic feel of barn yard like structures, a restored green truck from the 30’s or 40’s and the beautiful landscaping is a feast for the eyes.

My friends were already seated, since we drove separately and already ordered the famous Cheddar biscuits with honey butter.  We enjoy sharing various dishes, so we can fully experience the key items at the restaurant.  A few tasty bites and then on to the next wonderful dish is my kind of feasting.  I ordered a glass of 2008 Abiouness “Pommard Clone” Pinot Noir from the Carneros region.  It was an absolutely stunning glass of wine with the pure elements of an awarding winning Pinot Noir.

We ordered the special of the day, Grilled asparagus with LMR egg and ham.  The perfectly cooked egg added additional richness to this perfect started.  Next to arrive was the two salads - Caramelized beets with sky hill goat cheese cream, greens and Chimichurri and Salad of lacinato kale with chili pequin, lemon dressing and toasted parmesan. Both salads busted with flavor and each plate was wiped clean.

After our salad courses, it was time for the hearty main dishes that included - LMR meatballs with caramelized root vegetables and tomato marmalade, Potato gnocchi with LMR beef ragu, herbs & parmesan and Wood grilled heritage pork chop with broccoli rabe, jalapeno grits and apple-onion jam.  All three were simply divine and cooked perfectly.  The combinations of flavors were mouth watering.

We certainly could not end this wonderful lunch without a bit of dessert.  So many amazing choices but at the end, we selected the Scharffenberger chocolate cream pie with graham cracker crust and whipped cream.  This is a signature dessert at Farmstead.  The graham cracker crust was the show stealer in my opinion.  I could have just eaten that and minus the chocolate and whipped cream.  It was that good!

We left fully satisfied and loving every aspect of this lunch.  We did a bit of shopping in downtown Saint Helena and found wonderful items at Toss Designs.  If you have not visited a Toss store, you are in for a treat.  The burning question is – which restaurant do we go to next?

The Cheddar Cheese Biscuits were outstanding and a true masterpiece.  I knew that I needed to develop the recipe at home and recreate these delicious bites of heaven.  My version is extremely close to what we enjoyed at Farmstead.  Enjoy!

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons shortening

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 Cup cheddar cheese, grated and packed

¼ Cup cheddar cheese, grated for top of biscuits

1 Cup Buttermilk

In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Mix together.  Next add the butter and shortening and use a pastry cutter to incorporate into dry mixture until size of small peas.  Add 1/3 cup of grated cheddar cheese and mix.  Add the buttermilk and stir well with a spoon.  Dough will be sticky.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Use an ice cream scoop and place onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  Keep at least 1 inch apart.  Top each biscuit with about a teaspoon of grated cheese.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Turn off oven and put the broiler on high.  Once heated, add the cookie sheet under the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds until cheese is browning and bubbly.  Remove to cool or serve warm.

Napa Valley Jewel: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen

Nestled behind the main street in downtown St. Helena is a Napa Valley jewel called Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. The outside of the restaurant is understated yet it is adorned with vibrant foliage and colorful flowers in the window boxes. Once you enter, you feel as though you are entering someone’s home and my assumption would be that is the purpose behind the décor, ambiance and restaurant name.

Cindy Pawlcyn the owner has planted many restaurant roots in Napa Valley along with the legendary Mustards Grill that flanks highway 29 along the entrance to the world famous wineries. Many well-know Bay Area dining establishments have been touched by Cindy’s magic including Fog City Diner, Bix, Roti, Betelnut and Tra Vinge. Her culinary chops began at the early age of thirteen by working at a local cooking school and assisting her mother in the kitchen. With an entrepreneurial spirit, she ran a catering business during her high school years.

She cooked in several states prior to landing in Napa Valley and earned the prestigious honor of being named as the opening chef at Meadowood. This eventually led her to launch in 1983, Mustards Grill which today still boasts crowds and waiting lists to eat the divine cuisine. She maintains a commitment to seasonal inspirations through the bounty of the garden along with the variety of ingredients provided in the area. She has been recognized on numerous occasions and has been highly decorated with the culinary best awards such as: “Who’s Who of Cooking in America" nominated twice for the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef in California and is the recipient of the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence.

Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen has been on my restaurant bucket list for sometime. With it being my turn to choose the restaurant for our “Restaurant Club” excursion, it was an easy decision. Now I was able to place a check mark next to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. We typically set our reservations for 11:30am to get ahead of the crowds and allow a leisurely dining experience. The day we went was fairly warm outside, so we elected to dine inside.

We had a fantastic waiter and please forgive me for not remembering his name. He was full of personality, knowledgeable and gave impeccable service. At one point, he noticed I was taking photos of each dish, so he brought over a copy of the lunch and dessert menu for me to take home. (Now that is service in my book.) We enjoy ordering a variety of items so we can taste numerous dishes and enhance the full menu experience.

We started with the Polenta Fries. Let me just say that we died and went to heaven with these deep fried nuggets of polenta joy. They were perfectly creamy with a crispy outside and a touch of salt – pure decadence. I enjoyed a glass of Ehlers 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon which was full bodied with ripe fruit, a hint of spice, toffee undertones and a smooth finish that was delightful.

For our first course, we enjoyed Cindy’s Curried Chicken Salad with mixed greens, Arugula, radishes, almonds and crispy bacon. This is a signature salad and after tasting it, the creamy curry dressing along with all of the ingredients, it was a perfect pairing of flavors. The Butter Lettuce salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery leaves and buttermilk-dill dressing was well chilled and left me wanting to eat this every night. It was perfectly chilled, crisp and embodied a delicate balance of flavors.

I enjoyed the Pasta Del Giorno which was handmade pasta with Arugula pesto, Chinese broccoli and bright cherry tomatoes. Brenley opted for the Mighty meatloaf with horseradish barbeque sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. Lynette selected the fresh fish of the day which was sturgeon and adorned with a Charmoula sauce, beans and potatoes. I had never actually tasted Sturgeon and/or Charmoula sauce, but both were simply outstanding and the dish hit a homerun. Note to self – make charmoula sauce soon.

A restaurant club lunch would not be complete without tasting a few desserts. Despite having relatively full bellies, we ordered dessert. Can you tell our arms were being twisted? Smile. We selected the CP Railroad Avenue Parfait with house made ice cream, sorbet, sauces and a cookie. Our second selection was the Warm Plum & Blueberry Brown Butter Cake with house made vanilla ice cream and warm berry sauce. Both desserts were amazing.

Overall, we collectively ranked our dining experience high on our list. The food was brilliant. The setting was relaxing, inviting and comfortable. The service was perfect. Last but not least the company was sublime. I would highly recommend adding Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen to your restaurant bucket list and making a reservation. You will not be disappointed.

Tyler Florence's "Rotisserie & Wine" in Napa

I work hard, but I love to play hard as well. My idea of playing hard may not mean the same thing to a lot of folks. When the weekend rolls around, the ultimate for me is to go check out a new restaurant with my hubby or friends. Love to enjoy a great glass of wine along with a sample of various items from the menu through sharing with everyone at the table. The more different tastes the better.

Last weekend I hit the jackpot by having lunch at Tyler Florence’s relatively new venture, Rotisserie & Wine in Napa. It was not a planned lunch destination, but happened more by chance. My friend and I traveled to Oxbow Public Market in Napa, which I will share in another post soon. Luckily Napa is just less than an hour away from where I live. After the market, we set off across the way to check out the newly constructed Riverwalk in Napa.

When we walked parallel to the river, which happened to have multiple wonderful restaurants all lined up. First there was Morimoto Napa (need to still eat there) and Fish Story (looks interesting) and nestled in between was Tyler’s place, Rotisserie & Wine. Having heard good things, it has been on my restaurant bucket list for some time. We were shopping in Tyler’s store, right next door and Jessica the manager encouraged us to grab a bite there. Once we perused the menu, the hook of the small bites led us to grab a table outside facing the river.

The décor is filled with white subway tiles on the walls and the ambiance is rustic wine country chic. From the first view of the entry, you will notice bold unique leather club chairs to the half barrel chandeliers that adorn the front; your eyes are in for a design treat. With the combination of slightly off white walls with dark wood accents, there is warmth everywhere with a cool vibe trailing behind. On the back wall are, free standing cabinets of wine along a continuous wall flanked with bottles of wine and several are Tyler’s own label. The furniture is a combination of metal and wood with a funky yet stylish wine country vibe.

We were surprised that a crowd was not waiting outside to land a table, perhaps we got there a bit before the lunch frenzy. In any event, we were seated at a perfect table outside and the weather was barely 80 degrees – just perfect. Once we scanned the wine list, we both selected a Tyler Florence wine. As they say, “when in Rome……”, but in this case, we needed to pay homage to the proprietor. I had the Cabernet Sauvignon and Helen had the Sauvignon Blanc. Both were simply outstanding – note to self – purchase Tyler wine ASAP.

Not expecting such a treat, the waiter soon brought us an oval dish with two corn sticks. These were not any ordinary corn sticks; they were incredibly light, with custard like center but lightly crispy on the outside. They came out warm and served alongside with a honey drizzled creamy light butter. You could say it was cornbread with gougere influences and shaped like a churro. They were to die for. We could have easily devoured three or four more each.

Tyler is one smart cookie – at his first restaurant on the west coast, Wayfare Tavern, he serves piping hot popovers, now these decadent corn sticks – what is next? This is actually a brilliant idea for restaurants, create a unique starchy starter to intrigue your guests and bring them back for more.

Helen and I shared a porchetta sandwich earlier from the Fatted Calf that was supremely tasty with each and every bite. Our appetites were there, but not enough for a heavy lunch – so small plates it was for us.

We first shared Deviled Eggs with Fried Capers, Crispy Shallots and Thyme Oil. The creamy mixture that sat in the center of the tender egg was perfectly smooth. Now you add the crispy caper and shallot, you have a bite of perfection. These eggs were both tasty and a feast for the eyes. I thought it was a cleaver idea to use a tad of the egg mixture to secure the eggs from slipping in the small cast iron pan.

Next we celebrated the heirloom tomato season with a plate of vivid colored gems. They were adorned with pickled red onion and crispy basil sprinkled across the tomatoes. A light drizzle of wonderful olive oil accented this end of summer delight.

Our final dish was the grand finale – Mac & Cheese with Smoked Olive Oil. Let me just say, we discovered the smoked olive oil at the farmer’s market earlier that day and it is the most unique and tasty item I have had in a long time. Of course, we each bought a bottle of it. Mark my words; this will be a world wide hit very soon. Back to the Mac & Cheese, it was al dente orecchiette with a super creamy and rich cheese sauce with the hint of smoke from the olive oil and toasty bread crumbs adorned the top. It was incredibly delicious and decadent. Worth every calorie!

Our plates were cleared and the last sip of wine remained when the dessert menu arrived. Typically I would indulge, but we just could not manage another plate in front of us. Although it was tempting with choices like: Peanut Crisp with chocolate and peanut butter ice cream or Dark Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis or Buttermilk Panna Cotta with late harvest fruit.

After our divine lunch, we headed back to the Tyler Florence kitchen store that is adjacent to the restaurant to let Jessica know that her recommendation to grab a bite to eat was well worth it. Tyler – we are glad that you decided to make your mark in the Bay Area – keep up the brilliant job!

NOTE:  Unfortunately Tyler's restaurant has since closed!

Ad Hoc in Yountville

According to Wikipedia, Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this." It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. However, when I think about Ad Hoc, I think Thomas Keller and a original thought to have a temporary restaurant.

The idea was uncomplicated – serve a four course family style meal that changed daily and the concept would be repeated 5 times a week. Keller also created a space that was evocative of home. His concept for the restaurant was something entirely different that how it stands today. The reason it never transpired into the original notion was 100% due to the positive response from the customers. In September of 2007, Keller decided to keep with the current theme and now serves dinner five nights a week along with Sunday Brunch.

Last weekend, Restaurant Club hit the open road for Yountville to Ad Hoc. I was elated that it was my turn to choose our dining destination and Ad Hoc has been on my list for quite sometime. When I first perused the Ad Hoc cookbook, I knew I was fated to dine at this popular foodie destination.

We decided to check out the Sunday Brunch versus dinner. Immediately when I walked in, the warm ambiance and light shining through the windows, gave a feeling of being in someone’s home. For this Sunday brunch, we were in one of Thomas Keller’s home – not really, but fun to imagine.

The menu changes daily and is essentially prefix style. A manila file folder is handed to you with the tab label adorning the Ad Hoc name. You open it up and the signature pig is at the top with the date. Below is the carefully picked menu which makes your mouth water as you read down and anticipate being delivered to your table.

For June 26th, the brunch menu started with a Sunday Sangria. It was not you’re your typical Sangria. I detected bitters among the sparkling wine and fruit. It was quite tasty.

Our first course was served in a beautiful blue cast iron pan and set down in the middle of the table for us to gaze at for a moment. Quickly we divided among the three of us. It was a Garden Red Leaf Salad with House-made Quick Breads. The salad was simple yet full of flavor and had pine nuts, red radishes and lemon vinaigrette. The quick breads were one of the highlights for me – especially the zucchini bread. The texture was light and airy – the only issue was that it was gone so quickly. The other quick bread was a strawberry muffin that just melted in your mouth.

The main course was staggered just enough that you could enjoy great conversation and people watching. Our waiter was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. You could certainly sense that he loved his job and the entire Ad Hoc environment. He delivered an all-clad looking pan with the main event – Skirt Steak and Eggs. My eyes were captivated by looking at the sunny up hen eggs on palladin toast, roasted marble potatoes, English peas with bacon crumbles and crème Fraiche on the Skirt Steak.

By now, my stomach is quite satisfied yet the feast continues with dessert – Peaches and Cream. This dessert goes beyond the traditional peaches and cream. They are locally grown peaches from K & J Orchards with whipped chantilly cream along with shortbread cookies. The pièce de résistance was the hand crafted caramel sauce that you could drizzle on the shortbread or peaches.

Overall, I would highly recommend Ad Hoc for outstanding food and service. It was a perfect foodie day – fabulous friends, delicious food and wonderful weather all wrapped into a few hours on a Sunday.