Tourists heading to the Napa Valley and Carneros usually bypass downtown Napa as they head north into the Valley. As a consequence, they miss out on some wonderful places to dine and taste wine. We have written previously about Pearl’s and Pilar’s, both great restaurants in downtown Napa. Last week we visited the Bounty Hunter and we can add it to our list of “secret” places in the town of Napa.
The Bounty Hunter is very casual looking and your first impression might be that it is more of a cowboy hangout rather than a fine wine shop and restaurant. Once you have settled in, you will discover that this is great place to dine for lunch or dinner and do some serious wine tasting.
The Bounty Hunter first started out as strictly a wine bar and wine store and then later added the restaurant. The wine list has some 40 wines by the glass. You can try them in a 3 or 5 oz. pour, or try one of the several well-thought-out tasting flights. You can try the “About Bubbles,” the “Great White Flight,” or the “Pinot Envy Club,” just to mention a few. Tasting flights, like the ones at the Bounty Hunter, are a good way to learn about wines and hone your wine tasting skills. We watched as a party of four selected a tasting flight. The server was very savvy and not overbearing in anyway. He made everyone feel comfortable.
Our main purpose on our visit was to have lunch. By the time we arrived, the lunch crowd had left so there was no waiting and we had our choice of seating. Janelle had the Bounty Hunter Blue, a wonderful salad with blue cheese, organic butter lettuce, and Applewood bacon. Joe had a terrific pulled pork sandwich. Our food was elegantly presented and excellently prepared. Our check came to $35 without tip and that included a glass of wine each. We will be back for dinner one of these days to taste what we hear is a fabulous barbequed chicken.
The Good: Unpretentious wine bar, 40 wines by the glass, 400 different wines for sale, great food.
The Bad: Too bad we can’t get to the Bounty Hunter more often.