Restaurants

Blackbird Inn, a Four Sisters B&B in Napa + Two Good Restaurants to Try

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Although the town of Napa may not be as chic as Yountville, lodging in downtown Napa offers the wine country visitor many options for activities and choices of restaurants. There are enough things to do in the downtown area to keep visitors busy for several days.

We booked two nights at the Blackbird Inn, a Four Sisters B&B. The Blackbird Inn is located on First Street and Jefferson in Napa. The B&B happens to be directly across the street from the very cool Craftsman home of the Wine Spectator’s Napa office. We supposedly got a winter/Internet special rate, if you stay two nights you get one free. Our tab came to $280 with tax for our two-night stay.

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Wine Traveler & Friends at One Market Restaurant

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Each year, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, we gather with a group of our long-time friends for an overnight stay in the great city of San Francisco. We walk, shop, eat, nap, eat again, and drink lots of really good wine and most importantly have loads of fun. This year, our leader has made a dinner reservation at One Market Restaurant at the corner of Market Street and Embarcadero and booked a room for each couple directly across the street at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. This means a five-minute stroll to and from dinner, and no cab fare, no designated drivers.

We have reserved a table for the five couples at One Market and each of us, as is our custom, brings in a bottle of one of our treasured wines. Corkage fee at One Market is $20 but if you purchase a bottle of wine, the corkage fee is waived. With that in mind, we start off the dinner’s festivities by ordering two bottles of 2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a little pricey at $65, but no worries for us, we are here to have fun and forget about our tanking retirement funds.

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Redd – Great Food, Big Corkage

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Last Thursday night (Nov 6), the restaurant Redd in Yountville was showing no signs that the economy is keeping diners away from enjoying outstanding cuisine. When we arrived for our 7 pm dinner at Redd, the restaurant was packed. The bar was standing room only and all the tables were in use or reserved. The place was still jumping when we departed a couple of hours later following a memorable meal.

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Yountville Restaurants — Alive and Well in the Napa Valley

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Just when we were beginning to think that the Napa Valley was feeling the repercussions of the economy, we found that on Wednesday and Thursday night last week, the Yountville restaurants were alive and well with bar stools and tables packed with patrons.

Yountville Stars in the 2009 Michelin Guide
It is amazing what a restaurant mecca the small town of Yountville has become. The latest Michelin Guide of 2009 has four Yountville restaurants receiving its “Star” ranking. The French Laundry is the only restaurant in its Bay Area and Wine Country restaurant guide to receive the coveted Three Star rank. One Star was awarded to Bouchon, Bistro Jeanty, and Redd. This is impressive considering there are only 32 restaurants in the guide with one or more stars. Congrats to Yountville.

Dinner at Bistro Jeanty

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Napa Valley on the Cheap — A Frugal Getaway

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With the gloom of the economy casting a pall on just about everything these days, a trip to the Napa Valley just might be the perfect escape. Harvest is over but fermenting tanks are going strong and there is that delicious smell in the air of wine being made. The vines are turning various shades and Fall is a wonderful time to be in the Napa wine country.

There is some economic relief in sight in the Valley because as the harvest ends, many of Napa Valley’s finest lodging establishments begin their Fall and Winter rate specials. Our guess is that because of the economy there will be more specials and packages as lodging establishments and other businesses try to lure visitors to the area. Now is the time to plan a budget trip to the Napa Valley.

Here are some tips on how to save some cash visiting the Napa Valley.

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Mustard’s Grill – Since 1984 in Yountville

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In Yountville along Highway 29, Mustard’s Grill is one of Napa Valley’s best-known restaurants. It is a favorite among winemakers, locals and tourists. This year begins its 25th year of operation. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn opened Mustard’s in 1984 and now is involved with two additional restaurants, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and Go Fish, both in St. Helena. We have been to all three of these restaurants and enjoyed them all.

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Taylor’s Automatic Refresher – Oxbow Market in Napa

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The immensely popular Taylor’s Automatic Refresher of St. Helena and San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza now has a third location, the Oxbow Market in the city of Napa. St. Helena is the original 1949 location of the once drive-in burger joint revitalized in 2000 by winemaker Joel Gott and brother Duncan. You have probably seen Joel … Read more

All Seasons Bistro in Calistoga

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The first time we looked into the window at All Seasons Bistro in Calistoga, we thought this restaurant couldn’t be very good. There are no fancy tables and chairs and the décor sort of gave us the impression that we shouldn’t expect too much. That was our mental picture five years ago. Since then we … Read more

Boon Fly Cafe – Carneros Inn

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The Boone Fly Café is a good choice when looking for casual dining when visiting wineries in the Carneros wine region. It is just about the only casual choice unless you want to head into to the town of Sonoma or Napa to find a good lunch spot. The Boone Fly is located in the … Read more

Brannan’s Grill – Calistoga

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Too bad for visitors to Calistoga. Brannan’s Grill closed its doors in 2018. Brannan’s Grill has been a tourist’s favorite spot and Calistoga fixture since 1998. The corner restaurant on Lincoln Avenue continues to attract the tourist trade, especially on weekends, where the bar is jammed and reservations can be tight. We visited Brannan’s Grill … Read more