About Cook in St. Helena
Cook St. Helena restaurant is a favorite hangout with locals. Pop in for lunch or dinner and you are likely to be sitting next to one of Napa Valley’s star winemakers. The place is modest in size, seating 29 at tables and another 10 at the counter.
Cooks St. Helena is very cozy and there always seems to be a buzz in the air. In the photo, Janelle is with owner Jude Wilmoth. He’d worked with Michael Chiarello before opening this very popular restaurant in downtown St. Helena in 2004. The wine list is extensive and features many small local wineries. We have dined at Cook several times and have not been disappointed. This time for a late afternoon lunch we started with a wonderful plate of Peppers Padrone. These peppers are only available for a short period of time, and these were grown organically at the Frog’s Leap garden in Rutherford. We also each had a divine chopped salad. Another favorite on the menu for lunch is the Portobella Mushroom Sandwich, the best we have eaten anywhere. Cook St. Helena is open daily for lunch and dinner and recently began serving brunch on Sundays between 10am and 2pm. The Cook Website has its complete menu and wine list posted.
We were surprised when we asked our waiter who the owner was, and he replied that he was!