Our first meal was in Napa at Angéle,a delightful bistro along the Napa River. I have listed what we had on the table and without a single exception, the entire lunch was delicious. Our “pour commencer” appetizers were Onion Soup, Oysters, Veal Sweetbreads and Beet Salad. We then moved on to Croque Monsieur, Tartin de Canard, and Tagliatelle Bolognese. Our dessert was, what else? A Tart Tatîn and 4 spoons. Our lunch was accompanied by a couple wonderful wines out of Bill’s cellar: Rochioli 2004 Pinot Noir Estate Grown, Russian River Valley. Angéle has always been one of our “go to” restaurants because the food is consistently delicious and if the weather is nice, eating on their patio next to the Napa River is a wonderful experience. Sorry, I forgot to take photos.
I did take a few photos of our meal at Terra in St. Helena. It’s probably been about 10 years since we’ve eaten here. . .mostly because it’s been 10 years since we’ve visited Napa. Hiro continues to create gourmet menus and Lisa brings warm hospitality to our experience. Where else can you have a fabulous meal and the executive chef and owner serve your dishes? They did not disappoint us at this dinner. Bill started our dinner with a wonderful bottle of Laurent Pierre nv Champagne Grand Siecle Grand Cru that had bubbles so small that we could hardly see them. It was one of the best Champagnes I've ever had. I started my dinner with Croquette of Pig Trotter with Lobster and Endive Salad with Sauce Remoulade; I had to ask what a “pig trotter” was and was happy to find that it’s pigs feet and not “Rocky Mountain Oysters!” It was a rich start but I had to try it, as you know my penchant for weird animal parts. . .and it didn’t stop as I also ordered the Sautéed Hokkaido Scallop on a Stew of Tripe with Rancho Gordo Beans. Lisa offered to give me the tripe stew over pasta but I decided to go with how Hiro chose to prepare it. 
Bill ordered the Polenta Soup with Fontina Cheese, Slow Cooked Jidori Egg and Winter Truffles; and the Foie Gras Tortelloni in Game Sauce with Cipollini, Shimeji Mushrooms and Shaved Chestnuts. Bill’s Polenta soup was wonderfully rich and you can see from the photo, generously sprinkled with black truffles! 
Most of the time foie gras is served with something sweet but in this dish, the flavors were deliciously savory. Dave had sweetbreads again and compared the two restaurants’ presentations. Hiro’s Fricassee of Sweetbreads with Caramelized Salsify and Black Truffle Sauce was perfectly prepared and Dave said that he liked both presentations even tho' they were quite different. Maureen had the Grilled Lobster Tail on Pumpkin Ravioli with Chanterelles and Lobster Nage and she was in 7th heaven with her choice. Bill pulled another Rochioli from his cellar and shared a 2000 Pinot Noir from their West Block vineyard; given the variety in our menu choices, the pinot was the perfect choice.
Bill and Dave both ordered the Grilled Dry-Aged N.Y. Strip Steak with Roasted Root Vegetables and Foie Gras Sauce and what I liked best about this dish was how it was presented. See the round green leaf in the photo? That’s a wild lettuce called “Miner’s Lettuce.” Maureen and I ordered the
Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and Shrimp Dumpling in Shiso Broth one of Hiro’s signature dishes. Lisa said they tried to take it off the menu and had such a big uproar that they had to return it, so now it’s a permanent part of their menu. Black cod is one of my favorite fish choices and I order it whenever it’s on the menu. This preparation of it is beyond comparison. Hiro’s Japanese influences on his menu are obvious throughout each course both in flavors as well as in the presentation, clean, fresh flavors and artful presentations. 
For desserts, we ordered Apple Almond Tart with Caramel Ice Cream and Apple Cider Sauce and Chocolate Mousseline with Chocolate Bourbon Ice Cream and Huckleberry Sauce. I normally don’t order tarts made with filo because I prefer a short crust but this one was an exception and the cider sauce was better than the usual caramel that apple tarts use. The Chocolate Mousseline dish is a work of art and Bill said that it was definitely chocolate-y enough and ate every bit of it. We had a wonderful tenth of Quarts De Chaume 2003 Chenin Blanc Domain De Baumar with our desserts. I love this wine with the delicate fruit and clean finish! The great thing about Terra is the price for a fabulous four course meal, $67!! It’s hard to believe because in Silicon Valley we are used to paying over $80-120 for 4 courses of this elegance. We tottered home happy and sated to start all over again the following morning.
We visited several wineries and the three that were memorable were Peju Province Winery where we enjoyed every single variety of wines that they poured. Pretty unusual to find every wine not only drinkable but enjoyable and affordable. If you have a chance, go in the spring because they plant 1000's of huge tulips! We also visited Pine Ridge Winery where the wines were more expensive but very delicious! The very knowledgeable tasting room lead, Jeff Butler, took us on a tour of their caves, private tasting room and dining areas in the cave and a mini-vineyard that demonstrated the different varieties that they grow on their estate. If our cookbook club goes to Napa at some future date, this would be a great winery to visit and have either lunch or dinner! We also visited a very small vineyard that specializes in creating ports. Bill had some very fond memories of Prager Port Works from staying overnight there over 20 years ago, philosophizing about Catholicism with the founder, Jim Prager. Last weekend we talked with two of sons, John & Jeff, and tasted (and bought) some very fine ports. They reported that their dad was still in his bathrobe at home, watching TV! This is NOT a fancy tasting room. The walls are covered with one-dollar bills and there are real cobwebs dusting the bottles and window sills. They are getting ready to release a Tawny Port in September that will be worth watching for. They don’t sell it in stores so give them a call in the Fall if you like Tawny’s.
Because Bill is so knowledgeable, we spent over an hour at each winery and got to taste wines not on their tasting lists, so you can understand why we didn’t visit very many before heading off for our next meal.
We had lunch at the Wine Spectator Restaurant, CIA Greystone because it’s a fun meal and we got to meet students! If you ever go there, be sure to ask for a table by the kitchen. Their lunch and dinner menus are identical and the entire menu changes weekly. The 5-course special is always created by the students so it’s usually a great choice but we ordered a la carte knowing that we were having dinner at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen later. I ordered Monterey Bay Sardines rémoulade, with crisp fingerling potatoes, frisée, sauce verde. I love sardines and go fishing for them when they come into the Monterey Bay and prepare them that evening….yum! These were perfectly prepared with a absolutely wonderful sauce that was made with Dijon mustard and parsley over fingerling potatoes that were braised in duck fat and then seared for a crispy exterior. 
Bill ordered one of his favorite soups, Foraged Mushroom Soup with Horseradish Froth & Porcini Dust. This soup was rich without any cream and Bill was a happy gourmand! Maureen ordered the Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in Greystone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, house‐made Chorizo, harissa broth, and preserved lemon butter. After our Mourad dinner, this dish was a great reminder of those Moroccan flavors. I can tell you that if it’s on the menu when you eat there, order it! Bill had the Assortment of Savory Bites that was five amuse bouche’s; each bite a wonderful array of flavors and textures. He brought a bottle of Jeffrey's Mount Eden Vineyards 2003 Estate Chardonnay and as always, the perfect choice for our first courses. He also brought a bottle for the main course, a 1992 Fanucchi Vineyards Alicante Bouschet, Russian River Valley that was a bit over the hill but a very interesting wine with the ugliest label you've ever seen! It stood up to the dishes however and ended up being a very good choice because it wasn't as fruity as it was when it was younger.
I ordered the Seared Breast of Sonoma Duck with confit potatoes, winter squash, spinach, fig‐red wine jus. To be honest, I had to take most of it home because I was so full from the Sardines and tasting everyone else’s food. The breast was perfectly medium rare and the potatoes must have been braised in duck fat too because they were pretty yummy. They shared a dessert of Chocolate Lava cake with caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream and the restaurant was kind enough to give me a plate their cookies: ginger snap, macaroon, chocolate chip and a chocolate short bread cookie. My cookie monster was sated and we were off to wineries again!
Our dinner was at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Need I say more? I was told that she is publishing a new cookbook based on their special dinners soon. Yippeee! Because this was our last dinner, we celebrated our NorCal reunion with a bottle of Non vintage, Fleury Champagne Rose Brut, Rose de Laignee from France. Maureen and I loved the rose color and the subtle fruit on this champagne. We ordered Oysters Bingo that I've eaten before at the Buckeye Roadhouse just off Hwy 101 near Mill Valley. At one time, Cindy owned this restaurant and created this luscious addictive oyster preparation! Our server, Michael, told us that the recipe is in her Big Small Plates cookbook, but it’s called Oysters Pablo (p. 278). Now if I can only learn how to shuck oysters…. 
Maureen ordered the beautiful Avocado & Papaya Salad with baby mâche, arugula, hazelnuts & papaya seed dressing. Aren’t those colors wonderful? Mexican papayas give them that brilliant orange color. Bill had the Hail Caesar, the classic Caesar with egg, garlic & anchovies. He really liked it but I don’t especially care for the creamy style Caesar dressings. It had tons of anchovies after Michael overheard Bill say that he loves anchovies. He also ordered the Rabbit Tostada, with red chile salsa, black beans & feta that Sharon prepared for our dinner. And, Sharon, it tasted exactly like the ones you prepared! 
Bill brought a wine that was a surprise to him but we drank it anyway and it turned out to be fine. It was a 2003 Rochioli Late Harvest Zinfandel Estate Grown, Russian River Valley. He hadn't realized that he pulled a late harvest zin but because it was a dry late harvest (I know, it sounds like an oxymoron), it was actually very nice!The menu had a special this evening of Butterfish sautéed with arugula, grilled asparagus and potatoes that Maureen and I ordered after much deliberation and in deference to my desire not to go home 5 lbs heavier! It was a wholesome healthy choice but needed some soy sauce that gave it an earthy touch, for me anyway. We also passed on desserts, deciding that we were “fooded out!”
Our last meal in Napa Valley was in lunch the next day in Yountville at Bistro Jeanty, an old favorite. If you love genuine French bistros, you’ll love this restaurant. I ordered Langue D'agneau, Warm lamb tongue and potato salad. Not many people like tongue but the French and Mexicans prepare it many different ways and I order it whenever I see it on a menu (like tripe, sardines and black cod!) Bill and Dave ordered French Onion Soup and the special of Braised Short Ribs with Carrots, peas and potatoes. 
Maureen ordered Croûtons de Foie Blond with a Port Poached Pear and savored every bite as I noshed on Steak Tartare & Frîtes. We really do feel like we are sitting at a traditional bistro in France and I can't think of another restaurant that serves this type of French cuisine. Again, we passed on desserts. AND, can you imagine, we didn't drink any wine with our lunch!! 
We all had long drives ahead of us!As you might have guessed by now, I did not include a photo of every single dish that we ordered because of the space in the blog. I'll load them all into a picasa album tomorrow so if you are interested, let me know and I'll send you the url.
Three lunches and two dinners, not including the breakfasts that were complimentary at the Spring Hill Suites Hotel in Napa, should have put at least five more pounds on me but the good news is that when I got home, I had only gained 1/2 pound! I'm not quite sure how that happened. . .
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