Two Days in the Napa Valley… No Worries, You Can Have It All.
Let’s begin with a few hints.
1. Avoid the high time. That means, Crush, or autumn. You’ll be stuck in traffic, waiting in tasting lines, hotel prices are at their peak, and you’d better have that dinner reservation months in advance. Locals have a love/hate relationship with Crush. Yes, tourists bring money into the valley, but it takes us two or three times as long to get across town – four or five times as long to get up-valley, and, I hate to break it to you - ya’ll drive like crazy people. Mid-February is a great time to visit.
2. Get some good maps and plan your trip. Skip the nav system and resort to good old fashioned know-how. You need city maps for Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, and a detailed map of wineries – those along Highway 29, Silverado Trail and the quiet Carneros region.
3. If you have the opportunity, visit mid-week. You will have most of the wineries all to yourself, you’ll be able to walk right into a restaurant like Morimoto and actually get a table, and the traffic will be light – you’ll avoid that awful half-hour traffic the last quarter-mile before St. Helena.
Here’s my ideal schedule (and this is why maps are essential):
Day One:
I’d begin my morning early, with a hike to the top of West Wood Hills Park in Browns Valley. I guarantee this climb will get your heart pumping. It’s up up up from the parking lot to the peak. The views from the top are fabulous. You can see San Francisco Bay, Mt. Tam, Mt. Diablo and Mt. St. Helena, in addition to the entire city of Napa. If you’re a newbie, head straight up the main trail. If you’re brave, try some of the side trails. You will eventually wind your way to the top and you’ll hike through some of the most beautiful hillsides in Napa County, especially if it’s been a rainy winter. Be cautious – occasionally a trail will end at a cliff – just back track -- and keep your eyes peeled for poison oak. Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
From West Wood Hills, I’d head out Thompson to Old Sonoma Road for a drive through Carneros, and I’d stop for breakfast at the Boon Fly Café. Make sure to begin your breakfast with coffee and an order of the tiny, piping hot doughnuts. Their Boon Fly Benedict is to die for and I’m a big fan of their Bacon Bloody Mary.
So…now you’re cookin’ with gas. Full stomach intact, take a short drive from the Boon Fly to Artesa Winery. Can’t say I’ve done much tasting there, but the view from this very unusual winery is fabulous. This is the Carneros region, famous for its Pinot Noir. My two favorite Pinots come from Carneros – Ceja Pinot Noir and Sainstbury. Both wineries welcome visitors. Just give them a call. Ceja Vineyard now has a wine tasting bar in downtown Napa.
I know you had a big breakfast, but if you’re interested in a little lunch, maybe a little more lunch, here’s where the locals go – Quinto Patio Taqueria for the best chicken burrito in town and the friendliest service, especially if the owner, Roman, happens to serve you.
Villa Corona serves up a dynamite chili relleno burrito, especially if you order a side of their green chili salsa, and if you decide to skip Boon Fly for breakfast, the folks at Villa Corona make the tastiest huevos rancheros north of Texas.
For great chicken mole and soft tacos, I gotta go with Tannya’s Taquiera, hands down. You can sit inside or outside or get it to go.
Not too far from Tannya’s is the original Red Rock Barbecue. This is our go-to place for pulled barbecued chicken sandwiches and grilled veggie burgers. The fries and onion rings are always served hot and crisp. The coleslaw is cold and fresh. Make sure to order a side of Red Rock’s own spicy barbecue sauce. You might have to wait for a table. This is a local hangout of the first order.
If you happen to be in downtown Napa around lunch time, head to Bistro Sabor, owned and operated by the same family that owns Ceja Vineyards. This is an outstanding Latin American diner. I have to admit, the fresh, hot churros with dulce de leche are killer.
So by now you need a nap, right? Nah, take a walk through the new downtown along the river. Napa doesn’t have a lot of retail, but we do boast wine bars everywhere. The Bounty Hunter is a fun place to sit and people watch and the restaurant has a reputation for fantastic barbecue. Cross the river and visit the Oxbow Market. Even in the off-season, the restaurants and shops are booming. Try C-Casa’s fresh prawn soft tacos or get a dozen raw oysters from the oyster bar right next door.
So now you need another walk, right? You have to walk off all this great food. Do you have a dog? Bring him along. Many hotels are dog friendly and if they aren’t, your dog can have an overnight with the staff at Camp Rawhide, just down the block from the Oxbow Market. He’ll be safe and supervised and get plenty of play-time with the local doggies. My own dog goes twice a week. Or take him out to Alston Park. Two entire sections are devoted to off-leash dog-walkers, or you can leash your dog and head off to the backside along several winery trails. Once again, the views of the valley are stunning and if you’re into birding, you can spot hawks, golden eagles, and even great blue herons and snowy egrets.
All right, so, you’ve taken a couple hikes, fueled up on a good breakfast; tasted some fabulous wines. What’s for dinner? At first glance, the choices may seem overwhelming. Napa is without a doubt, a food-lovers paradise.
There are two places on Main Street right in the heart of Napa that I recommend, Cole’s Chop House, owned and operated by local chef Greg Cole, and Morimoto, owned by the Iron Chef himself, Masaharu Morimoto.
Cole’s is the perfect choice for a long, slow complete dining experience, complete with everything from delicious one-of-a-kind cocktails to gooey chocolate desserts. Cole’s may be a steakhouse, but there’s something on the menu for everyone. The side dishes are served family style. Our favorites are the grilled asparagus, the creamed spinach and the crispy hash browns. One order of each is plenty for six people.
On the other hand, Morimoto’s is the ideal restaurant for grazing. A couple cocktails, several shared appetizers – the portion sizes of which are very generous – and a dessert, make for a laid back end to your first Napa Valley day.
Day Two:
I’d begin Day Two on a lighter note, with either a visit to Sweetie Pies Bakery for coffee and a fresh morning bun or a trip over to the Oxbow Public Market and Model Bakery for a homemade English muffin. These muffins are in short supply as the locals grab ‘em while they’re hot on the way to work, so if you want one, make sure to arrive early. There’s a coffee place in the Oxbow that’s perfect for your espresso fix.
Before I go any further, let’s talk about biking through the Napa Valley.
Yes, it’s doable, but if you bring your bike, be cautious. Most bicyclists either head straight up Highway 29 or the Silverado Trail. Neither road is what I consider bicycle-friendly. There is no designated bike lane, shoulders are narrow or nonexistent. Both roads are busy, used by winery employees, commuters, truckers and tourists who have spent hours imbibing. Watch yourself. I’ve ridden both roads and knowing what I know about the number of accidents, I won’t ride my bike to most wineries.
There are a few exceptions. Carneros is a very safe region for biking provided you stay off Highway 12/121, which has no shoulders and poor visibility. In addition, the frontage road running North and South between Redwood Road in Napa and Yountville makes for the perfect bike ride. You’re off the beaten path, traffic is light, and you end up at the entrance to Domain Chandon in Yountville, a premier sparkling wine maker located atop a lovely, secluded little hill beside a scenic duck pond. Biking through the town of Yountville is fun as well. The route is flat and the roundtrip is approximately 22 miles. Oak Knoll Road, off Highway 29, makes for a pretty side trip.
All right, back to Day Two.
In my opinion, while the Napa Valley is chock full of amazing wineries, there are several must-sees. My number one recommendation -- I’d make a reservation to tour Round Pond Estates and schedule an olive oil tasting, along with a reservation to visit their neighbor, Honig Vineyard. You cannot go wrong. Round Pond’s olive oil tasting is fabulous and Honig’s wines, from top to bottom, are some of the best around.
If, after these tastings, you want something more substantial to eat, head back to Highway 29 and pay a visit to V. Sattui Winery deli and cheese shop. V. Sattui’s wines are crowd pleasers, which is why the parking lot is packed almost year-round. It’s nothing fancy, but V. Sattui is a busy, fun, energetic place and a great site for a picnic. I’m a sucker for their off-dry Riesling and Muscat and I’m not even a white wine drinker. The deli selection and the cheeses are always excellent and there are plenty of samples for you to enjoy.
If you want to drive a little farther to gather your picnic supplies, head into St. Helena and turn left at the first stoplight into the Sunshine Foods’ parking lot. The deli at Sunshine Foods is outstanding. The cheese selection alone will have you practically genuflecting. I know you wanted to stop at Dean and Deluca, but Sunshine Foods is the winner in my book, hands down.
Here’s a hint. As you approach St. Helena, on your right you’ll see Louis M. Martini Winery. The place may be small and inconspicuous, but the wines pack a big punch. My second favorite reds in the entire Napa Valley are made by this winery. All you have to do is taste. This is one winery I would not skip.
FYI, my favorite red is Oakville East Cabernet. However, tastings there are at the owner’s discretion. If you want to taste the wine, be sure to contact Oakville East well in advance.
Once you’ve had your lunch, continue north along the most scenic section of Highway 29, past St. Helena and the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). Feel free to walk off your lunch either Napa-Bothe State Park or in Calistoga, a small town which hasn’t changed much in 20 years, before you head south on Silverado Trail – for a look at the Eastern side of Napa Valley, which is very different from the West. There are wineries galore. Take your pick. I personally don’t have any extra special favorites over there, aside from Oakville East.
Oooh, dinner. Now this is a wonderful subject. Yountville boasts celebrity chefs on almost every corner. But if you were to offer me a reservation anywhere… anywhere at all, including The French Laundry, or Meadow Wood, or Bouchon, I would choose Redd and Chef Richard Reddington, hands down. My second choice would be Bistro Jeanty and Chef Philippe Jeanty.
At Redd you’ll experience modern California cuisine at its finest. Reserve a table and enjoy the full dining experience or sit at the bar alongside local chefs and wine-makers and select small plates from the bar menu. Either way, you won’t be disappointed. My husband is addicted to their special roast chicken while I’m partial to the scallops.
Bistro Jeanty, on the other hand, epitomizes old world elegance. The moment you enter the restaurant you sense an aura of romance and warmth and love of fine food. The menu is deceptively simple and comforting -- Chef Jeanty’s delicious take on French country cooking.
In all seriousness, despite the abundance of outstanding dining choices, in my opinion, these two restaurants stand head and shoulders above the rest. In both of these restaurants, you will dine. There’s no need to rush. Linger over your coffee and dessert. Have a night cap. Above all, savor your visit to the Napa Valley.
This sounds amazing! I would love to go tour Napa!
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