Napa Whe&re to bounty FIND IT! J U LY / AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 61 In a community where the number one appeal is the natural beauty of our landscape, followed by wine, local cuisine comes in a natural third. You can rest assured we who live here take our food seriously, and enjoyably! That being said, I thought I’d check in with our hospitality professionals to get the latest pulse on the dining scene. One trend that rose to the top is the attention by chefs to gluten-free offerings. Cindy Pawlcyn’s Wood Grill and Wine Bar (affectionately called CP’s by the locals) was the first place I sampled an amazingly delicious gluten-free pizza! From there I became aware of Hurley’s separate glutenfree menu, and then the Calistoga “in” spot, Solbar’s, menu that is 75% gluten-free. A sign of the healthy, alongside the gourmet focus here in Napa Valley. Small bites are in. Zuzu’s tapas menu got attention for this concept, providing a way to taste more of Napa’s variety. (It also got a rave review for their Basque cake with port-soaked figs and lemon sauce.) The relatively new Goose and Gander is also offering a small bites menu that is delicious! Concierges mentioned that in addition to the elegant, famous name dining experiences, they get requests for easy and reasonably priced restaurants. R + D and Ciccio’s, both in Yountville, are two of many deserving of notice in this nicely priced category. It speaks to what we all know—across the board we are blessed with great food, whatever the price. It’s the freshness of the produce that makes all the difference. The chefs here draw from local farms with a focus on terms like “pasture raised” and “organic ecosystems.” Our local restaurants, like The Thomas and Oenotri, set up garden modules in the shared space at Copia gardens. Others, like Thomas Keller and Brix, have their own gardens, and many chefs have relationships with Big Ranch Farm and Forni-Brown, all inspiring what goes on the menu that very night. Visitors and locals alike can participate in the farm-to-table experience through visiting the farms or enjoying cooking experiences like the special programs at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), or the personal experience at the Silverado Cooking School. At SCS class members learn while incorporating fresh and seasonal produce directly from Chef Malcolm’s family-owned farm. Farm to table “protein” impacts the flavor on your plate, too. The care for these chickens, pigs, lambs and beef, and their derivatives of fresh eggs, cheese and milk, requires more land, but we’re grateful to places like Five Dot Ranch, Soul Foods and Heritage Farm for making it all happen. An important contributor to our idyllic environment, so it can continue to provide all this beauty and bounty, is the Napa Valley Land Trust that continually focuses on preserving our natural space. The beauty, the wine and our wonderful cuisine all benefit from their attention. Colby Smith is the Founder and Executive Director of CANVAS (the Concierge Alliance of Napa Valley & Sonoma). Her passion is customer service and strengthening the hospitality relationships and education in Wine Country. The Hospitable Place by Colby Smith A mouthwatering mushroom pizza at Cindy Pawlcyn’s Wood Grill and Wine Bar Photo: Alex Farnum
NVLife_JulyAug_2013
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