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Make sure you make reservations at Mustard's as it is a popular spot for Napa Valley dining (visitors and locals alike). My perfect meal here includes the onion rings with tomato-apple ketchup...
Make sure you make reservations at Mustard's as it is a popular spot for Napa Valley dining (visitors and locals alike). My perfect meal here includes the onion rings with tomato-apple ketchup (they are thin sliced), the crabcake and the "Famous Mongolian Pork Chop with housemade mustard sauce". I am not sure if the Mongolians make their pork chop this way, but it is fantastic and the mustard sauce is delectable.
The menu has cute writing, such as the Truckstop that always has meat, rarely vegetables and the dessert "Sometimes Crisp, Cobbler or Deep Dish Pie, always a la mode". The food is great, the service is attentive and the bill won't completely blast your wallet. This is Cindy Pawlcyn's first restaurant and one of her best.
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After eating at another one of Cindy Pawlcyn (James Beard award winner)'s Napa Valley restaurants earlier this month, the family plopped in the car and headed to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for...
After eating at another one of Cindy Pawlcyn (James Beard award winner)'s Napa Valley restaurants earlier this month, the family plopped in the car and headed to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for dessert. At first, I thought they might laugh us out of there as it is quite a busy spot, but the staff was very friendly and more than happy to serve us just dessert.
After looking at the menu, I wished we had room to eat dinner again. The slow smoked pork chop at the table next to us had my mouth watering. The message about Cindy's is this - they serve home cooking, comfort food in a relaxed (by Napa Valley standard) atmosphere.
Now on to the dessert. For four people, we ordered one sorbet plate, two campfire pies and after dinner drinks. WE WERE STUFFED! Campfire pie is something akin to a gourmet s'more in pie form if you switch out the graham cracker for oreo. It is delicious. My husband claims it "used to be better" but I can't think of what it would be to improve on the marshmallow fluff of goodness that is this pie. Enjoy it while you still have room in your stomach because you will want a whole piece for yourself.
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My husband took me here for my birthday this year. The special salad was a perfect (but very large) starter for evening. We followed that with one Roquefort topped filet mignon and one salmon - I...
My husband took me here for my birthday this year. The special salad was a perfect (but very large) starter for evening. We followed that with one Roquefort topped filet mignon and one salmon - I usually pass on restaurant salmon because I like my own preparation, but this was divine. It has the most delicious sauce...can't quite place all the ingredients. We also had a side of hash browns (a MUST for any potato lover). We each had a glass of wine and split a coconut cake for dessert. Needless to say, I was stuffed at the end of the night...stuffed, but fully satisfied! My steak was a perfect medium rare with enough tenderness and juice to make every bite melt in my mouth.
The one flaw to eating here is that it is a big spot for business dinners, so the majority of your fellow diners are suits dining (and drinking, sometimes loudly) on corporate accounts.
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My biggest problem when renting a car in Manhattan is return policy - I usually only need it for a day or need to return it very late at night. Unfortunately, a lot of rental places around me only...
My biggest problem when renting a car in Manhattan is return policy - I usually only need it for a day or need to return it very late at night. Unfortunately, a lot of rental places around me only accept returns until 10pm or they charge an overnight fee regardless of return time. I was pleased to find that the Alamo on East 31st Street was easy to rent from and has a 24 hour garage return. This worked for my holiday decoration pick-up day - picked the car up in the morning and dropped it off after midnight when I finally finished my errands.
Price was okay - about $50 per day after all the taxes, etc. - and they gave me a non-gas-guzzling car. ;)
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I am actually embarrassed to be reviewing (giving a 4 star) to a restaurant that has such terrible decor and layout, but the one thing that will tell you is that the food is that DARN GOOD.
Bring...
I am actually embarrassed to be reviewing (giving a 4 star) to a restaurant that has such terrible decor and layout, but the one thing that will tell you is that the food is that DARN GOOD.
Bring your Gold or Platinum card, because the meal and beverages will set you back a good deal. Our party of 6 came out to about $200 per person. The cheese course was a highlight (that you should expect from Terrance Brennan) and the choice of game was nice and wide for any hunter/fan of hunted food. Buckshot may be seen in some entrées.
My recommendations:
Chestnut soup
Venison
Wild Hare
Pheasant
Apple tart of any kind
The Le Reve from Domaine Carneros is very reasonably priced, fyi.
I do not recommend the lobster appetizer - very small portion and the lobster itself gets lost in the other flavors it is mixed with in the dish.
The decor is terrible (imagine eating a gourmet meal in the same hotel restaurant that you ate your $9.95 breakfast buffet) and one must walk through the service area to go down stairs to (usually) a line waiting for the bathroom. Avoid the toilets and enjoy the food and the company you bring!
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Before setting out for Mayacamas, prepare for a long drive up windy roads (warning: this is not for those prone to carsickness like myself). The reward near the top of Mount Veeder is a beautiful...
Before setting out for Mayacamas, prepare for a long drive up windy roads (warning: this is not for those prone to carsickness like myself). The reward near the top of Mount Veeder is a beautiful winery producing Old World style wines in the heart of Napa Valley.
Tastings and tours are by appointment only Monday-Friday. Groups are usually quite small (as the facility only holds so many). All wine production is done on site so the tour really shows visitors the life of a Mayacamas vintage from vine to wine bottle.
Of the 5000 cases produced each year, the majority are Cabernet Sauvignon & Chardonnay (small amounts of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are also bottled) -- unlike some other local wineries, Mayacamas vintages are MEANT TO CELLAR, so don't expect to buy a bottle to drink that night. Come in and taste some wine that you will enjoy in 5-15 years at home.
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Jarvis is not set up as a money maker...it just can't be as the facility is one of the more opulent in the valley and the production is not that high. Oh well, it is a TRIP to visit here.
Jarvis...
Jarvis is not set up as a money maker...it just can't be as the facility is one of the more opulent in the valley and the production is not that high. Oh well, it is a TRIP to visit here.
Jarvis grows & produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot - and they cellar in caves (very cool with state of the art lighting and layout). Tasting is by appointment only and the groups fill up quickly, especially in peak season. You should come ready to taste a fair number of wines and snack on some great cheeses. A four wine tasting costs $20 and a six wine tasting (recommended) costs $30.
The caves are great to tour, especially for anyone who has not been in a wine cave before his/her trip. Bring your walking shoes as it takes over 1 hour to tour and taste.
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Conundrum (one of my favorite whites) used to be the reason to visit Caymus for a tasting. Now the Wagner family has spun that winery off (setting up shop in Monterey County I believe) and the...
Conundrum (one of my favorite whites) used to be the reason to visit Caymus for a tasting. Now the Wagner family has spun that winery off (setting up shop in Monterey County I believe) and the focus here is on the Cabernet Sauvignon. Tastings are by appointment only and they make you feel special for making the effort. You sit in very large chairs in a rustic dining room for your tasting (small snacks are served) and feel like you are part of the family.
You will have to call and make your appointment before getting the exact location and available times, so plan (and call!) ahead.
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Beaulieu Vineyard (commonly known as BV) is a spot you can't miss if you are driving north through Napa Valley and is probably a name you are familiar with if you do a fair amount of wine...
Beaulieu Vineyard (commonly known as BV) is a spot you can't miss if you are driving north through Napa Valley and is probably a name you are familiar with if you do a fair amount of wine drinking/ordering. The Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the more famous of their labels and is named after the winery's founder (from 1900).
Tasting is available daily from 10-5. $5/tasting & $25/reserve tasting (recommended). If you are not a tannin gal, you might not love the wine, but try it anyway.
I definitely suggest eating at the Rutherford Grill before or after tasting at BV.
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5 years ago, a girlfriend and I took an overnight trip from San Francisco up to the Valley for some tastings. Our first stop was Cakebread Cellars and we have both been Cakebread fans every since. ...
5 years ago, a girlfriend and I took an overnight trip from San Francisco up to the Valley for some tastings. Our first stop was Cakebread Cellars and we have both been Cakebread fans every since. Perhaps it was their delicious Chardonnay, but it might also have been the etched wine glass we took home from our tasting. Cakebread has wide distribution through the US and it is worth a stop to taste what is featured on your local fine dining establishment's wine list.
The tasting room is casual - one of the most relaxed in Napa Valley. Tastings are $5 and give a good sense of what Cakebread is on the market. A great time at a good winery can be guaranteed.
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