Napa Valley the Way I Remembered
Napa Valley’s renown restaurant The French Laundry is in Yountville and their garden is across the street.
I used to visit Napa Valley every few years – not just because I like good wine and good food, but because the area was so serene. In addition to the vineyards, I loved the open spaces covered in wildflowers, the mom-and-pop businesses with friendly proprietors, and the grand European-style wineries.
However, somewhere along the way, 7-Elevens and chain stores proliferated and gobbled up the landscape – and with it, the ambiance I had found so appealing. So last year, when my husband said he was going on a classic car rally in Napa Valley, I was disinclined to join him – until I learned that Yountville would be the group’s base.
Small town Napa
I remembered this small town as being somewhat off the beaten path and home to the area’s best restaurants, and it turned out that I had remembered correctly. Yountville’s population is still just slightly over 3,000 and the community has avoided the blight of commercial construction. Highway 29 is close by, but – thankfully – does not run through the town.
Napa Valley’s best restaurants
Yountville is best known for its laid-back population and myriad outstanding dining options. Within six blocks, are restaurants that garnered four coveted stars in the Michelin Guide’s 2015 Awards. In fact, the largest concentration of Michelin Stars per capita on the planet is in Yountville.
Recipients include the French Laundry (3) and Bouchon (1). In addition, Redd Wood and Bistro Jeanty, a valley institution serving classic French bistro fare, held their places in the “Bib Gourmand” category (“exceptional good food at moderate prices”). Personally, I also like Bottega restaurant (owned by the Food Network’s Michael Chiarello). Another 12 top restaurants a fork’s throw apart add to Yountville’s prowess as a culinary powerhouse.
Still a green getaway
I’m happy to report that success hasn’t ruined this charming small town. Modest homes with cottage gardens line narrow lanes and low-rise businesses are located along a single main street.
Between car events, I wandered through the French Laundry’s vegetable gardens (pictured above) and enjoyed a tasting of organic olive oils at Michael Chiarello’s V Marketplace. Luckily, I’d brought several JetBags with me (so I could bring wine home in my checked luggage) and I used one of them for a bottle of olive oil.
I also toured the art exhibit and outdoor sculptures at Domaine Chandon. The Villagio Inn, which reminded me of Tuscany, provided luxurious lodging.
I was relieved to know that a quiet spot where good food and wine are revered still exists in Napa Valley.
This was definitely the “Napa” I remembered.
My story “Napa With a Group of Ghosts” ran in Ranch & Coast, San Diego’s luxury lifestyle magazine.
Cheers,
Category: Northern California
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