On our last trip to Napa, we stopped in for a late dinner at TraVigne. It had been a long day of travel, tastings, and negotiations. Italian sounded like a good food choice…some comfort food and good glass a wine that you can actually enjoy instead of spitting out. The surroundings are gorgeous and while the entrees didn’t quite live up to my expectation of Italian comfort food, the desserts definitely helped all of us unwind from our work-mode funk.

TraVigne has the most amazing outdoor space, but it was a bit chilly the evening we were there, so we opted for indoor seating. The stone patio softly glows with the warm round hanging bulbs. Mixed with all the green from trees, shrubs, and plants, TraVigne looks like something straight out of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If you have the opportunity to dine here, take advantage of this picturesque Tuscan courtyard seating.

Our seats were in a round platformed booth on the far side of the bar. It was cozy and we got bird’s eye view of everything going on. Our waiter was puzzling and odd at first, but in the context of our surroundings, he fit in well as Shakespeare’s Nick Bottom. This gentleman was incredibly confident and advised us of what he thought were the best choices for the night. He was a bit scattered in his execution and would often disappear for long periods of time and have to be reminded of what we asked for. It wasn’t anything that would ruin the meal or the experience, but it was noticeable.

We were advised that the mozzarella cheese “Al Minuto” was something we shouldn’t miss. A hand made mozzarella cheese heated and drizzled with Napa Valley olive oil and served with grilled bruschetta. Our server clumsily sliced and served a portion to each of us on our bread. It was mild and very delicately textured. The five people at our table were able to get decent bite from it as well. It wasn’t anything earth shattering, but it was a straightforward appetizer to go with any wine you could order.

For entrees, we sampled through the seafood and beef dishes. I ordered the wood oven roasted whole fish of the day with blistered tomato acqua pazza, grilled radicchio, and mache salad. The fish was simple and well done, but the garnishes were scant and tasteless. Once again, it was simple and rather ho-hum for the area. For as beautiful as the building and courtyard are, I was expecting something just as gorgeous on the plate. I think I should have ordered one of the pasta dishes and stayed true to the old world Italian style.

The smoked and braised beef short ribs with three cheese polenta, natural jus, and horseradish gemolata was more intricate and generously portioned, but once again, nothing so fabulous that we would be running back here on our next trip. The color of the short ribs was dark and rich. The meat was as expected with tender shreddable nature and slightly fatty throughout. The polenta had an excellent texture and good flavor, which is sometimes difficult to pull off.

Brandt Family Grilled Bavette Steak with duck fat potatoes, crispy bacon, asparagus, arugula, and green peppercorn sauce was probably the star of the table, with the potatoes being passed around for each of us to try. The steak was cooked as ordered, but still seemed to lack any kind of wow factor for us.

Pan Roasted Pacific King Salmon with spring pea salad, garlic whipped potatoes, and hen of the woods mushroom sauce. I didn’t taste this dish, but it was once again simply done with nothing unpleasing, but yet nothing spectacular either.

We all decided to order dessert, which was a good indicator that everything we just ate didn’t quite fit the bill for the day. There was something lacking…and what better way to fill it up than with some sweets?

Here is where TraVigne gets everything right:

Santa Maria Strawberry Shortcake:  buttermilk biscuit, vanilla bean gelato, crème Chantilly- Piled high with thick strawberries, an airy biscuit that wasn’t dried out in the least, a rich, flavorful gelato, and topped with some of the best Chantilly crème I’ve tasted.

House Made Gelato:  The flavors change often, and you can order the trio sampler. We are huge gelato fans, and while this wasn’t quite Italy quality, each was extremely good and bursting with flavor.

Café Corretto “The Chef’s Dessert”:  espresso with choice of Fernet Branca or Grappa di Moscato add vanilla gelato for “affogato corretto”- Mike ordered the Affogato Corretto and it’s the perfect way to get your coffee, after dinner liquor, and sweet all in one dish. Once again, the gelato shines and makes a wonderful creamy accompaniment to the espresso.

Cannoli Alla Calabrese:  sweet ricotta cheese, toasted pistachios, chocolate chunks- I’ve been eating Cannoli since I was a pre-teen and this was really very good. The ricotta has to be blended and sweetened to perfection, and TraVigne did a great job. The shell was fresh and cracked impeccably with each bite.

On one of our adventures to Chicago, we were fortunate to have Mike’s parents join us for the trip. They aren’t used to eating the modern cooking techniques like gastronomy that Mike and I thrive on, so luckily Naha was our “good food of Chicago” introduction. We had dinner reservations just a few hours after we landed. Mike and his father, Clifton, share the same birthday week 40 years apart. A trip to Chicago was the perfect way to celebrate for both of them. It was a beautiful weekend and the weather was so nice that we decided to walk from The Drake to Naha. It was a wonderful way to take in the sights on the way to dinner. We arrived at an attractive corner restaurant with glass windows and a few tables out on the sidewalk. Inside, we were greeted with warm hosts, dark wood floors and cream colored walls. It had a light and airy vibe and we were able to get a great center table spot with lots of natural light.

This is a Michelin Star restaurant 3 years in a row, as well as the winner of the James Beard award for Best Chef in 2008. Even knowing all that, the menu is still huge and impressive. If you can’t find something you like here, don’t bother going out at all next time. It’s incredible that with a table of four very different food preferences, everyone was able to find a dish that they were excited about. Naha describes itself as an informal fusion of Mediterranean and California flavors. The fish dishes were certainly a mix of both and there were some that stood out like the Mediterranean Greek Salad with “Our Mom’s Warm Feta Cheese Boereg”. Of course, I had to order that as my appetizer. It was so tasty that I almost ordered another for my entrée. You don’t have to be a feta lover to enjoy it, but if you do adore the Greek cheese, you will love how it harmonizes with the other salad components. Mike ordered the Yukon Potato Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail as an appetizer for everyone to try. Well, that almost worked. He loved his first bite so much he offered to get anyone that wanted a taste another order. We gratefully declined as our entrees were on their way.

For a man who had no idea he would be sucking beet juice out of an ice block through a glass tube in just 48 short hours, the polenta with popcorn garnish was quite perplexing to Clifton. It was almost laughable knowing that he would be in for a real treat when we got to Alinea later in the trip. He was a trooper through the taste combinations and we knew he would at the very least enjoy the experience. He ended up loving the meal. His braised pork was glistening and gorgeous. This was a good sign since Naha is about as “normal” as cooking techniques get in this town.

I ordered the skate wing because I had only seen them live coming out of the ocean. They are awful looking creatures that almost remind you of a science fiction monster with their slit mouths. They say they are wonderful to eat, so I thought this would be the place to experience that. It was, indeed, delicious. Mildly flavored, with cauliflower and cabbage greens, it was as light and airy as the establishment itself. It was almost refreshing after a long day of traveling. Scallops with artichokes and lentils for Sandy which she said were excellent with a hint of apple adding even more flavor. Quail, pork belly, and quail egg for Mike…yeah. You would have to work really hard to make that combination taste bad. As expected, it was the perfect indulgence. The quail egg stole the show and really enhanced the flavor of everything on the dish, even the Swiss chard. It reinforced our theory that you can put an egg on anything it will be fantastic.

The service was very good. They were attentive without being over bearing. We were left to enjoy a good meal in each others company. It was a Thursday night, so it wasn’t the busiest night of the week, but even for an early dinner it was rather quiet. The view onto the busy downtown streets after the work day gave good entertainment and sparked conversation nicely.

A few years back, Mike decided to make a “ski date” for us with two good friends. We went to a local mountain near our house, the boys set the girls up with lessons, and left us on the bunny hill to fend for ourselves. Long story short, his addiction to snowboarding began and if I wanted to spend any time with my fiancée in the winter months, I had to figure out how to ski.

The following winter, we booked our first trip to Snowshoe, West Virginia. It was opening weekend, and we were the first to arrive of our foursome at the resort. I had never heard a snow making machine before, but it was intense and even more thrilling to watch. We walked around the village like two kids in Disneyland. I will never forget that weekend: my terrifying ski lesson, watching our friend slide on his back spread-eagle down the hills while teaching himself to snowboard, or the absolute exhilarating feeling when everything finally clicks and you make it down the mountain without falling. We were all hooked. We spent every weekend possible at Snowshoe after that. With only a handful of resort style restaurants, we had to start exploring anything around the village for new places to eat. Luckily, we found Elk River Inn and Restaurant about 15 minutes away.

Mike and I were the only two pioneers on this trip, and when we came to the Elk River sign on the side of the road, we were surprised to see a tiny one car bridge beside it. “No Trucks”, read an additional sign. Well folks, it’s the middle of winter on a mountain top. Your only mode of transportation is a four-wheel drive truck. Mike and I looked at each other and decided to go for it. It was like a scene out of Indiana Jones. We both had our heads hanging out our windows to make sure the wheels stayed on the bridge. We slowly crept across with the icy brook lurking just a few feet away. We made it over safely only to find ANOTHER one car bridge to cross. With took a deep breath and steered across the bridge with our heads out the windows. A small gravel parking lot followed with a rustic wood and stone lodge to our right. The windows emitted a warm golden glow into the West Virginia wilderness. It looked like the prize oasis after proving our worth by crossing the bridges.

We were welcomed by hardwood floors, and simple wooden tables and chairs arranged around a large fireplace. That fireplace is the only source of heat for the entire dining and bar area. Request a table next to it when you book! There was a spot cleared on the opposite side of the room with three chairs side-by-side. A show with dinner…now this could be the start of something good. Our waitress was the most soothing, calm, and motherly figure. She was everything you want in the middle of a snow storm in West Virginia mountain woods. I felt instantly at ease. The menu was impressive for the area. You are lucky to find a gas station most of the time and here we are being offered roast lamb, seared duck, wellington, and quail! The question lingered…could they pull it off?

We started with the West Virginia Rainbow Trout Spread. Caught on the same river running just behind the building, it was the most flavorful trout smoked and blended with cream cheese and spices. This was damn good trout spread and we were both impressed with something that could be so plain Jane in other restaurants. Braised lamp empanadas were next and Mike was in his glory. The light flaky dough was a beautiful golden color and the lamb was so tender you didn’t even need to chew it. The seasoning harmonized the starch and protein beautifully and it has since become a dish we don’t skip.

There is an added quasi-romantic benefit to dining here. There is no cell phone signal. The area is a National Radio Quiet Zone for the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory. No new messages, emails, texts, calls, or websites to interfere with dinner. You are forced to make some sort of connection with your dining partner and your surroundings. It’s not a bad perk. For those of you techies that don’t know how to enjoy a meal with your significant other, don’t worry. Elk River does give you something else to focus on during your dinner and possibly a good excuse to use your phone. The Elk River Ramblers soon occupied the three seats across the room. Self-categorized with a folk/old time/bluegrass/Celtic/Klezmer sound, they are the house band for Elk River Restaurant and perform on Thursday nights. There really couldn’t be a better accompaniment for this meal in this atmosphere. We were so impressed we recorded a few songs on our phones (Yay! Your phone can grace your hands with purpose now!) You couldn’t help but clap along in between bites.

Back to the meal:  Mike ordered the Earth and Sky entrée, which was lamb chops, quail, fava bean paella, saffron peas and sweet peppers.  He was beyond happy with his choice and raved about the quail. I ordered the Beef Duo, which was slow braised short ribs over rutabaga parsnip puree and petit beef wellington with boursin cheese, sherried mushrooms & warm wilted fall greens. I thought it was very well done and super ambitious for such a small operation. The wellington was slightly soggy on the bottom, but the beef was tender. The short ribs shined on the dish with fall apart texture and good savory juices.

Sticky Date Pudding and chocolate molten cake followed with cappuccinos for dessert. It was the perfect ending for me with the date pudding being more of a cake-texture with rich toffee sweetness. You can’t go wrong with chocolate and cappuccino, but this was exceptionally good firm cake with a warm gooey center that oozed through the crevices when pierced.

We have been back many times since with friends and family. We’ve spent several holidays and special occasions with them as well. Elk River Inn and Restaurant has consistency and quality in an otherwise unpredictable mountain resort dining selection.

Ah, the curious culinary talents of Whistler. We were so fortunate to spend a week in January in the most beautifully stunning and sometimes terrifyingly big mountains of Whistler. I didn’t grow up in winter sports and only took up snowboarding in the past year in order to enjoy some non-wine time with Mike. Whistler boasts over 130 restaurants so even if I’m not the best boarder, I can still enjoy some great food, right?

Araxi was on our list for one of the “big dinners”, as in expensive and dress nice. I had heard about Araxi years before when one the Hell’s Kitchen winners was supposedly going to head up the kitchen. In reality, they don’t… executive chef James Walt does. He apparently does a fantastic job because that place was packed solid with people all night. We had been looking forward to this snowboard trip for half a year, so our reservations were made far in advance. We vacationed in Whistler with two friends so the four of us were sat immediately at our white clothed table. The décor is typical upscale resort with tones of wood, neutrals, and a splash of red throughout. The focus is definitely seafood at Araxi, so our group wanted to try some of the fresh oysters to start. They were out of most of the large selection, which was disheartening. That was a theme throughout the night, though. There were a lot of dishes that were no longer available. We made due and substituted some wild prawns in the appetizer mix as well.

The oysters that we did get to try were excellent. The prawns were even better. The seafood was so impressive that Mike passed on the rabbit, duck, and tenderloin (which was no longer available) to enjoy the lemon and roasted Garlic Crusted Halibut. Garnished with fresh corn and basil chowder, summer vegetables, fingerling potatoes, basil oil and root down arugula, it showcased the talents of each part of the kitchen. He made me a perfect bite of everything on a fork and it was incredible. After a full day on the slopes, there is no better protein than fish to make you feel energized again. I enjoyed my appetizer so much that I ordered the organic white prawn risotto. Arborio rice with prawns, white wine, lemon, asparagus and chives, finished with mascarpone and sunchoke chips. It was something that I strived to make at home and one bite made it quite clear that I was not born to be a chef. These people were. The risotto was perfect. White wine and lemon were perfectly balanced with the mascarpone. It was the best thing I had eaten since I arrived at Whistler four days prior.

We skipped dessert at Araxi only because we were so full from appetizers and entrees and we still had to finish another bottle of wine. There was also a stellar ice cream shop right around the corner from our hotel that was our usual snack before turning in for the evening. We are planning to spend more time in Whistler, so I will be enjoying dessert here at some point soon. I’ll be sure to let you know how it was!

We were invited to Corduroy by a few friends in the wine business. One of them lives in the D.C. area and always has a great recommendation for food. She’s also a great cook, so she knows good food. We arrived at Corduroy before everyone else and snagged a seat at the bar for a drink while we waited. It was a great little spot, neither too big nor too small, with a sleek, black marble counter. Everyone else ended up being very late, so we were able to drink two glasses of wine and cocktail each until they got there. It was very comfortable and I honestly could have stayed there all night.

Once all our party finally arrived, we were moved downstairs into a more traditional dining area. No marble here, just wood accents, simple white table clothes, and a more formal quiet atmosphere. Our waiter was French with the most beautiful accent. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded good. We didn’t do five courses or even get desserts because we were short on time at the point, so we just did starters and entrees. Greek Easter was right around the corner, so I had go meat free, which wasn’t at all disappointing like it could be at other restaurants. That’s probably another high point…we had a vegetarian with us as well and Corduroy put together a stunning plate of vegetables for her entrée on the spot.

We decided on lobster Carpaccio and squash soup for starters. My soup was creamy and rich in flavor and the lobster was sliced so thin it basically melted in your mouth with the butter. So good! We then moved on to our entrees of seared antelope with chestnut puree and crispy striped sea bass with cabbage. Let me say that the antelope looked incredible. From what Mike tells me, it tasted just as delicious as it looked. The color was amazing with a beautiful bright red juicy center. I shouldn’t knock my sea bass, because it was also cooked to texture perfection with a light crunch on the top layer and the inside just flaking off onto my fork. The seasoning was right on point for me, because it was light and savory to let the fish shine through. The cabbage was soft and paired brilliantly with the light chive curry sauce. When we go back, I will be ordering the antelope though, because I’ve never had it before and Corduroy is known for that dish.

Conceptually, this restaurant seemed fabulous. An area of town with little choice when it comes to dining options and located inside the popular Chevy Chase Pavilion. You know you will have patrons from the mall, but also the bizarre addition of hotel guests also located inside. What could be bad? The execution. It was scattered and awkward. To be honest, I felt kind of awkward sitting in my “booth”. It wasn’t really a booth, but more like the table and bench seats you would find at any mall food court. Yes, Range is in a mall, with the Embassy Suites guest hallways directly in front of you for your viewing pleasure during the meal. I felt like I was making a pit stop between errands, on display, and spying on hotel guests. What else am I going to look at in the long time gaps between tapas?

We should probably talk about the food though…it was good tapas. Not the best thing out there, but not horrific. Our table had enjoyed this style of dining many times before in areas all over the world. We’ve had better. There is probably better in D.C. as well. The family style portions weren’t enough for the whopping three people we had in our dinner party. Thankfully, nothing was so spectacular that we fought over the last bite. Did we get the wrong plates? Not likely, because we tried something from every kitchen that Range boasts about. Don’t get me wrong, Brian Voltaggio is such a talented chef and we love going to Volt. I know this isn’t Volt, and was totally looking forward to new dishes and sleek casual atmosphere. Additionally, we’ve eaten at our fair share of restaurants located inside of something much bigger (mall, casino, airport), so it wasn’t the location that was so odd for us that we couldn’t enjoy ourselves. It was a combination of so-so food with peculiar atmosphere and crap service.

We had to flag down a server every time our wine glasses were empty. We aren’t fast drinkers, and gave ample opportunity for one of the bazillion staff members to come by. They did come by, but just walked right on past us. There was always something more important they had to do. One of the guys that was busing a table felt sorry for us, and came over to say he would find someone. The time we had to wait to receive our first dish seemed like an eternity. I almost ordered room service from Embassy Suites. There is no bread, but you can pay for a bread basket that I heard was good. We did order the iron skillet corn bread with bacon marmalade. It came out last, which was odd. I could have used that corn bread to munch on in the years it took for my actual food to arrive. Granted, it was a Friday night, and the restaurant was busy, but if you put that many seats in a restaurant, you should have trained staff so that everyone has an enjoyable experience rather than just have the opportunity to say, “I ate there”.

So, yes…I ate there. I don’t recommend it to anyone. I don’t want to go back. I’ve heard the service has improved, but we weren’t there that long ago so I think what we got was the “improved”. Below are the dishes we sampled. We ordered the bone marrow for our friend to try. He had never tasted it, and we raved about how delicious it cooks up. Sadly, he didn’t try his first taste because even we weren’t excited to finish it.

Iron Skillet Corn Bread, Bacon Marmalade

Tasting of All Hams (range fresh hams, surryano Virginia ham, newsom’s Kentucky country ham)

Pork Cheek Ravioli, corn, caper tomato

Salumeria pizza with preserved tomatoes, burratta

Beef Marrow Bones, pinenuts, golden raisin

Roseda beef ribeye cap steak, chimichurri, roasted shallot

Roisserie potatoes, bacon, caramelized onion

Fried Brussels sprouts

Here we are back in the culinary mecca that is Chicago! I love it here just because of the food. I’ve been so fortunate to experience what I feel is the best of Chicago. Benny’s Chop House is definitely included and puts a high class modern touch on the traditional steakhouse. Never once did I feel like I was just in a steakhouse. The service is absolutely first class. You want to see some professionals work a dining room? Benny’s is the place. We were spoiled rotten and felt like we were VIPs at the hottest spot in town. Their talent is making everyone in the room feel that way. The place fills up to the brim on Friday nights and the bar area is bursting with very smartly dressed couples.

Wet-aged, dry-aged, and all natural USDA Prime cuts are offered. They have seafood and chicken entrees, but how often can you eat real Prime steak? We went for it! The table chose the All Natural USDA Prime New York Strip. Mike ordered foie gras butter for a steak topping which transformed a gorgeous, rich, and beautiful steak into a devilishly succulent mouthful of joy. I loved my un-topped version because the cook was amazing with just enough savory blood juice on the plate to dip in a piece of bread. You know what I’m talking about…take a bite of softened steak-juice bread, close your eyes, and Mmm Mmm Mmm your way into a blissful smile. It’s my high. In the words of Bon Jovi, “when you find your medicine you take what you can get, cause if there’s something better baby well I haven’t found it yet”. I took it all…and some of Mike’s.

We talked about the steaks, but equally as delicious are the truffle fries and mac & cheese with house cured bacon. I really didn’t need the sides, but once I tasted the truffle fries I had to demonstrate immense control to finish my steak and only eat the fries if I had room in my stomach afterwards. Side note: red wine will act as a natural digestive in the proper proportions with red meat. This was something we learned in Argentina, where mass amounts of red meat and red wine are consumed three times daily. We were both amazed at how much we could actually eat, but the wine really does optimize digestion! So, I happily drank my wine, finished my steak, ate some truffle fries, and ordered dessert!

Let’s talk about dessert at Benny’s. I ordered the banana cream pie with caramelized bananas. They timed it perfectly so that I had some time to catch my breath and relax with my wine before more food was placed in front of me. But when it was, BAM! It was the absolute biggest and thickest piece of banana cream pie that one could ask for. It may be daunting to the dainty, but I could tell that this pie would dissolve in your mouth like creamy banana air. It didn’t disappoint and the whole table dug in for a taste. There couldn’t have been a more perfect dessert paired to a heavy beef entrée. It was sweet without being sickening and the cream was fluffy and weightless in your mouth.

I would certainly recommend Benny’s Chop House to anyone looking for an outstanding meal with top notch service in the Chicago area. Granted, there are many places to take your money if you are looking for great food, but I wouldn’t miss out on Benny’s. I’m hoping to go there again on my next trip!

We discovered this hidden Inn a few years back. We don’t live far, so we’ve never actually stayed there overnight, but we have eaten dinner there quite a few times. It was the bee’s knees when we first started going. It was something different within a comfortable driving distance. The owners are the most pleasant people and waitress we always seemed to have so warm and welcoming. We love out-of-the-way places and the Inn at Vaucluse Spring offers a large old farm house setting to dine in. Mike grew up in a similar house and he’s even commented that certain details, like the big floor to ceiling doors and doorknobs, remind him of his old home. It’s quaint and grand all at the same time. There are about seven tables per dining room, with the addition of one sitting area for everyone to gather pre-dinner for whatever punch concoction they put out for you. Those concoctions are really spectacular by the way, I believe I’ve had a few ginger lemonades, ciders, and sangrias that taste just as good going down as they look in that ornate crystal bowl.

Again, the food has been great over the years, but we have noticed certain cooking trends and can pretty much expect every main course to be sous vide. That’s wonderful for some proteins that can be tough or even helpful to infuse certain flavors into the meat. Fillet of Beef, however, does not benefit from this cooking style. It can turn it into bland mush. Pork has always be sous vide here and that is disheartening because getting that fat to melt into the meat and crisping up the skin on a tenderloin is really a culinary delight. You put a sliced, pink, water infused essence in front of me and I can’t tell if it’s pork or chicken or mutton. All the flavor that we’ve come to love in a particular protein can be sous vide right out of it.

Our last trip to the Inn at Vaucluse Spring just happened to be a wine dinner for a local Virginia winery. Knowing beforehand that local wine isn’t the quality we prefer, we were really going for the food and setting. It had been about a year since we had been there and we were ready to see what had changed and what had stayed the same. The farm house was still as charming as ever. Hard wood floors, ceiling height that could easily double what is standard for today’s houses. Beautiful wide entryways and tastefully decorated so that you really feel like you are in an old Virginia farm home. The owner was happy and welcoming as he greeted us at the door as usual. It was nice that he remembered us as well. The pre-dinner gathering drink was a Sav Blanc from the local winery hosting the dinner. It was good, but I missed my Vaucluse punch. We had an introduction to the winery owners and Chef Adam Policinski as well. Before every meal, he comes out to greet the guests and give them a brief summary of what is to come in the meal. He will also come out at the end for a round of applause and questions. It’s homey and a nice touch.

We sat down to dinner and our menus were placed at our setting so we could keep track of what we ate and what was to come. Oooo…two proteins on this one! Pork tenderloin, and smoked fillet of beef. Surely both wouldn’t be sous vided? Alas, they were. While the entire meal was good, it made us think that maybe he cooked every protein in this way because he wasn’t confident doing it any other. We began to doubt the ability only because we had only ever eaten a main dish that was sous vide by this chef. Is it difficult? When I was 22, I cooked my first turkey in a bag. They told me it would be the easiest way for a beginner. It came out fine, but had no flavor or crispy skin! Thank goodness for age and experience because now I pride myself on my beautiful brown, juicy, flavorful turkey with the crispiest skin in three counties. I think Chef Adam would benefit by stepping out of his “easy” and will probably be surprised at how good his food can get without a sous vide safety net. Needless to say, our applause was half-hearted at the end of the night. This Chef has an interesting palate and his combinations in dishes are curious, with most of them being quite appealing. If we could just get him to char, grill, sauté, or roast something, he would get a standing ovation for sure.

Below is our menu from the wine dinner:

Compressed melon, sparkling strawberry, tomato lavender dressing, serrano ham, and micro pea tendril

Spicy scallop dashi, Chinese greens, house made bacon, with fried wonton crisps

Pork tenderloin, cambozola polenta, sautéed beets, and sesame beet vinaigrette

Smoked fillet of beef, braised fennel, pistachio, potato puree, and coffee hazelnut demi-glace

Grilled vanilla pudding, rosemary ice cream, almond cake, orange Pernod syrup, and curried marcona almond brittle.

We’ve been to Volt twice now, once for the regular menu, and once for their Table 21 seating. Table 21 is a 21 course tasting menu with special 8 person counter seating around the Volt kitchen. Upon entering the historic row house, you are escorted to the bar and lounge area to the left. There you will find a television displaying all the action going on in the kitchen. Yes, it’s prep work, but I find that soothing after spending my youth in the restaurant industry. I’ve actually never tried their cocktails either of my trips. It was summer both times and I prefer to start those evenings with a good Sancerre. I’m not sure if it was our timing or if it’s something they just do, but about a drink later, they will escort you to your table. When we sat in the regular dining area, it was just the two of us, so we were seated at a booth/chair combo table. For Table 21, our dining party was a foursome and we were seated at the counter with a few other couples. The bread and butter is absolutely spectacular. The butter is from Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. Oh, I could eat the butter plain with a spoon. It’s just butter, but it’s the best darn butter I’ve ever tasted…salty, creamy, and spreadable.

The wait staff has a signature look with all black clothing paired with classic Chuck Taylors. Chef Bryan Voltaggio grew up in our era. It makes me wonder if he had both a knock around pair of Chucks as well as the “good pair” for the mall and dates! At any rate, that kind of playfulness is something we appreciate…and nothing detracted from the professional demeanor of the staff.

Table 21 was in our first handful of tasting menus. It was the last one in that handful, which was probably a disadvantage. Tasting menus are normally double digit and there is something to be said for timing in that kind of situation. You don’t want to lose your audience half way through by waiting on the next course. With Table 21, you are at the mercy of everyone else at the table. It’s like that at Minibar, and other tasting course restaurants. Not usually a big deal as the bites are small enough for everyone to keep up. Unless of course, someone at your seating falls asleep at the table. Such was the case for us. Out of the 8 people seated at the kitchen viewing counter, 6 of us kept up the pace. A couple walked in late and had obviously been drinking previously. We were slightly past the halfway mark of our 21 courses when her head hit the lap of her accompanying gentleman. Clearly this was something the chefs hadn’t seen before, and they very coolly monitored the situation. She would wake up, take a bite and sip of wine, then her eyes would close again. It was excruciating to watch. These portions are not meant to sit around in a plate. They are fresh and made to be consumed with placed in front of you. The staff came up with the idea that they could skip over a few courses in order to catch them back up to the rest of us. Well, that was the wrong move. The woman had a hissy fit when she became aware and demanded all of her courses, at the expense of 6 other’s time. About four hours later, the 6 of us finally finished the meal with the chef’s still working on the last couple’s dishes. I felt bad for the staff. I felt worse for us and our hour long drive home. Our experience was the exception to the rule, but it is useful to know that it can happen and some people just have no respect for others around them. It was really no fault of the chefs or the staff, as this was something no one had really ever dealt with before. It shouldn’t detract from the food, but in a way, it has deterred us from choosing the Table 21 seating again. The food was phenomenal. There was literally nothing bad you could even remotely have to say about any of the 21 courses. It was a pleasure to roll them around my mouth and put them in my belly. Give credit where credit is due: these guys could show members of the Top 50 Restaurant list a thing or two.

For regular dining, there is a six course tasting menu as well as a la carte items to choose from. For those of you that eat out to enjoy true culinary talent, this is the spot to be. Everything is made with great care and calculation…right down to the dressing on the salad. The menu changes often, but you can tell that whatever you eat there will be stunningly good.

Table 21 Menu:

Chips and dip -anchovy, lobster, and Greek yogurt

Beet foie gras with citrus

Mock oyster salsify with oyster leaf, malt vinegar

Kampachi blood orange- fennel, yuzu, ginger

Celeriac nasturtium -mustard, ruby grapefruit

Buratta kale -hazelnuts, lemon

Ravioli -black trumpet mushrooms, ash, parsley root

Kimchee daikon radish -chicken thigh, quail egg

Turbot butternut squash -faro, Brussels sprouts

Sturgeon toasted barley -broccoli, lemon pith

Lobster black forbidden rice -coconut, madras curry

Venison -horseradish, apple, hen egg

Sweetbreads -bacon, sun chokes, black kale

Foie gras -beet, fennel hazelnut brioche

Salsify quince- hazelnuts, country ham

Lamb – golden raisin, chickpea, onion

Beef -baby chard, potatoes, and gold ball turnips

Banana -black sesame, coconut, pineapple

Parsnips -cream cheese, walnut, and caramel

Chocolate marshmallow, peanut, caramel

Chocolates candies and macaroons

As far as distinct Napa scenery, it doesn’t get any better than Press. The long line of open windows on the back wall let in the most amazing breeze and really give an outdoor feel to the plush inside setting. I really got the feeling of being on “vacation” while sitting at my table. We have been fans of Brian Flannery for some time now. Press just happens to feature Flannery Beef in their menu. Everyone likes their meat cooked a different way, but Flannery Beef is melt-in-your-mouth worthy at any temp.

As you may have read in previous postings, we have staple dishes that we enjoy at steakhouses. The chopped salad definitely made our order. A generous, but not overwhelming chopped salad made with little gem lettuce, roasted tomato croutons, and parmesan.  A little salt and pepper on a salad goes a long way, and this salad was tangy and crisp with good flavor. We were very lucky on our visit, the evening’s special was a meat platter for two that included Prime New York Strip, Wagyu New York Strip, and Berkshire Pork. Press uses a cherry and almond wood-fired grill, which adds yet another layer of flavor to Flannery’s already jam-packed Prime beef. Others in our dinner party ordered the Prime Chopped Steak with Nueske bacon and sunny side up farm egg. It looked incredible when it came out. When there is an opportunity to consume creamy yellow yolk on a piece of beef, I will now take it! The cook on our meat was perfect. They do go heavy on the pepper on all their dishes though. I’m a fan of seasoning everything, but for whatever reason everyone at our table had a substantial amount of pepper on each dish. It was so pronounced that it interfered with not only the flavor of the actual beef, but at our age group, our heartburn. The pork had good flavor, but the Prime beef was my favorite on our dish. In fact, I probably ate more of Mike’s portion and he ate more of my Wagyu. Once again, everyone has their own preference when it comes to beef.

For side dishes, our table shared the the Truffle Mac & Cheese, sautéed creamed spinach, and the loaded mini baked potatoes. All were delicious, the creamed spinach especially for me, which can be hit or miss when it comes to blandness. This was savory and rich. The table decided to share a dessert and we chose the Chocolate Soufflé with cream fraiche. I could have easily just had the cream fraiche all to myself. The soufflé was textbook and pleased all of us.