City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 6476 Washington Street
2. Bistro Jeanty
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-0103
Address: 6510 Washington Street
Description: Philippe Jeanty opened his comfortable, two-room bistro in 1998 and quickly occupied a niche that, Philippe explains, is part Paris, part French countryside. You won’t find a single pasta on this small menu, no Caesar salad or hamburgers. Instead, be on the lookout for lamb tongue and potato salad, beef tournedos in black pepper cream sauce, cassoulet, and mussels steamed in red wine. The setting is just as authentic, with French furnishings and paintings by Guy Buffet. And the color of the walls? Dijon, of course. Bistro Jeanty is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. It has a full bar; the staff calls the giant rooster that sits atop it “Philippe.”
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 6534 Washington Street
4. Brix
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-2749
Address: 7377 St. Helena Highway
Description: Seared dayboat scallops with broccoli, walnuts, golden raisins, and Gruyère cheese? Grilled salmon with polenta, brussels leaves, and Meyer lemon gastrique? Rack of lamb with spinach, garlic potato puree, and black olive jus? This is the food of Brix, the restaurant just north of Yountville. It’s surrounded by several acres of vineyard and a couple acres of olive trees, making the outdoor seating especially fun. There’s a full bar, including what the San Francisco Chronicle called an “Academy Award–winning wine list.” Brix is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
5. Étoile At Domaine Chandon
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 204-7529, (800) 736-2892
Address: 1 California Drive
Description: Parked against the hills west of Yountville, Étoile at Domaine Chandon sits amid century-old oaks and the winery’s own vineyards. The atmosphere is elegant, immaculate, and très français (étoile means “star” in French)—more precisely, it’s regional California cuisine with a French influence. The fixed-price menu changes frequently, but expect such dishes as Madeira-braised veal, venison loin, Japanese beef, and striped bass with foie gras risotto. Étoile at Domaine Chandon is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations should be booked well in advance.
6. The French Laundry
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-2380
Address: 6640 Washington Street
Description: The French Laundry has been elevated to almost mythical status among foodies, many of whom have never come close to eating here, possibly because it’s so difficult to procure a reservation. (See the close-up in this chapter for more about the French Laundry.) Chef Thomas Keller, though a devotee of traditional French principles, is also known for his whimsical takes on common meals, like “macaroni and cheese” that turns out to be butter-poached Maine lobster with creamy lobster broth and mascarpone-enriched orzo, or “coffee and doughnuts” that are in fact fresh-baked cinnamon-sugared doughnuts with cappuccino semifreddo. The French Laundry is open for dinner seven days a week and lunch Friday through Sunday.
7. Hurley’S
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-2345
Address: 6518 Washington Street
Description: Bob Hurley has a long history in Napa Valley as a chef at Domaine Chandon for many years before helming the kitchen at Napa Valley Grille. In 2002 he opened his namesake restaurant, where he specializes in lighter preparations of California cuisine with Mediterranean influences. The food here has been designed with Merlot in mind, and the sea bass with Merlot sauce is one of the most popular dishes. You will also find grilled rib-eye steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes, roast chicken with onions and peas, and a spicy Moroccan eggplant.
8. Mustards Grill
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-2424
Address: 7399 St. Helena Highway
Description: Roadhouse meets fine dining at Mustards Grill. The restaurant is situated on Highway 29 (aka St. Helena Highway), and the casual dining room looks onto a beautiful swath of the Napa countryside. But the real action here is in the kitchen. The menu changes seasonally, but classics like Mongolian pork chops (marinated, grilled chops with braised cabbage and garlic mashers) and hanger steak with sweet onion jam are available year-round. Everything is made from scratch—don’t miss the house-made ketchup served with paper-thin onion rings. The menu tends toward creatively reinvented American classics, with daily fish specials providing the haute end of the cuisine. Mustards has a full bar with a huge wine list and is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
9. Redd
City: Yountville, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 944-2222
Address: 6480 Washington Street
Description: Chef Richard Reddington garnered fame and accolades when he was at Auberge du Soleil. Now the restaurant that bears an abbreviated version of his name draws from many influences. This French-trained chef also infuses dishes with touches of Italy, Germany, and Asia. One night there might be braised short ribs with a horseradish crust, or a pork chop with mustard spaetzle, Swiss chard, and cippolini onions. At another time it could be al dente risotto over chunks of lobster, lemon confit, and white truffle oil. Dinner is served daily; lunch Monday through Saturday; and brunch on Sunday. A late-night bar menu is also available.