The Wines Were Fine. Now Feed Me.

I would not call myself a veteran of Premiere, but by the 4th visit, let’s say I was focusing more on what else was available than just the wine tasting. From the start my goal was to eat great every day — and we crushed it.

“Fly-in day” — it was late and neither Chris nor Nick had ever had In-N-Out, and I had been craving it for 10 yrs. Double-doubles all around, mission accomplished.

Day 2 Nick put us on Bouchon Bakery from his last trip to Napa… how have I never had this?! It was small, the line wasn’t upsetting, and the almond croissant was easily the best pastry I have had in years.

We, of course, had to stop at Taylor’s Refresher (I will call it Gott’s Roadside when I am dead in the cold ground) not once but twice. I had to intervene on Day 4 because I knew we were having a monster dinner. Baja tacos, salmon burgers, confit onion burgers, onion rings, garlic fries, pistachio milkshakes, Arnold Palmers, blood orange palomas… yeah, you simply cannot miss Taylor’s Refresher if you go to Napa — it is the destination.

For dinner we went to the student-run Gatehouse Restaurant, which is the final year for students at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Fantastic 4-course Prix Fixe menu with wine pairing for $125 — an absolute steal. And fun interaction with actual students learning the trade.

Day 3 was Bouchon Bistro. Slightly rocky start with a delayed seating, but once we were seated, it was excellent. Service was impeccable — I watched a FOH manager carry somewhere in the vicinity of 20 Riedel glasses in one hand! We went à la carte at Bouchon — I distinctly remember the pâté being top notch. Scottish salmon, something I would definitely not normally order in California, was easily the best cooked piece of salmon I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Nick swooned over the beef tartare, and after a bite he was not wrong. We left happy, and perfectly sated.

Day 4 was Press (1 Michelin Star) for the Full Chef’s Tasting Menu. We fasted that afternoon, because this was a 7+3ish Prix Fixe scheduled for 2.5 hrs. It was sublime — I will let the pics tell the tale. The Sommelier (Tony) was absolutely top-notch and walked us through selections until we arrived at a 2017 HDV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, which was excellent, followed by a 2015 Pillot Saint Aubin, which blew its doors off. Our main wine was a bottle of OVID Syrah that the winery was gracious enough to let us purchase (usually <100 cases made). It was sublime, and Tony agreed. Ambiance at Press needs to be highlighted. It was airy, spacious, full — and yet we could have an easy conversation. This is the blueprint for how a restaurant should be physically built!

Day 5 was Sorrel (1 Michelin Star) for the Winter Chef’s Tasting Menu. This was not even supposed to happen, but American Airlines (who is now my mortal enemy) decided to change our departure time in SF from 11:30 to 6am with no noted reason other than “yeah, sorry.” I managed to find Chris and Nick a 10:40 flight out that day, but those were the last seats, so I stayed in SF and paid for a night in a hotel. AA can suck it! Since I was stuck for an extra day, I decided to continue the food trend and dined at Sorrel. Small space, no hard liqueur license. This feels like a local hangout that is elevated enough to get Michelin’s attention. The meal was excellent, the wines were well paired in almost every case, and I can definitively say the dessert semifreddo with pear, blue cheese, and toffee will haunt me for the rest of my life. It was other-worldly.