20357 Thu Jun 27 05:07:25 -0700 2002 8 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 70447 Have any of you been to COPIA in Napa yet? Is it worth a day trip? Thu Jun 27 05:07:25 -0700 2002 0 alice 1 70448 I went in January, and thought it was a very enjoyable day. Here's a link to the thread I wrote then. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/18310#57387 Thu Jun 27 10:24:48 -0700 2002 70447 0 jaweino 2 70482 I went a couple of months ago expecting a real museum and was disappointed. The exhibits have lots of entertainment value, but not much analytical content. On the other hand, if your goal is to get some sun (it can be hot up there), poke around the garden, eat a meal, maybe take in a cooking class (most of which cost extra above the $13 admission fee) Copia might make a good trip. Thu Jun 27 15:37:15 -0700 2002 70448 0 Nathan Landau 3 70675 thanks for all the feedback! i think i'll have to check it out this summer. Sun Jun 30 03:15:08 -0700 2002 70482 0 alice 1 70453 We were there last Saturday for a special dinner and really enjoyed it, though we didn't have much time to explore the exhibits. The dinner featured Greek foods and wine, and the chef (Mark Dommen) of Julia's Kitchen developed the menu in conjunction with a woman who has researched extensively the foods of ancient Greece. When I say "extensively," that means DNA testing of food residue left on ancient Greek pot shards, so she knows a lot! The meal was absolutely delicious, as were the wines, and it was a really nice combination of two of my favorite subjects: food and anthropology. We had a brief look at the gardens (from which much of our dinner came) and also an exhibit on the ground floor of Ronco products. The Ronco stuff was hilarious -- slicing and dicing through the ages with Ron Popeil -- and also an interesting historical view of changing U.S. cooking habits. In sum, I would love to go back for a longer visit. Thu Jun 27 11:52:59 -0700 2002 70447 0 Millicent 1 70463 I went a few days ago, it was cold gray and dreary in San Francisco, and absolutely perfect in Napa. The warm sun on the herb gardens created an incredible olfactory treat. (and a French women got me to try the tiny sun warmed strawberries...a perfumed gift from nature!) The tour was informative, and I had a wonderful tasting menu at "Julia's" the Copia restaurant. The exhibits (for Copia combines food, wine and art) were of an impressive collection of artistic (and I do mean artistic!) Tea pots, and the aforementioned exhibit on the Popeil family and their "dice it slice it" inventions (it included a video clip of a 21 year old Ron Popeil, with a shock of black hair, hawking one of the families early inventions!) Very interesting. There was a food tasting class with Greek olive oil, olives and cheese, bread,and two types of dried figs, and wine. Probably taught by the same woman who Joel experienced..she was terrific.There is another section on the history of food which was quite interactive.Copia is located in a bend of the Napa river, and when all the plantings mature (and they're growing like crazy!) the 70 million dollar structure should look quite interesting.They do have a website of their activities (I don't know if it's Copia.com or .org but give it a try! Thu Jun 27 14:09:52 -0700 2002 70447 0 derek 1 70498 COPIA's a great place to spend a lazy day. You can stroll the gardens, wander through the art gallery and sip some wine... all without being rushed to get from one place to the other, because they are all at one location. I haven't looked at the schedule lately (www.COPIA.org), but I would advise to visit the first half of the day as opposed to the latter since many of the free events take place in the morning. Also, if you are thinking of eating at Julia's Kitchen, it doesn't hurt to have a reservation. On a weekend it could potentially fill up. Hope you have a great day and enjoy the sunshine! Cheers - Nancy Thu Jun 27 17:28:51 -0700 2002 70447 0 Nancy Reyes 1 70673 I recently visited and came away with a reasonably nice experience because of the Teapot exhibit [I love ceramics], but not at all clear about value versus the admission fee.. especially since the classes are not included. I headed straight to Zuzu [delightful Tapas Bar a few blocks away]and think my money was better spent there. Copia may evolve into a destination but I would not rate it as a "must" at present Sat Jun 29 23:04:09 -0700 2002 70447 0 Jimbo 1 70969 I went with a group of ten people. We joined a docent tour of the gardens which are a joy in providing taste access to herbs and selected lettuces. Soon the impressive variety of tomatoes will be ready presumably for tasting. The crown of the garden will be the enormous variety of grapes which may start producing in a couple of years for tasting and educating our palate with the grape source of wines matched with fruits and vegetables. The tea pot as an object for artistic expression was a surprise to many of us. This traveling exhibit is a must see. The screening of excerpts from movies with famous eating scenes is a blast. The restaurant prices are at the top range. Therefore, we opted to experience another gourmet establishment in the valley with a long time reputation. Wed Jul 03 20:27:35 -0700 2002 70447 0 Rob Jones