23811 Mon Apr 21 23:05:43 -0700 2003 13 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 91341 I'm planning to eat at Tra Vigne next month and can't find any recent posts on this site. Can any of you chowhounds help me out? Mon Apr 21 23:05:43 -0700 2003 0 breadbaker 1 91355 You must be a gambler if you'd eat at Tra Vigne. You've got about the same chance of getting a good meal as you do at the tables in Vegas. However, it is a beautiful room and that alone makes you feel special. Have several strong drinks before the food is served and it won't matter much what gets put in front of you. Link: http://www.curmudgeon.com Tue Apr 22 00:23:08 -0700 2003 91341 0 Curmudgeon 2 91359 I couldn't agree more. After several good experiences years ago, I had a rather awful, hideously overpriced lunch with friends who were impressed anyway. I've never had any desire to give them another chance. It's much more about atmosphere, although the food is occasionally good. Their take out deli is quite fun; you can grab snacks and sit in the courtyard on a sunny afternoon. Tue Apr 22 01:34:02 -0700 2003 91355 0 Windy 2 91369 Sorry, but I have to second this opinion. We had been going there for years and had consistently great meals. However, the last few were awful foodwise, and there were even flies in the dining room hovering on one occasion. There are so many other great places, that I'm afraid we won't be going back anytime soon. It seems as though Chiarello has abandoned this baby for his retail stuff and cooking shows... :( Tue Apr 22 08:41:10 -0700 2003 91355 0 vespaloon 3 91407 I don't believ that Chiarello presently has any connection to Tra Vigne. Tue Apr 22 16:17:36 -0700 2003 91369 0 wally 4 91408 It makes perfect sense if that's the case -- further corroborates the change in quality compared to how it used to be! :) It may still be tasty, but it has definitely slipped, in my opinion. Tue Apr 22 16:26:41 -0700 2003 91407 0 vespaloon 5 91467 Chiarello is indeed out of Tra Vigne, but many say it's for the better. The slippage seems to have been when he was doing too many things, and now that the new leadership is in place at Tra Vigne, things are better than ever. I've gotten several good reports from friends recently who are surprised in a positive way. But I haven't tried it myself yet. When were you last there? Wed Apr 23 00:30:32 -0700 2003 91408 0 Melanie Wong 6 91538 Perhaps about six months or so ago. I've been too afraid to go back after the flies incident! But, maybe I'll have to try again if things are on the upswing! :) Wed Apr 23 17:10:14 -0700 2003 91467 0 vespaloon 7 91576 Thanks to everyone who contributed their opinions about Tra Vigne. And what a mixed bag it was too.I just found out that the function I am going to at the restaurant is going to be produced by their catering department. I didn't know they had one. Has anyone ever eaten food catered by Tra Vigne? Cheers. Wed Apr 23 23:54:54 -0700 2003 91538 0 breadbaker 2 91392 I disagree. The last time I was there, about 2 months ago, the food was very good. Three dishes particularly stood out in my mind -- the short ribs were terrific, the whole fish baked in their wood-burning oven and the pasta dish that we had were also excellent. It is not very expensive, the service is solid and overall, I would visit that place again. In case you are not swayed, let me suggest a few other places to visit while in Napa - Bistro Jeanty is awesome, Bouchon is not bad, Mustards Grill is decent. Tue Apr 22 13:35:56 -0700 2003 91355 0 geebo 3 91763 I've dined inside twice but much prefer getting sandwiches and small plates from the outside shop instead. It enables one to sample more things and dine outdoors in a more casual environment. Sat Apr 26 17:26:04 -0700 2003 91392 0 nan 1 91358 I've eaten at Tra Vigne 7 or 8 times and have never been disappointed. Not even once! I highly reccomend anything that comes out of the wood burning oven, especially the fish dishes. A smoky flavor is imparted that I really love. Also try the white bean puree....fantastic. While tra vigne does not produce food with intricate layers of flavor, it is consistently good if you go in knowing what to expect. Have fun! Tue Apr 22 01:29:50 -0700 2003 91341 0 sfglutton 1 91469 Here's Pia's post from a year ago. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/23259#88094 Wed Apr 23 00:35:07 -0700 2003 91341 0 Melanie Wong 1 91907 We were there for a light lunch last Friday and it was delicious - sat at the bar and had fried calamari and a pizza. We had wanted to go to Bistro Don Giovanni - but it was packed - stopped at Mustards and they were packed too! We were lucky to just get in at Tra Vigne. Mon Apr 28 16:42:31 -0700 2003 91341 0 Chris