Report: SF, Napa, Dry Creek Trip

[ChicagoJen]

Thanks to all SF Hounds that provided input several weeks ago into the trip my husband & I took this last weekend to the SF and Napa areas. We spent one day in SF and then the rest of the weekend in Napa and also the Dry Creek Passport event.

SF Report:
We had lunch at Hog Island Oyster Company and felt the food was okay (a bit overpriced) - had the oyster sampler and Cowgirl Creamery grilled cheese sandwich -- and the service a bit snooty.

Dinner at Boulevard was AMAZING! It was truly one of the more memorable (if not the most memorable) culinary experiences we've had. We were able to sit at the "bar" area that overlooks the kitchen and actually watch the chefs prepare the dishes and talk to them about the recipes and preparations. The appetizers - I had the scallops and my husband the tuna tar tar -- were excellent and the entrees -- guinea hen with two preparations and lamb with three preparations -- were truly amazing. The sommelier provided an excellent wine recommendation (Bucklin Zin), the service was good and overall atmosphere/experience just exemplary. We will definitely make it a destination whenever we return to SF.

Napa:
We celebrated my husband's birthday at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen and, as I indicated in an earlier post today on that venue, we were quite disappointed and felt the food was very over seasoned and the service mediocre. Perhaps coming off Boulevard dinner the night before our expectations were too high, but I was very underwhelmed by the whole experience.

Ad Hoc the next evening was very, very nice - the food exellently prepared and the service very good. An added bonus was sitting at a table just diagonal from where Thomas Keller was dining!

The last night of our trip, we ate at Redd and felt the food was excellent and on par with Ad Hoc, but the service a bit on the snooty side.

In terms of wineries, our goal was to go off the beaten path as much as possible and experience different/unique places and I think we were able to accomplish that. The grounds at Artesa were amazing and the small lot production wines at Hess quite good. HdV was a great place for small production wines and we were able to have the tasting conducted by the assistant wine maker. Del Dotto was memorable for the quality (and volume) of wine served during the cave tour and barrel tasting. The drive up to and grounds tour of Kuletto was definitely one of the highlights of the trip and I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in good wines, a great winery backstory and truly spectacular views of the valley.

We spent Sunday in the Dry Creek Valley at the Passport event and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were far more familiar with the Napa Valley area and appreciated the more laid back atmosphere and smaller production wineries of the area as well as the quality of wines - favorites were Bella, A Rafanelli, Rued, & Gopfrich. Next trip out to wine country, we plan to stay in Healdsburg or Geyserville and concentrate our time on learning more about the Sonoma area.

Thanks again for the help & recommendations from all the SF Hounds!

[laurafrofro]

Sorry I didn't get to you in time -- next trip to Napa, don't miss PRESS. The steak, sides and chocolate souffle are to die for.

[Chris Rising]

Thanks for the report. It is great to hear about the impression a place like Boulevard can make on a visitor. Sometimes familarity can breed contempt.