557331 Sun Sep 14 14:11:43 -0700 2008 3 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4034419 Hi - I am taking my foodie brother up to Napa for a day this week. He has Parkinson's so getting around can be a bit of a challenge. He wants to taste wine but going from winery to winery would be too tiring for him. A restaurant with good food and wine flights would be perfect. We thought that some time at Copia and Oxbow would be fun for him. Has anyone eaten at the "new" Julia's Kitchen since their management change? Are there other places that you would recommend given our limitations? Thanks for your help! Sun Sep 14 14:11:43 -0700 2008 42653 Irish Foodie 1 4034982 Oxbow has the Wine Merchant with its sister Cheese Merchant which might be a good place to go for your wine tasting (and cheese) needs. Pretty informal, didn't seem too expensive, and Oxbow seems to have better accessibility if mobility is an issue since a lot of shops and Julia's Kitchen are right there. The Folio Enoteca & Winery is also in Oxbow, and we've picked up some nice wines there. But if you can swing it, we like the wine tasting at the Bounty Hunter more though. Lots of flights, huge wine list. It used to be just a wine bar, but they're now serving full meals although we haven't had a chance to try them out. My guess is that the food would be more casual than say Julia's Kitchen. Maybe a little crowded if that's an issue. If that isn't enough, Back Room Wines is right across the street and focuses more on smaller production wines. What you could do is go to Ubuntu for the meal and then swing by the Bounty Hunter for the general wine tasting. They're pretty close to each other; they're in the same block. We've been to Julia's Kitchen maybe 4 times over the last 4 years, and it always seems to be a step or two away from being a satisfying meal. Sun Sep 14 18:52:45 -0700 2008 4034419 195255 napaeats 2 4035192 I would like to second the recommendation for the Oxbow Wine Merchant. It's run by one of the brightest wine teachers in the Bay Area, Peter Granoff, and I would give Peter a call and explain your brother's situation. I might add that the wheelchair ramp access to Oxbow is quite good, if your brother is in need of that. Food available in the "food court" area. Bounty Hunter is also a good choice. Easy access from the parking lot on Main Street just south of First Street, and you will enter through the back door, where many patrons enter. It's just easier to get in and out of the restaurant this way. Handicapped parking available there. Please call Will Wright, the manager at BH, so that he can arrange a special table for your brother that may be a bit quieter and less noisy. However, both those options pale in comparison in my mind to a sit-down tasting at a winery. This type of tasting would probably be less expensive (Bounty Hunter is not cheap!), and might be more enjoyable and comfortable for your brother as well. What this option affords you is a sitdown environment with an array of about 6 glasses in front of you, printed tasting notes, in a room off the main tasting room if your brother would feel more comfortable that way. (A dear male of mine has Parkinson's.) Some wineries even do food and wine pairings, though it is simple enough to visit a restaurant shortly after your tasting if they do not.This is easy to arrange, and I am happy to help you in this regard since I live in Napa Valley and work in the food and wine industry. Please email me at th e address on my profile if you are interested. I don't recommend Julia's Kitchen. Copia, sadly, has been having lots of trouble, and the resto has always been iffy. Tyler Florence has been brought in as a consultant to the restaurant, but it will take a major overhaul and perhaps celestial intervention before I would recommend it over something else. I'm on the fence these days about Ubuntu. My choice would be to recommend another resturant instead. There are so many! And, actually, all these places are in the city of Napa. If you'd be interested in hearing recommendations north of the city of Napa -- in Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga, I'll try to help. Or you may wish to do a search using those names. Maria Sun Sep 14 21:20:19 -0700 2008 4034982 18222 maria lorraine 1 4035152 Definitely Bounty Hunter for a variety of flights, good food, though more rustic, and accessible parking near the front and rear entrance. Oxbow Wine Merchant doesn't have a good menu, foodwise. Sun Sep 14 20:39:18 -0700 2008 4034419 86832 Dan Wodarcyk