Need help please, 30bday in SF/napa
I have spend hours searching the boards and google and now want to narrow it down with some of your help. A bit about me, i plan my entire vacations around restaurants and i have a wide range of culinary taste from taco trucks to Le Bernadin and usually on a trip i like to get a little bit of everything in.
We are going up to SF/Napa in May for Thurs-Sun, staying 1 night in SF and 2 nights in napa. In SF, on Thursday night, we are staying at the Le Meridian and we were looking for a place that had good food (first and foremost) with a lively scene. Not looking for a club, but something more along the lines of a lounge, was thinking of Bourbon and Branch (i love my single malt).
On Friday, there will be 8 of us and we ended up doing a vacation rental near Whitford cellars/Napa Valley Country Club. So far i was only able to score lunch at TFL (i really want dinner and am on the wait list) on Friday and again I was looking for a good restaurant with a nice lively scene or a good takeout place with great food that we can bring back and kick it at the house.
On Saturday, we are going to get up and go wine tasting around St Helena, Rutherford, etc and was looking for good lunch either at a particular vineyard or near by so it doesnt take too much time away from the vineyards. We were thinking Cindys but dont know how long that would take and if that would take away from our vineyard hopping. Then at dinner we would do either Restaurant at Meadowwood or La Toque for Saturday night .
On Sunday, i have Etoile for lunch but wanted something closer to where we are staying or on the way back to SF so we can catch our flight in the city.
Friday...French Laundry (done!)
Friday..Bourbon & branch?? Something else?
Saturday...cindys backstreet kitchen??? near vineyard or at vineyard
Saturday night...Meadowwood or La Toque
Sunday...something near by or on the way down to SF?
Many many thanks for your chow help and i look forward to seeing what you have to say!
By fatboy567
on Mar 17, 2010 03:53 PM
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Stick with your French Laundry lunch -- the menu is the same for lunch and dinner, and many people report that it's nicer to be there during the day and have the rest of the day to relax and let your food digest. And plus, you can enjoy the French Laundry garden afterward.
For your Saturday lunch, I'd suggest picking up food at markets and other places and having a picnic lunch -- some wineries have picnic areas to reserve, and there are plenty of off winery picnic spots in the Napa areea, and lots of great places to get bread, cheese, meat, and other good stuff. It will be easier and more relaxing to do it that way and not have to worry about appointments to wineries and a lunch reservation too. As for Sunday, there are great places for brunch in the area, I had a wonderful brunch at the BoonFly cafe, and there are other good recs to find on the board.
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Thursday night, you'll need dinner. It'll be your only dinner in SF; pick wisely. Please provide general parameters. Go "ethnic" for your one night outside of wine country? High end modern like Coi / Commis (Coi has a lounge too)? Endless tasting menu like the Dining Room at the Ritz? Tiny like Canteen? Boisterous like Nopa? Offal like Incanto?
For before or after dinner lounging, Bourbon and Branch is a fine idea. I'm sure you've read up, it's a password speakeasy like PDT requiring reservations for the non-crowded, excellently loungy room. Getting unmixed drinks there is a little of a waste: you don't have to go somewhere fancy if all they're doing is pouring into a glass.
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Cindy's is right in the heart of the Napa Valley, very convenient. But whatever you decide on, do plan a leisurely lunch: you don't want to wine taste on an empty stomach, and spending an entire day in the vineyards can cause burnout -- you need to pace yourself. I think Meadowood is a better choice than La Toque.
I think doing dinner back at the house after lunch at French Laundry sounds like the perfect solution -- there are lots of great purveyors in the Napa Valley and you'll get a real taste of the Napa lifestyle.
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