Napa dinner picks- need suggestions/advice to narrow down the shortlist to 5!

[Melodyk0818]

My bf and I are planning a 6-day trip to Napa/Sonoma- being a big foodie I am extremely excited about the dining experience & the chance to try 5 restaurants for dinner during our stay. The last night is also my birthday so I am also trying to pick a birthday dinner spot.

After browsing around Chowhound & the web, I've managed to narrow the list down to the following:

Meadowood
Redd
Bottega
Ubuntu
Ad Hoc
Etoile
Auberge du Soleil
La Toque

I would love to hear your thoughts on 1) which 5 of these would you pick, 2) which one would be the most special/awesome that would warrant a "birthday dinner spot", 3) any place I am missing (I would love to go to Cyrus, but it's an hour from where we're staying in Napa)? I would want to keep it a balanced mix (ie not the same cuisine/high-end/super heavy everyday).

We both live in NYC now and a few of my favorite NYC restaurants are: Eleven Madison Park (awesome experience for bday dinner 3 yrs ago), Corton, ABC Kitchen, momofuku, Babbo (and many more) hope this helps to show our preferences.

Thanks and I promise I will write detailed reviews when I'm back from the trip!

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Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio
1140 Main Street, Napa, CA 94558

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599

Auberge Du Soleil
180 Rutherford Hill Rd., Rutherford, CA 94573

Domaine Chandon - Etoile Restaurant
1 California Dr, Yountville, CA 94599

Redd
6480 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599

Meadowood Napa Valley
900 Meadowood Ln St, Helena, CA

Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

La Toque Restaurant
1314 McKinstry Street, Napa, CA 94559

[socal boy]

Been to all but Auberge and Etoile. Would pick in this order
1. Meadowood
2. La Toque
3. Redd
4. Bottega
5. Ad Hoc
Would go to Meadowood or La Toque for special dinner. Had an awesome tasting menu at Meadowood and would put it up there near TFL on food alone. TFL still has the whole experience. I haven't been to La Toque for a while but it still is a top 5 in Napa Valley. La Toque was one of the few places where the wine pairings matched and complemented each dish on their tasting menu. Service was formal but not stuffy.

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Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599

Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

La Toque Restaurant
1314 McKinstry Street, Napa, CA 94559

[Dan Wodarcyk]

Quite a list. Reading your New York list makes me want to go back soon! Love Momofuku and 11MP. Have you been to WD50? I digress.

I agree, Meadowood for your bday dinner. Will be a special experience. I did the chef's tasting with wine pairing. 2nd best meal I've ever had in Napa, only to French Laundry.
Also agree that you should try Oenotri. Best restaurant in downtown Napa hands down.
Redd
Ubuntu
Ad Hoc

If you have a chance, check out the Oxbow Public Market. Fun selection of small places to try for lunch, including Hog Island Oyster. You might want to consider Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, possibly over Ad Hoc. But with those 5 you'll be very happy.

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Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio
1140 Main Street, Napa, CA 94558

The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599

Bistro Jeanty
6510 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

Oxbow Public Market
610 First Street, Napa, CA 94559

Oenotri
1425 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

[Melodyk0818]

I think EMP still remains one of my favorite fine-dining experience! Have not been to WD50 (seems like ppl either love it or hate it) but I would def want to try it one day.

For Meadowood- was chef's tasting too much food?

How would you compare Oenotri with Bottega? Given the limited amount of time we're staying (and the abundance of high quality Italian places in NYC) I would want to just pick one of these two.

I've been to Bistro Jeanty last time I was in Napa and enjoyed the experience. Oxbow Public Market is a good idea- would love to check it out for light lunches.

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Oxbow Public Market
610 First Street, Napa, CA 94559

Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

Oenotri
1425 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

[willyum]

>> For Meadowood- was chef's tasting too much food? <<

I did the chef's tasting menu plus the wine pairings last winter at MW, didn't think it was too much food, but my wife opted for the shorter prix fixe menu. We had been to French Laundry the night prior, with its multitude of courses, and I was still fine with the amount of grub at Meadowood.

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The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[Dan Wodarcyk]

There's high quality everything in NYC. I recommend Oenotri over Bottega. The tasting menu at MW was very generous. There is no way I could do a French Laundry tasting menu one night and Meadowood the next. So yes, for me it is a lot of food, 8-10 courses or so, which I cannot do that often. But worth the experience.

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The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

Oenotri
1425 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

[jmarilyn426]

I would toss into the mix for consideration; Oentri, Morimoto Napa and Rotisserie and Wine. Oentri has off the chart reviews and is an awesome experience, not fancy but extremely authentic great food. Morimoto Napa is quite the experience and the food is out of this world. Redd in Yountville should NOT be missed.

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Morimoto
610 Main Street, Napa, CA

[Melodyk0818]

I noticed Oenotri too- how would you compare that with Bottega? If I can only do one Italian during our stay which one would you prefer?

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Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

Oenotri
1425 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

[Dawgmommy]

Your list covers quite a range and they are all good. For your b-day dinner, I would recommend Meadowood. Not everyone likes it, as it's more quiet and secluded. Prices have gone up recently and it's close to French Laundry prices. I go a couple of times a year for special occasions and usually get the prix fix with wine pairing.

You can also stay there, not sure how much the rooms are, they have pool, spa, tennis, and golf (small course).

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The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[Melodyk0818]

Thanks- I was thinking about making Meadowood for bday dinner as well. Did you like the wine-pairing with the prix fix? Or should I spend the extra $$ with the chef's tasting?

[Dawgmommy]

Yes, I did like it. It could be just me, but the chef's tasting menu seems like too much food. I've been pleasantly full with the prix fix.