Coi

This is part 7 and the final post of the Napa Valley Adventures series. Other posts in this series: Ad Hoc, Bottega Ristorante, Joseph Phelps Winery, Etoile, and Terra Restaurant.

My husband is from California, and like almost all Californians, thinks that California is "the promised land" and "the happiest place on earth."

"Why would you ever want to live anywhere else?"

Yes, it begs the question why he lives in Boston now. Let's just say there was this girl . . . ;)

Having lived my whole life either in the Midwest or the East Coast, I like to think I have a more balanced view of the world, including the ability to appreciate great things about all different regions.

Having said that, there is one thing I love about California more than any other place in the U.S.

The produce.

Yep, the produce in California is astounding. Trying stopping by the farmers market at the Ferry Building (where you're bound to see produce you've never seen before), or visit the Berkeley Bowl, one of the coolest markets ever.

The abundance of fantastic produce allows unique restaurants like Coi to exist in California. Coi is really interesting because the entire menu is built around foraged ingredients.

Chef Daniel Patterson has been doing the foraging thing long before it became in vogue. He began 18 years ago when he opened his first restaurant Babette in Sonoma County. At Coi, he continues his commitment to the concept, creating menus that are so focused on foraged ingredients, they would "fall apart" without them.

Patterson remarks, "once you go down that road [of foraging for your ingredients], it’s merciless. You can’t just call a purveyor for a delivery because it’s cold and raining. You do it, every day, under every condition."

I've always been a huge fan of vegetables and herbs, so of course I was intrigued to see how Patterson's philosophy would play out on the plate.

Before heading out to Napa Valley to cover the 10th annual S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, Bryan and I snuck in a meal at Coi after landing at SFO.

The atmosphere at Coi is zen-like and inviting. It's on the quiet side, but it doesn't necessary feel stuffy. The service is excellent, and we settle comfortably into our cozy seats in the small and intimate dining room.

We begin with a simple amuse - brown rice crisps accompanied by a light and airy goat cheese "dip." Thankfully, the goat flavor is subtle. In fact, the dip is bright and citrusy, its fluffy texture being the perfect match to the delicate crisps.

For our first course, we taste "celtuce," an ancestor to our common lettuce which has more stems than leaves. This light, crispy vegetable is enveloped by an airy romaine heart and smoked oil foam. Perched on top is a most delicate tuile made from seaweed and squid ink garam. A tart beginning ends with a rich and smoky finish.

Next we enjoy an East coast Virginium oyster ("locally" grown in Seattle) served with radish mignonette and a basil gelee (not pictured - I know, I can't believe I forgot!). The oyster is sweet, mild, and not too briny.

A gorgeous little mosaic of colors (reminding me of another even more intricate mosaic I'd had a few years earlier) appears next. Dark purple cubes of cocoa-roasted beets sit interspersed with bright pink cubes of rhubarb gelee. Beet powder, yogurt, hazelnuts, and tiny little cilantro leaves complete the plate.

The tartness from the rhubarb nicely balances out the deep richness from the cocoa. I like the additional contrast from the aromatic cilantro and the crunchy hazelnuts.

"Allium" is a general term that describes plants in the onion family. It's large enough to include leeks, scallions, all different kinds of garlic, and (of course), onions. This dish includes various types of allium, including green garlic, spring onion & lardon purée, "allium", toasted breadcrumbs, and fresh flowers. I love the intensely rich flavors between the strong allium components and the fatty lardon puree.

Continuing with the green theme, we next savor a velvety asparagus soup with coconut foam and "green" flavors (lemon balm and lemon grass).
The next course is a playful take on an all-American classic: the movie popcorn.  On the left: traditional movie-style butter popcorn. On the right: grits made from butter popcorn that have been smashed, ground up, and strained over and over to attain this consistency. This is whimsical, fun, and actually quite tasty (though I wonder what part of this dish is foraged?).

Delicate ribbons of abalone "a la plancha" (grilled) resemble noodles when served with shaved fennel and artichoke. The dish is perfectly seasoned - a balanced combination of bright tartness and savory umami.

The only true meat course is lamb served two-way. First, we try lamb tartare from Anderson Farms in Oregon served with fresh sprouts and wheatgrass purée. Bryan thinks the lamb could use more flavor, though I personally love the wheatgrass puree. It is wonderfully "grassy" and herbaceous, and probably helps cut any residual gaminess from the lamb.

We end with gorgeously tender lamb poached in olive oil, smoked over pine, and served with wood sorrel, yet another edible wild plant that has been eaten for thousands of years.

I loved the "cheese course", a sheep's milk yogurt tart made with a beeswax crust and gooseberry sauce.  Even though the yogurt is salty by itself, the overall dish tastes sweet and tart when eaten with the honey served on the side.

Oro blanco (a cross between pomelo and white grapefruit) and ginger ice cream becomes a sort of palate cleanser between the cheese course and the true dessert.

Finally, a delicate soy milk and white chocolate silk with kiwi and a faux tuile on top.

We end with litte nibbles of a raw almond and honey tuile. I find this to be satisfyingly delicious. Though a bit cold (as if it came out straight from the refrigerator), it is sweet, rich, and just slightly chewy.

Overall Thoughts
I personally really, really liked Coi. Chef Patterson is very creative with his use of foraged herbs. In general, there were no flaws in the execution of the entire evening. Dishes were perfectly seasoned, flavor combinations worked tremendously well, presentation was gorgeous, and service was impeccable.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. There are hardly any meat courses, and many of the dishes are subtle in their flavors. Bryan got the wine pairing, and almost every course was paired with a white wine save for the final few. That tells you something about the overall "lightness" of the dishes.

However, I felt great when I finished our meal at Coi.

Frankly, I almost never feel this way. Typically, after a multi-course tasting menu at a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant, I'm stuffed, slightly uncomfortable, and vowing to Bryan that we won't ever eat tasting menus again.

This was different.

I walked out feeling perfectly satisfied, even healthy, and really, really happy. I remember telling Bryan, "I really, really enjoyed that meal."

Bryan, your more-typical guy who enjoys a balanced blend of meat and vegetables, thought Coi was good, but acknowledged, "I think you liked Coi a lot more than I did."

We both agreed that execution was fantastic, and at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference whether you'll just like and respect Coi or absolutely fall in love with it. Me, I absolutely think they deserve their two Michelin stars.

This ends the Napa Valley Adventures Series! If you haven't had your fill of Northern California related posts, check out some of these!

French Laundry 
Ad Hoc
Bouchon Bakery
Bottega Ristorante
Etoile
Terra
Redd

Coi
373 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133

Terra (Napa Valley)

This is part 4 of the Napa Valley Adventures series. Other posts in this series: Ad Hoc, Bottega Ristorante, Joseph Phelps Winery, and Etoile.

Usually, I don't pay much attention to the people dining around me at restaurants. Occasionally I may glance at other diners' dishes for inspiration, or perhaps I'll overhear a funny conversation. In general, however, I'm pretty oblivious to my surroundings (hello inner Myers Briggs "N" personality type).

But then there was that dinner at Terra in St. Helena, Napa Valley.

An older couple, probably in their seventies, was enjoying a meal right across the (small) room from us.

I think we were struck by how sweet they were to each other. Throughout the night, the man referred to promises he had made to his wife, and how he intended on keeping them.

And then we found out they had been together for fifty years. They were celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.


Bryan quietly pulled our waiter aside.

"We'd like to treat them to their drinks. Whatever they are drinking, just put it on our tab."

Bryan turned to me.

"Fifty years is a long time!"

I briefly had a flashback. Probably 15 years ago, a year after we started dating, Bryan had given me a card. It had a picture of a really old couple, riding bikes, holding hands.

"I look forward to growing old together with you."

What better place than Terra to celebrate such a momentous occasion. We absolutely loved this restaurant. The ambiance is really romantic, the service is excellent, and the food is top notch.

Chilled Capellini with American Sturgeon Caviar, Virgin Olive Oil, and Chive

Chef Hiro Sone and his wife pastry chef Lissa Doumani have had this Napa Valley institution for over twenty years. The couple originally met while working at Spago in Los Angeles. Before that, Chef Sone trained in a number of places, including École Technique Hôtelière Tsuji, where he studied under the likes of French greats like Joel Robuchon, Paul Bocuse, and Pierre Troisgros. He also learned from many other chefs from Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and China.

In January 2011, the couple decided to renovate and "reinvigorate" their 20+ year old restaurant. After obtaining a liquor license, they made several changes.

The restaurant, which used to have two separate rooms, has now become two separate parts. One side is a more casual bar (Bar Terra), with "inspired drinks and lighter fare." The other side is Terra, the fine dining restaurant that holds one Michelin Star.
Tuna Sashimi with Radish Salad, Hijiki Seaweed, and Yuzu Pepper Vinaigrette

They've changed the menu format at Terra as well. I love this new format, in fact.

The menu is a long list of smaller-sized "tastes." Essentially, you get to create your own tasting menu.

You can get four courses for $66, five courses for $81, or six courses for $92. The omakase (Chef’s choice tasting menu), consists of seven or more courses. There is also a special daily set menu of 3 courses for $57.

Polenta Soup with Fontina Cheese, Slow Cooked Jidori Egg, and Winter Truffles

We absolutely loved the food. Although Chef Sone is Japanese, his food expresses influence from all over the world. His diverse training is evident throughout the menu. We certainly experienced Japanese-inspired dishes, but we also tasted aspects of France, Greece, Italy, and China. 

Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Oxtail Sugo and Braised Winter Greens

My favorite part was the flexibility of the menu. Bryan and I both decided to go for the smallest tasting (4-course for $66), yet we ordered eight completely different dishes. What resulted felt like an 8-course tasting for only $66, which is quite a bargain when you consider the quality of the food.

Fois Gras Tortelloni in Game Sauce with Cipollini, Shimeji Mushrooms, and Shaved Chestnuts

I liked how we weren't forced into a normal style tasting menu, where you have to start with a light (often raw) dish and end on some heavy, buttery steak or other red meat.

Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and Shrimp Dumpling in Shiso Broth

Instead, I had the option of ordering whatever I wanted in whatever order I fancied (though they will make suggestions). Notice how we have no red meat in our tasting, instead ending with fish and duck.

Grilled Liberty Farm Duck Breast with Chestnut Yam Puree and Huckleberry Duck Sauce 

I also liked how they had less expensive options for wine. Bryan and I shared a house red, served in an Erlenmeyer flask! (See top picture - I was quite thrilled). Our celebrating "friends" sitting across from us ordered something similar.

Fig Compote with Labne, Mt. Shasta Wild Flower Honey and Pistachio Burma 

The dessert from pastry chef Lissa Doumani was excellent. The burma was perfectly executed in all its flaky, crispy, and messy-to-eat glory (sorry Bryan!). Similarly, the figs and labne, both very classic Middle Eastern components, worked perfectly with the dish.

I would highly recommend coming here. The combination of the friendly price point, flexibility of choice, and the fantastic food (not to mention the Japanese influence), makes this one of my favorite restaurants in Napa Valley thus far.

* * * epilogue * * *

At the end of the night, when the couple found out we had paid for their drinks, they came over to thank us. Turns out they have three children and loads of grandchildren. They grew up in this area and absolutely love it. The woman is an extremely talented artist with an education from Stanford University (can you imagine being a woman at such a top notch university that many years ago? wow.)

The man chuckled and jokingly remarked "we lasted this long because we both knew that if one of us left the other, we'd be stuck alone raising three kids."

All joking aside, it was clear that this couple had been partners for a very long time and cared deeply for one another. We were thrilled to be able to share this wonderful day with them.

We said our good-bys, exchanged cards, and went along on our merry way.

Definitely a dinner I won't forget.

Terra Restaurant
1345 Railroad Ave
St. Helena, CA 94574
 St Helena, CA 94574

Etoile (Chandon Winery)

This is part 4 of the Napa Valley Adventures series. Other posts in this series: Ad Hoc, Bottega Ristorante, and Joseph Phelps Winery

There aren't that many places in Napa County where you can sit on the grounds of a winery and dine at a first rate restaurant.

Why is that?

Napa County actually has a law that prohibits restaurants inside of wineries. Although many wineries do offer small bites of food during their wine tastings, full fledged restaurants are not allowed. Etoile, a one-star Michelin restaurant nestled right in the middle of Domain Chandon Winery, was lucky enough to be grandfathered in when this law took effect.

As a result, a meal at Etoile is unique in a lot of ways.

You can visit the winery in the morning, and then walk straight into the restaurant for lunch. The dishes are tightly integrated with the wines at Domain Chandon, and the views of the vineyard from the restaurant are gorgeous.

Domaine Chandon is a super convenient winery to visit if you're staying in Yountville (home of The French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Redd, and Bouchon), because it's right on the other side of St. Helena Highway from the town center of Yountville.

I love, love, love walking, and I came up with the brilliant idea of walking to the winery from our hotel. At first Bryan wasn't thrilled with the idea, but after seeing how close it was on a map, he agreed to try it. It took about 15 minutes and worked out great. The walk was crisp, refreshing, and beautiful. The path isn't necessarily designed for pedestrians (you do walk up this looooong "driveway" to the winery), but it's totally safe and doable. There is a definitely a clear pedestrian and bike route for crossing to the other side of St. Helena Highway.

Domain Chandon was the first French owned winery in Napa Valley to produce sparkling wines. Moet and Chandon (yes, the famous champagne company) came to Napa Valley in 1973 to start Domain Chandon.

Although Domain Chandon is most known for its sparkling wines, the winery also makes pinot noir, pinot meunier, and even cabernet sauvignon! Most of these other wines are made on a smaller scale, and many of them are not available outside of the winery and the wine club.

They also have several types of sparkling wines, including the top of the line étoile Tête de Cuvée, which has spent seven years aging on the lees (yeast).

Bryan and I took a fun little basic tour at 11AM ($12) right before our 12PM lunch reservation at Etoile. We walked through various barrel rooms and learn interesting facts about Chandon. We tried a barrel tasting of a pinot meunier, which tasted young, a bit harsh, and definitely not quite ready.

After the tour ended at 11:30AM, we spent about 30 minutes tasting a few Chandon wines (you can purchase individual "splashes","pours", or you can opt for a flight instead). We even tried a bottled version of the same pinot meunier, which tasted much better! Our favorite was (not surprisingly), the étoile Tête de Cuvée, which was complex, creamy, and had much more character than the other ones we tried. Of course, it also retails for $100 ($80 for club members).

The dining room at Etoile is gorgeous, with large windows facing out into the winery. I especially loved coming at lunch because the entire dining room was bright, basking in the sunlight from the outside.

I began with the Romaine Heart Soup  ($16), a velvety, gorgeously green soup poured over fried tempura oyster, braised bacon, onion jam, and roasted purple artichokes.

The soup was fantastic - it was intensely flavorful (of romaine!) yet light and healthy at the same time. I loved how the strong umami from the oyster, bacon, onion jam, and roasted artichokes complemented the grassy notes from the romaine heart soup. 

Bryan started with the Dungeness Crab ($20), which was also very, very good. The tender crab meat came with salt roasted radish, young fennel, sorrel, and pickled Meyer lemon. I loved the variety of seasonal vegetables represented on the plate. Ah, imagine living in Napa Valley where you could get this produce every day.

Wine pairing: Chandon Brut Classic

For my main entree, I tried the Seared Dayboat Scallops ($33), which were excellent. They were perfectly seared and served with sweetbread, melted endive, treviso, and a deep, rich lobster veal sauce.

Wine pairing: Newton, "Unfiltered," Chardonnay, Napa County, 2007
Finally, Bryan (who loves homemade fettucini and sea urchin) not surprisingly chose to get the Sea Urchin Fetuccini, ($30) which came with an incredibly artful display of heirloom radishes, Meyer lemon, miners lettuce, and fennel all along the side of the dish.

Wine pairing: Poet's Leap Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2009

Isn't that an impressive display of vegetables? They are so pretty.

Caramelized Pear Mille-Feuille ($11) made with brandied butterscotch , almond toffee, and a candied peach was fantastic and highly recommended by the server.

Wine Pairing: La Spinette Moscato d'Asti Italy 2010

Thoughts
We had a great time at Etoile. We went off-season during lunch on a random Monday, so it was not very crowded at all. I assume that during the summer months, especially on weekends, it may be much harder to get a  reservation.

The food was all very well designed and executed - no real misses. It wasn't the most creative or inventive menu I've ever seen, but everything was cooked with great skill.

In some ways, I felt like I was eating really, really high-end spa food. Everything was so fresh and delicious yet felt really healthy at the same time. I like feeling that way when I eat at a restaurant. I wish more restaurants made me feel good and satisfied in a healthy sort of way when I leave (as opposed to feeling gross from being overly stuffed or unbalanced somehow!).

The ambiance is formal and a bit quiet, though the service is very warm and friendly. The wine list is so big that it's actually housed in an iPad. If you buy wine at the wine shop outside and you want to drink it in the restaurant, you still have to pay a corkage fee.

Overall, if you plan on visiting Domain Chandon anyway, this is a convenient and great option for lunch. If you actually do decide to join their wine club, you get a discount at the restaurant the day you dine there. We initially signed up for the wine club (tempted by the 50% off all purchase that day) but then canceled when we found out the discount did not apply to the étoile Tête de Cuvée, our favorite (you only get 20% off for that one).

Etoile
1 California Drive
Yountville, CA 94599

Joseph Phelps Winery

This is part 3 of the Napa Valley Adventures series. Other posts in this series: Ad Hoc and Bottega Ristorante

Imagine having a chance to play winemaker for an afternoon.

A chance to sit in your own "wine lab" and experiment, tasting individual flavor components from single origin wines, and then mixing them according to your preference.

Better yet, imagine you were using the same components used to make the winery's own very special, very expensive signature wine.

The Joseph Phelps Winery in Napa Valley holds many different kinds of interesting wine classes and workshops. The inner chemist in me was drawn to this "Make Your Own Insignia Blend" class because it looked so much more interesting than a basic tour. Better yet, we would be able to taste elements of the wine that we'd never be able to taste anywhere else.

The class is held inside their main tasting room. As soon as you enter, you see that each place setting already contains six glasses full of small amounts of red wine.

These are the individual components of the Insignia, the signature wine that Joseph Phelps Winery makes. From left to right, we tasted the following components, each from a single vineyard:

2008 Merlot
Oak Knoll District
Napa Valley

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Helena Ranch
St. Helena (Napa Valley)

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Suscol Ranch
Napa Valley

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Las Rocas & Barboza Ranches
Stags Leap District (Napa Valley)

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Banca Dorada Ranch
Rutherford (Napa Valley)

2008 Petit Verdot
St. Helena Ranch
St. Helena (Napa Valley)

The individual components are never sold to the public. Instead, they are blended together to make the signature Joseph Phelps Insignia, which contains 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot. Of course, we don't know the secret combination of the the ratios of the different Cabernet Sauvignons!

It was definitely interesting to taste the individual components. The Merlot definitely has the deepest fruit, while the Petit verdot is the complete opposite - almost harsh and acidic in a way. The different Cabernet Sauvignons tasted much more similar (it is the same grape after all, just different terrior from each of the regions), yet you could definitely taste the differences between the different regions.

It's pretty incredible how the mere soil from plots that are only a few miles apart can make such a difference.

After tasting all the wines, the real fun part began! Based on our own preferences, we tried blending our own wine. Each person was given a pipet that could hold 10mL of wine.
We then mouth pipetted various amounts into a glass and blended them to see how they would taste. For fun, Bryan first tried making a wine that was equal parts of each component. He quickly conceded that it wasn't that great.

Similarly, my random blends were OK, but didn't taste that amazing either.

Finally, they poured us a sample of the actual Insignia wine. Not surprisingly, it tasted a lot better than any of the blends we had tried making. Of course, it benefited from the fact that it had been kept at the perfect temperature and served in the perfect glass. Still, I think we've decided to keep our day jobs for now and not become winemakers!

Overall, we had tons of fun at the wine making seminar. It's just a bit different from a normal winery tour + tasting that you'd get.

Furthermore, on top of tasting all the components, you do get to taste several other Joseph Phelps wines. So it's sort of like a normal tour + tasting but with a fun and unusual twist.
 
Afterward, you get to hang out on the patio overlooking this gorgeous view for as long as you like.

Sip your wine, savor the sun, and just relax.

Notes
Tickets are $60 and you must reserve them beforehand from the website.