Harvest Table Restaurant in Napa's St. Helena Review: Good Eats Napa Valley

View fullsize

---

Harvest Table

1 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574|  (707) 967-4695

AT A GLANCE:  High quality farm to table dining at the Harvest Inn's Charlie Palmer restaurant. Hidden gem, food will not disappoint.

---

With five culinary gardens on site, Harvest Table prides it self on serving local seasonal dishes that highlight the Napa Valley’s agricultural prowess. Even the honey comes from the garden bees used to pollinate the crops. Needless to say the dishes are inspired and constructed with a familiarity of farmers market style cooking. These guys take farm to table seriously!

The two open patios blend seamlessly with the inner dinning room and present a connection with the forested grounds of the Harvest Inn. The restaurant setting is detailed but not elaborate and is a place where comfortable conversations thrive.

The menus are split between lighter and more robust options with equal weight given to both. The roasted Carrots with Granola were a great introduction into the Harvest Table’s mantra of fresh/local. And as the Chef Levi Mezick hails from the south, the Shrimp and Grits have an unmistakable authenticity and passion. The octopus salad, with octopus slow cooked for 4 1/2 hours and then finished on the grill, was an excellent companion for the Domain Caneros Brut (2010) and spring heat. The Pork Chop—paired with Polenta and morels with fresh pea greens reminding the garden beds are a stones throw from the table—was cooked perfectly. We finished with a mentionable Chocolate peanut butter bar and a Rhubarb Shortbread; both nothing less than delicious.

If you're wine tasting in St. Helena and getting a bit hungry, take a detour and stop in for a bite at the bar. Oysters, Pommes Dauphine (fancy Tater tots), Crispy Pork Head, a Burger, and homemade ice cream sandwiches, can all be found on the bar menu. I'll be on the patio :-)

GUEST BLOG AUTHOR BRIAN LARSEN

Which Napa Wineries Allow Dogs? Dog Friendly Napa Valley Wineries (With 2 for 1 Discounts)

Looking for Napa's Dog Friendly Wineries (and 2 for 1 tastings)?

Looking for Dog Friendly Wineries? Napa loves dogs, you love wine, it's a perfect match!  Visit the following wineries with your Priority Wine Pass and get the following 2 for 1's tastings and other discounts.  What, you don't have a wine pass yet?  Go to prioritywinepass.com and get one pass per couple and have a Napa wine tasting experience with your best friend! 

• Alpha Omega  $20 off private single barrel tasting by apt only

• Amici (2 for 1) reservation only

• Bennett Lane (Upgraded patio tasting with purchase of classic tasting)

• Cairdean (2 for 1 tasting)

• Clos Pegase (2 comp tastings and 20% off wine purchases M_F)

• Cornerstone Cellars (2 for 1)

• Dutch Henry (25% off tasting or Complimentary Cave Tasting with purchase of standard classic tasting)

• Elizabeth Spencer (Complimentary Tasting with purchase of bottle)

• Hagafen (2 for 1 tasting except Saturday)

• Hill Family (2 for 1 tasting)

• Humanitas (Complimentary Molecular Gastronomy Experience with purchase of standard tasting)

• Jessup (2 for 1)

• Leaf and Vine (2 for 1)

• Paraduxx (10% off wine purchases or $10 off tasting with groups of 10+)

• Pope Valley (2 for 1 tasting)

• Trinitas (2 for 1 tasting)

• V.Sattui (2 for 1 tasting)

• Whitehall Lane (2 for 1 tasting)

My Favorite Napa Valley Restaurants: Redd Wood in Yountville

View fullsize

Good restaurants in Napa aren't hard to find. But good restaurants in Napa that offer great value without chef compromise are. Every now and then as I eat my way around Napa I find one that tugs at my heart without grabbing my wallet and I'm loving REDD WOOD in Yountville.

View fullsize

The casual setting is urban contemporary, hip, trendy. And though they call it a pizzaria it's much more than that. But would you expect anything less from Chef Richard Reddington, the guy behind popular (and more upscale) Redd in Yountville?

View fullsize

I started with some Frito Misto, delicately fried seafood with vegetables. Let me say that again - delicate. No greasy, soggy mess, it was light and lovely and next time I think I will get this and keep it to myself - it's that good.

Wings. I cannot resist wings on the menu and these were perfectly cooked and delicious. There are a lot of lousy wings being served these days but not these. I mean, look at those wings and I defy you not to want to reach out and grab one!

View fullsize

After drinking so much great Napa cabs all day I wanted a steak. Now I just read in Bon Appetite that you should NEVER order a steak out unless you are at a steakhouse and I get that. Most restaurants that don't focus on steak don't do a very good job but Redd Wood nails this steak - dare I say better than Ruth's Chris or Flemming's? This steak was also huge, big enough for 2 to share. So. Good.

View fullsize

Had to at least try the pizza since they do call themselves a pizza joint and I was not disappointed. Light and airy crust and enough toppings to shame most "gourmet" pizzas, this is the perfect choice after wine tasting all day.

View fullsize

After dinner smiles - no, that is not me but I was there! And you should go there too - REDD WOOD is easily one of my top favorite Napa restaurants, located at the north tip of Yountville. Go, you will love it!

Local Wally, Napa Tourist Guide

Locals Flock to Trendy Ca’ Momi Osteria in Downtown Napa

I'm not Italian but I got to eat like one the other night at downtown Napa's Ca' Momi Osteria, a restaurant that prides itself on it's authenticity.  This is a friendly and casual place, not to be confused with their even more casual location called Ca' Momi Enoteca at the Oxbow Public Market. 

View fullsize

Cool and contemporary dining room at Ca'Momi in downtown Napa

We had been wine tasting all day with a baby - an actual baby, not a grumpy adult - and we were tired and just wanted to relax. I like that the restaurant noise level was lively enough but not SHOUT IN CAPS loud, especially since we had the sleeping baby with us. Yes, you can actually have a conversation here making Ca'Momi a good date night place. But enough of that, let's get to the food.

View fullsize

We started with some fresh burrata with wood oven roasted vegetables, a great appetizer. The cheese was soft and creamy and the veggies had that nice smoke undertone that was so good... mmmm, like this dish. 

View fullsize

Crazy deep fried pizza!

I was really hungry so when they told me of a deep fried pizza I was sold. They form the pizza dough and fry it and them finish it like a margarita pizza in the oven. I am assuming that this is an authentic dish somewhere but it was a bit weird, like something you might order at the fair, so I might pass on this one next time. The other pizzas around us all looked good however so I wouldn't avoid the pizzas, just maybe save this one for a, um, special occasion.

View fullsize

Grilled Cuttlefish?  What's a Cuttlefish?

Next up was grilled cuttlefish. Wait, what?  I LOVE cuttlefish at the aquarium, nutty looking sea creatures that look like alien monsters. Well, I guess you can cook them up and eat them and they taste pretty much like calamari so no complaints here.  This was a nice surprise brought to us by the chef and worth getting. I did feel a bit guilty eating them but it's not my fault they taste so good. Let's move on to the next course. Man these Italians can eat!

View fullsize

Can you spot the prawns?

Now we're talking! Spot prawns on top of house made squid ink pasta with sea urchin, it's the best of the best of the sea and delightfully delicious. Sorry cuttlefish, you've met your match. Wait, what did you get?

View fullsize

Oxtail over pasta, the best dish of the night.

I had some serious plate envy when I saw you got the braised Oxtail. If you're wondering what it's like it's a bit like the best short ribs you have ever tasted, decadently tender and flavorful. Add some fresh pasta, some pine nuts, this easily was the best dish of the night, good enough to make me forgive the deep fried pizza :-)

So next time you're wondering where to eat give Ca'Momi in Downtown Napa a try. Great ambiance, authentic Italian food, attentive service and moderate prices, it's a good pick in a town filled with top notch restaurants.

Ca'Momi Osteriai | 1141 First St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 224-MOMI (6664)

Local Wally Dedicates His New Site to Budget Wine Lovers Everywhere

I started Local Wally's Napa Tourist Guide over 10 years ago.  Back then wine coupons were everywhere yet no one collected them all and put them in one place until I did.  Today there are fewer coupons, fewer freebies, and certainly more competition.  Yet the people have spoken:  More FREE wine and More Napa Deals!

How could I not help out? I sought out the best source for Napa wine tasting deals and found them on the Priority Wine Pass, and then cut a deal for my readers to get the pass for the cheapest price, guaranteed.  I also spend my time looking for every last coupon on the internet and posted everything, and I mean every legit deal, on my Napa on a Budget page.

Times are tough but wine is good so my goal with the new site is to make sure you get yourself to Napa and to make sure you get your fair share of deals and free wine. You have my word on this - no gimmicks, no tricks, just lots of money saving tips to stretch your Napa wine tasting budget.

Cheers,

Wally