Author: Ed

Ok…I’ll preface this by saying that this was easily the superior meal of the two dinners on this trip. Hurley’s ended up being directly across the street from Bardessono. I don’t know where to start…but wow!

So the meal started off with the most awesome butternut squash and mushroom risotto. This was easily the best risotto I’ve ever had. And that’s saying something because I like risotto in general and I’ve certainly had some great ones. This one had a richness and slight saltiness to it that was very hearty, yet I never got the upset heavy food stomach that I usually get after eating a rich risotto. Bravo – this is a must-have for any risotto lovers who visit Napa.

The next course was equally memorable. The wilted spinach salad had sun dried tomatoes and a sherry bacon vinaigrette. Oh. My. God. I could have eaten two servings of this. I love spinach anyways, but the vinaigrette really did have this hint of bacony goodness that just made this salad come alive. Seriously, one of the best salads I’ve had in a very long time. That’s saying a lot considering our recent trips to Tender Greens.

And the third course? I chose the Oakwood Grilled Mid-Western Grilled Rib-Eye. It was truly a sorted steak, as the English might say. The meat literally seemed to dissolve on contact and was extraordinarily juicy. The creamy potatoes and leeks on the side were equally impressive. Creamy and rich, but not stomach-ache inducing. And the asparagus…perfectly cooked in what was obviously some very high quality EVOO. I wish I had a true foodie’s vocabulary to describe just how perfect this seemingly Plebeian dish was….its perfect execution made it sublime.

The dessert was a martini glass with pear and tangerine sorbets. Anyone who attended our wedding knows we’re a fan of yummy things served in martini glasses. The sorbets were a perfect palate cleanser…despite the heavy meal, I left Hurley’s in anything but a food coma.

I recommend Hurley’s to anyone visiting Napa. It just makes me know that Carrie and I are going to have to come back up here for a truly Epicurean weekend experience (hopefully with Wade and Brittany!). I just barely scratched the tip of the iceberg here!

I got to travel to Napa Valley for the media launch of the new 2010 Toyota Prius. I can’t talk about the car yet as all photos and driving impressions are embargoed until next month, but I can definitely talk about the food! This review is the first of two – it’s the in-house restaurant at the Bardessono, an eco-chic hotel that just opened up earlier this month in Yountville, about 15 minutes north of Napa.

The hotel is fantastic. It’s modern, contemporary, and very, very green. It’s made of recycled and reclaimed materials, much of the power comes from photovoltaic panels on the roof, and there is all kinds of smart technology that keeps energy consumption at a bare minimum. Some of the power even comes from geothermal sources under the hotel!

Anyways, our press corps ate the first night at Bardessono’s restaurant. As you’d expect, almost everything in the menu is organic, and where possible, ingredients are locally sourced. I love this kind of stuff.

And what did we eat? Well, it was a set menu for us media. We started off with a Star Route Farm Salad. I forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry I forgot! Anyways, it was relatively simple with little gem lettuce, winter chicories, macadamia nuts, and a red wine vinaigrette, but the freshness was very apparent. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was truly refreshing and delicious.

So, the next course was my favorite: Hook and Line Atlantic Cod. It has a crispy skin, brandade (a puree of cod, milk, and olive oil), and was bathed in a lemon caper brown butter sauce. Oh yes. Melt in your mouth kind of delicious. Obviously not locally sourced, but who cares? It was the bomb. The skin added a nice crispiness without the sort of nasty fishiness that some fish skins impart. And that butter sauce was sublime.

The third course was Watson’s Napa Lamb. Regrettably, I ate most of it before I got around to taking the pic. It was braised in curry and coconut and had cocnut basmati rice on the side. I actually usually dislike lamb, and I would say this dish would have tasted great to the lamb lover. Again, the quality was apparent, but I just don’t like the gamey flavor. As you can see, I didn’t finish it. I lapped up everything else though!

Finally, dessert was a Chocalate Caramel Tart with a salted caramel ice cream. Wow. Caramel ice cream…. Not much I can say about it except that it truly was delicious. It really refreshed the palate after that lamb and finished off a great meal.

Tonight, we eat at Hurley’s Restaurant. Stay tuned!