So, here I am in the Napa Valley, house-sitting/dog-sitting for my son and daughter-in-law while they go on their much delayed/much needed honeymoon in Hawaii. I have a rental car, a full tank of gas and access to some of the best food in the country, not to mention my own private wine cellar (my son told me anything was fair game as long as it wasn't on the top rack). I know - it's tough but someone has to do it. Although it's not quite the dream job I imagined it would be (see my related blog titled "The Perils of Porter").
I've traveled a lot in my life (between the Army and various jobs) but it still never fails to amaze me how, in just the space of a couple of hours, I can get on a plane and be in a totally different place. I left Boise Friday at noon and just three hours later (after two hours on a plane and one harrowing rental car drive from Oakland) found myself in Napa, CA. It was like landing on a different planet without the spaceship ride or ending up in a foreign country without needing a passport.
What I love about Napa (aside from the obvious fantastic wine) is the energy it exudes. After arriving at my son's house we headed downtown for dinner. My daughter-in-law Sarah (who, by the way, is the best daughter-in-law anyone could ask for) called ahead to Oenotri to see if we could get a table on a Friday night. Oenotri is new to the downtown Napa restaurant scene and has garnered a lot of good reviews so I was excited at the prospect of having dinner there. According to its website Oenotri "is an Italian restaurant in downtown Napa featuring a daily changing menu driven by ingredients that are local, fresh and in season." It also has a fantastic wine list that features 25 wines under $25. Another one of Oenotri's signature items is its salumi offerings of both dry-cured and cooked and formed meats. That's not a typo, folks. The word "salumi" means means Italian-style cured or preserved meats.
We arrived at Oenotri and I was immediately impressed by the lively, bustling atmosphere, as well as the open kitchen where I could watch the chefs at work. Even though we didn't have a reservation, a very talented, creative hostess managed to seat us at a table for two (which turned into a table for three) within 20 minutes. After we were seated and had a chance to look at the dinner menu, Jason decided to order a salumi platter while we contemplated the menu further. Sarah chose the PORCINI PENNETTE WITH SAUTEED WILD NETTLES AND ROSA BIANCA EGGPLANT, while Jason went with the BUCATINI ALL’ AMATRICIANA, PANCETTA, TOMATO AND HOT PEPPER. Not really in the mood to experiment too wildly, I chose the MOSTACCIOLI WITH WILLIS FARM PORK RAGU AND PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO. My son, whose appetite is legendary, also ordered a MARGHERITA pizza that was baked in wood-fueled Acino oven from Naples, just in case we weren't sufficiently full from our entrees. We enjoyed the salumi platter and our entrees arrived much quicker than I had anticipated, considering the restaurant was packed.
I thoroughly enjoyed my mostaccioli and the pork ragu was hearty without being heavy. Sarah and Jason complimented their entrees as well and we all enjoyed the Margherita pizza (although Jason ate the final piece). No one had room for dessert, although Sarah gave the dessert menu a cursory glance but decided against it.
All in all, it was a wonderful re-introduction to Napa and all it has to offer and I'm looking forward to trying a few more restaurants while I'm here.
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