Jim & Jamie’s Adventures In Napa

First of all, inform your innkeepers early about your food preferences.  That is most important so that we can plan and work around your needs.  We’ve been able to accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, kosher, vegetarian, pescatarian, and vegan dietary needs.   I’m not saying it’s easy, but it can be done; and the more notice we receive, the better we can prepare something hot and delicious for your stay.  I’m a huge carnivore, but at times I like to order as a vegetarian or pescatarian at restaurants and have found that I have plenty of options.  The most obvious restaurant is Ubuntu, an outstanding vegetarian restaurant in Napa (this is not a “crunchy-granola” kind of dining establishment with overcooked and saturated in butter vegetables, but rather a high-end, beautifully presented, and incredible rich in flavor restaurant), that offers vegan options; comparable to Greens Restaurant is San Francisco.  Angele and Zuzu’s can also accommodate most dietary needs.  Again, if your innkeepers know ahead of time, we can inform the restaurant and they can better prepare something with great flavor and quality.   All of these restaurants provide fish and vegetarian options and typically will adjust their dishes for your needs.  Angele has worked with me when I didn’t want any meat or fish, and I enjoyed a beautiful white asparagus and white wine risotto with morel mushrooms.  Zuzu’s offers small vegetarian and fish dishes that their tapas-style menu can accommodate many needs, as does Elements.  Ad hoc in Yountville is another restaurant that can adjust the menu around your needs, although with a pre-fixed 4-course meal advance notification is a must.  Martini House in St. Helena is well-known for its 7-course mushroom tasting menu.  I’ve also worked out plenty of vegetarian and pescatarian options at any of the Italian restaurants (Allegria or Don Giovanni).

Sitting on Washington Street in Yountville, Bistro Jeanty welcomes you to a taste of France.  We entered a small dining room decorated much like you would see in Paris at a cafe, and then walked out onto the side patio, a large area for dining outdoors.  The menu is very “french” with menu items that still make my mouth water: foie gras pate, beef tartare, tomato soup with pastry crust, and cassoulet.  We weren’t going to order dessert but the chocolate galette and the creme brulee were just too tempting to miss.   The portions here are very large on everything.  You may find that you want to share and not order individually.  We wanted to sample a little bit of everything, stating that we would take the left-overs home for lunch the next day.  The flavors were too good to set aside and, sadly, it meant we finished everything on our plates.  Which means, I suppose, that we’ll have to go back and try some other things.  For food in solid French fashion, Bistro Jeanty is the place to eat.