Jim & Jamie’s Adventures In Napa

Mel and Steve came into town and we decided to meet them at Angele for dinner.  A great choice for a warm night and sitting outdoors on their patio with a view of the river.  (Be warned: when the sun went down the wind picked up and the patio turned cold…they turned on patio heaters for us and even brought out a chef’s coat for Jamie to wear as he was cold…in August/September, that is usually not a problem).  We started with a lavender martini- wow!  Very tasty, with bits of lavender flowers in the drink and a lemon sugar on the rim.  Mmm, mmm, good.  We shared a couple of salads- a Ceasar and a house specialty salad with butterleaf lettuce, bleu cheese, and candied pecans.  A good start to the meal.  I decided I wanted the special risotto they were serving: morel mushrooms, white asparagus, with seared scallops.  Because I have a personal issue with mixing mushrooms with scallops, I chose to have more mushrooms and to bypass the scallops.  That was a great choice for me.  I finished my meal with cheese and three small sides: candied nuts, a lovely jam, and some honey.  The others enjoyed their Halibut served with green beans and potatoes and they shared that always great banana gratin.  You have to try it.  It is a most unusual and tasty dessert.  Although they have lovely alfresco dining at night, I much prefer to go here for lunch.  For those who arrive before check-in time (3:30 p.m.) and want a bite to eat, this is the restaurant of choice to send them to…the food is good and the patio is a nice place to sit and rest for awhile.