Farmstead

No question, Farmstead is currently the most underrated, under-the-radar restaurant in Napa. This is hands down my favorite new spot yet I feel like they do not get the buzz they deserve and here is why...

Having the unavoidable experience of interfacing with tourists on a daily basis for the last 5+ months, I have come to observe one possession they all share---an itinerary. Whether they are crazy planners or "fly by the seat of their pants" types, people have picked up pieces of information on Napa before they arrive. I have seen widely varying degrees of these itineraries. One nutjob was elated to show me his three-ring binder. I immediately knew he was heading down the path of psycho when he commented on the printed labels of his favorite wineries he used to adorn the cover. Yikes! Most commonly, I hear, "I told my friends and family I planning a trip to Napa and my brother-in-law told me to go to _____, my co-worker was at ______ in '05 and loved it, or the people we just met said ______ was their favorite." Based on all these tidbits, itineraries are created.

Whether they use Martha Stewart craftsmanship or jot down mental notes of "oh yea, I heard about that place and want to try it," everyone goes off recommendations in Napa! Farmstead has not been around long enough to get on those suggested lists. The cycle perpetuates because then new visitors are not trying Farmstead! The business is certainly not lacking, do not get me wrong, but this place should be blowing everywhere else out of the water!

Executive Chef, Sheamus Feeley (former legend at Rutherford Grill), is a winner. In addition to the best personality of any back-of-house guy I have ever met, you genuinely want him to succeed. His energy spreads through the gorgeous restaurant.



I have been to Farmstead on two occasions. For completely unrelated reasons, I turned vegetarian from the time between my first visit and most recent. This burger is the single reason I may revert. Every ingredient is pure perfection. Namely the mustard is so delicious, I was straight up dipping everything in it. Potatoes, lettuce, anything I could get my hands on! The second time around, I selected the black cod. The fish was just dandy, but the roasted beets and asparagus in Meyer lemon sauce highlighted the restaurant's farm-to-table philosophy and thankfully made me forget any feelings of burger envy.

The chocolate pie is easily the best dessert I have had anytime in recollection. Again, each component stands out with flavor yet blends together to form magic. Determining the winning layer is a tough call, but I will go with the crust.



As you can tell, I am mostly gushing with positivity. I will note the service is just adequate, and I strangely did not enjoy any of the four wines I have tried there. Good thing they have a $2 corkage fee (all proceeds benefit the community), because their outdoor bar is sure to be a big hook in the summer! Regardless, I have nothing but love for Farmstead.

Slowly but surely, Farmstead will see all the success they deserve. In the meantime, I will enjoy being able to get a table there at a decent hour!

Go or No Go? Go.

Bouchon Bakery

Man, I love where I live! Drugs have never been my thing, but Bouchon Bakery is about as close as it gets (and probably worse for me). Regularly, on a day off, I will wake up leisurely and join one of my housemates on a lovely stroll to the bakery. I feel very European, and I like it.

Before I lived with them, both my housemates were already well on their way to Bouchon Bakery addiction. Almost every morning, Duncan will go for his ritual coffee cake while Erik opts the blueberry muffin route. Both orders are accompanied by double espressos. Must be nice to have such lenient metabolisms.

I entered the scene as quite the amateur, but I am quickly establishing my roots as a regular. For example, this morning, on my coffee run, I was greeted by four fellow enthusiasts.

I have never had anything there I would not recommend, but the most to-die-for thing I have tried so far is the seasonal fruit croissant. Fuggtaboutit! Any morning that starts with one of those bad boys is bound to be a good day. Personally, any sweet treat with almond flavoring has my seal of approval. Add fresh fruit, particularly when they used the Barlett pears, and you have a home run!

Warning: their pastries are extremely rich. I actually don't enjoy eating that stuff on my own. I suggest splitting most items with another person, if not two. Keep in mind, if you are ever looking for a partner, you know who to call. ;-)

Go or No Go? Go

Auberge du Soleil

Walking to our table, the commanding view virtually locks in that this place will be getting a "go." To me, all sights in Napa are breathtaking, but Auberge's terrace allows you to lounge, imbibe, and soak it all in. A privilege they are happy to provide at a pretty penny, of course.

I am taking quite a risk for my first official Napa entry. Perhaps putting at stake one of my only Napa friendships and my currently ideal living situation, I recognize my flocks of fans are counting on me to deliver the truth. To Duncan's defense, 1) he was not working the night I dined and 2) he cooks exclusively for "the fancy side."

We sat in the bar section, and I will admit we did not eat a lot. I do not have a picture of our pommes frites with aioli. My camera was being repaired due to another dining mishap at Redd and my photographer was new on the job. Honestly though, who screws up french fries??? They were like the leftover french fries accidentally added to your doggy bag when you never had any intention of eating cold, soggy potatoes.


This scary concoction was the hamachi tartare. Usually, I am a huge fan. In fact, Max, my dad's college roommate, made some over the holidays that was so amazing, I have been reliving the blissfulness in my mouth ever since! Keep in mind, Max is a lawyer and does not run a world class restaurant. The dashi gelee almost gives me a gag reflex thinking about the glob now. The texture was mysterious, and the smell was funky, too.

After barely putting a dent into either dish, thankfully Ryan questioned if I thought something was off. That moment fully confirmed Ryan was legit and sealed the deal that we were going to get along.

Fortunately, I have gained a new friend out of the experience as I potentially lose another.

Go or No Go? No Go.

Go or No Go Part 2 - Napa

Go or No Go is finally making a comeback! Burnt-out on all things NYC, even the blog is relocating to Napa.

Former Philosophy: In New York's world of endless options, which destinations are worth a trip to dine. I was so confused by all the subjective ratings and reviews with point systems, stars, letter grading like the restaurants were back in middle school, and Frank Bruni's brilliant prose. Ultimately, I wanted to know...should I go there or not?

New Rationale: In addition to essentially playing Napa Valley concierge at my tasting room gig, I have already started to get visitors out here. If not actual friends or family, I will often get a call that someone's aunt and uncle are planning their anniversary trip to Napa or a co-worker will be here for the weekend. Despite wanting to pretend they are coming just to see me, I was recently told Napa is the #3 most popular vacation within the US (behind Disney and Vegas). Regardless, I am constantly pressured to offer up my insider info as a local to make their limited time special.

When an out-of-towner only has one long weekend to squeeze in all the culinary goodness Napa has to offer, they could use some help to make their decisions wisely.

Game on!

Gyu-Kaku

Midtown East (also another location in the East Village)
805 3rd Ave. @ 50th St.
212-702-8816
http://www.gyu-kaku.com/

Lara, after years of providing me comic relief beyond compare (unintentionally), the least I can do is fulfill your one request from your trip to New York. First and foremost, Jess' wedding had already been checked off the list.

For months, Lara, Go Or No Go's biggest fan, had been pressuring me to find the perfect spot for a Go or No Go review the weekend of our college reunion in New York City. As a regular to my blog, I thought she would get the hint when I hadn't updated in weeks. Lara chose to ignore the facts and do whatever required to make sure her dream came true.

The weather was particularly crappy that evening. This was the kind of night you regret the cute outfit and high heels. Not to mention, I felt another pressure to please a crowd of almost 12. Each girl had a different objective in mind (opportunity for food blog appearance, seeing long-lost lovers and friends in New York City, avoid spending a lot of money, party it up, girls night out, bed, etc.).

My final decision was Gyu-Kaku, although I had never been there before myself (risky!).

While I cannot speak for the atmosphere at their other locations, this one has sky lights, which was cool during a lightning storm. The girls collectively decided Gyu-Kaku is the ultimate date spot, but also a fun place for a group.

The Japanese Barbeque concept is unique. You make your own food. That's right. You go out and pay people who make you do all the work. These people get away with it, and for that, are pretty genius.

I shouldn't say they do nothing. They do the dishes and setup everything for you. In fact, you have a small pit in front of you to prepare your food to your liking along with sauces in range of flavors. Lara was so obsessed with the spicy sauce, she tried begging for the recipe, which they would not share.

Essentially, we ordered a variety of simple proteins and vegetables. Everyone was actively participating and laughing as we each prepared our meat and veggies to the temperatures of our liking. The Bibimbap, a stone pot rice dish, was a fan favorite.

For dessert, we entrusted skilled culinary student, Emily, to cook our pancakes. Although, just shy of her degree, even the pro at the table struggled with this task. Thanks to the many cocktails and mounds of vanilla ice cream on top, you could barely tell the difference.

All in all, I was happy with the selection, if I may so say myself. More importantly, so were the guests. Lara, you can cancel that trip to Disneyworld now!

Go or No Go? Go

Jane

West Village
100 W. Houston St. btwn Broadway & 6th Ave.
(212) 254-7000
http://www.ctrnyc.com/JANE/index.html

Due to a series of fortunate circumstances, I feel almost obliged to be nice to Jane. I don't necessarily want to though and if I wasn't struck by the unusual sequence of fate, I wouldn't owe this place anything.

The brunch-time call ahead reservation policy, a huge bonus, allowed us to put our names on the waiting list without standing around at the restaurant. By the time we arrived, our table was immediately ready (miracle #2). Miracle #1 was the parking spot that opened up right in front of the restaurant.

Everyone would agree on Jane's generosity from a quantity standpoint. Quality is a separate sentiment. The "Mimosa Cosmopolitan" was nothing more than a mimosa with a splash of cran. The first round of carb loading took place on the mediocre bread basket. Some interesting choices were included (ie. whipped strawberry spread replaced traditional butter), in theory, but not impressive. A theme that would continue throughout our meal.

For the next round of carb indulging, clearly, the waiter spotted me snapping photos with my camera and advised the kitchen to kiss up to me to get a good review. Well, unfortunately for Jane, bribery does not work on me (unless we're talking diamonds). Although this complimentary french toast, prepared with soft brioche and tasty vanilla bean flavor, was perfectly moist to almost sway me (out of the ordinary occurrence #3).



Other main dishes lacked the worthiness suggested in the menu. For example, the Lobster Benny, Eggs Benedict with lobster, was made primarily with claw meat (eww). I was way too full to eat my burger, but nibbled on the fries, because fries are never good as leftovers. Sadly, these were the poor man's version of the Spotted Pig's rosemary fries.

Overall, the extremely cramped quarters stressed me out for my intended leisurely Sunday brunch. I had to strategically map out my route to the bathroom. Although, I can imagine if I were paying a pretty penny for such prime real estate, I'd pile in as many seats as possible, too. Perhaps an option to keep on weekend brunch rotation for those fortunate enough to live in the West Village. For me, despite my handful of lucky flukes, I see no need to venture back.

Go or No Go? No Go

Lombardi's

NoHo
32 Spring St. @ Mott St.
(212) 941-7994
http://www.firstpizza.com/

Lombardi's, America's first acclaimed pizzeria, was a great dinner spot for a rainy Friday night. Bare in mind, against the palates of many pizza connoisseurs, brick oven is not style. Even when visiting Napoli, the locals shot me evil eyes for peaking at the bottom to check out the burnt crust. How dare I oppose authenticity! The black crisps just taste carcinegenic to me.



Despite desiring a little more cheese (a pizza can never have too much cheese), the toppings are what make this pie. The spinach was so garlicky and delicious, even the biggest baby of them all, Tim, loved eating his vegetables. The Rosa Grande pepperoni were smaller in size than your typical pizza pepperoni. The small circles packed more flavor and the petite dimension allowed for even more in volume!

Burnt spots or not, I'm excited to go back to try other toppings, including their Clam Pie.

Go or No Go? Go