Napa Valley

Fifth post of the Travel Series.

Scrambled eggs, fingerling potatoes, and salsa served with a fresh white corn tortilla.

In Napa Valley, be prepared to wine and dine to your heart's content. Rolling fields, A-list restaurants, and bottles and bottles of wine greet visitors in this sunny locale north of San Francisco. Most tourists and California residents stop by Sonoma County before heading for the wineries in Napa County. As an East Coast resident, I am pretty much satisfied seeing clear blue skies and staying somewhere warm (although it was a little bit nippy when we were in CA); after all, good food and great restos are abound in New York City. So when my sister-in-law and her husband—both foodies/food enthusiasts—took my husband and myself to Napa, I was pretty much blown away by the amazing and delicious culinary fare.

Tex-mex seems to be a staple in the area, but before you say "greasy," note that chefs and restaurant owners seem to take the cuisine very seriously, as in the case of Catherine Bergen, who, last year, opened C Casa, "an innovative taqueria," in the Oxbow Public Market. We had breakfast there, and, while in the past, I have shied away from any Huevos Rancheros-type meal in the morning (too early for something savory), I tried one of the Egg Plates on the menu (above photo). The serving was small yet tasty and surprisingly substantial. My favorite part was the fresh white corn tortilla that they make right there at the stall. It's nothing like I've ever tasted before. You really can't beat homemade/handmade.

Sweet—my husband and the maple walnut ice cream he's holding :)

Also at the Oxbow market was Three Twins Organic Ice Cream Factory, where, hands down, I've had the best ice cream in my life—not kidding. The closest to the experience would probably if I churned my own ice cream at home.

And, yes, in Napa it's all about the cheese...

And, of course, the wine. Here I am holding a bottle of Vintage Port (which pairs well with chocolate, ahem).

Thinly-cut onion strings.

Last but not the least (and still, barely skimming the restaurant scene in Napa), is Mustard's Grill, supposedly where one could have the best porkchops in town or ever. My husband can probably attest to this, as I am some sort of pesco-vegetarian so I can only infer. But, here's a pic:

Famous Mongolian Pork Chop with sweet and sour red cabbage,
mashed potatoes (which were excellent!), and housemade mustard.

Like I said, in Napa Valley, the wining and dining never stops :) Cheers!

READ the Travel Series starting with...
1. DENVER
2. SILVERTHORNE & BRECKENRIDGE
3. SAN FRANCISCO
4. SONOMA COUNTY
5. NAPA VALLEY
6. CHICAGO
7. NEW YORK