Tra
Vigne can claim the most dramatic interior in the Wine
Country. Soaring ceilings, unusual lighting, and festive displays
of peppers and garlic make the setting as exciting as the menu.
The theme here is regional Italian: chewy breads, bold pizzas,
hearty salads, rabbit, chicken and grilled seafood dishes, and
a first-rate wine list. ~ 1050 Charter Oak Avenue; 707-963-4444,
fax 707-963-1233. Moderate to deluxe.
Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, best known for her benchmark Mustards Grill, now runs Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in a pretty, white, two-story building just a block from Main Street. Everything she makes is good, a combination of comfort food and rock-solid flavor. Crab cakes and tamales are especially fine choices. Cindy’s also features seasonal prix-fixe chef’s dinners for a steal. ~ 1327 Railroad Avenue; 707-963-1200. moderate to deluxe.
For southern French and northern Italian–style cooking with a Japanese influence, head to Terra. You might be treated to appetizers such as fried rock shrimp, foie gras tortemoni, and tataki of tuna on the seasonally changing menu. Entrées feature exotic preparations of seafood, beef and squab. By way of ambience there are stone walls, terra-cotta features, and a wooden trim that lends an Asian overtone to this comfortable, Tuscan farmhouse–style dining room. Dinner only. Closed Tuesday. ~ 1345 Railroad Avenue; 707-963-8931, fax 707-963-0818; Deluxe to ultra-deluxe.
Market doesn’t aspire to greatness, just well-made American food such as fried chicken and pot roast. This is one of the best bargains, aside from ethnic establishments, in the Napa Valley, and the wine list is surprisingly extensive given the reasonable menu prices. ~ 1347 Main Street; 707-963-3799. budget to moderate.
Silverado Brewing Co. and Restaurant is the only brewpub in town, serving blonde ale, amber ale, pale ale, oatmeal stout and a variety of seasonal brews. Everything on the menu goes with beer (wines and a full bar are also available): hamburgers, barbecued ribs and chicken, flatiron steak, and beer-battered prawns. On nice evenings, the brewpub’s core clientele of 25- to 45-year-olds can be found dining alfresco. The entrance is off a parking lot shared with Freemark Abbey. ~ 3020 North Route 29; 707-967-9876. Moderate.
The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America—just call it Greystone—is a cavernous restaurant in an 1889 National Historic Landmark in north St. Helena. The complex is a top-notch cooking school, but not to worry—the chefs are for real. The menu is devoted to California cuisine, particularly seafood, chicken and organic produce. It’s great fun to match dishes with different wines. Flanked by century-old stone walls, the restaurant is large enough to have cooking, baking and grilling stations in full view, which provide a terrific distraction for fidgety kids Closed two weeks in January. ~ 2555 Route 29; 707-967-1010, fax 707-967-2375; Moderate to deluxe.
The material on this web page is excerpted and adapted from "Hidden Wine Country" by Marty Olmstead and Ray Riegert (Ulysses Press, Berkeley, 3d edition, 2003). Olmstead is also the author of other travel books as well as the "California Directory of Fine Wineries", all of which are available on Amazon.com.
For Calistoga Restaurant Suggestions, click here.