I like Redd and Ad Hoc a lot. Loved Bottega on our first trip, but the second was a real eh experience.
You don’t say only dinner, so I am going to suggest Napa Valley Biscuits (in Napa) and Fremont Diner (between Napa and Sonoma) for breakfast. The Diner is especially excellent overall, but NV Biscuits has one of the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten, and pretty damn good fried chicken too. Also like Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena. There’s a barbecue place I’m forgetting the name of in Calistoga that is pretty good, but didn’t blow me away.
Avoid Morimoto, spend less at Oenotri for vastly superior food.
Another nice idea might be a winery picnic after stocking up at Oxbow! Fatted Calf, y’all!
(Typical fantastic Keller service, good wine, but the food isn’t that interesting. It’s great bistro food but feels kind of sterilized. I prefer sitting at the bar over the dining room, but would pass on it if you’re deciding between Bouchon and elsewhere.)
My experience was beyond bad there, and I can elaborate.
Room was completely SRO when we arrived and had to wait for table even with reservation (I can accept this, I guess, based on location and fame of restaurant). Service was extremely hurried and rushed. We had a horrible table with people hovering over us the whole time.
House specialty of French Onion Soup had no onions or seasoning in it. Basically it was beef broth with a crouton/cheese on top.
Steak Frites (ordered rare) came to the table with no seasoning and it was cooked well into the well done territory. It also tasted like fried liver.
Complaint to waiter and front of house staff with a subsequent letter to Keller and restaurant management were met with no response or offer to correct the outlined issues.
Obviously business is booming there, so I feel no need to return or recommend the place to anyone. Of course, YMMV.
same experience here. took my family there a couple of months back and our waiter was a total d!ck from the start. it’s one thing if only one of us were experiencing poor service, but this douche made it awful for all 7 of us. been there a couple of times prior but I don’t think we’ll be back.
But I’m glad I can report that my mileage did vary, in a positive way, on a visit in September 2011.
Well-executed bistro food, more than adequate service, and excellent wine (by the glass and bottle), added up to a very pleasant lunch. The only way my experience resembled yours: SRO. Yet the service was well-paced. Surprisingly good prices on wine, as well.
Mr. Wallace - really! You ought to warn people what they are getting into…walking into Pancha’s or Susie’s. It was a lively scene at Solage between 4:00 and 6:00 today - haven’t seen you there for a while.