For Jeff’s Birthday Dinner #3, we headed to a restaurant we’ve been looking forward to for some time, The Little Owl. This tiny restaurant in the Village features seasonal menu items with a Mediterranean influence. The food here was excellent – rustic with incredible flavor – I think we liked it better than Market Table, which we also really enjoyed.
Gravy Meatball Sliders
~This is one of The Little Owl’s signature dishes and we would definitely have missed out if we skipped them – they were amazing! It’s a pretty big dish – I could actually eat this for a main – luckily Jeff helped me out.~
Skillet Braised Calamari – lardo croutons, spinach, and basil broth
Mexican Corn – off the cob
~Also an amazing dish. Jeff asked what exactly was in it, but the server wouldn’t give up the recipe.~
Crispy Chicken – asparagus home fries, lemon, sherry, and dijon
The Pork Chop – parmesan butter beans, and wild dandelion
~This signature dish was also wonderful – the broth was full of flavor.~
Raspberry Beignets
~These sounded and looked delicious. But to be honest, they were very dry….
…we asked for extra raspberry sauce which helped add some moisture.~
For Jeff’s Birthday Dinner #2, we joined some of Jeff’s friends at BLT Prime. Definitely a more modern take on a traditional steakhouse, BTL Prime offers a great selection of USDA Prime and Certified Black Angus beef along with several sauces and sides. And the 30-foot dry aging room near the front of the restaurant was certainly impressive. I have to say, I think I enjoyed the “extras” – popovers and chicken pate – just as much as the steak!
30-foot dry aging room
Giant Popovers
~What makes these popovers soooo good? Gruyere! BLT Prime hands out a little card with the recipe – I definitely need to try making these at home.~
Chicken Liver Pate
~This chicken pate was delicious! Honestly, I could just eat this with the toasty bread and call it a night.~
Tuna Tartare with Avocado and Soy-Lime Dressing
~I wasn’t sure how tuna tartare would be at a steakhouse, but this app was quite good.~
Filet finished with herb butter (with Béarnaise, not shown)
~I’m not sure there’s much else to say…this is really good steak.~
Rib Eye with Bone Marrow and Roasted Garlic
Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce
~I’m not a huge fan of profiteroles, but the coffee ice cream made these quite a treat.~
Last moth for Jeff’s Birthday Dinner #1, we headed to Casa Mono with Alex, Joel, and Casey (CaseyCulture). This was our first visit to Casa Mono, and I hope it won’t be our last! Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich along with Andy Nusser’s cooking take Spanish tapas to a whole new level at Casa Mono. With 5 people, we were able to try a number of different dishes – most pictured below – and we were impressed and delighted by the amazing flavors in each. But for me, the most memorable dish of the night was the foie gras, a MUST if you visit Casa Mono.
Beet Salad
~This special menu addition was not only beautiful, it boasted fresh and wonderful flavors.~
Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono
~I’ve had sweetbreads a handful of times and I can honestly say that this is the best preparation I’ve had so far. Crispy and tasty!~
Calamares Fritos
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich
~Another special we couldn’t resist ordering – and another winner!~
Sardinas Fritas
Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas
~This dish was absolutely amazing – one of the best foie gras dishes I’ve had. It was so good in fact, that we ordered a second!~
Hudson Valley Pork Belly with Sweet Corn and Sandia
~Definitely one of our favorites of the night – we really need to spend more time in the Hudson Valley~
Duck Breast with Sour Cherries
Leg of Lamb with Harissa and Pickled Peppers
Skirt Steak with Onion Mermelada
Pudín de Naranja – Bread Pudding with Horchata Ice Cream and Stone Fruit Mermelada
~This bread pudding was just delicious. Bread pudding, when done well, is one of my favorites, and the caramelization on top really made this dish special.~
I’m still catching up on our July 4th trip to Napa! For dinner on the 4th, we headed to Farmstead in St. Helena for good food, good wine, and good fireworks.
Good Food - Farmstead is part of Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead - a tasting-room, restaurant, seasonal farm stand, and nursery in St. Helena. The restaurant, actually a restored barn, features a farm-to-table menu where almost every ingredient comes from the LMR farm and the dishes are meant to showcase the ingredients at their seasonal peak – and as a result, the food tastes…like food, really delicious food. Everything produced at LMR is either sustainable or organic.
Good Wine - Farmstead has the best corkage fee I’ve come across – it’s $2 per bottle and gets donated to a non-profit…and you get proper glasses. Thanks again to my dad’s cellar, we enjoyed a great selection of reds:
2002 Gralyn Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Rudd Oakville Estate Red
2004 Shafer One Point Five
2005 Vineyard 29 CRU
Good Fireworks - Last year we attended Louis Martini’s July 4th celebration – the fireworks were great, but the wine was….not good. Farmstead is only about a mile north of Louis Martini and from our outdoor table, we were able to enjoy all the same fireworks – but with better food and wine!
Caramelized Beets with Goat Cheese and Greens
~This salad was amazing! So flavorful! I would definitely order this again next time.~
Grass-fed beef cut of the day - 14 oz. New York Strip Steak
with corn and asparagus
~This steak was full of flavor…delicious.~
Creamy Macaroni and Broccoli with Garlic and Grana
~The broccoli had a bit too much garlic for me. But the Mac and Cheese was delicious – not sure about what cheeses were used for the sauce, but the combination had just the right hint of tanginess.~
“Brick Cooked” Chicken with Flageolet Beans, Bloomsdale Spinach and Pistou
~Moist and flavorful – this is some of the best roast chicken we’ve had.~
Strawberries, Blueberries, Mascarpone, and some kind of Crumble
~This unassuming dessert was incredible – honestly, one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.~
And fireworks courtesy of Louis M Martini.
Today Jeff and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. On Saturday we’ll be dining at Le Bernardin, but tonight we enjoyed a perfect evening at home together – Jeff cooked a wonderful dinner and we indulged in one of our favorite bottles of wine, Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Chardonnay.
We started with some cheese…
…and some meat.
Our favorite cheese accoutrements – honey and fig jam.
And we opened a bottle of 2007 Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille….
…this wine is delicious, each sip is full of layered flavors.
And for dinner, Jeff made roasted cauliflower…
…corn and chorizo…
…which garnished the salmon with reduced balsamic vinegar and mashed yukon gold potatoes.
A wonderful night with my wonderful husband.
….or I guess I should say Gott’s Roadside. Taylor’s has a new name, but the owners insist everything else – i.e. their delicious food – is still the same. Jeff and I make it a point to stop at Taylor’s every time we visit Napa and even though the sign says Gott’s now, the food is still fantastic! This St. Helena establishment is well known for its amazing burgers and all-around good food.
After placing our order at the walk-up window,
we wondered back to the picnic tables and waited eagerly…
Fish Tacos
~Fresh Mahi Mahi in spicy taco marinade griddled & served in corn tortillas with Mexican slaw, salsa & jalapeño cilantro sour cream.~
Bacon Cheeseburger
~American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles & secret sauce on a toasted egg bun.~
Sweet Potato Fries
~Chili spice-dusted & served with house-made ranch.~
These are the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had!
I wish I had the recipe for the house-made ranch, it’s unreal!
