The Contender for best restaurant in Napa

Yountville is one of the quintessential towns in Napa, full of beautifully landscaped properties, quaint period buildings and the best of wine-county experimentation. We found ourselves in Napa again, and had a few hours to kill between vineyards. Yountville itself has the odd good restaurant :-) OK, let’s be honest, The French Laundry - with three Michelin stars - is considered one of the temples of culinary vision in the US. But we think there’s more to the town, and a new restaurant is sure to add to the stellar quotient of the region.

Bottega is based in a mission-style commerical building that houses a few other shops, cafes and restaurants. But don’t let its location fool you. Inside, not only will you find a tastefully decorated dinning room, but food to die for. Seriously! It’s that good.

Where to start? Well, without inspiration, let’s review things chronologically. We arrived at the peak of lunch traffic, in early October. Thankfully, this isn’t the “mad, mad, mad” peak of summer, where the tourists create a traffic jam back to the 101 state highway. But it was still busy. We had the choice of waiting 30 minutes for table, or immediate seating at the bar. We’re the kind of people who happily take a bar seat, not for the terrible filter coffee, but rather to observe the machinations of a kitchen under pressue, and the deft hand of skilled staff dealing with unusual requests and outrageous guests (not us, honest!)

We took our seats, and in moments were presented with menus. Shortly after, the first culinary delight appeared. A crumbled parmesian amuse bouch, in a piquant olive oil with garlic, chilli, and fantastic wood-roasted crispy bread. It took a few spoonfuls to identify the small crumbled pieces of cheese. The intense aroma was beautifully balanced with a texture that was firm but accented by the smooth, supple nature of the oil. This stuff was manna from heaven. Not just the kind of appetiser to take the edge of your hunger, but a flavour explosion that had us making eyes at our dining neighbours in the hope we could swipe their uneaten pots while they weren’t looking. Our waiter was amused by this, but also generous enough to give us a second helping, for which I am eternally grateful.

The wine list and other drinks available filled a menu in their own right, as you’d expect. Being situated in Napa, you’d expect a huge range of local cellar-door options, and you’d be correct. Better than the selection was the choice of a small glass, a large glass, and a picolo caraffe. The latter was basically 250 mL of the wine of your choice (my apologies to those few still using imperial measures - I believe a quarter litre is something like 27 and 3/7ths fluid furlongs per fortnight). Essentially, a third of a bottle, and the perfect accompanyment to what was to follow. We both chose a Scarpetta Pinot Grigio from nearby, and it was a fantastic Italian-style P.G. that accentuated the dishes, with some delicious grassy, herb-like tones.

The dishes themselves? Well, Lindsay had the linguine with clams (what we’d call Pipi’s). It was possibly the equal-greatest Italian seafood dish we’ve ever experienced. The balance of herbs, clams and oil mixed beatifully with the fresh pasta. Each flavour boosted the next, the seasoning was muted but just enought to enhance each natural flavour in turn, and the clams themselves were cooked to perfection. It was the kind of dish you knew required a sous chef to nurse with skill and finess, gently coaxing each clam to open in the right amount of broth, with the right amount of heat, wine, and a secret something, then to be whisked without delay to the pan and finally place in the serving dish. I wish I could say I had more than one fork-full. Technically, a second fork was involved, but that was Lindsay stabbing my hand, as I dared to steal a second taste. The scars have nearly healed!

Fortunately, even with one hand incapacitated, I was still able to claim “dish of the day”. This was the potato gnocchi, served with a parsley garlic sauce and the most amazing collection of micro-vegetables ever assembled. From baby zucchini flowers stuffed with an equisite mixture, to petit shallots, baby carrots and microscopic radish, this was gnocchi beyond anything you’ve ever experienced. I think the creative brief from the executive chef was to find baby vegetables no larger than the gnocchi themselves, and with that selection criteria, ensuring only the sweetest, most succulent and and tastiest crop made it to the dish. I’m going to give up on the purple prose and superlatives here. Let me be blunt. Go to Yountville, find your way to Bottega, and order this dish. If you hate it, I’ll eat my hat.

Bottega
6525 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599-1300
(707) 945-1050
botteganapavalley.com

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