Colors of the rainbow

A particularly beautiful flight of ports from my recent wine class.

My Ritual

Best pre-wine-class pick me up in the hood.

Oenotri 5.0

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In the foreground: Strozzapreti al ragù- Willis farm pork ragù with garlic, tomato, and parmigiano reggiano

At the left: Squash vellutata pizza with silver moon pumpkin, chicories, thyme, black pepper, and parmigiano reggiano

Center of table: an assortment of contorni (vegetable side dishes)- kale, broccoli, and brussel sprouts, the latter being the star of the entire meal.

Wine: Tancredi, from Donnafugata (70% Nero d'Avola, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon). The Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine a nice structure and mellows a bit the punchy Nero d'Avola grape. Prominent notes of cherry and anise developed after a short wait and the mild tannins went well with pretty much every dish on the table. In short, a spectacular wine.

Oenotri Who? What? Whatever.

This southern Italian restaurant in downtown Napa draws both its name and its ideology from southern Italy, particularly from the lesser known regions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia. The Oenotrians were inhabitants of the lower part of the peninsula in the 6th century BC. What does this have to do with Italian food circa now? Nothing. Just know that the food is damn good, and that it is authentic. Not 6th century BC authentic, but definitely 20th-21st century southern Italian authentic.

We started with the house made salumi- that's salumi, not salami. Salumi is the overarching term for any cured meat product. Oenotri offers quite an extensive selection; we had Felino, Sardegna, Noce, Milano, Salametto, and Nduja. A pizza napoletana (san marzano tomato, anchovies, gaeta olives, hot pepper, oregano) and the salumi were our appetizers. This was probably one of the better pizze I've had stateside, and that assessment does not come easily. I've tried and pooh poohed many an artisanal pizza as inauthentic (including Mozza. Sorry Mario Batali fans, it ain't all that) This one is quite close to a true Italian pizza (thin crust, char, true tomato sauce, moderate toppings, not sopping with oil). Unfortunately for you and fortunately for me these antipasti were so freakin good that we were too busy with our feeding frenzy to bother for a photo-op. Whoops.

Wild nettle fusilli with cardoons, delicata squash, and young walnut pesto

Linguini with manila clams, pachino tomatoes, hot pepper, garlic, and white wine

Bucatini alla carbonara. A classic Roman dish (NOT southern Italian, hmm..) Tully dolci egg, black pepper, guanciale and pecorino romano

Cheese plate as dessert for them

Black Jonathan Apple Crostata (that means pie) with sultans and bay leaf ice cream. Auguri a me! (that means happy birthday to me)

Love this place. 

Why Did The Chicken Cross the Road?

to get to Crossroad Chicken, bien sur. Located outside of JV Wines, this food truck has got some kick ass eats. And with a menu that changes weekly, according to seasonality of course (this is the bay area after all), your palate will never tire of their fare.

My lemon chicken sandwich with provolone, heirloom tomato and arugula. That tomato was BOSS.

Peppers stuffed with pork, parmigiano, and tomato coulis. 

Requisite food truck crazy man. 

My mother also got the rancho gordo chili which was tasty but not amazing. I say stick with their forte, the chicken and the local vegetable selections. They also have a nice little array of hot sauces to pique your California taste buds. If you find yourself in downtown Napa, stop by! 

Gott A Burger?

A simple, no frills hamburger and garlic fries from Gott's Roadside in Napa. These fries are positively redolent of garlic; crispy and oily, they are quite the fry. 

The burger is organic, sustainable and locally sourced, as is the trio of vegetables layered on top (the holy trinity of tomato, lettuce, pickle). All this on a toasted egg bun with a "secret sauce" similar to In N Out's... but better. 

Innovative Mexican Food

Carnitas taco with pineapple, avocado, and serrano salsa from C Casa at the Oxbow Market in Napa

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