Why does dinner have to have all the fun? If you are heading to Napa’s wine country, here are a few tasty choices to try along the way—from unique menus to elegant dining spaces and plenty of kid-friendly spots.
Carneros
Boon Fly Café If you are heading along the Sonoma Highway you will pass this place right before you get to Napa, and it’s worth the stop. There are lots of mouth-watering sandwiches and flatbreads—such as the Point Reyes Blue Cheese with caramelized onions and mushrooms—to choose from, with the average lunch plate around $13. Be prepared for a little wait time, this is one popular place!
Napa
Pica Pica If you are looking for something different, then head to Pica Pica in the newly opened Oxbox Market. This Venezuelan restaurant, focuses on maize as the key ingredient in their dishes. Try their Maize'Wich, a delicious grilled cheese sandwich on sweet cornbread.
Copia Bistro is another relatively new Napa hot spot for lunch. The location is great, and you can look around the extensive edible gardens and museum before you eat. They have a salmon BLT and food inspired by the bistros of France.
Napa Wine Train If you are in the mood for something more than an ordinary lunch, or if you want to celebrate a special event, try this place where you can dine in a 1947 Pullman domed rail car, and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine with your lunch. These 2 ½-3 hour excursions are quite memorable, but just remember the wine train does not stop, so you will have to save the shopping and winery visits for another time. $119-140 per person.
Yountville
Pacific Blues Café is a great comfort food spot with burgers, salads and an excellent pulled pork sandwich. Don’t miss the Trash Treats for lunch – Rice Krispies treats with a variety of toppings. Prices are around $10-12.
Napa Valley Grille in Yountville has a great Kobe burger (and you pay for it at $17) and many sandwich and salad options, such as a delicious chicken penne for $15.
Rutherford
Rutherford Grill is a favorite spot among many of its locals, why? Reliably good service, and great-tasting food, that is reasonably priced for what you get (around $12-$15). The only downside is the menu rarely changes, but that is not necessarily a bad thing!
St. Helena
Giugni’s Deli There are so many choices around this little town, but if you are looking for a good deli sandwich, maybe even the best you have ever had, then go where all the locals go. Giuni’s is right downtown, and has reliably great, fresh sandwiches made to order for around $6.
Pizzeria Tra Vigne This is one place you can’t go wrong with the whole family. You have to try the piadine’s - kind of like a pizza and a salad all in one. The caesar chicken, caprese, lemon chicken and Mediterranean piadine are all excellent. You can watch the piadine’s and pizza’s come straight out of the pizza oven. It is also very kid friendly with a great outdoor patio and a pool table. Most plates are around $10-$14.
Taylor’s Refresher I cannot go without mentioning the ever-popular spot, which has been written up in magazines too many times to count. I have to say that they do have great food-like their Asian chicken salad and burgers, but be warned-the crowds can be terrible from 11:30-2:00, so prepare to wait in line, and prepare to pay restaurant prices, too. The folks at Taylor's just opened a second location at the Oxbow Market in Napa .
Silverado Brewing Company Just south of downtown St. Helena, Silverado Brewing Company is located in a historic stone winery building and is a great place to sit and watch a game, or enjoy the weather outside on the patio. The fish and chips are great, so is the blackened chicken salad, and I always ask for their sweet potato fries. They have friendly servers and good food for around $12 a plate.
Calistoga
Brannan’s Grill is a very elegant place to eat with large windows that open up to the sidewalk. While dinner is a bit pricy, lunch entrées range from a chicken B.L.T with blue cheese and chipotle aioli on a ciabatta roll for $10 to a Dijon-soy glazed hanger steak with wasabi butter for $22.
Calistoga Inn Want to dine outside or “inn”? You can’t beat the relaxed atmosphere of this favorite local’s spot where you can eat outside on their patio and listen to live music on weekends.
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