Brunch at Redd, wine at Groth, and dinner at Morimoto in Napa
I guess technically this entry should’ve been titled “Eating Napa,” but there’s going to be a little bit of SF in it, too--namely the airport. Did you know the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is working towards becoming accessible for blind travelers by using localization technology? These days, technology has granted so many visually impaired people more independence. When I travel alone, I depend on guidance and assistance from airport employees, but indoo.rs will take travel to another level for those with vision loss.Until then, let's get back to talking about some of life's pleasures that currently do exists: food, drink, and fellowship.In recent posts, I wrote about my trip to the Bay area, during which we spent a couple of days in wine country. I co-hosted the Guide Dogs for the Blind dinner with the GDB chef, David Wilson, and Joan Boyd of Boyd Family Vineyards. Joan's kitchen housed a massive woodburning oven, and her patio where we dined had a gorgeous view of Napa Valley’s sunset (as told to me by the hubs). Even though I couldn’t enjoy the visual beauty, I could absorb the peaceful natural surroundings as we sat around the table and sipped on some Boyd wines over spicy salads and masalas. This is the stuff life is made of.
Redd
Prior to the GDB dinner, our friends had driven up to have brunch with us at Red. Because I didn’t want to be rude and bust out my camera phone over conversation, I don’t have any photos from the meal, but I will say the Bloody Mary tasted very fresh, and the desserts were fantastic...and this is coming from a gal who only has a baby sweet tooth.Go here for a nice, creative meal.Red6480 Washington St.Yountville, CA 94599707-944-2222
Groth Vineyards and Winery
After brunch, we ventured over to Groth Vineyards and Winery, a small family operation producing a handful of vintages. We had an intimate tasting--they're by appointment only--and learned Dennis Groth was a former CFO at Atari, maker of my first ever game console (I loved Pitfall!). Although I admit I know very little about wine, I enjoyed the experience and walked away with two bottles, one of which was a reserve and will be reserved for a special occasion.Groth Vineyards and Winery750 Oakville Cross Rd.Oakville, CA 94562707-944-0290
Morimoto Napa
Later that night, following the GDB event, the hubs and I grabbed a quick bite at Morimoto Napa. We weren’t too hungry, but we can never say no to trying new things when traveling, so we shared the toro tartare and uni carbonara, both of which were excellent. The flavors and textures were well balanced, and even though we were quite full from the meal just prior, we scraped our plates clean. We dream about that uni carbonara still, and it will inspire me to create something similar in my kitchen one of these days.I didn’t have many expectations for Morimoto’s namesake restaurant since I find celebrity chefs’s restaurants rarely live up to their hype, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the food. A lot of it might have to do with having no to low expectations going in--disappointment, as I’ve learned with many things in life, happens when your set of expectations are not met nor exceeded. That being said, don’t take my word for it—go into Morimoto Napa with your own unbiased mind to truly judgme.Morimoto Napa610 Main St.Napa, CA 94559707-252-1600Where are your favorite Napa spots?