Our tiny valley has some of the best restaurants on the entire West Coast, but what jump starts our days of touring vineyards and wineries?  Here are some picks for great hot and hearty breakfasts in Downtown Napa.
BISCUITS
What’s better than freshly made buttermilk biscuits with house made, seasonal spreads?   When they’re smothered in sausage gravy and topped with eggs over easy!  The “Cowpoke” below is one of their popular breakfast items.

I had mine with a side of fried green tomatoes.  The tangy herb dip with chipotle sauce was great …

Culinary cultures and personalities shine in the West End of Downtown Napa.  These restaurants may be small, but they are big on flavor and loyal fans.
OENOTRI
Food & Wine just recently gave a glowing review of Oenotri and it’s spot-on except for one thing – they called it the best “new” Italian restaurant in the United States.  Hello?  All of us locals as well as chefs and somms from the Bay Area and beyond have been calling Oenotri their favorite Napa restaurant since it first opened more than two years ago, …

For those of you touring Napa Valley wine country, it’s sometimes nice to spend one day in one place, without a car, but still get the complete food and wine experience.  There are others of you visiting San Francisco who only have a day or two to spend in wine country.  Downtown Napa has more than 20 tasting rooms, wine bars and wine lounges to get a taste of Napa Valley wines, at your convenience.  While the local wine tasting rooms owned by Napa Valley wine producers pour their own …

The new 1313 Main upscale wine bar and lounge in Downtown Napa opens officially on May 27th.  It is the latest addition to Downtown Napa’s wine tasting scene that differentiates itself by offering a range of local and international wines that are hard to find by the glass and available in 2 oz. and 5 oz. pours.  Even better, the price points are accessible, allowing wine lovers to discover wines they wouldn’t normally buy by the bottle.  For example, Kistler Chardonnay at $7 per 2 oz. pour.
According to proprietor and …

The wildly popular and always sold-out barrel auction and marketplace event of Auction Napa Valley was the place to be on Friday afternoon with thousands of stylishly dressed party-goers roaming the grounds of Rubicon Estates in high spirits and with roused appetites.  Rubicon Estates in Rutherford, with its festively decorated outdoor patios and lawns for the Marketplace, deep cellars for the barrel auction and spacious upstairs for the e-auction, provided a comfortable venue for guests to explore, taste and seriously bid.
The rare threat of rain held back, allowing guests to savor barbecued beef, pork sliders and vegetarian dishes …

Throughout the Napa Valley on Thursday evening, vintners were holding welcome dinners for guests and bidders participating in the 30th annual Auction Napa Valley.  In Calistoga, one of these special dinners was hosted by Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Shane Pavitt of Phifer Pavitt Wines, producer of Date Night Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
After an elegant reception on their patio overlooking the Valley, guests were treated to a four-course dinner and wine pairing prepared by Chef Brandon Sharp of the Michelin star restaurant Solbar in Calistoga.  Chef Brandon Sharp’s menu was stellar with each …

“…the valley, in beauty of scenery, productiveness of soil, delightful drives, salubrity of climate, health-giving medicinal springs, accessibility to the metropolis [San Francisco], is unsurpassed… City people looking for country residences, either for permanency or a vacation, can nowhere else find so many inducements as are offered here.” This was reported in the Napa Register newspaper circa 1878, but is as accurate today as it was then – and more so. Napa Valley today is a world class food and wine destination that in 2006 drew over 3.5 million tourists …