Wednesday, August 23

Napa Day 1 // Yountville, Napa & Redd Wood

Oh Napa, you were lovely but too darn hot! I know it is summer but the hot and dry weather was a rude awakening to our system. As a result, we had a low key first day. That said, it was still lovely to be in Napa. It always feels very surreal to be in such a dreamy, idyllic place. 

You know you've got your priorities straightened out when the first place you hit up in Napa isn't a winery but the community playground. With kids, you do see a different side of Napa, one that isn't rose-wine-tinted. 


We had had a couple of really awesome meals at Napa, the first of which is Redd Wood. Located on the scared grounds of Yountville, Redd Wood is a modern, laid back restaurant that offers "perfectly blistered wood-fired pizzas and house-made pastas with locally sourced ingredients." Of course, were you expecting anything non-locally sourced or organic? NEVERRRR! 


We started off with a romaine salad, dressed with white anchovies and a lemon garlic dressing. Perhaps a little too simple and dull. Thankfully, the rest of the meal didn't veer down this path. 


What really made us sit up was the fresh burrata paired with grilled bread, balsamic glaze sea salt and olive oil. Maybe it was hunger (though I doubt so), the boys took to the soft and creamy cheese, especially Lucas who never took his eyes off KW the entire time KW was scooping some burrata up for him. 


The fettuccine tossed in gremolata, guanciale and clams was superb as well. Uncomplicated, delightful and flawlessly made. 


The mushroom pizza was sensational. It's been a couple of weeks but I can still remember how it tasted. Topped with pancetta, asiago, taleggio and black garlic mascarpone, this pizza was in a league of its own. I have never tasted anything this like this before. For the love of garlic, I need to find out how to replicate the black garlic mascarpone at home pronto. 


Though stuffed, we made room for their signature cannoli, a trio of handy crunchy treats stuffed with toffee, ricotta and almonds. There were four of us, so you could guess who had to share.

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