Napa and Sonoma: Highlight Food Guide

So here we go ! Our Napa and Sonoma highlight food guide!

Although Napa and Sonoma are synonomous with wine tasting, there is a wide variety of culinary treats that should not be missed.

Deana and I went up to Napa for a dear friend’s wedding recently. It was during the height of the heat wave and sadly there was a brush fire that started a few days prior but thankfully it was contained quickly. (Thank you firefighters!)
Yountville
- is an exceedingly charming town in Napa Valley. To help you envision this more, Close your eyes, picture a story book town in one of your childhood fairy tales and that is Yountille. Even the name sounds charminAlthough Napa and Sonoma are synonomous with wine tasting, there is a wide variety of culinary treats that should not be missed.

How cute is this place ! The decor is intimate and modern with a touch of glam. The outside reminds me of a Hampton cottage (but on a larger scale) . They have cute bikes which are perfect for getting around the town. The fire pit lounge area by the is comfy with oversize plush beanie bags.

Vintage House Hotel

Cute bicycles outside Vintage House Hotel

Thomas Keller, know the name, because everyone up there knows it! He has two, three-starred Michelin restaurants, French Laundry a hard to get reservation in a former steam laundry building that has been beautifully revamped with climbing jasmine and a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere. (The other being Per Se in NYC)

- Reservations are opened up once a month and book out for 2 months in advance. Available tables are currently released every 1st day of every odd numbered month at 10:00 A.M. (PST), 2 months at a time. So for example tables are released on January 1st for booking from March 1st through April 30th. You can only make online reservations via Tock. Currently its a little over $300/person for meal with an optional added wine pairing. It’s a 9 course meal with a vegetarian or meat option.
- They also have great private dining room options for that super special occasion. You can see me hanging out in of the indoor outdoor private dining rooms. I also snapped a picture so I can have some design inspo for my own dining room!) And if you can’t snag a reservation, you can walk around the 3 acre garden across the street.

Thomas Keller French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville

The French Laundry inside view

Private Dining Room, French Laundry

If you’re looking for a Thomas Keller meal without the damage to the pocket, make a reservation at Ad Hoc + addendum. The prixe fix menu is much more reasonable at $55. See our restaurant review here. The menu constantly changes but most ingredients are picked from their farm. The waiters talk with such passion and knowledge about food and the menu, it almost feels cultish (but not in the scary kind of way). Behind Ad Hoc, is Addendum which is open for lunch and I hear serves the best fried chicken sandwich this side of the Mississippi (is that a thing?)

Ad Hoc Restaurant entrance

We took a stroll down the street and stopped by the first retail storefront from Thomas Keller for over priced but really cute houseware and kitchenware, Finesse
A couple of blocks later, another Thomas Keller restaurant, Bouchon Bakery. The courtyard is bustling and the food is delicious with a more casual French flair. Bouchon has multiple locations however this is the first one.

Outdoor courtyard of Bouchon

Stocked with culinary delights under a beautifully painted ceiling. Essentially everything you need for a Instagram worthy picnic, you’ll never find here ! This is not your childhood picnic of bologney sandwiches and Hi-C. You’ll find exotic cheeses, caviar, fancy marmalade and olives.

Its about an hour drive, but its scenic and goes by fast, unless youre stuck in traffic (try not to be, the lanes are narrow and you can’t cut people off. Not that I would, but ..)
The Shed.
- See our review here. The cafe is part of a bigger complex which includes a fermentation bar, coffee bar, housewares shop, a gourmet grocery store and flower shop and its own farm. And they offer fun classes and workshops throughout the year.

Deana walking into Shed Restaurant in Healdsburg

Mise-en-place at Shed Restaurant

After you’re stuffed and try to walk around town, you might notice its a more laid back town as compared to Yountville. In general, Sonoma is considered the more casual, less touristy neighbor of Napa.

A short walk later, we worked up an appetite and stopped by Noble Folk ice cream and pie bar. They have flavors like almond cardamom and orange creamsicle (which I got). Deana didn’t get ice cream because she’s not fun.

Noble Folk Ice Cream, Sonoma

Noble Folk Ice cream menu

At this point we were still stuffed, but we stopped and had some oysters and fries on the expansive deck. The sunset is not to be missed, but we missed it unfortunately.