Napa Valley...Day One

Well, here we are...on our annual summer week in the Napa Valley...my idea of paradise...drive an hour north from home and it's like being in the French countryside...great scenery, great wine, great food and a week of relaxation.

First stop at 9 a.m.: Sweetie Pies Bakery/Cafe in the town of Napa.



How I love the pastries here...today it was a Sticky Bun for J and a Blueberry Honey Scone for me. Louie ate whatever we dropped.

After the pastry break, we walked along the River Walk...saw the wine train taking off for its first trip through the Valley.

Checked out Angele, a lovely restaurant which has added a nice painted wall on the river side...it makes me think of Nice. I can't resist the Napa General Store which sells gift items, many by local craftspeople, and also has a popular casual restaurant and a wine shop. Today, I bought two pair of earrings and some greeting cards.


Back in the car we headed north to Atlas Peak Road, across from Silverado Country Club, to the




Jessel Gallery. Owner Jessel Miller is a artist whose fanciful characters are usually seen each year on the Posters for the Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Her gallery is cozy and features her work and the works of other artists and crafts people.

By this time, it was noon and we started thinking of lunch.






We wound up at Pizzeria Tra Vigne in St. Helena...a Chicken salad for J and a Lemon Chicken Piadini for me.

Right across the driveway from Pizzeria Tra Vigne is Merryvale Winery




...we walked in for a tasting, a look around the their gift shop, and a peak at the cask room where private functions are held...very dramatic.

By now, the temperature in St. Helena was up to about 90 degrees and it was time to head to Yountville and our hotel.

I jumped in the pool to cool down; J and L cooled down in the room.

We walked across the road to Hurley's for dinner. We love the food always and we like that locals tend to dine here.







We had grilled asparagus with parma ham to start. Then, Vegetable Risotto for J and Grilled Scallops and Gnocchi for me. For dessert, a shared fresh Plum Gallette.

Back at the hotel, I caught some Olympic synchornized diving, beach volleyball (yea Misty and Kerri!), and Michael Phelps in the pool.

COPIA, SWEETIE PIES, OXBOW MARKET...ALL IN NAPA

Thursday was a warm springlike day and the perfect day to head for Napa with my food-demo friend, Bev for a day at Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts.
I always start my Copia visits with an early morning start at Sweetie Pies Bakery, which is a short drive to Copia.


My most favorite of Sweetie Pie's pastries is their Morning Bun, a sinful pastry made of puff pastry dough which is wound around a mix of cinnamon and suger...so yummy!
Their scones are very good too and Bev throughly enjoyed her pain chocolat, a croissant filled with chocolate.

After our pastries and tea in Sweetie Pie's cozy dining area, we headed to Copia.
Since my last visit, Copia has made some changes...now admission is FREE! But, one must pay for wine classes and food demos...somewhere between $20 and $25 per class; Copia members save $5 on each class. Also, Copia has decided to emphasize wine and has removed much of its food-related art...their "Forks in the Road" permanent exhibit remains and the current temporary exhibit is of wine photos from all 50 United States, but the art and sculpture that I also so enjoyed here, is all gone. We started our visit with the 10:15 docent-led orientation. I always take this free orientation tour as there is always something new to learn about Copia which was founded by chef Julia Child and winery owner Robert Mondavi.
While I've remained a fan of Copia since it opened, I've noticed that few people seem to visit. Most of my wine and foodie friends have not been here. I think the free admission will encourage visitors but fear the cost of classes may not bring in much revenue.
That said, Bev and I had a lovely day here...we took the Wine and Food Pairing Class during which we tasted two wines with sweet, sour, salty, and savory foods to see how food influences the taste of wine. The class lasted about 45 minutes and was excellent. We took time to walk through Copia's vast edible gardens and browsed in the gift shop and onsight restaurants.

Dining choices at Copia are the elegant, full service Julia's Kitchen restaurant and a more casual cafe. Outside Julia's Kitchen is the peg board from Julia Child's home, all filled up with her pots and pans.

Rather than have lunch at Copia, we decided to check out the newly-opened Oxbow Market next door to the Copia parking lot. This new market is something like San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Marketplace, but much smaller. It is a mix of casual restaurants, and shops of all kinds. We enjoyed the Venezualan food at Pica Pica...A warm ham and cheese on sweet cornbread for Bev and a Bululu Salad for me...a mix of corn, red bell pepper, jicama & pineapple, topped with a sweet vinaigrette..a perfect light lunch after our wine tasting class.


Open less than a week, Oxbow Market is still under construction, with many more businesses scheduled to open soon.
There is seating indoors and outside in the back. overlooking the Napa River...I know this will be a popular destination...and, being next door to Copia, I suggest visiting both if you come up this way.