Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A short drive farther north, St. Helena brims with small-town charm, great shop-
ping, and fine food. At high-end
Terra
(1345 Railroad Ave.;
&
707/963-8931;
www.terrarestaurant.com), East meets West in a romantic fieldstone-walled dining
room where Japanese chef Hiro Sone serves Asian-inspired dishes featuring Califor-
nia's agricultural bounty: broiled sake-marinated cod with shrimp dumplings and
shiso broth, or grilled quail with bacon bread pudding, sautéed foie gras, figs, and
vin cotto
sauce. On a humbler scale, the gourmet burger shack
Taylor's
Auto-
matic Refresher
(933 Main St.;
&
707/963-3486;
www.taylorsrefresher.com) has
been around since 1949. Taylor's updated diner menu—ahi tuna burgers, tacos,
salads, and classic shakes—draws huge lines of tourists, who love ordering at the
counter or feasting alfresco at picnic tables.
At the top of the valley, the hot-springs spa town Calistoga still has a sort of
scroungy Wild West appeal. Right on the main street, the
All Seasons Café
(1400 Lincoln Ave.;
&
707/942-9111;
www.allseasonsnapavalley.net) maintains the
laid-back aura of a wine bar. Dishes include crispy skin chicken with black truffle
chicken
jus
or cornmeal-crusted diver scallops with summer vegetable succotash.
The wine shop next door supports the bistro's wine list, which is impressive—
because, after all, this
is
Napa Valley.
(
San Francisco International (75 miles/121km).
L
$$$
Cedar Gables Inn,
486 Coombs St., Napa (
&
800/309-7969
or 707/224-7969;
www.cedargablesinn.com). $$
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs,
1006 Washington St., Calistoga
(
&
866/822-5772
or 707/942-6269; www.calistogaspa.com).
Thomas Keller's French Laundry is a destination unto itself.
