A recent West Coast trip left us with a little less time to spend in the wine country than we would have liked, but we did find two exemplary spots to eat, one lunch-like and the other more dinner-esque, one each in Napa and Sonoma Counties.
Dinner was at a Sonoma spot called Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, the county seat. It’s in an unassuming building (dating back to 1886) on a major north-south street called Old Redwood Highway. Lots of locals, and apparently no tourists on the weeknight we visited, but we did call for a reservations a couple of hours ahead. For a weekend, we strongly suggest a lot longer head start; our local hosts reported that this place is extremely popular.
Many restaurants in wine country stock almost exclusively local wines. Willi’s wine list goes all over the world, so if you’ve had enough of the pleasures of the Russian River and Alexander Valleys for one day, there are plenty of options, both by the glass and bottle, from beyond the area. And the food ranges almost as widely, too, although much of it seems to be sourced from local farms, which in Sonoma County produce a near-infinite variety of foodstuffs. It’s all served as what the menu terms international small plates, including plenty of good cheese, and a wide selection of charcuterie, all adding up to the possibility of a long leisurely meal if that’s what the night calls for, or a fast bite or two before heading on to another activity. Each plate, slightly larger than most appetizer servings, divides easily and provides enough for two to share comfortably.
Grazing the menu made it easy to put together a remarkable dinner.
We particularly enjoyed a pair of lamb chops (shown above) with a spicy-sweet glaze and an accompanying couscous seasoned with preserved lemon, an ingredient we found in many places this trip. A small jar of rabbit rillettes, smooth and complexly flavored, arrived with grilled bread and a house-made chutney of, naturally, grapes.
Roasted sweetbreads were almost amazing, the interior texture soft and tender, their mild flavor not covered up at all. Sweetbreads, of all the organ meats, have the most familiar texture, we think, and where organ meats are concerned, the texture is the primary problem for many who don’t (or think they don’t) care for them. Garnishes were crisped-up prosciutto and an olive tapenade, giving crunchiness and salt to the dish. Pork belly potstickers, richer than Midas, delighted with shiitake mushrooms as their side and sweet, almost unctuous scallops also provided
A plate of mixed salume worked nicely and we ended up with several kinds of cheese, some truffle honey and the excellent house bread. Good stuff, and a staff that really, really knows the menu and wine list. The wine list offers all sorts of combinations, and we tried a couple of flights, one of three delicious Zinfandels from the county. one of "dark reds," including a Malbec and a Petit Verdot. A splendid meal, one to use as a point of comparison anywhere in the country.
Willi’s Wine Bar
4404 Old Redwood Hwy, Santa Rosa, CA
707-526-3096
Dinner nightly, Lunch Tues.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Difficult
Smoking: No
Small plates: $8-15
Sometimes, when you’re spending a day really thinking about what you’re tasting and smelling, as can happen in serious wine country, what the mouth often wants for a meal is Something Really Simple. And centrally located, right smack dab in the town of St. Helena, on California Highway 29, the artery that goes through the Napa Valley, is Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, an old fashioned-looking drive-in, surrounded by picnic tables. If there were car hops and far less exciting food, the picture would reach out to reality. And if it looks busy, there’s plenty more parking and more picnic tables in the rear. Food is cooked to order, which makes the wait easy and worthwhile.
If you’re into virtue, there are four salads and a couple of daily soups. But we didn’t come for Chinese chicken salad. It’s a drive-in, for heaven’s sake. The hamburgers are made of Niman Ranch beef, all natural with no antibiotics or growth hormones, and they taste great. Taylor’s also is also known for an ahi burger, a slab of ahi tuna seared RARE, as the menu explains, with a ginger-wasabi mayo and asian slaw on the bun. Is it a burger if the protein isn’t ground? Who cares? The tuna was even better than the hamburger. We’ll try the fish tacos next time.
The one item we mention to folks that seems to evoke universal groans and salivation is the fries tossed in garlic-parsley butter, just as if they were stretched-out snails. Very garlicky, very parslied, as you can see from the photo.
Another signature dish, perhaps the inspiration for the Automatic Refresher part of the title, is the espresso shake, something Ann’s been aiming for over the past several years. Absolutely yummy. All shakes are made with San Francisco’s favorite Double Rainbow ice cream, but the espresso has a certain magic. You also can get fountain cherry Cokes here, just like the old days, but there are also six beers on draft, and wines, of course. More half-bottles than bottles, and more upscale, expensive half-bottles, like an ‘07 Rombauer Chardonnay at $20 and an ‘05 Shafer Cab at $38. But you can get wine in many places and the espresso shake is singular.
There are two other locations, one in the Oxbow Market in the city of Napa, and another at the Ferry Market Building in San Francisco. At the latter, there are so many thrilling eating opportunities that Taylor’s may be passed by. But in St. Helena, it’s just right.
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
933 Main St., St. Helena, CA
707-963-3486
www.taylorsautomaticrefresher.com
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My husband and I were in St. Helen last October and happened upon Taylor’s by accident. What a great place! Their pumpkin shake is amazing too!