Food question?

My husband and I are planning a vacation next year to Napa and had a question about food portions at the good restaurants...the only reason I ask this question is because we were watching the Travel Channel and they did a show on Auberge (sp?) and the food they showed at the restaurant there ,while pretty, was quite small in portion size. My husband looked at me and said: ';Is that the portion size they serve in California? I%26#39;ll still be hungry!'; We love to go out to eat (lots of good restaurants in Omaha...no beaches,mountains, or wineries to go to)...and we expect to leave a restaurant full. So, I told him I would inquire on the board and get some feedback. We like upscale, but not snobby places to eat...more fun and casual...and are trying to keep our dinner tabs around $100-$150 to around $200 on our anniversary plus tip. Think we%26#39;ll be okay and I%26#39;ll keep my husband happy? Thanks for the help:-) What restaurants would you suggest so I can go to their website? I definitely want to try a wine/food pairing for dinner on our anniversary.

Food question?

Portion sizes are, of course, in the eye (stomach?) of the beholder, but in general, the concept of ';small plates'; and modest-sized portions is still very popular in Napa/Sonoma and the Bay Area. It does allow a diner to taste several dishes and share with companions--but boy, the final tab can really get inflated (esp. with wine pairings or even a moderately-priced bottle). So--yes, many of the nice restaurants do offer less than large portions. Since I%26#39;m at the opposite end of things and become too full after salad and bread, I usually dine at places that offer mostly small plates. However, a couple of restaurants I%26#39;ve visited recently over in the Napa Valley offer ample portions (at least to me): Rutherford Grill (it%26#39;s very casual, so may not be the appropriate choice for an anniv. dinner), and n.v. (in the town of Napa)--the latter is ';casually elegant'; with superb service and excellent food. I%26#39;ve also noticed that many times the serving size is more keyed to the type of food rather than the restaurant itself (e.g. the hearty foods like a steak can be much larger portions than say, the crab cakes). I%26#39;m sure that others will chime in on this subject with recommendations.

Food question?

Dolphinfan-

Part of this may be due to the number of courses served at some of these restaurants.

When you have 5, 6, 7, or even 9 courses (!)-- *plus*, on top of all this, an ';amuse bouch'; or two, plus a surprise after-dessert (truffles), it%26#39;s no wonder some of the portions look tiny (they are).

Lots of tiny courses add up to some very full (and happy) diners. :)

Lots of courses may not be your style-- but in the casual, laid back style of the California wine country, you might want to give it a try.

We had some Midwestern guests who were apprehensive about this, and came back all smiles, saying it was great.

When we asked how they were able to get past their concern about ';lots of tiny portions';, they husband laughed and said, ';I prentended it was a buffet where I got things served to me one at a time!';

So as Forestvillian said, portion size -- and how to look at it-- is definitely in the eye of the beholder! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

PS Tell us what you typically have (each) for dinner--- how big (in oz) your steaks are each, etc-- and we%26#39;ll be happy to recommend spots that measure up. :)

Thanks for the replies. I think we are generally interested in seafood or Italian while there (steaks are plentiful here in Omaha:-), but I%26#39;d say I only eat about 5-7 oz servings, while my husband eats twice that on average (I think). We don%26#39;t need fancy, but as we call it here in Omaha ';upscale casual';. Definitely don%26#39;t need an overly romantic place...we really like to have fun at dinner, but nice views, patios are a plus. We went to Maui 2 years ago and our fave places were lively, friendly restaurants. I%26#39;ve seen some comments on Redd or Go Fish would those be suitable, but we are definitely open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks again!!!!

Forgot to add that we will be staying in Napa (I think)...so restaurants close by would also be nice. But, is it a problem with traffic if driving up to St Helena in the evening?

Driving to St Helena should not be a problem, if it%26#39;s after 7 pm (before this, just ask your innkeepers to show you the short cut around the traffic! ;)

Redd would be lots of fun for the annivesary dinner, esp with their wine pairings. If two people order the taster%26#39;s menu, they actually serve 2 *different* tasters menus-- so if you don%26#39;t mind sharing plates, you can get up to 10 different courses, all paired w/wine! (this is our favorite, and a relative bargain compared to La Toque and the French Laundry).

For other meals, look at Bistro Don Giovanni (*great* outdoor area-- truly great), Mustards (world class pork chop, and the best calamari we%26#39;ve ever had, anywhere), Rutehrford Grill (another great outdoor area, with fantastic food, esp the ribs/cole slaw/mashed potatoes).

Pilar in Napa is world-famous for her fish dishes. And Victor (at Go Fish) is also quite famous for what he does w/seafood.

Ah . . . so many choices! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

Also some good restaraunts in Calistoga. We ate at the Calistoga Inn and Hydro, and both were good and plenty of food. Ate at Miguel%26#39;s for breakfast and it was a TON of food. I would also highly recommend getting lunch at the Oakville Grocery one day...GREAT sandwiches, cheese, olives, salads, snacks that you choose, order at the counter and then have a picnic outside or at a winery.

Have fun!

I found the portions at all the restaurants to be very generous. Even the FL, which gets some flack for small portions, was more than enough for me.

You will find that after a day of wine tasting your appetite may not be a big as you are used to at home. My husband and I tend to munch on bread and cheese we pick up from oakville or one of the carry out places and we find that by the evening a small dinner will do.

That said I though the portions at Mustards, Don Giovanti, Redd, and Cindy%26#39;s Backstreet Kitchen to be quite large and more than filling.

Food in the area tends to be expensive, so we go with the grab and go for breakfast and lunch and do a nice sit down dinner.