To best enjoy Napa's restaurant scene, keep one thing in mind: You'll need reservations -- especially for tables in renowned establishments.
Gourmet Picnics, Napa-Style
You could plan your whole trip around Napa restaurants, but the valley is also an ideal place for a picnic. One of the finest gourmet food stores in the Wine Country, if not the state, the Oakville Grocery Co., 7856 St. Helena Hwy., at Oakville Cross Road (tel. 707/944-8802), is the best place to fill a basket. The store is crammed with the very best breads, cheeses, pâtés, cold cuts, fresh foie gras, smoked Norwegian salmon, fresh caviar (beluga, sevruga, osetra), and prepared foods; its selection of California wines is also exceptional. Assemble your own picnic or let the staff prepare a basket for you, with 24-hours notice. The Grocery Co. is open daily from 9am to 6pm; it also has an espresso bar (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm), with breakfast and lunch fare, including homemade pastries.
A Manhattan import, Dean & Deluca, 607 S. Main St. (Hwy. 29), north of Zinfandel Lane and south of Sulphur Springs Road in St. Helena (tel. 707/967-9980), is like a world's fair of beautifully displayed foods, often painfully pricey. Check out the 200 domestic and imported cheeses; tapenades, pastas, oils, hand-packed dried herbs and spices, chocolates, sauces, and cookware; an espresso bar; one heck of a bakery section; and more. The wine shop boasts a 1,200-label collection. It's open daily from 9am to 8pm (the espresso bar opens daily at 7am).
