2023 – Go West Old Gal – 2.3 – Napa

On Wednesday, July 12th, I finally found time to do some errands that had been hanging on to my “To Do” list for too long.  I now have an address at Chase Bank that should work for my US online shopping.  That has been hit and miss for a long time and when it hit Open Table I had to act.  I also wanted to get Chase to stop presenting me with phone numbers to text security codes to – numbers that I had not been near in dog’s years.  The friendly banker, who saw me immediately, wasn’t very technical, nor much help.  I just have to pray I never lose the one and only phone number that works. 

I didn’t get the best service at T-Mobile, either, or maybe I did.  The guy didn’t want to sell me a new phone.  Huh?  Mine is four years old, but nope.  “If it’s running well, why change it?”  He didn’t have the Samsung Pro2 Earbuds I wanted either, in any color other than black and agreed that white would be much better with my hair.  OK I bought them from Amazon for $100 less.  So far so good. 

Chico’s didn’t have navy blue leggings, but Target did and YoBelle made a good breakfast for me around 3:30 pm.  Then I called Elise Currey and had her meet me at Joan Westgate’s retirement home, Watermark.  Joan has a lovely apartment overlooking her garden plot full of roses, and Justin Sienna High School’s football field.  That all works.  She also has Cyrus, a big old white cat with the longest, softest, fluffiest fur you can imagine and a personality to match.  Check them out.

A little after five her phone rang, she was being picked up to go to what sounded like a very interesting lecture.  So our little confab broke up and I was on to my next adventure. 

Gail Silvestri had invited me for dinner at the Silverado Grill.  Merci, Gail.  We, too had much to talk about over a fried chicken sandwich, decadent desserts and my third bottle of Stephen Goldberg’s Harvey & Harriett.  I had given the second to the Laskers to enjoy, while I was having dinner with Terry and France.  Good stuff doesn’t last long.  Gail was pleased to discover it, too.  Back “home” at Laskers’, Dave and Caroline posed for what Val calls “puppy porn”.  She has a point.

Looks like I dodged another round of bad weather in Montreal on Thursday, July 13.  A tornado touched down near Mirabel about thirty miles north, and caused flooding, power outages, and the like all the way into the city.  I was working away in my office at Laskers’ and we had an amazing dinner outing planned. 

We were going to Michael Warring at Hiddenbrook in Vallejo and we used UBER, as it included a wine pairing (the restaurant, not UBER).  We drove to Kathy Fitzgerald’s house, just outside of Silverado and got the ride from there.  Michael is a young chef, trained at the C.I.A., and an alum of Auberge du Soleil and Bouchon.  It’s a tiny little restaurant, serves 20 max, if the participants arrive in the correct configuration.  It’s Michelin rated and is always sold out.  There were only 18 our night, though, just the way it happened.  Believe it or not, we knew two of them.  Stacey and Bob Bressler were holding down the 6-top with their two guests.  Stacey was our boss, when we worked the Wine Auction, back in the day, and Val had worked with Bob Bressler at Cisco.  It was fun to see them.

What a night it was.  We had seven beautiful, very soignée courses.  Food like The French Laundry, without the white tablecloths, and extra waitstaff.  There were exactly one chef and one server and she helped with the plating, too. 

I took these pictures from my seat at the counter.  We were the last group to arrive and landed the best seats in the house.  I had to request a box, because bar stools do me in, but she found me the one the sous-vide came in, and it fit perfectly.  Val and I shared it and were just fine. 

Yes, that’s Michael working away.  He did that all night.  The two of them were incredible.  Our table mates graciously allowed me to share this picture of the presentation act, which duties were shared by Michael and his server.

The whole thing was incredible and so was the price.  It was $124 for the 7 course menu, plus $72 for the pairing. Some of the courses were really 3 in 1.  Valerie counted eleven total.  Here’s some of the pretty food:

Yes, those are shaved truffles.

More theatre.

And it was all delicious.  He even had me eating my veggies. 

The Laskers left for the city early on July 14, but I had just a little more to do in Napa.  Marlene and Stan Rosenberg had a little party for me in Silverado Oaks, where we used to live.  Many thanks to them.  Our old place didn’t burn down, but it has a fresh coat of paint and is missing a couple of trees, including the one we used to tie Henry and Sylly P to.

Some of our old Redwoods did survive, and, though not too beautiful, are a testament to the resilience of nature, and no one will part with them. 

Carole Kelly took me to dinner at Celadon and had ordered the calamari before I even got there.  I had missed it badly.  Thank you Carole, for taking me to what is probably still my Napa favorite, but there are a ton of them.  I missed La Toque, Carpe Diem, and everybody up valley.  I might just have to move back to Napa, again, when I retire, again.