"Legendary" Napa WeekendAs Lisa called this the "Legendary" weekend trip, it is officially kicked off on Friday's dinner @ Salt House.
Salt HouseLL *Highly Recommended*
http://www.salthousesf.com (545 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105 | 415.543.8900)
The Salt House has a causal yet elegant decor that composed of a high ceiling, a "floating" 2nd floor, and lots of wood and exposed steel. It is a very comfortable space and the perfect place for a "high-end" happy hour.
Spacious & Comfortable
 Chappellet "Dry" Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, 2004
 Chateau St Jean Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, 2001 (a 92pt? wine) [from Amy's cellar]
and
Redhawk Cheese - w/ a little side salad, nuts & raisins - great for sharing and to pair with some bigger red wines [$6]
 Marinated Olives - orange / mint / chili [$5]
 Poutine - crispy potato / short rib gravy / bravo farms cheddar [$10]
 Seared Yellowfin Tuna - ambrosia melon / fennel / avocado [$14]
 Foie Gras - cured / sauteed nectarines / hazelnuts [$17]
 Seared w/ nectarines sauce & hazelnuts
 Only lightly seared, inside is pretty much raw
 Terrine
 Lisa's orgasmic reactions to the seared foie gras
Then what happened for the rest of the night @ Harlot and XYZ.... I think.... no one really remembered, or no one really wanted to remember.... (that's a pretty good indication of an awesome party....)
Next morning, we headed for Napa!! <$ > denotes the tasting fee, while [$ ] denotes the MSRP for those wines we tasted. { } I had done some researches on some of these wines, and I listed the % of grape varietals in the wine. Darioush Winery - a very nice bordeaux estate style winery, focusing on limited production fine red wines.
(http://www.darioush.com)
- Signature Viognier, Napa Valley, 2006 [$34]
- Signature Pinot Noir, Russian River, 2005 [$48]
- Signature Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley, 2004 [$52]
- Signature Shiraz, Napa Valley, 2004 [$64]
- Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2004 [$74]
<$20 tasting>
Pine Ridge Winery - we did a little cave tour @ Pine Ridge, I have always loved their wine. They are pretty old world tho, ie. 100% new french old barrel even for their Chardonnay!!! So, it may take a little bit before a new wine drinker would start to appreciate their wines.
(http://www.pineridgewinery.com)
- Dijon Clones Chardonnay, 2005 [$33]
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford - Napa Valley, 2003 [$48] {84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc}
- Merlot, Crimson Creek - Napa Valley, 2004 [$27] {86% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc}
- Fortis (Meritage), Napa Valley, 2003 [$135] {Bordeaux Blend}
<$25 cave tour + tasting>
Silver Oak Cellars - Silver Oak is *always* a solid and representative winery in the Napa Valley. Years after years, they are just cranking out fantastic wines with quite some longivity!!
(http://www.silveroak.com)
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 2003 [$60]
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2002 [$100]
<$10 tasting + logo glass>
Domaine Chandon
(http://www.chandon.com)
> Smoke Salmon
> Duck Pate 2 Kinds: A)Duck, B)Duck & Chicken w/ Black Truffles
- Rose [$20] {90% base wine from gently pressed Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, 10% still Pinot Noir added at tirage}
- Riche [$20] {Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Meunier & Pinot Blanc}
TerraLL *Highly Recommended*
http://www.terrarestaurant.com (1345 Railroad Ave., St. Helena, CA 94574 | 707.963.8931)
I had heard about this place probably from at least 5 years ago, never got the chance to come until now. What a shame!! This place is fantastic!! Nice place, great food and wonderful service!! 5 stars from me! Highly recommended!!
Boekel Gewurztraminer, Alsace, 2004
(missing pic)
Robert Mondavi Merlot, Napa Valley, 2003
 Lobster Chowder with Sweet Corn and Fingerling Potates [$14.5]
 Hamachi Tartare with a Hijiki and Yuzu Vinaigrette [$16.5]
 Petit Ragout of Sweetbreads w/ Pancetta and Summer Vegetables in Sauce Pistou [$15.5] - OMG, this is SO GOOD, and it goes *perfectly* with the Merlot.... OMG!!
 Grilled Quail on Sweet Corn and Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto with Summer Truffle [$29] - even tho they charge $2 for splitting plate, I personally think that 1/2 order is good enough for small eaters (like me....)
 Grilled Maine Lobster and Scallops with Fregula Sarda and Lemon Garlic Parsley Butter [$32]
 Liberty Farm Duck "Three Ways" [$28.5] - definitely the "high-light" of the night, it is more like 4-ways tho
 Seared Duck Breast
 Duck Pate w/ a Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce
 Crispy Duck Confit on a Skewer & Shedded Duck Meat Crispy Roll
 Tiramisu - their interpretation....
..... stay tuned...... more to come for day 2..... | 
