Thursday, November 4, 2010

Redd Restaurant: The perfect end to a food-gorging weekend in Napa

To be honest with you, I hadn't heard of Richard Reddington. I didn't know he worked at La Folie and Masa in SF, Arpege in Paris, Spago in LA, Daniel in NYC and Auberge du Soleil in Napa. I hadn’t heard about his restaurant Redd in Yountville until Diana takes a Bite raved about it recently. I didn’t think we could fit in a bite between wine tasting and heading for the airport, but if there’s good food involved, we’ll always find time.

There’s a lovely outdoor seating area with a fireplace (although with tacky plastic green chairs) that would had been a great lunch spot had it not been raining.

The decor in dining room is simple, minimalistic with a sort of chic feel. We opted for a table in the bar area.

The menu is contemporary but with some French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Asian influences.

Their brunch cocktails are not to be missed.

White Peach martini (Vodka, peach puree, peach bitters, lemon, champagne), Coursen Cooler (St Germain, Sauvignon Blanc, lime, lemon, ginger ale) and Pinot Grigio.

Sashimi of hamachi, sticky rice, edamame, lime ginger sauce
The flavors were clean and simple. This was almost like a deconstructed sushi with the sticky rice acting as glue to hold some pieces of fish and slaw together. The hamachi was fresh and lightly dressed with lime juice and the slaw was crunchy and delicious.

Steamed pork buns, hoisin, vegetable salad
The pork belly was tender and fatty. Every bite was divine as the fatty juices of the meat and sweet salty hoisin marinade seeped into the soft, fluffy bun. It was quite a task to eat this gracefully without getting sauce on your mouth. The slaw was well dressed and was necessary to cut the flavors of the rich, salty pork belly.

Skatewing, creamy jasmine rice, clams, chorizo, saffron curry nage
This dish was so flavorful, especially the saffron curry broth which was further enhanced with the saltiness of the chorizo and the seafood flavors of the clams. This reminded me of a Asian Mexican inspired bouillabaisse. The rice had a coconut flavor and absorbed all the rich flavors from the broth. The skatewing was perfectly cooked – tender in the center with fried crusty exterior.

I was rather impressed with our luncheon. I thought the food was delicate and elegant, yet very comforting. I appreciated the incorporating of ethnic flavors with local, seasonal ingredients. Every dish we had was bursting in flavors. I wanted to lick every last broth and pick up every last piece of sauced rice on my plate. When you first walk into the modern dining room with white table cloths, you expect it to be a bit fancy, perhaps a bit stuffy. But the service was friendly, welcoming and attentive. Our short overnight trip to Napa started with a bit of a let down at The French Laundry but ended up on a high note, thanks to Redd and that amazing saffron curry broth.

Hits: food, ambiance, cocktails
Misses: nothing
Rating: ***1/2

Redd
6480 Washington St.,
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2222
http://www.reddnapavalley.com/

3 comments:

weezermonkey said...

"Misses: nothing"

LOVE IT!

Diana said...

Ahh! So glad you enjoyed it as much as I did! :) That curry saffron broth continues to haunt my dreams. Definitely my favorite meal of my Napa trip!

stuffycheaks said...

weezer - yeah, i was impressed!

Diana - thanks for the tip!