Protea is a very small casual Caribbean/Global Restaurant located in Yountville California. Protea offers a daily changing menu. You might find things like empanadas, Philly cheese steaks, tacos, bison burgers and shishito peppers on the menu. You order at the counter, grab a number and seat yourself.
After you order and pay pick a table inside or outside.
In reasonable time our order arrives to us. We got swordfish tacos and roasted pork tacos and tried their specialty home made macaroon.
We both thought the proteins in both orders of tacos were absolutely stunning. They both were so fresh and tender. They couldn’t be more perfect. The sauces and slaws were more simple than both of us were expecting….as my mango pineapple slaw was simply cabbage and mostly just pineapple adorned with some cilantro leaves……..These are the type of tacos were the protein shines.
The macaroon was quite notable and was the best macaroon I ever did try. It was cinnamon scented, chewy and coconut tasty and also drizzled with high quality chocolate. It was just divine.
www.ProteaYV.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Bottega is an Italian Restaurant by celebrity chef Micheal Chiarello in Yountville California. The first thing you see is the hostess desk with lighted stones when you walk in…
Behind the hostess desk is one of the dining rooms and to the left is a bar area.
Dining rooms have a patio feel to them.
Tables are formal with linen, heavy silverware, polished glasses and copper hammered cups for water.
Beware of the little container that reads “sale.”
It looks just like grated cheese but it’s salt.
They now charge for bread but it’s only something like a dollar a person. The bread is so good that I woke up the next day tasting it in my mouth.
It’s so crusty and developed with flavors……They also serve the bread with a tasty garlic cheese spread…
We started out by sharing the Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
It was made with Marcona Almonds, egg, pecorino and Meyer Lemon Dressing…It was just delicious.
I had the Calabrian Marinated Chicken under a brick.
It’s one of the best chickens I ever tasted. So moist like butter but with a delicious not too spicy Calabrian Chili flavor developed in it and above……Insanely scrumptious………This is really masterful high quality chicken…..Ummm………There is plenty of chicken to eat…actually too much for one person…but nothing else. I think this plate would be best as a sharing plate so you could eat something else with it…..but the bread soaks it up well.
My husband got the Acorn fed Pork Shoulder that came with a Potato Croquette, Pancetta wrapped fruit and Broccoli Rabe.
What a nice combination protein, vegetable, meat wrapped fruit and potato……He loved it!
I saved room for dessert because they are usually great here.
Today we tried the Semi Freddo di Lemon.
It’s good but I don’t taste much lemon. It taste more like kumquat with ice cream topped with meringue and a thin burnt cookie.
The last dessert I had here was really great and I still remember it.
Clafoutis Type of Dessert From Bottega in Yountville CA
Below is another dish I enjoyed from a past visit.
Potato Dough Raviolo with spinach and Egg in Brown Butter Sage Sauce from Bottega
That was my 2019 visit to Bottega in Yountville CA. – Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.BottegaNapaValley.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.
Bistro Jeanty is a charming French Restaurant located in Yountville California that serves classic French Foods. According to Restaurant Guru Bistro Jeanty is a Michelin Selection and has two black knife-and-fork symbols.
It was perfect beautiful weather so we sat on the patio that was full of marble topped tables and lots of greenery with roses.
One of the specials of the evening were truffled deviled eggs so we tried them.
The deviled eggs came out quickly and were topped with fresh clipped chives and a side truffled mache. We also received a basket of baguette and butter. They eggs were creamy and seasoned well and laced with truffle. The baguettes were delicious and the butter tasted like it was from France.
For dinner I tried the Sole Meuniere.
The petrale sole was sweet and mild…..and was embellished with the tiniest sweetest capers I ever had. The fish rested over delicious creamy mashed potatoes and there was a pool of lemon caper butter sauce around everything.
My husband tried the cassoulet.
It was a pot of happiness full of falling apart duck confit, sausage, juicy apple smoked bacon, creamy beans and topped with herbed crumbs.
I’d say my trip to Bistro Jeantry was Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.BistroJeanty.com
Every Forking THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.
These aren’t necessarily my best recipes but they all are very good to excellent. Up above is a picture of the Cook’s Country Potato Cheddar Pierogi I made. I can’t even tell you how often this recipe is pinned. At Holiday times and when this is featured on TV up to 350 people a day look up this recipe on my site.
So far 139 people Yum’d Forking Easy Classic Boule Bread.
Portuguese Inspired Roasted Chicken got 56 Yum’d so far.
Korean Inspired Leek Salad got Yum’d 128 times so far!
So far 93 Yum’d Duchess Style Parsnips.
Healthy Creamy Low Fat Roasted Cauliflower got at least 71 times Yum’d.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza got Yum’d at least 240 times and 5 stars.
Pumpernickel Bread got Yum’d 43 times so far.
Spicy Thai Basil Salad got an official 4 stars. (might have made 5 stars if they didn’t switch up ingredients. The person rating this recipe didn’t add the oil, basil, Chile or soy sauce and used sambal instead.)
Spicy Mexican Style Cole Slaw is officially 5 Stars.
Socca Bread is officially 5 stars.
Eye Roast is officially 5 stars.
Indian Inspired Green Beans with Chia Peas is officially 5 stars.
One of The Forking Truth’s Recipes made it to our local newspaper.
Since I published this I just got a new official 5 star rated recipes.
Addendum is a picnic area that serves boxed lunches behind Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc Restaurant in Yountville California. Addendum means to add on and Addendum is an add on to Ad Hoc. Addendum is only open Thursdays threw Saturdays 11:00-2:00. The limited menu offers Thomas Keller’s Famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pork Ribs and Pulled Pork Sandwiches that come with two changing sides. On the day of my visit they were also selling chocolate chip cookies and brownies. You can pre-order your lunch online or wait in line. The day I was there it wasn’t busy at all but that was on a Thursday.
You let them know that you are here at that shack and in a while they ran our order out to us.
Drum Roll………….Here it is!
We got two different chicken boxes. I got a breast, a leg and a wing. My husband got a thigh, a leg and a wing.
The Chicken is hot but not soggy at all. It’s sprinkled with fresh rosemary and fresh crushed salt of a good quality.
It’s VERY CRISP with incredibly moist chicken. It sure is delicious. It’s like there isn’t any skin. It’s just crunchy and flavorful. The chicken has a somewhat silky texture to it and is super moist and delicious. Then after a piece you want to try the sides.
Both sides are creamy today. On the left is very creamy Cole slaw. I can taste a lot of celery seed in it. It also taste more sour creamy than mayonnaise-ee. On the right is red skin potato salad. It is also very creamy and it also has a lot of celery seed in it. Neither salad is drippy. Both are well seasoned but heavy with celery seeds.
Back to the chicken it is just delicious and I can’t stop eating it.
It’s still hot and not oily or soggy anywhere……agian it seems like skinless chicken but I know it isn’t.
Going to try the corn muffin. It’s sweet……It’s like a pound cake mixed with a corn muffin but more the texture of pound cake. I’ll save it for the end.
I really did enjoy the Addendum’s (Thomas Keller’s) Fried Chicken……the only down side was that I was too full to enjoy a dinner later.
Addendum is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.ThomasKeller.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Gott’s is a small group of casual restaurants located in California. They offer burgers, other sandwiches, salads, sides and some specials in a semi fast casual environment. You order at the counter-
Then you pick a table outdoors or indoors.
In reasonable time your pager goes off and your off to the counter to pick up your order.
Today we tried the double cheeseburger, the ahi grade seared tuna with Asian slaw, ginger wasabi mayo, cilantro on an egg bun, fries with cheese jalapeño sauce and off the special menu fried Indian Style cauliflower.
The stand outs had to be the Ahi Tuna Sandwich and the Indian Style Cauliflower…..Nothing was bad about the cheeseburger or fries but they seemed average after the others. The burgers at Gott’s get cooked medium well but still turn out juicy. The Tuna Sandwich and the Cauliflower were full of bold exotic flavors. The tuna had ginger, wasabi and crunch from the slaw. It was spicy but delicious. Sure wasn’t an average burger. It was refreshing but it also woke you up. The Indian Beer Battered Cauliflower also had many great flavors going on with it….turmeric, ginger, chili and the dipping sauce was on the sweet side but very refreshing.
Gott’s uses Sir Kensington Brand Ketchup and mustard. We both never tried them before and I have to say WOW! They are great! That ketchup has so much more tomato flavor than the Heinz Brand I usually buy. That mustard is also delicious too!
I have to say Gott’s Roadside is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.GottsRoadside.com
Every FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
This doesn’t look as special as it taste. The corn gets sort of brined as they are cooked and absorb to get southwest flavors. The liquid that cooks the corn transforms into a southwest seasoned corn stock that is incredibly delicious. You pull out all the big stuff from the liquid and add rice and cook till done and when done add scallions and mix together….You won’t believe how FORKING TASTY this really is…..You just won’t believe it.
Ingredients to make 8 servings
8 ears of corn – peeled
4 oz unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons sea salt
2 large jalapeños – sliced in half
6 scallions – cut in half
8 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground achiote (also called anatto)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 dried chiltepin peppers – crush with finger tips (very difficult pepper to find ….but it will make your food taste better….you can order it online)
I Tablespoon epazote leaves (sometimes Whole Foods sells them…but you can buy from any Mexican Grocery…..I buy them and freeze them so I always have some….if you freeze them take leaves off the stem because the stems get mushy from freezing)
1 bunch cilantro stems
4 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chilies in adobo)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
water to cover corn about 3/4s
2 cup rice
1/2 cup scallions – sliced thin.
Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
Use two 1/2 pans and put 4 ears of corn in one and 4 ears of corn in the other. Half of almost everything goes in each pan. In each pan add 2oz butter, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, 1 jalapeño, 3 scallions, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground achiote, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 chiltepin pepper (crushed), 1/2 Tablespoon epazote, 1/2 bunch cilantro stems, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
Fill with water till the water covers about three quarters of the corn. Cover both pans tightly with foil.
They stay in oven till done….about 90 minutes.
When corn is done remove ears from the liquid.
Remove most of pieces of stuff from the liquid and throw out pieces but keep liquid…..you should have 4-5 cups of liquid.
Put all the liquid in one pan.
In your empty pan add the two cups of rice.
Measure out 4 cups of liquid and add the liquid to the pan of rice…..(this is really going to be forking amazing delicious rice)
Cover tightly with foil and it goes back in the oven till the rice is done……about 50 minutes.
During this time cut the corn off the cobs and set in a bowl.
Pull out the rice and fluff. Add the corn and scallions and mix.
You and yours will be surprised on how Forking Delicious this really is.
FORKING DELICIOUS Southwest seasoned Rice and Corn
The Oakville Grocery Store sells artisan foods, lots of cheeses, Californian Wines local foods, prepared foods and sandwiches for takeout.
Some baked goods.
I was surprised to find a lot of Arizona Hayden Flour Mills products.
We took out our fresh tasty sandwiches to eat because there are no eateries along the Silverado Trail. Sampled wine from many wineries. The atmosphere was stunning.
The Acacia House by Top Chef Master Chris Cosentino is located in the Las Alcobal Hotel in St Helena California. The cuisine served is Californian Style that is bold yet refined. The restaurant is in a restored victorian mansion with a wrap around porch. Inside is modern and and with tones of mostly grey.
Today we were here for the Three Course $29.00 Lunch.
We both started with the sweet gem lettuce, bagna cauda (Italian anchovy garlic dip), crispy boquerones (marinated white anchovy), grated cheese and olive oil croutons.
WOW! What a great salad…..it’s like an extra special Caesar salad. the croutons are so light and tender and seem buttery but they are buttery from olive oil. the bagna cauda is the dressing and the boqurones are like tasty prizes in the salad.
For my main I got the avocado toast with smoked salmon, salad option instead of fries and $4.00 add on of salmon caviar.
It’s a knife and fork sandwich made on multigrain toasted bread. It’s dressed with a generous amount of creamy avocado that’s topped with silky thinly sliced salmon, shaved radish, salmon caviar and horseradish watercress. It all goes together well and doesn’t seem too heavy. There’s different textures going on with the sandwich. There’s crusty, creamy, silky, crunchy, herbal and popping. It’s all very good. The salad is lightly dressed with a slightly sweet almost creamy dressing that is slightly refreshing with the sandwich.
My husband goes for the pasta of the day that is rigatoni with 24 hour braised pork sugo.
He received a generous plate of well made rigatoni dressed with tender flavorful braised pork that was embellished with grated cheese and herbs. I just kept hearing…”this is REALLY GOOD!”
As great as that all was then we are gifted with really great desserts.
This is an example of a perfect lemon meringue. Everything about it is delicious! The thin crust is delicious. The meringue is delicious and charred……and doesn’t taste like egg white. But it is the lemon that really makes it. This is PERFECT….the right amount of lemon taste. Just the perfect tartness and not too sweet….It’s perfect.
We also share what they called a chocolate mousse.
It’s a very generous portion and it’s very detailed. Besides the mousse there’s a fennel pollen cream mixed with creme fraiche. Theres biscotti and a crunchy chocolate cookie. The mousse is very creamy and thick….to me it seems like a chocolate pot de creme and seems laced with something sort of fennel-like.
WOW the Acacia House by Chris Cosentino knocked it out of the park!
The Acacia House by Chris Cosentino is WORTH A FORK!
Worth a Fork!
www.LasAlcobasNapaValley.com
Every thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
La Calenda is a casual Oaxaco Style Mexican Restaurant located in Yountville California. This is a casual restaurant and doesn’t take reservations. They offer indoor seating, bar seating and a dog friendly patio. One would never guess that La Calenda is of the Thomas Keller group of restaurants but it is located in walking distance from Bouchon and Ad Hoc/Addendum.
On our first visit I got a mixed drink called Alma de Flor and it’s a drink that sounds pretty but came in a scull glass.
It was made with Mexican Rum, Gentian Amaro, Passionfruit Liquor, Creme de Cacao and Lime. My husband got a Margarita.
For dinner I had the Pescado Zarandeado Verde.
This was FORKING INCREDIBLE like from another planet delicious! It’s a very light meal but just right for me today. It’s branzino fish that is so fresh and light and dressed with really scrumptious Hoya Santa leaf marinade with greens and this equals scrumptious salsa avocado tomatillo on the side…….OHHHhhhhhhh it’s just a BOMB of delicious!
My husband got the Puerco en Mole Verde that came with two hand made purple tortillas and he also ordered a side of refried beans. (pork Jowl with white beans)
I’d say that this dinner is also for a lighter appetite but this plate was so delicious to my husband that he also wanted to return before our trip was over.
So we did!
Tonight they offered a Tuna Aguachile that also blew us away with flavors. DANG it was so amazing…….I could eat and drink the whole thing.
Then we shared three of the tacos. Oddly the tacos were very generous in size unlike the dinners……….? I didn’t expect that.
First we tried the mushroom tacos.
The Mushroom Tacos are big, meaty and delicious.
The fish tacos were batter dipped and covered with a mayonnaise based sauce and a chili vinegar sauce. They were fried nicely and were mild and meaty.
These tacos were both very good but the OMG FORKING INCREDIBLE Tacos were the Tacos de Pollo Pible…..OMG SUPER FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS!
Somehow achiote grilled chicken, sour orange pickled onions and habanero salsa is far more delicious than I can ever describe. WOW what FORKING amazing flavors! If I was here longer we might have made a third visit to try more!
La Calenda is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.LaCalendaMex.com
Every thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
