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San Francisco/Napa/Sonoma gourmands

post #1 of 35
5/5/09 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
FL. Called bang on 10 a.m. PST, 2 months prior! All tables for 2 gone by the time I got through 20 minutes later! On wait list. It's for our 25th. Too bad. So, got a table at Bouchon. Any thoughts on Bouchon much appreciated. We have ten days in SF and Napa. Maybe a day in Sonoma. Will you recommend some good French restaurants with good wines? Also, how long a drive from Yountville to SFO? Weekend. Not much in a search. Thanks.
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post #2 of 35
5/5/09 at 5:20pm
Did you try FL for lunch? Same menu and actually enjoyable since it's like a 3 - 4 hour meal.

Don't know about French, but I'd recommend Terra, Toque and Redd.

Yountville to SFO depends on traffic, but perhaps 90 minutes.
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post #3 of 35
5/5/09 at 6:04pm
If you are super-lucky, maybe 70-80mins. All the way to SFO airport, I'd say 90 mins is the minimum. Coming from my grandmother's house in Napa back to SF city takes minimum 60 mins., but on a weekend the traffic on 29 can really jam up and you could get caught in a Bay Bridge mess, so it could easily take over 2 hours. If you are heading from Yountville to SFO to fly out, budget lots of time and if you have an iPhone (or similar) and can monitor traffic conditions, I'd recommend it.
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post #4 of 35
5/5/09 at 6:17pm
Up there: Bottgea in is Yountville great. The Brussels Sprout salad is wonderful there and so is the wine. Bistro Jeanty is really good too. FL, nothing is like FL, sorry to say.

Where are you staying?

The Carneros Inn is really nice, an old trailer park converted into luxe cabins owned by the Plumpjack people. For super high end, the Meadowood is great.
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post #5 of 35
5/5/09 at 6:17pm
I've heard, not only from people on here, but since looking into it further, from a LOT of people, that Cyrus restaurant is basically the "go-to" restaurant for anyone who can't get into TFL. And from the reviews and magazine articles I've read, it seems that most people were happier they went to Cyrus than they imagined they'd have been at TFL.
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post #6 of 35
5/5/09 at 7:35pm
Bouchon is awesome. 2 hours from SFO, I would say.
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post #7 of 35
5/5/09 at 7:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwilkinson View Post
I've heard, not only from people on here, but since looking into it further, from a LOT of people, that Cyrus restaurant is basically the "go-to" restaurant for anyone who can't get into TFL. And from the reviews and magazine articles I've read, it seems that most people were happier they went to Cyrus than they imagined they'd have been at TFL.
I like Cyrus more than FL. Bouchon is great, but at a different level than the other two. Definitely cosign Meadowood. One of my favorite hotels in the world. I haven't been to Auberge de Soleil for years, but that was always a fantastic place to stay, and the food is great as well.
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post #8 of 35
5/5/09 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by farfisa23 View Post
Up there: Bottgea in is Yountville great. The Brussels Sprout salad is wonderful there and so is the wine. Bistro Jeanty is really good too. FL, nothing is like FL, sorry to say.

Where are you staying?

The Carneros Inn is really nice, an old trailer park converted into luxe cabins owned by the Plumpjack people. For super high end, the Meadowood is great.

I was at The Carneros back when they first opened. Has it changed? All the lodges were sort of small and made with that wavy metal so it felt like you were inside a nicely furnished Kwanset hut, or a concentration camp.

For something a bit more casual in that area, mostly for lunch, I enjoy The Girl & The Fig. And Redd's and Cyrus are definitely worth stopping at if you don't get to the FL. A bit of a drive, but a scenic one, is The Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant, although the food can be hit or miss depending on the season.

Then there are the restaurants in SF...
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post #9 of 35
5/5/09 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
Sadly, I have a Mustang GT conv! I'm hoping for an S4 upon arrival. So, the driving will be fun, hopefully.

SF restaurant recs would be great, too. And thanks for info so far.

Camillia Inn, Healdsburg is a possibility if we do Cyrus.
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post #10 of 35
5/5/09 at 9:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiophilia View Post
Sadly, I have a Mustang GT conv! I'm hoping for an S4 upon arrival. So, the driving will be fun, hopefully.

SF restaurant recs would be great, too. And thanks for info so far.

Camillia Inn, Healdsburg is a possibility if we do Cyrus.
Food in San Francisco is only so-so these days. It is a far cry from what it once was. I rarely go to "good" restaurants in the city anymore, because they are always a major disappointment. If pressed, I would suggest Gary Danko, Quince and The Ritz Carlton Dining Room, but given 10 days, I would spend most of my time eating ethnic food, which is where SF really shines. Above all, avoid Michael Mina. It is very popular, but awful.
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post #11 of 35
5/5/09 at 9:32pm
I'm not a huge fan of haute cuisine, especially of the 'Franch' variety, but I'd add Coi ("kwah") and Ame ("ah-may") to that list. I used to love Masa's but haven't been back in years.
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post #12 of 35
5/5/09 at 9:49pm
My wife and I really like Bouchon for lunch. We can always count on a good meal, classic dishes and a perfect cone of French fries. I suggest using opentable.com to make easy reservations for Bouchon and many Bay area eateries. . We arrive about 11:30 am to get one of the patio tables which we think is a lot more enjoyable than the main dinning area on a nice day. By noon the patio tables are gone. We always get a carafe of their Sancerre, some fresh clams and pate. And that is just to munch on while we decide what to eat! Leave room for Profiterals for dessert. Stop in the bakery on your way out for some treats.

Immatt mentioned Auberge. It is a beautiful setting. I would suggest stopping by for a late afternoon drink while sitting out on their deck.

Recently the folks up in Napa, Sonoma have been especially happy to see people. You should experience a very welcoming attitude.

Have fun. It really is a special place in the USA.
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post #13 of 35
5/5/09 at 10:34pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, PSG. Been dreaming about this trip for some time now. And thanks to all, some great ideas. I checked out Meadowood. Gulp. Guess you gotta pay to play.

I remember someone telling me there were two fine French restaurants in the SF area, one in Berkeley. ??
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post #14 of 35
5/5/09 at 10:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiophilia View Post
Thanks, PSG. Been dreaming about this trip for some time now. And thanks to all, some great ideas. I checked out Meadowood. Gulp. Guess you gotta pay to play.

I remember someone telling me there were two fine French restaurants in the SF area, one in Berkeley. ??

Golf in Napa in the middle of the summer? Sounds like torture to me. Might as well play in Phoenix same time of year. If you'll be staying in SF, the Presidio Golf Course can be quite lovely if the weather is right (not foggy).
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post #15 of 35
5/5/09 at 10:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiophilia View Post
Thanks, PSG. Been dreaming about this trip for some time now. And thanks to all, some great ideas. I checked out Meadowood. Gulp. Guess you gotta pay to play.

I remember someone telling me there were two fine French restaurants in the SF area, one in Berkeley. ??
Chez Panisse, affectionately known as Chez Penis, is the famous restaurant in Berkeley. I love it, many don't. It is perhaps unfair to call it French, as it was the birthplace of the California food culture. The ingredients they use are perhaps the finest in the world. The catch is that there is one menu each night, so you don't get to make your own choices. Masa's was mentioned above. I have a soft spot for it as working in the kitchen there was my first real job. My chef moved on to greener pastures years ago, but I think the food is still terrific.
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