Two Guys From Napa

Mother’s Day Brunch in Napa Valley – 2022 Suggestions

Posted on April 28, 2022 by CraigTG

Do you want to take Mom out for a special Mother’s Day Brunch in Napa Valley but haven’t been able to look into it yet? If so, we’re here with details for what’s on the menu at some of the best restaurants across Napa Valley. Whether you’re looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet, a Prix Fixe menu, or if you prefer to order à la carte, there’s a Mother’s Day Brunch option that’s bound to be perfect. Please keep reading and follow the links below to online menus to help you prepare for May 8, 2022.

If you’re looking for typical Brunch options such as Mimosas, Oysters, Bagel & Lox, Pancakes, Eggs Benedict, Caesar Salad, Chilaquiles, or even Chicken and Waffles, you’re going to find it. But, since it’s Mother’s Day Brunch in Napa Valley, your restaurant’s menu choices could also include Burrata, Dungeness Crab Louie, Lobster Benedict, Tofu Scramble, Chorizo Omelet, Banana’s Foster French Toast, Chinese Chicken Salad, Margherita Pizza, Duck Leg Sandwich, Croque Madame, Fettucine Bolognese, Heritage St. Louis Ribs or a Grilled Lamb Burger.

Biscuits and Gravy, a Mother's Day Brunch in Napa Valley Menu Option

Buttermilk Biscuit and Sausage Gravy from Evangeline

If you are a Biscuits and Gravy fan, you’ll be able to order them for Mother’s Day Brunch at Celadon, Evangeline, Farmstead, Fumé Bistro and Johnny’s Restaurant & Bar. Or, if someone in your party is going to need a Cheeseburger, you can find that on the menus at Bank Café and Bar, Boon Fly Café, Brix, Calistoga Inn, Grace’s Table, Harvest Table, Lovina, Napa General Store and Sam’s Social Club. We strongly suggest you move quickly to make reservations, because Mom deserves that little extra piece of effort and the restaurants are getting booked.
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Hooray for Libraries: The NVWLA Annual Tasting

Posted on April 13, 2022 by CraigTG

NVWLA Annual Tasting Come celebrate Spring and the joy of Napa Valley wines at a lovely outdoor wine tasting event in two weeks: the Napa Valley Wine Library Association (NVWLA) Annual Tasting. This relaxing walk-around Tasting will be held under the sheltering oaks of The Grove at Silverado Resort & Spa (1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa) on April 24th between 4 and 6 pm. For 2022, fifty wineries have been encouraged to pour two wines each, so you can explore many of the varietals and regions of Napa Valley all in one location. The cost for attending the Tasting is just $25 if you are already a NVWLA member, or you can purchase a ticket and membership at the same time.

Baldacci Vineyards Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon

Are you a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon? If so, you will be able to explore the various terroirs of Napa Valley at the NVWLA Annual Tasting. Wineries will be sharing wines crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Calistoga (Barlow Vineyards), Chiles Valley (Castlevale), Coombsville (Scalon Cellars), Diamond Mountain (Vineyard {511}), Howell Mountain (Lamborn Family Vineyards), Mount Veeder (VGS Chateau Potelle), Oak Knoll District (Okapi Wines), Oakville (Groth Vineyards & Winery), Spring Mountain (Terra Valentine), St. Helena (Spottswoode Estate), Stags Leap District (Baldacci Family Vineyards) and Yountville (Rocca Family Vineyards).
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It’s Back! The 2022 bASH Wine and Food Competition

Posted on March 26, 2022 by CraigTG

Deconstructed Beef Empanada

We’re excitedly looking forward to the 2022 bASH Wine and Food Competition next Saturday. If you enjoy awesome wine, food, and wine-and-food pairings then you should buy your tickets soon for bASH on Saturday, April 2. This annual showcase for Napa Valley’s Appellation St. Helena has 19 premium wineries joining forces with local culinary talent to present the best wine and food pairing of the evening. This is the 11th time this delightful event has happened, giving attendees the power to select the winners. That’s right: if you attend the 2022 bASH, you get to eat, drink AND judge.

Most of the food pairings at the 2022 bASH will come from “Rising Star” students at the Culinary Institute of America. These current and/or recent students will be creating dishes from scratch, specifically designed to complement the wine that they have been matched with. The picture above is a small bite from the last bASH event. It is a Deconstructed Beef Empanada, with Rhubarb and Watermelon Rind Pickled Salad, from CIA students Alejandro Baisman and Jacob Hershberger. The taste was served with Calafia Cellars’ 2016 La Reina (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot blend).

“House of Wolves”

The most recent bASH Wine and Food Competition was in 2019, and the audience’s choice for best pairing involving CIA Students was a dish called “House of Wolves.” The “house” was a delicious Thai Chile-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Yuca Puree on a Parmesan-Sage Crisp, topped with Serrano Relish and Candied Grapefruit from CIA students Jonathan Friedman and Daniel Reyes. It was paired with Anomaly Vineyards’ 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Lodging Spotlight: Brewery Gulch Inn (Mendocino)

Posted on June 14, 2020 by CraigTG

Brewery Gulch Inn

If you are planning your first getaway as the Stay at Home orders are lifting, we’d like to suggest Brewery Gulch Inn on the Mendocino Coast. This Arts & Crafts-style lodge is located on an ocean view blufftop, just one mile south of Mendocino Village. It also borders 48,000 acres of unoccupied meadows and redwoods of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest so the scenery is amazing. Within the Inn you’ll find cozy and well-appointed rooms, gracious hospitality and impressive culinary skills. Over the past few years their accolades have included being on the lists of “100 Best Hotels in the World” and “Top 10 Resort Hotels in California” by Travel & Leisure and “Top 50 Hotels in the World” in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

L’Air de Mer Pinot Noir
at Phillips Hill Winery

Mendocino County is a delightful travel destination, and offers many options for regional exploration. About 45 minutes away from the Inn is Anderson Valley, home of Baxter Winery, Drew Family Wines, Lula Cellars, Phillips Hill Winery, Roederer Estate and more. Fort Bragg is about 20 minutes north of the Inn, with craft breweries, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the Skunk Train and Glass Beach. Or, on your way to Fort Bragg you can detour to Noyo Harbor, offering a fishing store, boat rentals, and several fresh seafood eateries.

Mendocino Village itself is less than 5 minutes away, with quaint shops, restored New England-style Victorians, excellent restaurants, and walking trails that offer incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.
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California Rosé Wines: The Ones You Should Try

Posted on April 11, 2020 by CraigTG

California Rosé Wines

It may not really feel like it yet, but it’s definitely Spring and that means it’s time for California Rosé wines. We have always been fond of excellent wines crafted from Pinot Noir grapes, including Rosés, but there are also a lot of great Rosés made from other varietals as well. If you are a Rosé fan, and would like to try some new wines, we thought we’d offer suggestions based on our recent personal favorites to help narrow the field. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you about some of our favorites so you can do some exploration and tasting for yourself.

This is actually a great time to be purchasing wines directly from the folks that make them. Some wineries have just released their new 2019 Rosé wines (Timbre, Trombetta). A few of the wineries that usually sell out of their popular Rosés quickly still have some in stock (Auteur, Robert Sinskey Vineyards). Other wineries, luckily, still have some Rosés available that have won accolades in ratings and wine competitions (Balletto, Pennyroyal Farm). And of course, this is a great time to be supporting small, family-owned businesses by purchasing their products.

Long Meadow Ranch 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir

We have personally enjoyed a lot of excellent California Rosés recently and they come from all over the State. Our suggestions below include wines from Mendocino County, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara County, and more. Please consider these wines (and wineries) as you plan your future brunches, dinners, or home-curated wine tasting experiences. Most of these wines appear to be available for sale on the wineries’ websites, and many currently have discounts on wines and/or shipping fees. For example, Graziano Family of Wines’ Rosé is on sale for $72 a case, Stephen Ross Wine Cellars is offering $1 shipping, and Long Meadow Ranch is offering free shipping.
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Wine Tasting From Home: Napa Pinot Noirs

Posted on April 8, 2020 by CraigTG

Napa Pinot Noirs from the Carneros AVA

If you’re looking for a virtual “wine tasting trip” recommendation, consider focusing on Napa Pinot Noir wines. That’s right, the ones from Napa! Cabernet Sauvignon grapes here may get more of the fame and accolades, but we’re just as fond of the wines crafted from Pinot Noir grapes grown here. After all, part of the Carneros AVA is in Napa Valley. Keep reading and we’ll tell you about some of our favorite Napa Pinot Noirs. All wineries, whether large or small, are in need of your support right now, especially the small family-owned establishments. So your patronage would be greatly appreciated.

To simulate a wine tasting trip from home just order a few wines, put together a charcuterie board, and voila! Most of the wines are still available for purchase on the wineries’ websites, and several of them are offering discounts on shipping charges. If you want, you can probably find the tech sheets for the wines online (or ask for copies when you place your order) to learn more about the vineyards, the harvesting, the aging, and/or what to expect the wine to smell and taste like. Just don’t forget to stay hydrated during your “trip.”

ZD 50th Anniversary Reserve Cuvée

If you’d like to start the fun with a Sparkling Wine, the ZD Wines 50^th Anniversary Reserve Cuvée is made of 59% Napa Pinot Noir (and 41% Chardonnay) from ZD’s estate vineyard in Carneros. If you are a fan of Rosés, Bouchaine Vineyards and Robert Sinskey Vineyards both recently released their 2019 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir wines. We’ve had the pleasure of tasting all three of those, and highly recommend them all. And yes, the Robert Sinskey Vineyards Vin Gris is the wine that Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, keeps raving about.
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Napa Valley Restaurants (Upvalley) Need Your Patronage Too

Posted on March 28, 2020 by CraigTG

Fried Chicken from Ad Hoc

This would be a good time to patronize the Napa Valley restaurants that are still open, and support the local community. You’ll find plenty of choices in Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, and Yountville still offering takeout, curbside pickup, and/or delivery. Some establishments have closed due to the shelter-in-place rules, but many are trying to stay open and continue to provide pay (and employment) for their hard-working employees.

So, if you’ve been craving the Coffee Cake at Bella Bakery, a Carnitas Burrito from La Luna, the Fried Chicken at Ad Hoc, a Rack of Ribs from Buster’s, a Shake from Gott’s, the French Dip from Rutherford Grill, the Filet Mignon at PRESS, or a Brownie from Bouchon, you can still get those! Or, several restaurants are offering Family Meals (to save you a bunch of time and effort) and Tra Vigne Pizzeria even has a Pizza Making Kit (to keep the kids busy).

Cheeseburger from Gott’s

Please see below for a partial list of Napa Valley restaurants (north of Napa itself) that are serving customers, so please consider giving them your business. Be smart, stay healthy and please be extra courteous to the people you interact with (from a safe distance, of course). The situation is ever evolving, so be sure to check out the restaurants’ websites and social media accounts to get the latest (and frequently to place your orders).

(you can also go here for a listing for restaurants that are still open in the city of Napa)
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