I have been living in Napa Valley since May of 2018 and absolutely love it! For those of you who do not know, I go to culinary school at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helana, a quaint little town in Napa Valley. As a culinary student I have made it my duty to get to know the area by eating my way around the valley. I also enjoy all of the activities I can do outside here since the weather is always perfect, there is fruit trees down every road, and of course the gorgeous vineyards and mountains all around. Here are some of my favorite food spots and activities you should hit up if you are in the area and looking for things to do besides go to vineyards.

Food/Restaurants:

1. Gott’s Roadside

Gott’s Roadside is hands down my favorite food spot in all of Napa Valley. If you couldn’t tell already, fast casual is always my go to, which sums up Gott’s. Gott’s is like an upscale fast food burger joint with tons of healthy Paleo options.

Gotts started as a roadside burger joint in St. Helena that featured local produce. It has since grown to 7 locations total all in the Bay Area to Napa Valley. It’s menu has also grown to other items like tacos, vegan burgers, salads, chilis, and ice cream.

Gott’s menu has a wide variety of items and literally everything is amazing. They have burgers, hot dogs, soups, salads, seafood, sandwiches, chicken fingers, milkshakes, and a huge craft beer and wine list. Their burger lists has over 10 burgers that are all loaded with flavor and great ingredients. The best part about the burgers is that you can request it in lettuce instead of a bun, which they wrap perfectly and is actually filling. You can make any burger Paleo with this lettuce wrap and asking for it without the cheese! My favorite burger is the Texas Avocado Burger, which has avocado, jalepenos, and salsa.

Another favorite of mine is their grilled Mahi Mahi tacos. The tortilla it comes on isn’t Paleo since it is a corn tortilla, but it is gluten free. The Mahi Mahi is so fresh and the toppings on the taco are amazing. They are small, so I recommend also getting a burger or salad along with the tacos.

Lastly, Gott’s has amazing salads, which is rare for a burger joint. All can be made Paleo by asking for it without the cheese or added gluten. My favorite is the Citrus and Avocado Chop. It is a very California-ey salad with their Asado grilled chicken that has tons of spice and flavor. It is my go to order and sometimes I even add grilled Mahi Mahi if I am really hungry!

Gott’s is an absolute must if you are in the valley or Bay Area! There are many locations to choose from, but I recommend the St. Helena OG location!

2. Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch

Farmstead is hands down the best farm to table restaurant in Napa Valley and probably the Northern California Region. You may think I am biased since I happen to also work at Farmstead, but seeing behind the scenes of this restaurant has only shown me how great this restaurant is (which is rare to like the food more once you start working in that restaurant).

Farmstead is about as farm to table as it gets. It is a part of Long Meadow Ranch, which is a vineyard and also massive farm with many locations. But the restaurant and cafe are located in St. Helena on one of their smaller farms. All of their produce is local and a lot of it comes from what they produce on their farms. Their meat is all grass fed, organic, and pasture raised, most of which also comes from their own cattle and lamb.

The type of food is New American/Southern with a focus on fresh ingredients. They use seasonal vegetables that are fresh and straight from the farm. The have a menu that is very easy to eat healthy and Paleo and gluten free. From working there I can honestly say I would eat and do eat their food since the ingredients are so on point.

My favorite items on the menu are their meats. The quality cannot be beat since they are straight from the farm. The charcuterie board is a must since they cure their meats on site, the prosciutto is AMAZING. Also their steak tar tar is fantastic, perfectly seasoned and sliced fresh that day.

For main course you have to get the ribs! If you like ribs at all then you will love these. They are smoked in their massive smoker out back and fall off the bone, it is finished with their homemade bbq sauce that I can eat right out of the jar. If you aren’t feeling ribs their grilled chicken is also an amazing choice. I also love their trout, which is a local white trout, finished on the grilled and super moist.

Farmstead is great for a dinner, brunch, or any meal. If you are in the area it is a must for a great farm to table meal!

3. Archetype

Archetype is another cute restaurant in St. Helena that is a go to for me and my girlfriends. It has an amazing aesthetic, with a bright and homey feel. Archetype prides itself in hyper local ingredients that are seasonal and sustainably farmed.

Their menu is very healthy and is vegetable forward with great protein options. Almost all of their items are gluten free or can be made gluten free. They even have a cauliflower pizza option! I have been for both brunch and dinner and loved all of my meals. My only warning would be that the portions are small, so you will definitely need appetizers before your meal.

My favorite appetizer on the menu is their cauliflower steak. It is a thick slice of whole cauliflower with amazing toppings and garnishments. The romesco sauce that comes on top is so tangy I could lick it off of the plate. Their deviled duck eggs are also very good, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t love deviled eggs unless I make them. They are topped with smoked trout and jalepeno, which makes me like them so much.

 

If you are there for brunch my favorite main is their corned beef hash. It is corned beef with a mix of vegetables and root vegetables that is topped with poached eggs. Their scotch eggs benedict without the english muffin is also fantastic, just not as filling.

If you are ordering their dinner I highly recommend their whole roasted petrale sole. I got this on my birthday dinner because I LOVE whole roasted fish. It comes out in the olive oil that it was cooked in and filleted right in front of you. It is one of the entrees that is big enough to actually fill me up.

Definitely check out Archetype for a great meal in a great atmosphere.

4. C Casa

C Casa is another one of my favorites, located in Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa, where they have modern tacos and more! Oxbow Public Market is a fancy food court and vendors where you can walk around and pick what kind of food you want, which I highly recommend you pick C Casa! My favorite part of C Casa is that it is COMPLETELY gluten free, organic/grass fed meats, and local ingredients. It also happens to have amazing food with unique and great flavor.

C Casa has a great taco menu, with a wide variety of unique tacos. It also has great salads and rotisserie chickens and ducks. I have never had the rotisserie items but you truly can never go wrong with that.

Of the tacos that I have had all of them have been amazing. My favorites are the spiced lamb taco, which has a mediterranean flavor profile to it, the grilled steak taco, which is more of a typical taco, and the grilled mahi mahi. They also almost always have a special taco that rotates which you should check out! I always get a side salad of their shaved cabbage and apple. The salad is HUGE and is super fresh, tangy and has a bite to it.

C Casa is perfect for a quick bite or lunch! And Oxbow Market is a lot of fun to walk around.

5. Bouchon Bistro

If you are a foodie you are well aware of what Bouchon Bistro is, a Thomas Keller Group french restaurant located in Yountville that also happens to have a Michelin Star. This is the restaurant you should go to if you are looking to splurge on a nice meal, but not splurge to the degree of French Laundry. It is the perfect spot for a nice dinner of some of the best food you will ever have.

I had the privilege of working for an event thrown by Bouchon Bistro on Bastille Day with many other CIA students. Because we volunteered at the event for 10 hours on our free Saturday, Bouchon treated us with a dinner the next day.

Since we volunteered for the event and were a bunch of culinary students I didn’t think the dinner would be anything special, maybe some extra food that they needed to get rid of at the restaurant. But when we arrived the red carpet was rolled out for us and we were treated like any other paying guest would be. To our shock they treated us to a three course feast, where we got to try almost everything on the menu. They brought out almost every appetizer, entree, and dessert, and pleanty of it so we all got to have giant portions. Before this meal I never thought of myself as a fan of French Food, but Bouchon’s dishes were some of the best I have ever had.

We started with endless appetizers of oysters, mussels, deviled eggs, shrimp, crab, foie gras, smoked salmon, and so much more I cannot even remember. They also brought out gluten free items for me since they knew I couldn’t eat it. If you go you HAVE to get their parfait de foie gras. Foie gras is a specialty food item of duck or goose liver that has been especially fattened for flavor. Before this dinner I had never had foie gras, so I was skeptical of eating it. But now that I have had Bouchon’s foie gras I cannot go back.

For the entrees we were given many different dishes to try and all but one being gluten free. We were given Trout Amondine, which is trout cooked in brown butter, haricot verts and almonds, which was fantastic. We were also given steak, roast chicken, mussels, leg of lamb, and loads of veggies! All were fantastic but my favorite was without a doubt the Trout Amondine.

You really cannot go wrong with anything you get at Bouchon Bistro. Great atmosphere and even better food. If you want to treat yourself definitely go here.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Bottega

Bottega is a family favorite in the Scott house. Every time my parents go to Napa they make their way to Bottega. It is a a rustic modern Italian restaurant located in Yountville. I typically don’t like Italian food, but Bottega is the exception to the rule since it is more of an Italian influence.

I love Bottega because they have a large Gluten Free menu if you ask for it. My dad and I are both gluten free so when we went together this was especially convenient. All of the ingredients are extremely fresh, but can also lean towards the heartier side, which I don’t mind at all. Their portions are large, making them even better. They also were extremely accommodating when I asked to substitute ingredients and vegetables to make my meal more Paleo .

I highly recommend their shaved brussel sprout salad to start. It is a giant bowl of shaved brussels with a lemon vinaigrette that is super tangy and garnished with shaved eggs and almonds. For your entree you cannot go wrong with their duck confit. Duck confit is my favorite dish, and Bottega’s duck didn’t disappoint. It was extremely moist and melted off the bone. It was also great because they give you a giant portion, so big even I couldn’t finish it, which is not an easy accomplishment. If you don’t like duck another great option is their braised short rib. Another great piece of fatty meat that melts in your mouth! Everything I have had there has been amazing and you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes.

Bottega is a great spot for a nice dinner or lunch at a more affordable price than Bouchon and with large portions.

Napa Valley Activities:

1. The Culinary Institute of America

I will now shamelessly plug my school and say you should definitely check out the campus! It is a giant location that looks like Hogwarts. It has a cafe where you can try student’s pastries and chocolates, the Gatehouse Restaurant run completely by students, and a giant store where you can get any and all kitchen gadgets and cookbooks. Definitely worth visiting if you are interested in cooking or good food!

2. Oxbow Public Market

Already discussed above under C Casa, Oxbow Public Market is a great shopping and eating location in downtown Napa. Filled with local vendors, I could spend a few hours in Oxbow eating, hanging with friends, drinking if you wish and more. They have great buys like olive oils and balsamic, local produce, charcuterie, and much more. It has everything you could want to grab a quick meal or waste some time.

3. Yountville

Yountville is a cute little town in the middle of Napa Valley. There are loads of amazing restaurants here like Bouchon Bistro, Bottega, French Laundry, Bouchon Bakery and more. It is great for a meal and walking around. It is crazy wealthy and clean and really cool to see. It has a very strange Disney World vibe because it is so perfect and so clean.

4. Local Hiking

One of my favorite things to do in Napa is hike. There are tons of great hikes, from difficult to easy, with amazing views. The weather is almost always perfect, so everyday is a great day for a hike. My favorite easy hike is Oat Hill Mine Road. It is a dirt road that goes up into the mountains and gives you a perfect view of the valley below. I usually go up 2 miles and just turn around, but you can go for a while if you want. There are also harder hikes like hiking Mt. St. Helena, which has great views but is much more difficult.

5. Lake Berryessa 

Just 30 minutes into the mountains near Napa Valley is Lake Berryessa. It is one of my favorite places to go for great views, outdoor grilling and floating on the lake. The fact that it sits between mountains makes it absolutely gorgeous. There are many camp sites you can rent for a day, or other campgrounds that you can go to with free access. Make sure you plan ahead though, because once you get up in the mountains there is absolutely no signal!

6. Downtown St. Helena

Another favorite thing of mine to do is walk around St. Helena. I am lucky enough to live 1 mile from downtown St. Helena, so I walk there every day. It has an old-timey feel because all of the old shop signs are still on all of the stores. The houses and gardens are the quintessential American neighborhood. Great for walking around, grabbing pastries and coffee, and doing some shopping.