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Dine at Meadowood
Meadowood cuisine is created to showcase Napa Valley wines - inspired by the bounty of estate-grown and regional ingredients
By: Philippe Kjellgren
At Meadowood Napa Valley, I had one of the best meals ever, says Philippe Kjellgren President of Kiwi Collection
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The 85-room Meadowood Napa Valley sits on 250 acres of marvelously rolling Napa Valley countryside just east of St Helena. The luxury resort is now owned by two legendary winery owners, its founder Bill Harlan (Harlan Estate) and Charles Banks (Screaming Eagle). The resort is next to the unique Napa Valley Reserve private club, whose members come from all over the world to watch and nurture their own vines, make their own-label wine and, at all times, network with other connoisseur members. Club members, of course, make full use of the resort's own facilities.
Meadowood Napa Valley, run by GM Alain Negueloua with support of former long-time Four Seasons hotelier Stan Bromley, has, for instance, two croquet lawns immaculately formed of bent grass that is trimmed to 5/32 inches, and there is a Croquet Master on hand. As you might expect, there is tennis, and a big spa, and you have two pools and fabulous runs, hikes and bike rides. Every Friday there are wine tastings. Staying there is a delight. Read more about our Away Night at Meadowood Napa Valley here.
Every night you have a choice of dining, in The Grill or in The Restaurant, which has two Michelin stars. The Restaurant - yes, that is its name - used to be a fairly traditional, until Christopher Kostow, now 32, came onboard as restaurant chef in February 2008. He started cooking when he was 14, in the kitchens at the Ravinia Festival near his hometown of Chicago. He continued working in kitchens throughout high school before majoring in Philosophy at Hamilton College in New York. After graduating, he returned to the stove, cooking variously in San Diego, France and San Francisco, where his main mentor was to be Daniel Humm, then at Campton Place. It was from Humm, indeed, that Kostow learned the importance of quick bits of tastes. This is partly why his ideas are modern, fresh and creative, and different. He believes in a consecutive burst of flavors, nothing lasting more than three minutes.
The front-of-house team at The Restaurant at Meadowood is led by Manager Nathaniel Dorn and Rom Toulon, Sommelier. The night I was there Christopher Kostow's printed menu announced:
Cold Smoked Toro (tuna belly) with Osetra, creme fraiche and warm brioche (paired with Junmai Taru, Ichinokura from Miyagi Prefecture)
Foie Gras with grape and peanut (paired with Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos Tokaj Classic Hungary 2003)
Ocean Trout Cured in Meadowood pine and olive oil ice cream with crispy artichoke (paired with Ribolla Gialla Vare, Napa Valley 2007)
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Cloverdale Farms Rabbit with bergamot, marinated spring vegetables, (paired with Moulin-à-Vent, Dme Jean Paul Dubosc, Beaujolais 2007)
Bolinas Goat Poached in Whey, vineyard grasses, sea salt, olive oil (paired with Cabernet Franc Crocker & Starr St Helena 2005 and Napa Wines Cabernet Sauvignon CJ Philippe Melka Napa Valley 2005)
Beignet of Blu Del Moncenisio and quince preserves, bitter greens (paired with Riesling Auslese Schwarzhofberg Von Hovel, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2005
Warm Chestnut Cake with rosemary custard, grapefruit (paired with Muscat Canelli Passito, Robert Pecotta, Napa Valley 2005)
Dark Chocolate and Mint (paired with Rivesaltes Ambré L'Age de Raison, Dme Piquemal, Roussillon, 1988).
With small and creatively-presented dishes, the intent is to get a taste sensation before the next taste experience follows. By the end, you have had a suitably-filling meal but you do not feel satiated.
For me, honestly, the highlights were the tuna belly with Sterling Caviar from Stolt Sea Farm in Sacramento, paired with a cedar aged saké, the foie gras with tokaj and the ocean trout served with olive oil ice cream. But then what about the amuse bouche, which does not even appear on the printed menu? Before we even started dinner-proper, we had wild mushroom tea, which consisted of dried mushrooms served in tea bags, we poured mushroom bouillon on top, let it sit and - voilà you have your mushroom tea! I cannot wait to go back.
Next month, WOW.travel starts a regular series on great hotel restaurants!
Meadowood Napa Valley, Napa&Sonoma, United States
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