Enjoying Napa in 48 hours 🍇🍷 🍽️
Issue No.18: What to eat, drink, and do in Napa Valley, California with only 48 hours
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Welcome back to Dish Lister!
I just wrapped up the most wonderful, restorative weekend in Napa Valley with some of my closest college friends. Coming from all different parts of the U.S., we try to meet up somewhere annually, and I always look forward to these trips filled with great conversation, lots of laughs, fun activities, and, of course, incredible food and drinks. This year’s trip to Napa was no exception, and we managed to pack a lot into our short time together.
January and February are off-season months in Napa (and the northern California wine regions), when the vines are dormant and colder temperatures and rain are typical. While it rained steadily and my umbrella got plenty of use, I actually enjoyed visiting Napa during this time of year. It meant we had our pick of great wineries and standout restaurants, without the crowds.
Overall, our Napa weekend was a success—everyone had an amazing time! I’m excited to share the highlights and how we made the most of our limited time there.
Okay, let’s dish!
Great Things We Ate, Drank, and Did in Napa Valley
Here’s how my friends and I spent two full days in Napa Valley, with particular focus on our food and wine experiences:
Thursday night (arrival day): Dinner at Boon Fly Café
My friends and I arrived in Napa late Thursday afternoon, and we were all pretty hungry, so our first stop was dinner. As the designated meal planner in our group, I booked a reservation at Boon Fly Café at the Carneros Resort & Spa, a charming restaurant with a farmhouse vibe, serving what I’d describe as “rustic, modern California comfort food.”
We started our meal with fresh buttermilk biscuits that had crispy, buttery exteriors and soft, fluffy interiors. We also tried a warm artichoke dip with roasted poblanos and toasted pita chips, as well as blistered shishito peppers with lime and crispy rice bits (a fun and tasty surprise!).
After enjoying the appetizers, we shared two flatbread pizzas: Ohlone Smoked Salmon (with fromage blanc, red onion, parmesan, and lemon crème fraîche) and Roasted Artichoke-Smoked Gouda. Both were excellent. DO NOT skip their exceptional truffle fries—they were crispy, perfectly salted, and addictive. We finished with the signature Six Boon Fly cinnamon-sugar dusted donuts, served with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. My friends and I agreed these were some of the best donuts we’d ever eaten.
The menu also featured a nice selection of pastas, fish/seafood, ribs, burgers, and sandwiches, including meat-free options). Boon Fly is open for brunch as well, and I would like to return to try their “award-winning fried chicken” and waffles. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
Day 1, Friday Morning: Spa & Lunch at Silverado Resort & Spa
My friends and I stayed at the Silverado Spa & Resort, a golf and tennis resort located in Napa. It’s an affordable and centrally located option, though it seemed primarily geared toward golf and tennis, which aren’t really our thing. (To be fair, the resort has beautiful grounds and a pool, so it’s probably wonderful in the summer when you can enjoy the outdoor amenities.) However, we were incredibly impressed by the resort’s spa, where we spent a relaxing morning on our first full day in Napa.
I got the Himalayan Salt Stone massage, a Swedish massage that combines warm salt stones with cool marble stones. It is supposed to relax and loosen muscles, provide a light exfoliation, and detoxify the body. I really enjoyed the alternating warm and cool stones, which I’d never tried before, and left feeling incredibly relaxed and rejuvenated. Note that Silverado’s spa services are on the pricier side, but given how great I felt afterward, it seemed like money well spent. After my massage, I relaxed in the spa’s sauna and hot tub, had a light lunch of avocado toast (on sourdough with smoked salmon, crumbled feta, and a squeeze of lime—yum!), and then headed to our first winery of the weekend.
Day 1, Friday Afternoon: Tour & Tasting At Del Dotto, Our First Winery!
The first stop on our wine tasting tour was Del Dotto Winery & Caves in Napa, CA, known for their cave experience and barrel tastings. Del Dotto, whose speciality is cabernets and pinots, offers tours of their cave (one of the oldest in Napa Valley), that houses hundreds of barrels of wine. Using a cool instrument called a “wine thief,” you get to taste the wine directly from the oak barrels. On our tour, led by our excellent tour director, Jeff, I learned about barrel toasting, which involves heating the insides of the barrels, and how it impacts the aroma and flavor profile of the wine (along with the type of grapes used).
We finished our cave tour and tasting with some light pizzas and sandwiches that complemented the red wines. Del Dotto was highly recommended to us, and I understand the hype. Off to a promising start!
Day 1, Friday Night: Dinner at Ad Hoc
No trip to Napa Valley is complete without a meal at one of Thomas Keller’s renowned restaurants or bakeries. Keller is probably best known for his three-Michelin-star restaurant, French Laundry. For our Friday night dinner, we chose his more casual and approachable spot, Ad Hoc, in the same town as French Laundry (Yountville). Offering the homey comfort food of Keller’s childhood, Ad Hoc’s menu changes daily, and the meals are served family-style, adding to the experience.
I was excited to see buttermilk fried chicken on our daily menu (which gets posted online each morning), and it definitely exceeded my expectations. The breading was insanely flavorful and crispy, while the meat was juicy and well-seasoned. It was a 10 out of 10, and probably my favorite dish of the trip. Besides the fried chicken, I really liked the Little Gem lettuce salad with oranges, fennel, marinated olives, and chorizo, which was bright and fresh. The Basque cake with whipped crème fraiche tasted like an elevated pound cake. They also serve delicious bread from Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, just up the street. There were a few meatless options in addition to the menu of the day, and, of course, a wide selection of cocktails and wines.
You can also order to-go buckets of Ad Hoc’s famous fried chicken from Addendum, located on the same property, on Fridays and Saturdays between 10:45am and 1:45pm. Ad Hoc is a must-visit while in Napa!
Day 2: Saturday Morning /Afternoon: Chaffeured Winery Tours & Gourmet Market Visit
Saturday (Day 2) was packed with winery visits (the primary reason we chose Napa for our girls’ trip), starting around 10:00am. We hired a driver and van for the day through highly-rated Platypus Tours, which gave our small group a private, customized tour of wineries we selected. Since admittedly none of us are expert wine connoisseurs, Platypus provided a list of recommendations based on our interests, which we then narrowed down to three for the day.
Our first stop was Tres Sabores, a female-owned family winery in St. Helena. Specializing in Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah varietals, Tres Sabores (which means “three flavors” in Spanish) is a certified organic farm with vineyards, an animal farm, and beehives on property. Upon arriving at the main winemaking facility, we were taken through a back room filled with large oak wine barrels to a clearing with long tables, a fire pit, cozy blankets, and the most stunning view of the vineyard. (This was one of two times I wished it wasn’t raining!) Our tasting included five wines: one rosé, one white (my favorite!) and three reds that we paired with Marcona almonds and crackers. Julie Johnson, the winemaker and owner, was very warm and welcoming. She shared her journey into winemaking with us and how she succeeded in this male-dominated industry. We loved her story, left with a few bottles of wine, and felt truly inspired.
Next, we visited Kelleher Family Vineyard in Oakville for another wine tasting, this time paired with a delicious lunch at their restaurant, Brix. The Kelleher family began making Cabernet Sauvignon in 1994, and later expanded their offerings to include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, and Pinot Noir, sourcing grapes from both Napa and Sonoma counties.
Our lunch and tasting, hosted in a spacious private room off the main restaurant, featured three courses paired with four wines: tempura green beans with spicy mustard sauce (paired with Chardonnay), Dungeness crab fondue with garlic flatbread (paired with Pinot Noir), and hanger steak with smoked cheddar cauliflower gratin, mustard greens, and truffle fries (paired with two different Cabernet Sauvignons). Everything was excellent, including the scallops and polenta, which my pescatarian friend loved. I’m already planning to replicate the tempura green beans (my favorite dish) at home
We ended our tour day at the Portuguese family-owned winery, Gandona. Nestled high in the hills overlooking Lake Hennessy, the view is spectacular. (This was the other time that I wished it wasn’t raining!) After a quick tour of the winemaking facilities built inside a cave (similar to Del Dotto, but more modern), we were taken into a lodge-like room with lots of windows for our third and last tasting. Gandona’s lineup included five delicious wines—a Chardonnay, three Cabernets, and a unique port-style dessert wine, which I happily paired with a small square of dark chocolate.
On our way home, we made a quick stop at Oakville Grocery, a renowned gourmet food shop (established in 1881!) that serves sandwiches, salads, wine, and other prepared foods. If I needed lunch for a winery visit, this would be my go-to spot. I enjoyed browsing their selection of gourmet food items ranging from mustards to candies, and I bought a jar of pesto salt (I’m a fan of flavored salts), along with a freshly baked chocolate chip, coconut, and macadamia nut cookie. All in all, it was an incredibly productive and fun day!
Day 2, Saturday Night: One Last Memorable Meal at Mustards Grill
Somehow, our group managed to rally for our last dinner of the trip at Mustards Grill, a Napa Valley institution serving upscale California cuisine. The restaurant’s vibe was relaxed yet lively, and the food was spot on. After reviewing their extensive wine list (two full pages, single-spaced!), we ordered half flights of three sparkling wines and shared several dishes. The highlights: ahi tuna crackers with wasabi cream, Little Gem Caesar salad, onion rings with house-made tomato apple ketchup, butterscotch pot de crème, and the towering lemon-lime tart with a brown sugar meringue. Next time, I will come hungrier and try their highly popular pork chop, warm honey cornbread, and house-made potato chips. We left Mustards Grill feeling full but satisfied with yet another winning choice.
So that’s how I spent two fun days in Napa! While we barely scratched the surface of the area’s 500+ wineries and countless restaurants, my friends and I felt our itinerary struck the perfect balance of activities. And, most importantly, we got to spend quality time together, enjoying some amazing food and wine.
That’s it for this week’s Dish Lister! If you enjoyed the read, please hit the Like button below (I’m told it helps with the algorithms) and share it with your favorite foodie friends—or really anyone planning a trip to Napa Valley soon. Thank you for your support!
Kerry, I live here and your post inspired me! It was the perfect blend of food, wine, and great friends. Thank you! I work with Jen at Platypus Tours and write our newsletter. I'd love to link to your substack to our newsletter recipients (over 40k) if you approve. Let me know! My email is: Shawnda@PlatypusTours.com
Best weekend. So grateful for your pitch perfect foodie recap.