Dinner with the angels
Saturday night dinner with a couple of angels:
We were dining at Angele, a marvelous French bistro on the banks of the river in Napa. I was prepared to bribe my way into an outside table, but got lucky and that’s just where they put us.
Did you notice the wine “bucket” on the table? I’ve never seen anything like it.
A very stylish system
It’s really just a heavy plastic bag full of ice and water. It looks good, is easy to store and keeps the wine cold. Note also the bottle of Groth wine–Sigrid pronounced it excellent. That will be the extent of my wine commentary for another six months or so.
I love a caprese salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, and I’m ecstatic about burrata, the blend of mozzarella and fresh cream. So when Angele offered a salad of heirloom tomatoes and burrata, there was no other option.
– Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes, Burrata Cheese, Oil Cured Tapenade, Fines Herb Emulsion
I”m not sure what the green foam is, perhaps the fines herbs emulsion. Fancy cheffery these days always includes foam. It didn’t hurt anything., and the marinated tomatoes were wonderful.
Sigrid opted for the Terrine de Betteraves, which is beets. It certainly looked great:
Marinated Beets, Blood Orange Gelée, Herbed Chévre, Walnut Vinaigrette
Sig followed the beets with the Petrale Sole. I had the Dorado, on the same setup. My dish was supposed to come with escargot, so I decided to switch to the crushed potatoes. Call me a hick.
Petrale sole, crushed potatoes and Napa verjus reduction
There was another classy touch, the salt and pepper service:
A small work of art
The dining experience is comprised of so many tiny touches, and the best restaurants pay attention to every opportunity to separate themselves from the crowd. A dish with ramekins of coarse ground pepper and sea salt is just one of the ways Angele shines.
I was unable to pass up the Tarte d’Ete for dessert:
Stone fruit tart on vanilla custard
Yes, it tasted every bit as good as it looks.
Angele is Gail’s favorite Napa restaurant. She had a lamb stew here once that she will never forget. The ambience is delightful, the service is expert and the food is great. Sit outside if the weather is at all clement.
Totally Unauthorized 
Not the same as the wine “bucket” pictured, but a similar one is here: http://www.bottleonice.com
Not the same as the wine “bucket” here, but a similar one: http://www.bottleonice.com
I love our picture, Chris, thanks to you and Gail for a wonderful evening!