California Vegetarian

I recently took George to Calistoga for some spa treatments for his birthday. The spa visit was great, but what accidentally ended up absolutely making the trip was a visit for dinner to the Calistoga Inn Restaurant.  After arriving and checking in at our hotel (we did not stay at the Calistoga Inn), George and I decided to walk around downtown Calistoga in order to decide where to eat dinner. We’ve been many times before, but each time the shops have changed slightly and the posted restaurant menus have shifted. So, we like to read menus and make decisions close to spur of the moment. This works like a charm in January, but I’d not suggest trying it in peak tourist season.

Several restaurants actually caught our eyes though several more were clearly less than friendly for vegetarians, but the one that stood out the most was the Calistoga Inn Restaurant, and the thing that made it stand out was not just that the posted menu had more than on vegetarian option, but that the posted menu was dated for the night before and for that day’s lunch. It is important to us that food be fresh, and I dare say, it cannot be fresher than if you don’t even know what it will be until lunch that day. As it happened, we were strolling Calistoga on a Monday afternoon. So, things were a bit reserved even for January. It was so much so that I stepped into the entryway just to make sure that they would be open for dinner that night just in case the lack of a Monday night menu was not because they hadn’t decided what to prepare yet. I was greeted with a hearty affirmation, and George and I resolved that we’d return that evening.

In warmer weather, the restaurant seats and serves lunch and dinner on a patio just above the little creek that runs through town, which apparently happens to be the Napa River. In colder weather, like the evening we ate with them, the dinning room serves the function. It is really a quaint space decorated with charming folksy items that reflect the heritage of the Napa Valley. When George and I arrived the dining room was still empty, but the bar was packed to the gills. The server told us that in the off-season it tends to work that way, which pleased us greatly. Clearly, the local population appreciates the Calistoga Inn. The bar menu was a bit simpler than the restaurant menu, and since we were looking for a full and fancy dinner, we opted to be the first guests in the dining room for the evening. Before our evening ended, we’d been joined by at least four other parties.

The Monday evening menu lacked any vegetarian starters. So, we skipped that course, opting instead to have a cup of soup and a salad before our pasta dishes. As a quick side note, the rosemary sour dough bread that they brought to our table was wickedly delicious. I could easily have gorged myself on bread and butter and been completely content. I share this now in order to highlight that everything at the Calistoga Inn Restaurant is house-made, even the bread, even the desserts. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Even our wine was local and excellent! We chose a zinfandel from Saviez Vineyards—George is a major fan of zinfandel. The Saviez family has been cultivating their vineyards in Calistoga for more than a century, and the time and love put into that work clearly showed in this full-bodied yet not overpowering wine. George and I will look for more of their wine in the future.

We were very happy to learn from our server (who was excellent, by the way) that the cream of cauliflower soup was vegetarian. We each ordered a cup ($4.25). I simply love soup. And this soup was extraordinary. It was perfectly seasoned, perfectly puréed, and the perfect temperature when it got to the table. There was a chili oil drizzle on top that accented the soup wonderfully. This soup was so good that I took hunks of the absolutely delicious bread and wiped not just my bowl clean, but mine and George’s.

Next we had their Asian Pear Salad ($9.50). The locally grown greens were expertly dressed with a golden balsamic-raisin vinaigrette, tossed with sugared walnuts and slices of Asian pears, and served with a wedge of Cambozola cheese. Again, the food was excellent. George found the cheese a bit strong, not being a blue cheese man. I found it a nice compliment to the sweetness of the dressing, pears and walnuts. My only critique would be about size. George finished his salad, but I was unable to, perhaps due to the bowl licking that had immediately preceded the salad course. I would have been happier with a little less salad and a slightly lower price for it. But given the quality and amount, the price was fine.

Technically, the Calistoga Inn did not have any “main courses” for vegetarians on their menu for the night we dined there. They did, however, have two vegetarian pasta options. I chose the potato gnocchi ($12.50), which they sauced with Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese and cream and some herbs. The dish was a great balance of light-as-air dumplings and rich decadent sauce. The portion size was just right, leaving me satisfied but not overly full with no pasta left on my plate. Any person less than fond of strong cheese will want to skip this one, because it was certainly exactly what it purported to be: gnocchi in a blue cheese and cream sauce.

Not being a blue cheese man, George chose the other vegetarian pasta option, their Peas & Pasta ($12.25). They tossed orecchiette pasta with English peas, garlic, onions, parmesan reggiano and McEnvoy Ranch olive oil. George said that he loved it, and I enjoyed the bite he shared with me. The sweetness of the peas was superbly balanced with the saltiness of the cheese and the savory-ness of the onions and garlic. And it was all dressed with just the right amount of a flavorful, but not overpowering regional olive oil.

All the desserts are house-made at Calistoga Inn and the quality certainly showed in the two desserts that we chose. I had the house cheesecake, but asked that they put caramel sauce on it instead of the strawberries that were slotted to accompany it according to the menu. I made the request because I was really having trouble deciding between the cheesecake, a panna cotta (for which the caramel sauce was intended), and a crème brulee. The cheesecake was excellent, but a slight hint of lemon in it made me understand why they wanted it served with strawberries. I should have trusted the chef and either chosen the cheesecake with strawberries or the panna cotta. Even still, I really enjoyed my cheesecake, but it was nothing compared to George’s peanut butter pie.

When the menu claimed that the peanut butter pie was not to be missed, it was not lying. This dessert alone will be worth the trip back to Calistoga. It was dense without being too heavy, and the peanut butter remained the star highlighted perfectly by the chocolate crust, icing and bittersweet chocolate sauce on the plate. Simply superb!

Overall, I highly recommend the Calistoga Inn Restaurant to you. The vegetarian will have their fill of excellent food, and any omnivore accompanying you will have more choices than they know what to do with. I even noticed when writing up this review that the Calistoga Inn Restaurant included a lower price option three-course meal for meat eaters on their menu: a salad, pot roast with all the fixings and a dessert for only $18. They are apparently thoughtful about prices as well as being concerned with supporting local products and highlighting seasonal cooking. The vegan will have trouble here given the menus that we saw. However, given the excellent service and the emphasis on fresh preparation, perhaps the kitchen would be accommodating. My apologies for not even thinking to ask. I guess I was just too busy enjoying an incredible dinner!