Recommends

Steven Stone

Joined 3 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. In Napa Valley's upstart culture of sustainability, Ted Hall and his family are the real deal: Their Long Meadow Ranch has been producing organically raised wine, olive oil, grass-fed beef, eggs, honey, fruit, and vegetables for over two decades, long before it was trendy. The Farmstead restaurant, opened in 2010, is the fruit of their agricultural labors: most of the ingredients are produced by Long Meadow, and their full wine selection is also available. The food is fresh-tasting, dressed-up without being stuffy. Highlights included tender, savory-sweet meatballs, a decadently rich and unbelievably delicious cheeseburger, and the comforting chicken and dumplings, made from chef Sheamus Feeley's mother's recipe. A few attempts at more haute cuisine, however, fell flat: Overpriced, oversalted beef marrow bones were clumsily plated, hard to attack, and yielded little marrow, while petrale sole was far too spicy. If you're willing to stick to the basics, though, Farmstead's reasonably priced wine list and hearty-yet-sustainable fare are a nice break from the ultra-refined (and ultra-expensive) mainline of Napa cuisine. It's especially great for Wine Country visitors who want a nice dinner out that doesn't break the bank.

Recommends

dmenkes

Joined 8 years ago

Farmstead Restaurant open for business!. For a restaurant that's relatively new and for a Sunday night, we were surprised how busy and established the place was. At the recommendation of someone who had eaten here recently, I tried the wood-roasted marrow and the brick-cooked chicken. The marrow was really good but too rich for just me--three bones' worth was a bit much. My fiancee had the soup of the day, which was a minestrone with fantastic meatballs and the ridgecut grits with roasted squash which she loved. As a side we shared the creamy macaroni which was delicious! For dessert we shared the Sharffen Berger chocolate pie which was decadent and we wished were able to finish. The corkage fee is $2 per bottle and is donated to a different charity each month (this month was St Helena High School). I'm not sure how often the menu changes here, but I'd love to try their other selections next time we're in town!