Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen

08/06/08

The more casual sister eatery of Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's first Napa Valley eatery, Mustards Grill, this kitchen offers novel takes on American comfort classics.

by Jenn Rubin

Patrons out on the patio or inside the pleasantly homey, dollhouse-cute dining room feast on comfort food with international flair at this St. Helena favorite from acclaimed Chef Cindy Pawlcyn. Local foodies and winemakers love the reasonable prices and unpretentious yet creative appetizers like crispy flatbreads, rabbit tostada and goat-cheese ravioli, mostly made with fresh meat and produce from nearby farms. The exotic-familiar offerings continue with entrees like the Chinatown duck burger, mushroom tamales and spice-rubbed quail with Moroccan pepper salad. After a hot day in the Napa sun, opt for the sorbet of the day with homemade cookies, as well as the s'more-like Oreo-crusted campfire pie. 

03/04/08

This place was amazing!

by jeffcofer

Cindy's was a resite at the end of a long day in he tasting rooms. We asked for privacy and they sat us upstairs, even though we were an hour and a half early. Service was top-notch (thanks, Colin!) and the food was perfect. Two in our party had the duck, I had the meatloaf and the fourth had the ribeye special. Everything was cooked to our specification and was the tastiest meal I'd had the entire trip. It was a little crowded, even for a Sunday, but the people cleared out by around 10pm. They gave us a break on corkage (we brough four bottles) and accommodated every request, like desserts to go, etc. I'll definitely be back!

• Pros: Prices, great food, friendly staff

02/19/08

Fabulous steak and great service!

by manonb

I was recommended by a foodie and Cindy's did not disappoint. The steak with fries and arugula was just wonderful. We also had the grilled calamari appetizer (a bit short on the calamari) and the apple crisp a la mode for dessert *yum).

Service was super friendly and swift, but not at all rushed. I lingered over my peach bellini and nothing left the table in a rush (I like to eat my salad after dinner...)

My husband had the sea bass fish special, and enjoyed every bit. We highly recommend a visit!

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: ???

07/08/07

Great great service + amazing food

by cecyks

We were turned away by Tra Vigne of their bad service, and ended up here. But I think we were lucky! It was the most amazing service we had. The day were were there, July 5th, had sizzling heat and sweat dripping waiter and waitress were in and out checking on us many many times, making sure we had what we needed. I had the pork chop and my husband had the quail. The pork chop was the softest ever, and the watermelon and quail combo was very delicious as well. The appetizer Oyster Pablo was to die for! I have never tasted baked oysters still so tender and juicy, with the right amount of seasoning and garnish. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We had our dog with us and everyone was very accommodating of that as well! Great place for people who travel with dogs. You will not feel any different than anyone else. Visit them if you can, you will not regret it.

• Pros: great sevice, amazing food, clean and simple ambience.
• Cons: NONE

03/26/07

Disappointing Experience

by meganinsj

I ate at Cindy's over the weekend as a party of 12. There were not many places in Napa that could take a large group, and we had heard good things about Cindy's anyway. When we arrived we were taken to a private room upstairs. It was large enough to accommodate us, but it seemed the waiter was overly busy with his current tables. It took about 30 min for him to come take our drink order. And then it took about 20 min to get those drinks, and they came in waves. The appetizers and salads were brought out together, instead of as 2 separate courses. The special pork tenderloin of the nite came out raw in the middle and had to be sent back after we insisted it should not look that way. The rest of us ate on so our food would not get cold, but overall the mood was diminished. Some beverage orders were forgotten, we had to follow up on many requests, and after all that- nothing was comped! We were there to celebrate a birthday and not even that dessert was taken off the bill. And they were out of the famous campfire pie we'd heard such great things about. At least we were not charged the standard 18% for large parties. The food was mostly good, but they are not set up to take large parties. Groups, be warned!

• Pros: Menu was inventive and the food was seasonably fresh
• Cons: Horrible service, was not worth the $$, Cannot accommodate large parties

12/29/06

Wish it was better

by ponysea123

My husband and i went to Cindy's last week for dinner and were surprised after all of the great things we had heard-- that is was....well........ When we arrived 5 minutes before our reservation, the place was packed. The (very nice) hostess told us it would be a minute and the minute turned into a half hour. The hostesses were very apologetic and we were comped 2 glasses of wine at the bar. The room was lively and warm, so it wasn't a big deal. However when we were finally sat, we couldn't get our waiters attention for a good 15 minutes, despite rather desperate flagging and waiving. When we finally asked our busboy to read us the specials, our waiter came over and REPRIMANDED us for asking the busboy! We're we supposed to use ESP? Smoke signals? He was not pleased and definitely let us know. Our appetizers were great....chicken salad was amazing and my husband's main of duck was really good, but I was really put off by the waiter's attitude, which, hah hah changed dramatically around the time of the bill, just in time for the tip which I stupidly (due bartending my way through college) left 20%. This is a really nice environment and the food was prepared with thought and passion, but with service like this and a multitude of restaurants in the valley, it's hard to return.

• Pros: food, ambience, price
• Cons: service, bah!

12/19/06

Excellent!

by sobremesa

We had a wonderful meal at Cindy's. The food was fantastic, fresh and original; the service friendly and knowledgable; the ambiance and decor sweet and cozy. Where else can you enjoy gourmet food and wine while listening to reggae in a classy place? Cindy owns a few other awesome restaurants in wine country and clearly understands the elements of a successful restaurant. BTW, the campfire pie is deadly, it's soooo good -- I have been dreaming about it ever since! Don't miss it!

11/10/06

Cozy and Delicious

by blkestin

We liked Cindy's instantly, upon walking up the path to their door. The outdoor seating area is adorable. A bit early for our reservation, we sat at the bar where we were greeted by a free tasting of 2 wines from a local vineyard, both excellent. By then, our friends had arrived, so we sat at our table and what followed was an amazing meal accompanied by terrific, friendly service. The roasted artichoke appetizer was amazing as was my duck entree. My friends enjoyed their meatloaf and pork tenderloin as well. But the highlight of the night was the Campfire Pie, which was one of the most divine things I ever tasted. Prices were reasonable, especially if you bring your own wine ($12 corkage fee per bottle). We will definitely visit Cindy's again (and again and again).

• Pros: Food, service, atmosphere

09/18/06

Great outdoor lunch place!!

by kn_sf

We loved the place. Their cold grape soup was very unusual but very good. Beautiful out door seating, great service, great dishes. The dessert was so big, taste was good but so big... we couldn't finish even girls have different stomach for sweets. I really want to go back for dinner.

• Pros: Beautiful out door seating, great service, great foods
• Cons: Bees...

08/27/06

feels like home

by shane94116

I took my girlfriend to Cindy's last evening and was pleasantly supprised. Our calamari served with basil aioli was a fun treat, but what really set the night off was the Poblo Pollo Pepper it felt like a dish that my grandmother would prepare and the porsion was quite generous. I'll definetly be back.