Carpe Diem

This morning I woke up with a splitting headache in a bed I didn’t know.  Vague recollections of the night before swam just outside my memory.  The “where the fuck am I?” phenomena usually lasts for no more than a minute or two, before abbreviated recall brings you back to a hazy awareness.  And…we’re back:  Napa Valley.  (this is why I take copious pictures and notes)

Last night at Carpe Diem was a blur of wine and food.  Four different white varietals four red may have contributed to my haze.  The sommelier, Steve Distler, dazzled us with an array of different wines—each a perfect representation of itself.  We blind tasted each, picking it from their extensive list.  Clearly practice makes perfect:  I was 8 for 8. 

The food was original and tightly plated.  We started with the “soup of the moment”: one ounce shots, served in shot glasses (1 each) and drizzled with truffle oil.  Bang.  Then wild mushroom flatbread, topped with gruyere, arugula, garlic, and more truffle oil.  Then it was on to the “Quack & Cheese”:  Duck Confit macaroni and cheese.  Honestly the best M&C I’ve ever had. 

For the entrée?  Wild Boar ribs in a honey ginger barbeque sauce, with a side of Asian slaw, dressed with a complex peanut sauce.  The ribs dripped with enough juice to make a fat man weep.  Tears of pure joy.

 

Dessert was a Mexican chocolate pot de crème topped with sea salt and candied pepitas (see? ubiquitous); paired with a Uruguayan port, it was one of the better nightcaps I have ever had.

Chef Scott Kendall is young, artistic, and eager to please.  The front of the house hums with an adorable professionalism compliments of his young wife, Stephanie Kendall.  It should also be noted: they have one of the most comfortable guest beds in all of Napa.  Cheers.