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Farm-to-table Modern American cuisine is the prevalent style in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, but this encompasses both the delicate preparations of Yountville’s Thomas Keller, whose restaurants include The French Laundry, and the upscale comfort food served throughout the Wine Country. The quality (and hype) often means high prices, but you can find appealing, inexpensive eateries, especially in Napa, Calistoga, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa.
Fried chicken and St. Louis ribs whose meat glides off the bone are among the hits at this open-air, partially covered restaurant where diners sit at sturdy oak picnic or high-top tables. Many ingredients come from artisanal protein and produce purveyors; craft breweries make most of the two dozen beers on tap.
Napa River views and multiple indoor and outdoor dining spaces make a visit to this pet- and family-friendly restaurant and sports bar a decent choice for beer and cocktail-friendly comfort fare. Bourbon deviled eggs, adobo chicken wings, salmon lollipops (on skewers), and a combo of hash browns and mac and cheese are typical shareable starters, with tacos, smash burgers, and pasta dishes among the more filling options.
The makers of Pliny the Elder and Younger operate this cavernous brewpub with a vast lawn and outdoor patio on the site of their state-of-the-art brewing facility. Choose among 20 beers on tap to wash down beer-compatible pub grub—chicken wings with Pliny sauce, a malted-bacon burger with cheddar fondue, fish-and-chips, sliders and sandwiches, and a few salads.
Whimsical art and brightly painted walls set a jolly tone at this casual eatery whose assets include the verdant rear patio. Waffles, eggs Benedict and ham on a Model Bakery English muffin, and the soft-scramble buttermilk biscuit sandwich are among the breakfast hits, with grilled cheese sandwiches done four ways (traditional, chicken avocado, smoked ham, and Waygu steak) and a kale and chicken Caesar salad steady crowd-pleasers at lunch.
Clam shacks and roadside eateries of days gone by inspired this order-at-the-counter covered-patio restaurant serving ceviche, fried oysters, Louis salads, crab sandwiches, spicy tuna bowls, fish-and-chips, and other seafood-oriented comfort food. Despite the lack of a place to swim, a carefree summer-at-the-pool vibe prevails at this second venture by the Valley Bar + Bottle team, whose penchant for wines from eco-minded, family-owned, small-batch producers shows in the well-priced list here.
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