San Francisco - Alison Bing [212]
Jolé ( 707-942-5938; www.jolerestaurant.com; 1457 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga; small plates $6-14; 5-10pm Sun & Tue-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat) Here seasonal small plates are responsible for the biggest sensations this side of top-chef flagships, at a fraction of the price: local sole with tiny, tangy Napa grapes, caramelized Brussels sprouts with capers, and organic Baldwin apple strudel with housemade burnt caramel ice cream.
Oxbow Public Market ( 707-226-6529; www.oxbowpublicmarket.com; 610 & 644 First St, Napa; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) A gourmet food court, featuring Hog Island’s sustainably harvested oysters (six for $15), Pica Pica’s Venezuelan cornbread sandwiches ($6.99) and Three Twins certified-organic ice cream ($3.65 for a single waffle cone).
Paninoteca Ottimo! ( 707-945-1229; www.napastyle.com; 6525 Washington St, Yountville; sandwiches $7-9; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun) Sandwiches with organic veggies and top-notch Italian cured meats and cheeses come with a side of celebrity at this gourmet deli, right behind the organic wine bar at celebrity chef Michael Chiarello’s NapaStyle gourmet emporium.
Oakville Grocery ( 707-944-8802; www.oakvillegrocery.com; 7856 Hwy 29, Oakville; 8am-6pm) Gourmet meals on the go: serious espresso, crusty bread, Sonoma goat cheese, Willie Bird smoked duck breast, and decadent desserts.
Entertainment
Napa Valley Opera House (707-226-7372; www.nvoh.org; 1000 Main St, Napa) This was the first respectable music hall west of the Mississippi – divas have belted out their best here since 1879. But since the Opera House’s 2003 restoration, the house is just as likely to be brought down by Portuguese fado singer Mariza or Grammy-winning banjo sensation Béla Fleck.
Cameo Cinema ( 707-963-9779; www.cameocinema.com; 1340 Main St, Napa) First-run movies share billing with 3D flicks and art-house favorites at this 1915 vintage cinema, with artisan gelato at the glitzy snack bar and a red-velvet-swagged theater perfect for Saturday late-night horror flicks.
Sleeping
Carneros Inn (707-299-4900; www.thecarnerosinn.com; 4048 Sonoma Hwy (Hwy 121/12), Carneros; r Mon-Fri $435-595, Sat & Sun $475-655; ) The corrugated-metal buildings among the vineyards look like a winery from afar, but luxury guest-sheds feature kingly beds, wood-burning fireplaces and private patios with outdoor showers.
Bardessono (707-204-6000; www.bardessono.com; 6526 Yount St, Yountville; ste Mon-Fri $330-525, Sat & Sun $425-699) Luxury comes naturally inside the reclaimed-wood walls of this LEED-certified green hotel, which opened in 2009. It features sleekly modern rooms awash with natural light, spa bathrooms with soaking tubs or outdoor showers, and vineyard views from plush beds with organic linens.
Napa Valley Railway Inn (707-944-2000; www.napavalleyrailwayinn.com; 6523 Washington St, Yountville; r $125-210) Rest tired cabooses in revamped railcars with cushy beds, skylights, flat-screen TVs and gym access, right in downtown Yountville.
Hotel St Helena ( 707-963-4388; www.hotelsthelena.net; 1309 Main St, St Helena; r with shared bathroom $95) Period-furnished rooms in the heart of historic St Helena.
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park ( 707-942-4575, reservations 800-444-7275; www.parks.ca.gov; campsites $15-25; ) Hillside campsites with gorgeous hiking beneath redwoods to the historic Bale Grist Mill.
Calistoga Inn ( 707-942-4101; www.calistogainn.com; 1250 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga; r with shared bathroom midweek/weekend $89/139) Snug rooms lack phones and TVs, but a lively brewery-restaurant is downstairs and spas are within walking distance.
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SONOMA VALLEY
So what if it’s not noon yet? Relax and enjoy your white port and chocolate ice cream drizzled with organic olive oil; now that you’re in Sonoma, conventions need not apply. Sonoma belonged to Mexico in 1846, when American settlers of varying sobriety declared an independent ‘California Republc’ [sic]