Le Belge Chocolatier

At some point, I don't remember why, I was gifted a box of chocolates from Le Belge.   

"Le Belge Chocolatier, a name that connotes an inventive redefined approach to the art of fine chocolate making. Our chocolates offer distinctive contemporary style for an indulgent experience that inspires the palate."

 It sure did sound upscale, French.  And "contemporary"?  Sure, I was in.

Fancy Box.

I opened my box feeling quite fancy.  Tissue paper, logos, cursive ... I wanted to find out more about this fancy French chocolate!

"Handcrafted in the heart of Napa Valley, Le Belge Chocolates are created in the French chocolate making tradition by award winning Master Chocolatier Chef Sebastian Beline of Paris. Known for producing distinctive chocolates of exceptional quality, Chef Beline has perfected a balance of flavor and texture to produce a chocolate experience that is unparalleled."

Ah, ok.  So not really French, the company is actually based in Napa Valley, CA and ... just uses the "tradition" of an award winning French chef?  Hmm.  I'm still not really sure what this means, except that they use a "European chocolate layering technique".  

Le Belge makes an assortment of Grand Cru bars with unique flavors like almond & fennel, lavender basil & black currant, raspberry & hibiscus, basic "tablets", "Signature" bars with more basic flavors and wine stained wrappers (because, Napa), "Heritage" bars that kinda seem the same but without the wine soaked labels, and then the the "Bijou" bars which have items like toffee bits or almonds hand placed "like a hidden jewel".  I didn't have any of the bars, but instead was gifted truffles.

Truffles 

"Le Belge truffles are the perfect indulgence for the true chocolate connoisseur. Handcrafted in the French chocolate making tradition, incorporating a variety of contemporary and traditional techniques, our truffle selections represent the finest in quality. Intense blends of ganache and sophisticated flavors combine to create a range of rich, creamy truffles with a delicious French accent. We invite you to experience our truffles and experience the taste of pure luxury."

Much like the bars, Le Belge offers a slew of product lines for the truffles, that don't really make all that much sense.  "Sublime" ones are, um, sublime, "Studio 761" are the latest "flavor trends" (and each one is numbered, like "No 1: Red Velvet Cake"),"Pearl" ones come in a fancier box, Eclipse ... yeah, I dunno.  Like I said, I don't really understand the product lines, nor do I have any clue which mine came from.

Mystery Box.

My box came with no guide, and I wasn't able to determine what they all were from looking up online.  My guesses from my research, post trying them all (from top left, clockwise):

• Hazelnut Orange Peel
• Dark Sea Salt Caramel?
• Citron
• Tiramisu?

Milk Chocolate Truffle
(Tiramisu?)

I started with this one randomly.

The shell was fairly mediocre milk chocolate.  It looked fancier than it tasted.

Milk Chocolate Truffle (Tiramisu?): Inside.

I was surprised when I bit in to find a filling.

 I wasn't sure what the filling was.  It seemed a bit like caramel.  But not quite.  I couldn't really find more information online either, but one photo guide I saw looked like it could be ... tiramisu?  Maybe the "not quite caramel" was a sweet coffee infused mascarpone cream?  I'm not sure.

In any case, it wasn't particularly good, my least favorite of the box.

**+.

Citron.

Next, I went for the pretty one.  I didn't know what it was either, but, my post-consumption research says "Citron".

It was a smooth dark chocolate shell, with a chocolate caramel-like inside.  The filling had a flavor to it I didn't quite like.  I think it was indeed citrus, but just not something I cared for.  The chocolate shell was unremarkable, although it had a nice snap.

Overall, unremarkable, although it looked pretty.

***.

Hazelnut Orange Peel.

Another one that I didn't know what it was before eating it, but quasi-figured it out after.

As I tasted, I detected salt (yes!) and some hints of something interesting I couldn't quite identify on top.

But it was the inside that was interesting.  I *almost* tasted peanut butter, and there was a slight (pleasant) grittiness to it all.  But it wasn't strongly enough peanut flavored for me to be convinced it really was a nut flavor.

After careful consideration, I believe this was the hazelnut orange peel, which, makes total sense.  Nutty filling that wasn't quite peanut butter was actually hazelnut, and it had some hints of pop from the orange peel.

My favorite of the chocolates.

****.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel?

Again, no idea what awaited me until I bit in.

Outside, another smooth dark chocolate shell that wasn't particularly remarkable.  And then, a surprise inside.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel: Inside.

A smooth, fairly runny, caramel.  Classic caramel.  Decent flavor, decent texture, and some saltiness.

My second favorite of the box, but again, not particularly great.

***+.

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Flour & Co: Toasty Tarts!

Once upon a time ... a co-worker asked me, "Do you know anywhere that makes gourmet, grown up pop tarts?  I want to get some for an event."

I was *thrilled* to be asked this question, because of course I had an answer.  Only one place came to mind: Flour & Co, one of the best bakeries I've ever known.  Sadly, sadly, they have closed, but, really, that place made the best versions of all the classic pies that I have ever had (harvest pie, brown sugar nut pie, banana cream .... oh, and the carrot cake ... Seriously, so good).

But I'll focus on just the "fancy pop tarts", dubbed Toasty Tarts, available in both sweet and savory flavors.  And yes, of course I was invited to taste them all, since I recommended it.

Card Labeling the selections.

Each box came with a card labeling the assortment.  I found this fairly adorable.  

I thought it was absolutely adorable how they were marked - for example, the salami + manchego were marked with diagonal slits on the top, with the "key" on the card.  The herb goat cheese + tomato had herbs marking the top.

Such a cute touch!

Savory Toasty Tarts

To be inclusive of those who don't particularly like sweets, the host selected some savory options too.  For me, this meant I could make a meal out of Toasty Tarts, and that did not make me upset.  In fact, the savory ones I'd get again in a heartbeat.

Savory Toasty Tarts!

For savory, we had herb goat cheese + tomato, salami + manchego, and pimento cheese + tomato.  Per the handy guide, they were easy to identify.

Pimento Cheese + Tomato. $4.25.

I started with a savory one.  Since I don't like goat cheese, that was easy to rule out.  I wasn't really feeling the salami either, so I picked the pimento cheese + tomato, with fond memories of the pimento cheese biscuit I had enjoyed from Flour & Co previously.

The pastry on this was incredible.  Herbed, slightly savory, soft, flaky, crust.  It was delicious in its own right, it didn't even need a filling to be good.  Inside were juicy cherry tomatoes, bursting with flavor, pecans for crunch, and the delicious creamy pimento cheese filling.  Oh, and more cheese baked on top.

This was totally tasty as served, but I think it would have been incredible if served warm, so the pimento cheese inside was hot and gooey, just like when I had it with the biscuit.  Mmm, I'm drooling thing about that.

Definitely a winner, and I'd get it again.  ****.

Update: We had a few left over, and I saved one for the next day, since it was my favorite.  I wasn't sure it would hold up well, but it held up like a champ.  And this time, I threw it in the toaster oven until it got warm and bubbly.  SOOO good.  Delicious savory flaky pastry, creamy flavorful comforting filling ... so hard to go wrong!  ****+ when warm.

I also saved another and froze it.  It reheated pretty well in my toaster oven, although the bottom crust did get soggy, and the filling consistency changed a bit.  Not a disaster, but not 100% success.

Housemade Bacon Jam, Brie, Spinach.  $4.25.

On another occasion I visited the bakery with my mom, and she wanted something savory.  I was a bit thrown off my game ... I always get the sweets!  But, I saw that they had a brand new savory toasty tart, and it sounded fantastic.

Since we were eating at the bakery, they warmed it up for us in their magic oven.  It came out perfectly toasty and warm.

This thing was a flavor powerhouse!  Stuffed with an incredibly flavorful bacon jam.  Yes, BACON JAM.  Yes, it was delicious, salty, slightly sweet.  The cooked spinach inside helped add a lighter feel to the decadent treat.  I didn't get much brie in my half, but my mother commented that she had plenty of brie in her piece.  I do like the combination of brie and spinach, and I can imagine how well that worked together.

I adored the flavors in this, I think even more than the pimento cheese and tomato.  That bacon jam was just incredible.  The only thing I didn't care for was the pastry, it was rather oily, probably due to the bacon and the brie, so it seemed a bit greasy, and wasn't quite as flaky as I'd like.

****+ though, a stunner.

Sweet Toasty Tarts

But you know me, my heart is in the sweets.  The sweet options were all good, but, amazingly, I preferred the savory.

Sweet Toasty Tarts!

For sweet selections, we had blueberry cream cheese, honey nut (almond, walnut, honey, hint of orange), and Nutella hazelnut banana.  Really, something for any (sweet) taste.

The same labeling key was used here too: blueberry cream cheese were marked with a swirl, nutella hazelnut banana and honey nut each with a different zig zag.

I wanted them all.  So of course I *had* them all.

Blueberry Cream Cheese.

I started with the fruity option, blueberry cream cheese.

The pastry on this was standard sweet dough, again, soft and flaky.  Perfect.  Topped with a swirl of sweet icing, that was actually a bit too sweet for me, given the sweet filling.  Inside was blueberry flavored cream cheese, and some whole blueberries.  I didn't love the cream cheese, as it was a bit separated, more like a ricotta, so it had a sorta strange texture.  The blueberries were juicy and flavorful, but I would have preferred more of them.

Overall, it was good, the pastry was remarkable, but this wasn't my favorite filling choice.

***.

Honey Nut (almond, walnut, honey, hint of orange) 

I couldn't stop at just one!  I also tried out the honey nut.  This one had nuts in it, so it counts for protein, right?  Totally balanced meal I was having.

The pastry on this was actually a bit different.  It wasn't as soft and flaky as the others.  I wonder if it is because the filling wasn't as moist?  It was a drier, crumbly style.  Still good, but I preferred the softer versions.   It had the same sweet icing on top.

Inside was a mix of chopped up almonds and walnuts, sweetened with honey, a bit sticky inside.  Like a nut pie wrapped in a crust.  That was all good, but I didn't care for the "hint of orange".  I don't tend to like lemon, lime, or orange in my desserts, and this was no exception.  The orange was too strong for my taste.

***.

Nutella Hazelnut Banana.

And finally, the last sweet selection.  I don't actually like nutella very much, so I just tried a bite of someone else's.

Same flaky pastry dough, filled with sliced bananas, whole hazelnuts, and tons of nutella.  I think if you like nutella, this would be tasty, but, since I don't, I really didn't care for it.  I did like the fact that it had full, crunchy hazelnut inside though!

***.

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Red Door Coffee

POPOS.  One of the more unique elements of San Francisco, and something many locals are not aware of.  

What are POPOS?  Privately Owned Public Open Spaces, basically, kinda interesting locations that seem like you shouldn't just be able to use them, but, actually, you can.  Anyone can.  Sometimes they are up on rooftops, sometimes they have beautiful landscaping and wildlife, often they have seating.  Developers get tax incentives to have these in their properties, and they go largely underutilized.  

505 Howard St, a mixed use commercial building, has one of these spaces, and, adjacent to it, a coffee shop, a tiny coffee shop, Red Door Coffee, which also has a location at Minna Gallery.  They don't roast their own beans (they use Four Barrel), they don't make their own pastries (sourced from other local brands), and they don't even have their own seating (they utilize the POPOS).  But its a convenient stop for office workers nearby, and, pre-pandemic, was always fairly busy.

The Space

Outdoor Seating.

Red Door Coffee does not, in fact, have a red door.  I'm not sure where the name comes from.  They also don't have much curb appeal, just a small sign, quite easy to miss.  They have direct access to the outdoors, and also interior to the office building lobby.

Outside is plentiful seating, provided by the building, not dedicated to the coffee shop.

Public Open Space: Inside.

Inside also has plentiful seating, again, provided by the building, as part of the large lobby area.  This is also a POPOS, and can be used by anyone, even if they aren't visiting Red Door coffee or a tenant in the building.

Drinks

I don't review it often, but I am actually a big coffee drinker, I start my every day with a cup of coffee, alongside a piece of chocolate (and breakfast of course).

Coffee Menu.

Red Door uses Four Barrel for their coffee.  All your standard espresso based drinks are available, along with drip or cold brew, and chai.

Decaf Americano. $3.

I ordered my test of a coffee shop: a decaf americano (decaf drip is not available), as it was later in the day, and I cut myself off of regular.

Decaf is particularly temperamental, and often has a "funk" or strange sweetness to it.  It rarely has much complexity.

This isn't my first time having Four Barrel decaf, but, I know from experience that how old the beans are, and how well the shot is pulled can greatly effect the outcome.  And sans milk, an americano really needs the quality to be there, or, you get nasty decaf (and, don't get me started on the truly undrinkable decaf blend we have from Four Barrel at my office).

I was very pleasantly surprised.  While not particularly complex, it had no funk, no sweetness, and was just very smooth, pure, and quite drinkable.  Nicely done Red Door!

$3 is pretty standard for a basic coffee drink.  Only one size drink is available, and I would have preferred a bigger one, as this was gone in a flash.  The person behind me did order at 12 ounce Americano, which I didn't realize was an option, so, I'd certainly do that myself next time.

****.

Finishing Station.

The finishing station is no frills.  No line up of assorted dairy products, just regular sugar, honey, and simple syrup available.  Luckily, my drink didn't need anything.

Baked Goods

While I was there for coffee, you know me, I was also interested in the baked goods, particularly as I knew how well curated they were.

Happy Hour and Baked Goods Menu.

On the other side of the ordering window was the Happy Hour menu (beer and wine), plus self serve water (very appreciated), and a rather vague menu of the baked goods, e.g. it just said "Neighbor Pastries" or "Authentic Scone".

Prices were given in ranges, and no actual varieties were listed.  The baked goods, laid out in a display case under the window, were not labelled.  So, annoying as it is, I asked what they all were, because it was not obvious.  I somehow didn't get a photo.

The top row was assorted donuts from Dynamo Donuts.  Since I actually haven't loved Dynamo in the past, it was easy to move past these, even though, OMG, donuts. 

They also had seasonal scones, cookies (chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin), and bagels from Authentic Bagel Company in Oakland, and savory pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse in the Dogpatch.

My Box Of Goodies!

I wasn't familiar with Authentic Bagel Co, as the retail store is in Oakland, but they also are a wholesale bakery, so I've likely seen their goods in other places around town, perhaps just not attributed.  They also sell their bagels and cream cheese online via Good Eggs.

Bagels are their forte, a company started in order to try to solve the ever-ending problem of lack of good bagels in the Bay Area.  I wasn't really seeking out a bagel though, so I grabbed several of each of the seasonal scones instead.

I also wasn't familiar with Neighbor Bakehouse at that time.  They had a fairly new retail store in the Dogpatch, but were also starting to be distributed around the city, and started as a wholesale bakery.  Since this visit, I had the opportunity to try more of their goodies, and, zomg, recommend.

Neighbor Bakehouse
Smoked Ham & Gruyere Morning Bun. $5.

I really wish I had taken a photo of the cross-section inside this thing!  Or a side view.  Sorry my dearest readers, I have failed you.  I know this looks like just a morning bun or croissant roll.  Which, it was, but wow, it was so much more.

The pedigree of the croissant element is not to be underestimated though.  I really should have heard of Neighbor before, as I now see that they are regularly featured in "best croissant in SF" lists.  The pastry chef taught croissant making, worked at Tartine, etc, etc.  And it shows.  The croissant was crazy flaky, crispy on the outside, moist inside.

It was coated in seeds (sesame, poppy, and sunflower).  Flaky dough and tons of seeds?  Yup, it made a ridiculous mess.  Note to self: eat this outside, not over your keyboard in the future.  Doh.

Inside was the ham (Fra'mani smoked ham) and cheese (gruyere), plus ... mustard!  I wasn't expecting mustard at all, but it made it even more savory, went perfectly with ham and cheese, and added quite the zing to it.

It was great at room temperature, but even better once I stuck it in the toaster oven for a few minutes, to make the cheese ooey gooey.

At $5 it was pricey, but, it really was a little meal in itself.  Carbs, fats, and protein?  Legit meal to me!

****+.

Authentic Bagel Co.
Apple Raisin Scone. $3.50.

These were strange looking scones.  They weren’t a shape that I’ve ever seen before for a scone.  They looked sorta more like oblong cookies (particularly given the huge sugar crystals on top).  Not triangular, not round, but, oval shaped.  Rather huge for a single person too.

They were also a strange texture, like the shape, not something I’ve had before.  Rather soft.  This style was actually nice, I appreciated the scone not being hard, but it also wasn’t cakey as often happens with softer scones.  This was was still a scone.

I wasn't particularly interested in the apple raisin scone, but I tried just a bite.  As expected it had chunks of apple and raisins.  I got it in October, and it was clearly very fall inspired, nicely seasonal, however these not my favorite ingredients.  It sorta reminded me of oatmeal.

A fine scone, just, not for me.  ***.

Authentic Bagel Co. 
Blueberry Scone. $3.50.

I moved on to the blueberry scone.

This one was much better.  I again liked the soft, but not cakey texture.  The blueberries weren’t particularly plentiful, nor juicy, so they didn’t add a ton of flavor, but the base scone was really quite good.  A bit more tang and it would have been even better.

The size was just too big to eat in one sitting though.  Perfect to split with a friend, or to have half for breakfast, and half with afternoon tea ...

***+.

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Restaurante L'Arca D'En Peter, Alcudia

Remember back when I went to Mallorca?  Kinda as part of a business trip?  Yeah, that happened, and it was filled with adventures such as 12 course dining at the Michelin starred Jardín (because, yes, they have Michelin starred restaurants there, and yes we sought them out!), an epic trek to Restaurant Club de Golf Alcanada, and casual beachside dining at Playero.  It also included a visit to old town, on our very last day, and the discovery of a phenomenal piña colada. 

Somehow, during that last afternoon, we wound up all together in the middle of old town, in the market area, in a courtyard, at Restaurante L'Arca D'En Peter.  Not for a meal, but for one last island appropriate drink before heading to the airport.  It was hot, and we had been treking around the market and taking in our last of the sights before leaving, and, wow, these drinks hit the spot.

Mojito, Piña Colada.

The mojito was for Emil, who didn't normally drink these kind of drinks, but on islands, his drinking rules all changed.

The piña colada was mine.  All mine.  Even if someone else had wanted a sip, I wouldn't have given it to them (Ok, fine, I probably would have, but I wouldn't have been happy about it!).

This was, hands down, the best piña colada that I've ever had.  It was perfectly frothy, particularly on top.  The pineapple flavor was strong and refreshing. The coconut was equally as strong, and indulgent.  The rim was sugar lined, and then covered in I think raspberry syrup (perhaps cherry?).

I adored this.  Literally, best piña colada that I've ever had.  Nothing about it that I would change.

*****.

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Merrimack Valley Snack Company

By now you know how much I love my snacks.  Snack mixes in particular.  And trying new ones?  Yup, I'm always in.

At some point I got a gift box that contained a single product from Merrimack Valley Snack Company, a brand I can find very little about online.  I don't really know the origin.  The product I got was full of mislabelled information.  I can't say this is a reputable company, in any way.  But at least it made for a good adventure as I tried it ...

Chichester Snack Mix Box.

"A delightful snack mix composed of crunchy pretzel nuggets, cheddar cheese crackers, and premium nuts."

What is "Chichester"?  I'm not sure.  Perhaps the city in England?  But this looked like yummy snack mix, the style I like.

It also seemed like the description wasn't quite accurate.  It promised pretzel nuggets, cheese crackers, and nuts ... but what about all the spicy looking sticks right there in the photo?

Ball Park Mix.

I opened the box to find a sealed bag, labelled "Ball Park Mix".

Hmm.  The box says "Chichester" the contents say "Ball Park".  Chichester or Ball Park?  Which was it?  Is, uh, Chichester a ball park?  The mystery continues.

Different Ingredients.

Surely they just must be different names for the mix, perhaps a re-branding happened, but same ingredients, right?

Ha.

The first ingredient on the bag?  "Peanuts".  On the box? "Butter Toffee Peanuts".  Which was it? Plain or candied?  The following ingredients were not the same either.  I was further confused.

The real answer seemed to follow the box: butter toffee peanuts, taco sesame sticks, cajun corn sticks, pretzel balls, and cheddar whales.  Well, "whale", singular, but we'll get into that next.  So, even more odd, the ingredients match the outer box, not the inner bag.

Snack Mix Contents.

There you can see my single, lone, cheddar whale.  The other items were decently distributed throughout the rest of the mix.  I dug in, eager to try it all.

I didn't care for ... well, anything really.

I don't really like pretzels to begin with, so the pretzel balls were a let down, I kept expecting them to be crunchy nuts or something more interesting, but alas, pretzels.  But I'll give Merrimack Valley Snack Company a point for offering a non standard pretzel shape.

Both types of sticks sounded great, and flavorful little sticks are usually my favorite parts of snack mixes, but, alas, neither the "taco sesame" nor "cajun corn" ones really tasted like anything other than some random spice powders, and the sticks weren't flavorful nor crisp.  I didn't taste sesame at all.

And finally, butter toffee peanuts.  These didn't really fit in the with mix well at all.  I'm all for sweet and savory, but the kinda zesty spices and the sweet burnt butter toffee clashed.  Also, yes, they tasted more burnt than nice sweet toffee.  At least they were crunchy and had a nice shell?

Overall, I had more fun figuring out what this mix was than actually eating it.

**+.

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Doughbies Cookies.

Doughbies was a bit of a unique idea.  On-demand, delivery only, cookies.  Pre-pandemic and deliver-all-the-things mentality.  They had no brick and mortar storefront, a concept that was novel in 2013 when founded.

Doughbies offered a variety of cookies, about $3 each, and no minimum order size, with additional $5 delivery fee.  For a single cookie, this was a bit high, but if you were getting a box, it wasn't much higher than any other delivered baked goods.

I always say that I don't really like cookies.  I mean, they are "fine", but, in general, I just find they aren't nearly as good as *other* dessert options.  Why have a simple cookie when you could have a warm fruit crisp with ice cream?  I just want more than a cookie.  So, I do a lot of cookie reviews that read like "meh, not for me".

But this one is actually different.  I liked the Doughbies cookies when I tried them at an event.  I liked them enough to actually consider one a dessert, and ordered them myself.  Yes I, "eh to cookies" girl, sought out these cookies.

Unfortunately, Doughbies model didn't pan out.  People did love the cookies, but, people don't order delivery cookies daily.  And with just one product, and no other distribution model, it didn't pan out, financially.  Too bad, because they really were good cookies!

Confetti Cookie. 3 for $8.

"Sprinkles on sprinkles on sprinkles make this cake batter inspired cookie a reason to celebrate. Let’s party!"

The first Doughbies cookie I ordered was the Confett Cookie.  I really am a kid a heart, and adore rainbow sprinkles, on, well,  most things.  I really liked this cookie.

It was soft.  It was buttery.  It was sweet.  It was *loaded* with sprinkles.  I expected the sprinkles just on top, but rather, they were throughout the dough AND on top.  They gave it a great crunch.

Overall, a very, very good cookie, I really enjoyed it ... and not just for a cookie.  I enjoyed it as a complete dessert, on its own.

****+.

Update: I've since had several more of these, and genuinely enjoyed them every single time.  My favorite of the Doughbies line up. ****+.

Snickerdoodle.

"Moist and chewy, these cookies will add the perfect blend of sugar & cinnamon spice to your day. Hand scooped and baked to a golden brown, with slightly crispy edges."

Next, I tried a Snickerdoodle, when a friend had some delivered.  I took just a hunk because I don't tend to love Snickerdoodles.

And ... yup, this was another excellent cookie.  I'd never normally even try it, but after the success of the others, I tried a chunk.

Just like the others I tried, it was super soft.  Super buttery.  Super sweet.  It had lovely cinnamon spicing.

I really liked it.  The most I've ever liked a Snickerdoodle, no question.

****.

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Red Velvet Crackle Cookie. 3 for $8.

"Straight from our Holiday Cookies Book! With just the right amount of chocolate and a dash of powdered sugar on top, these soft-yet-crunchy treats are sure to put you in the holiday spirit."

I also tried a small chunk of the crackle cookie, and I was also impressed with it.   

It was a fascinating soft texture, almost like a brownie, but, it was indeed a cookie.  The flavor was fairly unique as well, as red velvet isn't a flavor I normally have in cookie form, and my brain had to think a bit to process what it tasted like, with just a mild hint of cocoa.

Not my top pick, but I'd get it again if someone had them around.

***+.

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Dinner on the Napa Valley Wine Train

Dinner.  On a train.  Gourmet dinner that is.  On a train ... through wine country, Napa Valley.

Yup, it is a thing, and, due to the generous gift of a friend who knew I had a fascination for "real trains" and fine dining, a thing I was able to experience.

It really was a wonderfully unique adventure, and I highly recommend for something just, well, different.

A lovely dinner ... on a train!

"Yes, the Napa Valley Wine Train is a luxurious journey. A one-of-a-kind adventure. But it is first and foremost a restaurant. Yellowfin tuna tartare. Pan-seared Pacific halibut. Roasted tenderloin of beef. Fresh local produce. Napa-style, multiple course gourmet meals. We take pride in the decadent quality of our cuisine. And the fact that it’s created onboard a moving antique train.

Our four onboard kitchens allow our chefs to create culinary works of art from scratch, made to order. Whatever dish you choose, luxurious ambiance is always served."

I'll admit, I didn't quite believe the marketing when I read about it.  Sure, reviews were quite good, but I thought it was likely a bit of a gimmick, a captive audience with no other dining option, and swayed by copious wine.  And this "luxurious journey" does not come cheap, tickets start at $225 each, for the ride and meal.  Wine is additional.

But ... well, it far exceeded my expectations.

The Experience - Gourmet Express Train

"A decadent journey aboard our elegant vintage train through the Napa Valley and back to another time: the glamorous days of rail travel. Embrace a slower pace and dine in sophisticated comfort. Choose lunch or dinner, enjoyed in two different types of stylishly refurbished antique Pullman rail cars, a dining car and a lounge car."

We opted for the dinner train, which had the following schedule:

5:30 PM - Check in
5:35 PM - Welcome speech
6:00 PM - Board the Train
6:30 PM - Train departs
9:30 PM - Train returns

The lunch train is a similar lineup, departing at 11:30am, and with a slightly longer route.

Within each trip, you can pick to be in the first or second seating.  The first seating begins in the dining room once underway, and starts with an appetizer and main dish in the dining car.  From there, for the return trip, you transition to a lounge car for dessert.  The second seating starts in the lounge car, and has their appetizer course there, before moving to dining car for main and dessert on the way back.  We opted for the first seating.

The Train!

"Stylishly refurbished antique Pullman rail cars."

The train itself was fairly impressive, very well appointment, and it truly did feel like I was stepping back in time, or at least, back in time based on my knowledge from movies.

Map of Journey.

"Originally a rail line built in 1864 to take visitors north to the resort town of Calistoga, the Wine Train is a three-hour, 36-mile round-trip journey from Downtown Napa to St. Helena and back. After boarding the train at the McKinstry Street Station, guests travel through the old industrial section of Napa, crossing the Rural Urban Limit Line (RUL) about ten minutes into the journey. Then it’s nothing but the spectacular scenery of beautiful wine country, the famed agricultural preserve of Napa Valley, past some of the most expensive and famous farm real estate in the country, and through the charming towns of Oak Knoll, Yountville, Oakville, and Rutherford."

Our journey was about 1.5 hours out, and then we turned around to come back.  Other versions of the trip make stops at wineries along the way.

Scenic Tracks.

The main reason most people are on the train is not the food.  It may be the wine, but really, it is for the scenic views.  I'm not really one to care about looking at scenery, but I'll admit, it really was lovely at times.  

Kitchen Area: Grills.

"California gourmet meals are crafted by our expert culinary team in one of three onboard kitchens. Located immediately next to each dining area, guests are encouraged to explore the Train and visit the kitchen cars and see our chefs in action."

I saw the marketing materials that talked about multiple onboard kitchens, and what I imagined was basically a catering setup, or something like an airline galley.  We were reminded several times that we were welcome to explore the hallways and view the kitchen cars, and, I was blown away by what I saw (my tour was after my meal, and it explained sooo much!).

These were not little makeshift kitchens.  No, these were full blown, well equipped, kitchens.  Several of them.  The grills were a constant hub of activity.

Kitchen Area: Stoves.

As were the stovetops.  And, everywhere really  The cooks were extremely busy, cranking out dishes for a whole train worth of people at once.

Bathroom.

The bathroom, like most of the train, was quite elegant.  I was expecting something more like a porta-potty or RV bathroom, or maybe an airplane bathroom, but really, this was outfitted like any small bathroom on the ground.

Part One: Dinner Service

As I mentioned, dinner is served in two waves in the dining car.  We opted for the first seating, so we started in the dining car, and moved to the lounge car later for dessert.  The second group switched with us at the midway point, and started in the lounge car for appetizers instead. 

Menu.

Dinner is a three course affair, choice of soup or salad to start, choice of main beef/chicken/pork/seafood/pasta /entree salad, the later two of which are vegetarian, and choice of two desserts.  They asked for food allergy/restriction details in advance when you make your booking, but also were quite easily able to make changes/substitutions the day of.

It was impressive that they had multiple vegetarian items and were as flexible as they were.  Again, not the catering style experience I was expecting.

Dining Car.

The dining car is filled with tables, basically all tables that can seat 4, although most had just a pair.  Couples could choose if they wanted to sit across from each other, or side by side to just look out the windows.  Every table was a window seat.

Tables.

The tables were perfect for looking at both your dining companion(s) and out the window, although there were parts of the meal where the glare was intense.

Dinner Menu.

Dinner is a 3 course meal.  We had a choice for each course.

First

• CHEF’S DAILY SOUP INSPIRATION
• SONOMA MIXED GREENS / sky hill farms goat cheese, shaved fennel, summer strawberries, toasted almonds, champagne-dijon vinaigrette

Main

• SLICED TENDERLOIN OF BEEF / point reyes blue cheese potato purée, forest mushrooms, asparagus, ruby port reduction.
• LEMON-THYME ROASTED CHICKEN / creamed summer corn, arugula, crispy quinoa,
• warm bacon vinaigrette.
• CITRUS & BLACK PEPPER-CURED PORK TENDERLOIN / white cheddar anson mills grits, rainbow chard, grilled spring onion, roasted peach bbq
• CATCH OF THE DAY
• KALE & FARRO SALAD / heirloom tomato, country olives, pole beans, basil, sky hill farms feta, preserved lemon vinaigrette.
• GEMELLI PASTA / saffron & summer squash purée, jubilee tomatoes, ricotta cheese, aged parmesan, squash blossom pesto.

Sweet

• PASTRY CHEF DAILY CREATION

Each dish had a suggested wine pairing, for an additional charge.  Wine is not included in your $225 ticket.

For our journey, the "Chef's Daily Soup Inspiration" was tomato soup, the "Catch of the Day" was salmon (as I think it nearly always is), and the "Pastry Chef Daily Creation" was a choice of a caramel panna cotta or a vanilla ricotta strawberry tart.

Our orders for all three courses were taken as soon as we were read.  I was also quite surprised, and pleased, at how well they took requests for modifications.  I was not expecting that level of service and customization on the train.  

Welcome Wines: Red and White.

Included in the ticket price is your first glass of generic wine, red or white.  Since my dining companion doesn't drink alcohol, I got to try both.  I don't recall either being all that interesting.

Most people upgraded to paid wine options quickly.

Cranberry Ginger Mocktail.

My companion asked about getting a non-alcoholic drink, and they had one mocktail for him to pick from.  It was fruity cranberry, but very sweet, and not really what he wanted.

Bread & Butter.

Everyone was brought their own individual bread and butter to start.

Starter: Sonoma Mixed Greens.

"Sky hill farms goat cheese, shaved fennel, summer strawberries, toasted almonds, champagne-dijon vinaigrette."

To start, my dining companion opted for the salad.

***+.

Starter: Sonoma Mixed Greens (Sub ricotta for goat cheese).

I also opted for salad.  As I loathe goat cheese, I asked if they could sub something else, and ricotta is what I received instead.  They were happy to accommodate.

Otherwise, same salad.  It was fine, and I appreciated that it was fairly interesting, with frisee and radicchio along with basic mixed greens, shaved fennel, and juicy ripe strawberries.  The nuts added a bit of crunch.  Meh to vinaigrette, but, that is just how I feel about vinaigrette  (And no, herbed ricotta doesn't work all that well on a salad).

***+.

Main: Sliced Tenderloin of Beef
(Sub creamed summer corn for forest mushrooms and potato purée).

"Point reyes blue cheese potato purée, forest mushrooms, asparagus, ruby port reduction."

For the main, my dining companion opted for the beef tenderloin, which came as a portion of two slices, both cooked medium.  It came nicely presented, really, better than I expected on a train (which made more sense when I saw their kitchen!).  I tried it: decently tender, decent quality beef, properly seasoned.

The dish normally came served over a point reyes blue cheese potato purée, and with sides of asparagus and mushrooms, but he asked to have the mushrooms replaced with creamed summer corn (from the chicken dish), because he doesn't eat mushrooms, and, uh, because I really wanted to try the creamed corn.

The kitchen unfortunately replaced both the potato purée and the mushrooms, which I'm sure made more sense from a plating perspective, but wasn't quite what he intended.  The result?  I got a full portion of creamed corn, and he missed out on his potatoes.  Oops.

The creamed corn was delicious, the highlight of the meal actually.  Creamy, slightly cheesy, nice texture from some chopped bits.  I was glad he basically let me have all of it.  I dragged it through the port reduction, which was fine but not interesting.

The asparagus was kinda eh, not particularly good, slightly undercooked.

Overall though, a nice looking plate, higher quality than you'd get a wedding reception.

***+.

Main: Catch of the Day ( BBQ Salmon)
(Sub white cheddar anson mills grits for roasted potatoes).

I went for the seafood choice, the catch of the day, which was salmon, and I think always is.  It was smothered in bbq sauce, which I didn't really care for with the salmon.  It was cooked nicely though.

It normally comes with roasted potatoes, but I asked for the grits from the pork tenderloin dish, and just like the other modifications we asked for, it was no problem.

The grits turned out to be a cake, not creamy grits as I was hoping for.  The vegetables of the day was a hearts of palm/tomato/caper salad and spinach, both pretty boring.

The beef was definitely a better dish.

***.

Part Two: Dessert

For dessert, our group moved to the Lounge car, to make way for the second dinner seating.  Those folks had previously been in the lounge car enjoying an appetizer round.

Lounge Car Entrance.

Each car is named after a grape, we were in the Cabernet Sauvignon car.

Lounge Car Chairs.

The lounge car was, well, very lounge-y, with comfortable padded chairs, mostly arranged so you could look out the windows.  It had an old school, elegant, vibe.

Dessert Lounge Seating.

Rather than full size, or even cocktail, tables, windows had a bar ledge where you could put drinks and food, again, mostly just to take full advantage of why you were on the train: the view.

Dessert Course.

My dining companion was full and didn't want dessert, so I got both options.  I was kinda excited, as I do love pudding, and panna cotta was one of the options.

To go with the dessert, I splurged and ordered a nicer wine from the wine list, for an additional fee.  It was actually really good, and completed my meal nicely.

Caramel Panna Cotta.

The panna cotta normally comes with chocolate ganache, but we asked to have it left off since both myself and my companion avoid caffeine at night.  Just as with our dinner modifications, this was no problem.  It also came with cocoa dusted almonds that weren't listed on the menu so we didn't know to ask for them left off (but, they were very tasty, and I totally broke my own rules to enjoy!), and deliciously boozy soaked cherries.

The panna cotta was fine, rather generic, but sweet from the caramel.  Well set.  I think the chocolate ganache would possibly help offset the sweet nature, but really, it called out for some whipped cream to me.  The aforementioned nuts were delicious but a bit out of place on here too.

The nuts on the side, and add some whip, and it could have been ****, but as is, ***.

Vanilla Ricotta Strawberry Tart.

The other option I also got, even though I wasn't really that excited about a tart, because my companion didn't want either, and I wanted to hedge my bets.  It was a shortbread tart crust, which was rather mediocre, as was the ricotta mousse.  The roasted strawberries were good, but there were only a few, and the vanilla sauce was way too minimal to be tasted.

Like the panna cotta, it also called out for whipped cream.  When I combined it with the panna cotta, it actually made for a decent dessert, full of complimentary textures and flavors, but, again, as served, ***.

Other

This was not part of my journey exactly, but, the train station where you check in has a little cafe, with wine by the glass, coffee, and a few baked goods.  Most of the baked goods were just packaged products, but they also had their home made coffee cake muffins.  The longer full day winery trips feature these as part of the breakfast spread served to begin those journeys.  Everyone *raves* about the amazing smoothie, frittata, and, in particular, coffee cake muffin they are served.   I recognized them immediately from all my research.

Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffin. $3.75,

I asked the cafe if the coffee cakes were good, and the person taking my order perked right up.  "Oh, they are amazing. We bake them here, they are very, very, very good."

I was sold.  Since my hotel was literally next door, I went back the next morning for one.

And indeed, everyone was right.  This was amazing coffee cake.  Or, cake really.  It was far too sweet and buttery to be a "breakfast" item, but it was a fantastic item.

****+.

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