This place was such a nice surprise. It’s a little way from the heart of downtown Napa, and from all the bustling inside; it looks like this is where the locals gather. No tourist trap here, just live music and a very happening bar scene. The night I went was like a monsoon hit Napa. Everyone was in a great mood because of the much-needed rainfall.
I did not have a say in this tasting, the only thing I asked for extra was to try the pizza. They did a fine job of giving me little nibbles of their best food items.
Here is what the chef selected as my tasting:
Arancini, fried pesto risotto balls, mozzarella cheese & spicy marinara sauce. Little balls of heaven, crispy outside, warm melty cheese inside. Delicious tender bites of Italy.
Handmade gnocchi with Gorgonzola. This pasta will warm your heart; it has really good creamy consistency.
Vitello Piccata, pan-seared veal scallopini roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe, lemon-caper butter sauce. The veal is cooked to its utmost perfection with its sour lemon flavor, and the rabe is an exact opposite with bitter nuances. If you’re a veal fan this dish is for you!
Pizze, Calabrese with tomato sauce, mozzarella, onion, Italian sausage & mushroom. It is so hard to determine which pizza ranks up there with the best, I am so confused. I will say that this one had great sausage that had little hints of fennel, which made it very special.
Desserts:
Tiramisu with Chocolate Sauce, nice smooth rich filling, and the sauce, all I can say is wow!
Nutella Bread Pudding with Espresso cream sauce & sea salt caramel gelato. The gelato really hit the spot for me, with its salty caramel flavor. How could you not love this spectacular desert.
Here are the wines I liked:
Chardonnay, Hess Collection, ‘su’skol Vineyard’ Napa Valley 2012. I loved this wine with Handmade gnocchi with Gorgonzola. Subtle vanilla, citrus, cream paired nicely with the sauce.
Pinot Noir, Renteria, Carneros, 2009. This wine went great with the sausage in the pizza.
Sangiovese, Monticelli Brothers, ‘Mario’ Russian River 2010. This wine was terrific with the veal scaloppini; it captured the citrus, and balanced out the bitter rape.
Uva Trattoria opened its doors in 1999 and has been a local standby for over 15 years. They have an extensive menu, of Regional Italian cuisine and specialize in homemade pastas and pizzas. The lively bar serves creative cocktails with a wine list of both California and Italian wines, specializing in local Napa Valley wines.
Uva’s owner, a Napa native Aaron Diaz, spent 19 plus years under the tutelage of legendary restaurateur Donna and Giovanni Scala. The Scala’s guidance helped Diaz develop a deep passion for Italian cuisine, wine and culture where he shares the philosophy of less is more with his Chef Marcos Ramirez. Uva features live jazz, blues, big band and R&B, with no cover charge, Wednesday thru Sunday night.
The thing about this restaurant is that every item is made to order with the utmost care and great attention to detail. Using only the freshest ingredients, owner Aaron Diaz has brought real Italian cuisine to the heart of Napa. Uva dishes out an amazing array of fun, and goodness that will make the flavors dance in your mouth and on the dance floor. This place has got me hooked!
Uva Trattoria & Bar
1040 Clinton St.
Napa, CA. 94559
(707) 255 6646
http://www.uvatrattoria.com
