If your staying at The Napa Winery Inn this place is very convenient, you just walk out the back parking lot and your there. It’s got a Cheers vibe to it, with a very busy bar, even during lunchtime. My waitress told me that its even more crowded at night. Bustling with lots of a local lunch crowd, after you taste the food you will know why this place is so popular.
The interior is kind of modern, but cozy. There is very cool artwork that adorns the walls and the patio is partially tented with fire red canvas, perfect for that summer dining experience.
Here are my favorites:
House Made Onion Rings with beer battered and panko crusted with spicy chipotle bbq sauce. So many onion rings, so little time. I am a big advocate of this dish, it’s my guilty pleasure, and Fume delivers the goods. The sauce and the batter made my experience one to remember.
Creamy Spinach Soup, with gold beet gnocchi and toasted hazelnut garnish. So simple and delicate, with nice rich spinach flavor and color. The soup itself had lovely viscosity, and the garnish adds just the right amount of needed flavor.
Grilled Flat Iron Steak Cobb Salad with butter lettuce, arugula, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, grilled red onions, boiled organic cage-free egg, bleu cheese, green goddess dressing. If I lived close by I would become a regular and have to eat this salad at least once a week. You get all of your protein and its semi low calorie, I just loved it!
Grilled half pound fume Ground Chuck Burger and bistro fries. With pepper jack, Swiss, cheddar or bleu, grilled onions and apple wood-smoked bacon, mushrooms. This is a terrific burger, very meaty with nice accompaniments.
BBQ Baby Back Ribs with honey molasses bbq sauce, slaw, and bistro fries. The beauty about these ribs is number one; they fall of the bone, and number two their sauce is off the hook!
Fennel Sausage Pizza, done in a wood fired pizza oven, with marinara, caramelized onion, fennel, and ricotta salata. A really great pizza, it had great consistency, the ingredients added to the amazing crust and sauce. I would put this pizza up there with the great ones I have tasted, and beyond!
Mushroom Ravioli with Bellweather Farms Jersey ricotta, braised leeks, fresh thyme, Tenbrink Farms walnuts, portobello and crimini mushrooms, sage cream sauce, white truffle oil. One of my favorites, the rich special ricotta and the 2 types of mushrooms made my mouth very happy.
Oven Roasted Free Range Chicken with herb brined and rosemary marinated one-half chicken, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, baby carrots, and sage brown sugar butter. This chicken is so delicate, yet rustic. The brining makes the chicken so tender and flaky, perfectly cooked as well. The sage brown sugar is so luscious, it works nicely with fowl.
Here are the wines that I tried:
2009 Chardonnay, Bremer Family, Napa Valley. Tropical notes, vanilla, spice and oak make this a big glass of chard! This spectacular wine worked great with the mushroom ravioli and the chicken, it hit the right notes in both dishes.
2012 Zinfandel, Seghesio, Sonoma County, Yummy briar patch goodness and a fair amount of tannins scream for red meat. The bbq ribs and the fennel pizza blended nicely with this wine. Fennel and Zinfandel is a very exciting match up.
2009 Brodatious Cabernet-Merlot-Syrah, Crane Brothers, Napa Valley, Big, black & burly! Burger or ribs are an excellent pair with this glorious wine.
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bremer Family Winery, Napa Valley. Black current and cherry make this glass an easy pair with the steak salad. This on went great with the chuck burger; it balanced the entire delightful grilled burger flavor.
Chef/Owner Terry Letson really knows what he is doing and pays a lot of attention to detail. His food, atmosphere and staff are outstanding, and will make your experience so worthwhile.
You just have to come here for the food; it will put a big exclamation mark on your dining experience, guaranteed!
Fume Bistro & Bar
4050 Byway E
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 257-1999
www.fumebistro.com/
