So kind of you to say! :)

You can, of course, cheat a little by visiting a grocery or farmer's market beforehand, and choosing some key items as opposed to throwing caution to the wind and assembling a picnic just from whatever Sattui has on hand. But hey, it's your picnic!

I've always liked the low-pressure, laid-back attitude of the Sattui folks, and the open invitation to picnic on their lawn.

The "open invitation" isn't all it once was. Two data points in the past month and a half suggest that they're cracking down on outside food. They've been "policing" more and more to protect their "patrons".

Personally, I find Sattui to be a bit of a Disneyland experience. I'd much rather be at a more secluded spot on the Silverado trail or up toward Calistoga for my picnic. I just like the serenity over the masses.

***

But back to restaurants - grabbed some lunch from Tra Vigne Pizzaria this weekend while at the spa next door. GREAT food (I had a risotto and my friends had salads) and decent prices :D

A bit "standard", but I love Brix. Mustard's is also great!

Terra in St Helena. http://www.terrarestaurant.com Their sake broth fish is still one of the best I've ever had in my life. Hmmm.

Back from Napa and the only regret is that we didn't have enough time to sample all the restaurants we wanted to go to! Ended up at Tra Vigne one night, which was a great new experience. I think it's supplanted Don Giovanni as our favorite Italian.

Terrific meals at Celadon, Domaine Chandon, and Pearl -- Pearl's a new favorite now, as well. Great short ribs!

We ended up at Bistro Ralph and Ravenous, two great places in Healdsburg, if anyone's every up in Sonoma. And now my mind is escaping me on the lunch and breakfast front ... oh, Alexis Baking Company (ABC) is great in Napa for breakfast, as is Gillwoods. Shoot, there are so many ... so so many! And thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I need to go back for more food ...

I went in May to both:
Don Giovanni, Napa, has a nice decoration. The food was so-la-la. And the place had a little "fast-food-ambiance", like part of a chain... :td:

Tra Vigne, St. Helena, is also nice, good food and better run, better management, service etc. ^

I also liked Bistro Jantry, Yountville. Nice restaurant good food, good service. ^

I never tried French Laundry - not my price range :(

In Yountville:
Gordon's for lunch.
Bistro Jeanty.
Everyone should eat at F. Laundry once but that's enough.
Wappo Bar in Calistoga is kinda neat.
Martini House is a newish place in S. Helena by Pat Kuleto.
I miss the Brava Terrace between S. Helena and Calistoga--their duck confit was the best.

Help me choose :)

Last year, we went to Tra Vigne. We tried to go to Bistro Don Giovanni -- but the wait was too long.

We are returning in a couple of weeks. Right now, my short list is Bistro Don Giovanni, Bistro Jeanty, and the CIA's Greystone.

If you were going to choose two of these for dinner and one for lunch -- which would you choose for dinner?

Also, Bistro Jeanty and Bistro Don Giovanni aren't "too similar" are they?

Thanks!!!

~~~I am also interested in feedback on the Glen Ellen Inn restaurant or Syrah.

FWIW, we are staying two nights in Sonoma and three nights in Santa Rosa this trip -- and possibly one in Napa (undecided).

This site is fairly interesting (jmho) -- restaurant ratings

http://www.ilovenapa.com/visitors_restaurant_home.php

Market
 

Located in St. Helena, it was a great place. Try the smores!!!

Bistro Jeanty and Bistro Don Giovanni are nothing alike. I'd do Brix or Mustards before Giovanni. Go to Jeanty and do have the tomato soup. Also go to Bouchon, Kellers other Yountville place. Jeanty is French farmhouse bistro, Bouchon is French Paris bistro. Very different styles of cooking.

St. Helena: Martini House for sure. Skip Pinot Blanc, service is bad every time we eat there.

In Santa Rosa, try Syrah, Cafe Lolo, and Mixx. All are excellent. Syrah is a favorite of mine. Josh Silver is a great up and coming chef. For a locals kind of place, try Capri in Railroad Square. Luigi will make you feel like you've been coming in for years.

Petaluma or Sonoma: The Girl and the Fig is wonderful.

If anything, Tra Vigne and Bistro Don Giovanni are quite similar. I've never found myself a fan of Brix or Mustard's -- we've just not had any luck with them and avoid them now.

Bistro Jeanty is superb. Greystone might feel like a letdown afterwards, but it is a fun place. I like eating at cooking schools.

One place you might consider for lunch is Angele, located in downtown Napa, right along the river. Fantastic place. The lunch menu is virtually identical to the dinner one, but the portions smaller and prices lower.

You might think about what wineries you plan on going to when considering which place you want to hit for lunch -- if you're going to be farther up Highway 29, you might prefer to do CIA/Greystone for lunch. That way you minimize driving -- always a plus!

We just came back from a long weekend in Napa two weeks and ate dinner at the following:

Tra Vigne-a large disappointment. We've had lunch there a few times and were always pleased. The service at dinner was lackluster (waiter seemed a bit miffed that I wanted beer with dinner after tasting wine all day). The food that we has was OK/good, but the menu was terrible. It didn't have a lot of selections and it hardly seemed like a Mediterranean/Italian restaurant. Next time, I'll go back to Don Giovanni's

Brix-Very nice meal. As someone else noted, it's very pleasing to sit outside watch the sun go down while dining.

Cole's Chop House-an excellent steak house that rivals some of the best in NYC. A strip steak is what you want here. It always amazed me that Napa/Sonoma didn't have a decent steak house until Cole's opened a few years ago. All that cabernet and not a decent steak to be found then.

Some notes:
1. We did the picnic thing for lunch one day. We picked up some goodies at Dean & DeLuca and then ate at the picnic grounds at Rutherford Hill. It's just up the hill from Auberge Soleil so you can the view for a >slightly< less expensive lunch. Typically, I'm not a fan of Rutherford Hill, but did stop by their tasting room. I ended up buying six bottles of an amazingly good Petit Verdot! Apparently, they (and a few other wineries in Napa) bottle all five of the Bordeaux varietals.
2. If you venture into Sonoma, you must stop by the Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. In an warehouse/commercial area, it has by far the best selection/pricing of Napa/Sonoma wines of any wine store in the area. Prices are 15-20% less the wineries and they will ship to any state. I was quoted a price of $23/case to ship to VT plus the cost of the shipper ($7). Obviously, that is ground shipping (to be avoided in the warmer months), but they will take phone orders and publish a newsletter.

This is a terrific wine store. Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet 1999 for $91.47, anyone? It's also just around the corner from Siduri Winery -- yes, yes, located in an industrial park; you've got to believe it to see it! They're a terrific Pinot Noir producer. Their assistant winemaker loves the Bottle Barn, too. Great California selection with some outstanding prices.

Here's another vote for Tra Vigne, and also for their risotto!