Food Traveler Magazine Summer 2013 | Page 43

Wine Country m Satisfying Stellar Eats n GRACE’S TABLE 1400 2nd St, Napa, CA THE THOMAS 813 Main Street, Napa, CA Opened originally in 1909 as The Thomas, the building began life as a restaurant and boarding house along Napa’s main drag, ultimately being turned into a working-man’s watering hole by Nick Fagiani, who took it over in 1945. Now re-opened, a cocktail list from bar manager Jim Wrigley, and a limited bar menu will be served in the warm inviting downstairs bar. The full menu is served in the second floor dining room and on the rooftop terrace, which is partially covered with its own separate bar. “Celebrating flavors from around the world” is the philosophy of Grace’s Table. With influences from a variety of heritages, Chef focuses on bringing out the unique flavors of each ingredient, while always incorporating local and sustainable products whenever possible. A favorite of both locals and Napa visitors TARLA 1480 1st St, Napa, CA THE PEAR 720 Main St, Napa, CA 94559 A classic American restaurant combining flavors of New Orleans and the deep South with ingredients from Napa Valley Situated in Downtown Napa, Tarla holds its own in this culinary epicenter and awaits to satisfy both those with distinguishable appetites as well as anyone who just loves really good food. Tarla Grill, offers a menu and culinary experience that cannot be rivaled anywhere in Northern California - based on the food as well as the service. Menu offers both small plates or tapas as well as entrees...and don’t forget about the desserts! Atmosphere and experience is both intimate and personal. Tarla knows its customers and treat each with a unique experience. Historical Napa Valley Meaning “land of plenty”, the Napa Valley name was given to the area by the native Wappo Indian population. Word of the region’s abundance and temperate climate spread quickly in the 19th century and by the late 1840s the area was teeming with quicksilver mines and lumber mills. The region’s popularity grew when steamships began traveling the threehour trip from San Francisco to the city of Napa via the Napa River. A railroad line soon became available from the ferry terminal at Vallejo on the shores of San Pablo Bay to the city of Calistoga, creating new access to the healing waters of Calistoga’s famed geothermal hot springs. The Napa Valley has weathered some tough times in its relatively short history. The Valley’s oncefamed Silverado Mine was exhausted in 1875 after just three years of operation. In 1893 an outbreak of phylloxera, a serious grapevine disease, crippled many of the Valley’s 140 wineries. Prohibition, enacted in 1920, dealt the final blow to the early wine industry. Only a handful of wineries survived the thirteen years of Prohibition by producing sacramental wines and selling grapes to home winemakers. Today, however, with vision and perseverance, the industry has greatly surpassed its earlier “golden age,” and now boasts more than 400 wineries, producing some of the world’s finest wines. SUMMER 2013 | FOOD TRAVELER 41