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Napa Valley: Farmstead Restaurant

738 Main Street, St. Helena , Phone: (707) 963-9181
www.longmeadowranch.com/Farmstead-Restaurant

Reviewed by: Shannon from CA, review #3867

When: 2012

Excellent farm to table cuisine in the Napa Valley

Directions: In downtown St. Helena

Three of us ate lunch at the Farmstead during a day of wine tasting in the Napa Valley. We decided to go there when I inquired if another Napa Valley had pork rillettes - when I was told Farmstead had them, called "potted pork" I said "lets go!"

The restaurant is fairly large and we were seated immediately on a Friday in January for lunch. We started with the potted pig. The spreadable pork is served in a small jar with pork fat and sea salt on top, which you mix in. It is served with toasts and fantastic homemade mustard. I think this may be the best rillettes I have ever had, along with some of the best mustard.

After that we split a few first courses - a beef carpaccio, an arugula salad, some meatballs with a sweet and sour vegetable sauce, and a chili with lamb and Rancho Gordo beans (a local bean purveyor who has the BEST BEANS. Google them.) Everything was really tasty. The wine list is a little pricey, but you can bring your own wine for only TWO DOLLARS corkage and this corkage is donated to charity. We did have a bottle of Longmeadow Sauvignon Blanc (the house white) for $26 or something, and that was fine, also inexpensive. My first wine choice was unavailable, something that usually peeves me but I forgave them as soon as I tasted the potted pork.

They have a great looking happy hour and on Tuesdays do a "community" sort of meal where everyone sits down and eats at long tables together. If I was around the Napa Valley more, I would be here all the time. Awesome food and a most memorable experience.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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