Tra Vigne or CIA/Greystone

[Stone]

You decide. Mom's birthday. I think they'll love the building/atmosphere/food at CIA. But I've never been to Tra Vigne, and I hear it's all that.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I think you could do better. Yeah, Tra Vigne CAN be all that, but it is terrilby hit-or-miss. CIA is a beautiful atmosphere but lacks in food quality compared to others in the area. Melkor is big on Bistro Don Giovanni but I've only had lunch which was only a soup and salad and hard to judge on just that.

Read the other recent posts -- Bistro Lucy, Zuzu, Jeanty, and Bouchon have all had more favorable reviews.

[Stone]

I've been to Bistro Don Giovanni. I thought the food was very good, but it had a fairly casual atmosphere. More so with Cafe Lucy. Zuzu is tapas, and my family doesn't go for tapas.

[NVNVGirl]

The building at Tra Vigne is beautiful, but like Carolyn says, the food is inconsistent at best. And the CIA is a fun place to check out but the food is nothing special really. I'd go to either Bistro Jeanty (ask for Roger and tell him Seana (Shawna) sent you. Roger's dad used to own La Bourgogne in SF. Very nice guy. Or go to Bistro Don Giovanni...great atmosphere and the food is ALWAYS good. If you want to go to "THE" place other than the FL, go to La Toque if you can get reservations. It's sort of expensive tho. Wish I were going ....I could use a Napa fix right now! It's gotta be cooler there than it is here

[Carolyn Tillie]

I could use a Napa fix right now! It's gotta be cooler there than it is here

Nope... We've been in the hundreds for several days now and won't be cooling down anytime soon!

[Stone]

Did you think that Don Giovanni was in the same dining category as Tra Vigne/CIA? It seemed much more casual/neighborhoody. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I didn't get the idea that jackets were required or even requested.

[Brad S]

Tra Vigne is very pretty and the outside area is quite nice as well.

When I studied at Greystone Todd Humhpries was the chef at The Wine Spectator restaurant,it was much better then than now.

Have you ever been to Terra? I've eaten there a few times and enjoyed it everytime.

Jeantys Oxtail Terrine was fantastic as was his Torchon of Foie Gras.

I had braised Short ribs with polenta at Tra Vinge last time I was ther (2000)and it was good.

Have fun

[Jon Tseng]

Tra Vigne - had the braised smoked short ribs

ohmygod - they're good

One of the few times I chose *right*

J

[NVNVGirl]

Did you think that Don Giovanni was in the same dining category as Tra Vigne/CIA?  It seemed much more casual/neighborhoody.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I didn't get the idea that jackets were required or even requested.

I think they are definitely different types of atmosphere. Don Gio's is certainly more casual but the food is outstanding and it's always fresh and consistently good. I eat there a lot even tho I don't live there anymore. I guess I would sum up the meals at the CIA and Tra Vigne as relatively "mediocre" compared to a lot of other places in the same area. But the real thing is that you are with people you love and it's a celebration and usually everything tastes better then anyway. Sometimes it's just the company you keep! And if I hadn't lived in the Napa Valley all my life, I"d probably be more excited about the CIA and Tra Vigne; it's just that I've been to both several times and just like the food better elsewhere. I will be interested to hear where you go and what you think. Maybe Don Gio's isn't "formal" enough for your parents and that's a big deal to some people, and you want it to be special for your mom especially. I think you'll have a fabulous time wherever you end up! Oh, and no, no jackets required, requested or even thought of much at Don Gio's.

[NVNVGirl]

I could use a Napa fix right now! It's gotta be cooler there than it is here

Nope... We've been in the hundreds for several days now and won't be cooling down anytime soon!

Oh good, LOL! I won't be there till the end of next month anyway...it WILL be cooled off by then ~ but then I'll probably be freezing No matter...the food will be great

[melkor]

Go to Terra or the Martini House. Terra is more formal of the two. If you go to Tra Vigne, get the short ribs - it's the only reliably good thing on the menu. But, you can get the same meat they use at the ferry building farmers market and its awfully easy to make good shortribs.

[Stone]

But the real thing is that you are with people you love and it's a celebration and usually everything tastes better then anyway.

I wouldn't go that far.

Maybe Don Gio's isn't "formal" enough for your parents and that's a big deal to some people, and you want it to be special for your mom especially.

In this case, they're not formal at all. I'm trying to give them that experience.

I'm surprised at all the iffy reviews of Tra Vigne and CIA. I've always heard such great things about them.

[Brad S]

The Martini House is Todd Humphries place.

Should be very good.

[melkor]

Maybe Don Gio's isn't "formal" enough for your parents and that's a big deal to some people, and you want it to be special for your mom especially.

In this case, they're not formal at all. I'm trying to give them that experience.

I'm surprised at all the iffy reviews of Tra Vigne and CIA. I've always heard such great things about them.

Don Giovanni isn't at all formal, it's just good food in a very comfortable space. Terra, Jeanty, or La Toque are your best bets for formal (other than tfl where your already going). La Toque will set you back almost as much as the french laundry. CIA here is better than the CIA in NY, but that's not much of an accomplishment. As far as Tra Vigne goes, it's a tourist trap at this point - if you usually eat mediocer food you'll find it amazing but it doesn't compare well to its neighbors.

[victornet]

I had a great panini for a quick lunch at Tra Vigne - and the wine shop is fun to peruse. But I'd echo one of the other posts, in that I had a great meal, way superior, at Martini House.

[Stone]

My world has been rocked.

[jshufelt]

Based on admittedly limited and possibly dated experience, if you're choosing between the CIA and Tra Vigne, the latter is a safer bet. Our most recent visit to each occurred last September, and the food at CIA was unmemorable, which was a disappointment since our visit in 2000 was quite pleasant. Tra Vigne, on the other hand, was very good both times (although I note with interest that one of the dishes I raved about was the aforementioned short ribs).

If you're really interested, my reviews of our visits to Tra Vigne (and La Toque, also mentioned in this thread) can be found here:

Tra Vigne

La Toque

[Stone]

La Toque is La Expensive. Seems to be $100 for a 5 course tasting menu (6 for the cheese supplement). That's the same $$$ than French Laundry. Is it that good?

[melkor]

La Toque is La Expensive.  Seems to be $100 for a 5 course tasting menu (6 for the cheese supplement).  That's the same $$$ than French Laundry.  Is it that good?

La Toque is definitly spendy - it's not as good as the french laundry but it is definitly better than a lot of similarly priced options in the bay area (the crusty Fleur de Lys comes to mind). If you want to eat at La Toque wait until Jaunary/Febuary for them to do their black truffle menu - that is definitly worth the visit.

[MobyP]

I've had two meals at Tra Vigne - and both were among the best med/Italian cooking I've ever come across.

The last time, there was this pasta:

home made gargenelli with duck confit in a braised duck sauce, with a brunoise of caramelised butter-nut squash.

Ah, was so good, it haunts me to this day.

[tanabutler]

We went to Tra Vigne once for lunch. The staff was absolutely the haughtiest, nastiest, snootiest I've ever encountered in my life, and we left without being seated. I would never go there again. Not for anything. Talk about a "look down their noses" group of people. It was dreadful.

[melkor]

We went to Tra Vigne once for lunch. The staff was absolutely the haughtiest, nastiest, snootiest I've ever encountered in my life, and we left without being seated. I would never go there again. Not for anything. Talk about a "look down their  noses" group of people. It was dreadful.

You should have waited to get a table so they could sarcastically point out the value section of the wine list and then provide the worst wine service I've ever experienced in the valley.