Redd rocks in Yountville

[karlhungus2005]

Just came back from a great trip to CA wine country and had several incredible meals. Top of the list: Redd. Chef Reddington was cooking at a wedding, but his staff carried the torch nonetheless. I'll be posting pics as soon as I can edit them.

The service was great - from the hostess accomodating a Saturday night seating change to the friendly waitstaff (mostly Anne) and extremely attentive wine director and restaurant manager, Molly Ringe.

My party got the five course tasting menu (a steal at 70 a head, 100 with the wine pairings) and were sent several extra courses, many of which differed between us. Being in wine country, you would think that CA wines would dominate, but we experienced everything from chilled sake to Alsatian reisling to Hall's Cabernet. Killer job on the wines.

The portions were extremely filling and wonderfully presented. Chef Reddington should be extremely proud of his cooks and sous chefs. We never waited too long for food and everything was cooked perfectly.

I don't remember being so satisfied after a meal and this followed my "mecca" trips to Bouchon and Chez Panisse. I didn't go to the Laundry because I am planning a trip to Per Se later in the fall. But I doubt that (and this poor reasoning, but it's my post) I could have gotten more out of a trip to the Laundry.

[docsconz]

While in the Napa Valley for the recent CIA/Greystone World of Flavors Conference on "Spain and the World Table" my wife and I had time for only one dinner and one lunch outside of the conference. Our dinner was at The French Laundry where we met up with my best man and a friend of his and our lunch was at Redd where we met up with one of my wife's best college friends who she hadn't seen since then. I am happy to report that both meetings proved to be wonderful reunions and that the meals contributed their parts to that.

I had dined at TFL before and had a good idea of what to expect and those expectations were met. I did not have the same knowledge of Redd, though I chose it over other noteworthy restaurants secondary to descriptions and recommendations from this forum. Neither I nor my wife nor her friend were disappointed. Redd proved to be a superb choice for lunch as I imagine it would be for dinner as well.

We arrived in a pouring rain to be ushered into the very comfortable dining room. The restaurant was quite busy when we arrived, though it had largely emptied by the time we left. Some people have complained that the main dining room is too stark. I found it to be nicely understated, conducive to a relaxing meal during which the food and the company were able to keep center stage. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to watch several hummingbirds gathering nectar from flowers just outside our window table as the rain abated. That additional bit of charm would not likely be visible during dinner except for early on a summer's eve. Later in this report I will post some photos of the dining room.

The menu was compelling enough that it was difficult to choose from amongst a number of beckoning dishes. We took the easy way out though and ordered the four course tasting menu (it was lunch and we would be eating well just a little later at WOF) with wine pairings for an additional $25pp. Rather than each of us having the exact same menus, they used a 2x2 format and for each course brought two of one dish and the third another dish. This essentially doubled our experience at the restaurant especially as my wife and I were always served different dishes and wines. As if that would not be enough I ordered the Glazed pork belly with apple puree and soy caramel as an additional dish.

Yellowfin tuna and hamachi tartare, avocado, chili oil, fried rice

Sashimi of hamachi, sticky rice, edamame, lime ginger sauce

These were both delicious with the tartare being exceptional. The flavor combination is one that is not particularly novel- though I love it - what really made this a standout dish was the textural contrast of the crisp-fried rice puffs. This was paired with Von Hovel Riesling Kabinett 2002

The sashimi of hamachi was no slouch on the plate either. Served with SchlossGobelsburg Gruner Veltliner 2005, we were off to an excellent start.

My wife was given the tartare while I had the sashimi. For this course I gave her the edge.

Petrale sole, chorizo, calamari, saffron curry sauce

Caramelized diver scallops, cauliflower puree, almonds, balsamic reduction

I was given the sole and expected to prefer the scallops. While the scallops were quite good, I was particularly enamored of the sole. Any concern that I might have had that the sole would have been overpowered by the chorizo were quickly erased upon my first taste. The chorizo was applied with a deft hand. The pimenton in the chorizo was light enough to let the other ingredients through but strong enough to provide superlative smoky accenting. The scallops were paired with Graff Viognier 2005 while the sole was with Y3 Sonoma Chardonnay 2004. Chalk this one up for me.

Glazed pork belly, apple puree, soy caramel

Though we ordered it as a single extra dish that three of us would share the kitchen took the trouble to provide a plated dish to each of us and paired it with another glass of wine! This turned out to be the dish of the lunch too, The combination and balance of flavors and textures was remarkable and amongst the very best pork belly dishes that I have ever had. It was paired with Alain Jaume Vacqueras 2003 (grenache).

Wolfe Ranch quail, smoked ham, warm lentil vinaigrette

Braised beef shortrib, horseradish crust, potato puree, chantarelles

Despite the fact that these dishes followed the pork belly, they each held up quite well. I am partial to small birds while my wife is not. Of course, she received the quail. The shortrib was rich, beefy and tender the way a good braised shortrib is supposed to be. The quail was moist and flavorful the way small birds are supposed to be. The beef was paired with Hall Cabernet 2003 and the quail with J.K. Carretiere "Provocateur" Pinot Noir 2004. While the shortrib was excellent, I award my wife's quail this round.

Banana Beignets, roasted date filling, coconut-rum caramelized bananas, roasted date ice cream

Pumpkin praline tart, cranberry compote, apple cider with cider foam, ginger snap ice cream

I confess that I have a weakness for banana desserts and I was happy that I received this one. It was all I could want. The other dessert was quite lovely as well, but in this direct comparison took second fiddle to the bananas. The beignets were flavorful, light and fluffy. The ice creams were deliciously complex. This round went to my dish leaving a tie as it should have been.

Throughout the meal the wines presented worked nicely with their accompaniments and even across the pairings. Though none of the wines in and of themselves were knockouts, they performed admirably in their allotted roles. For $25pp they were great value.

Chef Richard Reddington and crew in the kitchen towards the end of service

As promised - some photos of the dining areas.

When in the area again, I would happily revisit Redd.

[molto e]

Doc,

I read a review of Redd by Patricia Wells and have wanted to give it a try. Now that I have seen your TASTY shots of the cuisine then it will be a must next time in the area. The shots are very nice as the lighting looks very good.

Molto E

[docsconz]

Doc,

          I read a review of Redd by Patricia Wells and have wanted to give it a try. Now that I have seen your TASTY shots of the cuisine then it will be a must next time in the area. The shots are very nice as the lighting looks very good.

Molto E

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Thanks, Eliot. I am sure that you would enjoy this restaurant The lighting is just one advantage of daytime dining. I can't vouch for the lighting at dinner.

[SiseFromm]

Looks great! Awesome photos. I can't wait to go again. We're stopping at Redd first thing when we pull into Yountville. No stopping to check in at Villagio . . . it's time to rock pork belly the moment we stop!

[syrah girl]

We will be in Napa Valley in a few weeks, I have made lunch reservations at Redd, your review just confirms all of the great things I have been reading about this place. We will also be dining at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen (finally) Ad Hoc, and Cyrus this trip. The Villagio is where we will be staying, also!

[docsconz]

We will be in Napa Valley in a few weeks, I have made lunch reservations at Redd, your review just confirms all of the great things I have been reading about this place.    We will also be dining at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen (finally) Ad Hoc, and Cyrus this trip.    The Villagio is where we will be staying, also!   

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I will look forward to your reports on all the restaurants.

[rancho_gordo]

Just a warning: The buzz on Redd recently has not been good, and often from people who liked it before. I'm not saying this will be the case but be aware it's fallen from grace in some circles.

[docsconz]

Just a warning: The buzz on Redd recently has not been good, and often from people who liked it before. I'm not saying this will be the case but be aware it's fallen from grace in some circles.

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Any idea why?

[rancho_gordo]

Just a warning: The buzz on Redd recently has not been good, and often from people who liked it before. I'm not saying this will be the case but be aware it's fallen from grace in some circles.

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Any idea why?

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No. But I heard it from a vintner friend (and his wife) who was sold on the place and I've been seeing less than stellar reviews on CH and OA.

[docsconz]

Just a warning: The buzz on Redd recently has not been good, and often from people who liked it before. I'm not saying this will be the case but be aware it's fallen from grace in some circles.

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Any idea why?

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No. But I heard it from a vintner friend (and his wife) who was sold on the place and I've been seeing less than stellar reviews on CH and OA.

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Too bad if true. I obviously enjoyed my lunch there in November. If it is true, it may also be for a reversible reason - a transient situation.

[SiseFromm]

We ate at Redd a couple of times in December in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Our food was really stellar and as good as I remembered, although the one quirk I felt was a problem before is still hanging around. That is, the confusion of menu items on the bar/appetizer menu. It's hard for me to understand how a beautiful risotto of lobster and lemon can be right alongside hot wings and fish tacos. I think they need to remove those sports bar type items from the menu and focus on what they do so beautifully. The pork belly with soy caramel is still amazing.

[alanamoana]

new pastry chef at redd, nicole plue who was most recently at julia's kitchen in copia.

[highflyingbird]

i was there in early summer last year and then again 6 weeks ago. each time the food was very good.

my problem is that both times we had the tasting menu and it was exactly the same, except for dessert.

i would expect it to be at least a little different nearly 5 months later, not to mention a totally different season.

we also felt that the wine pairings, which we opted for on both occasions, were nicer wines the first time around: older vintages and more unusual wines the first time.

nonetheless, they do put a lot of effort into the food, presentation, and service.

i just hope the menu gets a shake up.

the first courses on the tasting menu (and also available ala carte), which were sashimi and poke like items are amazing!