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View Full Version : Napa Rose review, 11/20/05



adriennek
11-21-2005, 10:26 PM
We went to Napa Rose last night for my husband's birthday. I can't find a copy of the current menu online. The menu we had was different from both of the menus I found on other sites. They must change it too frequently!

So here's what we had...

My starter was a pumpkin flan with bacon wrapped dates. The pumpkin part was more like mashed pumpkin but it was still yum. There was some sort of fried crispy thing on top of the pumpkin and the sauce had yummy chunkies in it. My memory is horrible - there was beans, onions and I think some sort of meat. Very good.

Doc had oak roasted quail over a polenta with huckleberry sauce. Again, yum.

I had the endive salad with dried cranberries and blue cheese. It came with candied walnuts but I asked for no walnuts due to an allergy. I learned something: if you say "allergy" be VERY Specific. Walnuts are the only nuts I can't eat. The restaurant custom prepared my entree without pecans because my waiter heard "nut allergy." I was really happy that if I had a total nut allergy they would go to the trouble, but in the future, I'll be really specific if I do that again. I'm not at all complaining, just relating the lesson I learned. The salad was good!

Doc had the mushroom bisque with froie grois foam. You just can't go wrong with it.

For our entrees, Doc had the steak over cheddar bacon potatoes au graten with two onions. I grabbed a taste of the potatoes. Say it with me: Yum!

I had duck schnitzel over sweet potato hash (with some sort of bacon- probably prosciutto) Again, soooo good.

For dessert Doc had a espresso/chocolate thing with a 'pot de creme" that was also coffee-ish and chocolately. It went perfectly with the last of our cab. (Moon Mountain 2000 reserve.)

I had.... no surprise, pumpkin creme brulee with cranberry-raspberry sauce. I'm not a fan of the "tart" because I'm not a pastry person and it just keeps me from the sauce. The waiter asked me how it was. I asked for a bowl of the sauce and a spoon. He laughed. Why do you suppose he laughed? I was serious. ;)

Very very yummy.

I have to say: we were surrounded by tables with kids that were 4 or younger. On the one hand, we were really glad it was them and not us. And yes, it's a resort. But Napa Rose just isn't really a kid restaurant. There's no crayons. The kids were bored. The parents' meals were taking a long time. I've taken my kids to restaurants before. If they're not behaving, I'm prepared to do something about it - take them out, bring something to keep them happy. It was a bit of a disappointment to us and a distraction, mostly because we'd gone to the trouble of getting a babysitter (I'm picky about my sitters,) and were looking forward to leaving the kids at home and drop what is for us, a considerable chunk of our budget on dinner.

I don't know what Napa Rose would do about it. Like I said, it's in the middle of a resort. Short of not offering any children's menu there's not a lot they could do and I would expect that even if they didn't, people would show up anyway and in the interest of good customer service, NR would do its best to accomodate them. I'm sure they're not losing business from it ;)

Maybe they could have a 'kids' and "no kids" sections of the dining room ;)

Adrienne

SoCalSteven
11-22-2005, 12:07 AM
Simple solution, sit the kids outside! lol!

3894
11-22-2005, 02:45 AM
Let me tell you how much I enjoyed this report, adriennek.

I just happen to have eaten a breakfast unlike any I have had for years and years, a breakfast fit for Marie Antoinette, pre-Bastille.

Then I read this report. Everything sounded so delicious, so elegant, so decadent. Foam from foie gras! Pumpkin crème brûlée!

Merci bien.

Crazy4DL
11-22-2005, 03:45 AM
Very nice report! YUMMY!!!

We have not tried the Napa Rose. I am thinking that is going to have to be a must do next trip down to DL. (without our mass of kidlets ;) )

Happy belated Birthday to your DH, btw, Adrienne.

TP2000
11-22-2005, 04:48 AM
Nice TR, thanks for sharing. Interesting that you mentioned the children and your fellow diners. This same scenario has really put a damper on a couple previous visits to this restaurant. Last time I went to the NR was about a year ago, and we had a table of a half dozen adults right in front of the big picture window. Surrounding us were a couple of families with one or two 4 to 7 year olds at each table; the kids were bored to tears within 10 minutes and started whining and being generally impolite. The adults just ignored them, or pleaded for a few more minutes of half-decent behavior before the table devolved into bad behavior again. This went on for about two hours, which is what a dinner service at NR usually takes.

Needless to say, it was disapointing to us and several other tables of adults near us who I saw give one particular kiddy table some very nasty looks. :rolleyes:

It may be on Disney property, but it's still an expensive, upscale restaurant that serves liquor, wine and cigars along with the gourmet food. Does a bored 5 year old who just wants to go on the Matterhorn again really need to be included at such an establishment? How about if the family fun meal takes place by the robotic gorilla at Rainforest Cafe, and the Napa Rose was left for those who don't need crayons after the first course? I was never taken to such places as a small child, and I find it kind of rude for other adults to force their children to be a part of strangers dinners at 100+ bucks a pop.

But that's just me, and one of the main reasons why I haven't been back to the Napa Rose in the past year. Interestingly, I've never seen small children at Catal, which is also an excellent restaurant. Somehow, the folks with little kiddies skip Catal, but the Napa Rose seems to be fair game. My advice is to try Studio at Hotel Montage for a fabulous dinner without darling little Kelsey at the next table complaining about her foie gras. :cool:

dsnyredhead
11-22-2005, 06:34 AM
But that's just me, and one of the main reasons why I haven't been back to the Napa Rose in the past year. Interestingly, I've never seen small children at Catal, which is also an excellent restaurant. Somehow, the folks with little kiddies skip Catal, but the Napa Rose seems to be fair game. My advice is to try Studio at Hotel Montage for a fabulous dinner without darling little Kelsey at the next table complaining about her foie gras. :cool:

My son has never been to Napa Rose, Granville's, or Hook's Point. My son has been to Catal several times. Now I know that might not go over well with people here. If he starts crying, we take him out until he calms down. We don't let him cry and disrupt everyone else. It's really up to how the parents deal with the situation not that they allow small children in the restaurant. Obviously this might change and we might not be as willing to take him as he gets older. Almost every time we've been to Catal we've seen other small children in the restaurant.

Oh, good review AK. I've only eaten at Napa a very few number of times.

adriennek
11-22-2005, 07:22 AM
If he starts crying, we take him out until he calms down. We don't let him cry and disrupt everyone else.

That's the problem, dsnyredhead - these parents weren't like you ;)

One table had a little girl under it. Now have my kids done this? Yes, last night. AT CLAIM JUMPER. And they stopped because we took care of the situation pronto. I will say that the parents did take her outside and when she came back, she behaved.

Another table had a preschooler who was really demanding a lot of attention and his parents weren't addressing the problem. Another time that we were there, the kids were older - school age - and they were running around the tables in between courses!

I think it's possible for parents to take their children without disrupting others but the problem is that it's not possible for Napa Rose to screen guests: "Are you going to be a parent who takes care of these kids or is your 10-year-old going to shout in adriennek's ear when he wants to tell you that he can still make it back to DCA for a few more rides before it closes?" ;)

And I don't really understand some of the parents there, myself. If I'm going to pay that much and spend that much time for a nice dinner, I really don't want to be stopping to drag children out from under the table. But that's just me ;)

Adrienne

CrazyTrain
11-22-2005, 08:57 AM
Ok, that steak sounda fabulous - and I don't even like steak! :eek:

TikiGeek
11-22-2005, 09:39 AM
There was some sort of fried crispy thing on top of the pumpkin and the sauce had yummy chunkies in it. Could you please not use complicated epicurean terms like these. :D

I had.... no surprise, pumpkin creme brulee with cranberry-raspberry sauce. Pumpkin creme brulee!!! <faints...>

cstephens
11-22-2005, 09:42 AM
I had.... no surprise, pumpkin creme brulee

I'm so envious. Ever since a couple years ago when I had pumpkin creme brulee at Catal, I go on a hunt every year around this time, and so far, I haven't found it again. That stuff was amazing. Catal is offering pumpkin creme brulee on their Thanksgiving menu, but we're not going there for Thanksgiving. :(

We stopped by and looked at the vintner's menu on Sunday (we always do that if we're in the area, just so we can see what we're not having for dinner), and it looked interesting. And you're right about the menu changes. They used to just do minor tweaks at the beginning of every menu, but we've noticed over the past couple years that they make fairly significant changes every couple of weeks. From what one of the chefs said on our last visit, it's really of matter of them wanting to use whatever's currently available and good, and that changes all the time.


As for the kids, we've apparently had good luck at both Catal and Napa Rose as we've never encountered problems with disruptive small children on any of our visits. I do think that perhaps sitting tables with small children together might be a good idea, but that might be hard to coordinate. I do think the patio (weather permitting) and the side rooms might be a good use for that. I only noticed on our last visit that one of the side rooms has a fireplace. Never noticed that before. Looked pretty cool.


P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, K!

rfaljean
11-22-2005, 10:15 AM
I am so excited...next Wednesday my hubby and I are leaving the kids with my sister and dining at Napa Rose. It's our family vacation (extended family and all) and I am using my sister so I can take my hubby there for dinner. He's dying to eat there and so badly wants to meet Chef Sutton. I'm getting him the Vitner's table w/wine paring (this is his Christmas present)..... I'm not sure what I'm going to have. I tend to be a picky eater, but that steak sure does sound good.

Thanks so much for the review.

CarlieB
11-23-2005, 12:08 PM
That sounds delicious - thanks for the great review:)

hlbtimes2
11-23-2005, 01:06 PM
Maybe they could have a 'kids' and "no kids" sections of the dining room ;)

Adrienne

I've mentioned before that I worked at the Washingtong dinner train. Every fall/winter they have a children ride free special. We always grouped all of the families in one or two cars together, so that the adults traveling without kids didnt have sit near them. It worked very well.

VickiC
11-23-2005, 07:49 PM
It's really not hard to make pumpkin creme brulee at home.

My kids have been on the Seattle Dinner train and were angels. Lots to look at and keep them netertained, but I would not take the younger one to Napa Rose. I would take the older one (6.5) she is a foodie and would *love* it and she'd be very well behaved. She recently sat thru dinner at a very nice restaurant with 8 adults, ordered and ate a salmon, asparugus and mushroom dish and behaved like a little lady. The people next to us gave us a dirty look when we were seated but she never bothered them a bit and they even smiled and waved at her as they were leaving.

rentayenta
11-23-2005, 09:20 PM
Now I am starving at 11:16 pm.


Thanks for the report AdK- the food sounds wonderful!

cstephens
11-24-2005, 07:43 AM
The people next to us gave us a dirty look when we were seated but she never bothered them a bit and they even smiled and waved at her as they were leaving.

Now, see, I think that's mean, to give someone a dirty look just because of their presence, when they haven't done anything.

leota's necklace
11-24-2005, 07:59 PM
I don't know what Napa Rose would do about it. Like I said, it's in the middle of a resort.

I'm sure Disney appreciates the desire for adults-only venues, or they wouldn't have kidsfree restaurants on the cruise ships.

Praise goes to the parents who realize that they need to be vigilant about their kids' behavior. (Or, as I like to call it, "parenting".) It's too bad that NR doesn't feel more comfortable about asking diners to tend to their children when they're bored and acting out.