Napa, I love you.... and BBQ sauce, too.

I know, I know. It's been a while.
I will start with excuses...again.

The Mr. and I just got back from yet another lovely trip to Napa. We had a wonderful weekend filled with friends, wine, amazing food, and me lusting over farmhouses and the dream of owning a horse and chickens. I love Napa.

Cue photos.....

We stayed in an amazing B&B in downtown Napa (courtesy of my wonderful parents) called The Inn on First. The food was wonderful. Really, really wonderful. Not to mention it was as charming as one would ever hope an early 1900's mansion turned romantic inn could be. The owners were so kind and helpful and made our stay seriously flawless. If my farm fantasy doesn't pan out, I will just live there. 

We were also joined by our wonderful friends, Caroline and Ben, from D.C. which was the absolute most fun! And what's my favorite rule in Napa? The more people in your group.... the more wine tastings you must squeeze into each day. That's a rule right?

We stopped at many of our favorite wineries including Stags' Leap, Cliff Lede, Opus One, Heitz Cellars, Marimar Estate, Etude, and Saintsbury (to name a FEW.) We also were introduced to a new favorite......

Scribe Winery.

All in all, as usual, Napa was dreamy. And also as usual.... I probably gained 67 pounds. 

Let's get to the good stuff....

Quack and Cheese from Carpe Diem in Downtown Napa. 

Creamy mac & cheese (a personal fave.) But oh no, it didn't stop there. Top it with caramelized onions and duck confit and you have a dish that will haunt your tastebuds for weeks. So delicious. 

We also ate at Bounty Hunter, which I have to say is one of my new faves in Napa. Please, any restaurant that serves rare wines with a heaping side of pulled pork, ribs, and coleslaw has my vote. Seriously worth the wait (they don't take reservations) and the shame of walking back to your B&B with your jeans unbuttoned. Don't judge. While I loved the BBQ there, my snobby southern hubby turns up his nose to almost all BBQ that doesn't come from a hole in the wall joint off of the interstate in the middle of nowhere. This was no different. In his opinion, the sauce was not up to par.... so, I will leave you with two absolutely to die for barbecue sauce recipes from my sweetie.

South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow mustard
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over low/medium heat. 

Tennessee Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups Jack Daniel's Black Label or Bourbon
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
4 tablespoons dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Method:
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/3.

Slather onto some smoked ribs and eat your heart out. 

I left my heart (and appetite) in Napa.

I have been full for three days and I actually am repulsed by the very thought of wine.

Rich, Marco and I were in Napa this past weekend and you can only imagine the shape we left that town in. We left no glass empty and no perfectly cooked pork rib behind.

I don't even know where to begin..... between the amazing Napa restaurants, the wine tastings, and the parties, I left Napa 15 pounds heavier, with permanently purple stained teeth, and not a regret in my mind.

I guess we will start with the most important part of the weekend----besides Richard's film, "Grow Up Already" being a selection in the Napa Valley Film Festival.... you know, the whole reason we were there......

W.I.N.E.

Private tasting at Shafer. 

We did some AMAZING tastings including: Stags' Leap Winery, Shafer, Cliff Lede, Regussi, Heitz (one of the few American vineyards to grow Marco's favorite, Grignoliono), Grigch, Mumm Napa, Dutch Henry, Page Wine Cellars & Revolver Wine Co., Pine Ridge, and Silverado Vineyards (owned by Walt Disney's Daughter), to mention a few...  and by few I mean NOT EVEN HALF of the wonderful wines we tasted.

Richard, Marco, and I with our lovely friends Erin and Joe 

in front of the manor house at Stags' Leap Winery. 

The opening night gala was held at Robert Mondavi and featured some amazing chef's from Napa as well as some amazing wine. We indulged in a '98 Reserve Cabernet for the majority of the evening.

Once we found the man pouring this wine we managed to stay next to him until he ran out......

My handsome hubby.

My other handsome hubby.

so much amazing food.

We also were lucky enough to attend a tasting of all of the Stags' Leap District Cabernets (to die for), most of which, as you can see we already visited in person. We also had a fabulous dinner (complete with all you can drink wine pairings) at Allora Vineyards that evening, both put on by the festival. 

Winemaker's Dinner

The only photo I remember taking at the Cabernet tasting :/ the rest were lost with my memory and dignity from that afternoon. 

We managed to squeeze in a late night sushi stop at Morimoto Napa where I had some of the best pork ribs I have ever had in my life. 

Yes, I am the girl who orders ribs at a sushi restaurant.

While we decided dropping $500.00 per person at French Laundry was out of the question, we did manage to fit in a stop at Thomas Keller's Bouchon for some hot chocolate and Better Nutters.... the best cookie known to man. 

Pastries at Bouchon

My favorite restaurant that we ate at was called Farmstead in St. Helena. Farm-to-table on the farm? I'll take it. My hubbies and I ate there our first night in town and ordered enough food to feed a  medium sized country. Prosciutto sandwiches, grilled artichokes, beet salad, ribs, a pork chop with apple relish and pickled shallots, polenta, brussels sprouts, and 2 orders of cast iron mac and cheese. Yes, that's all. Left overs? Barely.

We even returned on Sunday for brunch......

new friends!

a much needed bacon bloody mary

grilled artichokes

oysters

harvest vegetable rissoto

bacon, obviously.

eggs benedict

Clearly we were not very waistline minded while there, but we did leave a little wine left for Rich and I's return in January... though, not much. 

Hendrix and Lucy also enjoyed Napa.... from inside the car. They were asked to leave the hotel during the day due to "terrier chattiness...." or as we call it- excessive barking. However, we were so surprised at how dog friendly Napa was.... they made lots of friends and Hendrix now owns the majority of the grape vines at all of the vineyards that we visited........

*A disclaimer for our mothers*

We know we should not have drank so much wine because it can be harmful for our health. We are sorry. But since we can't lie to our mothers, it will happen again.

To my mother- I know I have a family history of high cholesterol... in the future I will try not to coat my insides with pork fat and brie cheese. Oopsie.