As the Napa Valley’s arts and culture movement grows by leaps and bounds, residents and visitors alike are craving more venues to both see and hear their arts and to enjoy cultural events. Typically, going to an event in this area reinforces the adage “eat, drink and be merry.” Dinner, wine, and possibly a post-concert cocktail are all part of an arts night out. City Winery opened specifically to cater to all elements of such a night, and is confident it can appeal to the very discerning Napa crowd. With a nod to its name (a carry-over from the original in Manhattan) and with respect to its now putting down roots in wine country, the wine list is a healthy mix of plentiful, with more than enough options to strike any palate, and simple and direct—35 wines that are all local. With that list, by housing itself in the former Opera House, bringing Chef Joe Panarello on board, and with an already impressive line-up of acts to hit the stage, Napa’s newest food offering is already making strides toward winning that crowd over. Chef Panarello, who got his chops in kitchens for the Ritz-Carlton hotel group and Rivera in Los Angeles, was drawn to Napa because of the savvy food culture, the burgeoning arts scene, and mostly because of its access to such a strong and great shopping basket of locally sourced ingredients. A believer in restraint in his dishes and a long time farm-to-table advocate, he lets the strength of a fresh and local ingredient speak for itself. Basically, he doesn’t play with his food much. His aim is to create a kitchen where simple and fresh is the axiom, where the plates, small and big both, complement and work with a number of wines on the list, and where the menu is as exciting as the arts that City Winery puts on stage. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 19 CITY WINERY RESTAURANT putting art on the plate ~as well as the stage In a region so rich with wine and food offerings that one can’t throw a grape without hitting a great winery or restaurant, City Winery (originally in New York City as well as Nashville and Chicago) aims to pour, cook, and entertain its way to the top of the Napa hospitality world. City Winery Chef Joe Panarello by Dave robertso n photos by Kari Ruel
NVLife_SeptOct_2014
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