Julia's Kitchen Napa Valley

Ode to Julia Childs - the British chef who made chefography into a celebrity culture in America. Julia's Kitchen in Napa Valley honors the spirit and recipes of the late Julia Childs. The menu carries a few of her timeless recipes. My meal here was memorable. To start with, before you even dine at the modern restaurant, you take a walk around the 3 acre garden in front of the restaurant. A stroll among fruit trees and vegetables reinforces the mission behind Julias- to celebrate and utilize the freshest of ingredients. The restaurant and garden are on the grounds of the COPIA institute, an education facility focusing on the study and history of food and wine.

Once inside, we started with berry martinis, dined on succulent lobster salad, Julia's recipe for duck with cherry jus on forbidden Chinese black rice, and pan seared rib eye. We finished with flavorful espresso drinks and a strawberry shortcake. The meal was divine.