This was another great meal at one of my favorite places to eat in Napa Valley. Owned and run by Leslie Rudd, who is also the owner of Dean and Deluca, Press is a Bistro styled, classy restaurant that serves up a bevy of brilliant dished with a focus on top ingredients and straightforward presentations. The roast chicken is one of the best out there, the seafood is as fresh as can be, and their steaks are about as good as it gets. The incredible wine list is just icing on the cake.
I continually order the Roast Chicken every time (well, almost every time… they do have Flannery Beef) I dine here, and it’s hard to find a better bird outside of France. They do a competent Potato Cake which is styled after the benchmark Confit de Canard Aux Pommes Béarnaise from l’Ami Louis in Paris, but it’s made in different style, being softer and smaller in size. The food is always impeccably made and wine friendly, and the Sommelier staff is absolutely first-rate.
I ordered a bottle 2012 Ad Vivum Cabernet Sauvignon, which is made by Chris Phelps, who worked at Dominus in the mid-1980s. This is a relatively new project for him and the 2012 is a classically styled, restrained Cabernet that offered loads of cassis, lead pencil, and graphite characteristics, as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, slightly streamlined style on the palate. It has fabulous purity, and I suspect has a touch of upside as well, although it’s drinking beautifully today as well. All in all, this was another terrific evening and one of my favorite restaurants in Napa Valley.
Press, 587 St. Helena Hwy. South, St. Helena, CA Tel. (707) 967-0550
Food Meal 1:
Course 1: Rudd Farms Field Greens, Shaved Radish, Vinaigrette
Course 2: Roast Chicken
Course 3: Potato Cake