Good Living in the Napa Valley

Even Italy can get pretty cold in January, so instead I went to California's Napa Valley to celebrate my mmph-mmphth birthday. It had vineyards, cypress trees, and even a faux Tuscan castle. And, oh yes, amazing food. I think I ate my body weight. We ate out every lunch and dinner, and I have to say my digestive system handled it a lot better than I thought it would--perhaps because the food is so fresh and local.

Grits with egg, whipped goat cheese and "bacon" at Ubuntu. I just wish this hadn't come last because it was so delicious and we were kind of full at that point.


Spiced sirloin steak with trumpet mushrooms and quinoa with carrots at Ad Hoc. What does it mean when one restaurant stands out among a group of amazing restaurants? Something good.



Lunch at Bottega courtesy of my aunt and uncle. After a tough morning of wine tasting, we were momentarily dismayed by the sight of my uncle toting a bottle of Champagne and two bottles of wine--but we quickly recovered and did ourselves proud.

In an attempt to work off some of the food, we took a quick walk in the Bothe-Napa Valley State Forest. I guess in California green = winter.





There were also mud baths, massages, and a dip in an Olympic-sized pool heated by geysers. When can I go back?