First time in Napa. First time turning 31. Well I think its a perfect occasion to celebrate getting old by drinking fabulous wine and eating mouth savoring food that just satisfies every taste bud you have with one amazing friend.
 |
| First night we
stayed at The Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco. I'm testing my
photography skills with my new camera. Not bad right? |
The Carneros Inn. This place is not your normal hotel. It is not your everyday run of the mill standard place standard of what one dreams of serenity with fancy modern edges of marble tiles and tranquil lighting focused on fancy water features. Instead this place offers a different feeling of relaxation nestled in the picturesque hills of Napa Valley vineyards. Here you will not find anything but simple everyday home essences that that are based on everything earthly. People in Napa actually care about the environment and take pride in eating what they have grown with their own two hands. This shows up in subtle ways at the Carneros Inn. Every guest gets their own cottage complete with front porch, private backyard, indoor/outdoor shower (yes that is correct folks!), fireplace, french doors, heated stone floors, and whirlpool tubs. Our cottage even had an outdoor bathtub. Heck, you can fully immerse yourself in mother nature and take an al fresco bath in the nude using soap grown and handmade from the nearby lavender gardens. And if that wasn't enough, you can open all the french doors in your cottage to let the cool Napa air circulate around your room and fill your lungs with that sparkling crisp air while you sleep to provide some detox to your city soul. Sometimes we need a little reminder about this planet that we live on and in its luxury yet simple ways this place does just that. This place wasn't located in a town but off of Old Sonoma Highway an hours drive from San Francisco. It has its own on site restaurant called Boon Fly Cafe and Farm.
 |
| This is the inside of our cabin. So cute. French doors can all be widely opened to the tranquil private backyard. |
 |
| And of course I was obsessed with this fireplace given it was pouring down rain the entire weekend. |
 |
| Apples. |
 |
| Inside Shower. |
 |
| Inside shower connected to outside shower. |
 |
| Outside Shower! |
Dinner on my birthday was at
Bottega in Yountville. This "craftman's kitchen" is a product of chef Michael Chiarello who is a Napa native and food network star. He also produces his own wines from Chiarello Family vineyards. I definitely took home a bottle of the
"Eileen" Cabernet Sauvignon to save for a special day. It was named after his wife and is a truly amazing single vineyard wine.
 |
| Black Pepper Bucatini alla Carbonara
soft cooked hen egg, grilled escarole,
guanciale and parmigiano brodo. |
 |
| Mixing in the poached egg. |
 |
| Sashimi served on a Himalayan salt ice block. |
 |
| Hi, I'm a year older, can I have some more wine please? |
Leia Mais…
