Lunch at Redd

There’s one thing about the Napa Valley that keeps me coming back for more. It’s not the wine, but the food…

I’ll admit that I’m not a huge wine connoisseur, and being in Napa, you would expect someone to be excited about going wine tasting. I’ve only been to a few wineries and I do have a good time, but I’m more into checking out the food scene of Napa. I just feel that there’s good food to be tried and enjoyed here. So far, the meals I’ve had here have made me want to keep coming back for more.

A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Napa and I wanted to find good place for lunch, and saw that Chef Richard Reddington’s Redd in Yountville was one of the top suggested restaurants to eat at. After reading a few initial reviews, it seemed to be a spot worth checking out. Finding out that Redd held one Michelin star helped with that choice.

We started off our meal with with the Yellowfin Tuna and Hamachi Tartare as an appetizer. It was served with sliced pieces of Asian pear and chili oil to give the dish a balance of sweet and spicy. A sprinkle of Jasmine rice that was fried in peanut oil added a nice slight crunchiness to the dish.

My adventurous self wanted to try something that I never really order, so I went with the Crispy Duck Confit with Foie Gras Meatballs. I don’t ever recall catching myself ordering duck, so I was looking forward to trying this dish. It was simply delicious. The duck was served on top of spaetzle and cabbage which I thought had amazing flavor. As for the duck, it was very moist. It left me with the impression that I should be trying duck more often.

Also, on our order was the Caramelized Diver Scallops, served on top of a cauliflower purée. This was a beautifully presented dish. I’ve seen scallops at so many restaurants before, but when this dish arrived at our table, our eyes lit up. The balsamic reduction served with this dish, helped bring out the sweetness of the scallops.

I seldom talk about the service aspect of restaurants that I’ve been to, but I have to mention how a little more goes on with Redd when they treat diners. Our server explained the dishes in complete detail for us, which I always enjoy hearing. The only other restaurant that really did that for us was Ad Hoc. Ever since that meal at Ad Hoc, I really appreciated servers and restaurants that train their staff for doing that. It just adds more to the dining experience.

Redd was an experience that I have been sharing with everyone. For lunch, I couldn’t be any happier and satisfied.

Redd
6480 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2222
www.rednapavalley.com