Dining at Redd was the most opulent, over-the-top fine dining experience I’ve had in a while. Set in the heart of Napa Valley, in the uber-charming Yountville, Redd shares a home with other culinary stars like The French Laundry, ad hoc, Bistro Jeanty, etc. I visited Chef Richard Reddington’s restaurant on a recent July evening. The restaurant was my mother’s dream- elegant minimalist decor with people who were actually dressed for fine dining (for the most part…) and no children in the dining room (though there were some on the patio…). I really enjoyed the understated decor, white walls with warm wood accents, because it put the focus on the food.
My mother and I opted for the five course tasting menu. Redd does theirs a bit differently and prepares two separate tastings. My mom and I got to try ten dishes total, trading plates halfway through each course. I loved the idea of this, because it really allowed you to sample the whole menu. As the meal progressed, however, I started to experience foodie fatigue. The portions were a bit too generous. Despite eating a very small breakfast and lunch, I began to feel full after the third course. The five course tasting menu was almost too much.
(pork belly)
I had researched the restaurant a bit before dining there, so I was excited to try some of the “favorite” dishes I had read about. The tasting menu included a cold fish dish, hot fish, two meat courses, and a dessert. I can honestly say I was blown away by the food. Standouts included: a sashimi of hamachi with a bright, acidic dressing on it served over perfect sticky rice; a smooth preparation of glazed pork belly with green apples for contrast; and the John Dory prepared over coconut jasmine rice with chorizo and a saffron curry nage (it was a similar preparation to mussels, but with a great spice. we ended up dipping our bread in the sauce.)
(john dory)
The desserts were good, but nothing amazing. I did appreciate a light apricot creme, if only because I was stuffed by that point and had no interest in the chocolate and peanut butter confections.
(the apricot creme)
The only downsides to our experience were the fact that we ended up with too much food, and that our service seemed stunningly slow. Our waitress spent a lot more time at the larger tables in her section. As a former waitress, I know it’s a tactic to focus on the table where she thinks the largest tip is going to be. But when you’re a restaurant at this level, there’s no excuse to neglect any guest.
That being said, I definitely enjoyed my meal at Redd and would recommend it to anyone going to the Napa Valley. It’s a good restaurant if you’re looking for top quality fine dining and you have a big appetite ;) Otherwise I’d recommend just ordering 1-3 dishes off the main menu.
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