A super fun day was had! Two of my good buddies, Crystal and Kristine, joined me for a Gourmet Walks culinary tour of downtown Napa.
First stop was the Oxbow Public Market. This is a fantastic spot that offers a variety of culinary delights. We were slightly late and missed the coffee tasting at Ritual Coffee Roasters. We did make it for the artisan cheese tasting from the Oxbow Cheese Merchant.
Crystal and Kristine
Next stop, a breakfast burrito at C Casa. The owner came out and introduced herself. It was a nice touch.
Next stop was an olive oil tasting at The Olive Press. Who knew there would be so many different kind of olive oils. Not to mention fruit infused olive oils, and all the balsamic vinegars. (Little piece of trivia: When my friend, Heidi, visited from Washington, a few years ago, we stopped by the Jacuzzi winery in Sonoma. This is where The Olive Press makes their olive oil. The Jacuzzi wine family is the same family that invented…wait for it…
A short walk from the market led us to a charcuterie called ‘The Fatted Calf’. We enjoyed a plate of handmade charcuterie. The pate was insanely good.
Next door is the Model Bakery. They have a famous english muffin that is so popular, you can only buy six at a time.
Heading across the river, we stopped at a restaurant called Fish Story. Here, we had a beer tasting, one from a distributor and one they made there. We also had yummy tuna ceviche with yucca(?) chips.
We then walked to a chocolate shop called, Annette’s Chocolates. They were kind to give us a back stage pass and show us how their candy is made. They also gifted us a variety of yummy samples…
Making peanut brittle…
Final stop was to a boutique wine shop for a terrific tasting of area wines. The Vintner’s Collective
The tour was over and we walked back to the Oxbow Market. Kristine introduced us to an amazing ice cream from the Three Twins Ice Cream. They make a lemon cookie ice cream that is off the charts incredible. It’s worth going to Napa just for that!
