The Resy Guide to California Wine Country For 2024

Chef Christopher Kostow and company are keeping things going at Ciccio, and the Cal-Ital restaurant is better than ever. Definitely start with some Swan Oyster Depot-inspired Sicilian “sashimi” that subs in hamachi, then move to some meatball-stuffed peppers with chili crisp. Agnolotti stuffed with mortadella? Thin and crispy wood-fired pies? Yes please. And that’s just a fraction of the menu.

Speaking of Kostow, you know you can’t pass through St. Helena without stopping by the Charter Oak, his always wonderful and delicious New American restaurant. It’s family style here, so order all the things and share. Much of the vegetables and produce come from their literal farm to your table, but the beef is where it’s at. Get the burger, thank us later.

Feast on Mexican fare with flair at La Calenda, the restaurant from Kaelin Ulrich Trilling, who was raised in Oaxaca, and operated by Thomas Keller’s restaurant group. As such, you’ll find powerfully flavorful, rich, thick, and sticky moles as black as night. But Trilling explores other parts of Mexico on the menu, as with his slow-cooked, juicy, spicy orange cochinita pibil — a nice nod to the Yucatán. If you’re feeling snacky, you could just stick with tacos, too.

Stanly Ranch is like a little village oasis not far from the middle of Napa — staying there feels like your own little enclosed camp, and everyone gets their own building. A stay there is rejuvenating and relaxing, and their restaurant is wonderful. There’s a little bit of Korean inspiration throughout the menu: you’ll find crispy Korean fried chicken sandwiches and the fries come with kimchi aioli. Pair that with your Napa cab! (Better yet, pair it with the bounty of other local wines on Bear’s list.)

Find fiery Thai fare merged with the beauty of Sonoma produce at Khom Loi. Creamy spicy khao soi — a yellow curry chicken noodle soup — comes with pickled mustards and chili oil; it’s one our favorite renditions of one our favorite noodle soups in the world. And for good reason: The restaurant is from the same folks as Ramen Gaijin nearby. (See below.)

OK, it’s not all Japanese noodle soups at Ramen Gaijin; sure, they exist, and are requisite here. But this restaurant is part izakaya, too. What that means is you’re saving stomach space for the small plate section — crispy karaage, steamed pork-belly bao, little gem salads for the health, and so much more.

Café by day, bistro by night, Troubadour is where you’ll want to dine next time you find yourself in Healdsburg’s square. Chefs Sean and Melissa McGaughey, a couple of good ol’ SingleThread alums, are cooking up a seasonally changing prix fixe menu for dinner, although you can now get à la carte, too. Steak tartare or asparagus Béarnaise? Come with someone and don’t decide — get both.

Molti Amici is awesome. Similarly from SingleThread alums, this Italian banger of a restaurant is somewhere to bring all your friends and order all the things. Small vegetable-forward plates, housemade pastas, and wood-fired pizzas are a perfect trifecta that needs no altering. Sit in the back patio, sip on a spritz, hit that bocce court, thank us later. (And, again, don’t miss a great collection of local wines.)

Glen Ellen’s anchor is open on a nightly basis for dining, offering both indoor and outdoor service. The cooking from chef Ari Weiswasser is pristine, whether in a salad or on a pie, but don’t miss the housemade ice cream.