The Restaurant At Meadowood

Creative and tasty flavors and textures, especially a shellfish wrapped in a white onion.
Too much carbohydrates and too little protein.

This is a special place. I write this with a 7-​month-​old screaming and a 3 year old talking in her sleep… I cannot be affected; I just returned home from one of the top three amazing meals of my life.
The ambiance is simple, California Lux. Fireplaces ensure it’s a warm environment. The black décor makes you sure you are outside of la-​la land or Miami. Madame Sommelier was amazing. So not snooty (many of the Colorado sommeliers were for some reason). She knew her stuff if you asked but didn’t bother you if you didn’t. Just perfect.
The service was top notch but never were we made to feel like we were looked down upon due to our sloppy, immature standard in which we ate. The utmost professionalism… with people you’d choose to hang out with. Jokes were cracked with just the right kind of wit, at least for us. Attention to detail, without feeling overwhelmed in any way.
And that’s it.
Oh, I almost forgot. The food.
I won’t go into every dish of the 12 courses. Each were memorable in their own way. I even lost my pig virginity tonight thanks to The Restaurant at Meadowood! I wasn’t going to do it but did and I am so thrilled! That pork melted in my mouth. My guilt went away with every bite. This place is so unAmerican. Small bites, pounded with flavor straight from the source – mostly the earth. The creativity… everything is infused with a creative and highly educated twist. You know a good place when they can substitute real food for carbs. The food here did just that. Every bite though dinner left me wondering, «can this crescendo brome worse, please?» It didn’t. It just kept getting better and better.
Loved the wine program. Wished this lightweight could have had more.
Divine.

I haven’t written a review in quite some time, but my recent experience at Meadowood deserves some much-​needed attention. Not because it blew us away, or warranted it’s current 3 Michelin star status, but mostly because it was well… lackluster. Let’s face it, 2 stars may be too generous.
The experience upon entering the restaurant was truly beautiful. From the drive up the long road leading up to the restaurant, to the cascading trees surrounding the property, this place seems nothing short of magical. Our hearts were a twitter and we knew the food was sure to impress. We were promptly welcomed into the waiting area and quickly whisked away to our table. The ambiance was on point and further heightened our overall giddiness. A large tree swathed the center of the room and created the sensation of dining outdoors, but in a comfy and elegant way.
I had the pleasure of dining with my partner and two of our wonderful friends. All of us being true lovers of food have had several 3-​star dinners, so this type of experience was not new for us. We were thoroughly excited to taste the refined flavors behind chef Christopher Kostow’s creativity. Perhaps that excitement led to our overall underwhelming evening.
Our server was pleasant and friendly, but perhaps too friendly. Often times she would interrupt our private conversation and give her personal opinion. When discussing local restaurants (including various chef Keller establishments) she quickly chimed in to let us know that, «The restaurant at Meadowood prides itself in providing a ‘casual’ dining experience.» This comment baffled us. If I wanted a casual experience I would have stayed in San Francisco and spent my money at Nopa or Zuni Café. There are plenty of casual dining experiences close to home that deserve stars. I think that an $ 1800 dinner summons an extravagant evening, no matter who you are or how much money you make. Perhaps this was taken out of context???
We started off with a fermented oyster, which was most likely the demise of our entire evening. Two of us ended up becoming quite sick (I’ll spare you the details), one of us immediately following dinner, while the other had a few more hours before her frequent trips to the restroom began. Unfortunately, she had to cancel her flight the next morning for work. Although I don’t know for sure if the oyster did us in, I do have to reflect back on what was eaten previously. Seeing as how we both experienced similar illnesses and that our day had been spent separately, we can only conclude that something occurred during our shared dining experience at Meadowood.
The following courses were rather unmemorable. Even now, as I stare at the menu, it’s hard to look back and recall anything particular that stood out. The poussin baked in bread was supposed to be the highlight of the night. When it was brought out to our table for show we were given a plate of bread without instruction. Of course, we ate it since nothing else seemed to be in front of us, but when the entrée was brought out roughly 3 – 5 minutes later we were told the bread was meant to be eaten with the poussin. We chuckled a bit, but no other bread was brought out. Maybe that experience was ruined by our excitement at the food that had been placed before us. There were several other moments when food was brought to our table, but we had no plates to eat it from, forcing us to leave crumbs that quickly called attention to how unrefined this service was. Maybe this was the casual they speak of. At the end of the dinner one of us ordered coffee with cream and sugar. A few minutes later coffee alone was brought to our table. We asked again for sugar and creamer and moments later two of each were brought out. Obviously no one is talking to each other in the back of the house.
After a few days went by we reached out to the chef and General Manager letting them know about our recent experience, without expectation. Our note was friendly, calm, and poignant. We did receive a response almost immediately from the chef. He thanked us for our message and stood behind the food preparation and his staff. While I can respect his note, I do think that he should take some ownership as to what happened to our party. That was definitely not a coincidence. As I mentioned, the GM was also copied on the email, but we never heard another response welcoming us back or apologizing for our unfortunate adventure. Again, no expectations from our end, but this just solidified that our experience with their service is probably a regular occurrence at this restaurant.
We wish Meadowood the best of luck in the future. Chances are, they’ll need it.

This is my second time at the Restaurant and first time to try their counter menu.
I am speechless.
The bone marrow sauce fillet is by far one of the best steak i ever had. While French laundry 100 day aged fillet mignon was exceptional, Meadowood outshines it by amount of flavors it brings. The meat was sweet and aged perfectly, but the sauce brought it to another level.
The sweet pumpkin purée was also excellent. Each dishes has so many flavors that ties well together.
I am not easy person to impress. But i was so impressed by Meadowood. This is the best restaurant in the entire bay area. French Laundry was great, but not creative. Meadowood is not only great, but so rich in their taste. I absolutely loved it.

We rung in the new year at Meadowood and overall, it did not disappoint! For starters, the property is absolutely beautiful, as is the actual restaurant. Even in the pitch dark, the drive up to the restaurant was stunning. As expected, the service from start to finish, was flawless. The waiters, somms, waitstaff, etc. were all on their game to a T.
We certainly had a beautiful, tasty meal. I appreciated that I didn’t feel absolutely stuffed walking out, despite the 10 – 12 courses. My take on Meadowood is that they are highly focused on farm to table, seasonal cooking. Dishes were creative and fresh and I often caught myself thinking… how does one think of this combination?
I hate to even point out flaws, but one drawback was that we’d mentioned beforehand that my husband doesn’t eat shellfish. We assumed they’d come up with some other protein and maybe one vegetarian dish but wow, he missed out on a lot. They basically just removed whatever shellfish was in the dish for him, one time he was left with an onion petal (mine had clam in it). The reason we took issue was that at least 5 of the dishes had shellfish which I also found bizzarre.
Nevertheless, we had a lovely NYE at Meadowood. Goes without saying that dining here is a splurge so best to save for a celebration!

I am a broke kid who loves fine dining. I am on a quest to eat well with no money in my bank account. Anyways, this brings me to Chef Kostow’s wonderful play on Napa cuisine.
If you are not staying at the resort, then I pray you find the restaurant safely. My boyfriend and I took a wrong turn at a fork and had to back track all the way down this Narnia forest before getting on the road in the right direction. So those who are planning on heading there, take my warning and pay careful attention on the directions to get to the restaurant.
Anyways, onto the meal and service. A 3 Michelin star so you don’t really expect anything less than superb. Valet was waiting, hostess properly greeting you and ensuring you are comfy. We had the earliest reservation so we were sat momentarily and had the pleasure of eating everything first.
Some standouts that I loved from the menu that night included the small bite of crackers and white cheddar with an onion vinaigrette (?). I never get the proper dishes down because I am always too excited to eat. It was a super tasty cheezit in the most elevated form possible. The geoduck was sublime and the sturgeon was wonderfully cooked with a sauce I wanted to lick off the plate!
That night they also had a small chicken cooked in a sourdough that they showed to guests. The chicken would flavor the bread and the bread would flavor the chicken. The bread imparted it’s flavor on the chicken more than the chicken on the bread in my opinion. Very tasty nonetheless! I also loved their lily bulb sorbet and was surprised it was even considered a sorbet since it seemed so creamy rather than icy.
Overall, an excellent dinner and was able to take a view of the kitchen with a chat from Miles about their menu and ingredient sourcing. Their sommelier was a little insistent that we order some wines with the menu but in a good hearted way. After the meal and receiving our menus (they don’t give you a menu until AFTER your meal), we left to find the car already pulled up and heated. Loved Meadowood and the meal, although it seemed a little bit on the small side. I always leave full after these establishments except Meadowood left me okay. I except some of you may have to eat again later like my boyfriend and I. (Nothing like late night chicken nuggets)
Anyways, a Napa Valley establishment that should be a must-​try when food is life!

There’s one three star Michelin restaurant off the bucket list.
First off, yes, Meadowood is expensive. A tasting menu of about 10 – 12 courses will cost you about $ 250, not including tip. But dare I say, it is worth it, especially for very special occasions (a big 3 – 0 celebration and commemorating the passing of a $ 2300 pediatrics board licensing exam, respectively). Let me list the reasons why:
1. You will never find what they make elsewhere. Fermented kohlrabi oyster? Pumpkin black tea jam yogurt? They also change the menu seasonally, making it dangerously tempting to return in a few months.
2. Everything is done to perfection. Everything. Every bite of every dish was an almost indescribable mixing of flavors I had never had before. The attention to detail is flawless, and it is clear so much effort and time went into combining all the flavors just right.
3. Quantity. For two deceptively small Asian girls, we left thoroughly satiated. To be fair, big linebackers will probably be less satisfied (though I believe they do have larger tastings for those who are interested… including a chef’s tasting served in the kitchen!)
4. Service was impeccable. They anticipated just about everything we needed, from discreetly clearing away the twine that wrapped the tea cookies (seriously. Twine) to switching out a clay cup that had been overfilled with tea and had become too hot (the cups, by the way, were hand thrown by a local artist). They also included a birthday card for the birthday girl, and served a delicious extra olive oil caramel cake for the occasion. And when our meal was over, they offered a tour of the kitchen where we met one of the chefs.
5. The location is beautiful. Dimly lit but not too dark, tastefully decorated with modern décor without being excessively ostentatious, and small enough (looked to seat about 30 customers at a time) to be special and intimate.
Conclusion: for those who love food, worth saving up for for the experience. Reservations can be procured a month in advance and conveniently on open table, and we were able to get a (9pm) reservation on a Saturday with no difficulty at all (unlike some other places). Thanks Meadowood for a phenomenal dining experience.

This restaurant has been awarded 3 Michelin stars and for good reason.
This is quintessential California cuisine.
Their menu is incredibly innovative and includes locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality. Since their menu is seasonally dependent, you will never have the same meal twice.
Some standout dishes I had included a beef tenderloin that they aged in house. The seasoning and char was perfect, and I can’t forget the texture. It was as tender as A5 Kobe. They served an apple goat cheese which was the most pleasant goat cheese I’ve ever tasted. I generally hate stinky cheeses, and avoid soft cheeses.
If you’re cheap stay away from this place. I can see potentially a bunch of «I left hungry» complaints. Expect to spend minimally $ 500 a person without alcohol. Of course, it’s Napa, so you’re probably going to at least do the wine pairings.

The perfect Saturday consists of wine tasting, sipping cocktails pool-​side, and splurging on a 13-​course dinner at Meadowood. It’s better than The French Laundry in so many ways! Key differences include:
–Food: Meadowood’s dishes are light and seafood-​centric with innovative flavors, while TFL serves heavier and more traditional fare.
–Ambiance: Meadowood’s dining room is airy with high ceilings and exudes a sense of elegance that is clearly absent in TFL’s stuffy cottage.
–Service: Both establishments exhibit polished, formal service. Meadowood proactively refilled my water glass while TFL let my glass go empty, prompting me to pour my own water. Meadowood also did not openly dole out freebies to neighboring tables and make us feel excluded.
–Price: A meal in either restaurant will cause a mini heart attack when the check arrives. However, Meadowood’s menu doesn’t contain alternative options with ridiculous surcharges on each item. Our bill for Meadowood ended up being several hundred dollars less than our meal at TFL.
Although I have to admit I could have scarfed down a burger post-​Meadowood, I would still choose to dine here over TFL any day.

Here’s a little lesson for anyone wondering how to spell the name of this restaurant. Meadow has one «W». Wood as one «W». Meadowood… also has one «W». Makes sense, right?
No? Oh. Okay. Well, they probably forget it somewhere in between the second and third Michelin star OHHHHH sick name drop burn!!! These guys are the best of the best! They can spell their name however the eff they want to!
Okay. Time to class up this review and get serious. I’m super serial.
The service here is top notch, maybe better than at French Laundry. It’s excellent, but not overly stuffy. It makes for a much more comfortable experience. It also might help that I was wearing more comfortable clothes at MW than I was at FL. I didn’t know how to dress back in 2012.
So what’s on tap? Twelve courses. And they come out at the right pace. Our meal was about 2 – 2.5 hours long, which felt great. The 3 – 4 hour meals can be a little tough for an antsy guy like myself. I am not an ant, mind you. I am antsy. There’s a difference. I cannot carry 50X my body weight. Unless I’ve been drinking.
We were invited back into the kitchen to meet Chef Kostow and the rest of his team. It was very special and a great touch to accompany the great service throughout the night.
I’m only able to spring four stars here though. And I kind of feel bad about it. But the reality is, I am comparing MW to FL. They both have three stars and they both will run you about $ 750 (for two) by the end of the night. And you know what? French Laundry was just better. Some of the food there amazed me. Nothing at Meadowood knocked my socks off. I like my socks tight so that might be a part of it.
If you’re still reading this, let me give you the best advice that I think anyone can give in this situation. If you’ve never been to a three star restaurant, this is a great one to try. If you can get reservations for French Laundry, I’d go there first. And if you have already been to a three star, I think your time would be better spent at Auberge Du Soleil just down the street. Your wallet and tastebuds will thank you. And then you can thank me. Which would be cool.