Napa 1015

Napa 1015 is closed :(So sad I never got a chance to go there…

Great ambiance. Great staff. Great food.
What more can one ask for? Went here for the first time this past winter. It was a chilly night and I was warmed up instantly upon walking in. It smelled amazing and had that cute bistro feel that I love to find in local places.
The server was very helpful in suggesting wine and appetizers (I’m a vegetarian, my bf is not). We started with the cheese plate which was phenominal, and quite large as well! I then had one of the best gnocchi’s I have ever had in my life, yes it was that good! It was one of those meals where you just want to lick the plate at the end to make sure you get every last drop! I didn’t even want to get dessert as I wanted to savor the flavors of my entrée for a while longer.
This is a great place to go for a date, with your girlfriends, with your parents, with… well just about anyone that appreciates good/​fresh foods!

Though totally discreet, Napa 1015 is a real gem on H Street. My wife and I went to dinner with our neighbors one night and were treated to a fantastic meal. The general ambiance is really nice at Napa, and the overall dining experience is superb when complemented by the excellent service.
I had a New York Strip and tried the scallops my wife got, and both dishes were delicious. The drinks at Napa are also very unique and a definite plus to any meal. When dining here, I would definitely recommend saving room for dessert because you can’t go wrong with any of their options.
All the elegance of downtown’s snazziest joints without any of the pretense or a hefty price tag (especially since they have awesome deals throughout the week). Napa is a must!

The prices are great — appetizers for around $ 7, entrees almost all under 20. Thursday night was Mexican Night, where they offer a Mexican (not tex-​mex) menu in addition to the regular one. I had the gorditas — two corn cakes filled with cheese and scallions, with small portions of beans, rice, sour cream, a bit of lettuce & tomato on the side. I had never had gorditas before; they were like pupusas, except more oily and more deep-​fried. The corn flour gave it a nice sweet flavor. The beans were refried pink or white beans (it was dark), had cheese on top, and were way too salty. Still, it was tasty and filling and the service was great. My meal plus a glass of sangria came out to $ 21 including a generous tip so you can’t go wrong with that.
I’ll try other H Street restaurants before coming back to this one, but I would come for happy hour. They also offer a 3-​course pre-​theater menu from 5 – 7 for $ 30.

This was actually my second time at Napa 1015. Both experiences were dynamic.
I sat at the bar both times because it was happy hour and as the evening drew on, I just stayed there. That’s both good and bad.
Its good because from my seat at the bar, I can see into the kitchen. Between sips of my wine, I can see each dish the chef & sous-​chef masterfully put together.
Its bad because I sit there at the bar and make myself crazy over all of the menu items available. I also (unfortunately) tend to stick to the happy hour wine (Tunnel of Elms Chardonnay) and never actually venture into some of the more complex and interesting wines available.
Speaking of menu items available… I am happy with them! On my first visit, I had several appetizers: chicken gorditas, chicken satay, and the mussels. Each one was special when paired with the hh chardonnay I was sipping and the company i was with. On my second visit, Kate from Republic National was conducting a California wine tasting: Louis Martini Chardonnay, Aquinas Pinot noir, Mumm Napa Blanc de Noir, and Frogs Leap Sauvignon Blanc. Quite a nice selection if I do say so myself.
Again I sat at the bar. That was actually a great move for the tasting because of the extra information and extra half tastes Kate, the wine rep, doled out.
When the tasting was over, I hit the menu. Unfortunately, this time, the gorditas were not available (darnit-​carnit) so I settled for the flautas. I also ventured into the entrees: make mine the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Cauliflower and Mire — poix Vegetables. These tender little protein orbs melted away effortlessly on each bite. OMG were they delicious? No. There is no word to describe the flavor, the texture. You must go there, taste them for yourself, and come up with a word.
For dessert, the key lime tartlet was good. I do not think it was made in house, but where ever they got it from did an excellent job keeping it not too sweet, not to tart/​limey. I’d get it again.
And I’d return to Napa 1015 again.

This is a nice find. Look for the black awning, otherwise it’s easy to miss.
Pretty creative menu. I had seared duck that was appropriately moist and tasty. My wife had a shrimp pasta that was good. Between our group, we tried every dessert on the menu, which were all good. I also hear the roof deck is nice when it’s open. Friendly place, too – met the owner and chef. It’s too bad we don’t live closer… this is the type of place we’d eat at a lot.

Along the H Street Corridor’s offerings of watering holes and fried chicken joints lies this lovely little gem. And how psyched am I to call it my neighborhood bistro — and be proud of that.
Food — Standards served a bit more creative than expected, but delicious and fairly priced. I had a gnocchi dish in which the gnocchi themselves were huge and served in a broth (almost like the dumpling soup I grew up on, but 50 gazillion times better!!) Also had a few items off of the HH bar menu — $ 5 per item, great deal that you could even make a meal out of (I had hummus and a mini-​pizza).
Drinks — Pretty standard beer/​wine selection (and my only disappointment with this place is that the red wine is served at room temp — and this is a small space with the bar near the kitchen, so it gets pretty warm there). Cocktails, however = awesome. Do yourself a favor and go get a ginger mojito. Damn!
Staff — fucking awesome. Again, it’s a small space, so they all know each other real well and have a good vibe going on. Probably the most friendly staff I’ve ever met in all of Washington. Even on a Saturday night, they still made sure I was comfortable and enjoying myself, as I was dining at the bar alone.
Clientele — Primarily neighborhoodies who are also psyched to have something somewhat upscale in this «revitalizing» area. I talked with a few groups of people, all professionals from the neighborhood who were extremely welcoming and friendly.
Go here. Tonight.

Okay so I haven’t ventured to the H Street Corridor before, but I think this was a good first experience. I was a bit freaked out by just how ghetto this area still is, and was only half joking when I said maybe we should put the hubcaps in the trunk. However, the restaurant itself could be anywhere in DC and definitely attracted a nice crowd.
My friend and I both ordered the trout but they were sadly out of it so then we went for a chicken and risotto dish. I just don’t LOVE risotto because it reminds me of overcooked rice covered in creamy stuff (is that just what it is?) but this was enjoyable. My friend and I both agreed that it wasn’t outstanding because we could have ordered that dish anywhere, but it wasn’t regrettable either.
We also ordered a bottle of red wine that I really liked. And if you know me you KNOW the meal ended in dessert. Chocolate brownie sundae to be exact. But of course this is a classy joint so it came in a martini glass. It was soooo delicious though. Yum yum yum.
I thought the bill was going to come to much more than it did (around $ 200 including tip for 4 people) since we ordered wine and dessert. If I venture to this area again, which I might, I want to check out Sticky Rice! Wait, did I just endorse another restaurant on this restaurant’s review? I think I did. Whoops.

I went here for restaurant week. I had the gnocchi appetizer and the crab and lobster cake, which, while good and meaty, didn’t come out as hot as I’d expect. The risotto was perfect but oddly hotter (termperature wise) than the crab/​lobster cakes (I assume that the cakes must have finished and sat before everything else was done). Finished with the lemon cake which I thought was well done. I’m looking forward to trying out the brunch.

I am a big fan of brunch. I wanted to go to something on H Street because I felt like a lame-​o only living a few blocks from it and yet never having eaten at one of the new places there. That is how I arrived at brunch on Sunday at Napa 1015. I had the French Toast w/​strawberries, no whipped cream, side of bacon. The French toast, though not the best I have ever tasted, was decent. The bacon, tasty and well-​done. My mom said her omelette was really good too.
I liked the «neighborhood» vibe of the place.
My only complaint was that our waiter had faint b.o. About a 4 on the b.o. scale where 1 is someone freshly showered and 10 is the guy on the bus. Thankfully, we didn’t spend much time with him, but a little more deodorant wouldn’t hurt either!

I have been to Napa 1015 on three different occasions. I was never really impressed, but I would go back, naively thinking/​hoping that it would get better. Here’s what happened on my final visit to Napa 1015:
I go to Napa with my spouse and some friends on New Years Eve – $ 60 prix fixe menu, four courses.
We sit down and order two bottles – a wine and a bottle of Piper-​Sonoma sparkling. The waiter brings the bottle of red and pours it. He then tells us that the Piper isn’t cold and that we’d have to wait a bit for it to chill. This was very annoying. It was NYE and the restaurant should have anticipated its guests would be drinking a lot of champagne and sparkling wine. Plus, if a place advertises itself as a wine bar, it ought to have every wine and any other drink made with grapes ready to serve. Anyhow, 30 minutes goes by and we have to ask if the Piper has cooled off enough. The waiter says something like «oh yeah, i’ll go get it». He obviously forgot about it.
Now the food. The menu looked really nice. I was excited and hopeful that this was going to be a great meal.
1^st Course: scallops on a puff pastry – very simple; something that I could have made with Poppin’ Fresh dough and some frozen scallops. This dish was not served at the right temperature – it was cold.
2^nd Course: Shrimp and lobster bisque. It looked nice and the first taste was okay (even though this dish was not served hot either). Two or three spoons later and I began to realize how salty the soup was. I think I went through three glasses of water.
3^rd Course: Lamb chops. The meat was good. I don’t eat lamb very often so it’s kind of a treat when I do. The rest of the dish was poor – sour tasting cream sauce and a bland potato croquet.
4^th Course: cheese plate. Nothing special cheeses served with stale bread.
I left the restaurant with a feeling that I did not get anywhere close to $ 60 worth of food.
Other random ramblings:
1. The restaurant is always cold. The front door opens right on to H St. There’s got to be a way to limit the rush of cold air that comes in every time someone enters/​exits through the door. Perhaps some drapes?
2. The bathroom closest to the kitchen ran out of paper towels. Damp hands in a cold restaurant…
3. I cringe thinking about the automatic 20% gratuity. The service was polite, but lousy. The waiter took our orders for all four courses shortly after seating. As each course came out he was yelling out dishes like it was a bingo hall. I had to ask for my water glass to be refilled on two occassions. I was promised a knife to go along with my cheese plate – the knife never showed up.
The bottom line for me is that this restaurant charges way too much for ‘average’ to ‘below average’ quality food and service.

So, I feel like an outlier here, but I didn’t love this restaurant. We went on Saturday night at 7:00 PM and there was only one other table filled in the place. It was just… awkward that it was so empty. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant in DC that was that empty on a Saturday night. The service was great and the owner was very nice to us. My husband wasn’t drinking, so I wanted to get a red wine by the glass. They only had 3 on the menu, but they were sold out of the one that I wanted. So I chose from the other two. I guess I was expecting more choice from a restaurant with Napa in the name.
My arugula salad was delicious and was the highpoint of the meal. My entrée was okay. It was tofu with winter vegetables and that was really about it. No real sauce. The tofu didn’t seem to be marinated. So it was acceptable but I could have made it. Our friends recommended the chocolate mousse cake and so we ordered that. It was nothing special whatsoever. It tasted like a cake you could get anywhere in town (and wasn’t made on the premises). I’m surprised to differ so sharply from the other reviewers. Perhaps the restaurant is not doing well so they’re cutting back on the quality or outsourcing desserts.

What a great addition to H Street. love the mexican food nights on Thursdays!
The atmosphere, staff, owner, of course the wonderfullly delightful menu which is simple, elegant, delicious and varied, the prices and well… the wine are spot on for the area right now.
This will be a favorite in the neighborhood. They are doing it right…

Had dinner here tonight with the BF. We had a lovely date night at Napa 1015. Overall, our food and the service were very good. I had the portabella and ratatouille appetizer while the BF had the caesar salad. Very delicious. Then I had the Lamd shanks with pumpkin and lentils. Very very delicious. BF had the steak with mashed potatoes and crispy onion rings. The steak was delicious and the mashed potatoes were HEAVENLY. The crispy onion rings were not crispy and were cold. Blah. We also ordered a side of mac and cheese. Boring (and had chunks of tomatoes in it. Weird?) We ate the apple strudel and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Very yummy.
The service was great and the décor was lovely. Jorge Velazquez’s (the owner) paintings and drawings decorate the walls. He is extremely talented and we inquired about purchasing his paintings. (He isn’t selling them yet…)

Solid experience — I’ve been here now four times, and that takes a lot. We went for a girlfriend’s birthday. The dinner was affordable for such a large party (about $ 45 per head). The food was superb — escargot with pastry dough for an appetizer, duck with wild rice cakes for my entrée, and special of the day hazelnut crème brûlée for dessert.
Jorge is still the sweetest, and remembers me every single time. He often has wine tastings and other events — I’d check the place out!
Hands down, the best fine dining on H street.

The most remarkable thing about Napa 1015 is the bistro atmosphere right in the heart of H Street. It’s a pleasant, sophisticated vibe. If you didn’t no better, you’d think you had popped out at the Dupont Metro.
If the middle aged diners in the restaurant make Napa 1015 too staid for you, think of the bright side: there are terrific bars in a 1 — 2 block radius to hit up after dinner (unlike Dupont). And for those of us who live on the Hill, it’s oh-​so convenient.
The food was very good (if not DELICIOUS) — and a definite value. We had french onion soup and caesar salad for starters; lamb with lentils and gnocchi in a sundried tomato cream sauce as entrees. I would recommend all of these, but would also be curious to sample other things on the menu.
The real highlight, which I will certainly return for, will be the happy hour wine /​tapas specials and Thursday night Mexican food. If the Mexican samplings are authentic and delicious as promised, I will be 100% sold on this place.

The Good:
–very friendly, if slightly less than knowledgeable service
–deep flavors in the food
–Vino Verde by the glass and bottle
–Serious Mexican food on Thursdays
The Bad:
–at least slightly vapid suggestions, i mean can all of the wines you your rather small list be your favorites?
–sitting around waiting for a check
–very noisy dining room
The verdict:
I am stuck somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I live around the corner and think that the «H street is still developing» argument is lame! So, no excuses for «we’re new,» «this is H street» etc. There is absolutely no reason H street can’t be as hip, as foodie serious and more diverse than any other neighborhood in the city.

Adrian M. speaks the truth: Napa 1015 is most definitely the crème de la crème of H Street. Fortunately, they’ve refined their dinner menu and brought the entrée prices down. As you can see on their web site, most items are now in the reasonable (for the cuisine) sub-​$ 20 range.
The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the clean smell and bright décor (including the numerous unframed oil paintings). We were seated at a table in the rear room near the bar, which allowed us to take advantage of the $ 5 happy hour drink specials (the mojito and gin martini were both exceptionally smooth). I had the Chicken Breast with Wheat Berry Pilaf and Garlic Seared Broccoli, which was substantial but not too rich. For dessert, we split a slice of chocolate mouse cake and strawberry shortcake, which were made in-​house and were very rich and decadent! When the server took our plates away he said, «Gosh, it must’ve been disgusting. Hey, are those tongue streaks on the plate?!»
All in all, it was a satisfying, romantic experience. Service was also prompt and friendly (aided by the fact that they were maybe at one-​third capacity). They were also gracious about letting me use the phone a few hours later after we found a stray dog and needed a land line to call 311 to contact Animal Control.

In the words of Napa 1015 owner, George, «H Street is evolving» and with all due respect to other establishments in the corridor, this is now the top of the food chain.
As a new establishment (3 months old as of writing) from a first-​time restaurateur, there are some challenges that are still yet to be overcome, but this place deserves high praise for introducing elegance to H Street.
If your date isn’t a resident of the neighborhood, she be will super impressed that you know about this new hot spot nestled in-​between Yvette’s Hair Salon and the check cashing place. This is what real urbanists call «a find» and what a discovery it is! Tucked away admidst a block that has not yet benefited from urban renewal and with little signage or other exterior indicators, the interior pleasantly surprises with a white tablecloth experience (minus the tablecloth) and above average food for the area.
While it may be premature to heartily recommend the dinner, I highly encourage this as a spot to elevate the evening with a dessert cum nightcap or if you can escape work early, swing by for the daily happy hour tasting menu, especially the FREE wine tastings on Wednesday from 5pm — 7pm.

My fiancé and I were excited when we heard a new restaurant had opened up on the H street corridor. This area is still notoriously short on fine dining, so we were excited to finally visit NAPA last night. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. it came up woefully short of our expectations and was seriously overpriced for the experience and food.
Entrees are expensive ($ 26 pasta was the cheapest option with most entrees in the 30’s).
We arrived to find nobody at the door greeting us. There was also not really a well-​defined host station, which led us to mistake a fellow diner for the host. We stood awkwardly at the door, next to somebody’s table, for about 8 minutes before the host came to seat us. We had reservations but were initially led to the back of the restaurant, near the bar but also near to the swinging door to the noisy kitchen.
In fact, the place was noisy in general, which is not in itself a dealbreaker. Unfortunately, the lighting was also unnaturally bright. While my fiancé hates dim restaurants, even he thought it was almost flourescent inside. Fortunately, the lighting was lowered about halfway through our meal, but we still thought it was too bright. The lighting source is recessed overhead lighting, with an average of 1.5 lights per table. If NAPA would remove half the lights and dim the rest, the lighting would be much better and it would go a long way toward imbuing the place with a sense of greater quiet and intimacy while still offering guests ample light to dine by.
Given the name of the restaurant was NAPA, I was eagerly awaiting an expansive wine list and was sorely disappointed to find only 2 reds, 2 whites, and 3 sparkling varieties on the by the glass list. Of the reds by glass, the offerings were a boring Beringer spin-​off and a merlot. The wine list is small, as well, which would be fine if it was thoughtfully chosen, but it’s not. The server we had knew nothing about the wine, but on the upside, he did call the manager over to discuss wine choices with us rather than try to advise himself. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the manager’s description of the wine to be very accurate either. The wine situation needs to be corrected immediately or they should seriously reconsider the name of the restaurant.
As for the entrees, mine was fairly extensively described on the menu as fettucini with shitake (and other mushrooms) finished with goat cheese and delicate herbs. My fiancé ordered the other pasta, which was described in detail on the menu as coming with tomatoes, feta, herbs, and applewood smoked bacon. Both of our pastas arrived covered with diced green pepper, which I detest. I sent mine back and the manager was accomodating to me but pulled a face to the waiter, which was not subtle. I was actually even fairly apologetic when I sent it back, saying «maybe I made a mistake, but I didn’t realize that green peppers would come with my entrée.» My pasta was returned without the green peppers, but I found that they’d substituted feta cheese for the goat cheese and there were probably only 5 mushrooms on the whole plate. There were also diced tomatoes on the pasta, also not mentioned on the menu. I ike tomatoes, and given the sparcity of the mushrooms, was glad to have something on the plate besides the pasta, but it wasn’t what the menu described at all. It also, unfortunately, wasn’t very good.
I would have been fairly satisfied with this pasta at 14 or 15 dollars, but charging 26 suggests the very best of ingredients, while these were just «okay.» The tomatoes weren’t that flavorful, the herbs weren’t noticeable, and the goat cheese was clearly feta.
One standout was the french onion soup. My fiancé ordered this and it was the best item on the menu. We live a few blocks from the restaurant, so we intend to go back to see if these problems are mostly growing pains that can be addressed. We also might consider ordering a different type of entrée in case the chef stands out everywhere but the pasta. If they fix the wine problem and tweak the menu and ambiance, the place has promise. Unfortunately, it really underdelivers right now.