BRIX
Brix rhymes with "sticks" and is named for the
scale used to measure the amount of sugar in grapes. This October, with a late
harvest, someone is out there with a hydrometer most days hoping the level is right. The restaurant, on Highway 29 north of Yountville, has a great wine shop,
with small production wines not available elsewhere. Remodeled since my last
visit, Brix still focuses on
farm-to-table. My favorite thing at Brix--aside from the food-- is suspended
from the ceiling. I first saw wine bottle chandeliers in an artsy shop in
Austria, but now I know they were in Napa Valley first. Made by JeAnne Ettrick
of San Mateo, they reflect ambient light and remind one to order a bottle of
something divine.
Despite tourist season in high gear and the approaching noon hour, Brix is not exactly busy. It looks like another solo hour at the counter, just the bartender and me. A group of diners sits outside in the sunny garden, which extends to rows of vines receding into the hills. My hemoglobin must be low, because I'm in a mood for meat. Mulling the choice between a cheeseburger and a sausage and pasta dish, I consult Dustin the bartender. He recommends both and isn't sure which he will choose for himself later on. I pick the cheeseburger along with a glass of Groth Sauvignon Blanc.
While sipping my wine and waiting
for lunch, I ask Dustin to show me the bar menu. This bar is rumored to be a
great place for a late afternoon bite to eat with happy hour prices for wine
and mixed drinks. Dustin confirms that most afternoons after 4:00 there is a
crowd of winery folks at the bar. The bar menu has a lot in common with the
lunch eats--the same cheeseburger, vegetable tempura, pizza, flatbreads and
cheeseboard. There are also oysters, mussels, and a salmon carpaccio. I make a mental note to come back with a girlfriend when
there may actually be some men to meet here, then shift my focus to lunch.
The best thing about the burger is
the choice of cheese--brie, cheddar or blue. Blue sounds just right, and the
flavor it adds to the succulent beef is sublime. I am especially impressed by
the glamorous slice of heirloom tomato and fresh crisp lettuce that I slap onto
the burger and struggle to keep from falling out onto my lap. Dustin explains
much of the produce is from their garden in the back. He praises the lavender
they grow and use in desserts.
Every bite of my burger and
almost all of the fries have disappeared, and I'm pretty full, but the dessert
menu beckons. Have I ever eaten anything made with lavender? If not, it's time
to try. The lavender and honey panna
cotta, a two inch round, comes on a
plate with a tiny lake of honey caramel, and across the lake, a forest of fresh
berries and cream gratinée. The
flavor is delicate and, well, lavender. A bit of panna cotta, a tad of honey and a berry or two makes a delightful
mouthful of flavors. I continue on to my writing class feeling fat and happy.
What more could one want in Napa Valley, aside from a handsome beau with whom
to share the pleasure?
Next time I'm hungry in
Yountville, I'll avoid the tourist crowd and head for Brix.
