No one knows where to eat better than our fair city’s best chefs.
In the past, we’ve turned to Lazy Bear’s David Barzelay for his favorite sandwich at Deli Board and two-starred Michelin chef Srijith Gopinathan for the best huevos rancheros in town.
Today, we have superlative fried chicken, Wine Country’s best sushi, and drinks overlooking the Napa River — all courtesy of Napa’s own Mark Dommen of One Market. His picks, below.
Breakfast
“I’m not much of a breakfast person, so I normally drink a vegetable juice that my wife makes every morning. It has kale, ginger, apple, pineapple, cucumber and celery in it. On the occasion that we do go out for breakfast, I like a place with a really good Bloody Mary because I still need to have my vegetable juice. Boon Fly Café in Carneros is close to my house, so we’ll go there for breakfast. Depending on the mood, I’ll usually have some kind of egg dish or breakfast sandwich. My kids like it because they have pancakes and doughnuts. It’s win-win for all of us.”
Lunch
“For lunch I like to go to the Fremont Diner. They have a great breakfast menu, even though I’ve never had breakfast there. Great-tasting food. For lunch, I usually go for something from the FARM category, but occasionally I’ll have the fried chicken. For a quick lunch, I sometimes grab some tacos or a burrito from one of the taco trucks in Napa, Tacos Esperanza or Tacos Michoacan. I’ve been eating from these food trucks for 15 years. Mexican food with soul.”
Snack
“Frozen yogurt would be the snack of choice for me when I’m with my kids. Without the kids, an afternoon snack to me is a glass of wine or a pint of beer. Palisades Saloon is a great place to go: lots of beer on tap, wine as well, and it’s super casual.”
Dinner
“There are two kinds of dinner. For dinner with the kids, the choice is always Kitchen Door at the Oxbow. Great food and super casual, lots of choices and the kids love it. Dinner without the kids, it’s Morimoto in Napa (pictured). My wife and I love sushi. Working in San Francisco, you would think I would fulfill my sushi cravings — but the reality is when I’m in San Francisco, I’m working. It’s great to have sushi of this quality in Napa.”
Drinks
“The top floor at Ninebark. They had great cocktails and you could sit outside on the third floor and relax. They just closed temporarily, though. Aside from Ninebark, Angel (pictured) has a great wine list and drinks and if you can get a seat on their patio right on the Napa River, it’s a great place to enjoy some beverages.”
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