Easter in Napa Valley

This Easter, the husband's family decided to do a family lunch up in Napa.  I always love an excuse to go exploring up there, so I woke up early and excited.  It was a cold and rainy day, which was not a bad thing, because we are in the midst of a serious drought.  This is what low-laying clouds on a rainy day look like over the vineyards.

We have a tradition of meeting up at Dean and Deluca's before we eat, to do a little gourmet shopping.

Of course, the first place I stopped was the pastry counter.  I will tell you right now, doing this on an empty stomach is a very bad idea.  

Everything looked so pretty and so yummy.  I don't get up here very often, so I figured I needed to try out a bunch of things at once to see what I liked.

Our next stop was the cheese counter.  I don't think one can ever have too much cheese in their fridge. We left with a cheddar and a brie.

I was really into these pig bowls (and I kind of regret not leaving with one).  They are so stinking cute, and totally Napa style.  I just wasn't really sure where I would put one.  

There were lots of enticing displays for other things I didn't need, like theses beautiful copper pots.

And these colorful glass bottles.

I haven't ever tried Blanton's Kentucky bourbon, but this was one of the prettiest bottles I have ever seen.  This may be another item I regret not purchasing, but one I am sure I can find closer to home.  

This display of Dickel whiskey was complete with a certificate of authenticity and a barrel.

Our next stop was Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, which is owned by renowned chef Cindy Pawlcyn.

The menu had so many tasty offerings that it was hard to narrow it down to one entree.

I went with the lobster cobbster (Cindy's take on a Cobb salad) and it was delicious (and photographed nicely as well).

Restaurant ambiance

By the time the dessert menu came, I had already looked through pictures on Yelp, and I knew exactly what I wanted.

This work of art is called the Campfire Pie, and made of toasted marshmallow, fudgy chocolate, almond ding, and and Oreo crust.  It was pure perfection.

We also tried the lemon buttermilk souffle cake, which was also really good (but not quite as spectacular to photograph).

When we got home, I took a photo of our confections from Dean and Deluca so I could always remember their deliciousness.  I give especially high praise to the black and white cookie and the pistachio macaron.  

I hope everyone had a nice weekend, however you spent it.

For previous Easter in Napa, click here.