Lunch in the Napa Valley

Business took me to the wine country on Tuesday, and with no traffic problems, I got up there about half an hour early and took the opportunity to visit the Oakville Grocery in (surprise!) Oakville. Having just made my first bresaola, I wanted to buy some there (made, as it turned out, by a company in Florida) for comparison purposes. At well over $20 a pound, I decided a few ounces would be sufficient. It was very good... different and perhaps a little better than mine. Or, maybe not. Maybe it’s just different, not better. Oddly, it was more or less rectangular in cross-section. I think that theirs lacked red wine in the marinade, which reinforces my earlier decision to use a bit less of it in my next batch.

Lunch was at Brix, just north of Yountville. With bresaola still on my mind, of course I had to have the salad which featured a slice of it as a base for greens, baby beets, and cheese. This bresaola was wide (about 4” across) and had very little flavor; I wouldn’t bother to eat it again. After that I had the duck confit salad. No, I’m actually not a big salad fan at all, despite having two for lunch; I ordered these things just to get the charcuterie that came with them! The duck confit was delicious, if a little dry, and it was another push toward making my own, something I’ve always intended to do but have never actually gotten around to it. Back in the city a couple of hours later, I stopped at a market and picked up a whole duck (head and all) as a source of parts. It’s waiting in the refrigerator now; hopefully I can work on that tonight.