It was a case of serendipity on the Ides of August. I called Mary Schaffer, beloved owner of Napa & Co and now Bar Rosso in Stamford, to inquire about Napa’s famous $26 Wagyu burger. “We’re having a bloggers dinner tonight,” she countered. “Why don’t you join us?”
“I’ll come straight away,” I told her.
Forty-five minutes later, I was surrounded by my fellow food bloggers and their guests.
One of my favorite restaurateurs, Mary was standing at the head of the table, charming the socks off her guests.
There was bread and extra virgin olive oil on the table
menus at our places,
and an Arizona (!) pink table wine in our glasses.
I snapped a few photographs of the private room we were occupying.
I shot the main dining room,
a really private wine room,
and even the kitchen getting our first dish ready.
But this was a bloggers dinner—I wasn’t the only one.
In fact, one blogger was even moved to poetry.
That first dish we watched being prepared proved really memorable. It featured local duck egg, potato, Fontina cheese and bountiful slices of black truffle.
It was paired with Toast by Napa & Co, Brut, Bourgogne, France.
Our second course made it clear that there would be no letup during this incredible meal. It featured housemade fettuccine with “oolii” mushrooms and saffron.
A Spann Vineyards Chardonnay-Viognier was lovely accompaniment.
For our third course, we made a beeline for lovely white halibut with hen of the woods mushrooms and fennel pollen.
It was married to a Domaine Michael Gros Burgundy.
Continuing a string of eclectic ingredients and imaginative preparations, our fourth course proved to be lamb belly with fava beans, tarragon and Beltane Farms yogurt.
The lamb was matched with a Michele Chiarlo Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy.
What could Napa & Co have in store for our fifth course, we wondered? It turned out to be grass-fed brisket with local corn and heirloom tomatoes. But we had never tasted brisket like this!
We even got a side of delicious roasted Brussels sprouts.
And for the wine, we exclaimed over a Mirto Tempranillo from Spanish Basque country.
And then I got to try the famous Napa Wagyu burger with red onion jam, aged Gouda, black pepper mayonnaise and rosemary fries. All I could say was—wow!
And finally, we had reached dessert—a mascarpone cheesecake with basil and strawberries!
With our dessert, we sipped glasses of Rutherglen Muscat from Australia.
At the end of our meal, Napa’s talented chef, Arik Bensimon, came out and addressed a rapt crowd of admirers.
Visit Napa & Co, and undoubtedly you’ll become one, too.
Napa & Co, 75 Broad Street, Stamford, 203-353-3319
www.napaandcompany.com