Hello! My DH and I enjoyed a fabulous meal at the Chef's Counter at the Napa Rose in December. Originally my DH wondered if we wouldn't have a more peaceful, enjoyable meal (because it was our parents only night while our boys enjoyed the kids club...and they did love it!) at a table. He was wrong!
The chef's table actually surrounds the bustling open kitchen. There are 3 sets of 4 seats. We were the only 2 at our spot. Our waiter got us settled, then explained that the chef would speak to us. The chef was a hugely friendly huy who explained we could order from the menu or allow us to choose for us. If you are not particularly fussy, let the man do his thing!!! He also asked if we had any specific allergies/preferences and we explained that I am lactose intolerant, but that a little butter etc would be OK (but no cream). We also explained that we aren't dessert people, so he brought a cheese plate instead (which my DH ate, due to my lactose issue, but he did ask first if this was OK with us).
I think we had 6 courses and at least 1 amuse bouche. For each course, my DH and I each had different offerings, so by the time we were done, our tast buds were very, very happy, having tried so many different things!!!
The quality of the food was excellent. We are not uber-foodies, but we do know our food and have experienced fine dining in a number of cities. My husband said it was definitely one of his Top 5 meals ever, both for the quality of the food and the experience. Happy Anniversay, hubby!
We took our 9 year old twin boys back to Napa Rose for dinner later in our stay. We had given up our reservation (we were running late - and they are very strict on times as they are busy), but they were able to set us up at a table by the ifre in the Lounge. Our Chef's Table experience had shown us what we really liked and wanted to try again, and we still had just a few items on the menu we hadn't tried! One of our boys is very adventurous for age 9, so he shared my scallops, my DH's foie grae and duck, etc etc.
Including wine, tax and tip, I think our chef's Table bill was just under $300 and I think it was well worth it for such a memorable experience. We spent quite a bit less than that when we ate as a family of 4, though!
Enjoy!
