Napa Valley Grille
Providence Place Mall
Providence
by Bob Mariani
Just like its West Coast namesake, the Napa Valley Grille is all about excellence; excellence in hospitality and service, in comfortable, luxurious ambiance and of course, most importantly, excellence in the ingredients they use and in how they blend them. Perhaps the most appealing part of the ambiance at Providence’s Napa Valley Grille is the subtle play of late evening light on the soft woods and tapestries. The main dining room is spacious and very easy on the eyes, and the wait staff are all genuinely friendly and helpful.
As young executive Jeffrey Carroll’s winter menu nears its end to make way for spring, there are still lots of comforting, well thought-out treats for a chilly March night. I began with something I’d never tasted before (at least not in this version) a cup of Finnan Haddie and Corn Chowder. It was indeed a revelation. To a very light and delicate creamy corn chowder laced with baby carrots and tidbits of celery, Chef Carroll added sheds of smoky fish an hints of sage. The levels of flavor in this little masterpiece are exceptional.
My wife and I also shared the Grille’s Harvest Platter, which consisted of several small tastes of individual appetizing gems. There was a smoky salmon gravlox drizzled with a mild whole grain mustard, a creamy marinated tuna confit, an interesting combination of tart, roasted red beets paired with a gentle blue cheese mousse, some shaved prosciutto and a not-too-sharp Australian cheddar cheese, some green and black olives, and for a palate-refreshing punctuation, some frozen grapes.
My Crab-Crusted Cod Loin entrée has to rank as one of the five best dishes I’ve ever tasted anywhere. It is a masterful blending of flavors with great nuance and skill. The flaky white pillow of cod fish is set upon a bed of black squid ink spatzle and baby spinach that have been cooked to perfection in an exquisite smoked tomato broth. The mingling of the smoky tomato broth with the slightly salty spatzle and the quietly elegant texture of the cod is simply brilliant. Wholesome and heart-warming. A standing ovation.
Jan had the equally luscious Port Braised Lamb Shank, an entire bone-in shank steeped to a crumbling tenderness in a rich, dark port broth infused with – get this
— a chocolate goat cheese cream sauce! The accompaniments, which were floating in this remarkable sauce, were dark Swiss chard and a creamy thyme polenta. Again, the complementary blending of these flavors is absolutely perfect.Other entrées at Napa Valley were things like Trio of Duck with Dijon mustard, cinnamon smoked with house-made pate’, and shiitake mushrooms; "Butchers Tenderloin" Hanger Steak with parsnip mashed potatoes in a red wine reduction; Fresh Fettuccine with Pomodoro and house-made mozzarella; a Pan-Seared Venison Chop with sweet potato and roasted chestnut purée; and Seared Ahi Tuna with baby spinach, red beet risotto and roasted fennel coulis. Entrée prices range from $16 to $28. They’ve also got a small plate bar menu consisting of mostly dishes paired down from the main menu.
From the dessert department, Jan chose an Orange Chocolate, Molten Cake—yet another original triumph. The rich but incredibly light chocolate cake was topped with a dollop of gently exotic cardamom ice cream and drizzled with a gentle candied orange sauce. As an added bonus, there was a small pad of white yogurt mousse for a nice change in texture.
I had their Toasted Hazlenut Crème Brulée. Slightly warm from the kitchen, the creamy, crusted custard was topped with a small bourbon-roasted pear.
Naturally, there is an extensive Napa Valley wine list, which offers a wide range of choices from this most famous wine area. And playing off the Valley’s rich wine heritage, they’ve instituted a tasting menu called "Flight Training" which pairs samplings of three different wines from related categories: "Berry White" ($10), "Chards of Class" ($15), "Life is a Cabernet" ($18), "Pinot Envy" ($22) and "Just Desserts" ($15).
I would have to say that not only was there never a single misstep at Napa Valley Grille whenever I’ve been there, but that each time I return the food is even better, with greater creativity and more exceptional finesse. There will be a new spring menu starting in April and they are open every day for lunch and dinner. For reservations and information call 270-6272 or visit their
website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
