Wal-Mart

Yes, that's right: Wal-Mart. This is not to say I am endorsing it or encouraging you to go there. Quite the contrary. But... that is the "special Napa location" I got to visit for today. It wasn't "new" to me, other than the fact that they have put in a grocery section and this makes it an even more horrible experience, waiting in line behind people standing there with 7 kids (yes, seven. I come from a big family of five kids, but I find seven pretty excessive) with not one but TWO shopping carts filled with things like 6 boxes of laundry detergent and 8 cartons of orange juice. Seriously?? That's not shopping for a family, that's hunting and gathering for a TRIBE.

I haven't been to Wal-Mart (located at the corner of Soscol and Lincoln, just in case you want to stop by and see what the Gates of Hell look like) in years, partly because I completely do not agree with their policies as a company (union-busting, gender discriminating) but also partly because I fear for my life sometimes. And when I can get over those two, I can't get over the depression that sets in when I walk in and start to be convinced that people probably don't really have souls. And many certainly don't have brains (as I watch a man gleefully wheel a brand new 40" flat panel TV to his beater of a car that looks like it barely runs... ah, priorities)

The only reason I was here is because, for some odd reason, it happens to be the only place in Napa I could manage to find some arts and crafts supplies for my students' projects. I hope to never return again. The only positive I can say is that this really encouraged me to be the best person I can be in life, because being stuck in line at Wal-Mart pretty much seemed like eternal damnation, and it was terrifying. Instead of door greeters, they should post Cerberus at the front entrance.

Bouchon Bakery, V Marketplace, and Napa Style

Hopping off the southbound 10 bus in Yountville has always proven to be a pleasant experience so far (it certainly helps that I don't have to pay the >$200/night it costs to stay here as a visitor!), so I decided to do it again.

I had been to Bouchon Bistro -- the local (and now interstate chain) restaurant of local celeb chef Thomas Keller (of the Michelin-rated French Laundry just up the street)... and let me tell you, I was less than impressed. I actually felt bad that this was the restaurant I took my parents to in their first visit to Napa Valley, but I didn't know any better at the time. The food was overpriced, way oversalted, and not memorable; the space was loud and cramped and the servers were impersonal and embittered. My mother's "trumpet mushroom salad" had one (yes, one) microscopic sliver of mushroom. How does that make a mushroom salad??

However, I had never stopped into the popular Bouchon Bakery next door to the restaurant. I had seen some of their (pricey but tasty-looking) baked goods in Las Vegas -- which is also home to a Bouchon Bistro -- but I was craving some good bread today and figured, why not from here?

It was doing a brisk business... not packed, but there was a line. I'm sure the 70-something-and-sunny weather we've been having didn't hurt. The bakery is small, with a variety of tempting-looking baked goods; my eye was first drawn to the colorful macarons, but quickly distracted by the nearby bread pudding cups (I love bread pudding), but I ended up getting a pistachio and citrus brioche. Which was good, but perhaps a little stale from sitting out for a while. Should've gone with the moist and glistening bread pudding. These items (the specialty baked snacks) are all about $3 each.

Meanwhile, the prices of coffee and bread loaves are a lot more reasonable -- coffee is about the same you'd pay at Peet's or Starbucks or elsewhere, and the loaves of bread are about $3.25 for a normal-sized loaf. I debated between the hearth-style "pain rustico" and the nearby loaf of sourdough; both looked good, and Sarah and I love sourdough, but it's also one that is very hit or miss. Some people don't make it sour enough (in true Boudain/San Francisco style) and other times it is just not dense or moist enough. I went with the pain rustico and when I got home and tore off some pieces to dip in olive oil and herbs, I knew that I had made the right choice: the outside was firm and tasted like a wood oven, the inside was soft and spongy and a little bit moist; overall the bread was very good for the price (which is just about the same -- or possibly even less -- than you'd pay for artisan bread like this at most grocery store bakeries)

I still had time left before the next bus arrived, so I wandered across the street to check out the "V Marketplace" which I had never seen. This place is a strange duck. You walk inside, and it's an eclectic (and sparsely populated) shopping mall of sorts, done up in a pseudo-villa style. The shops seem nearly unanimous in their decision to appeal to older wome. Some have names like "Sisters, the Ultimate Girly-Girl Boutique" and "i*elle" and "Tay & Grace: Playclothes for Women"; others are art galleries featuring plenty of colorful, flower-and-vine-filled rustic scenes.
I explored the whole place but so few people were there that I didn't want to wander into any shops for fear that the shopkeeps would either swoop on me like vampires or sigh in disappointment that I'm not a wealthy menopausal lady.

Popping out the back door, I emerged by Michael Chiarello's "Napa Style" storefront, and went inside to check out the assortment of cookery goods and gourmet foodstuffs -- olive oil and vinegar "caviar", Himalayan sea salt, extra virgin olive oils -- many of which had samples available. Some of the goods are certainly tasty (for the mouth and sometimes for the eyes) but the prices match the decadent indulgence of the goods. For things like sauces, spices, and vinegars and olive oils, a better bet would be to stop in St. Helena up the road where you can try plenty of wonderful oils, vinegars, dressings, sauces, and rubs at St. Helena Olive Oil Co. (These gourmet shops are also pricey, but still about 30% less expensive than Napa Style)

Time was about up for my hour in town... I went to the bus stop (right outside the V Marketplace) and sure enough the next southbound 10 arrived within about 5 minutes.

Copperfield's Books on a Rainy Day

Well, today is the first day of 2011 and, is it just me, or was 2010 a really hard year? Not entirely horrible just... very difficult. I, for one, accomplished a lot and yet... there was a lot of stress and I didn't get to entirely enjoy life. Out with the old, and bring on 2011!

To ring in the new year we had, of course... rain. After all, this is northern California. A lot of people see shows and movies taking place in California and think it's all palm trees and warm sun all the time. Hate to break it to you, but the entire state is not Malibu. And let's be thankful for that! Norcal gives us (and the local grapes here) a great blend of weather, and though we have a mild, temperate, somewhat Mediterranean climate, Napa gets some hints of actual seasons.

However, in the non-mountainous regions of northern California, winter = rain. And lots of it! That might really bum a lot of people out -- especially when thinking about Napa and all of the beautiful sights and scenery and weather it can hold.

Alright, to be fair, the rain does make it difficult to get outside and enjoy things. There was no way I could cruise around in my Sebring convertible today, and in fact sometimes I absolutely love the dramatic gray clouds and wispy fogs and mists... but sadly this was not such a photogenic opportunity as that, either. Just rain, plain and simple... coming down just hard enough to make things difficult to see, but not so hard as to be truly exciting.

So what to do on a rainy day? Well, the first thing that came to mind was that it would be perfect weather for a trip up to the quaint and wonderful Cameo Cinema for an afternoon movie in St. Helena. I was all hyped up and ready for that plan, but I checked their website and saw that today's movie was Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I really love the Cameo for its ambience, its comfort, its aesthetics, and the sometimes-great variety of movies it plays, but unfortunately it is a single theatre and wasn't wowed with this choice, so... I'll save that for another rainy day!

Fortunately, Napa Valley is also very big on being very small -- in other words, we have plenty of unique mom-and-pops and local chains, and the locals love to support the locals! This is an idea I think every town in America should get behind!

Well, it was a great day to curl up with a coffee and a book, so I decided to head over to Copperfield's Books! Copperfield's is a local chain, with two local locations, one at the north end of the valley in Calistoga, and one at the south end in Napa. [Note: They actually have 8 "local" locations in Sonoma and Napa counties, including Sebastopol where it was founded, as well as Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Healdburg. But this blog is all about Napa Valley!] The Calistoga location is definitely a more attractive spot, right on Lincoln Street, the main street through Calistoga with its wonderful old-town facades of boutique stores, tasting rooms, and restaurants. Having said that, I live in Napa and the local Copperfields is still a great place -- not as charming a location, being in a shopping center that features local necessities like Target, Whole Foods, Cost Plus, and Trader Joe's -- but Copperfield's still has a nice selection, a well-arranged interior and pretty friendly staff.

It feels strange for me to even be touting a book store -- I teach computer classes, and I do think the days of traditional print materials are on their way out the door. I think electronic media is the way to go, and I really think e-books are a smarter move... but, dang it, try as I might, I still can't get over my love of books! It's just not going to leave me, I fear, despite how irrational and illogical it may be. Likewise, my love of a good bookstore is not going to leave, despite the vast offerings and great prices and efficiency of Amazon. Yes, I've been an Amazon fan for a long time, but I love bookstores for being like a temple, a shrine to knowledge and a labyrinth in which you can find things you never even knew existed. That's a lot harder to do on Amazon.

So, combine that with feeling good about supporting a local business, and I have no qualms at all about patronizing Copperfield's -- any of their locations, but if you happen to be in Napa, this one's as good as any... and even better if you need to pick up some groceries while you're at it! (I have to admit, I was surprised by how many places were open today, but Trader Joe's was closed... and I'm glad for it! As happy as I was that Copperfield's was open, it was also nice to see that Trader Joe's has the decency to give its employees -- ALL of them -- the day off. To their credit, Copperfield's was running shortened hours, so that's not bad, either!)

As for the coffee, I got mine from a local Starbucks (there's also a Peet's and the drive-through Caffino -- also a chain with its roots in Napa -- right there in the Copperfield's shopping center), but if you're in Calistoga you can definitely go a step above and enjoy a brew from Calistoga Roastery (the biggest-known local name in coffee and my personal favorite) or Yo el Rey (fair trade organic coffee, plus free wi-fi), both quite bohemian and quite local.