HAUTE HOTEL
North Block dishes
Tamburo, formerly sous chef at Momofuku Ko and executive chef at Momofuku Nishi in Manhattan, uses California’s seasonal bounty within his simple yet inventive dishes that are already creating a stir within the valley. Several menu items are infused with unique raw and smoky elements. A Japanese grill using binchō-tan charcoal imbues flavor into dishes like the duck à la Gray with lime pickle and crème fraîche, an homage to Tamburo’s former chef-mentor, Sean Gray (Momofuku Ko). A wood burning oven produces naturally leavened, seasonally rotating pizzas. The wood roasted half chicken with matsuri rice, flatbread, yogurt, and hot sauce is quickly becoming a much talked-about signature item. “Cooking with an abundance of seasonal ingredients gives us the opportunity for constant experimentation in the kitchen,” said Tamburo, 70
La Pasión Margarita
who convinced fellow Momofuku ex-pat Andy Wedge to join him in Napa as North Block restaurant’s general manager and beverage director. “We’re challenging ourselves to showcase California ingredients in imaginative dishes that are not only exciting to make, but also exciting to eat.” For his beverage menu, Wedge has compiled a varied list of both local and international wines, local craft beers, and creatively crafted cocktails, such as the NB Old Fashioned featuring bourbon, a hint of coconut, and a lime twist and the Last Paloma with Volcan blanco tequila, yellow Chartreuse, Solerno blood orange liqueur, and grapefruit. Try them both. The beauty of the full North Block experience is that your post-dinner trek is merely a few steps.
PHOTO CREDITS: © MARIANA CALDERON PHOTOGRAPHY
Chef Nick Tamburo