LUNCH: CIA Greystone Napa, CA

On a recent Friday, my sister and I decided to spend the day in Napa. We decided to lunch at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone restaurant because I have always been curious about what goes on inside what appears to be a castle in the Napa valley. The inside of the restaurant was nice but looked like one you would find anywhere in CA. We settled on the patio instead for the views of the valley. To be honest I was slightly disappointed with both the patio and the view. It was a beautiful day though. The only con to sitting on the patio was that as the sun went down, the umbrellas did little to protect us from the blazing rays. We lunched on oysters on the half shell with a pink wine sauce, sweet corn soup, Pimientos de Padrones, gnocchi and two desserts. The oysters came from Hog Island Co. in San Francisco. The soup was creamy, sweet and divine! Apparently it is made with very little cream but is reduced with the corn cob and the silk from the corn still in the pot to give it a silky finish. The pimientos, or small peppers, were pan fried and served with almonds, tomatoes, shaved parm and pesto. This dish was also very good. The ricotta and spinach gnocchi were very flavorful, very large scallop sized dumplings served with lots of fresh veggies and a tomato type sauce. I was surprised at just how flavorful the gnocchi were given that the sauce is what usually provides the flavor. Dessert was a major flop. The Mexican chocolate soufflé was heavy on the egg and light on the chocolate with tasteless, drippy crème anglaise. The only positive thing I can say is that it was very spicy and cinnamony. The pizelle ice cream sandwiches tasted bland. The wine samplers were a nice option. If you decide to try this restaurant you must try the sweet corn soup and gnocchi if they are on the menu. Skip dessert though.