Harvest Table by Chef Charlie Palmer — Harvest Inn, St. Helena

Guests driving from the Craftsman and Wine Way Inns to the big name wineries south of St. Helena might easily drive past the two brick pillars that mark the entrance of Harvest Inn and never give it a second thought – even though they’ve been there since 1975. That would be a mistake. It is a charming setting featuring the 110 seat Harvest Table Restaurant.

We love the airy, chic restaurant space with high beam ceilings, a blown glass chandelier, smooth wood finishes and a large brick fireplace. Outdoor patios flank the main dining room. Our patio seats overlooked a stand of redwoods and lush gardens with a view directly into the frenzy of the kitchen. A chilled glass of sparkling wine was delivered as we perused the menu.

Casual, friendly servers pointed out that many of the dishes on the menu were marked with a carrot symbol to indicate that some of the ingredients were harvested from one of the five on-site gardens. This Napa cuisine features lots of farm-to-table touches like growing carrots, artichokes, chives and kohlrabi.

We started with whole roasted baby carrots bathed in buttermilk and sprinkled with vadouvan (an Indian inspired French spice mix) and granola. Next up was the tomato and watermelon salad with a white wine Negroni as well as grilled octopus on a bed of fingerling potatoes, charred lemon and a pool of romesco sauce.

For dinner the roasted chicken in truffle butter for two was the real wow-factor. The bird is brined, filled with natural juices, cooked golden brown with the earthy scent of white truffles that dripped down into the mascarpone farro below. Simply amazing. Our server recommended the Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay which was an outstanding complement.

Initially we passed on dessert however our server joked that we shouldn’t miss the “best dessert she’s ever tasted”. Bring on the chocolate peanut butter bar with peanut butter mousse and chocolate sorbet. It’s a blend that is sure to please just about everyone.

It was a superbly pleasant dining experience on a summer evening in the garden. Sigh. . . . Just another night in Napa Valley. . .

Harvest Table
1 Main Street, St. Helena, CA
707.967.4695