Anniversary Weekend

Last weekend, Shweetie and I celebrated our first anniversary by reliving some of the important events that have happened in the last couple of years. We started off by driving up to Napa and eating brunch at The Carneros Inn. We ate at their cute, casual restaurant, The Boon Fly Cafe.

Outside The Boon Fly Cafe


Shweetie had the "Green Eggs and Ham"


I had the "Kobe Beef Burger on a Brioche Poppyseed Bun with Swiss Cheese"

We also visited some familiar places.

The Apple Orchard at The Carneros Inn


Our accommodations at The Carneros Inn during our wedding weekend


Safari West, where we went the day we got engaged

We finished the day off with dinner at Auberge du Soleil. The view from our table was breathtaking. We ordered the four course menu, choosing each of our four dishes. The savory dishes were actually a big disappointment, but the desserts were extremely well done.

The gorgeous view from our table on the balcony


Amuse bouche: Soup with Duck Confit Brioche


My first course: Sauteed Foie Gras, Peach Crepe, Almonds, Ginger Sauce


Shweetie's first course: White Corn Soup, Maine Lobster, Tarragon


My second course: Northern Halibut, Shell Beans, String Beans, Bacon, Basil Broth


Shweetie's second course: Seared Wahoo, Wakame, Tempura Maitake, Glazed Pork Belly, Dashi


My third course: Liberty Farm Duck, Fennel, Arugula, Black Mission Figs


Shweetie's third course: Prime New York Beef, White Corn, Sugar Snaps, Caramelized Shallot Sauce


My fourth course: Poached Pear Charlotte, Fromage Blanc Mousse, Soft Caramel, Pear Brunoise


Shweetie's fourth course: Crisp Filo Wrapped Chocolate Dumplings, Tarragon Ice Cream, Arbequina Olive Oil

Overall we gave the food a 6.75. Some of our complaints about dinner were that the fish or meat were not cooked properly. My fish course and Shweetie's meat course were noticeably overcooked, and Shweetie found the lobster in his soup extremely chewy. Another complaint was that some of the dishes weren't cohesive, especially Shweetie's fish course. Each of the items in that second course were cooked well and tasted good, they just didn't necessarily go together.

Service was pretty good, with one exception. While I was finishing the first course, one of the servers came by to take away our plates. I wasn't quite done finishing up Shweetie's soup, but rather than walk away and come back when we were done, the server hovered over our table until I felt compelled to put my utensil down, even though I probably could have taken a few more spoonfuls. We gave the service an 8.25.

The décor was quite pretty, except for the fact that there was no shielding from the sun whatsoever, so for the first half of our meal, Shweetie was completely blinded when he looked in my general direction. We gave it an 8.75.

Overall, they scored a 72.50. Although the place is lovely and we really wanted to like it, we would not recommend it. There are a lot of other better places in Napa Valley. However, we had a really nice first anniversary, despite the slightly disappointing dinner!