California's Press

Napa Valley has many fine dining spots, but it’s hard to beat Press for gourmet American cuisine. Chef Trevor Kunk’s outstanding main dishes include a succulent New York strip steak and a rotisserie-roasted Fulton Farms whole organic free-range chicken, which is expertly brined, then seasoned with a magician’s rack of spices. Even the vegetables are works of art. Try the elegant Brussels sprouts with Benton’s bacon or the roasted and smoked beets with pine nuts and citrus gremolata, and don’t miss the onion rings with Hungarian sweet paprika.

The bar at this casual yet sophisticated restaurant is a great place to dine and drink with the locals. Besides killer cocktails—order a Meyer lemon Pisco Sour—the bar menu features a carrot “hot dog” with Mangalitsa pig belly mole that made this carnivore stand up and applaud. The long and diverse list of Napa Valley wines—the world’s largest such list, according to Press—is another reason to visit.

PRESS

587 St. Helena Highway (Highway 29), St. Helena, California, (707) 967-0550. Open Wed.–Mon. 5–10 p.m.