We were in Calistoga for 3 days in mid-February. Really enjoyed it, altho we don’t drink so I can’t give you any reco’s for that, sorry!
Best meals: tie between Lovina (dinner + weekend brunch only) and Solbar @Solage Resort (B/L/D/weekend brunch).
Lovina: lovely, casual space; small parking lot. Dinner was amazing: creative, beautifully balanced flavors. Hamachi aguachile and salmon roe beurre blanc sauce on the halibut were stand-outs. Spouse talked to waitress about her experience working there (he got his degree in restaurant & hotel mgmt), saying he noticed how happy all the staff was, and how rare that was. She agreed and said after a number of years as a waitress, this was the best place she had ever worked. Lovine is tip-free; Spouse confirmed that these benefits are in addition to their regular salaries, and reiterated to her how impressed he was. Just FYI, extra tips are allowed, but only in cash.
Solbar: We love chef Gustavo Rios, who was one of the assistants to Brandon Sharp, the original starting chef who won a Michelin star for Solbar, which they promptly lost when Sharp left and an inferior chef took over. Rios took over in 2019. We returned for his house-cured corned beef Reuben, which we agreed was still the best we’ve had in several decades. Didn’t care for the chips this time (too thick, we preferred the thinner ones they gave us back in early 2020 pre-lockdown). Spouse always opts for their mushroom bisque when they have it, which they did - he rates it one of the best. Salads are always good, and the mix of fresh and freeze-dried mandarin orange supremes brought my beet salad up to the 5-star level. It was a stunning variant on a standard CA menu item.
Apple tart was lovely, although butterscotch pudding w/Macallan 12 was a bit too sweet. I thought the Scotch would have been better in the pudding, rather than the caramel sauce atop - butterscotch pudding is sweet and rich enough that I didn’t see much point in an even sweeter caramel sauce sprinkled with toffee “pearls”. It was a little too much ‘gilding the lily’, LOL. Service is always exceptional at Solbar, and parking is easy. Very nice outdoor patio seating, btw. Picobar, Rios’ casual taco cafe, is just across the way and shares the patio.
Fleetwood is located in-between Lovina and Solbar, and totally different. Lively, noisy, casual dining room. Tip: make a note where it is, in the daytime. It has no lighted sign at night! Look for the lights in the motel front desk/lobby area; Fleetwood is next door on the left. The romaine salad was unexpectedly (and not pleasantly) grilled and oily, but the entrees were surprisingly excellent. Spouse had pasta with seafood in a light, delicate cream sauce; the pasta was fresh and a proper al dente. My steak was average CA quality, but perfectly handled; medium-rare and juicy. Lightly creamed spinach and well-sauteed, savory sliced mushrooms were simple but excellent sides. I enjoyed having a whole steak rather than slices, as well!
There are quite a few restaurants up there so hopefully others will chime in with ideas. HTH and you should have good weather, too.
