Culinary Institute of America - Greystone
40 Reviews for Culinary Institute of America - Greystone
I was impressed. Note, they don't serve breakfast. However, our meal was scruptious. We started with mimosas with The Day's Temptations. An array of chef prepared small bites were shared - Chowder Soup - deliciously buttery and rich. We both had the fish which was cooked well. Finished off with the 3 cheese course for dessert - served with honeycomb, pecans, and some kind of apricot jam paired with cabernet, mmmm...that was new to me to have cheese for dessert. Overall though, it was good eats and I finished it all.
Want a great meal prepared by cutting edge chefs for cheap? Well, good luck finding that! But the Culinary Institute hits closest to the mark. Here you get four star cuisine for three star price and that's quite a deal.
The CIA uses locally grown produce and creates brilliant dishes based on the season. The staff is professional, the kitchen/dining area eclectic and charming. You can sit near the kitchen and watch them at work or, like we did, sit next to the pastry chef while he created his masterpieces. With the open kitchen there's no way in hell Gordon Ramsey could work here, but to say the food is comparable to Ramsey's wouldn't be over reaching. Well, maybe slightly.
Suffice it to say, you owe it to yourself to check out the CIA if just for the experience. You won't be disappointed.
I've often seen this castle as I'm driving my visiting friends to different wineries, but haven't actually been here to eat before. On a girl's getaway weekend, my friends and I decided to make a reservation for dinner.
We had a late seating time (9:15pm I think), but it was still rather packed. We noticed a cool table with a tree (not real!) coming out of it and luckily we were seated next to it so we could keep checking it out.
We skipped the Daily Tasting Temptations which seemed to have a rather odd mix. I decided to save my stomach for the main course. I really really really wanted to try the Pork shank with sauerkraut, but it was not being served that night. :( I had to settle for the Grilled Angus Hanger Steak which was pretty good.
We, of course, had to have dessert and since all of us love sweets, we decided to order our own desserts and not bother with sharing one. We chose the creme brulee (fabulous!), the molten chocolate lava cake (excellent!), and the citrus beignets (interesting...btw, our server nicely let me know that the little glass of foamy liquid is meant to be sipped and not used to dunk the beignets into) BTW, I really wanted to try the port poached pear, but it was not being served!
I'll have to go back now on a day where they do have the Pork Shank and the Port Poached Pear. (It will be a dinner sponsored by the letter "P". )
While waiting for the Beringer wine tour to begin, my boyfriend and I stumbled on a castle looking culinary school to eat lunch. At first we glance we thought we would never get a seat since it was fully packed and every table was reserved. But luckily for us, the bar seating opened up that let us see first hand how they were making the dishes and taste their delicious entrees. Coming with complimentary olives as a starter, we skipped on appetizers due to time restrictions and went straight to the entrees. I had the grilled angus steak which was decent. But my boyfriend's dish: Grilled Tolanas Farms Quails was amazing and the better choice. We would definitely go back again to try more items and make reservations ahead of time.
Summary: Scrumptious! Superb service! Definitely get the tasting platter. (But the French Onion Soup was overrated.)
This past weekend was my third time to the CIA and definitely my best. So I'm pretty convinced the quality varies here fairly widely, just as a word of caution.
You should ALWAYS get the tasting platter. Amazing little things show up; it's like Christmastime trying each one. (The teeny-tiny duck pate in particular was mindblowingly tasty.) So much fun trying lots of little things, and they were all quite good.
We got the (much lauded) French Onion Soup also which turned out to be the only disappointment of the meal. It does indeed come with a fantastically-awesome souffle top, but the soup underneath was lukewarm, and there were whole, chill slices of cheese resting on the bottom. It was kind of, well...awkward.
The entrees, however, forgave everything. I got the pork shank on spatzle. I'm a huge fan of sauerkraut, but I've never had anything quite this good. There were little bits of pear and raisin mixed in with the fermented cabbage and the pork was literally falling of the bone. YUM.
And then, dessert. We had a creme brulee paired with a late harvest white wine of some sort, and it came with a soft, fresh-made raspberry cookie. The impression that exploded through my mind after taking a bite of the cookie and chasing it with the creme was instantly and indelibly that of Fruit Loops. No joke. But I'm in no was denigrating this dish - it was seriously like all that was excellent about sugary fruit and milk was concentrated into that dish! My girlfriend made fun of me but was forced to agree as soon as she tried it. :)
The staff had a great sense of humor, was timely, attentive, and professional. Great times all around. Go take a business colleague or love interest here anytime when in wine country. I'll certainly be back.
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Neat since it looks castle-esque. The students there are super lucky to get to learn in such a beautiful environment. I personally think Saint Helena was the prettiest town in all of Napa Valley. My bf got the garlic soup and loved it. My steak was cooked to perfection and the best steak I've had (until going to the French Laundry the next day). Our appetizer, the cheddar orzotto, wasn't very good and tasted like a cheese enchilada. My bf had fish which he thought was good except it wasn't fresh enough (we ate there Sunday). The biggest disappointment was the service. Our waiter never checked in with us and forgot the wine and even charged it. It was one of the worst restaurant service experiences I've ever had. And it wasn't just "him" since he was kissing the asses and paying attention to all the older folks around us. Dumb ass waiter!
After a long day at work, sitting on BART, packing my bags and hurtling up the highway at around 90 mph, I finally arrived here to meet my visiting parents at around 9:15 on a Friday night. The server didn't even bat an eye, he reacted like I had always been there, he had a (much needed) glass of wine in front of me almost immediately and some fantastic fresh-baked bread soon after that.
We quickly ordered as we were starving. I had the hangar steak with mushrooms. The meat was tender and flavorful and the mushrooms were perfectly done. I tried the scallops as well, which were amazing as was the Sole fillet, I basically ate all my parents leftovers. There is some sort of weird foam-like stuff that they put on the entrees, but it was tasty as well...I never could figure out what it was though.
The best part of the meal was the chocolate souffle though, it was amazing, and HUGE! There was no way we could finish it all. You ahve to order it when you sit down as it takes a while, but it's well worth it.
DISCLAIMER: They bill this as a Culinary Institute when in reality, the students only work in the restaurant about 2 months out of the year, so the majority of the time you are being served by professionals.
I didn't care, it was awesome!
I was asleep by 10:45 because I was so full and satisfied.
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Located in the former Christian Brothers Winery site, the CIA is a must visit. The atmosphere is beautiful and serene. The service is top notch and the food amazing!! The prices are also decent. My kids and their cousins like the fact that the kitchen is the centerpiece of the place so you can watch the action taking place in there.
Find out more about CIA at Greystone at:
http://www.ciachef.edu...
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I've been here twice. The first time was for lunch during a bachelorette weekend, where the night before I think I had more fun than the bride and overindulged with the libations. I was sick on the way up to Napa to the point of stopping the limo on the side of the road, etc. So painting this picture, and feeling the way I did, I was still able to enjoy the delicious food CIA has to offer. The second time was with my husband which I was sober for and enjoyed whole-heartedly. I love their little bites appetizer where you get to sample their daily specials. My husband says he probably had the best chicken dinner there ever which I think is alot to say because chicken is pretty boring. They also pair wine well with your food (duh- they should!) and very attentive with service. Dessert is always a joy for me but maybe because they are out and you can see them that I appreciate it more.
This review is for the grounds, not the restaurant.
The reason why this place gets my vote for 5 stars is because it's a must see when in St. Helena. The stone building is amazing and the service is equally amazing. We were encouraged to walk into the classroom in the back even though it said do not enter. The guy gave us a mini tour and explained the use of the room. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. They host a demonstration/tasting. It's an hour long, the demo was for bread pudding. It sounded great but we weren't in the mood.. maybe next time.
Now there isn't a whole lot to see but it's worth a quick stop.
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I would recommend taking a class/seeing a class in action vs. just dining at the restaurant (Greystone) to truly experience this venue.
I give this place 3 stars for the food, and 1 star for the atmosphere/and the ability to see the students cook in action.
Overall, the food was solid, but not spectacular. My friend had the french onion soup, which was so puffy, cute, and yummy, and not too salty. It's a must try. Can't remember what else I had, but it's definitely worth at least a visit to the grounds.
There are only a few places you can go to where you feel like you are practically royalty for a decent price. This is one of those places. The restaurant is located on top of the hill. Everything about the building is beautiful, so much thought into the construction.
Now as for the food. GREAT! The service was super professional. I had the Butternut squash soup and side of spinach. All mouth watering items. If you've got a couple of bucks to spend, try this place out if you are in the Napa area.
Yum! I think this is really a hit or miss deal. But it's worth a try if you're in the area. We enjoyed everything we ate.
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Such a great idea for an outing when in wine country...student chefs, studying at one of the premier schools in North America, vying for acclaim, being rated on their presentation, table-side manners, culinary inventiveness, and final results.
I like to sit at the bar, order tapas-sized dishes to sample, and enjoy some of the best wines the area has to offer.
Date worthy, fun, novel, and delicious stop. Muah.
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we went here totally on recommendation. Just as we were leaving St. Supery we chatted up with some strangers in the parking lot who told us they were going to Greystone for , his exact words, " the best of meal of our lives!". Although i can't say that it was the best meal of our lives (i still have many years to go)...it was pretty up there. Everything from presentation to the service was exquisite.
i ordered the duck which was really tasty. It was very mild in flavor which allowed the flavors of the duck to seep through. After having some pretty bad experience with lamb, i tried my friend's lamb dish and it was dellllicous!. i would totally go back there on my next trip to napa...hopefully its sometime soon!
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I had, by far, one of the BEST worst MEALS of my life here! You see, I made the mistake of coming here with my then boyfriend on a Napa weekend that I like to refer to as dysfunction junction. Never in one weekend have 2 people fought more. I can't put money on that fact because there are many many people in this world, BUT I'm guessing that unless you threw wine in your BF's face in front of Francis Ford Copolla, I've got you beat.
So Day 2 of this hellish weekend included a day of wine tasting (yes, let's get 2 people who wanna kill each other drunk all day, good thinking) We had made reservations here because I love food and have always wanted to go to culinary school so why not combine the two loves and have an awesome meal out it. Simple, right?
Wrong. Again, a classic case of "in theory vs. reality," because while the meal was amazing, the wines fabulous and the decor fantastic, the indigestion caused by sitting across from a complete moron was, well, not too appetizing. (On a side note...isn't it amazing the kind of people we choose to spend 2 1/2 years with....simply amazing)
As for the culinary wonders in which we dined on...The French onion soup, yum. We also shared (and by share I mean barely yet angrily parted with) a steak and some featured dessert that I didn't eat because I wanted to just get the hell out of there and go back to LA. But in spite of all of that, this was a really awesome restaurant and the kind of place you reflect back on and think, "Wow, I can't wait to come back here with someone I don't want to smother in their sleep :)
...Okay, maybe smother in their sleep is a bit harsh, how about bitch slap upside the head? ;)
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Been here a couple times, ate at the restaurant, gone on a tour (snuck in for free), wandered around; and also waited until closing and got free muffins/cookies (cookie was dry for my taste).
One chef was out front picking the rosemary, then said he's going back in to cook.
There's also grapes growing all over, spotted a helper grabing and munching.
After the gf's urging, it's 4.5 stars. I explained to her that 5 stars have to have magic and sentimental value. Like Little Hunan in berkeley. They're 5 star for me, not cus of the food or value or service but because I love it and they deserve it.
Ok, back on track. Go for French onion souffle soup. That's really why we go, it's amazing. My gf loves french onion soup. I never liked it until her. What's there to like about a bowl of salty, over boiled onion with an inedible chunk of cheese on top. Well, this is different. It's not overly salty, in fact, the only one that's as food maybe a Le Bonne soup Cafe in Sacramento. However, the reason CIA has a better one is cus the cheese on top is a souffle. I know, i was amazed too. It's so light and tasty.
Here's what you do, go around 4ish. You want to be there for the dinner menu. Get the daily tasting or whatever they call it. It's 4 little appetizers for $8 per person. Get that and the soup. You're good for about $20. If you want more, there's dessert. You're gold and you haven't blown you're wallet. Why do we have to spend so much on a whole meal anyways. I find it's usually enough to down some super delicious appetizers and I can drive home without falling asleep from too much wine and a food coma.
It's worth the drive, just as long as you stop off at Duckhorn winery and Pragers Port works. Yum.
I went here for an off-site meeting for my work. I had some trepidations about spending a whole day at a "culinary institute" in Napa county (i.e. wine, cheese, and meat town). So I let the organizer know about my dietary restrictions, and I was full-on ready to bring a pb&j whilst everyone else ate a rack of lamb or some such meaty thing with bones still in it.
To my surprise, I was told, "no problem, 'the CIA' would prepare a special meal for me." What some of you may not know is that I am in a highly classified branch of the witness protection program, and so the CIA prepares meals for me on a regular basis. When I eat out, I have this one guy who stands next to me, takes a bite of each type of food, I wait 5 minutes to see if he drops dead, he says something into his little shoulder microphone, we wait for a confirmation that he receives via his earpiece, and THEN I finally get to eat. We've only had to replace my food-tasting guy once, but you can never be too careful. Mob bosses are a sneaky bunch who never forgive or forget. And that's all I'm allowed to say about that subject without having to hire my favorite red-lipsticked assassin to "take you to a nice Italian restaurant."
So about my special meal: it was actually legitimately good. And they did not complain about making it.
I am so proud of what they are teaching these young culinary students these days. Vegetarians are apparently not just an afterthought, but a real portion of your clientele that you also feed delicious food, if the meal I got from these wonderful students is any indication. They prepared me a pan-fried tofu steak with grilled wild mushrooms and tomatoes, an herbed couscous, and a nice green salad with red pepper vinaigrette. To my surprise, everyone else got the same meal except with a roasted chicken breast. So it makes me very proud and happy that it appears they built the side dishes around my vegan needs and made it work for everyone. I love it!
The grounds of this place are simply beautiful and picturesque, set in a nice part of the wine country that's far enough from any touristy areas for you to get a beautiful countryside view of the vineyards uninterrupted by tacky signs or advertisements.
Our afternoon session (after watching about a bazillion powerpoint slides in the morning) was to make our own pesto with a mortar and pestle while watching this very nice and fun instructional chef. I made mine without the Parmesan, but other than that, everything was vegan. I was really pleased that I did not have to be the only one not making something and I was actually able to try my finished product. I brought it home, had it for dinner that night, and it was absolutely delicious!
I was going to give this place 4 stars when I thought about the overall experience, but I decided it's not at all "the CIA's" fault that my bosses think Powerpoint is enthralling and the absolute only way to communicate with your minions. So 5 stars for everything that was actually under the control of the Culinary Institute. Bravo for making this skittish vegan feel comfortable amongst the foodies.
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Five reasons why my visit to this place was bliss:
1) I was with Sab.
2) We were on vacation which means it was one of the few days out of the year when I wasn't working.
3) Sab is a total culinary genius so she really gets a kick out of places like this one. This makes her happy which made me happy.
4) We had been drinking lots of wine all day long and I was in a pretty good mood.
5) Amazing food with even more wine.
Frankly I don't remember as many details after this but must have been on a serious buying spree 'cuz I got lots of cool stuff from the gift shop.
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*** Warning - LONG review
EXCELLENT! After reading reviews from other Yelpers, we decided to try it out. I called earlier in the week and was able to get a reservation at the restaurant for Saturday night at 9pm. It worked out well because by the time we got there the restaurant was thinning out. We showed up 15 minutes and were promptly seated in a cozy end near the fireplace. Worked out well because there are no carpeting on the floors which means voices travel, and it got a bit loud and hard to have a good conversation.
My husband had - chef's pick of appetizers , french onion soup, and halibut. I had - french onion soup and hanger steak. We both shared the chocolate souffle.
APPETIZER
I say if you are adventurous then go for the chef's pick of appetizers. There were about 5 LITTLE things for you to try. All of them were very delicious and bursting of flavors. For example, the potatoe leek soup was very creamy with a hint of leek. You get a residual taste in your mouth that is out of this world!
FIRST COURSE
I took the suggestion of another Yelper and ordered the french onion soup. It was incredible! The soup came looking like a souffle. The top "layer" was cheese and egg (I think). It was so light and fluffy but you can taste a hint of cheese. As you move down to the soup, the broth and onion were just perfect. There was also a piece of bread completely soaked with the beef broth in there. Amazing!
MAIN COURSE
The hanger steak was cooked medium rare perfectly. The meat was juicy and just melted in your mouth. The dish came with some side vegetable with some that I don't recognize looking at them. I wasn't too fond of those. Some tasted bitter.
We were looking forward to the miso cod, but they took that off the menu and replaced it with halibut which was not bad at all! On top of the fish was coconut lightly toasted to a golden brown color. When you eat the fish and some of the coconut, you get the flaky fish with some crunch of the coconut. Incredible! The veggies below the fish on this one is much better. There were zucchini and fingerling potatoes which all tasted very fresh and spring like with the sauce they used.
DESSERT
We ordered the 4 inch chocolate souffle. Loved it! Till this day my husband still doesn't understand why I love souffles so much. What can I say - it is creamy, velvety, fluffy and best of all chocolaty! It just feels like you are in heaven.
The downside of the meal was the cost. We spent $150 without ordering alcohol. But it was a splurge that was well worth it!
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My girlfriends and I were amazed at the grounds that this school was on. It reminded us of Harry Potter's Castle. I would love to have a wedding here! The food was fun and yummy, and the quality and service was outstanding, and since it was a school, the whole experience was alot less then let's say at a nice SF restaurant.
We had so much fun walking around after our lunch event just taking pictures. It was a fun experience. Make me want to go to cooking school. The also gave us little soup samples that were yummy, creamy squash puree.. in cute little shot glasses.. Our appetizers were outstanding as well, and the presentation was beautiful. Wish I can find my pics to showcase the experience. But please if you get as far as St. Helena, please call and drop in.. its so worth it.
this is less a review of the food here and more of the venue itself... see i was the +1 of somebody who was invited to the opening gala for the annual mustard festival. i said to myself, ok, a gala for mustard... how great can it be, we'll eat some hotdogs with different mustard on it or something. yeah i was so wrong.
we got dressed in our sunday best, and it turned into one of the most magical nights ever - it was like prom on e.
i don't even remember the food because of the sensory overload from the gala - the whole castle (from what i learned this used to be the christian brother's before the CIA came in) was decorated to the gills - the theme was a sort of cirque-du-soleil-esque-acid-trip.
there were living portraits - a lot of impressionists - i saw several iterations of ballet dancers around the castle, and performers (think gymnasts twirling on ropes hanging from the ceiling).
i will never forget this night, and this castle. i hope to come back again!
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I had done a day of wine tasting. After 17 wines I was good and buzzed but not too drunk. The CIA was fantastic. It used to be Christian Brothers winery. The waiter was great and he knew what he was talking about. I am a gourmet cook and I know what I am doing. This was just great. The cold avocado soup was delicious. The Halibut in a coconut and slight curry sauce was amazing. I had a Rose by a winery I remember as O . It was all lovely and Mary had a great time too. We shared the entree so we could have the dessert. It was a chocolate brownie in raspberry sauce with a wonderful ice cream. We dined AL fresco outside and the view of the vineyards were heavenly. I feel sorry for the first reviewer who had to deal with a fool for a partner. It's so great Mary enjoys all of this stuff. We had a ball. The CIA is a place I will return too soon. ( I gotta move to the Nappa Valley).
Food at Greystone was off but I really liked the cooking class (cardomon bread pudding) and the spice store.
Food was so off that we decided to not order dessert. Girlfriend had some sort of fish that wasn't memorable (no taste.... no freshness). I had something with beans (but the beans had no flavor either). The scene was nicer (had a view of the cooks)....lots of wood...
The cooking class was excellent. The cook gave us very detailed instructions and kept us entertained. We even got to try samples at the end and it was tasty. The lightest and tastiest bread pudding that I have ever had.
The spice store has lots of expensive stuff. But the spices there were cheap and good. We bought lots of lots of the spices.
This is a great place; especially if you have visitors in town. The food and service were perfect. It's in a castle in wine country with a fabulous view. what could be better?
I took my parents here and we enjoyed our meal tremendously! The "indulgence" appetizer sampler was okay but our entrees were just as good as we expected for CIA. The dessert was a perfect finish.
Best of all, it was fun to watch the chefs cooking in the open kitchen area!
My only gripe was that my mom wouldn't let me finish my sampler of Merlots because I was driving: however, the sampler is a decent amount but not enough to warrant a mother's worries. : P
Loved it here. We got in a bit late and had just had apps at Bistro Jeaunty. Anyway, I got the scallops in a pea risotto and they were so melt in your mouth amazing! We finished with creme brulee and another unmemorable dessert. I'm not a dessert girl though so I can't really judge them on that.
My mom and I stumbled in without reservations one day, and were promptly seated. They have a french onion soup with a souffle topping, rare in these parts, which was very good. Their quail in lettuce cups was, in a word, phenomenal. I've had delicately prepared quail before and this had the melt-in-your-mouth receiving effect of a perfectly prepared filet mignon.
Because my mom's diabetic and trying to go vegetarian, she ordered a salad and a vegetarian dish of spinach and cauliflower. The waitress came back a bit later to ask if she would like mushrooms added in. Nice flexibility and creativity!
The salad was great, and the veggies were amazing. I'm a stir-fry cooker myself, and marveled at how they were able to combine the veggies yet retain their flavors, enhanced with seasonings.
For the price - a bit higher than other Hwy 29 places - the quality is astounding. A great experience and I will be back soon. Bravo.
PS: There are students who help with the service and their demeanor is quite refreshing.
The Culinary Institute serves a great meal which can range from a quick salad and a glass of wine all the way to a large, indulgent experience starting with caviar and ending with port, depending on how much time you have, what you wish to spend and whether or not you have a designated driver! The views from the patio are outstanding. The food is incredible. I have been there three times now. I always go for the French Onion Soup. It is $12 but worth every penny. For my entree I have selected the Miso Cod or the Hangar Steak. Depending on whether you feel like fish (flaky, melt in your mouth fish, that is) or beef, you cannot go wrong with either. The service and atmosphere are excellent.
I moved from Chicago to San Francisco in October. I often trumpet the excellent food/wine in northern California to my friends back home. When they visit, I bring them to the Culinary Institute to prove it.
Culinary Institute of America was a complete disappointment. Bad food and bad service. Only come here for the french onion soup.
We came here for a double date for me and my friend's birthdays. Our significant others planned this trip so we thought it was quite sweet.
I was really excited when I got there - cute store with lots of viking and cuisine art tools and utensils, open kitchen, extensive wine list... We sat down and ordered our food - half a dozen oysters, flight of hors d'oeuvre, french onion soup, halibut, seared scallops and a ribeye.
The oysters were average, hors d'oeuvres were just normal and the french onion soup was the best course of the day. The cheese was light and fluffy creating this amazing puff over a perfect soup. It was delish, and up till then, I still had a decent impression of the place.
Until we got to our main courses, which were horrible. completely bland and it feels like the chefs just threw in random things that don't go together in terms of flavour and texture and all. The food had almost no seasoning. It was just bad.
Our waitress asked us about our meal at the end, and we said the food was bland, and she just WALKS AWAY.
??!??!!??!?!!!!!
I couldn't believe it. She was nice enough to take our pictures at the end, but I can't believe she just ignored our comments on the food, when she was the one that asked for feedback!
I don't think I'll come here again unless I was in Napa wine tasting and too drunk to come to my senses - even that I don't think I'll order anything beyond the french onion soup.
The food was pretty good but you can tell that this is a learning kitchen as each course tends to be an obvious preparation or way of melding two flavors. This made the entire menu lack imagination. And to make matters worse, the price was a bit high considering that the chefs are still learning.
Really amazing meal, the best we had while in Napa. I had the Miso Cod which was perfectly done and really well seasoned. My wife had the hanger steak and it was so tender and good I almost wished I had ordered that instead. Both were perfect portions and moderately priced for the quality. We sat at the bar and the bartender/server couldn't have been nicer and more personable. All and all it was a perfect dining experience. Drive by Tra Vigne and look for the beautiful stone building on the other side of the street. You'll be happy you did.
Whenever I have out of town visitors who want to visit wine country but aren't big wine drinkers, I always take them to the CIA for a cooking demonstration for $12.50 per person. It's something a bit different for the tourists, but still showcases what Napa Valley has to offer: good food and beautiful scenery. Following the demonstration, you get to sample the dish created. On your way out, pick up a copy of the recipe if you are feeling a little adventurous in the kitchen. If you paid attention during the demo, it shouldn't be too hard to recreate.
Make online reservations and see what's on the menu at http://www.ciachef.edu...
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At the Culinary Institute of America, you get exactly what you would expect - an amazing meal. I've only been there once, but the lunch I had was absolutely delicious. The service was also great. The building and grounds are also interesting - definitely a great place to have lunch in Napa!
Best damn fish I've had in a LONG, LONG time!
My parents had some chocolate explosion dessert. My father couldn't quite wipe it off his face...It certainly LOOKED like he enjoyed it ;-).
Service was AOK.
Design/ layout was good. It's pretty cool that you can sit and watch everyone in the open kitchen.
They have a nice deck area also, with a pretty good view.
(Of interest to Sonoma/ Napa Valley Go-ers...)
The food was decent and the service was fine, but after the hype, I expected a lot more from a major food institution.
you don't have to dine at the restaurant or catch a cooking demo to enjoy this place. the building itself is gorgeous and the CIA store is fun to tinker in (very sur la table). this is the perfect stop if you need a minute to wear off that wine buzz..
The CIA at Greystone campus is housed in an old winery, an almost castle-like granite structure. The campus and its restaurant are on top of a small hill where they've carved out a gorgeous tiered garden of flowers and herbs. They do have a terrace outside of the restaurant with chairs and tables where you can sit and enjoy an expansive view of vineyards. During the day, they offer free tours of the building which is short, but pretty interesting. It's mostly on the history of the building, but they will take you up to the classroom kitchen; for some reason, though, they won't let you beyond the entry way of the kitchen, even when they're not conducting a class, which is kind of disapointing. There is a gift shop where they have cookbooks and kitchenware, some emblazoned with the CIA logo. The CIA tour doesn't merit a special stop on your jaunt to the Napa Valley, but if you end up there for lunch then you might as well take this free tour and explore the grounds a little.
Decent food, America's top culinary school, superb desserts, especially the chocolate ones.
