Press

Date & Time: Saturday March 14, 2009 @ 10:00pm
Company: Steve
Crowd: Well-heeled foodies and private celebrities (namely Evan Handler/Harry from Sex & The City and a comedian from Reno 911)
Decor: Glass-paneled farmhouse with high ceilings and a casual yet sophisticated interior design, allowing for a very unpretentious vibe
Service: Could be more attentive (slight confusion about WHO was actually waiting on us, and somewhat slow given the restaurant was fairly empty at 10pm), but pleasant overall
Devour: 8 oz Filet Mignon with Sauteed Spinach on the side. I also stole the Carmelized Bananas off my date's Profiteroles desert plate.

Located adjacent to Dean & DeLuca, the exterior of Press is somewhat unassuming. However, at night, with lights wound around tree limbs and a barrier wall separating the restaurant from the busy St Helena highway, the atmosphere was calm and magical. The interior space is anchored by a wall of wine on one end and a large fireplace on the other. Like many Napa Valley restaurants, the menu is centered around fresh, seasonal ingredients that are farmed locally. This is why the menu changes on a daily basis, but steak is always the highlight!

Given the overall vibe of the restaurant, I really wanted to like it...and I did, but my stomach did not. When dining in a high-end establishment, it is easy for the gluten-intolerant to become more lax. I usually grill the waiter to make sure he understands the limitation of my disease (no gluten! no vinegar! no cross-contamination!), but when you're in a nice restaurant you can wrongly assume that they are fluent in preparing gluten-free meals. My filet mignon was absolutely mouth-watering and gave off a distinct roasted hickory flavor. [Side Note: I ordered my steak Medium-Rare and it came out Medium, and my date ordered his stake Medium-Plus and it came out Well.] I'm assuming the gluten culprit was either in the sauteed spinach (supposedly sauteed in vegetable stock and olive oil) or the glazed bananas off the profiterole desert plate.

I would like to say I'd go back, but I would be very hesistant. If I do, you can be sure the waiter will get an earful from me.

http://www.presssthelena.com/
587 St Helena Hwy S
St Helena, CA 94574
707.967.0550