Napa Rose - Oui Oui - Pt1

So tonight* is the V Day dinner at the Napa Rose, no not Victory Day, but Valentines Day. Almost a week late but thanks be told the wife is not adamant about the "day".

So she has been to the Napa Rose before, I have not, and I'm a bit unnerved about it. Going here for the first time, not her being here before. I'm a bit shocked, seeing has we've been to "fancy shmancy" places before and she said she was not impressed by them. I'm wanting to expand my "culinary palate" so to speak and there really is nothing on the menu that I see as "ooohhh aahhhh". Now I know that places like this have a changing menu because of the varying ingredients due to seasonal availability, though it is the 2010 Winter menu. They may also have a daily special that is not displayed.

With that said, there were a few items on the menu that piqued my interest, namely the duck and the rack of lamb. Duck I have not had (but thanks to Julie, I am dying to try), and I never get tired of lamb, as long as it is prepared well.

The big item I am interested in is the wine. Thanks to my Dad, I've developed a taste for wine, namely because he gave me a tasty grenache while up in Portland last Summer. Since then I've been more apt to venturing out on the wino trail. I've picked up a point of two in looking for wine, but my skills are severely limited and I'm partial to red at the moment. White is just something else that I need to learn at a later date.

On a side note, if I had carte blanche for the evening here is what I would do, actually two scenarios.

1 - I would go the way of the prix fixe with the wine. That's $130 or $85 sans wine, per person.

Manila Clams
Sauteed Veal Sweetbreads
Braised Angus "Beef Pot Roast"
Baked Crepes filled with Milk Chocolate   
*Vintners menu changes weekly

2 -  While the usual seafood starters generally have sway with me, I would go route of the quail,  this is followed by the portabello soup. The main course would have to be the lamb rack and ending with the chocolate truffle cake. $83 per person, not including drinks.

Oak Roasted Sonoma Quail - $16
Portobello Mushroom Bisque "Cappuccino" - $15
Walnut Crusted Mountain Meadows Lamb Rack - $40
Scharffen Berger Chocolate "Truffle Cake" - $12


I'll have a review and update after the meal.

*Last minute change of plans, going to King's Fish House instead. Napa is postponed til her bday. So Pt2 will be later, though I'll have a review for King's.