Restaurants

Another Fictional Fable with Food … by the Blogger Queen

It was like she had been completely reborn, rebuffed, and rejuvenated.  Judy had a massage at Indian Springs followed by a swim in their mineral pool.  This hiatus marked the beginning of her 40’s and she looked pretty hot and felt a little awesome.  She knew the men were checking her out while she walked down Lincoln Avenue, young and old.  “God bless squats” she chanted every morning as part of her regime. 

That morning she had been on a five mile run through vineyards and country roads before lunch.  The long rows of budding vines contrasting with the ocean of canary yellow mustard flowers almost brought tears to her eyes, or it was her allergies.  Being hungry made her bitchy so she headed over to Palisades Deli Cafe for lunch.  It was located in the original train depot from yester-year.  Quaint little shops were packed inside, but none interested her unless she could eat first. 

Palisades Deli Cafe

The cafe seemed a little chaotic and busy, although there weren’t that many customers.  She noticed one cashier and two sandwich makers.  She hoped this wouldn’t take too long so she ordered something she thought might be quick:  Asian Garden Wrap for $7.75.  Unfortunately, she sat at a dirty little table for sometime before the food was finally ready.  Luckily she was not a germ-a-phobe because none of the tables were being cleaned.  The tables were evacuated by the previous diner and sometimes the dishes remained on the table until the next diner came along to bus it for them. 

The wrap was a beautiful mixture of grilled vegies, steamed rice, fried wontons, and a spring mix.  There was supposed to be a spicey Szechuan sauce, but it was so mild that a child could drink it.  Judy was a vegetarian and she was just thrilled that she wouldn’t have to order another salad.  Although some protein would have been good in this, tofu for instance. but it was totally filling nonetheless.

Asian Garden Wrap

Sitting at the tables were old couples, youthful athletes, middle-age lovers on a weekend trip, and her.  The decor was equally as miscellany. But she felt somehow at home here.  It was hard to imagine that tomorrow she’d be heading back to her ordinary life as a Central Intelligence Agent. Maybe she could get her next assignment here.  She immediately started looking for suspicious looking people.

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Napa Valley California

Napa Valley, California is one of my favorite destinations for a culinary vacation. Sure, you know the wine lists are going to be amazing at practically any restaurant; this makes sense, seeing that Napa is America’s premiere wine making region. With all those famous local wineries supplying bottles of superb, top-of-the-line wine, the restaurants strive to live up to those high standards. And many restaurants in Napa Valley do just that – for lunch, none better than Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen is in the Napa Valley town of St. Helena, which is convenient: St. Helena has the best shopping (with the most charming stores) of all of the Napa Valley towns, so lunch here makes for the beginning of a lovely afternoon. The ambience here isn’t as sophisticated and refined as, say, Bouchon or the restaurant at the Auberge hotel – and for lunch, it shouldn’t be. A homey, welcoming decor, along with a friendly staff, almost guarantees that lunch here is going to be a relaxed, highly enjoyable one. That staff, by the way, is also skilled at wine-matching. Their advice is impeccable, should you be uncertain as to what to order with your meal.

Every menu item is fresh and delicious here, but frequent guests know that a first-timer can’t miss the crispy flatbread appetizer. I also recommend the roasted artichoke appetizer, if you’re willing to get a little messy. If you’re planning a big dinner and want a light lunch at Cindy’s, the avocado and papaya salad fits the bill. Otherwise – if you have a wine-tasting tour in the afternoon, and want more padding – try the spice-rubbed quail, steak frites, or Backstreet Burger. All are simply delicious. If you like comfort food for lunch, along with a friendly atmosphere free of pretention, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen is the perfect Napa Valley restaurant choice. Oh, and don’t forget to order the Campfire Pie for dessert! This Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen version of a smore is an excellent way to end one of the best lunches in the wine region of California.