Yountville has perhaps the world’s highest per capita concentration of Michelin stars—the Napa Valley town has only 3,000 residents but six stars. One belongs to chef Richard Reddington, whose REDD restaurant has, since its opening in late 2005, been a favorite of those looking for innovative cuisine in a casual setting. Before REDD, Reddington had stints at San Francisco’s Masa’s and Jardiniere, as well as Napa’s Auberge de Soleil. The menu is contemporary American, though with decidedly international influences: pork belly is served with a soy caramel sauce, while the braised and roasted lamb is seasoned with garam masala.
The restaurant eschews the formality of the town’s most famous restaurant, the French Laundry, for a sun-filled room in minimalist white and a courtyard where the sounds of a fountain accompany meals. It is no wonder that while the French Laundry has made a name for itself as a “special occasion” restaurant, REDD is a favorite of locals, where you may find yourself seated between a vintner and a chef on his night off when you pull up to the bar and order some fish tacos.
This winter, Reddington opened a second restaurant—the even more casual Redd Wood, located in the North Block Hotel. Picture windows with the restaurant’s name in gold letters overlooking the northern end of Washington Street, Yountville’s main drag. If the décor is old world – with dark woods, brass fixtures and tiled floors – the California sun still fills the room. While REDD’s menu is heavy on French and Asian influences, Redd Wood is an osteria meets pizzeria. Charcuterie is prepared in-house while roasted main dishes like quail (served with polenta, spinach and apricot agrodolce) emerge from the wood-burning oven. Perhaps needless to say, but the arugula, mushrooms, spinach and other produce that top the pizzas are all locally sourced, as are the cheeses. Main courses range from $26 to $31, but with pastas from $15 to $18, the restaurant is refreshingly more accessible than many of the town’s starred options.
REDD
6480 Washington St.
Yountville, Calif. 94599
(707) 945-0447
Redd Wood
6755 Washington St.
Yountville, Calif. 94599
(707) 299-5030
