Tra Vigne

My final California culinary adventure from our recent trip that I will be writing about is Tra Vigne. After doing a lot of research, I got a recommendation to check out http://www.napaman.com/. His write-up of Tra Vigne instantly made me want to experience it. He wrote about two of my favorite Italian dishes, fresh mozzarella, and Steak Florentine.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was not sure what to make of the décor. Tra Vigne seemed incredibly large in comparison to the other restaurants we had visited in Napa and I had a moment of concern that we had walked into an “Italian tourist trap”. We were seated quickly and our waiter came over and began to discuss the menu. From that point on, I knew we were in good hands.

Freshly pulled mozzarella

The go-to appetizer is their freshly pulled mozzarella, made to order. Now, I can’t even begin to tell you how many places I have eaten fresh mozzarella, including Italy, and I have never had it served this way. It took me a few bites to get adjusted to the warmth and texture, but once I got over my pretenses, I found this dish to be pretty tasty. The olive oil garlic rubbed crostini were the perfect partner for this warm and gooey must-try starter.

Pumpkin ravioli with butter sage sauce.

The next dish we ordered was the pumpkin ravioli with butter-sage sauce (one of my all time favorite pasta dishes). The homemade pasta was cooked al dente and the creamy, buttery, but not overly rich, filling was a perfect combination of savory and sweet. Of course, it is hard to go wrong with a browned butter-sage sauce. I will say the chef did a fantastic job of infusing the sage into the sauce. While it was a heavy dish, it wasn’t overwhelming.

Finally, the piece de resistance. Steak Florentine.

Now onto the main course….When the steak Florentine first came out, Chris and I both looked at one another and said “wow”! It is a porterhouse steak and the dish is overwhelming in size, particularly for two people (you could easily split this dish between four people). After multiple appetizers and some bread, we felt a little defeated when the waiter served us this enormous steak, along with spinach and potato sides. However, we pushed through, and after the first bite we grinned and went in for more. The presentation of the dish was spectacular - simple and rustic but still well organized and clean. We ordered the meat medium rare and the temperature was spot on. The meat was rested properly so that there was no blood dripping on the platter. Most importantly, the quality of this local meat was top notch. Crusted with sea salt, garlic, and rubbed with rosemary and olive oil, this was a true steak lover’s dream. While the sides were good, the steak was hands down the winner of our meal.

On a side note, they have a great wine list and decent beer selection. After a long day of wineries and a belly full of steak, unfortunately there wasn't another inch of space for dessert.

Thank you Napa Man for the recommendation! A few tips, the steak Florentine is not on the menu and while it’s a house specialty, they only have a limited number of steaks each night. So, if you want to sample this delightful dish, I would recommend going on the earlier side. Additionally, if you go with just one other person, you would be best to order one appetizer to share and the steak will be plenty to fill your belly!

Tra Vigne

Travignerestaurant.com

(707) 963-4444

Address:

1050 Charter Oak Avenue

St. Helena, CA 94574

Hours:

Monday – Saturday: 11:30 – 9:00

Sunday: Brunch 11:00 – 3:00 / Dinner 3:00 – 9:00