• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    wine guy wednesday

    CultureMap Wine Guy Chris Shepherd serves up his must-visit Napa Valley restaurants and bars

    Chris Shepherd
    Apr 12, 2023 | 1:40 pm

    Editor's note: Long before Chris Shepherd became a James Beard Award-winning chef, he developed enough of a passion for wine to work at Brennan's of Houston as a sommelier. He maintains that interest to this day. When Chris expressed interest in writing about wine-related topics for CultureMap, we said yes.

    In this week's column, he shares his favorite bars, restaurants, and food shops in Napa Valley. Take it away, Chris.

    A month ago, I shared my list of wineries I love to visit in Napa, and now it’s time to talk about the food! Here’s a list of places I’ve loved for a long time as well as some new discoveries. Let’s take a tour of the valley — South to North.

    Just a reminder that places in Napa are not as close together as they seem. If you’re staying in the city of Napa and have reservations in St. Helena, plan ahead. Rideshares are few and far between, and booking cars can be expensive. Dinners require some thought, but that’s why lunches are always a great option.

    City of Napa

    Let’s start with the obvious: Oxbow Market. It’s a fun haven of deliciousness, whether it’s in the morning for coffee at Ritual Roasters (one of my favorites!) or bagels at Loveski’s Deli, a restaurant from Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow. Oxbow is home to an outpost of Hog Island Oyster Co., which has a great patio for sipping Champagne and slamming oysters — one of our favorite places to go in Napa. Don’t sleep on the clam chowder.

    If you have an Airbnb, Oxbow is a great spot to get groceries and stock up on wine and cheese. Bordering the market is one of the great butcher shops in the country, Fatted Calf. Next door is the famed Model Bakery. Be prepared to wait in line, but once you’re in, get yourself an English muffin. There’s also a Gott’s Roadside here, but we’ll talk about that more later.

    If you’re looking for a nice lunch and a killer bottle of wine, head over to Compline. Order a French dip and a bottle of Tempier Rosé (I’ll order it anywhere I find it!). There’s also an extensive bottle shop here with a lot of selections.

    I recently had my first meal at Bistro Don Giovanni, a classic Italian bistro that’s been in Napa for 25 years. It has a good wine list, pretty good cocktails, and it’s always busy with locals. It sounds crazy, but we ordered the Bambini pizza, which is pepperoni with French fries. It was good! The Bolognese was great, and their mandilli, a handkerchief pasta with pesto, was delicious. This group just opened Scala Osteria downtown a few months ago. The décor is more modern, food and service is great, and they stay open late! The Acciughe Bianchi is a fantastic salad of white anchovies, celery, Calabrian chiles, and lemon.

    Bistro Don Giovanni pizzaYes, those are french fries on that pizza.Photo by Chris Shepherd

    If you want to sit at the bar and enjoy some terrine and French wines, Angèle is your spot.

    For the unexpected, if you’re craving ravioli, spaghetti, deli sandwiches (to-go only!), and a bottle of highly allocated bourbon, then Lawler’s Liquor is your place! I saw bottles there that I’ve never seen before. I can’t believe I’m saying that, because it almost never happens. They have bourbon on the shelf that you’ve only read about. When was the last time you saw Van Winkle on the shelf??This is one of my honey holes, and I’m giving it up!

    When you live in Houston, it’s hard to go too long without dumplings or some dim sum. Stop by Empress M. Is it the most amazing dim sum I’ve ever had? Sometimes you just need a dumpling. That’s all I’m going to say.

    If you’re staying in Napa, Cadet is the place to go after dinner. They have an amazing wine selection from all over the world—a lot of wines you don’t see on lists very often and some of the nicest staff around.

    Yountville

    Let’s head to Yountville, the home of Thomas Keller. Any self-proclaimed foodie (I hate that word!) should visit his spots. The French Laundry is a bucket list dining experience, for sure. Bouchon is a fantastic lunch spot, and a stop at Bouchon Bakery is a must. We haven’t been to his Mexican spot La Calenda or his caviar spot Regiis Ova, but I’ve heard great things about both.

    Mustard’s Grill is an iconic restaurant that’s been feeding Napa Valley for more than 40 years. I went for the first time this March and had a great lunch. The menu is right — the chicken wings are “crazy good.” So was the pork chop, chicken, and onion rings. Dessert? Can’t beat a lemon ice box pie. Classic, simple, and fantastic. I watched multiple party buses drop off large groups in the hour and a half I was there.

    Oakville

    There’s really only one place to stop — Oakville Grocery. It’s a great spot to stop in the morning for breakfast, great sandwiches for lunch, and a perfect place to stop if you’re planning a picnic somewhere. A lot of people love the pizza — it's great if you love Neapolitan-style.

    Rutherford

    Arguably, one of the busiest restaurants in all of Napa Valley is Rutherford Grill, which is owned by the Hillstone Group. If you’re craving some spinach artichoke dip, make a reservation in advance because it’s always busy!

    St. Helena

    No trip to Napa Valley is complete without a visit to Farmstead. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in the Valley — great people, great food, great space. 10/10. They grow their own beef, and they grow a lot of their own vegetables in the onsite garden and at the farm down the street. They also produce their own olive oil and wines (Long Meadow Ranch). They have an outdoor live fire arena where they do special dinners with guest chefs. Keep your eye out for that. (hint, hint)

    Across the street is another one of my favorite spots, The Charter Oak by chef Christopher Kostow. Things to order every time: the bread, the crudite (trust me, this is where to get it because they grow their own vegetables), the burger is the real deal, and never miss a side of the steamed California grown Komachi rice with cultured butter. It’s one of my true loves.

    Gott’s Roadside, the original Taylor Grocery, is known for its burgers — all of them. Choose from 11 different types of burgers, but the one I hear the most about is the ahi burger. Can’t say I’ve ever had it, but this is a great place to sit outside, grab some food and a shake or a half bottle of wine, and enjoy the beautiful St. Helena sites.

    Everything in Napa closes pretty early, and there’s not a lot of cocktails. The two places you can always find a good drink are in St. Helena — Goose and Gander and Ana’s Cantina.

    The Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen is across the street from Ana’s — great for some saag paneer and tandoori. Azteca Market is a great breakfast spot that opens at 7:30am.

    Calistoga

    I’ll be honest. I’ve neither stayed nor eaten in Calistoga. But there might be something good up there, so y’all tell me!

    The French Laundry restaurant
      

    The French Laundry/Facebook

    Yountville, California is home to chef Thomas Keller destinations such as the legendary French Laundry.

    -----

    Contact our Wine Guy via email at chris@chrisshepherdconcepts.com.

    Chris Shepherd won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2014. Last year, he parted ways with Underbelly Hospitality, a restaurant group that currently operates four Houston restaurants: Wild Oats, GJ Tavern, Underbelly Burger, and Georgia James. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a non-profit he co-founded with his wife Lindsey Brown, has distributed more than $10 million to hospitality workers in crisis through its Emergency Relief Fund.

    news/travel
    popular
    news
    series/wine-guy-wednesday-chris-shepherd
    series

    T+L in HOU

    Travel + Leisure includes Houston stay on 100 best new hotels list

    Holly Beretto
    Apr 17, 2025 | 12:45 pm
    Hotel Saint Augustine entrance
    Photo by Julie Soefer
    undefined

    Hot on the heels of being named one of Esquire magazine’s best new hotels in the world of 2025, Houston's Hotel Saint Augustine has picked up another accolade. The Montrose property landed on Travel + Leisure’s 100 Best New Hotels of the Year this week. It's the only Texas hotel to make the list.

    The magazine noted the property “feels true to the destination and is a perfect addition to Houston's growing hospitality scene,” noting details that pay tribute to Houston’s history, like the Night Heron cocktail named after the city’s official bird and that the hotel itself takes its own name from Augustus Chapman, one of Houston’s founders.

    When Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels opened Saint Augustine back in December of 2024, it was a much-anticipated addition to the Bayou City’s hospitality scene. Adjacent to the world-renowned Menil Collection, the Hotel Saint Augustine blends seamlessly into its surroundings with a quiet elegance and luxury amenities.

    “For us, Hotel Saint Augustine offers a chance to become part of a neighborhood that deeply aligns with the Bunkhouse ethos,” Bunkhouse senior VP of design and development Tenaya Hills said when it first opened. “Montrose, and by extension, the Museum District and Houston at large, foster an incredible sense of community, of creativity, of old world and new. We wanted to create a place where everyone could come and feel as welcome and inspired. As the next iteration of our Saint hotels, we aim to provide the same unique feeling of seclusion, of permission to be indulgent, and, most of all, completely at ease.”

    With 71 rooms across five, two-story buildings, many with courtyard views, the Saint Augustine has quickly become known for being both upscale and approachable. Reviews thus far on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp call the property “simply stunning,” with a “fun atmosphere,” and “a treasure…in the heart of Houston.”

    On the Travel + Leisure list, the hotel is ranked among properties such as the Hotel Hana in Paris, The Lotus Palace in India, and the Palm House in Palm Beach, Florida. Room rates start at $429 per night.

    news/travel
    popular
    news
    series/wine-guy-wednesday-chris-shepherd
    series
    Loading...