As we’ve stated previously, we want to share our excursions out to Napa Valley restaurants, wineries, and attractions, to help you during your next stay at The Wine Country Inn.

Today we talk about (er, rave about) Bottega Restaurant. Bottega is the brainchild from Napa boy and celebrity chef Michael Chiarello. It’s approximately a 15 minute drive from Wine Country Inn, but, in our opinion, well worth it!

Bottega does it ALL well: beautiful rustic decor; exceptional service; and award-winning Italian food. Among the items we tried included:

Polenta Under Glass, with caramelized mushrooms & balsamic game sauce (one of their signature items!), and

Red Wheat Tagliarini Bolognese, with veal, pork & porcini mushroom sugo, rosemary, and parmigiano reggiano.

Dessert was a chocolate “lava” cake that, as one of the wives proclaimed, was “TDF: To Die For!”

Insiders’ Tips:

1. At first glance, the wines-by-the-glass prices seem very high (even compared to Napa Valley standards). But the wines come in a carafe which is really one-and-a-half or even one-and-three-quarters glasses of wine, making the price very reasonable.

2. Let the Bottega team know ahead of time if you are celebrating any special occasion. We were (a birthday), and they added several nice touches that really enhanced our dining experience.

3. Chiarello has a companion retail store next door, called Napa Style. You might want to schedule your reservation early in the evening, and then arrive at least 20 minutes early to peruse first Napa Style.

4. Try the Polenta Under Glass. It’s simply of the best dishes in the entire Napa Valley, period, end of story!