Eat, Drink and Be Married: Experience the Magic of Napa Page 3

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Our writer visits this wine mecca to discover the best it has to offer for destination brides and honeymooners alike.

By: Stefania Sainato

For high country cuisine in a low country setting, Restaurant Cuvée is your best bet. Both Cuvée and the River Terrace Inn recently underwent a $2.7 million renovation; the former has been re-launched as “Napa’s Living Room,” making it a great place to mix and mingle with locals. At its heart and soul is Executive Chef Jordan Mackey, who has over 17 years of experience behind the stove and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Travel & Leisure and Entrée Magazine. He caters all of the food for destination weddings at River Terrace Inn, except for the cake, which is provided by Sweetie Cakes Bakery. Wow your wedding guests with farm-to-table dishes sourced from within a 100-mile radius giving new meaning to the word “fresh.”

If you must choose just one appetizer, go for the out-of-this-world Potato Dumplin’ Bruleé: take a silky bite and you’ll taste the smokiness of almonds tempered by the sweetness of raw honey. The succulent Braised Short Rib and spicy goat cheese Bruschetta are phenomenal picks as well.

For entrees, you can’t go wrong with the Butter Basted Sea Scallops (featuring shiitake mushrooms, fennel emulsion, and sea asparagus) or the Durham Ranch Striploin (potato 3 ways, bloomsdale spinach, zinfandel natural) if you’re craving something heartier.

Look around—all of the décor elements, and even some dishes off the menu, have a personal story behind them. The taxidermy on display was donated by a patron who is an award-winning hunter. The Aunty Luzaires’ Sweet Petal Bread, a carnival-like delight containing “petals of doughy goodness,” originated from a kitchen staffer's family recipe. Destination brides, take inspiration from this personal philosophy and serve up a meal from your first date or a childhood fave of you and your groom's at your Napa Valley wedding.