(707) 944-2222
Parking: street parking
http://reddnapavalley.com/
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm, Sun 11am - 2:30pm, Dinner Daily 5:30p to 9:30pm
Last Visited: December 7, 2013
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$$
Fellow foodie James has been telling me to go to Redd for some time now, ever since he went for a dinner party with a large group. Vivian's recent visit also made it sound inviting - she shared a number of dishes with her dining mates and was pleased, so I figured that since I was in the area, it would be a treat to stop in. The restaurant was decorated with lots of clear lights and a Christmas tree, and with the heater on high on this cold night, it was a cozy setting to enjoy a nice meal.
We were seated in the dining area closest to the entrance and bar, so as the evening wore on, the cold air from outside would come in (it would be a good idea to place some type of divider to prevent that), and the noise from the bar would waft over. This seemed much less intrusive in the main dining area.
To be able to try a sampling of multiple dishes, we opted to get more appetizers and share a main entree.
- Yellowfin Tuna Tartare - Asian pear, avocado, chili oil, fried rice, cilantro. If you like ahi poke, you'll appreciate this tuna. They have done a good job removing any hint of silver skin and the avocado adds smoothness while the Asian pear gives it a little bit of sweetness. I wondered what it meant when I saw fried rice on the menu, and it's actually better named puffed rice. However, it would have been much better with less puffed rice - since there was so much, it was like eating cereal with my fish. At Izakaya Sozai in San Francisco, they offer a similar dish without the Asian pear and serve it with lotus root chips. I think that's a much better pairing of crispiness with fresh tuna because you're not overwhelmed by crunch. Okay as a whole - better with less fried rice. $15
- Carnaroli Risotto - Maine lobster, meyer lemon confit, truffle oil. This is listed as one of their signature dishes. I know how hard it is to make risotto, so I always like to try it at restaurants. Carnaroli refers to a medium-grained rice that is typically used for making risotto. The lobster pieces were very tender, but the risotto was very soft and although it wasn't soup, it seemed not to hold up as well as it could. I thought there was also too much lemon which masked the lobster flavor rather than bringing out the flavor. Just okay. $16
- Caramelized Diver Scallops - cauliflower, capers, almonds, golden raisins, balsamic reduction. The scallops are also listed as one of their signature dishes, and I would have to agree - of all the things that I tried this evening, this was by far the best. The scallops are cooked just right with the outsides beautifully brown and crisp. The cauliflower and capers paired are balanced by the sweetness of the raisins. Serving size is small, but this is definitely worth getting. Very good. $16/$31
- Crispy Chicken Thigh - lentils, foam - If there were a dish to get an award for being most difficult to understand, this would be it. Why would you crisp something and then surround it with foam to make it soggy? The chicken thigh was tender and the outside skin was crispy like from a frying pan, not crispy like fried chicken. This in itself was okay, but serving it on top of a bed of lentils and surrounded by foam made me think of a split pea soup with chicken on top. Sure, foam looks cool when you're presenting something, but I would have rather had it without the foam. $14
After our meal, when we declined dessert, we received two mint chocolate chip macaroons and cinnamon shortbread stars dusted with confectioner's sugar. I thought the shortbread was delicious with its full flavor and texture and wouldn't have minded the ability to ordering a larger serving of them. Plates were changed between servings of sets of dishes which was seemingly unnecessary at times, but definitely a way to demonstrate good service. Water was frequently refilled. Our server was friendly, but the way the kitchen sent out food sometimes made me wonder - the chicken thigh took a while to come out despite being listed as an appetizer - I guess they figured it was more of a main dish for us.
Parking is easy and the restroom is worth checking out to look at the sink.
Overall, there are elements of great food on every plate, but for me, some of the pairings didn't seem to go together. Service was efficient and attentive, but perhaps my expectations were too high. Redd is a good stop, but smaller restaurants in San Francisco do some of these dishes better.
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