Here begins my one week adventure in Napa Valley at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA for foodies and wannabes).

I shouldn’t really call this day one because it was 6:00pm when I arrived and I nearly was out of luck getting a rental car at the Santa Rosa airport.  Being a small airport the rental agencies close at 6.  This is something I didn’t read in the fine print when I booked my car reservation.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Napa and I forgot how spread out the wine regions are.  The trip from the airport to Napa was almost an hour and it was through winding roads with other drivers obviously coming back from a hard day of wine sampling at the myriad wineries I recognized driving by on the way.  Charles Krug, Robert Mondavi, Beau Vista, and Chandon were just a few I recognized.

I was mildly surprised to find that my hotel, The Best Western Napa, didn’t totally suck.  I was expecting the same smelly, stiff sheeted affair I stayed in LA when I visited my son, Jordan last year.  This Best Western is modern, clean and actually very hip.  So hip that a group of thirty somethings are yucking it up in the pool outside my window.

My initial plan was to get in a run when I arrived but hunger won out over the fix to run five miles.  Yelp on my iPhone did not prove to be very helpful; I can’t believe that a restaurant in The Marriott is “amazing!”  Zagat on google recommended a gaggle of local restaurants close to my hotel.  I choose “The Pearl” because it sounded a lot like my favorite sushi restaurant in Bellevue.

“The Pearl” is in the old downtown of Napa on Pearl street.  This small restaurant was crowded but one of the benefits being alone is that you can sit at the bar and kibbutz with the bartender who will pour you extra large portions of wine or make your martini memorable.  In the case of “The Pearl”, the bar was up against the kitchen so you get an up close view of the workings of a kitchen.  I didn’t have to look at the menu, I just waited long enough to see everything being made and settled on their meatloaf.  I know, I know meatloaf is not something I would typically order and those who know me as Jimmy know that meatloaf has not been a favorite of mine for many years.  The meatloaf was served with Brussels sprouts, creamy polenta (or maybe that was mashed potatoes?) and a red gravy that made me want to eat the plate.

I was lucky to sit next to a couple who told me that they were Napa natives which is a very rare find for this area.  As all conversations evolve I told them that I was in town to take cooking classes at The Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA) and one of the highlights was a reservation for The French Laundry.  Kismet was my friend as I learned the wife of my bar neighbor was part of the original family that owned The French Laundry and sold it to Thomas Keller ten years ago.  I got to hear about all of the fond memories she had helping out in the restaurant and their son, Perry, becoming passionate about cooking and eventually becoming a Michelin-starred chef (he is the youngest by the way.)  I had a great time learning about the history of Yountville where Thomas Keller’s restaurants are located as well as the great meals they had as a family.  I will not soon forget Bill and Kathy Hoffman.

Read more about my CIA adventure in part 2!