ZinsValley Review
Napa Valley cuisine with a smattering of Asian highlights and a big Zinfandel wine list. One of the more underrated restaurants in the city of Napa.
ZinsValley
3253 Browns Valley Road
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 224-0695
ZinsValley website
Google Maps to ZinsValley
Hours:
Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 - 2:30
Dinner: Monday - Saturday, opens 5:00p.m.
ZinsValley food
ZinsValley's name comes from the extensive Zinfandel list that they have. I think there are something like 25-30 on the wine list. Their food is similar to their taste in wine. It's on the stronger, bolder side like a good Zin. If you're in the mood for a delicate little meal, ZinsValley probably isn't the place for you unless you are a salad lover (bah).
Appetizers
Well, we've had their fried calamari with their little sriracha dipping sauce which was ok. The sauce is interesting because it was a combination of sriracha, fennel, beans, and onion, but the calamari itself was just ok. The dish happens to be the size of a small mountain if you need to feed a number of people at once. We liked the sweet onion rings with blue cheese sauce better. Some humongous onion rings with a thick and flaky (panko?) crust on it. Goes very well with the blue cheese.
Soup of the day is always a good pick on a cold Napa night when the big fireplace is lit up. Their cream mushroom soup hit the spot altho ah burnt mah tohng a bith.
Entrees
Overall, we like ZinsValley's flavoring quite a bit. Strong and zesty. I've had the Grilled Kobe Bavette with Yukon Gold Potato Mashers, Salsa Verde. Wonderful meat. Not very much of it which is always the case with Kobe. :( The Garlicky Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta, Tomatoes and Feta Cheese was good. The Hoisin Grilled Pork Chop with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage and House Made Mustard Crème Fraiche was also very tasty although I didn't pick up the wasabi too much in the potatoes. I thought the Coconut Yellow Curry with Baby Bok Choy, Yams, Shitake Mushrooms, Snow Peas & Jasmine Rice was a bit on the bland side given the ingredient list. It sounded better than it tasted.
Below is the achiote-rubbed flank steak with a poblano chile relish and mashed potatoes. I thought the flank steak was a little under-seasoned, but the poblano chile relish with the mashed potatoes was delicious. Mildly spicy and added a little hot and sour kick to the dish.
Here's a duck confit pizza that we ordered with caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, and pesto. Overall, we really liked the dish except it was surprisingly undersalted. The dough, the toppings, etc. Once we put a little salt on it, the flavors really started to come out better and we actually ended up enjoying it.
As you can tell by the menu item names, ZinsValley does have its share of Asian influences in their Californian cooking. Purists might balk and admittedly sometimes things taste a little on the forced side in terms of putting these ingredients together. Sometimes I wonder if the dishes would work better if they didn't have this much of an Asian angle. But like I said, we do like the overall taste of the food here. It's definitely a certain point of view.
One thing we'll always remember about ZinsValley is that they introduced to us to one of our favorite Zinfandels, the Monster Zinfandel from Norman Vineyards in Paso Robles, which is a really great Zin if you just want an over-the-top Zin. That one is a guilty pleasure.
Desserts
Desserts at ZinsValley are ok. They aren't great, but they aren't bad either if you're craving something sweet. We've had a few, but here's the cheesecake with Guiness sauce and pistachio crust
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ZinsValley setting and service
ZinsValley is another one of those tough to find but worthwhile places. If you click on the Google Maps link, you can see it's off Browns Valley Road, but it is hidden from the road as it sits behind a beauty salon and other small stores. Service overall is friendly although coincidentally we've never gone when there was a full crowd. But we've been to other semi-empty places and the service seems friendlier at ZinsValley. Inside, it goes for a more rustic, earthy feel. Lots of brown, lots of wood, a large fireplace in the middle of the dining area. I've been told their patio seating has a nice view, but we haven't gone during the day to enjoy it.
On a totally unrelated note, there are a number of stray cats around that entire shopping center.
Price for our meal
Appetizer, 2 glasses of wine, entree, desser, tax + tip = $95
Zinsvalley's food can sometimes be uneven, but we still think it's flavors are some of the more underrated in the city of Napa. Its definitely off the beaten path as restaurants go, and if you want to visit a restaurant that isn't on people's radar, you should give it a shot.
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