Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a vegetarian restaurant/yoga studio owned by Chef Jeremy Fox. Meat Meat Meat...I love my meat, bacon, and pork...I was skeptical about dining at Ubuntu, but I heard a lot of great things about this place despite the odd combination that it was also a yoga studio. They focus on local and seasonal ingredients, like many other restaurants in Napa. Additionally, you may find unique vegetables from their bio-dynamic garden. Keep in mind that the menu is probably different by the time you read this posting.
The atmosphere gave a studio/rustic/artistic feel. And it seemed to cater to the trendy and semi-casual diners or a good place to take someone out on a date. I found that the host stand being at the back of the restaurant to be a peculiar place to first welcome customers.
I was sold the first time I ate here for lunch, so I ate there 2 other times...so I pretty much tasted almost the whole menu by now. If you plan on getting full after one of their salad dishes, good luck with that.
Artichoke, Miner's Lettuce, & Parmesan Salad miso bagna cuada, black olive caramel, macadamia: For the little amount of ingredients in this salad, the parmesan really shined in this dish. It was simple and light, while the addition of the black olive caramel dots made it just a tad more complex.
Beets W/ Fork Crushed Avocado pistachio soil, chickweed, ruby grapefruit, beet tartare: I was really drawn to the whimsical plating of this dish. It was so colorful and vibrant that it took me back to spring. I can see the utilization of the beet...after cutting the perfect medium dice roasted beet, they take the scraps and turn it into the "beet tartare" and the rest pureed into a sauce. This dish lended towards the delicate and sweeter side with the roasted beets and toasted pistachios and the "fork crushed" avocado.
Crunchy Radishes, Local Chevre, & Nori mustard banyuls vinaigrette, hong vit, black salt: I felt like a rabbit eating a first class meal. I didn't like the rawness of the radishes, but I did like the variety and color. I found the mustard to be too overpowering and it didn't help bring out the taste of the radishes. I guess the radishes were just plain crunchy radishes. The quenelle of goat cheese was nothing special.
Organic Asparagus, Mushrooms, Toasted Brioche faux egg, asparagus puree, shaved asparagus, toasted brioche: The dish would have looked better on a white plate to bring out the bright green of the asparagus. Once again, all the uses of the asparagus was put to use. The asparagus puree didn't just taste like another form of asparagus, but offered a well seasoned and earthy spice to it. It was then complemented with the minced, earthy mushrooms. I really wish there was more brioche because I really like the crispy texture that it brought to the dish. The faux egg was suprisingly delicious. It tasted like an egg sandwich but in a different form. It was like a creamy bubble, but not one that exploded, but was just creamy, like a light mayo.
Rustic Rancho Gordo Yellow Bean Soup It tasted like minestrone. It wasn't bad or good. It was a good soup that would be nice during a cold winter night, but light enough that it could be eaten on a sunny spring day.
Carta De Musica Black Trumpet Mushroom If you love mushrooms, you will love this dish. It's hard to make mushrooms look bright and pretty even if you put it on a nice white dish. The mushrooms were juicy and tender. The crunchy thing was kind of bland, but it was a good texture element to the dish.
Grits & Brussel Sprouts I've got a soft spot for grits, especially when they are creamy and buttery. It tasted very much like polenta. I'm usually not a fan of brussel sprouts because they can be bitter, but when you fry them, you end up with kind of a bitter burnt from frying them...but in a good way. I don't really know how to explain it, but anything fried usually tastes good. I got a great sense of outdoor BBQ from the smoky apple puree. And then to freshen up the palate there was a side of apple salad. I love this dish. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Cauliflower In A Cast Iron Pot Ubuntu is known for this dish and I would say it's a must try. Who ever thought that making cauliflower into a cheesy, heavy casserole dish would be so tasty? It was the perfect portion that made me full, but not too full. Of course, that didn't stop me from ordering other things.
Carrot & Ginger Gnochetti It was a forest of carrots. You had carrot pureed as a sauce, made into a pasta, roasted on the side and a taste of raw baby carrots. This dish didn't just taste like all carrots though. it was like a carrot mac & cheese. I would like to think that I was being health concious by eating carrots, but with the creamyness of the cheese and the al dente pasta...there wasn't really anything healthy about it.
Sauerkraut and Emmentel Pizza Pizza is just pizza. It was a good pizza and a nice crust. It definately gave you your cheese fix, but I wouldn't go to ubuntu to order pizza. Try the other unique dishes.
Cheesecake In A Jar This dessert was so cute. It was such a friendly food presentation and I was reminded of being on a farm eating...cheesecake in a jar. It was almost like eating cheesecake batter before you bake it, but not as heavy or overly sweet.
Kiwi Citrus Float After trying this drink/dessert, i felt very Asian. I think it was the use of the tropical fruits and you normally don't see the use of kiwi in a dessert menu. If you want a dessert that's light and refreshing and would send you back to the tropics, get this dessert.
A Bowl of Frosted Feuilletine This is the adult way to eat cereal. Feuilletine is kind of like cornflakes, but sweeter. It was served with a warm malted milk and caramelized bananas. You feel like a kid, but this way of eating cereal was way more fun and entertaining.
Lastly, if and when you go here, you can expect a colorful, fresh and earthy menu. It wouldn't hurt to make a reservation. I'd expect to pay about $35 - $45/person. For all you meat lovers, hold the craving for that filet mignon and explore the vegetables! There's more to veggies than just a salad. I guess it would be a great way for your kids to eat them veggies!
Ubuntu Restaurant and Yoga Studio
1140 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 251-5656
