Tri-Valley Classic

women to watch
these east bay professionals are running the show in male-dominated fields
Tri-Valley
Classic
the restaurant
at wente Vineyards
turns 30, and it’s
better than ever
Guide to Napa’s
Hottest Music Fest
p. 5 2
M ay 20 1 6
$4.95
Wine and Dine in
Paso Robles
p. 4 2
The Best Mother’s
Day Gifts
p. 2 8
W W W. D I A B L O M A G. C O M
Food scene
news | reviews | tips | trends
Cause for Celebration
The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards turns 30—and reaches a moment of peak perfection.
by nicholas boer / photography by shannon mcintyre
D ia blo 61
I
In April 1986, near the end of a long
road that winds through Livermore’s
centuries-old wine country, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards began its
culinary adventure. Fashioned near the
underground caves of Wente’s wine
cellars, the stately establishment staked
a claim as a destination restaurant in a
rural suburb.
Since then, dozens of wineries have
sprung up across the Livermore Valley,
drawing visitors from near and far. The
once cow town has become nightlife
central, with a downtown arts center,
live music venues, and an alphabet of
restaurants running the gamut from
Afghan to Vietnamese.
Wente’s transformation has been
slow but no less dramatic. Outside, a
world-class golf course was built, the
restaurant’s vegetable garden grew
from a patch to half an acre, and the
property’s summer concert series began
to draw thousands for the ultimate in
dinner and a show.
Inside, the restaurant’s main dining
room originally had a somewhat austere feel, but all the dining venues now
feel warm and welcoming, bathed in
soft light, richly carpeted, and set with
plush chairs you’ll never want to vacate—
especially after a great bottle of wine.
6 2 m ay 2 0 1 6
Over the years, the restaurant’s
cuisine has drifted from dainty Californian to American rustic. But now,
as it celebrates its 30th, Wente is in balance: Portions are generous, flavors are
sublime, and presentations are naturally
stylish. Best of all, the quality of ingredients has never been better.
Much credit goes to Mike Ward, a
New York–trained chef who arrived at
Wente last year after running the kitchen
at Tyler Florence’s El Paseo in Mill Valley.
El Paseo’s meat-centric menu proved
to be the ideal springboard for Ward’s
current position.
Wente uses whole animals, even offering estate-raised beef. (The cattle are
allowed the equivalent of one glass of
red wine over their last 120 days.) Ward
calls himself “a true carnivore,” but he’s
also known as a meat geek.
“I buy one duck and cook it four
ways,” says Ward. “One hog produces
40 different dishes.” Ward’s charcuterie
spread, based on a program built by previous chef Matt Greco, is best ordered to
start a meal. Greco and Ward’s similar
food styles and philosophies have helped
the restaurant come into its own.
While there is plenty of protein, the
food is anything but one-dimensional.
Ward deliberately builds a blueprint for
each dish to create an intriguing interplay of texture, color, aroma, and acidity.
And Ward’s passion for produce, stoked
by a stint working at a 150-acre farm,
ties it all together.
“Balance,” says Ward, “is the most
important ingredient.”
One recent evening, the roasted
chicken breast was supernaturally
moist from tip to plump center; the
extra-thick, signature smoked pork
chop was veal-tender; and my succulent $60 rib eye was large enough to
share with my four tablemates.
It’s Ward’s talent for accessorizing,
however, that turns rustic into refined.
Wisps of emerald watercress and winter
vegetables garnished that dry-aged rib
eye; the wing-jointed chicken breast
rested on a pink puree of goat cheese and
piquillo peppers; and the edge-charred
pork chop was cloaked by the frizzled
green-white hearts of frisée.
Seafood also gets its due. We savored
darkly caramelized day boat scallops,
sea bass spiked with saffron and smoky
squid, and hamachi crudo flecked with
seasonal citrus.
Of course, even a bean-and-cheese
burrito from Taco Bell (Ward’s one “addiction”) would be worth the drive to
eat in this romantic setting—one of
the Bay Area’s most popular wedding
venues. The patio is a wonderful spot
for brunch, or to watch the sun set over
vineyards and rolling hills.
Remember, too, that this is a wine
country restaurant, and Wente’s list—
more accurately, a tome—has been
world-class from the get-go. There are
upward of 1,000 selections, more than
a quarter of which are held for aging or
special requests. The vast majority come
from California, including a slice from
Livermore Valley’s 50-plus wineries.
As for the price range (which encompasses more than two dozen half-bottles
and roughly a dozen magnums), you
have some options. A 2011 Chardonnay
from Livermore’s Concannon Winery
goes for $24, whereas a bottle of a cult
Cabernet Sauvignon can set you back
more than 50 times that much.
The restaurant has always been
compelling, but it has never been so
sophisticated or all of a piece. It may
have taken three decades to peak, but
as they say with wines, the best improve
with age.
Contact: 5050 Arroyo Rd., Livermore,
(925) 456-2450, wentevineyards.com/
restaurant. Lunch Mon.–Sat., dinner
daily, brunch Sun.
D ia blo 63