Featured Image: Meritage Resort
Most Napa trips involve driving from restaurant to restaurant, hunting down the right spot for every mood and meal, and fighting booking platforms for when reservation times and drive times line up perfectly. The Meritage Resort flips that script with a lineup of dining options that actually delivers on both variety and quality—all without leaving one singular property.
Here’s a deep dive on everywhere you can dine in one destination.
Ember Steak
This is the crown jewel of the resort and easily worth the trip there on its own if you’re celebrating a special occasion. We worked our way through the menu during our dinner here—sushi topped with gold flakes and caviar, a massive shrimp cocktail, fresh oysters, and perfectly seared ribeyes. The ribeyes arrived with that perfect char on the outside, but were still tender and juicy inside. And although massive, I found room in my second stomach and finished the entire thing without regret.
But steakhouse sides are just as important as the main event IMO, and the ones here are noteworthy: mac and cheese loaded with gruyère, comté, bacon, scallions, and raclette (my favorite cheese, and perhaps food, ever), potatoes in multiple forms—mashed, twice-baked, fried, sauteed mushrooms, and plenty of sauces to accompany them all. The wine list runs deep as one would expect in Napa, showcasing the region’s best alongside bottles from further afield. But the cocktail program matches its ambition with creative pours and classic preparations executed flawlessly. I’m happy to report their Paper Plane received a 10/10 from this tough critic.
Olive and Hay
Located across the way from Ember Steakhouse, this modern Italian spot has a farm-to-table focus that leans lighter and brighter than indulgent steakhouse fare. Chef Patrick Callarec, a Perigueux, France, native who started his culinary training at a French academy when he was just 13, leads this all-day dining room with flawless expertise. Mornings start with avocado toast and frittatas, then transition to Italian favorites by dinner: delightfully spicy Calabria pizza, braised lamb ragu rigatoni, seafood-topped linguine, chicken marsala with mushrooms, a vegetable-packed risotto. You can go big or stay lighter here, should you be eager to soak up the day’s revelry or keep the wine tasting flowing.
Fivetown Grocery
If you’re headed out to explore the vineyards—whether on the Meritage property or venturing to other wineries across the valley—Fivetown Grocery is stocked with everything you need. The grab-and-go section carries snacks, cheeses, charcuterie, and bottles of wine perfect for packing your picnic basket, and the deli counter makes fresh sandwiches and salads to order so you can customize exactly what you want for your afternoon in the vines.
Crush Lounge
When you’re ready to take a night to relax or get a little competitive, Crush Lounge delivers a little bit of both—a laid-back sports bar with a bowling alley attached and elevated bar food that offers a little more than standard pub fare. There are shareable bar bites like jalapeno poppers and nachos for passing around between bowls, or heartier mains like smashburgers and grain bowls to fuel the second round.
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