2020 has been a brutal year for the restaurant industry because of COVID-19. On top of this, many restaurants and vineyards in Napa valley were destroyed by the Glass Fire in Sep 2020. The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM) was unfortunately one of them. We were lucky to dine there in July 2020 before it was destroyed.
TRAM was a Michelin 3 star restaurant at the Meadowood Resort in St Helena. It was well known for its creative modern Californian cuisine. Although you may not have heard as much about TRAM as you would about The French Laundry, I actually think the food at TRAM was more creative and delicious than The French Laundry. Its wine pairing was more impressive as well.
The drive to the restaurant was a treat by itself. We passed acres of vineyards along St. Helena Highway and Silverado Trail. We arrived up the winding road to the resort, and were escorted to the restaurant’s outdoor venue.
Since it was in the middle of a pandemic, only outdoor seating was available. I enjoyed it better than dining indoors on such a beautiful summer afternoon in Napa.
Backyard of TRAM
As with many fine dining restaurants, TRAM served a tasting menu only. Multiple tiers of wine pairings were available. We splurged on the best wine pairing that they offered, and ended up learning about wines we otherwise wouldn’t have discovered during our meal. I am by far not a sommelier, so I will just show what wine was paired with the food instead of pretending to be a wine expert.
Our experience started with a pot of marigold tea. The presentation was very pretty due to the bright color of the marigold.
Marigold tea Apertif wine
The food at TRAM very much focused on local and fresh vegetables. The amuse-bouche of the night was four dishes of fresh vegetables picked that day from TRAM’s dedicated farm.
Piel De Sapo Melon Shiso Smoked iceplant Grilled baby summer squash Sungold tomato
The first dish of the night was a rye tostada with fresh vegetables and edible flowers. I have had rye bread in France before, but this was my first time I tried a rye tostada. I really enjoyed the coarse texture and slight sourness of the rye flour.
Next up was a gougere (cheese puff) of sour corn, which was warm, cheesy, and overall delicious. I am a big fan of carbohydrates, which made this my perfect appetizer to start the night!
The next dish was grilled cucumber, geoduck, and eucalyptus oil. (Is eucalyptus oil edible? We are still here, so I guess so!) This indeed was a memorable dish. The summer cucumber and geoduck were both fresh and crunchy. The eucalyptus oil had a very strong and distinctive taste, which dominated the flavor of the dish.
Cumumber, geoduck, and eucalyptus oil
The next dish was literally eggplant, caviar, and bread. The eggplant was soft and so fresh that it tasted sweet. It paired extremely well with the delicate and salty caviar. The combination was a good dip for the warm, fresh bread.
Eggplant and cavir Turkish bread
The fish dish of the night was black cod and daylily. Although daylily is very popular in China, I’ve not seen it served in western restaurants. The daylily I had back in China was usually dry and tough. The fresh daylily served in this dish tasted much smoother and sweeter. Paired with soft black cod, the daylily became an ingredient of delicacy.
Black cod and daylily
Our next dish consisted of abalone, local seaweeds, and chanterelle mushrooms. The texture of abalone can be very rubbery if not cooked properly. The abalone in this dish was cooked to perfect tenderness. It was slightly seared, which gave it a crispy outside. The chanterelle mushrooms had a strong earthy aroma after being cooked, which contributed to the complex and rich flavors for the whole dish.
The next dish was sunflower and quail in two servings. The quail was very moist and well seasoned. We found the sunflower to be a bit bland; not our favorite dish of the night.
Sunflow Quail
Our final savory dish was fermented potato gnocchi and bresaola, a cured meat made from dairy cows. It was creamy and starchy, a perfect dish to end the first part of the meal!
Fermented potato gnocchi and bresaola
Next came the palate cleanser, plum with some sort of edible red flower. It was a bit sour, but very refreshing. We were ready for the desserts after finishing up this dish!
Who doesn’t like a warm and fluffy souffle! The small white particles on the souffle were koji, a fungus for making alcohol. It made the souffle more interesting.
Since it was my birthday, the chef made me a mini cake!
Our mignardises were different kinds of summer berries.
We really enjoyed our outdoor dining experience at TRAM, creative food and excellent wine pairing. We were so sad that the restaurant was burned down in Sep 2020. This has been a tough year all around for restaurants and the travel industry. We wish for a better year coming ahead of us, and look forward to new restaurants open for business.
