A couple of weeks ago, the Home Warrior (aka my husband) and I went to Napa for a short vacation. Since my sister lived in San Francisco for a while, I have been to Napa and Sonoma several times. However Home Warrior had never been out there, so when he had a few extra vacation days that’s where we decided to go.

We flew into Sacramento because we have some friends that moved out there last year. We stayed with them that night, and went to eat at Hot Italian.  At Hot Italian you can buy pizza, gelato, good wine, and outfits to wear while driving your Maserati: a true Italian experience.  There were a lot of different pizzas on the menu, and some you could get as either a pizza or a calzone, or a pizza or a salad. Home Warrior got a fabulous pizza with gorgonzola, prosciutto, figs, and arugula. I got a pizza that could also be a salad with spinach, craisins, gorgonzola, and pears. I was expecting my pizza to be a little more like Home Warrior’s, which was a traditional pizza with the aforementioned items as traditional toppings. Instead what I got was a pizza crust with a salad on top of it. Although it was not exactly what I was expecting, it was delicious, as was the gelato we had for dessert. A special thanks to Eric, Tara, Taric, Jasmine, and Venus for letting us crash at their place and for entertaining us Saturday night. It was great fun to hang out with friends.

Sunday we got up and drove to Napa Valley, where we stayed until Wednesday. We went to several wineries, ate some amazing meals, and stayed at the very comfortable and affordable Eurospa and Inn. Some highlights:

Domain Carneros—my favorite place to go for sparkling wine. The wine is made in the traditional méthode Champenoise, is complete organic, and the tasting is a great deal at three three-ounce tastes for $15. The soft cheese plate is a great accompaniment, and the views cannot be beat.

Gustavo Thrace—great wine, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and Gustavo was featured in the movie Bottleshock. I actually got to meet him when I was there last March which was really cool.

Duckhorn—it’s worth it to go here for the building alone, which is beautiful but cozy at the same time. The wine is delicious, the pours are quite generous, and the staff is very friendly.

Culinary Institute of America Greystone Restaurant—Best. Meal. Ever. Enough said.

Eurospa and Inn—boutique hotel in Calistoga. Very cute, clean, with Jacuzzi-tubs and fireplaces in all the rooms. The owners are really nice and spot on with recommendations to eat in town.  They also give a great breakfast in the morning and set out cookies and cheese in the afternoon.

It was cloudy the whole time we were there, and rained torrentially the last full day, but it was a great vacation and we can’t wait to go back.