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The Food Party! heads to Napa Valley for a solo escape designed around good food, good wine and good exercise. Allow us to treat you to lunch at Clementine in Yountville, and a wine tasting at PlumpJack Estate Winery, before we head to Calistoga for an overnight stay and restorative soak at Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort. After checkout, get your hiking boots on. We’re walking up a mountain on the trails of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, a relatively unknown beauty in the hills above Calistoga.
Lunch at Clementine
Need to get away? Take a quick drive to Napa and in less than two hours you can feel a world away. Go now to catch the last yellow mustard fields and the start of trees bursting with red blossoms. Visit Napa Valley publishes the best bloom routes—sign up for offerings like the Wild Mustard Season e-news.
Pull into charming Yountville and be greeted by the cheerful orange awnings of Clementine, a farm-to-fork gem of seasonal ingredients and thoughtful cooking. Enjoy a warm, welcoming dining room where dining solo feels cozy and relaxed.
When I dine alone, I bring something lite to read—say a magazine rather than a book. It offers something to dip into without commanding too much attention. Perfect for Clementine, a happening spot where you don’t want to miss out of the action around you. On a sunny day, sit outside and watch people strolling the streets; otherwise the lively, comfy, dining room keeps one engaged quite well.
Of course so does the food—delicious as it is beautiful. Everything I ordered was a small art show on the plate. My meal began with a playful touch: a tiny golden hammer to crack open a dramatic sheet of cracker bread, served with a flavorful side; a ritual as fun as the eating. Paired with a drink and the restaurant scene it was all entertainment—I felt like a guest on a wine country cooking show.
Next came Tri-Colored Salad—a vibrant plate of flavor, color, and crunch with black garlic breadcrumbs and produce from the restaurant’s garden ($18). Then Savory Brentwood Corn and Ricotta Cakes, light, luscious and gluten-free, finished with peppery olive oil and grape agridolce ($15).
Though we lean toward vegetables at The Food Party!, we can’t resist a good Bolognese—and Clementine delivered. The Housemade Cannelloni, slow-cooked boar with tomato sugo and fontina fonduta, was deeply comforting. The menu is generous, with plenty to explore, including four vegetable-forward sides and housemade pickles.
And dessert, my sweet—you were a flowing, lemon-bright Clementine Meringue Tartlet with shortbread crust and citrus glaze ($14). Hello, lover.
Bravo to Executive Chef and Culinary Director Rebecca Weitzman, the talent behind Clementine. For a wine country escape—certainly a joyful solo outing—this is a must-stop.
Clementine: 6525 Washington St., Yountville
Hours: 10/11AM – 9 PM Wednesday – Sunday
Happy Hour at PlumpJack Estate Winery
Happy hour at PlumpJack Estate Winery feels wonderfully local. I grabb a seat at the bar just as the afternoon crowd drifts in and, within minutes, conversation is flowing. My neighbor strikes up a chat, the bartender joins our the pow-wow, and suddenly it felt less like a tasting room and more like a friendly clubhouse.
I share a cheese plate with my new bar companion, Nick. We’re tasting our way through the lineup: a bright 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, velvety 2022 Merlot and Syrah, and a powerful 2022 Cabernet when I ask,
“Do you know who started PlumpJack?”
Nick walks me through the his-story.…
It was 1992 in San Francisco’s Fillmore District when none other than Gavin Newsom partnered with philanthropist and composer Gordon Getty to open PlumpJack Wines. Their idea was simple: make wine more approachable and less intimidating. The concept took off, adding on restaurants, hospitality ventures, and eventually this Napa Valley property in the mid-1990s—right in the heart of prime Cabernet country.
“But do you know what really put them on the map?,” Nick asks.
In 1997 the winery made serious waves by releasing a high-end Napa Valley Cabernet with a screw cap—radical for the time. Traditionalists gasped and purists sneered, but the gamble paid off. The experiment helped shift perceptions across the industry and turned PlumpJack into a quiet innovator.
Tastings here aren’t inexpensive—around $80—but PlumpJack operates as part of a small family of wineries, and members also receive complimentary tastings at sister properties including CADE and Odette. The club culture runs deep, with perks like winemaker dinners, virtual tastings, and “On the Road” events in cities across the country.
That’s one way to build a coalition—at least of the red and the white.
Plumpjack Estate Winery: 20 Oakville Cross Rd, Napa
Hours: 10AM – 4 PM Monday – Sunday
Overnight at Roman Spa Hot Springs
It’s dirty work—but someone had to do it.
As the day winds down, it’s bath time—specifically mud bath time—courtesy of Roman Spa Hot Springs.
Tucked at the northern end of Napa Valley, Calistoga sits atop geothermal activity linked to the volcanic region around Mount Saint Helena. Long before resorts and bathhouses, Indigenous people used these natural hot springs for healing and sweat-lodge rituals. When the railroad arrived in 1868, Calistoga quickly became a spa destination. By the early 1950s, volcanic mud baths were drawing visitors from all over, eager to soak their cares away.
So in I go—sliding into a warm, silky blend of volcanic ash, peat moss, and mineral water. Mmmm, it’s warm and the heat starts loosening my muscles and melting away stiffness. They say the treatment can improve circulation and that naturally dissolved minerals such as sulfur refresh the skin, while the fine volcanic silica offers a soft, silky exfoliation. It was a unique experience— a heavy, grainy, blanket that engulfed with gusto. I tried to stay clean but the mud had other plans.
After 30 minutes I was done with the heat. Time to shower off and submerge into a clear water mineral soak, followed by a cucumber-cool down. The full ritual runs 55 minutes ($135). Massages and other spa indulgences also available.
Guests also have access to the Spa’s three geothermal pools. Warm up in the large outdoor pool (92–96°F). Then move indoors where the temperature climbs to 100°F, preparing you for the third steamy pool set at a decadent 104°F. Stay until that red glow sets in, then back into the cooler pool for you and the cycle repeats. Before long your legs are jello and melting like a stick of butter. I feel better already.
Originally built in the mid-1970s, Roman Spa Hot Springs had a major renovation and expansion in 2017 to modernize the rooms, spa facilities, and geothermal systems. But the hospitality still centers on the wonders that have drawn visitors for more than a century—geothermal mineral water, volcanic ash mud, and a slow ritual of soaking and relaxation which all define the Calistoga experience. Walkable distance into charming downtown, be sure to check out the River trail and The Depot while you’re there.
Roman Spa Hot Springs: 1300 Washington St. Calistoga (rates starts at $369 per night)
Bath hours: 9 AM – 5 PM (Sat-Wed), 9 AM – 9 PM (Thu-Fri).
Up and Out for a Hike
The next morning I enjoy a last round of soaks in the silky pool waters before adventuring out on the trails of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, a 30 minute drive from Roman Spa. Trails climb through 5,272-acres of undeveloped oak woodland, volcanic terrain and sweeping views from Mount St. Helena summit. It’s easy to miss the parking lot‚ I did. Don’t expect much – there’s not even a sign. Just park and head up to great lookouts, with enough elevation gain to earn your wine tastings along the drive home.
Fresh air, big vistas—this is where you take that good book and get lost for awhile.
- photos courtesy of LSIC unless noted
