Chef Rogelio Garcia draws inspiration from Mexico and California for Michelin-star restaurant’s tasting menu.
A glorious alfresco setting with Calistoga Palisades views greeted a media contingent invited to Auro Napa Valley to sample Chef Rogelio Garcia’s seven-course tasting menu. The event at the Four Seasons Napa Valley’s Michelin-starred restaurant also celebrated the release of the chef’s new cookbook, “Convivir,” whose title means “to live together.” In the book, Garcia, born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles and Napa, writes, “At the heart of my cuisine is Mexico; but the ingredients, discipline, and techniques are pure California.”
Subtle Mexican Influences
The subtle Mexican influences revealed themselves in the first course, a dayboat scallop atop koshihikari rice, surrounded by peppy garlic mojo verde. In the following course, dry-aged hiramasa (aka Hawaiian yellowtail) with sliced pluots, the citrus-tamarind aguachile (chile water) performed a similar function. “Just enough” spice in the latter, via jalapeño and serrano peppers, “to tingle the tongue,” observed Miguel, our server.
Astute Wine Pairings
Head sommelier Derek Stevenson’s wine pairings, all from the Napa Valley except for one from nearby Knights Valley, were equally astute. The mojo verde notwithstanding, the scallop came off more demure than subsequent courses. The light caramel notes and bracing slap of oak in Stevenson’s choice, the 2022 FIDEM Estate Reserve Chardonnay from Firetree Family Vineyards, added richness and firmness that Garcia later said delighted him as well.
Likewise, a 2023 Kenefick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc (the vineyard is next door to the resort) boosted the hiramasa’s flavors without overpowering them. With its soft roundness and lacy minerality, the just-released 2023 Diamond Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay at once accentuated and moderated the fattiness of the third course’s dry-aged ruby red kinki. The burst of flavor it generated with the dish’s artichoke was genius, planned or coincidental.
Squab Two Ways
Next up was squab prepared two ways: breast with a peanut and kale crust and grilled smoked thigh to claw piece. The dab of mole in the plate’s center was for dipping. Stevenson chose a 2019 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon for this ensemble. The wine’s softness and fine tannins, typical of the vintage, made for an excellent pairing.
Wagyu with Chanterelles
Before the next course, 21-day dry-aged Kagoshima Wagyu with golden chanterelles, bok choy, and summer squash, a member of the kitchen team bearing a tray of the meat informed us that dry aging increases the umami flavor, supplying a buttery note. He added that the cattle for this A5 Wagyu (the highest rating in the Japanese system) lived stress-free lives, feeding on cornmeal, soybeans, and barley, contributing to the marvelous marbleization.
The butter-rich sauce (I didn’t catch the description) added another layer of sultry satisfaction to a dish whose flavors unfurled in wavelets, enhanced by sips of two Cabernets, a 2016 Eisele Vineyard and a 2019 Alpha Omega. The extra age made the first my favorite, but the second worked well, too.
Time for Dessert
After the Wagyu, we headed into the kitchen to meet Garcia’s crew and hear him speak about his cookbook, which comes out in September 2024. Despite the two dessert courses to come – Tenbrink Farm peaches and a cinnamon buñuelo – we also sampled a few of executive pastry chef Celine Plano’s bite-size treats.
Back at the table, the peach dessert juxtaposed sweetness and savoriness, though with yogurt sorbet and honey vinaigrette, the former edged out the latter (basil cake and the peppery green adorning the peaches). The pairing was a recent vintage of a longtime favorite, the 2017 Dolce Late Harvest Wine (77% Semillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc) by Far Niente.
Garcia went all sweet for the cinnamon buñuelo with caramelized chocolate crémeux (think chocolate crème anglaise), banana, and horchata. The effect was light rather than heavy, also true of the 2012 Alpha Omega Late Harvest Wine (86% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Semillon) served with it.
Deluge of Raves
I met Chef Garcia briefly in January 2023. The day before, he had just received the first of what turned into a deluge of rave reviews for his achievements at Auro – the Michelin star was still a few months in the future. Not bad for having started as a local dishwasher along the way to executive chef gigs in top Napa Valley (Angѐle) and San Francisco (Spruce, The Commissary) restaurants, not to mention appearing on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and being a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: California award.
When I teasingly congratulated Chef Garcia for not letting all the accolades go to his head, he smiled and said, “Nah, I couldn’t.” He and his passionate staff are making magic at the Four Seasons. Consider Auro for your next Wine Country special occasion night out.
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