Eco-Touring – August 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine “Eco-Touring” August 2007.

Ramblin’ On by the Napa Nomad, Eco-excursions in the Napa Valley
Kennedy Park and the Napa River
By Arvis Northrop

I have recently become a member of the Friends of the Napa River. Joining the FONR has awakened a silent bond I’ve had with our river. Maybe it’s because the river is one of the most ancient aspects of the Napa Valley. No matter what has been built over it and around it, Nature continues to flow. When I tap into this vein of the valley, I believe I am close to the heart of Nature.

I love the Friends of the Napa River office. The building’s style matches the heritage of all things “old Napa.” I’m happiest with “old Napa,” my own house having been built in 1940. I find the ambiance of the office of the FONR calming and intriguing at the same time. There are large maps on the walls of the river, wetlands and the San Pablo Bay. There are books and reports and stacks of studies. I feel surrounded with the history and importance of this river. I also feel surrounded with the human integrity and commitment that the members of Friends of the Napa River uphold in honor of this natural habitat. For more information about this organization call 707-254-8520 or email: info@friendsofthenapariver.org

One of the best eco-excursions you can have is walking and biking around Kennedy Park and the Napa River. On a Sunday I went there as a getaway, a few moments to be outside. There were boats buzzing up and down the river, people fishing from the banks and happy picnic parties with balloons and tables spread with great looking party food.

How many times have I said out loud, “There’s nothing to do around here?” A few times, maybe, when I wasn’t into wine tasting at that moment. On this particular Sunday at Kennedy Park I found myself concocting a fantasy: what if one of the engineers, designers or landscape architects had overheard me? Would they feel a sting of resentment that someone didn’t appreciate all the work they’d done? Was this a silly scenario to think about? Or was it an opportunity to realize what it takes for a community to work together and provide something for everyone? For some reason, this thought came through my mind and opened up new respect for Kennedy Park, all parks, and the Napa River.

New trail! The Kennedy Park trail now goes under the new Maxwell Bridge and runs along the river, reaching for Third Street. Another great thing is it’s right behind the Animal Shelter on Gasser Drive. I have recently learned that people volunteer to walk the dogs from the shelter, and now they have direct access to the beautiful trail along the river.

This trail also highlights the advancements of the Flood Project. The embankment stretches out flat and wide to the river. I thought maybe they would build something out there, but no. (I’m getting more ecology-savvy everyday.) That stretch of embankment is off-limits to feet and paws. The river swells with tides and rain, and then fills up to the trail, not overflowing and flooding. The landfill will be covered with natural vegetation. Birds will drop seeds, salty water at high tide will cultivate them and within one or two years, the area will be back in balance. We’ll have a new natural marsh with grasses, plants, birds, and wildlife. Nature will take its course.

There is “an inconvenient truth” about the trails along the river. Kennedy Park is perfect for people and dogs but letting dogs run free, off-leash, will risk damage to the fragile plant reconstruction that’s in progress.

If you’re biking to Kennedy Park, here’s a suggestion for a picnic. Bring a backpack with your own bottled water or soft drink. Stop at any deli for your snacks and lunch; I suggest ToGo’s in the South Napa Marketplace. You can get a hardy lunch for two for under $15. (Mmmm, #11, roast beef and avocado on Parmesan bread). Your backpack is loaded up and you’re on your way. Bike over to Gasser Drive, behind the Target store. Turn onto Hartle Court; peddle out past the Animal Shelter and right through the gate to the new trail. From there you can bike all the way to the picnic grounds in Kennedy or stop at any of the benches along the trail. What a great place to have lunch and enjoy the view.

Here are a few “eco-tips” for your outing:
• Bring your own water and drinks in reusable
plastic or stainless steel bottles. Think about
making your own iced tea or lemonade.
• Bring cloth napkins in your backpack and tell the
deli person you don’t need the paper napkins.
• Save the paper or plastic bag they put your
wrapped sandwich in for the next visit.
• Kindly suggest to the deli person, or manager if
available, that they think about switching to
recycled paper products.
• Always dispose of your trash in the containers
provided.

For your eco-excursion to Kennedy Park: take the #5 Vine bus from the town center to Napa Valley College; or bike there. To reserve picnic space call: 707-257-9529. Have you checked out the “Formal Gardens” picnic area? It’s like your own private estate garden, including a gazebo. I think it would be great for a bridal shower or anniversary party or Mother’s Day gathering. All right, now I’m just ramblin’ on…

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Eco-Touring – July 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine “Eco-Touring” July 2007.

Ramblin’ On by the Napa Nomad, Eco-excursions in the Napa Valley
Foster Road and Stanly Lane Marketplace
By Arvis Northrop

One of the best things about Napa is the rural look and feel it still has, even in the 21st Century. When I drive home from San Francisco, and finally get off 101 onto 37, I can feel the tension skim off of my car and me like vapor trails, as I pull away from “city life.” It’s the country back roads of Napa where you can experience our agricultural history and appreciate nature. From the downtown center, take the #5 Vine to the corner of Imola Avenue and Foster Road. It’s there that you start an easy walk along a country road, ending up at a great little market for a picnic lunch.

Start by going south on Foster Road. At the beginning are apartments and homes on either side. There isn’t much of a sidewalk after the last housing development, but the road is wide and lots of people use it for walking, jogging and dog walking. You can easily bike up and down this road too. The whole excursion is approximately 3.3 miles roundtrip.

In less than a 1/2 mile the road ascends an easy hill and toward the east you can see the pastures to Hwy 29 and the Skyline Park hillside. There are great grassy hills and knolls on either side of the road. As you arrive at the peak of the hill, Stewart Ranch is on the left. This ranch covers about 500 acres and is a working cattle and dairy ranch.

One of my favorite sightings right here on this road are the “Oreo Cows.”

The what? Oreo Cows? Well, that’s what lots of people call them. These cows have a black front end and black back end and then a wide white band around their middles. They look like an Oreo cookie from the side. In fact, these are Belted cows, imported from Denmark and Ireland. The Galloway Belted cattle are from Ireland; they have long hair and are prized for lean beef. The Dutch Belted cows produce a great quantity of milk. Rather than “Oreo,” this species is more commonly referred to as “Belties;” both very endearing names, I think.

Here’s a silly thing: the first time I saw these cows I was driving along Hwy 29 and they were way off in the distance. It was winter, very chilly. I looked at the black cows and wondered what was wrapped around their middles. I thought, “Maybe it’s a blanket, to keep the cows warmer, especially around the middle to protect their milk production.” It seemed like a good idea at the time. When I actually saw them up close and realized it was their fur and markings I felt justifiably ridiculous. You can share this story; I don’t care. It probably makes you feel smarter already, doesn’t it?

Back to Foster Road. As you stroll over the hill there is a view of vineyards and Eucalyptus trees to the right and beyond. When you get to the bottom of the hill, turn right on Golden Gate Drive and walk over to the Stanly Lane Marketplace.

This is a great place to hang out before heading back. The owner, Billy Wilcoxson, has expanded this market and surrounding property into a friendly roadside attraction. You can put together wine, cheese, snacks and beverages to enjoy at the picnic tables. The store is also a full mercantile of local artisan gifts, skin care products, pantry items, fresh produce and more. There are espresso drinks and an olive oil tasting bar featuring Augustino’s Olive Oil. Mr. Wilcoxson produces the olive oil in honor of his grandfather, Augustino Giovannoni, who came from Lucca, Italy to America in the early 1900’s. Stanly Lane Marketplace is open seven days a week. For more information call: 707-253-7512.

Outside, you’ll find used wine barrels for sale at a very good price, along with handcrafted barrel furniture and fountains for your home and patio. Enjoy your lunch at the tables with a view of majestic Eucalyptus trees lining the road.

Stanly Lane Marketplace features D&S Produce outdoors. D&S brings produce in from local farmers, within a 50-mile radius. The market is open Thursday through Sunday with fresh, in-season items throughout the summer. At the end of each week, D&S takes whatever usable produce is left over and donates it to local food banks and charities. Nothing goes to waste.

An “inconvenient truth” about some farmer’s markets is the produce and products are not as local as we’d like to think. Have you looked closely at your organic Fuji apple? Here in California, the little organic stickers on the apples tell you that a lot of the fruit is coming from Chile. South America? How odd. Apple orchards are all around us in the North Bay Area. I’d rather have a local apple.

Think of the savings on the environmental impact if my apple transits just 50 miles or less, doesn’t have to be shrink-wrapped in plastic and doesn’t sit around for weeks before I eat it. To learn more about eating locally and supporting your local farmers you can check out an extensive resource of local farmers and information at our local website: www.SustainableNapaValley.org. To learn about an international and nationwide effort to support local economies, go to www.SlowFoodUSA.org.

At Stanly Lane Marketplace eat as much as you like for lunch because you’ve got a bit of a challenge going back up the hill at Foster Road. I’ll admit, if I was biking, I’d be pushing mine up this hill. But it’s all part of the adventure, right? If you just can’t confront the hill, take the frontage street, Golden Gate Road. It’ll add about 1/4 mile to your journey, but it’s flat all the way, I promise.

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In Our Own Backyard – August 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine “In Our Own Backyard” August 2007.

In Our Own Backyard – The Hess Collection Winery
By Kathleen Dreessen

In Our Own Backyard is a series of articles about destinations around the valley. Napa county residents enjoy fabulous weather, picturesque vista and abundant natural resources-so, when was the last time you got out and became a tourist in your own backyard?

In the 19th century, Mt. Veeder was a major tourist destination. Wealthy San Franciscans would vacation in the mountain resort in the “Napa Redwoods.” H. Hudeman, who established the botanical garden estate, built a winery in the 1860s to provide wine for his guests. On that site is now the Hess Collection Winery.

A 10 to 15 minute drive up forested Redwood Road takes you to the winery. It’s a brief trip, but you’ll feel light years from the hustle of the valley floor.

The Visitor’s Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but before you enter, take a while to amble around the gardens. The water lily filled stone reflecting pool was built to honor one of the favorite pastimes of the Victorian guests of the resort—boating on a pond filled with Egyptian lotus.

The interior of the center is a cool, welcome relief from the sun. To your left, a large maple bar is where you’ll find a traditional wine tasting of four Hess Collection wines for $10. A gift shop is located adjacent to the wine bar.

Hess wines come in three collections: Hess Mt. Veeder Series, Hess Vineyard Designate Series and Hess California Series. Dave Guffy, director of winemaking operations, states, “My goal is to make ripe, fruit forward California style wines, both with power and elegance.”

Retail prices run from $9.95 for Hess Select Chardonnay up to $50.00 for 2003 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon.

Go upstairs for a free, self-guided art tour (an elevator is available). Winery owner Donald Hess began collecting art in the 1960s. Passionate about collecting, Hess works closely with 20 artists, learning what drives them to pursue their art. He supports them until they are established. The result is a gallery filled with whimsy, political statement, color and sheer beauty all mixed into one. Internationally known artists represented include Franz Gertsch, Robert Motherwell, Francis Bacon and Anselm Keifer.

Private tours are available with reservation.

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Hess Collection holds wine and food pairings by appointment. These consist of a guided gallery tour followed by a tasting of three seasonal wines and appetizers created by Chef Hendrickson. The tastings are held in the winery’s private dining room or VIP tasting room. The “Tour for the Palate” costs $35.00 per person, with a 20% discount for Hess Club members and three of their guests. On a recent warm day, the tasting was held in the private dining room and the view from the balcony was as spectacular as the food and wine.

The winery also offers a cabernet sauvignon tasting of older vintage Reserve Cabernets and their top tier wine, The Lion. The one-hour experience is held in the Barrel Chai (room) and limited to eight people. The cost is $25 per person, no charge for Club members. This is by appointment only.

To celebrate the legacy of Mount Veeder red wines (now the Mount Veeder Appellation of the Napa Valley) the second weekend of every month, Hess Collection Winery opens its 1903 barrel cellar to the public to fill commemorative jugs with vintage red wine.

“We average between 100 and 120 visitors filling their half-gallon jugs,” says Dave Johnson, visitor center manager. “People like it because they’re walking back in Mt. Veeder history. The wine is 93 percent cabernet and seven percent petite verdot.”

Visitors purchase the initial half-gallon jug for $21.00. On the second weekend of the month, they may refill the jug for $18.00.

“Of the 120 who buy the jug, at least half come back for refills,” says Johnson.

Take a drive up the west side of the valley and visit Hess Collection. It’s a quick trip that’s rejuvenating, too.

To make reservations for private tours or the wine and food pairings, phone Dave Johnson at (707) 255-1144 ext. 213. Hess Collection is located at 4411 Redwood Road, Napa, seven miles from Highway 29, exit 19, Trancas/Redwood Road. For further information on the winery and its wines, visit www.hesscollection.com.

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History Article – August 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine History Article August 2007.

Finding the History of the Present Moment
By Lauren Coodley

Napa for half a century has been slumbering in a Rip Van Winkle sleep but she has awakened at last–Mayor JA Fuller, on the day the electric train service began from Vallejo through Napa, l905

As Napa is transformed, yet again, it might be helpful for us to look backwards. In the early 1970s, the Napa Community Redevelopment Agency reported: “Not since its settlers decided that Napa should be more than a mere stopping place for riverboats or mainly a miners’ refuge from the harsh winters of the Sierra foothills, have the sight and sound of new construction, public improvements, and general renovating proceeded at such a pace here… Drab thoroughfares are being dressed up as tree-lined malls, topped by an exciting new plaza.”

At the same time, many longtime residents were reluctant to see their hometown so radically changed. Journalist Jane Smith observed: “The city is getting a new city. The Migliavacca Building, a landmark of dove grey stone at First and Brown Streets, soon will crumple under the wrecking hammer. A modern department store in the urban renewal area will take its place. Century old trees, which gave the corner of Second and Seminary Streets its cool and shady aspect, have been destroyed for construction. The city is changing as never before…as fields and meadows fill up with new building, parking lots, stores, and apartments. Will the new city be as unique as the old, as beautiful and shady and comfortable? In fifty or a hundred years, will today’s structures have been as graceful and enduring as the homes built in the 1800s?”

While some Napans favored what looked like a revitalization of downtown, many businesspeople questioned the benefits of redevelopment. Brewster’s co-owner Rachel Friedman recalls how a group of Main Street merchants formed “Citizens Against the Destruction of Napa,” using her store as a meeting place. Friedman’s husband Larry particularly opposed the construction of a Clock Tower on First Street, and took his fight all the way to the California Supreme Court, where the case was lost.

As historian Richard Rice notes: “The decades from the 1960s-1980s were a creative period in resource and environmental policy…Although most local governments remained firmly in the grasp of development interests, slow growth movements captured some city governments as early as 1970…California’s environmental organizations increasingly acted as adversaries to business and government. A few paid professionals led a growing army of volunteers, often women, in projects that took on the intensity of crusades. They backed or opposed candidates for office on the basis of their stance on environmental issues.”

John Wagenknecht, who was the advisor to the University of California’s Co-op Extension here, cites Napa in the Seventies as an “example of the way community action can work.” Citizens resisted the plans to convert rural land into subdivisions and shopping centers, and succeeded in preserving open space for over a decade.

Blue-collar workers and professionals united in a group called “Neighbor,” led by Harold Kelly and Barbara Corotto. Wagenknecht describes them as “storming City Hall.” Their dedication led to the l973 referendum on development in Napa. The citizens voted to maintain the city boundaries, and to keep downtown as the center of the shopping district.

In 1975, city planners reflected that mandate by allowing for only minimal population development up to the year 2000.

East of downtown, Elsie Crane heard that the Lewis Dairy, just past Silverado Middle School, was going to be developed into expensive housing. Crane helped found “Keep Coombsville Green,” and the hard work of this organization kept the east side of town an agricultural region.

Although the battle to save the land was won, the crops themselves changed dramatically. John Wagenknecht remembers looking over Napa each spring, and seeing nothing but snowy blossoms on prune, pear, and peach trees. Wagenknecht says, “The conversion to monoculture was not healthy– but farmers were market driven and growing grapes always paid more money.”

By 1977, Louis Ezettie offered this poignant observation in his weekly newspaper column: “Once one of the great prune growing areas in the state, Napa County had seen the industry give way to an almost complete turnover to grape growing. Sunsweet disposed of the packing and shipping departments on Jackson Street, and reduced their workforce from 100 to 25 people. Napa Valley grown prunes, in my estimation, surpassed the quality of the fruit grown in other parts of the state. Every year we kids earned enough money picking prunes at the Frank Bush Ranch near Little Trancas to pay for school clothes and schoolbooks.”

In February l986, Napa experienced an event that neither could have been controlled nor predicted by developers or slow-growth advocates. What the Napa Register called “the most disruptive natural disaster to affect Napa County since the 1906 earthquake—and the most devastating flood since the winter of 1896,” saturated the soil, followed by 20 inches of rain in 48 hours. Southerly winds pushed the Napa River to levels none living had seen before. Nearly 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes, 250 homes were destroyed, 2500 homes were damaged, and three people died. Soscol Avenue turned into a river, ruining hundreds of cars on “Auto Row.” Two thirds of Napa’s businesses were damaged from the floodwaters, and the downtown stores were covered with mud.

Downtown was devastated, but merchants vowed to rebuild. The Napa Register reported: “Meyers Jewelers president Ian Fuller quipped, ‘I’ll wash all the diamonds and be back in business.’ Larry Friedman thanked his employees for saving the rest of the store by stacking sandbags until almost midnight; nobody has flood insurance. “If there’s such a thing as an ‘off the floor sale’ we’ll have one,” Friedman joked.

The town rallied behind the merchants’ resolve and plans began for a massive fundraising event to be held at the downtown parking garages. The People for People Flood Benefit was put together in less than two weeks. Lynda Otis of the Rockaholics band joined with local musicians to coordinate live music for the fundraiser.

But the day of the event, the promised sound system never arrived. “We were saved at the last minute by Vallejo Discount Music,” says Otis. “Those guys drove through the terrifying wind and rain to Napa and then up the ramps of the parking garage, through the crowd, hauling that huge concert system so the show could go on.” Backed by The Pablo Cruz Band, headliner Buddy Miles finally got on stage two hours late.

Lynda Otis remembers: “I was scared… so many of us in that giant tent on the top level of the garage. The winds were treacherous and the building shook under our feet—two thousand people stomping to the music—I wondered if the building would hold—or the tent—which looked like it might collapse from the wind gusts. I was standing by the firemen and I thought they looked nervous, too, but under the spell of the music, most people didn’t seem to notice the storm anymore.”

The building held and so did the tent. Fifteen thousand people attended the event, and $300,000 was raised. Napa Valley Times reporter Lou Louro describes the scene: “What a day! The Hatfields and Mc Coys celebrating together. No growthers buying a cup for growthers—nukers and no-nukers side-by-side, garage opponents and proponents splashing each other with champagne.”

The Great 1986 Flood brought the town together, creating countless legends of community daring and generosity. No one could have imagined that a decade later, the consequences of the flood management plan would begin to change the face of downtown—again—dramatically.

Sources:
Mayor Fuller’s quote from Swett, Ira, The Napa Valley Route, 1975.

Ezettie, Louis. “Looking into Napa’s Past and Present,” Napa Register, August 6, 1977.

Louro, Lou. Napa Valley Times, March 17, l986

Napa Register staff reporter, February 27, 1986.

Rice, Richard, William Bullough, and Richard Orsi, The Elusive Eden (New York: McGraw Hill), 2002.

Smith, Jane. Napa Register, November 8, 1972

Interviews with Wagenknecht and Friedman conducted by Lauren Coodley in 2003. Lynda Otis interviewed by Paula Amen Schmitt, who collaborated with Lauren Coodley on the new edition of Napa, the Transformation of an American Town.

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Business Review – August 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine Business Review August 2007.

Giles Family Chiropractic
By Julie Gordon

As a teenager, Kristen Giles enjoyed figure skating, yet she found it gave her headaches and shoulder problems. She tried physical therapy, acupuncture and medicine but nothing seemed to help. When a friend of hers recommended she go to a chiropractor, she finally began to see some results.

“It made a difference where nothing else had,” she explains. Dr. Giles was so impressed with how much chiropractic work helped her that she decided to go to chiropractic school and now runs her own business in Napa with her husband, Dr. Paul Ruscica.

The couple, who operate Giles Family Chiropractic at 2441 Imola Avenue in Napa, spends their days adjusting people’s spines. A spinal adjustment can help people who suffer from a variety of conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, shoulder injuries and knee, ankle and hip problems. It can also help people who have been in car accidents or have fallen off a bike.

“Chiropractic work is non-invasive and you get really quick results,” says Dr. Giles.

To determine whether someone’s spine is functioning normally, Giles Family Chiropractic uses a computerized tool called Insight Millennium that provides a variety of functions.

“The thermography scan will check the balance of your nervous system and the surface EMG checks muscle function and balance. Based on these readings, the computer will display easy-to-read graphs of your particular findings.”

Dr. Giles and Dr. Ruscica have worked with people of all ages. They’ve treated newborns all the way to people in their 90s, she says. In fact, their eight-month-old daughter, Kiera, received a spinal adjustment as soon as she was born.

You don’t need to use as much force when you’re adjusting the spine of someone who is young and don’t need to do it as many times, explains Dr. Giles.

Dr. Giles says one of the rewards of running her business is seeing the positive results in her patients, noticing how their lives and personalities change for the better. “They’re happier when they’re out of pain,” she says. “It actually rewards their entire family.”

Meanwhile, one of the challenges she faces is educating people on the benefits of chiropractic work. “It’s the same as eating organic vegetables. It’s something we should be doing to increase longevity.”

It’s also a challenge to get people to see chiropractic work as more of lifestyle change than a quick fix.

Andrew Davis, president of Napa-based Synergistech Communications, a company that recruits high-tech professionals, has been a Giles Family Chiropractic patient since the spring of 2006. “They’re focused on the education,” he says. “They’ve answered all of my questions and been very detailed in their answers. They’ve been very forthcoming and that has led to my trusting them. I feel like we have owning small businesses in common.”

Davis, who is more than six feet tall, says his long legs have made car and air travel uncomfortable, but thanks to chiropractic work, he’s doing better. His grandfather had spinal problems that were left untreated and he saw the effects of that, he says.

Yountville resident Lisa Pedersen came to Giles Family Chiropractic at the beginning of the year suffering from headaches and now doesn’t have them nearly as often. “They’ve definitely been a life-saver,” she says. “There’s days when no amount of aspirin can do the trick and I’ll go and get an adjustment and be fine. I’ve recommended them to many people who tell me they get headaches or back pain.” Pedersen says she’s even called when she needed an adjustment on a weekend and they’ve opened the doors. “They’re really sweet people.”

Dr. Giles holds a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Waterloo and Dr. Ruscica holds a bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Giles also holds a degree in prenatal and pediatric care through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.

The couple met at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas TX. She graduated in 2000 and he a year later, in 2001. They dated while they were in school and then decided to start their practice together. Dr. Ruscica, too, decided he wanted to get into the chiropractic field after he found it helped him overcome allergies and chronic strep throat as a teenager.

Drs. Giles and Ruscica are involved in the local community. Dr. Giles visits local elementary schools and talks to kids about how to carry a backpack correctly while Dr. Ruscica visits local high schools and gives presentations on the nervous system. In addition, Ruscica coaches the Vintage High School cheerleading team. Both are in their 30s and involved with Napa Active 20-30 Club. The couple also donates money each month to the National Vaccine Information Center in Virginia.

They are both members of the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance, The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and the Napa County Chiropractic Association.

When they’re not in the office, the family who lives in Napa with their dog, Dakota, enjoys exercising, skiing and being outdoors.
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Restaurant Review – August 2007

Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine Restaurant Review August 2007

BarBersQ
By “The Elusive Epicurean”

I grew up in a home where the man cooked. And boy, could he cook. My mom might trot out a cake or pie at Christmas, but it was the man of the house who would grill, braise, poach, roast, and fry on a daily basis. While this was a boon to my culinary education, it has really messed with my love life. (I am currently taking applications if you’re interested.) Add cooking to your Prince Charming laundry list and gasp with amazement as your dating pool shrinks before your very eyes. Ah, well. Until that perfect fella rides up on his white steed, spatula at the ready, at least I can eat out.

Which is where BarBersQ comes in. Recently opened at Bel Air Plaza in Napa, BarBersQ serves up classic barbecue fare-plus a few surprises-in a casual, fresh environment devoid of kitsch. It’s a welcome addition as far as this girl’s concerned.

For this excursion, my dining companion was chosen with care. A hearty appetite attached to a very good friend would be required, for I do not know how to eat barbecue like a lady. Our lunch, which we enjoyed on the patio under the summer sun, began with the Grilled West Coast Oysters with Garlic Butter and Pepper Salsa ($14.50). They were deliciously spicy, and our mood, already good, brightened even more. We were in for a good meal.

And what of the entrée? Was it to be the BBQ chicken ($14.75), or the Cobb Salad ($14.95), or the humble Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($6.75)? The Grilled Pork Chop ($16.95)? The Flank Steak ($19.95)? Maybe next time.

I ordered a half rack of the St. Louis Ribs (half $14.75, full $27.50). My companion ordered the Painted Hills Chipotle-Braised Short Rib Sandwich, served on an Alexis Baking Company Cornmeal Bun with a Horseradish Sauce ($14.75).

Now, you start talking barbeque with folks, and, well, talking can turn to arguing and arguing can turn to fisticuffs. Grilled versus smoked, sauced versus un-sauced, dry rub versus wet rub, charcoal versus gas, Carolina versus Texas, barbeque versus barbecue-none of these questions will be discussed here, dear readers, for my dueling pistols are in the shop. Sorry. So we will restrict our discourse to the single truly great and meaningful question you can ever ask yourself – tasty, or not?

My verdict: Tasty. The ribs were juicy, flavorful, and as tender as possible while still allowing me the primeval joy of gnawing on a bone. There were three BBQ sauces available (spicy, mild, and vinegar), but I devoured my half rack unadorned, just as they came. They were that good.

I wish I could report on the short rib sandwich from direct experience, but my dining companion was in an uncommonly greedy mood and never offered me a taste. (I wasn’t willing to part with any of my ribs, so let’s not be too hard on him.) I surmised that it was good, and, when he was finally done licking his fingers, received verbal confirmation that this was so. He particularly liked the horseradish sauce.

An array of sides are available, including fries, potato salad, collard greens and cornbread ($3.25-$4.95).We chose the seasonal vegetables ($5.75), which on that day meant green beans, squash, and eggplant, all perfectly cooked (still some crunch in the green beans, but none in the eggplant), seasoned, and tossed together. We ended our meal with the seasonal cobbler, made of peaches and topped with vanilla ice cream ($7.50). Delicious.

Yep, I’m a happy carnivore, and you can be, too. But I refuse to end this on a rhyme. No, really, you can’t make me. Okay, fine – just go eat at BarBersQ.

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