The Restaurant
at Meadowood
 

You have to marvel at Meadowood in Napa Valley, Calif. And its chef Chris Kostow. It wasn’t good enough to helm a three-Michelin-starred restaurant — the whole thing had to undergo a renovation under the direction of architect Howard Backen and designer George Federighi, one that stretched from the dining room to the kitchen. New, superior equipment was installed along with an intimate chef’s counter, and then chef Kostow also re-examined his menus and reinvented the way he served his customers, coming up with a more curated experience for them, which the restaurant describes as "creating bespoke menus" — Kostow says he sits down the night before guests visit to write out menus for the next day’s 70 customers. You will have to lay out some coin for the experience — the nine- to 10-course tasting menu costs $225 (plus an additional $225 for wine pairings), but it’s well worth entrusting it and yourself to what has to be one the country’s least-hyped amazing chefs. The food? Modern American cuisine featuring masterful technique, and deft mixes of texture and flavor, alternately playful, straightforward, and serious. -- Arthur Bovino