gemma

gemma is a fun spot for innovative food renditions.   my daughter and i decided to dine on a cool evening, sorestaurantwas not crowded.  we split an amazing salad, the cavolo nero (dark kale) with castel vetrano olives, fresno chili, parmigiano reggiano cheese, and garlic oil with lemon.  one of the best salads i have ever tasted, amazing flavors beautifully plated.    my daughter chose the chicken porchetta, on soft polenta, with roasted fennel, mushrooms, with madeira jus.  it was very tasty, but not what she was expecting.    i had previously tried one of their fish dishes, which was great.  this time, i opted for a large grilled pork chop, on a bed of sweet potato mash, braised collard greens, and pickled okra, with green garlic butter.  i was definitely pleased.    finished the meal with a frozen cranberry sorbet, which was a nice contrast to other fruity sorbets.     always a great meal at gemma!    glenn almack

this is therestauranti always pick when hubby says "where should we go?" - alas, it's hard to get in that way, you do need to plan your reservation ahead. the food is great, the menu creative and the drinks are well balanced and intriguing. also, it's a fabulous wine list. the vibe is a great mix of relaxed and upscale. gemma for the win!

treated myself to dinner at the bar at gemma and was highly impressed! farm fresh new american cooking in a charming, tranquil setting makes this knox hendersonrestauranta repeat in my book.

 napa valley chic exemplified by the owners who made their rounds in ca before opening gemma.

sight- semi-crowded dining tables for a sunday night dinner and an open bar for any stool for my taking of the 12+ stools there.

touch- clean marble top bar, pressed napkins, thisrestauranthad casual polish.

sound- half open kitchen allows for a peep-in of some of the action going on but overall therestaurantis airy tranquil…fresh from the farm chic. luis, the bartender, was pleasant, courteous and appropriately chatty for a bartender. great service.

smell- to my dismay, nothing really wafting from the kitchen but my chicken under the brick smelled amazing when it arrived.

taste-
bread course- the brown sourdough was forgettable but the smoked gouda and fig scone was amazing. i had two of them. the butter was appropriately served room temperature with sea salt sprinkled on top. yum
.
raw course- they have 4 different raw options, beef tartar, tuna crudo, etc, but i chose a daily special of house made country ham with shaved melon, mustard greens and lima beans finished with lemon oil. amazing. beautiful presentation and great flavor—a stepped up proscuitto and melon plate.

cucumber shiso spritzer- fresh cucumber, club soda and shiso simple syrup. too sweet for my liking.

chicken under the brick- luis was kind enough to swap the potatoes with swiss chard. boneless breast and thigh piece served skin-on prepared under the brick. i wish the skin was crispier but the chicken was moist and delicious. the grilled romano beans were nice.. the swiss chard were well cooked but missing the pine nuts listed on the menu.

the bread course and the raw course won me over and i would be back for more!

overall rating: 4.0 whisks/5.0 whisks

i recently went back to gemma for the second time. previously the both of us brunettes went there to grab a drink and some salads for a quick dinner after shopping. i knew i needed to go back to thisrestaurantto get the full experience. 

my husband received a $150 gift card to gemma and we decided to use it on my birthday. what a great place for a birthday dinner! first of all, the hostess greeted me by saying happy birthday and then there was a card at the table wishing me a happy birthday. we also received a complimentary app, fried olives, yum! ! great service!

everything we ate was amazing. the baked oysters were so good i wanted to order more just to be my meal. i order the scallops and my husband order a steak. both were off their specials menu for the night. then we ended with a delicious peach blackberry buckle! 

can't wait to go back!

really greatrestaurantwith great staff! you cannot chose wrong here. i had the veal chop special and it was amazing! great wine list and cocktails!

got a chance to try chef stephen rogers newrestaurantbefore the grand opening next week and it did not disappoint. even at a soft opening event, everything was excellent. for those who don't know, stephen was executive chef at press in napa valley. his wife allison runs the front of the house. and sabrina (formerly with spoon) is the sommelier. what a team!
the food was wonderful. our table tried just about everything, but the highlights included appetizers of sweet breads on barley "fried rice", bok choy salad, and an arctic char tartar. oh yea, and try the house made breads and biscuits - fantastic. entrees included a wonderful steak with chimichuri sauce, and the best duck confit i've had in a long time. dessert did not disappoint with excellent assortment of house made ice creams, crepes and a chocolate cake that was off the chart. sabrina paired several wines with our meal and all were excellent, affordable and very different in style and taste. this newrestaurantwill be a big hit - - a "must go" for foodies. and the creative cocktails at the bar are a treat if you have to wait for a table!!