As if the Napa Valley didn’t already boast an overabundance of fine eats, along comes the new Under-study patisserie and cafe, which opened with a splash in St. Helena at the end of May in the former Dean & DeLuca building.
It’s from the team behind Michelin-starred Press restaurant just a few yards away, which includes its Chef-Partner Philip Tessier, former executive sous chef at The French Laundry and the first American chef to ascend to the podium of the prestigious international Bocuse d’Or Competition; and acclaimed Executive Pastry Chef Frank Vollkommer, a former pastry instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. So, you know this isn’t your run-of-the-mill bakery, but one with some of the most exquisite pastries around.
I finally had an opportunity to visit a few weeks ago, when I was traveling through the valley. Under-study is right off St. Helena Highway, though, it’s not easily spotted from the road. When you see Press, you know you’ve landed in the right place. To the restaurant’s left is the new MAC, the Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture, with its very thoughtful and creative Julia Child exhibit that shouldn’t be missed. Head around the left-hand side of the MAC, and you’ll find the entrance to Under-study.
There are a few compact, pull-out wall tables inside the patisserie, which are fine if you’re not lingering long. But it’s much more comfortable to enjoy your food at Press’ patio. Just order at the patisserie, and the food will be brought to you in the large covered patio, which is appointed with tables and cushioned seating.
Since my husband and I arrived at lunch time, we decided to dive into the savories before indulging in the sweets.
Don’t miss the selection of Incontro Cured charcuterie ($18) with paper-thin slices of coppa Siciliano, spicy calabria, and antico salumi made by Tony Incontro, a former chef at Perbacco in San Francisco and Martini House in St. Helena, who now produces cured pork products from his own Mangalitsa pigs in Nebraska. The curly-haired pigs are prized for their heavily marbled meat, which makes for salumi that fairly melts when it hits the heat of your tongue. The taste is rich and lingers long. Best yet, a mini Under-study baguette with a thin, crispy crust is included, along with perky house-made pickles.
The food may be served on trays, but these are gleaming stainless steel ones by high-end Hestan Culinary.
The lobster corn dog is a splurge at $32, but worthwhile if you’re in a playful, pampering mood. With a squiggle of remoulade sauce and white sturgeon caviar down one side, it’s photogenic and delicious with a slightly sweet cornmeal batter that gives way to plump, buttery lobster. Petite in size, it was ample enough for my husband and I to share two bites apiece.
The smoked trout rillettes ($20) comes in a little jar, loaded with smoky, moist fish blanketed in orange salmon eggs. There aren’t mere crackers to spread it on. No, these are salmon skin ones, made by dehydrating the fish skin, then frying it to render it crisp and airy.
For dessert, we couldn’t resist the Mandarin Mousse ($12), which looks for all the world like a real tangerine, only it’s chiffon cake, mandarin confit and mandarin mousse formed into a sphere that gets a coating of orange white chocolate all over it. A tiny chocolate straw and green leaf complete this creamsicle-tasting treat.
Before leaving, we stopped at the patisserie again to take home: a crispy croissant ($5.50), with a deep taste of butter that lingers in your mouth; a unique pain au chocolate ($6) that’s elongated, so you actually get the taste of the 70 percent dark chocolate in every single bite; and a seasonal danish ($6.50), a beautiful pastry nest filled with a cheesecake custard and heaped with fresh slices of nectarine.
The cookies ($5 each) are works of art, each adorned with plenty of embellishments. The chocolate chip one has a touch of miso that adds a depth of savoriness that works well with the earthy chocolate. The double chocolate is as rich as it gets, crowned with dabs of chocolate ganache that help affix big shards of chocolate to it. The matcha yuzu is done up with thin circles of matcha-flavored white chocolate and piped yuzu ganache that adds hits of lovely floral tanginess. The Calistoga Crunch is like a kitchen-sink cookie gone wild. I love how chewy it is with oats. Instead of the usual raisins or dried cranberries, there are pieces of dried fig, along with coconut, caramel, and milk chocolate.
The cookies are all very rich, and they’re best enjoyed the day you get them because the toppings tend to make them turn softer the next day. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, since you’re apt to devour them straight away.