Six years ago, when Philip Tessier was hired as executive chef-partner at Press in St. Helena, his mission was to rework the then-15-year-old restaurant that had grown into a high-end steakhouse with a fabulously deep, award-winning wine cellar.
After all, whom better to accomplish that then the first American chef to ascend the podium at the internationally renowned Bocuse d’Or, winning silver, and before that made his mark rising through the ranks at Michelin three-starred Le Bernardin in New York and The French Laundry in Yountville?
That impressive wine cellar is still there, offering the largest collection of Napa Valley wines in the world. But now, so is a Michelin star, which the restaurant received in 2022 and has held ever since.
Last winter, Press took yet another step in its transformation — completely overhauling its kitchen. Most everything now is custom. There is an Argentinian-style grill, as well as a bespoke Bonnet suite from France.
With the gleaming new kitchen in place, Press rolled out a new four-course prix-fixe ($150 per person; $275 with wine pairing included; or $450 with reserve pairing included) to go along with its seven-course chef’s tasting menu ($195 per person; $350 with wine pairing included, and $695 with reserve pairing included). The cuisine is now more expansive and contemporary, rooted in new American fare through a Napa Valley lens.
Last week, I dined there in the soaring, white-washed barn-like restaurant with soaring ceilings, and opted for the seven-course menu. Even mid-week, the dining room was filled with elegantly dressed patrons.
You might balk at paying $75 extra for pretzel. But you’d be missing out big-time if you passed on this supplemental course, especially since it’s large enough to share, making its cost easier to take. Its price tag is due to the golden osetra caviar that comes alongside, atop soft cultured yogurt butter with a hint of lavender.
Yes, the caviar is divine, but honestly, the pretzel is what steals the show. Segmented like an epi baguette and shaped like a horseshoe, it arrives seeded, burnished, and so glossy. It has that great chew of a fine, soft German pretzel, plus a nice malty taste. I would happily munch on this all day long simply plain as is.
An amuse arrives: Tonight, it’s a wasabi leaf wrapped around yellowtail with a dab of wasabi cream crowned with a forget-me-knot. It’s a fresh, floral bite to get the party started.
A server arrives bearing an autumnal tray laden with pine branches and pine cones surrounding an earthenware teapot. Its contents are hot duck broth that get poured into cups filled with tapioca pearls. Swirl it, then take a sip of the rich poultry-rich broth, and you’ll long to have a bowl of it filled with noodles.
The kitchen sent out an extra gift, a steamed bun with a morsel of juicy duck glazed in an unagi sauce with a touch of ginger and garnished with pickled vegetable slivers. It was one of the airiest, softest Chinese buns I’ve ever had.
The formal tasting menu then got underway with wild king salmon in three different preparations: a clean-tasting tartare with Asian pear and a veil of paper-thin pickled daikon; succulent belly with creme fraiche and nasturtiums; and smoky rillettes with salmon trout roe in a tiny tart.
Who knew Sungold cherry tomatoes would go so well with figs? The kitchen surely did, creating a dish with the teeny orange tomato halves ringing a charred fig. It let the natural flavors of the fruits stand on their own, though, I would have welcomed just a touch more of the lime syrup to tie everything together even more. It was accompanied by a tomato kombucha-fig leaf soda with a foamy top that reinforced those flavors.
The pasta course was ricotta gnudi in a Parmigiano-Reggiano consomme and a frico crisp garnish. The gnudi spheres were so ethereal that it was like eating clouds that tasted of nutty cheese.
I opted for the supplemental pasta: tender striped doppio ravioli filled with creamy pureed sunchoke. A smoked onion consomme was poured over at the table before gratings of Burgundy truffle rained down upon them. Smoky, earthy, and savory, it’s a dish that just envelopes you in warmth.
Slices of yellowtail were presented in a green tomato-seaweed broth with crunchy pieces of French green beans. Using a shark-skin grater, a server grated fresh Half Moon Bay Wasabi at the table (see video), then deposited a dab onto the fish, adding a burst of vegetative and floral notes without the sinus-searing burn of fake wasabi that’s really horseradish.
For the entree, dry-aged Liberty Farms duck breast was finished with a fennel pollen-honey glaze with confit onions, roasted beets, Granny Smith apple slice, and slices of Burgundy truffle. It’s an elegant dish that goes beautifully with velvety Merlot.
My husband opted for the optional supplemental main of meltingly tender Wagyu with an almost hoisin-like glaze alongside with charred, custardy eggplant. It came with its own parade of accoutrements including steamed fluffy bread made with dashi for an umami hit; pickles; and kolrabi kimchi.
To cleanse the palate, there was a creamy coconut cremeux with passion fruit.
The kitchen sent out a refreshing pre-dessert that echoed the role of wine in this restaurant. Soft like Japanese purin, the silky custard was made from the lees or spent yeast from winemaking, enfolded with pieces of pear, and covered in a summery white peach sauce.
Dessert, itself, was mousse-like yogurt panna cotta shaped like half a flower with a crisp meringue completing the other half of the bloom. A dollop of yuzu curd plus a raspberry-yuzu sauce added freshness and acidity.
The final bites were chocolate ganache truffles with toasted coconut and pineapple-honey pate de fruit.
Cheers to Press’ new era — a very fine one, indeed.
More: A Look at Under-study, Sister Patisserie-Cafe to Press