Angèle Earns Its Raves …

In my time of writing about the Napa/Sonoma food scene, chefs keep saying they like eating at Angèle if they’re going to dine out. So if chefs are digging it so much, the Insider, already a big fan of classic French cuisine, had to check it out.  The Insider enjoyed the Steak & Frites.  Nice jus on the steak too.  Sitting down on Angèle’s patio with chef Roberto Bonefont Jr. and  Angèle’s co-owner Bettina Rouas, it was a first for the Insider to do a double-header for the Insider quiz. 

Last night’s dinner?  BR: Nothing. I had a late lunch and wasn’t hungry after. 

RB: I rustled up some pasta that I shared with my dishwasher. It was fast and tasty. 

Favorite drink?  BR: Red wine, I love a good Cote du Rhone. 

RB: A Manhattan Perfect on the rocks…  

Favorite dining spot in Napa besides Angèle? 

BR: Torc Restaurant, fantastic menu and service. 

RB: La Taberna… great place for small plates and to relax after work.  

Favorite music? BR: Latin – doesn’t matter the genre, love it all.  

RB: I like jazzy quintets and soulful singers. 

Any brush with celebrity? BR: Met Mick Jagger at a place I worked at before here. Kate Walsh from Grey’s Anatomy was in here the other night.  

RB: I worked at an Italian restaurant in New York called No 9.  I’m working the line, look up and see Mario Batali peering in through the kitchen portal, checking us out.  

What makes a great restaurant? BR: A great team, with good vision and consistency. 

RB: I second that, but I also would add you can’t have a great restaurant without great people.  

Final thoughts? BR: Last 15 years have been fantastic and looking forward to the next 15. 

RB: If you’re going to visit Napa, plan your itinerary. Don’t just rush around. Find a few good wineries, restaurants that you think you’ll like and enjoy the scenery.