TORC | Napa, CA

It’s been a minute since I’ve had a meal that made me go WOW!! To be specific, I haven’t had a culinary experience as amazing at TORC since I tried the tasting menu at Maple & Ash in Chicago. Run by a lovely couple with the husband as head chef, this Globally inspired farm-to-table restaurant can be found in downtown near the Napa river. From service and ambiance to food and wine, the dinner experience at TORC is purely delightful! Without further delight let me tell you what I ate and my favorites. Pictures of everything at the end!

We started off with the Hamachi Crudo. The fish was fresh and flavorful, served with kumquat, rice, avocado and fermented chili-miso. This was a great starter and I def recommend if you have not had hamachi before. We then transitioned to the Pakora, a sweet potato 'hush puppy' of sorts with yogurt-truffle dip. Yeah, it was as good as it sounds and for sure my first favorite of the night! Up next was the Perigord truffle Grilled Cheese. THIS WAS AMAZING. I had never had such high quality slices of truffles in my grilled cheese… Don’t let the $39 price tag scare you! I promise this dish is worth every penny.

After our starters, we moved onto a few main dishes. Up first, Diver Scallops with artichoke, and cubeb pepper. I'm a big fan of scallops so this was an automatic hit. We also tried the Lumache served with Gruyere, boar ham, & black truffle conserva, followed by the Spring green ravioli served with mushrooms, arugula pesto and fresh pistachios. All three dishes were fantastic! But I'm a sucker for a fresh pasta and the Green ravioli was a strong favorite with a new found special place in my heart.

Last but certainly not least, we hit up the dessert menu. Imagine a dark chocolate Marquise with salted caramel ice cream, hazelnut and a lace crisp served next to a light & fresh Pavlova filled with blood orange and Tahitian vanilla ice cream. Yeah this round was the toughest call... I'll say the Pavlova was my favorite buuut it really just depends on your mood / preferences. Ideally, just get both!