Ever groan at the thought of having another boring dining hall brunch when you wake up on a weekend morning? Run out of basic brunch ideas or don't feel like cooking? Spoon UCLA visited Napa Valley Grille in Westwood to break the everyday routine, and it made us realize and appreciate the quality and varieties of food we have near UCLA, all within walking distance.
Napa Valley Grille offers killer brunches inspired by West Coast wine country, hence its name. "With regards to aesthetics, we definitely took visual cues from Napa Valley wine country, with regards to the stone, wood, bricks, and the earth tone colors," says Dave Myers, General Manager of the restaurant. "There is a lot of emphasis placed on freshly-made, made-from-scratch, local, sustainable, seasonal products whenever possible," he elaborates. They certainly manage to get the "rustic casual fine dining" vibe across, and here are a few of the things we loved.
Highlights
Cheese and Charcuterie Boards
Napa Valley Grille's cheese and charcuterie boards were lavish takes on the two classics. The cheese board had local artisan cheeses, seasonal fruit compote, truffle-infused honey, toasted almonds, and charred rustic bread. The honey was my favorite part, it was offered in a honeycomb and was smooth and sweet.
The charcuterie board consisted of prosciutto, duck salumi, soppressata, housemade brandied chicken liver pâté, seasonal jam, and charred rustic bread. I am personally not very big on charcuterie, but I definitely did appreciate the quality and taste of the meats, which the chef told us had been aging for almost a year in Italy.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
These Brussels sprouts were fried and roasted with garlic, tarragon, and sorrel, and covered with a sherry glaze. Unlike the Brussels sprouts you would normally expect to find at a restaurant, these ones were special to me: they were just at the edge of crunchy and soft, such that each one had a different consistency to it when you bit in.
Crab Cake Benedict and Cast Iron Frittata
For entrées we chose the Crab Cake Benedict, with a side of roasted potatoes, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce, and the Cast Iron Frittata, with a Californian twist featuring spinach and Pico di Gallo. They were both solid, but we liked the Crab Cake Benedict better; it was super soft and tasted just like we would've expected it to.
Basil Cake
The basil cake was by far my favorite offering at Napa Valley Grille. It featured a basil Chantilly with strawberry coulis, fresh berries, baked streusel crumb, and a killer strawberry froyo. It was tangy, sweet, sour, and had great texture so it with all the different elements in it. Highly recommended if you are ever visit Napa Valley Grille.
Verdict
Spoon UCLA had a great time visiting Napa Valley Grille, and it was great to see the plethora of food available a short walk from campus. A word of warning: brunch here could potentially break the bank. Entrées average about $30 in price, so make sure you are aware of the price ranges before you decide to go bougie!
Napa Valley Grille is located on 1100 Glendon Avenue, #100 in Los Angeles. We recommend you check them out for one of the best brunches in Westwood!