1313 Main Street Napa

When The Brit first described 1313 Main to me, I gave him the “hmm face”.  It sounded like one of those restaurants that could be either brilliant or a mess. I checked the menu and saw that they would be serving brunch. Since we would be dining with people who weren’t overly adventurous eaters, I was concerned the food would be too fancy. However, the brunch menu seemed very interesting, yet still had something that everyone could enjoy and recognize.

I would call the neighborhood of 1313 Main Street “up and coming”. Whilst there are several good restaurants nearby, the view across the street is of an empty run down building. There is a parking lot further down the street, but the restaurant itself has no parking. There is street parking on Main Street and along the side roads, if you are lucky enough to find space during busy times.

This place is an eclectic mix of modern and warmth that really worked for me. I loved the cork flooring, the wine bottle niche walls, the retro look light fixtures, and the terracotta wall color. It was fun and hip, yet somehow comfortable. We all agreed, we loved it.

Our host, Tom, was warm and welcoming. We were immediately seated and greeted by our waiter who handed us menus as another server poured water. We were asked if he could offer us a drink; mimosas were ordered.

The Brit comments: I had a passion fruit mimosa, one of our friends went with the more traditional orange Mimosa. The mimosas were excellent; not a great source of Vitamin C, as the sparkling wine made the majority of the drink. The wine used was a crisp, dry, and pleasingly fizzy drink. The menu did not state which brand was used and, unfortunately, I did not ask. There was a third Mimosa option made with pomegranate.

We decided to order a selection of dishes to get a full range of what the restaurant had to offer. We ordered: The Chicken and Waffles, The Duck Hash and Eggs, The Old School, and The Lobster Benedict.

I have to say that I was pleased by the attentiveness of our server and all the staff. I was also impressed by how quickly our food came out. The Lobster Benedict was something so beautiful it didn’t look real. It looked like it was staged.

The moment of truth had arrived; we all took our first bite. The moans of joy coming from our table must have been heard all over the restaurant. I had my eyes closed in food orgasm. Mine was the Lobster Benedict. It was, hands down, the best Eggs Benedict of any type I have ever had; but I am ahead of myself. I’ll talk about the dishes one by one.

Lobster Benedict: The plating and presentation were outstanding. The cook on the eggs was perfect. The lobster was tender and succulent and still warm when it got to the table.  The brioche toasted bun was a stroke of genius, in place of a more traditional English Muffin, as the hint of sweetness and lightness of texture was a far happier combination with the rest of the ingredients. Then there was an avocado spread layer; I loved this. Some people would use sliced avocados, but that would be a mistake because the consistency of it in the mouth would be wrong. Having the avocados mashed and spread eliminates that. The star of the show was the Hollandaise; this was a Rock star!  I’m not normally a huge fan, but this was light, a little buttery, a little lemony, and with a slight kick at the end. I was ready to kiss the chef. I so rarely get a meal that is this spectacular. I really appreciate it when I do. The fingerling roasted potatoes were good too, but I couldn’t even think about those.

The Bit comments: The potatoes deserve more than such an offhand dismissal. The skins were crisp, with a salt bite, whilst cooked to fluffy perfection inside.

Chicken and Waffles: I’m going to start with the chicken. Congratulations to the chef for not committing the cardinal sin of overcooking the chicken; it was moist and tender.  The coating was crunchy and not at all greasy. Out of the entire meal this was my least favorite plate. The flavor of the coating of the chicken was just ok. However, the flavor of the waffle was gorgeous. I ate it plain with no syrup, just the butter; then a little with no butter but with syrup. All of it was awesome. One of the ladies in our party just raved about the flavor and quality of the waffle.

The Brit comments: This was my dish. The choice made for two reasons; I had never had Chicken and Waffles together and it was the only dish that did not come with eggs. I agree with California Girl’s overall description; a well executed dish that just lacked something to make the coating a stand-out.

Duck Hash with Eggs:  This was my second favorite item. I really enjoyed this dish and all of its elements. The chimichurri scrape, the eggs, and the hash. It was very original; I loved the combination and the use of flavors. I particularly like how customers could use the scrape to compliment the hash and eggs to their taste, as it had a very strong flavor; some people may just want a little bit. I think that is a very clever and attractive way to do it. 

Last, but not least, was the Old School. You can really tell the chops of a good chef by the basics. This was a great example: a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The scrambled eggs were simple and fluffy. The bacon was good quality, crisp, but not overcooked. The star of this plate was the buttermilk pancakes. I ate them plain with no syrup so I could taste their quality. They were not rubbery, but light and perfectly cooked. I would happily eat these any time. My friend demolished her entire plate. 

Our only comment about this entire restaurant was: “How the heck can our servers stay so darn thin working here?” We’d all be 500lbs. 

Our bill for this amazing meal for four people, which included two mimosas was a very reasonable $94.

We highly recommend you eat at this place. We will be eating here again soon. We are hoping to come back for a Tuesday night when the champagne is half price. We are told the burgers are the best in Napa. It seems as though the challenge has been thrown down to us.

1313 Main Street