We really enjoyed our experience at The Grove restaurant at CIA. It was Italian night and we opted for the 3-course dinner with salad and dessert. We both had the Cesar salad then I had the rigatoni carbonara and my husband had the bucatini, both of which were lovely and richly flavored. Aside from the salad having more dressing than either of us desired and the anchovy being a bit too prominent and, of course, salty, it was very good. The dessert was fabulous! He had the trio of sorbet and I had the tiramisu, both of which were fabulous
1. **Unique Dining Venue:** - The Grove stands out as a unique dining spot in Napa. - Its serene alfresco setting, surrounded by working vegetable and fruit gardens, adds to the charm. - Conveniently located in downtown Napa, it offers a peaceful escape. 2. **Modern and Spacious Dining Room:** - The restaurant's modern ambiance and spacious dining room create a welcoming atmosphere. - Guests can enjoy their meals while witnessing the open kitchen and pasta-making station—a delightful culinary spectacle. 3. **Italian Menu Iteration:** - The most recent menu features Italian cuisine. - Italian flavors, fresh ingredients, and bold tastes likely make for a memorable dining experience. 4. **Pre-Dinner Exploration:** - Arriving early allows guests to explore more than just the restaurant. - Visit the on-site culinary store, the second-floor William Sonoma museum. - The abundance of student cooking kitchens and beautiful grounds adds to the overall experience. 5. **Recommendation:** - As an early stop on your Napa Valley adventure, I recommend The Grove. - Whether you're a local or a visitor, it's a place to savor good food, enjoy the surroundings, and immerse yourself in culinary delights. Remember, Napa Valley is not just about wine—it's a feast for all the senses! ???
ReneeLu
The meal with chef Tanya Holland was a fantastic treat. Each element of what was served was excellent. From the crispy edges the waffles, the savory flavor of the shrimp and grits dish, the scones and biscuits to the expertly done beignets. No one and I mean no one has captured a beignet since I had them as a kid in NOLA. Even the well known and applauded Cafe Du Monde has failed to capture the true light and airy dessert of old. Brava!!!
Food was outstanding. Met with the fabulous Chef Tonya Holland, purchased her cookbook she came to sign it! The experience was fabulous will look for other experiences at Copia and The Grove !
Great place and lovely unique food choices. My only complaint is my mozzarella balls were cool on top of my spinach fettuccine. Pasta needs to be hot, I believe and mine was kind of warm. Waiter was wonderful and the food presentation was beautiful...but needs to be hot.
We expected the Culinary Institute of America to be exceptional but it seemed like the chefs and wait staff were novices. The gnocchi were pasty, greyish and in a flavorful sauce which highlighted the discoloration of the gnocchi. The most thoughtful and prompt service was provided by the woman keeping our water glasses full, but her dour attitude was saddening. We were unable to cheer her up. We hope she cheered up afterward.
Overall a nice experience although I don't think we'll go back. The lion's mane mushrooms could have been finished with a little salt and the inedible leaves of the artichoke hearts could have been removed, but, overall, nice.
EdwardB
The good: Waiter was excellent. Although it looked like he was handling everyone in the restaurant, he was attentive, professional and personable. Most of the food was very good to excellent (especially the burrata, turnpis and linguini). Focaccia was tasty but a little too salty for our tastes. The bad: Wednesday turned out to be "pasta night" - i.e., all entrees were pasta. That was not communicated to us when we made the reservation, and we would have picked a different night had we known. Hostess tried to seat us in the back corner of the restaurant, next to the kitchen, even though there were two two-person tables right in the front of the room next to the window. No pinot noir wine glasses. They used the same glasses for white, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon wine. Quite surprising for an institution of this sort in the middle of the wine country. Maybe 1/4 of the "artichoke hearts" were leaves that coudn't be eaten. Worst of all was the gnocchi. It was heavy and doughy. Waiter said the cooks had turned off the boiling water (even though they knew we were still in the restaurant and had ordered gnocchi, which also resulted in quite a wait between the appetizers and the entrees) and perhaps they hadn't heated it up enough for the challenge of cooking good gnocchi. Waiter was very apologetic. He comped the gnocchi, a dessert and 2 cappuccinos. That was appreciated. The bottom line: There were some very good aspects to our meal, but overall it was a disappointing experience, especially for a culinary institute in the middle of the wine country. We seldom order gnocchi because it is unusual to have it prepared properly. We thought it was a safe bet at the CIA on "pasta night." But it wasn't.
JayP
A friend of mine recommended The Grove at Copia and since we have been dining all over Napa, we finally decided to go because we seen a menu we were able to try, so we made reservations and we truly enjoyed the splendor of the school and restaurant. The vegetables were fresh and the 32 ounce steak with red onions and potatoes on side was amazing. The cheesecake was delicious! The cherries were freshly picked and very sweet. The staff did an awesome job serving my wife and I. Thank you for the outstanding service and hospitality of your restaurant.
KathyC
Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to us, we had reservations on graduation night for CIA, so there were several large parties ahead of us. We waited to be seated and waited an hour for our meal. The manager came and explained the delays in service which our wait staff seemed unable to handle. The meals were good, although the rockfish was salty, and the complimentary desserts were a mixed bag. Since there are so many excellent restaurants in the Napa area, we wouldn't return to this one.
Wagyu Cote De Boeuf; One of the best meals we've had so far in the Wine Country. Mascarpone Cheesecake was only surpassed by the outstandingly flavorful cherries that were served with it. We are only sorry that we don't live nearby so we could partake again and again!
SweetP
My three sisters and I dined her for Sunday brunch to celebrate one of my sister's milestone birthday. Delicious and creative food attractively presented, good-sized portions, exceptional service. I highly recommend and look forward to returning!
Anne
We always love coming here. The service is wonderful and the food is great. They were incredibly accommodating and opened their patio for us including heaters and blankets. Highly recommend eating here!
GraceS
I want to love Copia but the food is always hit or miss. It's beautiful and the service is consistently excellent but the food itself ranges from just okay to good. Some dishes miss the mark and I've never had any excellent dishes here. The menu is also quite limited but I do like that it is seasonal.
Jessica L.
Me and my bff dined here during the March 2024 Women's History Month chef alumni series, featuring Laura Ozyilmaz. 3 Courses for about a little over $100 pp including tip and tax, $90 base rate (we prepaid). She owns Dalida in SF and is currently a star on Top Chef this season. We met her briefly and she was nice. The food was so delicous, it was served family style and the portions were big! We couldn't finish everything, and was able to take leftovers. We sat at the bar where the open kitchen was, the chef closest to us was kind and friendly. Service was amazing. Good ambience. Great food. Conveniently located right by Oxbow Market. Copia seems like a fun space, there was a museum upstairs that we didn't get to check out. The outside features a garden that the restaurant takes produce from. It was nice to walk around there before our meal. There's a bar/lounge right next to the restaurant. Would like to come back to try their regular menu. Fun and warm experience. Would recommend.
We really enjoyed our experience at The Grove restaurant at CIA. It was Italian night and we opted for the 3-course dinner with salad and dessert. We both had the Cesar salad then I had the rigatoni carbonara and my husband had the bucatini, both of which were lovely and richly flavored. Aside from the salad having more dressing than either of us desired and the anchovy being a bit too prominent and, of course, salty, it was very good. The dessert was fabulous! He had the trio of sorbet and I had the tiramisu, both of which were fabulous
1. **Unique Dining Venue:** - The Grove stands out as a unique dining spot in Napa. - Its serene alfresco setting, surrounded by working vegetable and fruit gardens, adds to the charm. - Conveniently located in downtown Napa, it offers a peaceful escape. 2. **Modern and Spacious Dining Room:** - The restaurant's modern ambiance and spacious dining room create a welcoming atmosphere. - Guests can enjoy their meals while witnessing the open kitchen and pasta-making station—a delightful culinary spectacle. 3. **Italian Menu Iteration:** - The most recent menu features Italian cuisine. - Italian flavors, fresh ingredients, and bold tastes likely make for a memorable dining experience. 4. **Pre-Dinner Exploration:** - Arriving early allows guests to explore more than just the restaurant. - Visit the on-site culinary store, the second-floor William Sonoma museum. - The abundance of student cooking kitchens and beautiful grounds adds to the overall experience. 5. **Recommendation:** - As an early stop on your Napa Valley adventure, I recommend The Grove. - Whether you're a local or a visitor, it's a place to savor good food, enjoy the surroundings, and immerse yourself in culinary delights. Remember, Napa Valley is not just about wine—it's a feast for all the senses! ???
The meal with chef Tanya Holland was a fantastic treat. Each element of what was served was excellent. From the crispy edges the waffles, the savory flavor of the shrimp and grits dish, the scones and biscuits to the expertly done beignets. No one and I mean no one has captured a beignet since I had them as a kid in NOLA. Even the well known and applauded Cafe Du Monde has failed to capture the true light and airy dessert of old. Brava!!!
Food was outstanding. Met with the fabulous Chef Tonya Holland, purchased her cookbook she came to sign it! The experience was fabulous will look for other experiences at Copia and The Grove !
Great place and lovely unique food choices. My only complaint is my mozzarella balls were cool on top of my spinach fettuccine. Pasta needs to be hot, I believe and mine was kind of warm. Waiter was wonderful and the food presentation was beautiful...but needs to be hot.
We expected the Culinary Institute of America to be exceptional but it seemed like the chefs and wait staff were novices. The gnocchi were pasty, greyish and in a flavorful sauce which highlighted the discoloration of the gnocchi. The most thoughtful and prompt service was provided by the woman keeping our water glasses full, but her dour attitude was saddening. We were unable to cheer her up. We hope she cheered up afterward.
Overall a nice experience although I don't think we'll go back. The lion's mane mushrooms could have been finished with a little salt and the inedible leaves of the artichoke hearts could have been removed, but, overall, nice.
The good: Waiter was excellent. Although it looked like he was handling everyone in the restaurant, he was attentive, professional and personable. Most of the food was very good to excellent (especially the burrata, turnpis and linguini). Focaccia was tasty but a little too salty for our tastes. The bad: Wednesday turned out to be "pasta night" - i.e., all entrees were pasta. That was not communicated to us when we made the reservation, and we would have picked a different night had we known. Hostess tried to seat us in the back corner of the restaurant, next to the kitchen, even though there were two two-person tables right in the front of the room next to the window. No pinot noir wine glasses. They used the same glasses for white, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon wine. Quite surprising for an institution of this sort in the middle of the wine country. Maybe 1/4 of the "artichoke hearts" were leaves that coudn't be eaten. Worst of all was the gnocchi. It was heavy and doughy. Waiter said the cooks had turned off the boiling water (even though they knew we were still in the restaurant and had ordered gnocchi, which also resulted in quite a wait between the appetizers and the entrees) and perhaps they hadn't heated it up enough for the challenge of cooking good gnocchi. Waiter was very apologetic. He comped the gnocchi, a dessert and 2 cappuccinos. That was appreciated. The bottom line: There were some very good aspects to our meal, but overall it was a disappointing experience, especially for a culinary institute in the middle of the wine country. We seldom order gnocchi because it is unusual to have it prepared properly. We thought it was a safe bet at the CIA on "pasta night." But it wasn't.
A friend of mine recommended The Grove at Copia and since we have been dining all over Napa, we finally decided to go because we seen a menu we were able to try, so we made reservations and we truly enjoyed the splendor of the school and restaurant. The vegetables were fresh and the 32 ounce steak with red onions and potatoes on side was amazing. The cheesecake was delicious! The cherries were freshly picked and very sweet. The staff did an awesome job serving my wife and I. Thank you for the outstanding service and hospitality of your restaurant.
Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to us, we had reservations on graduation night for CIA, so there were several large parties ahead of us. We waited to be seated and waited an hour for our meal. The manager came and explained the delays in service which our wait staff seemed unable to handle. The meals were good, although the rockfish was salty, and the complimentary desserts were a mixed bag. Since there are so many excellent restaurants in the Napa area, we wouldn't return to this one.
Restaurantji Recommends
Wagyu Cote De Boeuf; One of the best meals we've had so far in the Wine Country. Mascarpone Cheesecake was only surpassed by the outstandingly flavorful cherries that were served with it. We are only sorry that we don't live nearby so we could partake again and again!
My three sisters and I dined her for Sunday brunch to celebrate one of my sister's milestone birthday. Delicious and creative food attractively presented, good-sized portions, exceptional service. I highly recommend and look forward to returning!
We always love coming here. The service is wonderful and the food is great. They were incredibly accommodating and opened their patio for us including heaters and blankets. Highly recommend eating here!
I want to love Copia but the food is always hit or miss. It's beautiful and the service is consistently excellent but the food itself ranges from just okay to good. Some dishes miss the mark and I've never had any excellent dishes here. The menu is also quite limited but I do like that it is seasonal.
Me and my bff dined here during the March 2024 Women's History Month chef alumni series, featuring Laura Ozyilmaz. 3 Courses for about a little over $100 pp including tip and tax, $90 base rate (we prepaid). She owns Dalida in SF and is currently a star on Top Chef this season. We met her briefly and she was nice. The food was so delicous, it was served family style and the portions were big! We couldn't finish everything, and was able to take leftovers. We sat at the bar where the open kitchen was, the chef closest to us was kind and friendly. Service was amazing. Good ambience. Great food. Conveniently located right by Oxbow Market. Copia seems like a fun space, there was a museum upstairs that we didn't get to check out. The outside features a garden that the restaurant takes produce from. It was nice to walk around there before our meal. There's a bar/lounge right next to the restaurant. Would like to come back to try their regular menu. Fun and warm experience. Would recommend.