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HAPPY HOUR AT THE BANK$15 per personAs part of the Westin Hotels’ “unwind” happy hour, the Westin Verasa Napa offers cocktails paired with the excellent menu from the Bank café. Each week, the experience changes, but on the day I was there, you could choose between a French 75 cocktail (with Champagne and Hennessy cognac) with rosti potatoes and American caviar; or a Napoleon in Moscow (Hennessy, Mandarin Napoleon and black tea liquor) served with soy-glazed pork belly with gingered Brussels sprouts slaw.

— Kathleen Jay

SPECIAL DINNER AT LA TOQUEStarting at $150 per personAt La Toque, a four-course meal is $88 per person; wine pairings for the four-course feast are $62 per person. However, chef Ken Frank’s menu is very flexible: a two-course meal is $49 (add $32 for wine pairing) or a three-course meal is $68 (add $48 for wine pairing). — Kathleen Jay

TODAY’S ESCAPE: NAPA

By Kathleen JaySpecial to The Examiner

The city of Napa — founded in 1847, current population 71,412 — is experiencing a major revitalization. Bou-

tique hotels, high-end-but-relaxed restaurants, wine-tasting rooms and the Oxbow Public Market — a microcosm of the San Francisco Ferry Building’s farmer’s market — are flourishing in this pedestrian-friendly city located on the Napa River and Preserve (it’s not just the Napa Premium outlets drawing visi-tors to this area).

On a visit a few weeks ago, the town was filled with visitors sam-pling the local gastronomy and viticulture or meandering on sunny walking trails along the river, as well as with shoppers strolling through a downtown filled with boutiques, bookstores, cafes and tasting rooms.

WHERE TO STAYHaving opened less than a year ago, the Westin Verasa Napa is noth-ing short of a great hotel. The suites-only hotel features a large outdoor swim-ming pool, two professional-sized bocce ball courts and two great places to dine: the Bank Cafe and Bar, which offers an open-air casual a t m o s p h e r e for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, and the excellent La Toque, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Ken Frank.

When you enter the 180-suite hotel, you’ll be immediately impressed by the clean, elegant architecture — a mixture of Napa-Valley style and classic Craftsman design. Rooms are as large and airy as the main hall: Expect large living spaces, many of which have full kitchens, large bedrooms with Westin’s signature bedding, and

marble-lined bathrooms.Valet-park your car, check in,

unpack and head to the pool — an area surrounded by tables and chairs under fire torches — where you can order a glass of local wine or a cold drink and enjoy the area’s near-perfect weather.

For those who enjoy a gourmet meal, there is no need to leave the hotel. La Toque — which chef Frank recently moved from Rutherford to Napa — offers a romantic dining room with a marble bar and many thought-ful touches such as beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers, intimate lighting and a bright, airy environment . The prix-fixe menu changes weekly.

Bargain hunters, take note: The restaurant offers a midweek, three-course menu of Frank’s French regional cuisine from Monday to Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at $36 per person (reservations required).

Without getting back into your car, you can also take advantage of the River Walk located behind the hotel’s fence — a short walk along the Napa River with unobstructed views of the valley.

If you book at ideal times and pre-pay one week before arrival, room rates start at $139 per night.

WHAT TO DOThree blocks from the Westin —

past the Napa Wine Train Depot located across the street — is the Oxbow Public Market, a mostly indoor market with shops selling local produce, local meat, hand-made ice cream, artisanal cheese and charcuterie, fresh-baked goods, and of course, Napa Valley wine.

A pleasant (i.e., air-conditioned) escape from hot, sunny days that can bring the temperature in Napa during the summer to the high 90s, the market was filled with visitors enjoying casual meals, wine- and olive-oil tasting, and shopping for fresh produce, fish and meat.

Some places worth stopping by include The Fatted Calf Charcute-rie, Model Bakery, the Oxbow Wine Merchant Wine Bar, Oxbow Produce and Grocery, Folio To Go Winemak-ers, Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, The Olive Press, Three Twins Ice Cream and Hog Island Oyster Co.

OFF WINE TASTINGIf you haven’t had enough wine to taste at the Oxbow Market — or just want to do a vineyard tour, pick one place and enjoy it.

My pick: Robert Sinskey Vine-yards, a family-run vineyard and winery located on the Silverado Trail, about 10 minutes from the Westin. Known for its superb pinot noir, the tasting room offers

visitors an intimate food-and-wine experience that may seem unexpected.

For $20, expect a perfect pairing of four of Sinskey’s wines with four dishes, which are prepared in the open-air kitchen adjacent to the tasting bar. The winery — which only produces 25,000 cases per year — is a champion of bio-dynamic wines (read: organic). For those interested in discussing the pro-cess, the wine-pouring staff is very well-versed on the science behind the winemaking.

Also, take a tour of the winery’s wine caves — they offer the perfect temperature for aging its wines without the use of air-conditioning. Lastly, meander around the grounds, which — in addition to vines — fea-ture an organic garden, a large koi pond and several benches.

Beauty, bounty by the river

ALL: KATHLEEN JAY/SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Elegant amenities: The Hog Island Oyster Co., above, is the perfect place to enjoy shellfish after perusing the markets at the Oxbow Public Market. The Westin Verasa Napa, below, is a luxurious hotel to stay in — its in-house eatery, La Toque, is divine.

TRAVEL FOR BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS, VISIT SFEXAMINER.COM

SQUARE MILES MAKING UP THE CITY OF NAPA

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IF YOU GO NapaHOTEL: Located about 90 minutes from San Francisco, the Westin Verasa Napa is located at 1314 McKinstry St. in Napa (westin.com/verasanapa).RESTAURANTS: The Bank Café and Bar is located in the lobby of the Westin Verasa Napa. Best bets are the Bank’s breakfast and happy hour. For an intimate experience, make a reservation at La Toque (www.latoque.com). Offering a prix-fixe menu, the restaurant is nothing short of excellent.OUT AND ABOUT: The Oxbow Public Market is located at 610 and 644 First St. in Napa (www.oxbowpublicmarket.com).ONE WINERY AT A TIME: Robert Sinskey Vineyards is located at 6320 Silverado Trail in Napa (www.robertsinskey.com).PARK AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE: The very apt staff at the Westin can help you make arrangements for a car service to drive you around Napa and to nearby wineries.

— Kathleen Jay

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MODERATE DRINKINGDan Aykroyd on WineGhile: Good Taste,Good ValueRefreshing WhitesFrom France, Austria

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reputarion o{ D.O.C. restaurant, helmed bY honegrown chef Rui Paula.Ac the pinnacle of luxury is Quinta da Romeira {www.quintadarom

neira.pt), which occupies an exquisrtely refurbshed forrner Pon lodge on a

vertiginous viney.rrd slope overlmking the Douro. Meals can be raken al-frero almost anywhere on the I ,000-acre property, which also otrers a pool

A lto (wwdallo.estaL€n! com). a M dtown va'rtttal kalanF\re,tdJrdntthathobsa !'v,ae spec tdlD/' Oralo Awa.dIo'itsstellar list of almost 2,4oo selections, is making a whopper of anoffer throush septemb€r:no corkase. Thatt isht, BYOBandtherestaurani wiLl waive their usual $60 surcha€e for glassware, service, lost saLes and, of cou6e, rcal estate You'll stil ha\€ to pay forchef Mlchael White s ste lar iood. but that's more than fair.

A rother G'aro Awaro winner, llontlC|||! rt th.lltl|| ta.ll. InA Asp€n, Colo., proceedsapacewitr c5et lya. H6'dy ardnew sommelierJonathan Pullis. News there s twofoldr Fifst, theNel has bolqht, rcnovated and reop€ned loca tavorite Ajax Tav-ern, where they are offer ng reflned comfort food and picnic bas-kets to go.second,theNel hasa coup eofdealscomins up. Fromm d-l.4aytomid-June,thethird n ghi sffeeiand fam liesvisitingf|omJuneto september get a second roorn for halfthe price, plusa fourth nisht ff€e tor stretching out that longw6ekend. ChecktheWeb sit€ (wwwthelittlenell.com) for €xact dates.

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area. Grand Award-winn ng lltpFr'a at ttL lvruwln.t has a],4so-selection wine listthatsworth6d€toui and to sweetenthedeal, rooms there and at slsterproperties such as theWhiteElephantare beins discounted through a Hot Dates, coolRat€spromotion. On certain dates irom l',laythroush Octobei roomsattheWauwinetcan be had foras littleas $225 a night,downfrom a summer baselinepriceof S6S0.VisittheWeb site (wwwnantucketislandresorts.com) for morc d€ta s

housed in a forner cellar

and an ourdoor infinitypool. The seclusion m a

draw herei guesrs arepicked up by horel staff at

che rim of the Douro can-yon and driven down a

series of switchbacks.Ptices {or an all.inclusiveovemight stay in one ofrhe i9 roons or suites,each uniquely decoratedin colonial period artfrom Ponugal, Brazil orEngland, begin at $ I ,400.

A bit more accessibleis Aquapura ( 'r.'vw.aquapurahotels.com), near thecroalroads torln ofPeso daR6gua, The resort is situ.ated in an l8th-ccnturynanor housc amid vine-

yards that stretch gently to the Douro. Compl€re spa tr€atments are thefocus. The prop€rty also features two bars and three restaurants Room ratessrart at $320 per nighq vineyard villas are also offered

D.O.C. (www.restaurantcdoc.com), which opencd two years ago, liesdownriver from Romaneira, in the village of Folgosa Chtf Paulu puts amodcrn $ist on Eaditional Ponuguese fare and rhe wine list cmpasizesrhe Douros best. Buik on a pladorm above rhe rivet, D.O C. is sleeklydesigned, with largc picture windows that look out to the flowing wat€rsofthe Douro. Prices are moderate, with main course6 staning at $23.

-Kim Ma{crs

LA TOOUE IN THE WESTIN VERASA NAPA wasabl root, and Florida fios lesswiih fri€d green tomato and sweetgarlic puree. Entrdes ransedfrcmricotta'porcini ravioli in Pamesan-wi d mushroom broth (shaved truf-fle optional), toribeyewithcheddarcd pearltapioca and Ruthefordred-wine sauce, to lamb loin wlihduckand refried cannelln beans

-James Laube

Winelured chef Ken Frank to NapaVal ey and wine ls what s keepinshim therc. F€nks La Toque (wwwlatoque.conr) has relocated fromits cozy setting in Rutherford todowntown Napa, inthe new wes_t n Verasa. The new restaurant 6moreupscale,and entire y modernin decor Everything was bul t tothe chef 's specif icaiions.

A recent visit revealed thefreshperspective, f rom the ambienceand service to the cuisine. Wine,however, remains cenval. The

cre6tive, French-tweaked menu isaccompanied by compellins wineoptions-some550 labels as wellas a dlverseand chansins s€lec-tion ofwines by the glass. On myvislt, slass offer ngs ncluded DeLadoucette Pouilly-Fum6 2OO5($14) and Paradism oakville2Oo4($18). Napa wines are the strength,but the cellara so holds Bordeaux,Blrgundyand more.

The menu is seasona : wintelstarteB included Boston b uefintuna sashimi with pickles and f resh

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