Dishing columnist and The Lodge at Blue Sky employee shares highlights from her time spent in Napa.
When you think of the Napa Valley, the first thoughts are of long vineyard drives, farm to table spreads, and of course all of the fabulous wine that is made on site. Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection – a sister resort to Park City’s The Lodge at Blue Sky – is no different with their flagship SolBar restaurant. Their newest addition, however, is tilting the heads of everyone in Napa Valley.
Featuring house-made bites and their signature Head Tilt tacos, PicoBar, Solage’s outdoor and poolside bar, was created with the goal of shaking up the food scene in Napa Valley. All of these signature dishes were created with a very limited and intentionally interesting wine list to make room for the expansive list of craft tequila and mezcal cocktails.
“Picobar is the vibrant, playful younger sister of Solbar – for me, Picobar is a passion project and a perfect marriage of the two places I am most passionate about in the world—and the cuisine and ingredients that represent them.”
Gustavo Rios, Executive Chef, Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Creativity and whimsy are the guides to not only the presentation of their dishes but also in the creation. Instead of a classic guacamole, a whipped avocado dip features avocados from Bernard Ranches in Riverside, Calif., pistachios from Napa Wild in Napa Valley, and kale, cilantro and lime, served with fresh corn chips in a reusable canvas bag or fresh vegetables. The Famous Fish Tacos, originally a Solbar menu item with a cult following, have permanently moved to the poolside menu. A piece of Solage history, chef Rios created the recipe on a whim with Petrale sole, a fish found 500 feet below sea level along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja, breaded with a special mix and served with pickled slaw, chipotle aioli, cilantro, lime slices and side of daring hot pepper. The Head Tilt tacos are wrapped in warm, homemade Napa-flavored tortillas made with yellow, purple or blue corn from Masienda. The LA-based company sources from small family farms in Oaxaca, Mexico.
