Phase one took the Main House, Harvest Inn’s central building, from standard check-in and common area to a fully revamped reception area, a welcoming bar, and a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant named Harvest Table, an all-new 110-seat restaurant with an open action kitchen. 

    

In addition to the ground floor updates, four new guest rooms, the "Harvest Lofts", have just been added on the second story, and new landscaping, including botanical and culinary gardens along with a 24-piece sculpture garden, are nearly complete.  The changes are in line with Palmers plan to turn the boutique hotel into a full service resort. 

The new reception and restaurant building features a sleek and modern 12-seat, U-shaped bar, along with a more subtle reception area covering approximately 900-square feet.  The existing two outdoor terraces are now upgraded to allow for alfresco dining and the Harvest Table restaurant has taken over the space of what was previously the hotel’s Great Room. 

The distinctive mixing of heritage and modern style seen in the richly stained wood, leaded glass panels, and exterior stone as well as Tudor stucco with timber framing adds up to a fanciful setting that is both rustic and elegant. 

 

Harvest Table’s food and beverage offerings are elegant. The cuisine is California contemporary farm-to-table, with ingredients predominantly sourced from the property’s culinary gardens and the surrounding areas. The Napa-centric wine list is, of course, solid and the inventive seasonal cocktails feature American crafts spirits with house made tinctures and syrups. Not a wine lover? The beer menu includes a number of Northern California brews and ales.

I snagged a menu that shows offerings divided into three sections: Snacks, Starters, and Plates, each ranging from lighter to heartier dishes, and a daily market special. The menu embraces what is grown right outside the restaurant doors as well as supporting Northern California’s artisanal producers. Signature menu items include Roasted Garden Carrots with Buttermilk, Curry Blend, and Granola; Poached Petrale Sole with Garden Bean Nage, Lemon Thyme, and Chanterelles; and Pan Roasted Modesto Squab with Poached Plums, Stinging Nettles, Fermented Turnips, and Sherry Squab Jus.

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Service for the opening night event was top-notch and everything was perfectly planned from the champagne greeting to the well-spaced wine stations pouring fine local wines. An ongoing stream of jovial kitchen staffers ferried fresh small bites on square white trays for the guests.

Below are some of the tidbits that were served—samplings from the restaurant menu. Each was very good with some rocketing into the realm of OMG—

    

Keep your eyes on this brilliant Napa Valley property. Plans for phases two and three are said to include new and improved meeting and event spaces and a complete room revamp.  

Of course, the Harvest Inn property has and always will be beautiful. It reflects what I consider to be the essential Napa Valley experience and Palmer’s new incarnation remains true to that mission. The addition of Harvest Table is a very big deal for both locals and visitors. After being tempted by the sumptuous menu samples I simply can’t wait to return. In fact, I’m about to make a dinner reservations particularly to revisit the crispy pork head!!

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