Restaurant File: Napa Valley, California

I hate to admit I haven't eaten here, but you ceratinly don't need me to tell you just how the epic culinary experience here is a journey to a new realm of gastronomy. There's barely a food critic or past guest who isn't mystified by this iconic Napa French country home-style temple. The hardest part is getting a reservation. With just 16 tables and bookings accepted only 60 days out, you'll need perseverence, but it's a small effort for what will likely be the most memorable meal of your life. Chef/owner Thomas Keller and chef de cuisine Corey Lee offer three menus daily—a prix-fixe, a tasting menu and a vegetarian tasting menu. They consist of up to 11 courses, a procession of gem-like morsels. And to each they give the kind of attention Gustav Klimt paid to each brush stroke on his canvas. (And costing a breathtaking $240 a head). The food, wine and service are said to be faultless and each night reaffirms Keller's iconic status. (He was named Outstanding Restaurateur of 2007 by the James Beard Foundation). I really must start trying to secure my table.

For a more relaxed, informal (and less expensive) lunch or dinner than the French Laundry, try Keller's other Yountville restaurant, modeled on the vrai bouchons of Lyon. Set in an 1880s Wells Fargo stagecoach depot in the center of town, the dining room is elegant and sweeping with touches of Belle Époque France. It's dominated by a striking zinc bar, a mosaic floor, burgundy velvet banquettes and a hand-painted mural by French artist Paulin Paris. In this setting, classic French bistro fare is delivered at its delicious best: steak frites, roasted chicken, quiches, brandade, boudin noir, pot de crème and plump profiteroles. The wine list is largely French and Californian labels. There's also an outdoor patio for springtime and summer dining.

Set in a handsome stone foundry in postcard-perfect St. Helena, Terra is the offspring of a marriage made in culinary heaven. Chef/owner Hiro Sone and his business and life partner, Lissa Doumani, who creates the divine desserts and pastries, have given their Napa Valley restaurant a global spin, fusing New American cuisine with European country food and a dash of the Orient to reflect Sone's Japanese heritage. Influences span the continents, but the ingredients are regional. Napa farmers deliver just-picked produce to the restaurant each day. Terra serves dinner only in a setting that evokes a romantic inn. Make sure to try Sone's grilled Liberty Farm duck breast on a chanterelle and chestnut risotto. It's food from the gods.

My feelings are mixed about the Italian restaurant and pizzeria Tra Vigne. The setting—a large and airy (if a little noisy) dining room—is pleasant, the bar is well-stocked, and the courtyard has a distinctly Tuscan feel. The food and service, however, are wildly inconsistent. A lunch I had there last year was fine but forgettable (I can't remember a thing I ate) and the service was slow and indifferent to the point of annoyance. I understand there have been a couple of changes in the kitchen staff, which always makes me nervous, but a Napa insider tells me things have settled again. It might be worth swinging by for a take-out pizza or a glass of rare vintage in the restaurant's spacious Cantinetta as you tour the Napa wineries.