Warm, comfortable, inviting and cozy. The Yurts at The Charter Oak restaurant in St. Helena are all of this, and more. Treat yourself to this festive, one-of-a-kind dining experience in Napa Valley curated by one of the world’s most respected chefs.
St. Helena’s The Charter Oak Restaurant
Christopher Kostow is the chef and the owner of The Charter Oak restaurant, along with his wife Martina. If you’ve been following the California food scene, particularly the Michelin-star food scene, for the past decade, then Chef Kostow’s name is likely familiar. For you food lovers who are new here, Chris Kostow was the brains and culinary brawn behind The Restaurant at Meadowood, a three Michelin star restaurant at the Meadowood Resort, a Napa Valley luxury hotel just off the Silverado Trail.
Full disclosure, the dinner I had at Meadowood several years ago was one of my favorite dining experiences, like ever. They served a criminally tender piece of steak (I want to say it was sous vide) that had been cooked in bacon fat, and it blew my mind. To this day, I still refer to that piece of steak as one of the best things I have eaten in my entire life.
But I am really, really digressing.
Don’t make a reservation at The Charter Oak with the idea that it’s Meadowood. The food here is served family-style, it celebrates Napa Valley as both a fine dining destination, but also one that embraces its agricultural roots – the old school Napa Valley of the 60s and 70s before the words ‘luxury’ and ‘world-class wine destination’ tossed their ropes around it.
The Restaurant Does Not Have a Michelin Star, but…
The Charter Oak is not a Michelin star restaurant, but that seems to be by design. There is no doubt that if Chef Kostow wanted Charter Oak to have a Michelin star, it would have a Michelin star. Rather, the restaurant is its own entity, with an entirely different upscale-casual Napa Valley vibe.
Don’t let this restaurant’s non-star status prevent you from dining here. The food is some of the best in Napa.
The Legacy Menu
Before you reserve your private yurt, the first thing you should know is that The Charter Oak Yurt menu is different from The Charter Oak dining room menu; the only shared item is the TCO bread with cultured butter (which is amazing for breakfast the next day, by the way).
The menu in the Yurts is a chef’s choice menu, meaning you won’t know what delights await until you’re seated. The restaurant does ask for dietary restrictions and food allergies prior to your reservation, and will work around those, but everything else is up to the discretion of the chef.
Consider these one-night only menus to be the food equivalent to a trust fall. You know, that trust exercise where someone stands behind you, you fall backwards and hopefully they catch you.
Why You’re Going to Love the Food
This style of dining gives chefs the ability to flex their creativity, and use ultra in-season ingredients, like produce that may only be available for a few weeks out of the year. It’s also great for you, the diner, because if you decide to book one of the yurts at Charter Oak for a holiday dinner in December, and then want to surprise a friend with a birthday dinner in January, you will have an entirely new dining experience.
Lastly, but most importantly, The Charter Oak Legacy menu is special for one more reason, 5% of the proceeds are donated to The Cameron Thompson Legacy Scholarship. Cameron Thompson was a young chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood, and was tragically killed in a car accident while driving to work. The scholarship aims to help “increase access to professional culinary training as a pathway toward robust careers in food and hospitality for aspiring African American chefs.”
It’s a great cause, and I applaud Chef Kostow for supporting diversity in the culinary arts.
The Yurt Dining Experience
Your yurt dining experience begins with the host walking your party up the brick steps and into the restaurant’s dining room where you are handed a glass of welcome sparkling wine; is there a better way to start an evening? The dining room is a hair above dimly lit. The tables are bustling with clinking glasses and chatter, and the decor is all dark moody colors, natural elements and cavernous ceilings. For a silver of a second, you wish you were dining in here with the rest of the guests, until you step outside.
Now About That Private Yurt Dining
The Yurts at Charter Oak are nestled in the courtyard, just behind a gorgeous linear fireplace and seating area. The Mulberry trees are strewn with soft glowing string lights and the yurts are illuminated like living snow globes.
The atmosphere is so wonderfully cozy. If you’re worried about the chilly winter weather, fear not. Each private yurt has its own overhead heater and a second heater positioned on the wall. The restaurant also has warm fleece blankets conveniently hanging behind the table, ready for you to pluck at will and cover your lap.
You want to experience the epitome of hygge dining? This is about as cozy and as rustically elegant as you can get.
The Food = “Chef’s Kiss”
The Legacy menu unfolds in waves. The starters arrive in a flurry, one right after the other until the table is filled with delicious little bites. Two-bite starters like the Potato Tostones with truffle miso honey, Mahogany Clam with pickled apple mignonette, and eggs from The Charter Oak farm topped with caviar and ember mayo appear almost at once.
When the dishes are cleared, a mid-course arrives: Agnolotti of Chicken, Pork and Shrimp with Chinese cabbage and grilled Shiitake mushrooms. This, for me, was the highlight of the dinner. The Agnolotti is served in an umami broth that is warm, weighty on the palate and welcomes slurping. Frankly, it was spectacular.
Dry-aged duck with a duo of sides – steamed California grown Komachi rice with cultured butter, and grilled turnips with fermented negi from the Charter Oak farm – was the evening’s main course. The duck was served with a plum dipping sauce and a mustard dipping sauce that felt like it had a good dose of horseradish blended in. Both great complements.
The duck was expertly prepared and cooked, with crispy skin on the outside and juicy, tender meat on the inside.
For dessert, we had a slightly different experience than you might otherwise have if you’re going for a non-celebratory dinner. Because there was a birthday at the table, the restaurant served a decadent little chocolate cake made with rice flour. Had there not been a birthday, a Poached Pear Clafoutis with beeswax diplomat would have been on tap.
The Legacy menu also comes with a dessert cocktail finale, but in lieu of the Yurt Old Fashioned, I opted to order a French Toast & Whiskey which was made with sourdough bourbon, lemon and egg whites. I’m a sucker for a good egg white cocktail. The promise of foam on top of liquor gets me every time.
Corkage Fee
The corkage fee is waived for the first 750ml bottle of wine. Each bottle after is $50 corkage per bottle. With this in mind, I brought a bottle of 2007 Roberto Voerzio Barolo. It went perfectly with every single dish. If you’re looking for an excuse to crack open a good bottle to pair with some great food, here’s your chance!
Final Thoughts
Dining in the Yurts at St. Helena’s The Charter Oak restaurant completely lived up to the hype. The service was attentive, but not overly so. The food was inventive, but welcoming, and the atmosphere was warm, cozy and thoroughly festive.
If you have the opportunity to dine at this Napa Valley gem, you will absolutely love it.
Tip
Give this unique Napa Valley dining experience as a gift to your favorite wine lover. The Charter Oak gift cards can be used for yurt dining. Guaranteed to be a gift they will love – and use!
FAQs
Does Charter Oak have a bar?
The restaurant has a gorgeous mahogany bar, and the cocktail program is great. If you want a pre-dinner cocktail before sitting down to lunch or dinner, there are a lot of nice options. They even have a refreshing frose (frozen rose slushie!) in the summer.
What is the dress code?
Wear your favorite upscale, Napa Valley casual winery outfits to the restaurant. This could be jeans and blouse, heels or boots, dresses, or slacks. Men do not need to wear a jacket, but definitely would not be out of place if they did. If you go specifically for the yurt experience, have fun and dress up to your heart’s desire!
Restaurant Reservations & Hours of Operation
Monday – Thursday
11:30 am to 9:00 pm
Friday – Sunday
11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Brunch Available Saturday + Sunday
11:00 am – 2:30 pm