Go Fish Opens in St. Helena

    Reviewers usually wait a few weeks or months after a new restaurant opens to give it a chance to settle in. But there's so much interest in St. Helena's GO FISH, we decided to review it right away, overlooking the roughness that accompanies any such venture because our experience with the owner's other restaurants assures us that it will be smoothed out.
    The restaurant is owned and managed by CINDY PAWLCYN of Mustards and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, plus manager and partner SEAN KNIGHT and sushi wizard KEN TOMINAGA, from acclaimed Hana Sushi in Rohnert Park.
    The new seafood restaurant replaces Pinot Blanc, but about the only thing remaining from the original are the roof and part of the walls. Working with the owners, St. Helena architect Howard Backen has completely re-done the place, and it's now casual, bright and open rather than the rather formal space of the past.
    Among the changes is the addition of a lengthy sushi bar which dominates the west wall. That is the only bar, for drinks or food, though part extends beyond the sushi chillers and you can order anything anywhere. The patio was not yet open when we dined, but will provide an attractive alternative in the future.
    To start with the sushi, it is mostly traditional, not the fanciful concoctions invented by many California chefs, and includes both popular favorites such as hamachi and maguro and some rarely seen sea creatures such as kohada (gizzard shad) and katsuo (bonito).
    Chef Tominaga's Hana is one of the top sushi restaurants in the North Bay, and he reportedly wanted to open in St. Helena but couldn't find the right spot. This seems a creative solution, though ironically another sushi bar recently opened down the street.
    You can order either sashimi-the raw fish alone-or the more popular sushi with its finger of rice, and the sushi chefs also offer many rolls including the inevitable California roll and its cousins. Sushi start at $5; the top sashimi (toro) is $30.
    Naturally, it's prepared exquisitely, a nice change if you've succumbed to trying pre-made sushi at local supermarkets in the past. Of course some of the fish is cooked or otherwise processed to reassure the squeamish, and there's even a nominal veggie roll, one of the few vegetarian offerings. The other is corn-ricotta ravioli with roasted peppers and arugula for $15.
    You'll also find a nice choice of sakes, served cold like wine, though I suppose you could request them heated. They're good matches for the sushi, but I find beer even better with the wasabi and salty soy sauce.
    The more conventional seafood menu includes a raw bar with three kinds of oysters, Little Neck clams, Gulf prawns, Dungeness crab and Maine lobster and both Prince Edward Island mussels and Manila clams steamed by the pound in either a conventional garlic, butter and white wine sauce or a Thai coconut-curry broth. You can even add linguini to turn them into a meal.
    Cindy is famed for her small plates-she has a new book called Big Small Plates-and the menu offers a number of them as well as salads, barbecued Hog Island oysters, and soups. You can get classic Dungeness crab cioppino ($24), or bourride as well as some Asian-influenced bowls ($7 to $22). Oddly, there's no fried calamari, which I'm told is Napa Valley's favorite appetizer.
    Getting to the serious menu, the star is "Fish Your Way," a choice of fish served saut�ed, wood grilled or steamed, and with a choice of four sauces. The price naturally depends on the variety and market price, but they were $12 to $19 the night we were there. You can also order "Fish Our Way," a more elaborate presentation prepared by the chefs. Side dishes don't come with most meals, and they're $3.
    If you're not too hungry, you might like a fried green tomato or crab cake sandwich. For those who don't eat seafood, one chicken, pork and steak dish will have to do.
    Of course, in Napa Valley wine is important, and the extensive wine list is well chosen, with a number of reasonable choices by the bottle. Interestingly, it balances mostly local reds, with whites primarily from elsewhere. The list of wines by the glass is lengthy and starts with a tasty Chappellet Chenin Blanc for $6, but no Albari�o or Italian Pinot Grigio, some of my favorites with fish.
    My choice was the superb 2005 William Fevre Chablis from France, a wine every local chardonnay maker should try to see what the grape can taste like. It's $9 a glass, $47 a bottle.
    Three beers are on tap, including Kirin and Budweiser. At only $3.50 it would be a good choice with many of the dishes, including sushi. There are also specialty cocktails if that's your choice. They've also acceded to today's tastes in one at least: The Go Fish Martini is Rudd gin straight up; none of this vermouth stuff to confuse things.
    Service was a little ragged, but knowing Cindy Pawlcyn's other restaurants, I'm sure it will smooth out and become attentive and friendly.
    Most of the other prices are reasonable, especially for St. Helena. Though they could certainly add up fast if you give into temptation and order appetizers, a main course, side dishes and dessert.
    All in all, Go Fish is a welcome addition to the Napa Valley, and one that's sure to prove popular with locals and visitors alike. I'd highly recommend making reservations, but you can wait in line for the sushi bar if you prefer.

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