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Business & Tech

Bites Nearby: VINeleven at the Marriott

Napa's newest hotel restaurant offers organic and sustainable options.

Chef Brian Whitmer helms the new VINeleven at the , which is part of a multi-million dollar renovation. With a nod to the transitory nature of hotels and their guests, VINeleven touts itself as utilizing local produce, meats and other items while serving dishes that can be mixed and matched to create meals and snacks to suit any diner any time of the day. The restaurant even has a kitchen garden with organic herbs and lettuces.

Stopping in for a casual business lunch, my companion and I were pleased by the sophistication of the new decor. Earthy browns and burnt reds dominated the space, glowing with recessed lighting. A closer look revealed that the tables were a bit cafeteria-style in their structure and wobbled with any sort of spastic motion from this diner, but they were still paired with comfortable enough chairs.

There was also ample seating at the bar, something I would try the next time I am there and not wearing a miniskirt. The setting was also a little odd, as the restaurant seemed to almost be part of the hotel lobby, with guests checking in not far away.

Service was a bit erratic as there was a throng of hotel guests enjoying the outdoor tables and we were almost the only indoor eaters. Water was presented in a tall, stoppered bottle resting on a small metal tray.

The menu, featuring everything from Oysters in Champagne Mignonette to Moroccan Spiced Skirt Steak, was quite extensive for a place ready to serve any of it at any time. Was there a legion of chefs resting on cots in the back, ready to jump up and cook if a party of six came in and ordered half of the 24-item menu?

Our entrees arrived, plunked down in front of us as if we were at a diner nursing screaming hangovers. My dish would have actually been a perfect morning-after remedy - it was the Spicy Chorizo Burger, on a chipotle bun with dressed watercress and topped with a sunny-side-up egg.

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I dug in and was pleased to detect a slight ‘squooshing’ of the egg, mixing in with the rest of the burger.

Alas, there was no spice to this dish, just a pleasantly smoky sausage burger. With the egg, the burger as a whole felt, as my companion so aptly put it, "unctuous." It would have been helped by a bit of acid to balance everything out, such as some spicy pickles or vinegar-dressed cabbage.

My companion ordered the Chickpea Fries with Basil Aioli and the Summer Fig Salad with Arugula, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese. The fries were presented in a cute newspaper wrapping and the salad was artfully drizzled with a fig-port vinaigrette. She ate every morsel.

The prices were quite fair, and I was stuffed after my $12 burger and fries, with my companion’s lunch coming up to about $15.

Will I be back? It’s hard to say. Because it’s a hotel just off the highway, I’m not sure it would be a destination for me. The food was good, and I really liked the thoughtfulness that seemed to go into the menu. The restaurant also includes a full bar, which could be an incentive for late-night revelers who’d also like a quality bite to eat.

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