Front of the House: Norman Rose Tavern

Norman Rose Tavern is no ordinary pub. There is the requisite bar with sports channels on the televisions, and the menu looks like it could be served in the Midwest. But it's still a Napa restaurant, and the quality comes through in the food.

It's not a "see and be seen" restaurant, though it's likely you'll see or be seen by someone you know. It's that popular.

Michael and Christina Gyetvan, the owners of the popular Azzurro Pizzeria & Enoteca in downtown Napa, opened Norman Rose Tavern in 2009 to rave reviews.

The menu takes a local, sustainable approach to classics like fried chicken, mac and cheese, meatloaf and hearty salads. The portions are substantial.

It’s one of the great places to splurge and select from the menu's variety of French fries. I particularly like the “Natural Sea Salt & Black Pepper” fries 
and my son likes the “Disco” (Pork Sausage Gravy & Cheddar Cheese) fries.

Norman Rose is located at 1401 First Street, directly across from the Avia Hotel. Depending on my mood and the weather, I sometimes sit on the patio-- it's a fun place to people watch.

I recently caught up with General Manager Pat Jeffries. After spending more than 25 years working in many of wine country’s most well-known establishments, Jeffries changed careers and began successfully selling wine to many of the restaurants he had worked for.

It took the right opportunity, Norman Rose Tavern, to lure Jeffries back into the restaurant business.

Julie: Are you a Napa native or imported like so many of us?

Pat: Native enough, I’ve been here since 1970.

Julie: How long have you been with Norman Rose Tavern?

Pat:  From the very start.

Julie: What is it about Norman Rose that made it such an immediate attraction?

Pat: We filled a need in the Napa Valley. We did away with pretention and focused on the guests’ needs.

Julie: And generally, what do Norman Rose guests want?

Pat: The best possible product at the best possible price, quality and quantity.

Julie: What are the biggest challenges you face? It must be rather daunting with all the new competition in town.

Pat: The challenge changes daily depending on our guests. As for competition, we are our own biggest competition. We compete against our own standards and performance on a daily basis.

Julie: Your chef likes to say that diners don’t need a culinary degree to decipher the food. The menu reads like down home cooking, but the food still tastes gourmet.

Pat: This brings us back to the niche we fill. Food is not complicated in its raw form. Start with the best products available, local and fresh, and just enhance with a few key ingredients.

Julie: What’s the first thing you want people to notice when they walk through the door?

Pat: I want them to feel at home more than anything else.

Julie: And the last thing you want them to think when they walk out the door?

Pat: "That was great, I will be back." I want them to feel as if Norman Rose Tavern was the best and easiest decision they made all day.

Julie: Well, there's still that decision about the French fries. . .