The Mayne Menu: Ember Steak: Fine dining aimed at Napans

I started writing this column for the Napa Valley Register with a specific goal in mind. Hearing from Napa natives that tourists and carpetbaggers have made dining out unaffordable, I wanted to focus on restaurants that were both high-quality and reasonably priced. In a valley noted for its Michelin stars, we are also blessed with an abundance of restaurants that deliver quality dining within a budget. But when Ember Steak opened at the Meritage Resort and Spa, I believed it warranted a review despite not being a frugal eat.

In part, that decision was based on a conversation I had with Joe Leinacker, the managing director for the Meritage. He moved to Napa from San Diego to launch the resort. A condition for his appointment was the requirement that he live in Napa: eat, drink, walk and talk with the community being served to better understand and meet their needs.

This reflects the broader philosophy of the Meritage: to provide a place that local residents can enjoy as much as tourists. The bowling alley, winter skating rink and summer concert series were all designed with Napans in mind. That's not something all, or even most, Napa Valley resorts can claim. Kudos to the Meritage for putting Napans first!

So, while not an everyday restaurant for many Napans, Ember Steak is well within reach for the occasional celebration and splurge.

The restaurant has an old-school steakhouse feel, dark wood but with modern finishes. With only nine tables, it is an intimate dining experience. My waiter suggested the Meritage martini, infused with cucumber and dill. It comes with a lobster, avocado and caviar parfait. I'm a martini purist, and the accoutrement seemed gimmicky, but it's the house cocktail so I agreed. We ordered the beef tartare, the sashimi trio and the chilled iceberg salad as accompanying appetizers.

The martini was definitely dominated by dill, and as it turned out its perfect pairing wasn't the parfait but the beef tartare. The herbaceousness of the dill heightened the umami of the tartar's Dijon, and Worcester and kept the beef and the sunny-sidup egg from being too rich. The lavash was light and crispy, an appropriate neutral vehicle for the tartare (though it requires being broken and eaten by hand, so is better for a couple than a group). The lightly dressed romaine was a fine alterative to the lavash, but the crunch of the thin bread was the better pairing.

The sashimi trio was innovative: ahi tuna with smoke plum, kombu-cured ocean trout, and Hamachi blood orange togorashi served on burdock leaves over large-grain salt. It was pleasing to both the eye and the palate. The iceberg lettuce salad was garnished with bresaola, sourdough croutons, pickled onion and Point Reyes blue cheese crumble and dressing, which elevated the flavor and presentation from the pedestrian to the patrician.

The steaks are divided into "From The Broiler" and "Library," the latter being dry-aged on-site. Since ribeye appeared on both, we ordered one of each. In full disclosure, I am persnickety when it comes to steak. Nothing but perfection will do. If ordered medium, I expect even pink throughout with a light and even char over all surfaces.

Well, I got what I wished for. Both the Broiler and Library steaks were cooked exactly to order, tender, juicy and seasoned to perfection. Our companions' filets were similarly flawless. We ordered the Cabernet Bordelaise and Vinegar Béarnaise sauces. The chef knows his business: both were prepared with exacting attention.

For sides we ordered the confit Mitaki mushrooms, jumbo asparagus and loaded mac and cheese. All delicious, though the mushrooms made the best accompaniment for the steak. For dessert we ordered the Basque cheesecake and chocolate lava cake. While not as stratospheric as the steaks, both were good.

The wine menu is incredibly well-curated. To see Roderer Cristal by the glass and a 2018 Merus Cabernet (Robert Foley's boutique brand) was a pleasant surprise. But more of a surprise was the pricing across the board. In Napa, you come to expect a three- to four-times markup on wine, especially when fine dining. Not only was that not the case at Ember, but there are a number of very good wines in the $50-to-$70 price range. When I inquired, the sommelier told me, "We want this to be a place Napans can come for a special night, including fine wines at a price everyone can afford." I like his philosophy.

I do have one demerit. I go to a restaurant a second or third time before reviewing to ensure there is consistency in quality and service. When I returned and ordered a Library ribeye medium, it came out somewhere between rare and medium rare. I returned the steak to the kitchen, and it came back refired, and as a result slightly dry. It's unusual for a fine restaurant to refire a misfired steak — it's a mistake easily corrected.

Prices on starters range from $11 (house rolls) to $28 (sashimi or sushi roll). Broiler steaks run $62 (for a 12-ounce New York strip) to $140 (32-ounce porterhouse). Library steaks run $85 (12-ounce aged New York strip) to $190 (32-ounce aged porterhouse). Pork, chicken, fish and vegetarian entrees are also available for $29 to $38. Sauces are $4 each and sides range from $12 (truffle fries) to $14 (potato pavé). These prices are slightly lower than at other Napa steakhouses, though the wine prices significantly lower.

Ember is a high-quality steakhouse that has made it its mission to be accessible to the broader Napa community. The quality of its steaks are second to none, and while not inexpensive, it offers food and wine at a good price point for a special occasion.

Ember Steak is located at the Meritage Resort at 850 Bordeaux Way in Napa. For more information, visit embersteak.com.

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