Travel with the Wine Skinny:
Eat, Drink & Sleep in the New Napa

Not so many years ago, the actual town of Napa was a sleepy, blue collar town - hardly on the itineraries of most Wine Country tourists who wanted upscale cuisine, adorable shops and charming hideaway lodging.

But one look at Napa these days paints a much different picture.

In fact, if change was slow to come in the first place, it now seems to be zipping along at a fevered pitch. New restaurants and hotels abound, as do shiny new homes and offices, not to mention shops and markets.

Here are a just a few of the many highlights:

Lay Your Head:
Gone are the days when sterile budget chains were your only option. Now you can relax in style at the Napa River Inn. Located in a restored 1800s mill along the Napa River, the Inn offers charming rooms, upscale touches like cushy beds, nice linens, fireplaces, river views and more. As a National Trust Historic Hotel, the 66-room boutique hotel offers a wonderful combination of charm, convenience and goodies. There are two excellent restaurants on the property - Angèle (see below) and Celedon, as well as an art gallery, the Napa General Store for gift shopping, and the ever-tempting Sweetie Pies bakery (don't miss the huge Oatmeal Whoopie Pies) and Vintage Sweet Shoppe (go for the Dark Chocolate Cherry Bark).

The only downsides were a somewhat broken down fitness room, where both the treadmill and elliptical were on the blink, limited room service, and some parking/driving/walking challenges associated with the final stages of the Napa River Walk construction. Once complete, scheduled for sometime in 2009, the Riverfront project will connect Main Street with the Inn and other Mill tenants.

But all in all, we loved it. And have already booked a room for our next Napa visit!

More Luxury Beds on the Way?
There's a Westin going up that should open in Fall 2008, not to mention the rumors of a Ritz-Carlton near the Oxbow market (see below) and a possible COPIA-related small hotel.

Great Bites
The opportunities for delicious dining in Napa abound these days:

The much anticipated Oxbow Public Market finally opened in December 2007, right next door to COPIA. Within the sparklingly new structure are a host of diverse vendors. At any given moment, you can choose from items like yucca fries at Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, the gorgeous (and sustainably produced) beef cuts from Five Dot Ranch, a wonderful selection of cheeses at the Oxbow Cheese Merchant, a new Model Bakery, and so much more. See the list here.

A stellar herb-crusted seared ahi salad at Julia's Kitchen at COPIA, with butter lettuce, roasted red peppers, capers, slivers of cucumber and dressed in "Julia's Sauce Ravigote," courtesy of Chef Jeff Mosher. It's the perfect balance of textures and flavors - at once light and satisfying. COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, 500 First Street, Napa, CA 94559, tel: 707-259-1600.

And while we're on the subject of tuna salads, don't miss the classic Niçoise at Angèle. It's a classic presentation, with chunks of tuna poached in olive oil nestled in fresh greens, crisp-tender haricot verts, black olives, roasted red peppers, fingerling potatoes, dressed in a mild vinaigrette and topped with an anchovy fillet. Sheer Provence-style heaven on the lovely patio (great wicker chairs!) with a half bottle of Bandol Rosé, if you ask us. (Look like a local and take advantage of the French wine list - it's one of the best of its kind in the area!)

Oh, and do order coffee after your meal. It comes with the most adorable bottle of heated milk and a tender Madeleine cookie (such a sucker for a good Madeleine…). How we do love this kind of brilliant attention to detail! Angèle Restaurant and Bar, 500 Main Street, Napa CA 94559, tel: 707-252-8115.

Uva Trattoria is a longtime local hangout, with soulful Italian food, great cocktails, live music and a well-priced wine list that boasts a bunch of Italian choices alongside area wines. The antipasto platter is a deal at $14, with a mound of olives, prosciutto, sopressata, mortadella, grilled eggplant rolls, roasted red peppers and some delicious, if incongruous, Manchego. After a long day of wine tasting, the antipasti nibbles were an ideal match for a much-needed Campari and soda. Beyond that, pastas may be the way to go - particularly the penne con salsiccia, with its fennel-flecked sausage, mushrooms and creamy rosa sauce. Uva Trattoria, 1040 Clinton Street, Napa, California, tel: 707-255-646.

You could practically hear the cheers when Taylor's Automatic Refresher opened an outpost in Napa in February 2008, next door to the Oxbow Market. Long a favorite in St. Helena, the Napa location offers the same lineup of burgers (from tradition to the ever popular Ahi burger with ginger wasabi mayo and Asian-style slaw), salads, beer-battered onion rings, and garlic fries that will knock any low-carb enthusiast right off their soapbox. The line tends to snake down the block at high noon, but it moves pretty quickly - and it's worth it.

But Wait, There's More!
Also either already opened or scheduled to open soon:

• Whole Foods has arrived! (in Bel Aire Plaza)

• Veteran's Park is scheduled to reopen soon, complete with a small amphitheater

• Main Street continues to develop, attracting new condominium construction and ever more restaurants

• Uptown Theater looks to open later this year, as a venue for live music and other live entertainment, as well as for cinema