Nationally acclaimed Executive Chef Erik Anderson is announcing the November 1, 2021 opening of the TRUSS Restaurant + Bar Living Room in charming Calistoga.
Prior to joining TRUSS, Chef Anderson was Executive Chef at the acclaimed two-Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant COI and the groundbreaking The Catbird Seat in Nashville. He is supported at TRUSS by a first-rate team, including Chef de Cuisine Craig Wilmer (COI, Petit Crenn), Pastry Chef Josh Gaulin (Quince, MICHAEL MINA, The Restaurant at Meadowood), and Sommelier Morgan Gray (Restaurant Gary Danko).
A nod to Calistoga’s beauty and laidback ethos, the TRUSS Living Room presents sprawling views of the vineyards and Palisades Mountains, best enjoyed from its expansive terrace while staying cozy by the fire pits. In addition to proper meals, guests can enjoy bar bites, signature cocktails and exquisite fine wine at the vibrant bar or fireside lounge spaces, a coffee and bottle bar in the morning and afternoon, a demonstration kitchen featuring an Argentinian wood-burning grill, the Vineyard Terrace – an outdoor semi-private dining area – and formal private dining for up to 16 in the Cork Room, overlooking the on-site vineyard’s wine barrels.
In the coming weeks, Chef Anderson and his team will open the more elevated yet still approachable TRUSS Restaurant, offering a curated a la carte lunch and dinner menu with genuine service and an unparalleled wine selection. Dishes at TRUSS feature distinctive caviar, game birds, and seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients, which are influenced by Chef Anderson’s close ties with local artisans – relationships that afford him the unique opportunity to be involved with products from start to finish. This includes a collaboration with Sausalito-based California Caviar Co., in which he harvests, cleans, salts, and packages his own TRUSS label of California white sturgeon, as well as gourmet quail from his friend and farmer Brent Wolfe of Wolfe Ranch.
In the TRUSS Living Room, guests are invited to start with a selection of shareable snacks and small plates during lunch and dinner, including the Gaufrettes & Onion Dip; Fruits de Mer with salt spring mussel, Monterey Bay abalone, and an oyster; the artful Napa Valley Crudites with a whipped tofu green goddess; Duck Ham with espelette and orange confiture; as well as the aforementioned TRUSS Caviar with traditional garniture of egg mimosa, smoked crème fraiche, red onion and sourdough blinis. Main course highlights include Chef’s tavern-style Living Room Pizza with sausage and pickled nardello peppers; Steelhead Trout with radish, black garlic, and meyer lemon; signature Pressed Chicken, currently served with seasonal accompaniments of butternut squash, fresno peppers, popped black rice, and herbs; and the Snake River Strip Loin for two with onion syrup and anchovy butter. Chef Gaulin’s desserts top things off on a sweet note with items such as Pot de Crème with sourdough and huckleberry jam, Raspberry Coconut Sorbet with coconut dacquoise and rose meringue, and a Gianduja Tart with malt, hazelnut, and vanilla.
Diners will be enticed to rise in time for breakfast with dishes such as Coffee Cake with tonka bean and candied chestnut butter, also by Chef Gaulin; TRUSS Caviar Tartine with caramelized onion, scrambled eggs, and smoked sturgeon; Oatmeal with barrel aged maple syrup, warm chardonnay raisins, and salted butter; Caneles Waffles with caramelized apple and maple custard; the Rolled Omelette with aromatic herb dashi, pickle salad, and black truffle; and a Reuben Benedict with caraway English muffin, charred cabbage, smoked brisket, and thousand island hollandaise. A selection of fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, and tea round out the breakfast experience.
The beverage program at TRUSS is dynamic and curated. Sommelier Morgan Gray designed the wine menu to offer an extensive list of approximately 250 labels, presenting a special focus on the Calistoga region while subtly telling a story of the evolution of the wine world, and highlighting a combination of classic icons with a newer generation of adventurous winemakers. Craft cocktails by Lead Bartender Randy Languerand include vibrant creations such as the Jekyl & Hyde, with browned butter washed Burning Chair bourbon, St. George, pear liquor and brown sugar; The Secret Garden with cardamom-infused Wheatley, cucumber, Galliano and tonic; A Tale of Two Cities, featuringHerradura Reposado, agave, yellow chartreuse, bitters and flamed orange; and The Tom Joad with Argonaut Fat Thumb Brandy, Germaine Robin 7 year Brandy, Carpano Antica, lemon and orange bitters, and Laphroaig 10 year. The bar offers curated spirit selections including limited release rarities and new under-the-radar favorites, as well as hyper-local beers and ciders that showcase the Bay Area’s incredible breweries.
Thoughtfully designed by award-winning hospitality design firm EDG, the TRUSS Living Room presents an inviting gathering place that is open and airy, with a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors from which to view sprawling Calistoga scenery and step out onto the expansive terrace. The TRUSS Living Room features dark woods, warm, soil-inspired hues, and muted tones, drawing upon the natural surroundings just outside. The space will remain brightly lit from sunrise to sunset for a warm, inviting ambience. The wine cabinets and counter-to-ceiling kitchen windows provide a constant glow in the background, and the bar is softly lit by small lamps that sit directly on the counter in between guests. The kitchen is laid out behind glass walls and fully visible throughout most areas of TRUSS, pulling the curtain back on the chefs in action.
TRUSS is located at 400 Silverado Trail, tucked into the base of Mount Saint Helena and surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards. It is situated within the newly opened Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley.
TRUSS Living Room reservations are open now via OpenTable. Menus and additional concept details for the TRUSS Restaurant will be announced in the coming weeks.
