Apologize for the length, but what the heck: Bumblebeez, I have to say it's one of those individual decisions, speaking as someone who lives a little over an hour away from Napa and visits just for the restaurants. I've never made it to FL, but a foodie friend I trust made it in on a last-minute cancellation (yes, sometimes those impromptu calls really do work) and he loved it, said it was the best dinner he'd ever had. OTOH, as someone once commented to NYTimes critic Pete Wells (she is in the industry, eats at these very top-level restaurants without having to pay for it), you are paying for two things: the very freshest ingredients and exquisite precision of execution; e.g., the cutting and placement of food. She pointed out it does not actually taste any better; it is simply beautiful and consistent with no flaws, plate after plate. You need never worry that somebody else's caviar with oyster foam is a little bigger or less salty than yours; the food will be the same no matter who is receiving it that night. Now...that kind of experience may well be worth it, just as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nothing wrong with that - every gourmet/foodie has their own memories that they hold dear! I can only say I've given up trying for FL. It just isn't worth it to us. We've eaten great food in Northern CA for 45 yrs, and would rather spread my $$$ around elsewhere at restaurants we can get into, that also have truly remarkable food. We're retired and can spend as much time and $$$$ as we want up there. That said, your friend might try for Meadowood. Chris Kostow is not the household name that Thomas Keller is, but unlike Keller, Kostow remains the ExecChef, hands-on, at Meadowood, which holds the same # of Michelin stars that FL does. Talk amongst local foodies is that FL is still very good but Meadowood is better and more exciting. If it was my $2K, this is what I'd spend it on (but I could do it because we don't drink, which saves a lot of money!). Opinions are STRICTLY MINE, ymmv: - Auberge du Soleil - Upscale resort with glorious food and an even more glorious view IF, and only if, you can snag one of the four tables on the outdoor patio. Sitting there overlooking the Napa Valley, eating a lobster and veal sandwich on brioche and finishing with an after-meal French brandy, is one of our favorite memories. It's the only restaurant in the Napa Valley with a high-hill valley view. Worth every extra penny it’ll cost. - Ca'Momi @Oxbow Market - Brilliant authentic Italian cuisine in a noisy, uncomfortable market hall. Try to get a patio table because the tables inside are small and smashed together. Bring a cooler and ice for those luscious pastries! - Etoile @Domaine Chandon - Stunning. Wonderful. Worthy of LVMH's Dom Perignon (they own all three brands, and more). If I had to pick only one dinner in the Napa Valley, Etoile is where I'm going. Perry Hoffman is a genius, with the masterfully understated touch that only terrific talent and classic training (French, of course) can produce. Try the Chandon brandy, 24 yrs old and only available for sale at the winery - phenomenal stuff. - Solbar @Solange Resort: A Relais & Chateaux property, and worthy of its siblings. Too many people miss this phenomenal restaurant in Calistoga. The service is excellent and the food is exquisite. The heartier side of the spa menu is surprisingly carnivorous as well as generous. But don't miss the spa dishes; they aren't your usual rabbit food. A chicken pasta soup from the spa side was downright stunning; a rich dark brown from roasted bones, full of juicy shredded chicken breast and mini-farfalle. I drag my DH all over to eat and he said this was hands-down the most amazing soup he'd ever had, simple yet utterly perfect. After that splurge you need something cheaper. Cheese and pate and good bread for a picnic: - Bouchon Bakery- Croissants a little saltier than Parker-Lusseau in Monterey, but crisp and lovely. Chocolate budino dessert cakes are a winner. Baguettes are extremely neutral in flavor, excellent for a cheese tasting. Note they get very crowded at lunchtime and sell out by 2p. - Dean & Deluca Delicatessen/Specialty Grocery - The goose mousse pate is worth selling your soul, or more probably all your arteries, for. Come with ice packs and your cooler, and stock up! - La Foret Chocolatier - Opened by the former pastry chef at the French Laundry, she makes fairly salty chocolates (and still supplies FL for their chocolates). But we did like the white chocolate macadamia ginger bar, which surprised us since we don't like white chocolate or ginger. Hidden in a very obscure, tiny residential strip mall outside downtown Napa. Look for Browns Valley Market which fronts the mall, and BVM also carries Bouchon baguettes (but skip BVM's deli offerings, Dean & Deluca are better). And yeah, I'd make time to visit the Castello di Amoroso, Sattui's own personal folly. I'm a sucker for brick buildings, and a series of wine cellars with double-vaulted brick arched ceilings? There are only 7 brickmasons in the world who know how to do that kind of artisan work any longer, and Sattui had three of them working on it. Their wines aren't top tier, but they offer a cabernet and chocolate tasting that is a lot of fun. Loved the tour and recommended it to my role-playing Renaissance Fair friends! It's hard to get bad food in the Valley but it's possible. I'm not a lover of over-the-top, "throw in the kitchen sink" cooking that many young chefs do. And we avoid Napa in summer, when service is more amateur (the summer temps are hired in May) and everybody is crushed under busloads of visitors. Good for more casual meals: - Angele, Napa - Bistro Jeanty, Yountville - Lucy @Bardessono Resort, Yountville - Market Restaurant , Yountville - Redd, Yountville Avoid: - Bottega, Yountville (gone downhill) - Bouchon Restaurant, Yountville (go to sibling Ad Hoc instead, casual American food) - Brix, Napa (new chef just started) - Don Giovanni, Napa (tired oldie) - The Grill @Meadowood - Note this is NOT the upscale FL competitor, Meadowood Restaurant, which is sited upstairs above the Grill. Too expensive for a casual place. - La Toque, Napa. Erratic. - Mustards, Napa. Sloppy oversized plates - Oenotri, Napa. Same as Mustards but Italian - Siena, Napa. Corporate blandness Anyway, no matter what your friend does, I'm sure she'll have a great time. Just don't schedule too much in one day -- common first-timer error. Distances are long, traffic is messy in summer, heat is tiring. And remember, bring a jacket for cool evenings! 64 degrees may sound great but when at 3p it was 103, it'll feel surprisingly cold. Here is a link that might be useful: Sattui's Castello in Napa Valley This post was edited by jkom51 on Tue, Jun 10, 14 at 11:29

The best thing about Minnesota is the reputed cold winters. It helps keep the riff-raff out! Though the common joke is "2 seasons, winter and road construction" the two best seasons are often overlooked. The beauty of spring and fall can be breathtaking. (Check out Joanmn's pic that was chosen for a billboard. It's in another thread.) Where else would people build an ? Weather is a big topic of conversation because it has an impact on so much of the lifestyle of the state. Not just for recreation but also for agriculture and other occupations. Outdoor or indoor recreation, there's variety. Overall consistently one of the highest rated for public education and after talking to people from different parts of the country, I see that's quite true. Quality of life is subjective, but overall the health of Minnesotans is up there too. The Mayo, mentioned before has treated presidents and worldwide royalty. When people have serious illnesses, the Mayo is the top of the lists for places to go most of the time. The Mall of America is the largest in the US, the Edmonton mall is the largest in the world, both malls built by the same guys. Skiing, golfing, fishing, hunting, crafts, cooking, eating, naps and many other hobbies are among Minnesota favorites. January is the coldest month with an average high of 22° and July is the hottest with an average high of 83°. The highest recorded temperature was 108°F in July of 1936. The lowest recorded temperature was -41°F in January of 1888. Many vehicles around here are equipped with heaters and air conditioners so it's not quite like Little House on the Prairie with the horse and wagon in the blizzard. I haven't even taken out my winter coat yet. I use a quilted flannel shirt. It hasn't gotten cold here yet. It might though. There's lots of webcams to have a look at the metro area, traffic cams, there's even loon cams fish cams and more. Because we have so many lakes and woods and more, we tend to have a few mosquitoes. The major metro areas treat for them so they're not as big a problem as many think. Lakes and air are very clean. Canadians sneak across the border to partake in our reasonable prices. But we're likable and forgiving people - we don't kick them "oot", eh? I think they like the big bobber water tower. Most of our houses don't have wheels on them and most have basements under them. I'll never forget when my Texican cousin first visited, she couldn't get over the basement and spent most of her time down there! Soon you'll receive your Lutefisk lessons and venture out to go to the fishhouse parade in Aitkin or watch the ships come and go in Duluth/Superior. Want to see an open pit iron ore mine? Take a quick video tour. We'll be glad to share some hotdish recipes too. Then it's of to greet Paul, Babe, Herman the German, the big Otter the largest prairie chicken and the big ball of twine. Go watch "Old Gluepot" run the Ken-L-Ration Derby at Canterbuy Downs. Pick a pony there. Entertaining. BTW, Walleye is good, no doubt... but you ain't et fish 'till you et fresh caught Sunfish. Fry them with the skin on - there's a fat under the skin that's indescribably delicious. Ah yes, Minnesota, where the winters are cold and the women are colder, the men are tough enough to fry bacon without a shirt on and all the mosquitoes are bigger than average. Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of links to check out

I am too late but hope you got a burger at The Varsity if they are open. I took my children to restaurants from a young age. We chose appropriate places ( like an Italian place , not a chain, that gave the kids pizza dough to play with), took quiet books and toys. We had a plan to take them outside if they got loud or restless. We would not scold them but tell them we needed to step outside because others were trying to have a nice dinner. I feel like even as a toddler they can start learning. As they got a bit older temper tantrum type behavior that continued outside meant we went home. I at many cold meals and took home a few but by about 3 they all had impeccable manners and were able to start going to “nicer” places. Kids need to do to learn, IMO. At 2 they might not be able to express why they are melting down or just can’t sit still. Leaving because they could not was not broached as a punishment but as “ there are others that want a meal where they can talk with their friends. We will go home so they can do that” We were thanked but other patrons at times for taking them out for a few moments. My kids are grown and last week I was at a locally owned business who did some work for my youngest, pretty specialized and expensive custom stuff, and the owner asked how he was and complimented him on being so respectful and knowing how to speak on an equal level but taking the advice of an adult even if he is in his mid 20’s. I give credit in part to speaking to him as a kid on a simple but babyish level and setting expectations to respect others. I just wrote way too much but I hate seeing a kid running around in a restaurant unchecked and equally if not more a parent screaming at a 2 year old who is acting like a two year old.... take the kid aside for goodness sake. The fact that you (Beagle) asked means you are a thoughtful Person and parent!

I’ve been to the first one I clicked on, several times. When my kids were young they thought it was the Ronald McDonald house! We still call it that. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/denton-house-mcdonalds