Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant

Amazing building and location, it is worthwhile walking around the property. Food was very good. Once seated we were not served due to a miscommunication it seems so we waited quite a while until we talked to
The front desk. These guys are all students so we understood to a degre. Food was well prepared and drinks were interesting.

Service sucks. Two hours to eat. Forget about getting a Coke refill. Send the employees to th school next door to learn to serve. some of the food not great. I tried it and I will not be back. Now I know. Warning warning bring lots of time with you cause you will need it. There is an AW root beer joint down the street. Stop there.

This review is from a visit to Greystone from December 26, 2015.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. My group of 4 and I had an 8:30pm reservation. We went to the restaurant way before our reservation planning on drinking some wine and just hanging out and enjoy the location. Jeremy, the maitre d, was the only positive of the evening. After we informed him of our arrival and our intent to hang at the bar, everything went downhill from there.
The bartender did not acknowledge our existence for so long such that we felt awkward even standing by the bar and other patrons. Half of our group walked away after being ignored and I more or less stared at him until he acknowledged us. Finally we received a drink menu, but after receiving such poor service, we opted not to give the bartender our business.
Fortunately we were able to be seated before our reservation, but unfortunately, our visit once at our table was even worse. Joe, our server, took an incredibly long time to come to our table. Eventually he put empty water glasses on our table and I requested the wine list. We didn’t see Joe again for approx 5 mins and never received water.
He finally came back to the table and we pointed out no beverages. Since we finally had his attention again, we ordered a bottle of wine and two starters. We actually got our starters before he brought our wine to the table and opened it. His inability to open the wine was so awkward. You would have thought he had never used a wine key before. The entire experience was so terrible at this point that we opted to be done.
I flagged Joe down and requested the check. He didn’t inquire about why we weren’t staying for dinner… but he did promptly bring the check. I looked at our bill and noticed we had been overcharged $ 4 for our wine. I brought this to his attention which then took multiple minutes to correct.
In the end, we spent approximately $ 100 for the worst dining experience of our lives. I was so looking forward to this visit and could not have been more disappointed.

Last night a group of us went to Greystone for their 4:00 — 5:30 Happy Hour and it was FANTASTIC! Jeremy took excellent care of us, the food and drinks were outstanding and inspired and the setting was beautiful, cozy and romantic!

While I had higher expectations the quality ingredients and petite portions left me a hungry.
Especially after order some items like fro gras was no longer available.
Cippino is simply grilled seafood with a wine reduction poured over. Not Cippino!
See the grill marks on the fish. 1 scallop 1 fish.
Focaccia bread while good and flagrant, they filled 1 piece per person and begging world be the word I use to get more. Try that for 3 – 4 times.
17% gratuity regardless of quality of service or food

Expectations run high when eating here. I planned my visit in the area around eating here. After a tour of the Sterling Vineyard and picked up a new friend who joined me in my visit the ‘mecca’ of culinary schools. Beautiful setting in such a wonderful, old school feeling structure. Ah, the pull of an open kitchen with seating to view the goings on…
When you want to try everything and know it will be a miracle if you ever get back there you have a struggle. Small plates or a full meal?! My new friend had chosen 4 small plates for herself– totally shocked our waiter and in the end decided that we would share those 4 small plates. Love it! More items to sample. They even split the hard items into individual bowls/​glasses– soup and wine.
Cauliflower soup with beef tongue — lovely texture, with subtle flavoring that did not get lost nor overpower. Had never tried beef tongue but it was delightful.
Beets three ways– pureed, roasted and crisp chips– this seems like it would be good but it was phenomenal. Each beet preparation was different in flavor and so well complimented each other. The addition of the olive oil and capers rounded out the flavors. We both decided this might have been our most favorite dish.
Foie Gras– need I say more? My new friend explained that this had been banned in California for years. Apparently recently they allow the sale/​preparation but not the production/​raising in the state. It was served over a cornmeal cake– every mouthful was an explosion of fat and flavor! Orgasmic!
Rock Shrimp and Chorizo — have to say this was the least favorite dish on the table. Don’t get me wrong– it was good but not great. Texture differences and flavor combo did not do each of the components justice.
Side of Fingerling Potatoes– twice cooked and dusted with Parmesan this seemed like a waste to order– oh no, it certainly was not. They were very creamy and flavorful and helped cut some of the fat across what we had ordered.
Our waiter– a chef-​in-​training of course– was very personable and attentive. I have to say that overall it was a great experience– the priciest lunch I have ever had but a truly special experience (for a ‘wished I had gone to culinary school’ foodie).

Gorgeous building and grounds! Awesome patio views in daytime; went for late dinner with group of friends-​very excited to share this experience with them; the place was not busy at all which was a bit alarming for weekend. There were some wins and some misses in our experience. The service was okay-​a little spotty but nothing terrible; the cauliflower soup was a winner; the tomato tarte was a miss-​the phyllo dough was a soggy mess and the dish lacked flavor overall. The fettuccine with garden vegetables that was brought out accidentally instead of the chicken for one dinner party member was uninspiring and inedible. The noodles were hard on the ends and there was no flavor to them. The small pieces of veggies in the noodles, on the other hand, tasted like they came from my grandmother’s garden… superbly fresh and tasty. The chicken was good, as was a burger that was ordered by another party. The oysters were okay, the peppers and beet salad were great! Of the entire weekend, I think that this meal was the most disappointing given the high expectations.

Man, the past two reviews I’ve written for the Wine Spectator Greystone at CIA have been five stars. The service and quality have unfortunately dropped significantly. I’m not sure if it has to do with a change of management or system, but the menu and staff are totally different. Like many other Unilocalers have mentioned, this used to be a highly loved restaurant in Saint Helena and unfortunately, I have to agree that I’m disappointed too.
We stopped by CIA for lunch on a typical Saturday in Napa. The first surprising thing to me was noticing that the restaurant was about half full, even at a busy hour. In the past, getting a reservation here was relatively difficult and the restaurant was always packed. After being seated, we were greeted with the menu and the first question one of my guests asked was «where’s the charcuterie platter I saw on the internet?». Yep, the appetizers have been downgraded to «Small Plates». So all the photos you see on Unilocal are likely obsolete because most of the menu is totally different, which isn’t a bad thing, but the new version not particularly delicious or outstanding.
We started off with the foie gras, prepared well and delicious. None of the other «appetizer» selections sounded delicious or even special, so we opted to get to the main entrees faster. After doing a sample of each of our main entrees — Game Hen, Duck Breast, and Flat Iron — we each concluded though the presentation was nice, the meal tasted mediocre. It’s not expensive for what it is, but what’s the point of eating here when there are other great options in the area? Quality has indeed decreased, while prices have remained relatively the same. After a disappointing round of main entrees, we opted to skip dessert and headed straight for the nearest winery to spend our $ there.
The space itself is gorgeous and hasn’t changed. But with a new staff that seems inexperienced, including both chefs and waitress/​waitresses (our waiter was clumsy), I won’t be able to recommend Wine Spectator Greystone anymore for lunch or dinner and definitely won’t be back again. I’m too nice to give it two stars, so three will have to do.

I think it’s really fun to eat here. All the servers and bar tenders are chefs. They rotate duties. It’s amazing to hear the passion these people have for food. Food is amazing. Staff is friendly, drinks were… not perfect lol but still good and slightly comical in my opinion. My husband loves this spot. It’s a great place. They get 4 instead of five stars only because I like more options as a pescatarian but I still adore this place.

This is one of the 2 full service restaurants that the CIA has to offer. This one cost less than the Conservatory, however, in my opinion, it’s as just as good as the Conservatory. Both are great restaurant in different setting. I will write a separate review for the Conservatory, I’ve visited both. Both are worth visiting, but this one is worth returning more.
The reasons are follow:
1) It cost less to dine here. Most of the time this restaurant offers a-​la-​carte menu, from time to time they only offer tasting menu/​set courses, such as the holiday weekend. One Christmas I had their 4 courses menu for lunch, for around $ 40. I also had the wine pairing for another $ 15 dollars. Even though it was a wine pairing, they had 4 full glasses each time. The wine indeed paired nicely with the courses.
2) This is also a student run restaurant, even though it costs less to dine here, the servers etiquette is on par with Conservatory.
3) It’s easier to get a table here than at conservatory, never the less, I suggest you make a reservation than walk-​in
4) Ingredient is not as unique but it’s still as farm fresh as the Conservatory. In case you didn’t know, Conservatory’s ingredient are mostly picked from the farm across the street. It’s not exactly a farm, they have a space in the vineyard which grow their own food, really is farm-​to-​table. More in my conservatory review!
Overall, CIA is a great place to dine in the wine country. It’s affordable and equally good as many other restaurants in napa valley!

We came here for dinner and loved it. All of the food was good, and the dishes were beautifully executed.
Our Favorite Dishes (5 stars):
— Crispy Skin King Salmon
* Mary’s Game Hen (A TABLE FAVORITE)
— Grimaud Farms Duck Breast
* Roasted Five Dot Ranch Beef Meatballs (A TABLE FAVORITE)
— Chilled Cream of Corn Soup
Our Least Favorite Dishes (3 Stars):
— Seared Sweet Pea Ravioli
— Braised Niman Ranch Pork Cheeks
— Panzanella Salad

My wife and I had dinner here last evening and could not have been happier.
Do not be phased by the other reviews on here, which largely miss the point of this establishment. I’m not sure where the negative reviews come from because our evening was lovely and edifying.
The wait staff and kitchen staff are all last-​semester CIA students. Their ability to run an establishment like this after just over 20 months of education is amazing!
Our waiter and the person bussing our table were delightful and attentive. Our food came out at a perfect pace. We were not rushed on to the next course, nor did we feel delayed.
We started our meal with grilled artichokes and a chilled corn soup. Both were tremendous. I was somewhat perturbed, as a Hoosier, to like a corn dish outside my state, but the chefs here delivered. For an entrée, I had cod wrapped in shredded phyllo pastry served over fresh vegetables in a curry. Everything was delicious, and I felt the portions to be more realistic than other establishments I have been to out here.
My wife’s entrée was the star of the evening. She had white and black tagliatelle with dungeness crab served with a seafood broth. The seafood broth was briny, rich, and smooth. It took a modicum of restraint not to resort to licking the plate. Fortunately, our waiter brought us some bread when he saw our attempts to scrape the last bits off the plate.
The other part of the experience that was unique to this restaurant was the ability to chat with our waitstaff about their plans after graduation, and to pick their brains about the dishes they have been testing. The gentlemen bussing our table was kind enough to show us a few items on his phone he was experimenting with. Not only that, but after complimenting the food, we were delighted that our waiter brought us printouts of all the recipes broken down into components and all with clear instructions.
All told this meal was worth every dime, and I would love to come back again to chat again with the staff while enjoying a thoroughly well-​prepared and delicious meal.

Across the board a class act. Keep in mind it is staffed entirely by culinary students and chef candidates. The food itself was top notch, creative, prepared expertly, and was a carnival of flavored combined masterfully. The no charge corkage is a pleasant surprise. The table service did not have the polish of a top restaurant, but keep in mind in their defense these are culinary students who are doing a required 6 weeks as a server, a position they may never have held before. The historic setting, the ability to observe a truly open kitchen center stage, and the iconic Napa Valley setting make this a huge win! Multiple photos of the dishes served and menu are posted.

We used to love this place (as seen from previous review). My wife (then girlfriend from the previous review) and I went to CIA Greystone recently for a nice evening out. We will likely not be returning any time soon.
From other posters and some of the conversation we overheard at the restaurant, it seems like they’ve gotten rid of a professional chef for an all-​student staff. As a result, the menu is no where at the caliber it used to be and the service is pretty average, for the price. [Note, this is only the case because of the price… if the menu was more moderately priced, then I should expect the service and food quality I received.]
My wife asked what the vegetarian item is because there is not a single vegetarian item listed on the menu. Instead they make the ravioli vegetarian by omitting the bacon. Where bread used to come in baskets (and was delicious), instead they ask if you would like a piece of focaccia and are served a piece. Repeatedly through the night the wait staff asked us if we would like another piece and we would say yes to be served another piece. My wife compared this to Oliver Twist because it felt so awkward to keep having this conversation (we like bread!). Olive oil is served with the focaccia, but where previously the staff would tell you about the olive oils, they just placed it on the table and disappeared. We ordered the cheese plate as a first course rather than dessert (where it is on the menu now), no bread was served with it, just buttermilk crackers. The crackers were delicious, but there were only three crackers (and there is no bread basket) so my wife asked for more crackers, to be given three more. These are tiny crackers. It’s difficult to eat that much cheese without something with it. No one discussed the cheeses with us where they previously used to tell you quite a bit about the cheese you would enjoy. The servings also used to be much larger.
The real issue for us was the AC is out at the restaurant currently. We were seated along the kitchen end of the restaurant (there is an open kitchen), while the temporarily set up AC unit faces toward the rest of the restaurant. My wife, who is in her third trimester, was miserable. We didn’t realize there was an AC at all to ask for (they can turn it, which we learned later). My wife used the menu to fan herself through the dinner. As she was beading sweat down her face between the dinner and the dessert we were laughing at just how strange the whole thing was, when the waiter told us he could turn the AC. No one should have been seated alongside the kitchen if the AC is out. But also, someone could have offered to turn the AC when they saw her fanning herself. If I had known that was an option we would have asked.
In all, you now pay for a meal and experience that isn’t what it should be. It’s really disappointing because this was a favorite of ours, and we’ll try again in the future I’m sure, but for now, this just isn’t worth the money.

I have been a fan of Greystone for years. However, our most recent experience left my wife and I questioning whether we will go back.
In that past, we have delighted in the appetizer flights, allowing us to sample tastes of several wonderful creations. Unfortunately, they have stopped doing these and have just a couple of appetizer plates that were far too pricey for the meager effort that went into them.
My wife loved the cauliflower soup, but sadly, that was the highlight of the meal. I found the flat iron steak VERY tough and the cut should have been selected better. If they are supposed to be training young chefs…

Not the first, but possibly the last time eating here.
Our group of 10 was celebrating friend’s B-​Day and having a great time.
Apparently one of the service staff /​students thought that something offensive was sad in his address. He complained to his supervisor /​mentor. What happened next was shocking to us.
The floor supervisor Michael Wolf approached our table, interrupted a toast to the B-​Day girl, and without any prelude asked if would like to go «eat elsewhere»
Once the first shock has passed, we asked what brought this on. He explained that he was «investigating «the report of his «student being abused».
Absolute failure by supervisor Michael Wolf to handle the staff-​customers problem.
What business operator asked his customers to leave when his employees are having miscommunication?!
The incident ruined our evening and made the students nervous.
Teacher has failed!

We left the «A Taste of Abruzzo» meal with a package of Abruzzo pasta. I have perfected my spaghetti meal over several years to a consistent preparation style and taste.
When I substituted the Abruzzo pasta for my usual, it lightened the taste and added a pleasant sweetness. Our family enjoyed the new addition that improved a standard family recipe.
If artisanal pasta is in your lane I encourage you to try Abruzzo Italy pastas. Check my previous post for contact information.

They have amazing water here (I know, it’s weird to rave about the water) and it was the best thing ever!
We asked the server and she said they have a fancy machine in the back that filters it… oooooo!
The food was great! We had the champagne flight, duck breast with cherries, and chicken… everything was very tasty.
Definitely will return in the future

We left cloudy San Francisco to find our way to Napa Valley where the leaves were red, yellow, orange and gold. Though the skies turned from blue to grey, we arrived at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. This is a branch campus of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. The Greystone Winery dates back to 1889 as the largest stone winery in the world. Today, the CIA teaching kitchens are one of the finest professional culinary institutions in the world. So why wouldn’t you want to dine at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant in Culinary Institute of America? As a Napa Valley tourist attraction, will this be on your must eat San Francisco list? Or would you have wished you made a reservation at Bouchon instead?
Inside Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant is a grand space of pastry kitchen, appetizer stations and full scale kitchen surrounding the main dining area. The service is superb and prompt. We chose a semillon, saxon brown, cricket creek 2011 to accompany our lunch. This was a bright vino with pear, fig, apples and mellon notes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very memorable. Our neighbors diners, later running into them again at the CIA store, told us for a dollar more, we could have bought a full bottle. Suckers. At least that makes four of us.
Steamed clams and mussels 12: fennel sausage in caramelized onion broth. The server had the kitchen split this into two for us to share. The execution of the mussels were spot on. There were no stinkers. But the broth was overly salty. Strong flavors of the smokey sausage overshadowed the freshness of the mussels. It was an ok start.
Crispy skin ruby trout 28: the trout fish was filled with dungeness crab, blood orange and lima bean salad. Served with sweet pea shoots and pickled red onions on side. The fish was cooked perfectly but lacked seasoning. Lima beans itself were potato-​like, grainy and really needed a something bright to liven the pods. Perhaps some mustard greens and cilantro?
Crispy creamy risotto 24: wild mushrooms and dinosaur kale. Served with a deep fried korokke and sauteed wild spores. This was the best dish of the meal with difference contrasting textures and flavors. I like the firm texture of black kale against creamy risotto and sponge like textures of wild mushrooms. The dish was very earthy and warm on a chilly autumn day.
Overall the meal at Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant was pleasant but really was not memorable. Execution was excellent but lacked flavor. Prices were fair but ideal. Because honestly, I can be in Bouchon Yountville and had Truite Poelee or Moules a la Basquaise for the same price.
After our meal at Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant we toured the campus of Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. There appeared to be a conference happening and some food demonstration. And we found that $ 10 bottle of wine our friendly neighbors so graciously pointed out. Yes, the irony. But it was a good experience. Alright on to the next winery we go!

I’m very sad to say that I wasn’t impressed at all with the food and service at the Wine Spectator. :(
It was a special day; my parents we in town early for Thanksgiving so I booked a 3D ultrasound (that was an amazing experience) and we found out the gender of our baby. It’s going to be a girl! Well, I wanted to go somewhere really special to celebrate because we were so excited to find out. We also had been wanting to visit because after admiring the Culinary Institute at Greystone from the road so often I wanted to finally get a closer look. We also had been contemplating the location for a wedding site.
We arrived for a late lunch. It was very bright, meh, I get it… it’s a learning institution. We were seated at what I thought to be the best seat in the house. The large round table with a tree sprouting up from the middle of the table located in the center of the whole restaurant. I think it’s an 8 seater, maybe more.
Next we were greeted by our server for the day. He wasn’t what I picture our server to be in the novel that I had written in my head of the day. We had a somewhat lengthy conversation about champagne cocktails, but then after not receiving my drink with the rest of the party and waiting about twenty minutes, I had to remind him what I ordered so he could finally put it in to order. No biggie tho.
I’ve been transplanted in this beautiful wine country from Burgerland aka Los Angeles, the land of the gourmet burger. On every other corner is a great burger that’s served with wonderful craft beers. Yum! So being a little home sick, when the server said that one of the day’s specials was a burger with a pretzel bread bun, we (the baby and I) totally started salivating and wanted that. The burger was over done (I ordered medium), and the pretzel bun was very dry making us very unsatisfied. *sad-​face
For the most part, the rest of the party enjoyed their meals. But all were lacking the amazing factor that we were expecting.
Still a beautiful location for a special even nonetheless.