TLDR:
I expected nothing less from the incredible PRESS…read moreteam. Under-Study is an exceptionally creative, fun, and delicious addition to the Napa cafe scene and shines with its food items. Can't wait to come back sometime soon.
------
FOOD
1. [MUST TRY] BREAKFAST SANDWICH (5/5)
I think the best breakfast sandwich we've ever had. The croissant was perfect: beautiful shape, expert lamination, extremely buttery taste, and super crispy from potentially an additional bake before becoming a sandwich. The egg was a fluffy souffle-type. Cheese and aioli were great, but most importantly, the sausage was EXCEPTIONAL. It was oddly shaped which is how you know it's a freshly-made sausage patty vs. a store-bought / freezer section sausage.
2. [MUST TRY] COCOA QUENELLE (5/5)
One of the best chocolate desserts we had in Napa, and a chocolate lover's dream. The chocolate tart crust has an excellent chocolate flavor and is the kind with a very satisfying snap when you break it. The chocolate mousse covers a layer of thicker chocolate and a pool of salted caramel at the base of the tart. It's garnished with a chantilly cream quenelle on top with some candied nuts and cocoa nibs. Not only is this beautiful, but this is delicious. A must-have the next time I'm here.
3. [MUST TRY] SALMON RILLET (5/5)
Super unique and high protein. Flattened and fried salmon skins that serve as your "chip". The "dip" is this lean trout + creme fraiche mixture topped with a layer of trout roe. The dip is on the leaner side vs. creamy side, so the salmon skin isn't hard enough to actually dip in the mixture. Better to use a fork to scoop the dip onto the salmon skin.
4. AVOCADO TOAST (4.5/5)
Not my usual choice but the employee raved about this item. The avocado and kosho are mashed together into a smooth mousse that's then piped onto a great slice of sourdough. The acidity and kick of the kosho really shone through, making this better than most other avo toasts I've tried.
5. WAGYU SKEWERS (4/5)
Two skewers with 3 pieces of wagyu each. The wagyu was good with flavorful salsa verde, but some pieces were a little tough.
6. GARDEN SALAD (4/5)
Great, bright, simple salad. Large portion, great for some greens on the table!
7. BRIOCHE TART (3.5/5)
Reminded me of a Czech kolache -- essentially a danish but instead of a puff pastry dough, it's a soft brioche bread. The center had a cream cheese and raspberry filling. While the filling was delicious and the brioche was nice, there was a bit too big of a brioche-to-filling ratio for my personal preference.
8. PAIN SUISSE (2/5)
Given the ham, cheese, and mustard, felt like a play on a cubano. While the flavors were there, the pastry was unfortunately a bit dense and lacked the buttery, flakey layers I was hoping for. I asked for this to be warmed up, which they happily accommodated, but strangely the ham inside was actually cold, even after being in the oven.
------
ENVIRONMENT / AMBIANCE:
* Beautiful cafe right next to the fabulous PRESS Restaurant in St. Helena. Essentially, it's on the road toward downtown but without the traffic of having to enter the downtown area.
* Huge parking lot so parking is convenient and shouldn't be an issue
* Both a large outdoor area with several different tables and high-top seats, as well as indoor seating (though only a few two-person high top tables and a handful of lower stool seats)
* Overall the style is bright, colorful, and perfect for a girls trip, breakfast/lunch with friends, and quick stop for a coffee and pastry
------
SERVICE:
* Surprisingly hit or miss. There was a gentleman here whom I interacted with the most who was absolutely wonderful and a joy to chat with. Similarly, another woman who seemed important was very kind. But a couple other employees were expressionless toward me.
* Some items were ready surprisingly quickly while others took a surprisingly slow time to come out. For example, the breakfast sandwich and salmon rillets were super speedy. But then the wagyu and avo toast took 20-30 minutes to come out. Similarly, when I asked for the pan suisse to be heated up, it took over 10 minutes for them to do so.