THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Catahoula Restaurant & Saloon Calistoga Napa/Sonoma (CA) CA Reviews | GAYOT

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Catahoula Restaurant & Saloon Restaurant Review:

The Catahoula is the state dog of Louisiana, which doesn’t make much sense for the name of a restaurant in Calistoga’s elegant, art deco Mount View Hotel-until you realize that chef-proprietor Jan Birnbaum is a native of that Gulf Coast state. His cooking reflects both the gutsy, soul-satisfying character of Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun/Creole cookery and the style and refinement of the dishes he prepared as a chef at San Francisco’s Campton Place Hotel before he migrated to the wine country. Somehow it all works, whether it’s a spicy steak gumbo, cornmeal fried catfish, or the soft, sexy grits. Anything from the wood-fired oven is terrific, including the thin-crust pizzas. In the adjacent bar, you can snack on tasty bites. Food also can be enjoyed poolside.