AWARD-WINNING CUISINE & WINE LIST
WELCOME TO
Chef Ken Frank’s landmark restaurant, La Toque is the recipient of Wine Spectator’s highest honor, The Grand Award, for our wine list and service excellence. Pairing wine and food is our passion. The pairings on our menus are considered by many to be the ultimate food and wine experience. Our culinary team and Sommeliers taste together daily, constantly exploring, looking for combinations that elevate both the food and wine, creating harmony.
Gallery
LA TOQUE MENUS
Our commitment to the finest ingredients drives everything we do. We are fortunate to be part of a vibrant local food community, an amazing network of dedicated farmers and purveyors supplying the delicious products we prepare for you. The menu evolves continually to highlight seasonal ingredients at their peak.
We offer two different dining experiences nightly at La Toque-
For the ultimate La Toque experience, put yourself in Chef’s hands and go with The Chef’s Tasting Menu, a pre-selected menu of six-courses including 4 savory dishes, a cheese course, and a dessert. We also offer a Vegetarian version of this tasting menu.
Our A La Carte menu experience allows you to make your own selections from a list of delicious seasonal savory dishes and desserts.
We will happily accommodate any valid, health-threatening dietary restrictions with sufficient advance notice.
Reservation Policies and FAQs
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Are you able to accommodate dietary restrictions?
Absolutely! Dietary requests are happily accommodated with at least 72-hours notice. Please let us know if any guests in your party have any dietary restrictions or allergies by completing the short questionnaire received via email after you complete the booking on Tock. If you are reserving less than three days in advance, please call the restaurant directly before you confirm.
We take great care to prevent cross-contamination in our kitchen. However, we strongly caution diners with extreme allergies to be aware that common allergens are used throughout our kitchen in close proximity to other ingredients.
How much time should I plan for dinner?
In order to offer the best dining experience to our guests, we allow a generous window of time for each reservation. The dining experience at La Toque is set at a leisurely pace and varies depending on the tasting menu chosen. Parties of 1-4 are allotted 2 hours 45 minutes, parties of 5 or more are allotted 3 hours 30 minutes. We pace reservations according to these standards. If you feel your party would enjoy a longer table time, we ask that you book at 7PM or later, and make note of this preference when making your reservation. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
What if we’re late for our reservation?
We carefully pace our tables each evening to ensure that we have time to take great care of all of our guests. In order to ensure the best experience for everyone, please note we will hold your reservation for a grace period of fifteen minutes. Complete parties not arriving within 15 minutes of the reservation time may forfeit their time slot and we will do our best to seat you in the next available slot. As a courtesy to your fellow guests, please plan accordingly in order to arrive on time for your visit.
Cancellation & Deposit Policies
All reservations require a deposit at the time of booking. The full amount will be applied to your bill.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your reservation, please call the restaurant directly. Cancellations made for any reason within 72-hours of the reservation date/time are ineligible for a refund. However, we will be happy to work with you to *reschedule your visit (*reschedules are not available for same-day cancellations).
Please note- unfortunately, there can be no refund for reductions in party size at any time, however, the full deposit amount will still be deducted from your final check upon completion of dinner.
No-Showing a reservation
No-showing will void your booking.
We staff appropriately and specifically prepare food in advance for every guest dining with us. In the event that you do not show for your reservation your booking will be void and no refund will be issued.
Are children allowed in the restaurant?
In consideration of other guests’ comfort, dining with very young children is discouraged. The La Toque dining experience spans multiple hours- with that in mind, if the child(ren) can maintain decorum for the duration of dinner they are more than welcome. All guests, including children, require a reserved seat. Please note that we do not allow any audible electronic devices in the dining room.
Are animals allowed at La Toque?
Per California Health Code laws animals are not permitted in any restaurant spaces. We will accommodate ADA-protected service animals; please note that emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals and are not protected under California ADA-protection laws. People using Service animals in California must have their animal on a leash or harness and should have an official identification tag. We request that Service animals wear their government-issued vests when in the restaurant.
Do you allow corkage?
La Toque is one of 97 restaurants in the world to receive The Wine Spectator’s highest honor, The Grand Award, for our wine list and service excellence. Our extensive wine list boasts more than 2,300 selections focusing on rare library wines of California and other great wine-producing regions. Pairing wine and food is our passion. The pairings on our menus are considered by many to be the ultimate food and wine experience. Our culinary team and Sommeliers taste together daily, constantly exploring, looking for combinations that elevate both the food and wine, creating harmony.
If you would like to bring wine from your personal collection, we will gladly open and serve your wine for a $50 per 750ml bottle corkage fee with a maximum of four bottles per table. We will also gladly waive one corkage fee for each bottle you purchase (equivalent size). Please note that we are not allowed to serve any bottles that have been opened prior to arrival at the restaurant, and no outside liquor or beer is permitted on our premises.
What is your dress code?
La Toque is a modern elegant restaurant. Accordingly, we encourage our guests to dress up for the occasion, though we do not require a jacket or a tie. Out of respect for our well-dressed clientele, we reserve the right to refuse to seat guests who arrive underdressed; in shorts, flip-flops, ballcaps, tacky T-shirts, hoodies, swimsuits, and other apparel we deem inappropriate in a fine restaurant. In these cases, we will honor your deposit in our casual sister restaurant, BANK Café and Bar in the hotel lobby.
Can I make dinner reservations for groups larger than 8 guests?
Parties of 9 more are considered ‘groups’ in La Toque and are required to go through our ‘Group Dining Process’ which includes pre-planning the dinner event and signing an Agreement ahead of time. (*Please note that we do not allow large parties to split up amongst multiple tables in our dining spaces at any time. Hence, if your group is 9 or more, the Group Dining process will be required.)
For information regarding booking parties of 9 or more guests please visit the ‘Group Dining’ section of our website here: www.LaToque.com/#group
Is there a waitlist if I am unable to make a reservation?
Yes, we do have a waitlist for reservations. You may add your name via Tock.
Do you accept walk-ins?
We are happy to accept walk-in reservations at any time, depending on availability. We strongly recommend making a prior reservation to avoid disappointment. However, even when we are fully booked, tables may become available at the last minute.
Where can I locate my booking receipt?
You will receive an email confirmation after purchasing your booking. You do not need to present the confirmation upon arrival.
Will I receive any other communications regarding my reservation?
Our Reservations Team will contact you regarding confirmation of booking, allergies/dietary restrictions, and any special arrangements you would like us to make for you. If you are booking less than three days in advance, our team may not be able to get in touch ahead of your visit. Please feel free to call us should you have any questions or concerns.
Can I give my booking away or sell it?
Yes. The booking is completely transferable. Please note, however, that selling tickets for greater than face value may be illegal in your area. Anyone who purchases a ticket from another patron should take care to ensure that they have received a formal transfer of the ticket through the restaurant’s official reservations website. Any tickets purchased on the secondary market are at the purchaser’s risk. We cannot accept responsibility for forgeries or misrepresentations. — https://exploretock.com/profile/reservations
How do I transfer my booking?
Because we contact all guests before they dine with us, we request that the bookings are formally transferred through Tock’s website. To transfer a ticket, log in to your account, go to the “My Account” area using the upper-right navigation pane and select “Your Bookings”. Each ticket has a transfer button next to it. – https://exploretock.com/profile/reservations
Booking system logout times
Please be aware that you will have 7 minutes to complete the transaction once a reservation slot is selected. If you exceed the allotted time you will be signed out and the tickets will be released back into our system for other guests to purchase.
Parking & Transportation
We offer complimentary valet parking to all of our La Toque guests. Please pull up to the front of The Westin Verasa Hotel to utilize this service. Ample street parking is also available.
Ride services such as Uber and Lyft are consistently available in Napa Valley. There are also a handful of local cab companies.
Can I charge my electric vehicle?
Yes! The Westin Verasa has a dedicated electric vehicle charging area located in their garage. Please note that the garage is not self-park, so you must use the complimentary valet service in order to utilize this free service.
La Toque Reservations
New Year's Eve 2022 at La Toque
While we are delighted to be able to celebrate in person again this year, we’re also offering a couple of to-go options for both Christmas Eve & NYE. We will have our ‘Champagne & Caviar Party Kit’ and our ‘Decadent Black Truffle Sandwich’ available for pick-up.
Click the ‘Reserve Now’ button to purchase!
New Year’s Eve Celebration
Saturday, December 31st, 2022
You only live once, so join us on Saturday, December 31st as we put 2022 in the rear-view mirror and toast to a fresh start for 2023! In light of continuing concern with the pandemic, we’ll forgo our usual tightly packed boisterous crowd of revelers in favor of a more intimate evening. Reservations will be strictly limited and are staggered from 7:30pm to 9:00pm, with each party seated at their own table. But, COVID be damned, we’ll still party in over-the-top decadent style with an opulent 7-Course tasting menu beginning with Champagne & Caviar, all set to this year’s party playlist from Chef Ken.
Dinner is $450++ per person and includes a 7-course tasting menu featuring Champagne & Caviar to start, Party Favors, and for those that hang with us until midnight, more great Champagne to ring in the New Year! We have to respect Mother Nature, so the menu is never truly finalized until about a week before, but we have a pretty solid draft shaping up already with Ossetra Caviar, fresh Black Truffles, meltingly tender Prime Beef Rib Cap, and some amazing fresh seafood.
Optional Wine Pairings with the 5 savory courses will be offered at $200++ per person. For this over-the-top evening, we’ve picked out perfectly cellared wines from the world’s great wine regions to pair with this hedonistic menu. Nothing says “party” better than magnums of Champagne and we’ll have a number of them for you to enjoy before and after dinner. (Please add ‘Wine Pairings’ to your cart when booking your reservation.)
Given the one-time nature of this menu, we will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, but we will need to know by December 28th, at the very latest. If you have any concerns, the sooner you reach out to us with them, the better. We aim to please.
(Please note that we are unfortunately unable to accommodate a vegan menu on NYE.)
Attire: Dress to impress, we’re going to have a blast!
(*You must be at least 21 years of age to attend.*)
See FAQs below for details
Do you accommodate allergies and/or vegetarians or vegans?
We will happily make accommodations for common dietary restrictions (e.g. vegetarian, pescatarian, removing shellfish, nuts, or gluten from our menus) with at least 72-hours’ advance notice. ***Please note that we are unfortunately unable to accommodate a vegan menu on NYE.*** Please let us know if any guests in your party have any dietary restrictions or allergies by completing the short questionnaire received via email after you complete the booking on Tock. If you are reserving less than three days in advance, please call the restaurant directly before you confirm.
Please know that it may not be possible for us to accommodate all dietary restrictions and allergies. If you have any concerns, the sooner you reach out to us with them, the better. We aim to please.
We take great care to prevent cross-contamination in our kitchen. However, we strongly caution diners with extreme allergies to be aware that common allergens are used throughout our kitchen in close proximity to other ingredients.
Where will I be seated at dinner?
‘New Year’s Eve festival style seating’ (larger tables with other guests) is unavailable. Reservations will be strictly limited and are staggered from 7:30pm to 9:00pm, with each party seated at their own table.
(Please note that seating requests cannot be guaranteed.)
What is the dress code for this event?
Dress to impress in your finest attire! La Toque is a modern elegant restaurant. Accordingly, we encourage our guests to dress up for the occasion, though we do not require a jacket or a tie, we do strongly encourage them for gentlemen.
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
The La Toque New Year’s Eve Dinner Celebration is for adults 21 years of age or older only. A valid ID is required.
What is the cancellation & refund policy?
A full refund of your deposit will be given for cancellations made before 9pm PST on Friday, December 23rd, 2022. No refunds will be issued after Friday, December 23rd, 2022, at 9pm PST. Reschedules are also not available after Friday, December 23rd, 2022, at 9pm PST.
Your deposit will be forfeited should you cancel for any reason after Friday, December 23rd, 2022, at 9pm PST.
No-Showing a reservation
No-showing will void your booking.
We staff appropriately and specifically prepare food in advance for every guest dining with us. In the event that you do not show for your reservation your booking will be void and no refund will be issued.
Is my reservation transferrable?
Tickets for the La Toque Dinner Experience are not transferable without prior approval from the event organizers.
Do you allow corkage?
La Toque is one of 97 restaurants in the world to receive The Wine Spectator’s highest honor, The Grand Award, for our wine list and service excellence. Our extensive wine list boasts more than 2,300 selections focusing on rare library wines of California and other great wine-producing regions. Pairing wine and food is our passion. The pairings on our menus are considered by many to be the ultimate food and wine experience. Our culinary team and Sommeliers taste together daily, constantly exploring, looking for combinations that elevate both the food and wine, creating harmony.
If you would like to bring wine from your personal collection, we will gladly open and serve your wine for a $50 per 750ml bottle corkage fee with a maximum of four bottles per table. We will also gladly waive one corkage fee for each bottle you purchase (equivalent size). Please note that we are not allowed to serve any bottles that have been opened prior to arrival at the restaurant, and no outside liquor or beer is permitted on our premises.
Are animals allowed at La Toque?
Per California Health Code laws animals are not permitted in any restaurant spaces. We will accommodate ADA-protected service animals; please note that emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals and are not protected under California ADA-protection laws. People using Service animals in California must have their animal on a leash or harness and should have an official identification tag. We request that Service animals wear their government-issued vests when in the restaurant.
Are there rooms at the Westin available for the night?
Yes, a limited number of discounted rooms are available to our La Toque guests on NYE. Once you have booked your reservation, contact Mateo@LaToque.com for a link to book your room. ***Please note that you must book your room under the same name as your NYE dinner reservation in order to be eligible for the discounted room rate.***
Can I view the menu?
Yes. We have to respect Mother Nature, so the menu is never truly finalized until about a week before, but we have a pretty solid draft shaping up already with Ossetra Caviar, fresh Black Truffles, meltingly tender Prime Beef Rib Cap, and some amazing Fresh Seafood. We’ve lined up some special wines to drink too. You may view our working Draft Menu by clicking on ‘New Year’s Eve’ under the ‘Menus’ dropdown tab on our website.
Will I receive any other communications regarding my reservation?
Our Reservations Team will contact you regarding confirmation of booking, allergies/dietary restrictions, and any special arrangements you would like us to make for you. If you are booking less than three days in advance, our team may not be able to get in touch ahead of your visit. Please feel free to call us should you have any questions or concerns.
What are my parking options for the event?
Valet Parking at the Westin is complimentary for those purchasing the NYE La Toque Dinner Experience. Take the elevator up to the lobby to reach the restaurant. Plenty of free street parking is also available.
Ride services such as Uber and Lyft are consistently available in Napa Valley. There are also a handful of local cab companies.
Can I charge my electric vehicle?
Yes! The Westin Verasa has a dedicated electric vehicle charging area located in their garage. Please note that the garage is not self-park, so you must use the complimentary valet service in order to utilize this free service.
NEW YEAR'S EVE 2022
Reservations
& Holiday To-Go Kits
Available Here-
Annual 'Black & White Affair' New Year's Eve Gala Dinner and Party Package
La Toque and The Westin Verasa Napa invite you to ring in the New Year in opulent style with our annual ‘Black & White Affair’ New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner and Party.
The evening begins at 7:30pm with a Champagne and Caviar reception, followed by a sumptuous Six Course La Toque Dinner featuring Ossetra Caviar, both White and Black Truffles, and Kagoshima Wagyu Beef! Choose the Sommelier Selected Wine Pairing or make your wine selections from La Toque’s WS Grand Award-winning wine list. After dinner, retire to the La Toque Terrace for after-dinner beverages and mignardises; or join the fun for DJ dancing and the New Year’s Countdown and Toast at BANK Café and Bar.
Dinner is $350 per person and includes Valet Parking, Champagne and Caviar Reception, decadent Six-Course Dinner, an after-dinner beverage of your choice, admission to the ‘Black & White Affair’ NYE Party in BANK Café and Bar, Champagne Toast at midnight, and all service charges and sales tax.
Optional Wine Pairing with dinner is $150 per person and includes all service charges and sales tax. Please add Wine Pairing at checkout when purchasing tickets.
Traditional New Year’s Eve Dinner seating in La Toque is “festival style” at larger tables with other guests. A very limited number of private tables for the dinner are available for an extra charge. After dinner, the ‘Black & White Affair’ Party in BANK Café and Bar offers open seating. See FAQs below for details.
Where will I be seated at dinner?
It is a tradition at La Toque on New Year’s Eve to seat our dinner guests randomly, at large tables with other couples, to promote a festive atmosphere. A limited number of private tables for the La Toque Dinner are available for an extra charge. Seating at the ‘Black & White Affair’ after dinner in BANK Café and Bar is ‘first come, first served’.
Will I be able to change my seating later?
Sorry, no. Because the La Toque New Year’s Eve Dinner party is a sell-out each year, we strive to make as many seats available to all guests who wish to attend. Occasionally we have last-minute cancellations and thus have a small amount of flexibility with our seating. Please carefully note your seating and table status, whether shared or private, when purchasing your tickets.
(Private tables are offered for an additional cost and are extremely limited.)
Seating Requests: Can I sit with whom, or where I want?
Even though we do “festival style” seating for the dinner, there is a firm seating plan on the evening of the event; that means that changing seats/tables during the event is not a possibility. We do understand that you may have friends or family who are also attending, and you will want to sit together. We do our very best to accomplish that, but it does require your help; please ensure that you state the full names of any guests that you would like to sit with during the ticket purchase process.
(Please note that seating requests cannot be guaranteed.)
Are there ID Requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
The La Toque New Year’s Eve Dinner and Party Package is for adults only, 21 years of age or older.
What are my parking options for the event?
Valet is complimentary for those purchasing the La Toque Dinner & Party Package.
(If you are only purchasing tickets for the BANK Café & Bar ‘Black & White Affair’ Party- The Westin Hotel Garage is for hotel guest parking only. Taking a cab or Uber is advisable as street parking will be limited.)
What is the dress code for this event?
Dress to impress in your best Black and White attire. Jacket required for gentlemen.
Do you accommodate allergies and/or vegetarians or vegans?
We will happily accommodate any valid, health-threatening dietary restrictions with sufficient advance notice. (Please note that on this evening vegetarian options can be made available, but vegan options cannot.)
Do I have to bring my ticket to the event?
Printed or mobile tickets are required for the La Toque ‘Black & White Affair’ Party Package.
Is my ticket transferrable?
Tickets for the La Toque Dinner Package are not transferable without prior approval from the event organizers.
What is the refund policy?
A full refund will be given for cancellations made before 5pm PST on Monday, December 23rd, 2019. No refunds will be issued for the La Toque Dinner Package after Monday, December 23rd, 2019, at 5pm PST.
Are there rooms at the Westin available for the night of the party?
Yes, there is a limited number of discount rooms available to our party goers. Once you have purchased your tickets, contact Mateo@LaToque.com for a link to book your room. ***Please note that you must book your room under the same name as your NYE Party tickets in order to be eligible for the discounted room rate.***
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Megan@LaToque.com
Can I view the menu?
You may view a Sample Menu by clicking on ‘New Year’s Eve’ under the ‘Menus’ dropdown tab above.
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BANK Café and Bar Party
If you already have dinner plans, or are just looking to party, we welcome you to join us for our annual ‘Black & White Affair’ New Year’s Eve Party in BANK Café and Bar, located just down the hallway from us.
Beginning at 9pm, you will enjoy DJ dancing from DJ Jake Lake with Upstage Production, No-Host Bar, Complimentary Petite Sweet Bites, and a Champagne Toast at Midnight to Ring in The New Year.
Dress to impress in your Best Black and White attire.
Tickets are $75 per person, all-inclusive.
(Pre-Sale: Get your tickets early and save! Tickets purchased before Monday, December 9th, 2019 are only $60 per person! – Tickets purchased on or after Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 are $75 per person.)
The ‘Black & White Affair’ New Year’s Eve party is open to adults, age 21 and over with valid identification.
BANK Café and Bar ‘Black & White Affair’ Party FAQs:
Are drinks included in the ticket price?
Only the Champagne Toast at midnight is included. ‘No host bar’ – Beer, wine, and cocktails will be available for an additional charge.
Are there rooms at the Westin available for the night of the party?
Yes, there is a limited number of discount rooms available to our party goers. Once you have purchased your tickets, contact Mateo@LaToque.com for a link to book your room. ***Please note that you must book your room under the same name as your NYE Party tickets in order to be eligible for the discounted room rate.***
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
The ‘Black & White Affair’ New Year’s Eve party is open to adults, age 21 and over with valid identification.
What are my parking options?
The Westin Hotel Garage is for hotel guest parking only. Taking a cab or Uber is advisable as street parking will be limited.
What can/can’t I bring to the event?
No outside food or drink is permitted. No weapons or drugs of any kind.
Is smoking allowed at the event?
No. The Westin Verasa Napa and BANK Café and Bar are Smoke-Free properties. There will be designated smoking spots just off property available.
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Mateo@LaToque.com or Megan@LaToque.com
Do I have to bring my ticket to the event?
Printed or mobile tickets will be required for admission to the event.
What is the refund policy?
Refunds will be given up until 5pm PST, on Friday, December 27th, 2019. No refunds will be given after that time.
NEW YEAR'S EVE 2019 TICKETS
Tickets for
both the
La Toque Dinner & Party Package
and the BANK Café and Bar Party
Available Here-
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Ken Frank, Executive Chef/Owner
Our source of inspiration and direction for all things food and wine, Chef Ken has earned a stellar reputation for his personalized style of cooking, grounded in the French cuisine he grew to know and love while living in France as a teenager.
Frank first achieved national acclaim in 1977 when he was Chef of La Guillotine Restaurant at age 21. At that time he was a pioneer, insisting on using only the freshest, seasonal, quality ingredients. He was the original Chef at Michael’s in Santa Monica, considered the Los Angeles birthplace of “California Cuisine,” which he left in 1979 to open the first La Toque on the Sunset Strip at age 23. He finally heeded the call of the wine country and moved north to open a new La Toque in Rutherford in 1998.
After a successful ten-year run in Rutherford, Frank moved his signature restaurant to the Westin Verasa Napa in the fall of 2008. He can be found nightly, tasting wine, directing the kitchen, or mingling with his many long-time repeat guests in the dining room of La Toque.
Megan Menicucci, Director Of Operations
Megan has her hand in virtually every aspect of our operation short of cooking the food. Organization and attention to detail are in her DNA, perfectly suiting her position. Typos are the bane of her existence. From hiring, training, and mentoring the service team, to our website, social media, and anything in the IT environment, she does it all.
Great service begins before you even book a table. She makes multitasking with charts, reservation lists, turn times and menu requests look far easier than it really is. If there is a way to make something happen, she will find it.
Oh, and she really, really loves it when you show up on time.
Megan Menicucci, Director Of Operations
Megan has her hand in virtually every aspect of our operation short of cooking the food. Organization and attention to detail are in her DNA, perfectly suiting her position. Typos are the bane of her existence. From hiring, training, and mentoring the service team, to our website, social media, and anything in the IT environment, she does it all.
Great service begins before you even book a table. She makes multitasking with charts, reservation lists, turn times and menu requests look far easier than it really is. If there is a way to make something happen, she will find it, and make sure everyone knows.
Oh, and she really, really loves it when you show up on time.
Scot Livingston, Chef de Cuisine
Scot Livingston was born and raised in Michigan. His earliest food memories date back to time spent with his grandparents on their dairy farm. Many of his dishes today are inspired by this early introduction to the freshest possible produce picked at the peak of ripeness.
In 2002, Livingston relocated to California to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. He had every intention of returning home after graduation, however, it only took one mild winter for him to realize he would be making California his permanent home. After graduating from culinary school, Livingston accepted a position at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena where he sharpened his kitchen skills for seven years before heading to the beach, taking a job as sous chef at Studio at Montage resort in Laguna Beach.
In 2016, Livingston decided to make a change and moved to Napa where he joined Chef Ken Frank’s kitchen at Michelin-starred La Toque where he serves as Chef de Cuisine. At La Toque, he enjoys creating dishes with Wine Country’s bountiful produce and mentoring younger cooks on the staff.
Owen Beatty, Sous Chef
Like most of us, Owen’s love of food dates to an early age. His Italian Grandmother passed down family recipes for elaborate filled pastas to his Mother. Big holiday gatherings were at the core of their family life. He started in the kitchen as a dishwasher at Spasso, an old-school traditional Italian restaurant in Ventura California, saving money until he could afford to go to Culinary School.
He was the Valedictorian in his class of over 500 culinary students at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, making his graduation speech at the Spectrum Center.
Coming back home to California, he landed in the kitchen at Michelin starred Terra in St Helena, quickly working his way up to Sous Chef for Hiro and Lissa Sone. When they retired in 2018, we had the good fortune to add him to our team. Both Chef Hiro and his Grandmother would be proud of the touches he brings to our menu. And he makes the best merguez this side of Paris.
Amanda Owens, Pastry Chef
Amanda started in the kitchen with us in 2013, shortly after graduating from California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Over the next couple of years, she worked her way up through every station in the kitchen, becoming our most highly skilled cook.
To accommodate her young son’s school schedule, and keep her around, we eventually created a day job for her as prep Queen. In this role, she made all of our sauces and fabricated the proteins for dinner service. This also allowed her to indulge her instinctive desire to bake, which quickly became an obsession.
When the pastry chef position became available in 2018, even though she had no previous pastry experience, she was champing at the bit to tackle it. To no one’s surprise, she excels in the pastry kitchen too. She throws herself into the job with infectious enthusiasm, whether it’s tempering chocolate or spinning new flavors of ice cream, and is single-handedly responsible for putting a few pounds on all of us.
Robert Oakes, Restaurant Director
Proving yet again that if you follow your passion, good things will happen, “Mr. Oakes” humbly began his restaurant career making tacos in Houston, Texas. He was drawn to the Bay Area by his love of food and wine. He proceeded to fine-tune his culinary skills as Sous Chef in a number of good kitchens before shifting gears and moving to the front of the house for Bob Klein at Oliveto, in Rockridge. Robert settled in Napa with his family nearly fifteen years ago, working for Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon until he joined La Toque in 2012 as a Server. He quickly worked his way up to Assistant General Manager and then Restaurant Director.
Mike Lee, Wine Director
Mike remembers his “light bulb” moment well, at Harvest on Huron in Chicago with a glass of Cornas. He knew then he had found his calling in the world of fine wine. He spent 5 years working in the beverage program with long-time Michelin starred Chicago chef Tony Mantuano at Mantuano Mediterranean Table where he developed deep knowledge and fondness for Italian wines.
He seized a chance to move to Miami and take on the role of Beverage Manager for Mr. Chow and began making annual visits to Napa Valley. These visits became more frequent as he expanded his knowledge of the best California wines and became friends with local winemakers. Eventually, one of them stated the obvious, “Mike, why don’t you just move here”.
He landed here in Napa in 2014, working for Mick Salyer at Zuzu and La Taberna where he took the opportunity to round out his palate and embrace great Spanish wines. His enthusiasm for great wine is contagious and we are delighted to have him leading our team.
Beki Miller, Sommelier
Like most of us, Beki has been working in Restaurants since she was barely old enough. Her first experience with great wine came at age 15 when she knocked over a bottle of 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild while working at Caesar’s Tahoe. She was serving tables at Outback Steakhouse in Reno when she decided to go to culinary school and study wine. In 2011, she moved to the Bay Area and enrolled in the French Culinary Institute Sommelier program where she graduated at the top of her class and became a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is a chronic over-achiever and has won a number of prestigious competitions. She earned her Advanced pin from the Court in March 2017. Beki has worked at a number of the Bay Area’s finest restaurants including, Verbena, In Situ and Alexander’s Steakhouse. We talked her into joining our team in 2017. When she’s not helping guests find the perfect bottle of wine, she is also our resident Wagyu beef expert. Her two cats are appropriately named Sassicaia and Tignanello.
Welcome to Group Dining
Thank you for considering La Toque for your special occasion dinner.
To ensure a seamless dining experience for your guests, as well the other tables in the restaurant, parties of 9 or more are offered our Chef’s Tasting Menu or Vegetable Tasting Menu. You can also opt to enjoy our Wine Pairings as well. La Toque has long been known for savvy Wine Pairings; our Sommeliers have selected just the right wine to pair with each dish, bringing years of wine and service experience directly to your table. Their expertly chosen wines and interaction with your guests can make for a truly memorable evening. You can make your wine selections from our Grand Award-winning Wine Cellar as well. The full list is available here, updated in real-time; or you can download it from the App Store.
We can accommodate groups of up to 10 guests in our Main Dining Room, and up to 45 on our beautiful glass-enclosed, fully heated Terrace. For larger groups of up to 240 guests, we offer 12,000 square feet of event space, inside and out, within The Westin Verasa Napa property.
For more information please download our Group Dining Packet.
After you have reviewed the Group Dining Packet, and the availability of your preferred date is confirmed, our Reservations & Sales Manager will seamlessly guide you through the menu selection and contract process required for groups of 9 or more guests. Let us create a memorable experience for your next important event.
Annual All Black Truffle Menus
La Toque has long been known for our extravagant All Black Truffle Menus. Every January we feature this special menu with fresh black truffles in every course. January 2023 will mark our 41st year with this special menu.
For the past few years, we have been fortunate to enjoy a second “Winter” Truffle season with fresh Australian Black Truffles in June, July, and August. They are every bit as good as the finest European Truffles. The availability of Winter Truffles during our Summer season is particularly exciting as it allows us to cook them with a completely different set of ingredients. We are eagerly awaiting their arrival in early June.
We only use truffles from sources we know well and have used for years. We feature three species of fresh Truffles; Tuber magnatum pico, the true white truffle, Tuber melanosporum, the true winter black truffle and occasionally Tuber uncinatum, often referred to as the Summer or Burgundy truffle. Other species just don’t compare, and they’re not worth the money. We do not use truffles native to China or Oregon, although we look forward to the success of American truffle plantations in the next few years. The truffles from the Himalayas are technically truffles, but their flavor pales in comparison to the real thing. Sadly, many people don’t know the difference and are either easily fooled, or worse, mix them in with real truffles to cut costs.
We also don’t use “truffle oil”, “truffle cream”, “truffle honey” or “truffle salt” at La Toque. Flavored truffle products are crap, shunned by good chefs who know better. All of these products will desensitize your palate to the true but more subtle flavor of real fresh truffle. Truffles have been savored for millennia but truffle oil is a new phenomenon. It is no coincidence that “truffle oil” appeared only a few decades ago when flavor scientists figured out how to make it in the laboratory with chemicals that mimic the compounds responsible for truffles legendary aroma. If it was possible to produce truffle oil by natural means, the Romans would have figured it out, long ago. You can infuse some fresh truffle flavor into oil or butter, but it doesn’t keep any better than fresh truffles which are best consumed within 10 days of hunting. Because of this very short shelf life, real truffle flavored oil is simply not a viable product. Commercially produced truffle oil is invariably artificially flavored with 2,4 dithiapentane, no matter how fancy the bottle or prestigious the purveyor. It is simply too good to be true. Real “homemade” truffle flavored oil or butter is always subtle in flavor unlike the powerful products sold commercially. That little scrap of “truffle” at the bottom of the jar is often from an inferior species, and in any event, it takes much more than a little crumb of truffle to infuse oil with any amount of flavor.
I also recommend that you visit www.simplyflavors.com, and www.truffleandwine.com.au, my favorite and most trusted purveyors of fresh truffles.
You can see our truffle menus from previous years by clicking the links below.
Black truffle being shaved
Gift Cards:
Gift cards are available for purchase in any dollar amount. Our gift cards can be redeemed at either La Toque Restaurant or BANK Cafe and Bar. You may purchase gift cards at La Toque or BANK Cafe in person or via telephone by calling 707.257.5157.
Press
Michael Bauer –San Francisco Chronicle – Three Stars
“One of the joys of eating at La Toque is the pairings created by Frank, sommelier Yoon Ha and wine director Scott Tracy. With pristine Bluefin tuna sashimi and fresh wasabi root, they match a 2007 Franz Hirtzberger Gruner Veltliner from Austria that helps to clean the palate without overpowering the delicate fish. Frog’s legs, fried and placed on top of fried green tomato in a puddle of garlic puree and a ring of sauce verte, were a perfect foil for the 2005 Ladoucette Pouilly Fume. Unlike chefs who create a dish and leave it to the wine guys to find the best match they can, Frank willingly adjusts dishes to bring out the best in the wine; in so doing he often brings out the best in the food.”
Harvey Steiman – The Wine Spectator
“A heightened wine sensibility informs this quintessential wine country restaurant, reminiscent of comfy lodges in Burgundy or the Loire… The wine list is long enough to include some of California’s hottest wineries (Staglin, Alban, Paradigm) and some depth in Bordeaux (mostly back to 1982) and eclectic enough to embrace a goodly number of nifty curiousities.”
Note: La Toque was named by the Wine Spectator as one of the best 20 restaurants in America in its March 31, 2000 issue.
Mike Dunne – Sacramento Bee
“Exciting restaurants abound in the Napa Valley nowadays, but La Toque honors timeless French culinary aesthetics while embracing the richness and boldness of contemporary California with a passion and sureness rarely found anywhere.”
Caroline Bates
Restaurant Critic for Gourmet
“The born-again La Toque is a dream come true – a wine-country restaurant for serious diners…For all his fondness for foie gras, Frank’s touch is so light and his menu so well designed that there’s no sense of heaviness when you get up from the table, even if you’ve chosen a supplemental cheese selection…Moving to wine country may be the smartest decision Ken Frank ever made.”
Darryl Roberts – Wine X Magazine
“…this is probably the finest restaurant in Napa Valley. Take it! Yeah, baby.”
Martin Booe – Bon Appétit
“Half of the fun of being at La Toque is the inspired pairing of the four-glass wine package with the prix fixe five-course tasting menu. The other half is sampling of Frank’s ever-changing array of light, French-inspired dishes.”
Tim Fish – The Wine Spectator
“Even among chefs cooking in wine country, Ken Frank has an extraordinary interest in wine, and it shows in his food. Frank’s flavor and texture palette relies on classically French techniques, which he caries with an American sense of freedom and whimsy. The results take to wine as seamlessly as Frank’s light, fragile hollandaise sauce melds to white asparagus in one of the chef’s perfectly rendered dishes… for a complete food and wine experience, no restaurant in Napa Valley can match La Toque. Frank’s food is impeccable, and the servers handle the complex menu options with aplomb.”
LA TOQUE BLOG
Australian Winter Truffles
One of the most versatile and delicious foods you can make at home is preserved lemons. They are an essential flavor in much Middle Eastern cooking from Morocco to South India. Here, they add intense lemony flavor to just about anything...
Root Vegetables
One of the “Winter” foods I most look forward to is root vegetables. Sure they’re available all year, but cold weather is a good time to make the best of them. Carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, celery root and radishes can all be the star of the sho...
Skate Wing
The ocean is full of weird looking but delicious treasures. Skate is one of my favorites. Skate are smaller members of the Ray family who fly along the sandy bottom of the ocean propelled by their wings. Once considered a trash fish in the US...