Fume Bistro & Bar Awards

Fume Bistro & Bar Restaurant Review:

Most tourists sitting in traffic at the mouth of Highway 29 in Napa breeze by this bistro in their haste to forge deeper into wine country. This may be why it’s so densely populated by locals --- or maybe it’s the weekday happy hour. Artwork can lean to the bizarre --- marionette puppets, polka-dotted horses and fairy fantasies --- but it doesn’t overwhelm, partly because of the windows, facing a broad patio, that brighten the space. The menu sports a range of appetizers such as aleppo-spiced shrimp with citrus-garlic mojo sauce; polenta-encrusted calamari with chipotle aïoli; wasabi-infused ahi with microgreens; wood-fired flatbreads and pizzas. Hearty entrées include Cajun-spiced rock shrimp fettuccine with andouille sausage in a red pepper cream sauce and a juicy nine-ounce flat-iron steak with bistro fries. Large portion sizes make dessert a challenge. Bonus points for a decent local wine list with such casual, fast-clipped service.