Friday, July 21, 2023
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley, wine country’s leading luxury resort, announces that Auro, its fine dining destination led by acclaimed Executive Chef Rogelio Garcia, has received a coveted Michelin star – one of the culinary industry’s highest recognitions – as part of the 2023 Michelin Guide California. Auro, which opened in fall 2022, represents the only Michelin starred restaurant in Calistoga, California.
“Our dedicated team has worked incredibly hard to curate an unparalleled and refined fine dining experience at Auro, and it’s an indescribable feeling to be recognized by the esteemed Michelin Guide California within our first year of operation,” says Executive Chef Garcia. “From the inception of Auro, I have been passionate about creating an ever-evolving, hyper-seasonal menu, and today, as this dream becomes a reality, my gratitude overflows to everyone who contributed to this culinary triumph here in beautiful California Wine Country.”
Set in the intimate dining room of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley, Auro offers a connection to the bounty of California and the creativity of its expert team led by Chef Garcia. Floor-to-ceiling windows connect guests with the kitchen, framing views of the culinary mavens in action. Warmly lit, modern booth seating opens onto a semi-private alfresco terrace that boasts sweeping views of the hotel’s stunning grounds and acres of vineyards.
The weekly-changing five-course tasting menu begins with a series of amuse-bouches, followed by a bread service of house-made Milk Bread. Fourteen-day dry-aged meats and fish are central to the menu with highlights including Dry-Aged Shima Aji, a delicate fish paired with harvest apple, cilantro, and emerald crystal lettuce, and California White Duck complete with Medjool dates, pearl salsify, and Sonoma baby beets. Other standouts include Butter Poached Norwegian Crab served with pearl onions, Nantes carrots and rose finn potato, finished with a sauce Semillon, and Kagoshima A5 Wagyu with walnut purée, creamed kale, garlic confit and black trumpet mushrooms. Desserts include a house-made gianduja hazelnut Chocolate Tart.
Auro offers seasonally driven northern Californian cuisine prepared with global culinary techniques designed to pair with world-class local wines. The dynamic menu presents a harmony of locally sourced ingredients, plated in an artful fashion, set against views of the sprawling Calistoga vineyards and the Palisades Mountains. The robust wine program led by Sommelier Derek Stevenson encompasses a dedicated wine pairing to accompany each of Auro’s dishes in addition to offering an extensive list of roughly 250 labels with an emphasis on local Calistoga varietals.
The coveted Michelin star is awarded to restaurants by the famously anonymous Michelin Inspectors to establishments offering outstanding cooking with five universal criteria: quality of ingredients, harmony of flavours, mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine, and consistency across the entire menu over time.
“This recognition from Michelin is an outstanding testament to the pursuit of excellence we strive for every day,” says Scott Trace, General Manager at Auro. “From our award-winning wines to our impeccable and unique vineyard setting and now our Michelin star status, we are honoured to provide an exceptional hospitality and culinary experience in northern California’s beloved Wine Country. We are incredibly proud of Chef Garcia and the entire culinary team here at Auro on this tremendous accomplishment.”
Born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles and Napa, Chef Garcia’s culinary interest was sparked at an after-school job as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Yountville. Rising through the kitchen ranks, Chef Garcia held positions in some of Wine Country’s most respected restaurants including at two-Michelin-starred Cyrus in Healdsburg under the guidance of renowned Chef Douglas Keane, as executive sous chef at Calistoga Ranch, as chef de partie at the iconic, three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry, and finally as executive chef at Angèle along the Napa River. Following his time in Wine Country, Chef Garcia set forth to San Francisco where he spent the last seven years perfecting his craft at notable restaurants such as Traci des Jardins’ The Commissary, then at Michelin-starred Spruce, earning Michelin stars of his own in 2018 and 2019. Prior to helming Auro, Chef Garcia led the team at Luce in San Francisco’s InterContinental Hotel. Additionally, he is an alumnus of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15 and author of an upcoming cookbook, Convivir: Modern Mexican Cooking in California’s Wine Country.
Monday, April 29, 2024
Monday, April 29, 2024
Monday, April 29, 2024
