Napa Valley Grille
Beachwood Place
(216) 514-8686

There has been a lot of buzz about the Napa Valley Grille, so I was excited to try it. My excitement diminished upon opening the menu. For starters the wine list and the menu worked about as a well as an arranged marriage. The decor was satisfying, the prices were moderate to expensive, but the overall experience at the Napa Valley Grille was forgettable.

Someone put a lot of thought into the entrees, but the food combinations were awful. Who likes beets? Moreover, who likes beets mixed with any other food? The service was fine. Unfortunately the waiter had to come to our table three times before my wife and I could come up with anything to order. Without any collusion we each selected the least expensive item from the menu to make the experience less painful. Our entrees (we did choose two different entrees) were uninspired with bland flavors. The dessert menu was somewhat more enticing. We decided to share the tiramisu. Big mistake. The marscapone cheese coagulated and the tiramisu had that refrigerator taste from being prepared too far in advance.

On my way out of the Napa Valley Grille I learned that it was a part of a restaurant chain. It all made sense at that point. McDonald's is part of a restaurant chain too.