Fumé Bistro & Bar – Good Food and a Comfortable Seat

by Diana Greenwood
Locals whisper when they talk about Fumé Bistro & Bar. They like to keep a favorite hangout all to themselves. It’s not working, though. The word is out and Fumé Bistro is a high energy hit with visitors, too. Featuring seasonally inspired cuisine, Fumé has a mouth-watering menu and shines a spotlight on a California-grown ingredient each month.
October is Caggiano Sausage Month. It’s harvest time in wine country so while the locals talk about weather, brix, and birds stealing grapes, speculating on another great vintage to come, the bistro has cooked up a month of fun. Expect a Fumé-style Oktoberfest jammed-packed with delicious specials created by Chef-Proprietor, Terry Letson. Using Caggiano sausage from Richard Caggiano in Petaluma, Terry makes food a celebration with recipes like Penne Pasta with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Peppercorn Cream or his famous Pizza Fumé with Caggiano sausage, caramelized onions, manchego, Yukon gold potatoes, Spanish olives and romesco sauce. Toast to Caggiano sausage and the season with a glass of wine from the extensive wine list that includes numerous Napa neighbors or order a pint of beer from the full bar.
Easy to find at 4050 Byway East (just north of Napa off Highway 29), Fumé Bistro opens at 11:30 a.m. and you can enjoy offerings from the full menu until 9 p.m. daily and on Fridays and Saturdays, until 10 p.m. If you’re not in the mood for sausage, think about “Five-Napkin Ribs” or a specialty pizza from Fumé’s wood burning oven. Seafood lovers will find Pan Roasted Halibut and Grilled Prosciutto-wrapped Atlantic Salmon. Fumé’s menu has something for everyone and there’s a kids’ menu, too. The bistro is friendly and casually dressed in white linen tablecloths, light woods, and pale yellow walls where vibrant contemporary paintings by Terry’s talented wife, Sheri DeBow, add a touch of whimsy to the space. There’s a sweet outdoor patio under a trellis of wisteria for lazy afternoons sipping wine with friends and on cool Napa nights, the heaters crank up to warm your toes. Terry says, “Join us for good food, great service, and a comfortable seat.”
Locals keep the secret about specials for bar patrons but if you drop by for Happy Hour, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, you’ll find $2 well drinks and drafts with a complimentary appetizer. Sunday is Pint ’n’ Pizza Pie night from 4:30 to 9 p.m. for bar patrons only and five dollars gets you a pint of beer and Fumé Bistro’s Margherita Pizza. Also at the bar every Monday is 5 Buck Chuck (an insider’s joke), from 4:30 to 9 p.m., and you’ll gobble a grilled 1/2 pound burger with fries while you gossip with the locals. Last, but perhaps the best night of all: Tuesday is Locals Night where corkage is complimentary. How could you go wrong?
If you really can’t stop for a leisurely lunch, dinner, or Happy Hour, consider a boxed lunch to take along on a winery jaunt. Fumé Bistro has a tasty variety available for delivery or pick up. Call (707) 257-1999 to place a boxed lunch order or to reserve a spot where the locals hang out. For additional information, visit www.fumebistro.com.   

Penne Pasta with Tomato Fennel Ragoût and Fresh Spinach

Makes 6 hearty portions

This pasta dish has become a local’s favorite. The sausage used at Fumé Bistro is Caggiano Sardinian Sausage, made by Richard Caggiano in Petaluma. You can find may flavors of his sausage at Vallergra’s Markets.

• 3 cups tomato fennel ragoût (recipe follows)
• 6 Caggiano Sardinian sausages
• 1 White onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 4 Early Girl tomatoes, seeded and diced
  (or any other summer fresh tomato)
• 4 cups (lightly packed) fresh spinach
• 1 pound cooked penne pasta
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat and add the whole sausage. Cook until brown all over (5 to 7 minutes). Remove the sausage from the pan and allow to drain on paper towels. Cut the sausages in half, lengthwise and slice in 1/2-inch pieces. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the onion and sweat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add back the sausage and cook until done through (4 to 5 minutes). Deglaze with the Cabernet Franc and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato ragoût, and the penne pasta and let the dish cook 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the fresh spinach and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Tomato-Fennel Ragoût   
Makes 3-4 cups

• 1/2 cup diced fennel bulb
• 1/2 cup diced shite onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 2 Tbsp. sliced glarlic
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Cabernet Franc
• 20 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and choped
• 2 Tbsp. kalamata olives, rough chopped
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper

In a heavy-bottom stockpot, on a medium flame, heat the olive oil and sweat the fennel, onions, celery and garlic 5 to 7 minutes without any browning. Add the tomato paste and stir until it starts to stick (3 to 4 minutes). Deglaze with the Cabernet Franc and reduce by half. Add crushed tomatoes, vinegar, capers, olives and honey. Simmer 10 minutes or so. Do not over reduce! Adjust the salt and pepper (a pinch of red pepper flakes adds a spicy kick). Let cool, store in the refrigerator up to 4 days. The sauce is great on a pizza as well!

Related Information

• Fume Bistro