Especially when you spend nearly every waking moment working your ass off.
It’s no secret, Fatted Calf had secured themselves a space at the brandspanking new Oxbow Market up in Napa mumfs ago. So, while keeping their amazing charcuterie running, they were also building a fancy upscale kitchen & butcher shop with retail space from an old tire putter-onner-store. Architects, contractors, inspectors, oh my! Then? Take your entire operation, load it up and move to new an hour north. Do you have any idea what it takes to make a dream like this a reality? Brett does, but that’s another story entirely.
Come along with Jlee and myself and see what Fatted Calf is up to at their Grand Opening.

Touch image with your mouse to get a larger version.
As you walk in that pretty new red front door, wide open smells begin. The easist to identify is the constant frying of bacon. Yes, there’s a gift tray holding strips of their world famous bacon all ready to eat. Then the subtle wafts of spices, herbs and curing meatses. Look up the wall. See those largish white squares? They’re from old gas range sides, all recycled and fricken gorgeous. Not only that? Durable and easy to clean, brilliant. The next item to take note of is those badass reliefs up there. They’re a combination of a grouping of bones, then knives. then bones, then knives. Dead ahead are a bevy of happy, clean, yet giddy employees and owners.

See? All figuring out that new fancy mac pos, touch screen with scale action.
Wanna see what brought a tear to my eye?

Click now, on that pretty photograph, so clear & bright. Anyone who’s spent a moment eating FC’s products will realize what this means. A fine art photograph only comes to life when framed properly and hung in its place. This my good people, is fine art meat, in its place.
But wait, there’s more! Taylor is in the house, bouncing like a madman of charcuterie. “I just want to cook.” He expells. We go behind the scenes, way over the in back, Taylor wants to show me his Porchetta. Oh those wacky butchers.

The kitchen and work areas are huge and well organized. Massive stoves, ovens, tables, carts with racks of fresh herbs & spices. Hanging meats of all kinds are at every turn. You’d think these guys had been here for months or years, but no. Only two weeks since cooking has taken place here. Sure the cured meats were moved over, but that case of meat you saw? All produced recently.

And if that wasn’t enough, then have this.

OoOOoo, looks like little lamb leg roasts all ready for the smoker or grill.
Then? Because I’m the Rev., it’s back I go in to the walk-in. Close the door, let the cool freshness envelope my body, my senses, my soul.

I’m unable to express myself here. The images only impersonate, give you a barely 1 dimensional trip.

I have no idea what I was looking at, except for a few. But it was absolutely filled to capacity with everything I could ever want. Um, except for a cold Schlitz, but I digress.
It was at this point I realized I’d only seen 1 company at the Oxbow Market encampment. There’s more, a lot more. While Fatted Calf does have their own building just off the main, they are a part of a greater good. It’s a brand new place that opened, well … like today. So, Jlee and I wandered off and over, up the stairs and in to the main drag.

It’s an absolutely beautiful, well architectured, wide open building with room & places to be. It’s like the SF Ferry building, ya know? Like a large building, with stalls where purveyors sell their wares all under one roof. But this building has more light, windows and chain drains.

Chain drains? Oh Biggles, you idiot, what you spoutin’ about? They don’t use downspouts for the roof to drain from the rain. They gots chains, ancient Asian secret. It’s quiet, pretty and don’t make noise like tradtional downspouts. Pretty fricken cool action if you axe me.

Along one side of the building they have these totally cool stalls where local farmers and such will be able to sell their goodies, nicely cool.
As we walked back in, we noticed that the Ritual Coffee Roasters will be located here. At least that’s what we figger.

Looks like a good bet to me, eh?
And here’s a list of whom and when:

Click on image for more coherent information, I’m sure as hell not going to type that stuff out myself.
To sum it all up, I’m blown away. Sure the new Oxbow is breaking ground, the cheese, wine, spices, seafood, ranchers and rain chains is awesome. Nearly makes me want to move to Napa, nearly. But across the parking lot is a group of hard working dreamers, with a single focus of the best they can deliver. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more well deserving group. The sheer quality and organized volume they’ll be able to provide us will only come to be in our near future. Take a day off, head out on the weekend, visit the new Oxbow Market in Napa Valley along with our loves, Fatted Calf.
The store is located at 644 C First Street in Napa. The entrance is just around the corner from First Street, two doors down from Taylor’s refresher. They’re open 7 days a week, call for hours at (707) 256-3684.
ps – What would a Meathenge post be without the artsy fartsy photograph? Taken while perusing the goodies.

xo, Biggles
tee hee

A small corner of the new diggs.