Michelin-star chef at Yountville restaurant Ciccio has people lining up for a taste

I don’t often eat dinner at 5:30 p.m., but at Ciccio in Yountville, that was the only slot available — on a Tuesday night, no less — and I felt lucky to get the table.

Ciccio, as anyone who follows the Napa restaurant scene knows, is the newest North Bay hot spot, and everyone is clamoring to get in.

Diners come from all over for a taste of this jewel that opened in mid-May from chef Christopher Kostow. He’s best known as the force behind the three-Michelin-star Restaurant at Meadowood (currently being rebuilt after the 2020 Glass Fire) and the Charter Oak, both in St. Helena. Kostow also opened the newer Loveski deli in Napa — miso braised brisket, yes, please.

But for Ciccio, you check resy.com, and cross your fingers there’s an opening.

Here Kostow has created a relaxed Cal-Italian menu focusing on wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas and vegetables from his and his wife-business partner Martina’s nearby culinary farm. The tightly edited menu also offers a handful of appetizers like Sicilian Sashimi (think crudo of various fish with preserved lemon, capers and red onion, $20); and four entrees including mainstays like bavette steak in sizzling butter ($48) and Petaluma chicken spiced with Calabrian chile aigredolci ($36).

Ciccio isn’t new, however, just reinvented. After opening the place a decade ago, founders Frank and Karen Altamura closed last year to recover from the stress of the pandemic. They still own the restaurant, housed in a century-old former Italian grocery store still emblazoned with a huge “Market” sign.

As Kostow told me, “Ciccio is a restaurant that myself, Martina and our daughters always enjoyed. It was the perfect intersection of locals and visitors and always felt convivial, warm and authentic. When it was closed for a long period of time, we approached Frank and proposed the idea of taking over operations.”

Some of the signature dishes have been brought back, such as pork Milanese. But overall, this is a new experience, showcasing the finesse that comes from, well, a three-star Michelin team.

The food is, as expected, top-notch, and the clientele is definitely more well-heeled than at the earlier iteration of Ciccio.

Honestly, my dinner experience was heightened by the feeling that I’d crashed a private party of beautiful people, so I’m open to discussion. Is this pricey pepperoni pizza really any better than so many other perfect pizzas around Wine Country, dotted with torn basil and the now-ubiquitous hot honey ($28)? And how many ways can you improve a Caesar salad to make it worth $18, even if Kostow’s addition of bonito flake breadcrumbs is a fun twist?

Yet, as Kostow explained, “I think it’s imperative to understand that we are not trying to make Ciccio fancy. What I did was apply a certain level of detail (to enhance what) I think has been the hallmark of the restaurant.”

So enjoy, as you nibble a petite pile of char-grilled snap peas delicately dusted in sea salt ($11) or golden puffs of hearth-baked focaccia glistening in garlic butter ($10). And appreciate that that polenta is different from nearly every kind you’ll find in Wine Country, with yellow corn mixed with artisanal mozzarella whey alongside scads of butter ($11). Even simple rigatoni Bolognese takes a step up thanks to béchamel and pickled garlic ($28).

With a crowded footprint holding just 50 coveted seats, plus six stools at a marble-top dine-in full bar and two sidewalk tables for walk-ins, you know you’re special as you wrestle your way to your throne.

Even better if you score a spot right next to the open kitchen, trimmed in more marble, gleaming stainless steel and the mosaic red-tiled oven that christens such dishes as rosemary-kissed beets upgraded with rich beef fat ($11).

Kostow brought in some of the former Meadowood team, so you can watch the polished crew juggle dishes at lightning speed, sending out comfort charmers like a whole mild pepper stuffed with meatballs and a bit of chile crisp and smothered in “braising sauce” (an insanely rich, garlicky marinara with lots of cheese) ($14).

The old Ciccio had a chopped salad, and so does the new one. This version is fancier though, with various lettuces laced with fermented vegetables, Rancho Gordo beans, breadcrumbs and probably several mystical unicorn kisses.

I say “probably” because with Kostow, there are all kinds of twists to these dishes that a Michelin chef won’t publicly share. At $20, the salad seems expensive for greens, but taste it and you’ll understand. Plus, it easily feeds four as an appetizer.

All pastas are handmade, and so beautiful. I’ve been on a cacio e pepe binge lately, and this bucatini version elevates things with burnt peppercorn and artisan shaved Pennyroyal cheese from Anderson Valley ($24). Gnudi, too, melts in the mouth, the seven dumplings stuffed with ricotta then dusted in fennel pollen and buttery sauce ($24).

Many dishes can be adapted for vegetarians or vegans, but thankfully, the mezzaluna cannot. That means I don’t have to share with my vegan friend at my dinner and can keep the big bowl of pork-stuffed dumplings to myself, savoring every drop of kale-chile-stocked broth ($28).

I never had the pork Milanese at the old Ciccio, but I’m betting this one is better. The enormous, tender chop is coated in panko, then done modern-piccata-style with garnishes of anchovy, chicories and lots of lemon. At $34, it’s a true bargain, ending up as takeout and two more meals for me.

I do miss the old Ciccio’s handwritten menu that changed daily (even if it was hard to read with its doctor-prescription scrawl). But Kostow has done this iconic place proud, and it seems the community agrees, banging down the doors as they are.

“We made minor design touches to clean up the space a little bit,” the chef said. “I would say it’s incrementally more elegant, but it still feels very much like Ciccio.”

Carey Sweet is a Sebastopol-based food and restaurant writer. Read her restaurant reviews every other week in Sonoma Life. Contact her at carey@careysweet.com.