Cuisine:

• Sea food
• Sushi bar

Go Fish Description:
Cindy Pawlcyn's Napa Valley venture, Go Fish, theoretically fills a couple of niches in one fell swoop: a seafood house and sushi bar. It's tempting to mix and match, confronted by sushi chefs stretched across the dining hall melding with large-format nautical illustrations from a fisherman's dreams. Why not begin with the Go Fish roll, eight fat pieces of ahi poki and shrimp, seaweed salsa and pine nuts scattered about? Just don't sample a companion's starter of grilled calamari with arugula, beans, and softened garlic afterwards---any subtlety is defeated by the pizzazz of the prior dish. Likewise, crispy-skinned snapper in a puddle of sweet carrot broth with sunchokes can't possibly be appreciated after soy and wasabi; it tastes sadly under-salted. This is more a flaw in concept than food. Heed an "either/or" ordering policy---sushi and rolls or catch of the day for happier results. The menu invites choice: fish "cooked your way" or theirs. Bet on steamers by the pound. Tantalizing veal sweetbread poppers work as turf, though accompanying tuna surf is overcooked. A side of cilantro rice hits surprising high notes in texture and taste. Don't pass up a banana bread ice cream sandwich with brûléed banana and caramel. Service seems a work in progress.