Foodie Friday: Ad Hoc - Napa, CA

Happy Friday! I like to end the work week with food posts that inspire me to enjoy life, eat well, and stay hungry. Is there a fun new restaurant you're trying this weekend?

While in Calistoga for a wedding, husband and I had a double date dinner one night in Napa with friends. We finally went to Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc! If you want to eat at a Keller restaurant without breaking the bank, Ad Hoc is the much more laid-back and affordable brother to the French Laundry.

Ad Hoc changes its menu daily, which blows my mind. It takes so much skill and experience to perfect a meal in one shot!

Refreshing summery watermelon salad to start.

In addition to the pre-fixe menu, we ordered some steak skewers, and they were a very good idea.

The main dish was juicy pork chops that had so much flavor, especially near the bone. Food is served family style, so go with people you're comfortable sharing food with. ;)

A beautiful cheese plate with some fruit, nuts, and honey is always delightful. This set up is also easy to duplicate at home, which we do often for an appetizer plate when entertaining.

These lemon meringue pie in a jar were adorable and yummy! They look like something off of Pinterest. ;) I may have to duplicate them (and by that, I mean my results will turn out more like this meme)...