The downtown Napa dining scene continues to grow with the addition of a new restaurant and lounge called n.v.

The brainchild of executive chef/owner Peter Halikas, n.v. is open for dinner and drinks six nights a week.

Former chef for Dean & DeLuca and proprietor of a local catering firm, Halikas features an ingredient-driven menu, with seasonal items dictating the daily menu offerings.

Appetizers range in price from $7 to $12 and include such offerings as roasted beet and goat cheese Napoleon, tuna carpaccio with tobiko caviar and fragrant rice, crisp pork belly with baby apples and pomegranates, Maine lobster salad with grapefruit and vanilla vinaigrette, plus mussels served three ways -- steamed, baked and rolled in pancetta.

Dinner main courses ($20-$27) reflect the chef's belief that starches are not required on every plate. For example, herb-crusted lamb loin is accompanied by parsnip puree and glazed radishes, while seared scallops are paired with a cauliflower puree. Lavender-glazed pork chops are served on a puree of Great Northern beans, beef short ribs come with carrots and onions. Halibut is served with chanterelle mushrooms and leek coulis, while horseradish croquettes are paired with beef tenderloin.

Dinner is offered Monday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The adjacent lounge, with a full bar, serves drinks and a late-night menu until midnight Monday through Wednesday, until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday when the lounge remains open until 2 a.m.

General manager Chris Drumm notes the wine list at n.v. spotlights "the esoteric wines of the Napa Valley, but is also one for people who are really into wine. That's why we have considerable international offerings to allow locals -- who are our focus -- to see what's happening in the rest of the world."

Drumm notes that n.v. lounge features a number of signature cocktails, such as the Grape Crush (made with Siroc vodka, white grape juice, soda and frozen sugar-coated grapes), the Lime Drop (prepared with keffir lime vodka) and the Mint Chocolate Chip Martini (a combination of Dutch vodka, peppermint schnapps and chocolate shavings).

The sleek lines, woods and rich colors of the dining room and the inviting contemporary settees and lemon-washed walls of the lounge are the handiwork of designer Tracy Steuteville.

Jack Harris is restaurant sous chef and Rick Maupin is manger of n.v.

Asked to explain the meaning of the restaurant's name, Halikas says he had no particular definition in mind when choosing it. "It could stand for non-vintage, maybe Napa Valley ... it can be whatever you want it to be."

Downtown Napa's newest dining destination, n.v. is located at 1106 First St., in what used to be called the Clocktower Plaza.

For dinner reservations, call 265-6400.

Keller's per se gets top honor in debut of Michelin Guide

Thomas Keller's acclaimed New York restaurant, per se, has been inducted into the legendary Michelin Guide with a prestigious rating of three stars.

The highly anticipated French travel guide made its North American debut with a "New York City 2006" installment featuring the best restaurants within the United States.

Considered the highest of culinary honors, per se received the prestigious three star rating from the guide. During the review process, each inductee must meet strict criteria laid out by the guide which includes the following elements -- quality of the ingredients, technical ability shown in food preparation, combination of flavors and lastly, the creativity and consistency of each dish. Ratings are awarded based solely on cuisine.

"I am deeply honored to receive this distinction from the Michelin Guide -- a truly legendary recognition," said chef Keller. "I established per se in the spirit of the French Laundry; we strive to give our guests the finest dining experience and I am so blessed to work with an incredibly talented and dedicated team. I share this acknowledgement with Laura Cunningham, who has been with me since the inception of the French Laundry and has supervised the development of per se, chef de cuisine Jonathan Benno, director of operations Eric Lilavois and the entire staff of all of our restaurants."

Keller opened per se in February 2004 in New York City's Time Warner Center. Since its opening, the restaurant has consistently received the highest of accolades from both national and international press.

At launch, per se received a four-star rating from both the New York Times and Crain's New York Business. In 2005, London's Restaurant Magazine recognized per se as the highest-ranking new entry, and seventh in their global listing. It se also received the award for "Best New Restaurant" from the James Beard Foundation.

Most recently, the Mobil Travel Guide honored per se as one of only 15 restaurants with a 5-star rating. Zagat Survey 2006 gives per se its highest overall rating for service among New York City establishments.

CCA student brings home the gold

The judges were unanimous. Anna Ference of the California Culinary Academy is the next best talent to hit the streets of the culinary world.

Ference thrilled the celebrity chefs and media judges at the fourth annual Almost Famous Chef Competition held at Copia: The Center for Food, Wine & the Arts late last month, winning three of the four prizes ,including the title of the 2005 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef.

This year's national competition featured three challenging culinary contests over a series of three days.

Ference, along with eight other regional finalists from top culinary schools across the nation, competed in several contests, including the Market Basket ("Mystery Basket"), where contestants had only two hours to prepare a dish made from unique items secretly revealed to them at the start of the contest. This year's market basket featured ingredients such as antelope and forbidden rice The other competitions were the Signature Dish, in which contestants prepared their winning regional dish for 200 guests during a final tasting gala; and finally, the People's Choice, where the 200 guests at the tasting gala voted on their favorite dish.

At the closing awards ceremony, presented by celebrity host Robin Leach, Ference was announced the winner of the Market Basket, Signature Dish and the overall winner of the 2005 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition. Kelvin Cheung of Kendall College took home the win for the People's Choice Award with his regional signature dish of a Maple Sake Smoked Sea Bass.

Ference appeared overwhelmed as she held tightly to her winnings, stating: "Food is what I love. I just want to create and share my culinary experiences and passions with other people."

In order to ensure that the best culinary contestant with the most "star" quality was awarded the 2005 S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef award, throughout the three days of competitions, student contestants had one-on-one time with celebrity chefs, food journalists and media experts - learning firsthand what it takes to become a successful chef in today's competitive market.

This year the panel of judges included Victor Scargle, executive chef of Julia's Kitchen at Copia; Ken Frank, chef/owner of La Toque; Greg Cole, chef/owner of Celadon and Cole's Chop House; Luciano Pellegrini, chef of Valentino Las Vegas in The Venetian and Giorgio Caff & Ristorante at Mandalay Bay; Elizabeth Blau, executive vice president of Restaurant Development and Marketing at Wynn Las Vegas; Kerry Simon, Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas; along with food media consultants Jennifer English with the Food & Wine Radio Network and Jeanne Kelley of Bon Apptit.

Ference won the regional contest at the California Culinary Academy with her signature dish of Seared Ahi Tuna on a Grilled Plum Salad and Horseradish Potato Rosti. This dish proved to be a favorite by judges again at the national competition, giving Ference the win for the Signature Dish award.

The S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition was created to facilitate mentoring and communication between established celebrity chefs, food media and groups of top culinary students poised to enter the ultra-competitive culinary world.

All entre recipes from participating contestants and judges will be compiled into a cookbook to benefit the national nonprofit organization, Share Our Strength, in an effort to help eliminate childhood hunger in the United States.

As the winner of the 2005 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition -- in addition to media training and publicity and participating in high profile culinary events like the James Beard Awards and the Food Arts Share Our Strength BBQ -- Ference will receive a trip to Italy to take part in a culinary program and numerous culinary products provided by Cuisinart and Chef Revival.