La Saison, Napa Valley

05/30/2025

Today… Late Spring, early Summer; Stone fruit season with Blossom Bluff Apricots, Snow Angel Peaches and Stony Point Strawberries which I know are not a stone fruit for anyone with shade, no thank you 😎.

05/21/2025

It was a Babies, Brides and Boards kind of back to back weekend. A few pretty plates✨

05/04/2025

I am not sure whether it’s true that parents don’t have favorites. I was blessed with one human that calls me Mommy so can’t say for certain, however know between me, Dad and Grandpa, I am definitely NOT the favorite...
That’s okay. I have a favorite season; it’s Spring. She’s wild, relieved and incredibly optimistic.

The hillsides of Northern California are blanketed in purple colors majesty. The ground golden with poppies. There is green galore being delivered to the kitchen; fiddlehead ferns, baby leeks, ramps and peas of all kinds. I was born during the Spring and have a theory that our personality and life themes resemble the season we are born under.

Spring is brave, delightful and promising.

A few of these pics are from a Spring dinner when we (first) had the great honor to meet Nikki Haley. I am a registered independent, not involved in public politics and am deeply inspired by women such as Nikki regardless of affiliation.

I have been mentored by so many women, including our great Earth Mother, who have all mirrored their strength like a ballerina; elegant, graceful with muscles like no other.

Lately, I have noticed that I hold my breath while working. I would imagine that I am not the only Chef who does this… it’s not conscious. It’s more so ‘a zone’ that I am not certain is healthy long term. Therefore I am acknowledging it here and now. That’s what the seasons offer, moments to pause, pay attention and ponder.

I often compare my role to an air traffic controller- landing, taking off, all while mapping future ‘flights’. It takes a ton of effort to achieve what we present as effortless for others to experience. It’s a joy, a skill and somewhat a madness!

What I have been reminded of most lately is that less is more with food. Yesterday afternoon, we cooked for a Princess on the valley floor and a separate family of lovely friends celebrating a 50th birthday last night on the top of Spring Mountain. We were honored with compliments of clean plates and shared memories. I have always felt that this is the greatest compliment as a Chef, to remind someone of another timeline.

Continued in comments…

04/19/2025

Hi, my name is Natalie. I am the founder of La Saison.

My first paid job was to snack and pick at the ‘Pick n Patch’, blueberries, sugar snap peas and strawberries back East.

I ventured to California 20 years ago with a dream to live in Napa Valley. Culinary Arts chose me after a car accident at 17 crushed my goal of playing Field Hockey at Cornell.

La Saison was born in 2007.
For some reason it doesn’t feel as long as it’s been…

At La Saison, our community is made up of a farmers, conscious purveyors, creatives, winemakers, philanthropists, students, entrepreneurs, hard workers, all generous and kind. This is who we surround ourselves with.

In many ways I find that if you want to know the nature of ‘reality’ you must know the nature of yourself and your surrounding community is very much a part of this thread.

From the age of 14, I have had a deep reverence for Mother Earth and for farmers and have always loved the seasons. The return of English Peas, Rhubarb and Morels… Fallen Leaves, Snow Angels and Mustard Flowers.

The level to which we perform as a culinary team requires an extraordinary amount of organization.

La Saison in many ways has far out grown the young 14 year old starting off on a farm. I rely daily on so many incredible humans which is vulnerable, liberating and humbling.

Right now, we are a kitchen team of 10 souls with a dozen+ on call service staff who are beyond necessary to the success of our craft.

This is our 18th year in business.
We have ‘survived’ a lot.

I started publicly writing in 2020. When it seemed safe to speak when the world fell silent. My mom always told me she thought I was a great writer.

These pics are from an event a few years ago when we were asked to make centerpieces inspired by nature.
We are nature after all: Colorful, sweet, spicy and forever changing all year long.

It’s helpful to remember that we are standing at the precipice of infinite possibility.

Pack light, be light, and allow yourself to bloom magnificently with the awakening earth.

We don’t have to be perfect.
We just have to be who we are.
Run your race.

Our kitchen mantra this year has been that

📸:

04/16/2025

A couple of these images were captured by an extraordinarily talented photographer who we met at my childhood Kyle & Niall’s wedding in Arizona.

We opened our retail corner shop after being inspired by a trip to Paris with the idea that it would be opened on the weekends for grab and go items such as bone broth, Pierogies and giant salted brown butter chocolate chip hazelnut cookies.

2015 was the year after the 6.0 Napa Earthquake and one of the first profound ‘adult’ years of my life…

It was the year my soul sister, Laura gracefully faced, swallowed and digested a Sarcoma to be born a new, hard to imagine possible, even brighter light and guide.

The year our trademark was inferiorly attacked by Saison SF, battled and arduously won by us during a time which felt like an unnecessary lifetime.

The year of experimental sobriety that brought to the surface the most subconsciously buried truths of my childhood which eventually led to the journey of conception three years later with my greatest gift, Smith.

And so, here we are 10 years, 7 evacuations, a pandemic and cancer diagnosis later. Considering a re opening.
Feels timely.

But this time, we are looking for creative allies. Those perhaps without a 3k square foot kitchen to call their work home or commercial real estate in downtown Napa with a corner retail store.

To us, it’s not about what we don’t have. It’s about what we are doing with what we have. And our space and the talent on our team and in our surrounding community is simply too good to not be open.

First pop up preview will be Friday, May 9th.
Sign up for our not so frequent newsletter for more details.

Fortunes are in the making thanks to 😉

04/13/2025

Lately, I have been reflecting on my twenty+ year career. Sticking with the path I chose (or the one that chose me) back in 2001.

The little black gold dusted balls in these pics are our house made Mint Truffles. They are surprisingly sensational and will absolutely leave you in awe.

That’s the power of food.
One simple bite and you are transported;
Silky Smooth Salted Dark Chocolate bathed in fields of fresh Mint with the subtle reminder that this life is still slightly sweet.

Choosing the Culinary Arts as a profession has been one of the hardest and yet most rewarding paths to be on. At La Saison we make both sweet and savory bites. This is life after all! Celebrating the beginnings and the endings, sometimes in a single day: La Saison, the season of now.

Honored, after all these years that we get to do this.

Also pictured is our signature Strawberry Olive Oil Cake. Excited for berry season ahead!

12/22/2024

Our corner shop in downtown Napa will be open Monday, December 23rd for last minute holiday gifts from 12-2pm.

Items such as our Hot Sauce, perfect stocking stuffer, Large Olive Oil Cakes (naturally gluten free) and sized to feed a crowd! Plus our amazing fresh bread rolls, cookies, almonds and more!

These images were captured by our dear talented friend

We sent our dozens of custom holiday packages this month loaded with goodies such as Orange Cardamom Truffles, Quince Jam and more!

Keep us in mind for your 2025 holiday lists, we ship nationwide!

12/17/2024

✨La Saison✨ Holiday Menu Pre-Order is Here!

Our Holiday Menu featuring appetizers, mains & desserts will be available for pick on Monday, December 23rd from 12PM-2PM at La Saison

(748 California Blvd. on the corner of 3rd in downtown Napa).

**Click on the link below to view the full menu & order by this Friday for pick up on Monday! (GF options available :)

✨ Making Merrry Memories Merrier!! ✨

Hover over the menu items above and once 'underlined' add to your cart! Our Holiday Menu will be available for pick on Monday, December 23rd from 12PM-2PM at La Saison (748 California Blvd. on the corner of 3rd in downtown Napa). *If you would like your order delivered, please text (707) 637 3722 Pr...

11/06/2023

11/01/2023

Over the last few weeks, I have received the same compliment three different ways.
 
This one was perhaps my favorite:
The food was amazing and tell (I forgot her name but not her beautiful face and kind spirit) that everyone agreed that was the best food we have all ever had in Napa.
 
Suffice to say, I am the forgotten name, however this guest completely saw me- my face and my spirit. And gave us one of the best compliments which is that we created a memory for their group while in Napa! 
 
I believe what makes food, ‘the best’ is a combination of factors.
 
Who we choose to partner with, mainly our farmers, is a huge factor. Along with our team; the ladies I am so honored to share space with and am able to be my goofy self around. We all love to eat, love to cook and there you have it… love. It makes a difference when making meals for others.  
 
As promised, I am relaunching the shop with a pre party planning menu with the host in mind. 
 
Check out the November menu in comments and online…I meannnnn!!!

10/07/2023

2015 was my first trip to Paris.
How the Parisians served from impossibly small spaces inspired me to open a little corner shop in downtown Napa. It was called Nappalachia, a homage to my East Coast Appalachian roots and a nod to the distance between us and Main Street.

Lately, I have been reminded how much I love to teach. I have so much to share!

So, I am considering re opening our sweet little corner shop. Items such as Fresh Baked Bread with Rosemary Butter Caramelized Cipollinis to smear on top or a side of Wild Coho Salmon house Smoked with our Nantucket sauce on the side. Working on a Middle Eastern inspired Croissant of Vadouvan and Honey with perhaps a touch of orange too.

Trusting that writing and sharing will kick start me into motion.

Stay tuned…

Pictured here are our incredible, tried and true tested Brown Butter Sage Parker House style Pull Apart Rolls. We shared the complete recipe in our recent newsletter. If you are not signed up, head on over to our URL to receive insights from me, occasional recipes and updates on when you can pre order for the shop pop up which will inevitably be happening;)

Also pictured, my man and me in love in Paris❤️