Designed by Pat Kuleto, Martini House is the type of place where you long to curl up during the winter, what with its three fireplaces and masculine, ski-lodge decor. In the summer, you'll want to be dining on the patio outside of the 1920s Craftsman-style house. Todd Humphries' food bridges both scenarios. It's rustic but fresh, building on what he did with wild and foraged products at Campton Place in San Francisco and then at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. The wine list is both well selected and whimsical, with categories you won't find on any other menu.
Cuisine: California Specialities: Pan-seared veal sweetbreads; tuna tartare; pan-roasted venison with leek-turnip gratin; sauteed foie gras with apple-balsamic reduction. Seats: 100 (plus 65 on patio) Prices: $20-$28.50 Parking: Street (generally easy) Vitals: 1245 Spring St. (at Oak), St. Helena; (707) 963-2233. Lunch and dinner daily. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted.
