Wine Dine and Play: Gaia Restaurant

Gaia Restaurant

Gaia at the DoubleTree by Hilton in American Canyon, California is now called the Table 29 Bistro and Bar








Concentrated More On Being “Green” Then On Service And Food 
American Canyon, California USA
Cuisine Style: American, Organic, Californian
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 1/5
Dined in: August 2013
Article Updated: February 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for 
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:





Gaia, a term invented by James Lovelock back in 1970 where he believed that all life on earth was bound together. Well, maybe he’s right and maybe he’s wrong, but I can tell about one item that I am right about, and that is the Restaurant named after Mr. Lovelock’s thesis is about as far as connected to foodservice and hospitality that you can get. They win the Liberal award for the green category and will attract every environmentalist around to stop by, but in the end, people are people, and if the food is of low quality, and the service received was that bad to them as well, they will not return. This is a wakeup call to the management and the DoubleTree Hotel where Gaia (Now called Table 29 Bistro and Bar) is located in American Canyon, just south of Napa, California, shape up.

They advertise that they are the freshest, offering a wide array of cuisines in a new Eco-friendly restaurant. They are the first 100% Gold LEED-certified hotel in the world, and the Restaurant follows methods and practices designed to nurture and protect the environment. But that is about all they are good for.

The dining room of the Gaia restaurant in American Canyon, California
Gaia / Dining Room

I arrived in American Canyon after touring San Francisco, the Muir Woods, and Mount Tamapolis. The next stop on the list was Napa and Sonoma for some wine tastings. As a Hilton member, I chose the double Tree, because it was the closest Hilton Hotel to Wine country, roughly 8 miles south. The hotel was great, with a wonderful pond and sculptures, and my room has a patio leading out to it. Gaia is attached to the hotel and serves as its main restaurant for hotel guests and for the public. So besides eating a dinner meal, as part of the hotel, I had breakfast there for the three days of my stay. I arrived for dinner and sat, again informal, and I have no problem with that at all. I waited, and then waited a little more, and a little more, until I had to flag down someone to get a drink order. They were all in a corner by the bar, chatting with cooks and so forth. After all, there were only four or five tables of customers at the time we walked in so they couldn’t use the excuse that they were busy. During this time of waiting I had ample time to look at the menu and wine list and ordered a bottle of 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Prime Cellars based in Napa. I am very fond of California wines but had not heard of this vineyard. I would give the rating on this wine around 85/100, which was the best part of the entire dinner.

As I sipped the wine, I asked the server about the menu and what she recommended, I could tell by her hesitation and a few simple menu questions that she was not familiar with the menu at all. I could see she was not well trained in Front of House techniques, and was simply an order taker, not unlike a basic diner, or TGI Friday’s server. I started with a simple appetizer of calamari, garnished with a fried sliced lemon served with a tartar sauce. The dish was fine basic battering, but not heavily spiced.

For the entrée, I had a sesame chicken dish over a bed of Bib lettuce, topped with sautéed julienne carrots. The first bite and expression were enough. The chicken was way over seasoned, and the meat was tough and chalky, which meant that it was way overcooked, to the point where there were no natural juices left inside the meat. Now food regulation requires poultry to be cooked to 165°f (74oC) to kill bacteria not 200°f  (93oC)  like this chicken was. This experience with the bad service sealed the fate for me. 

Breakfast time came, starting early since I had wine to drink, and good restaurants to go to for lunch and dinner while in Napa. This was a different crew working, but they had the same attitude. It took forever to get drinks, but the eggs were cooked fresh and the kitchen staff prepared them correctly. The coffee, on the other hand, was burnt and had a bad taste. The server explained that it came from an organic farm, and that was the natural taste. Well, I’m not a fan of Starbucks, but I was looking for one after I left to get some coffee. When you explain that the coffee is like that, then why the hell do you serve it? Not impressed Gaia, sorry, but you have a long way to go. Maybe the name change to Table 29 Bistro will improve the food and service quality.

Dessert:
I did not have dessert during this visit.


Plus check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play: 




Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.



Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach

United States: 
California:

Sub-Napa AVA’s:



Other noteworthy American cuisine articles and restaurants similar to Gaia:
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary



Other Napa / Sonoma restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:

3-day tour of Napa and Sonoma
Napa Valley, California
French-American Fine Dining
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Yountville, California, USA
Farm-to-fork new American fare
Sonoma, California


A few California restaurant favorites:

High-End Japanese Steakhouse
San Francisco, California, USA
Cabernet from a family of entrepreneurs
Saint Helena, California
An aesthetic portfolio of wines
Yountville, California

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country






Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:

Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:

Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Gaia a 1 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were an average dining experience.

Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:

Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Gaia
Max Points Possible:
Total Points Awarded:
Total Points deducted:
Ambiance
11
11
0
Food quality
10
8
2
Plate presentation
10
6
4
Customer service
12
6
6
Alcohol and other beverages
7
4
3
Total regular points awarded
50
35
15
Total percentage — less the Bonus

0.7

“Wow” factor BONUS
5
0
0
Total bonus percentage

0

Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating

0.7

Stars Awarded (see chart below)
             0 - 5
1

**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**


***

Overall Star Rating:
1 of 5 Stars: 
70% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
An Average Dining Experience
Corkage fees:
Gaia does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant-style:
Casual dining
Cuisine Style at Gaia:
American
Allergen or dietary accommodations: 
Farm to Fork, Gluten-free choices, Local, Vegetarian Options
Reservations:
Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
Dress code:
Casual attire

Child policy:


The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. 
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter! 
Gaia Experiences:
Contemporary, Modern, and a Neighborhood Gem.
Payments:
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Parking:
Gaia has a public lot
Wifi
The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
Noise level:
Low
Smoking:
Gaia is a non-smoking restaurant
Patio or terrace:
No






Food Prices 
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)

$£€¥ -                Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 -          51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 -          Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 -          Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 -          Over 400.00 (very expensive)


**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**

Currency:
Price
United States Dollar (USD)
$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
£
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
$
Chinese Yuan (CNY)  
¥¥¥
European Union (EUR)

 Alcohol prices:

$50.00 USD




Gaia - Now Table 29 Bistro:

3600 Broadway Street,
American Canyon, California
94503, USA  





Contact Information: 

Restaurant website:
Maître d or host:
+1-707-674-2100
Serving hours:
Pacific Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC-8:00)

Mon - Sun
6:00 am - 10:00 pm










****
The world's best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.


A few to tease you with…
Eclectic & innovative gastropub using molecular gastronomy
Tampa, Florida, USA
Seasonally inspired continental European fare
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
High-end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand





“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, 
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)



Who is John Galt?


TTFN







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