Slanted Door Napa 1650 Soscol Ave., Napa 707-287-1197 Slanteddoor.com/napa
run out). But it’s worth getting your order in—the dry-aged duck is tender and rich (you get both white and dark meat), and the accompanying hoisin sauce is a house specialty. The Door’s legacy may forever be attached to its shaking beef ($58), the dish made famous at the original Valencia Street eatery, where Phan infused the Vietnamese staple with new life by using tender, top-shelf meat cubes, seared to savory perfection with soy, vinegar and fish sauce. (In the early days, Phan sourced unwanted ends from the filet mignon medallions leftover at local meat suppliers from the day’s airline-food orders. Today, the beef is grass-fed tenderloin from Australia.) Served on a bed of greens with grilled onions and a lime dipping sauce, it’s still a wonder. Phan’s unexpected passing last January at age 62 was a major loss for the Bay Area food scene; his culinary technique, restaurant leadership and overall generosity of spirit within the industry are well documented. His legacy lives on in the continued quality of Slanted Door Napa, a testament to the idea that any heritage cuisine can be both traditional and contemporary when high-quality and local ingredients are at the base of its innovation. And, damn, that shaking beef still kills it. t Dinner: Sunday to Thursday, 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Happy Hour (bar only): Daily, 3 to 4 p.m. Weekend Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations: Slanted Door Napa is working with a San Francisco-based startup called Hostie, whose AI voice assistant, Jasmine, handles all calls— from reservations to guest inquiries.
Did You Know? Shaking beef, aka bò lúc l ắ c, has its roots in traditional and French colonial Vietnam. The “shaking” refers to the meat’s movement while being tossed around in a skillet.
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Jason Walsh is editor in chief of NorthBay biz magazine and northbaybiz.com. A North Bay native, he’s spent his career covering the news, lifestyles and people of Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. When not up to his elbows in page proofs, you can find him and his family exploring all corners of the North Bay from their home base in Novato.
Noodle dishes are among Slanted Door’s lighter specialties. [Photo by Remy Krey Rebentisch]
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 59
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