Paitan Ramen    photo by Bob McClenahan

What do you do when famished and thirsty in Napa at 10 p.m. on a Friday night? A lot of local winemakers head for chef Curtis Di Fede’s izakaya-influenced spot. Beyond the robatayaki chicken skewers—thigh, heart, gizzard, wing, etcetera—he puts together more California-fied options, like poached salmon salad and fried rice with asparagus and zebra tomatoes. There’s local juice, like Massican Sauvignon Blanc; more than a dozen rieslings listed from dry to sweet; and plenty of great sake, plus a lineup of hard-to-get Japanese whiskies.