The Boon Fly Cafe | Napa, CA

For our first morning in Napa, we ventured to The Boon Fly Café for breakfast.  It was only a short ten-minute drive from the Meritage Resort.  Located inside a little red barn-like building, near the Carneros Resort, it was another hidden gem we happened upon when researching “family friendly” places to eat. 

Open kitchens seemed to be the theme everywhere we dined during our stay.  The menu here included the traditional American breakfast items like griddle cakes, omelets, flatbreads, and burritos.  The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner, as well as weekend brunch.

We ordered a small plate (4ea) of their “World Famous Boon Fly Donuts” (also available as a baker’s dozen).  I wouldn’t say they were the best I’ve ever had, but they were pretty good.  Warm, doughy in just the right places, and covered in the perfect ratio of cinnamon and sugar.  I very much liked that they were miniature; prior to finding that out, Emily and I wondered who could possibly finish a full order in addition to one of their generous breakfast plates!

I started with a Bloody Fly’s Spicy Bacon Bloody Mary- complete with a piece of crispy bacon served right in the glass.  It had a strong Worcestershire taste at first, but after some fresh squeezed lime and a little stirring, it was perfect.  The rim was coated in celery salt and it definitely packed that spicy flavor that hits you right in the back of the throat.  Not so spicy that you couldn’t enjoy just sipping it, though.

Ian has been eating whole foods for a few months now and usually just nibbles off one of our plates.  Like his mama, breakfast has always been his favorite meal.  He loves pancakes, eggs, toast, oatmeal, fruit, you name it.  We decided to go ahead and order him his own plate from the kids’ menu.  He devoured every single bite of his toast with jam, scrambled egg, and two pieces of bacon.  And still wanted some of the hash browns off my plate!

Pretty sure Sophia was three before we had to start ordering her own plate ($$$) and even now she rarely finishes it.  People always joke about how much teenage boys eat, but I didn’t realize it started at ten months!

I chose the Chef’s Daily Omelet- bacon, onion, bell pepper, and cheddar cheese.  It was really good.  Perfectly cooked and full of tender peppers.  After indulging in the donuts beforehand, I was struggling to finish it all.

Emily went with the Triple Stack of Griddle Cakes.  If there’s French Toast on the menu she rarely strays, but pancakes are a close second.  Of course, it’s always too much sweetness for her, and she likes to make sure I am getting something savory, like eggs or bacon, that she can “share” off my plate to counterbalance.  Served with real maple syrup and sweet butter, the pancakes were light and fluffy.

It wasn’t too busy when we arrived, but by the time we left things were picking up.  Even the bar area was starting to fill.  We enjoyed a few minutes on one of their front porch swings before leaving.  I would definitely return here if I’m ever in Napa again; great atmosphere, delicious food, and certainly family-friendly.

Read about more of our California adventures here.