A New Calistoga Depot
Originally built by enterprising gold rush entrepreneur Sam Brannan in 1868, the Calistoga Depot was, at that time, only the second train station in all of California. The newly restored and reimagined Calistoga Depot offers a sensory journey through the region’s history. Throughout the main building, lovely outdoor spaces and custom rail cars, Calistoga Depot provides a range of culinary delights and world-class train cars, as well as ornate styling courtesy of prolific vintner and Napa Valley trendsetter Jean-Charles Boisset.
“I just want this to be the coolest hangout in the Napa Valley,” says owner Michael Madden. To which General Manager Joe Schneider adds, “it’s kind of a make-your-own-adventure type of visit.”
So, in an effort to help you tailor your own adventure, here’s a rundown of what the space has to offer:
Calistoga Depot Provisions
Inside the double doors at the front entrance of what was once the Calistoga train station lies Calistoga Depot Provisions. The bright kitchen and shop, run by Terri and Brook Penquite of Nova Terra Creamery, features local artisanal producers, organic and environmentally conscious offerings, as well as a Nova Terra’s full menu of plant-based comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“Our focus is to support small producers, whether it’s the wine, our baked goods or the farmers we use for our produce,” says Terri. “It’s really important to us that we support our community by keeping our dollars as local as possible and creating that synergy.”
Calistoga Depot Distillery Bar
Situated in the main building behind the provisions is the Calistoga Depot Distillery Bar. A hub for spirits tastings, barrel tastings and craft cocktails, the bar sits beneath a giant German copper still. The largest space in the property, the distillery bar features an upstairs lounge replete with pool table and leather lounge chairs, a small tasting room and historical ephemera in every comer to explore with drink in hand. The effect is both luxurious and surprisingly approachable. “I want locals to feel like they can have a beer at the bar,” says Madden.
The Backyard
The Backyard features ample outdoor seating and a beer-garden vibe. With two outdoor bars and menu offerings available from venues throughout the property, the Backyard is perfect for gatherings or just a quiet moment to enjoy a cup of coffee or local craft beers.
Train Cars
A platform extends along the north side of the property framed on either side with six refurbished train cars. From the outside, the cars look similar except for their signs. But step inside any of them and you’ll find a completely different experience.
The JCB Parlor Car is hailed as the “Orient Express of Calistoga.” Slide onto one of its smooth upholstered iridescent benches the color of an open oyster shell, settle in behind a table of faux lapis lazuli, relax to the burbling patter of a shell-enshrined fountain and order from a menu featuring the best local oysters, caviar and small plates paired with JCB champagne.
Casa Obsidiana is in the next rail car on the figurative track. On the menu is classically prepared Oaxacan-inspired cuisine presided over by chef Jorge Perez and paired with a range of Mexican libations, among them Boisset’s ultra-premium tequila from Jalisco, Mexico. The beautiful custom-crafted Oaxacan tile floors and artifacts entertain until the food arrives.
Across the platform, Earth & Sky Chocolates offers stunning visuals in a smaller form: artisanal chocolates. Proprietress Robbie Schmidt crafts her colorful chocolates in a custom kitchen at the rear of a rail car, where she infuses her bite-size bonbons and other treats with local ingredients.
First Millionaire’s Saloon is an ode to Sam Bran-nan and his main business, the Calistoga Distillery. It features high-end spirits and decor straight from an old Western, but perhaps not as the cowboys would have used it. Saddle up to the bar at this saloon is no figure of speech; each bar stool is a beautiful saddle.
Before you depart the station, the Calistoga Depot Wine Merchant offers bottles to take with you. “We’re going to have over 400 unique bottles of wine and spirits,” says Madden. “Every great wine brand will be represented.”
Historical Wine Tasting Room
At the far end of the Backyard is the historical wine tasting room. The museum-like cottage pays homage to every AVA of the Napa Valley and the foundation of Napa Valley’s community.
“It’s a bit of a self-serve wine lounge with [self-dispensing] wine machines. In cases along the walls are ancient farming tools that makes for a bit of a history lesson in the art of farming and agriculture and winemaking,” says Madden.
“You can go in there and spend an hour just learning about the different regions of our Napa Valley, and where the grapes are grown, and how they’re grown, and what tools were used to grow them.”
“That’s Jean-Charles doing what he does best, which is taking these old relics and putting a modern twist to them, but also celebrating their original use.”
With the help of Jean-Charles Boisset, and locals like the late Calistoga developer Bill Nance and and past Calistoga Depot owner John Merchant, Madden says the current version is even better than his original idea. However, the same guiding principle applies: Create a community-inspired property that becomes a must-visit stop for locals and visitors alike.
Madden dreams that “people show up here for breakfast. They’re having breakfast and looking up at the bar going, ‘Oh my God, we gotta come back for lunch.’ And then they come back for lunch, and they never stop eating and drinking and having fun and listening to music and they stay for dinner.”
His parting comment offers some sage advice: “Go explore the little nooks and crannies of the space because there’s all these different experiences and you don’t want to miss them.”
