Amy Paape

We created Napa Flats Wood-Fired Kitchen to celebrate our love of fresh, homemade food, great beverages, and memorable desserts. We wanted a menu that was familiar without being common. We wanted a lively restaurant design with a unique patio and bar. We wanted to join the proud group of local, independent restaurateurs who make a community unique. We recruited our friend and famed Texas Chef Damian Mandola to help design our menu. Damian enlisted one of his Executive Chefs, Michael McNeilly, to help with the heavy lifting. When I told Damian we wanted a California, Italian, Mediterranean menu, he laughed and said: “I’m Sicilian and I know Italian. But let’s see what we can do.” We would send him ideas and recipes and he always responded with good nature. The process would be moving along and then he would go to Italy for a couple weeks. We believe it was for inspiration but it was probably because we were annoying him. We worked closely with Chef Michael and his team at Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood, Texas. Damian and his wife Trina have created one of the special restaurants in Texas in that small Hill Country town 25 miles South of Austin. Trattoria Lisina has a spectacular setting with the restaurant looking out on a vineyard. It feels like a Tuscan Estate. My chefs spent weeks training with his team and chefs in Driftwood and his Mandola’s Italian Markets in Austin. We are indebted to their patience, sharing of knowledge and their genuine hospitality. When you enjoy the flavors of our menu, please thank them. If something is off, we deserve the scolding and retraining. Finally, we want to create a unique dining experience in the Brazos Valley. We offer something on our menu for everyone from pasta and pizza to hand-cut steaks and fresh fish. Our talented pastry chef Leigha Sutton has created an imaginative array of tasty gelato and desserts that may change your outlook on life. Good eating. Tom, Tony and Jimmy