Where to eat Malfatti in Napa

The malfatti is Napa city's one genuinely local contribution to the history of American cooking: spinach-and-ricotta dumplings created by Theresa Tamburelli at the Depot Restaurant in Napa in the early 20th century. The name means 'badly made' in Italian (the dumplings are intentionally rough-shaped), and the recipe combines farm eggs, ricotta, blanched spinach and Parmesan in proportions that are richer than standard Italian malfatti. Tamburelli served them in a simple butter-and-sage sauce. The recipe passed through the century, and today Clemente's Authentic Italian on West Imola Avenue continues the Napa tradition. The dish predates the fine-dining wave and the wine-tourism boom; it is the food that Italian immigrant families in the Napa Valley were cooking before anyone knew what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The editor picks for Malfatti in Napa are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Napa signature-dishes index or the Napa food guide.