Wine Train Comfort Food

November finds me pining for comfort food, the hearty fare that comes with the cooler temperatures of fall. With these seasonal changes comes a shift in the variety of produce available to us. Gone are the days of delicate summer squash and vine ripe heirloom tomatoes. Now is the time to think of stews, soups, or cassoulet. And what better to accompany these filling dishes than a crusty loaf of bread?

Since 1989, we have purchase the artisanal breads of Sciambra-Passini French Bakery, Inc. Their Napa location allows us to serve what we feel to be the freshest bread available! Sciambra makes more than 400 different varieties of breads and rolls of all shapes and sizes. Carl Sciambra and his family purchased the long standing bakery in Vallejo from the Passini Family in 1974. Passini bakery had been in operation since the early 1930’s. When the Passini family decided to close the business, Carl, who had worked for Passini for years, decided that he would rather buy the business than go look for a new job.

Thus, the current ownership began. In 1980, they moved the bakery to its current location. The eldest Sciambra son, Michael owns and operates the business, along with his sister, Patty.

We serve their sour dough baguettes. The baguette is baked to a “three-quarter bake.” This allows us to finish the bread in the oven just prior to our guests sitting down at their table on the train. This ensures that the bread is always warm and crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside. A perfect accompaniment to any dish!