Best Restaurants for Spicy Food in St. Helena

Highly recommend Insalata's. The server was friendly, efficient and understanding of the logistics of a big table (11). We sat down to dine at 9pm because we had come from an event, and we never felt rushed, we took our time and had a great meal. Food: - The Wagyu beef was excellent, from Snake Hill Farms. As I knew where it came from I had it rare and it was just right. - The grilled chicken marinated in yoghurt was tender as always. - The pasta was great. Portions are generous.

I wonder why we don’t eat here more often. The menu is inventive and hard to choose from, the cocktails delicious and generous, the service was perfect. We had a great time and will be back soon.

I went here for an intimate birthday dinner and was blown away. It was the perfect environment for the occasion, and I would definitely go back. We ditched our dinner plans the next night to eat leftovers!

My go-to sit down Mexican spot in the city. So consistent and delicious every time.

Those who complain on the thread about spicy food perplex me—why did they go to a Sichuan restaurant? I have a lower craving/tolerance for spice than a typical Chinese person with Sichuan roots—I like the flavor but don’t seek the heat necessarily. To me, the food at Z&Y was the appropriate level of spicy and flavorful. Actually, there’s a variety of regional specialties, and our party just ordered what we felt like without regard to trying to get a typical Sichuan meal. I had meant to book a table at Z&Y Peking Duck across the street, but I didn’t mind the mistake! I don’t live in SF, and am willing to shell it out for a Michelin fine dining experience. I found Z&Y was relatively expensive and in slightly more modest proportion to what one might expect for a typical Chinatown restaurant, but worth it due to the extremely high quality and authentic food. Decor and service style are also typical Chinatown vibe. We had to get egg rolls for the youngest adult with us, and they were crisp and tasty. Tan tan noodles had spice and subtle flavor at the same time. We ordered Peking duck and I wondered if we got the tea smoked duck, but we didn’t even complain because there was a LOT of duck and the smoky flavor was unique and delicious—and there were enough thin pancakes, sauce, cucumber, and spring onions. Pea shoots and cumin beef were very tasty. We added on Dong Po Ro (Pork Shoulder) as our last dish came to the table because we needed more food. It came to the table quickly and was melt in your mouth tender. Yes, it is very fatty, but that’s the point of this cut—if you don’t like fat, don’t get Dong Po Ro! Lots of happy accidents with this meal, wouldn’t change a thing.