St. Helena, CA - Pat Kuleto, renowned for his restaurants Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardini�re and Todd Humphries, former Executive Chef of San Francisco’s Campton Place and more recently of the Wine Spectator’s Greystone, have partnered to create Martini House, a Napa Valley destination restaurant that opened November 24th, 2001.

Kuleto resides in St. Helena and had been searching for the perfect dining venue close to home. Each time he drove by the 1923 building, he knew he could transform it into something special. Formerly the Spring Street Restaurant, the space had been vacant for years waiting for the right people. The right people finally came along; Kuleto has teamed up with Chef Humphries, also of St. Helena, and Richard Miyashiro, C.O.O. of the Pat Kuleto Restaurant Development & Management Company.

In designing Martini House, Kuleto created a vision of the wine country, using all the elements of the building’s storied history and reflecting the influences of the Native Americans that lived in the Valley.  Martini House highlights include fireplaces in three rooms, Kuleto’s signature light fixtures evocative of woven Indian baskets and acorns, an open staircase descending into the Wine Cellar bar and outdoor garden seating around a 75-year-old fountain beneath vine-covered arbors and trellises.

The California craftsman bungalow-style Martini House is rich in local history having been built by Walter Martini, a retired opera singer who performed with Enrico Caruso on several occasions. Martini and his wife Dionisia moved to St. Helena after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and later bought the William Tell Hotel across the street, now a National Historic Register property. Martini subsequently entered the more lucrative business of bootlegging wine and remnants of this operation were later found in his home’s basement.

Chef Humphries has written a “Napa Cuisine” menu based on best-loved foods of the Wine Country that incorporates locally sourced produce and foods, farm-raised meats and wild game. Humphries has a unique relationship with area farmers and foragers and obtains the freshest, most seasonal ingredients. A mutual love and fascination with mushrooms helped Humphries and Kuleto forge a relationship, and their home gardens are a source of herbs, spices and vegetables for the Martini House kitchen. 

Rare and extraordinary wines are a Martini House hallmark. The Wine Cellar bar downstairs is home to one of Napa Valley’s only full wine bars, featuring an unequaled 600-bottle international wine list.  The list offers selections from some of the area’s most prestigious private cellars and winery reserve stocks. Comments Kuleto, “at Martini House, we celebrate Napa Valley’s finest, while offering a world of choices.”

The homey, intimate Martini House is the epitome of a friendly neighborhood restaurant, inviting locals and visitors to enjoy the quintessential Wine Country culinary experience. To further its connection with the community that it serves, Martini House donates a portion of all corkage fees collected to local non-profit organizations, such as those that help build housing for migrant farm workers in the Napa Valley.

View current opportunities with Martini House

Chef/Co-Owner - Todd Humphries
Chef de Cuisine - Christopher Litts
Pastry Chef - Jennifer Archer
 
Martini House
1245 Spring Street @ Oak
(Just off Highway 29, also known as Main Street)
St Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-2233