Burgers & Half Bottles

How to Navigate Thomas Keller’s Cheffy Summer Pop-Up, Burgers & Half Bottles | Eater SF

"A limited-run Thomas Keller pop-up in Yountville, set in the former La Calenda space, delivers a high-low summer thrill: wagyu burgers and other favorites at almost startling prices (think $14 burgers) that have turned the sidewalk into a waiting room and the patios into a block party. Lines curl down the block before opening, but the system is smooth—order at the counter, drop your phone number, find a seat in the dining room or the shaded patios, and wait for the text to pick up. Music drifts across both patios while a cherry-red 1965 Volkswagen “Brew Bus” pours local beers, including Pliny the Elder; half-bottles and glasses of wine keep things festive, too. The menu sticks to greatest hits—wagyu burgers, a spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, golden crinkle-cut fries, and thick, old-school milkshakes—with room for a splurge like a buttery lobster roll (with a caviar supplement) and a decadent ice cream sandwich built on a Bouchon Bakery cookie; families get a kid’s meal and easy combo deals. Aim for the sweet spot around 2 p.m. to dodge the peak lunch crush but beat sell-outs, go straight for the spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, sip a cold Pliny from the vintage red Brew Bus while you wait, and finish with that refined ice cream sandwich. Open noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday through Halloween (Sunday hours may change), this pop-up has locals and tourists treating a burger run like a once-in-a-season event." - Vincent Vitale