Recognize this?

Flags wave over the riverside patio at Morimoto

If you haven't been to the city of Napa in recent years, you might not recognize the newly re-energized downtown. There's a new hotel, new high-profile eating places, and some new stores and wine bars. Sure, some projects are on hold or no longer on the drawing board because of the recession (the Ritz-Carlton hotel proposal, for instance), but that hasn't stopped others from moving forward. A handful of must-try restaurants have opened their doors (can you say Morimoto?), and more are on the way. The renovated Uptown Theatre is booking big names in music and comedy, and the new Hotel Avia on First Street is catering to visitors seeking contemporary digs within walking distance of all the action. On the down side, it's distressing to see numerous "For Lease" signs in the older commercial buildings downtown, one more reminder that California's economy is sputtering.