I have all kinds of stories simmering on the back-burners right now, including my first impressions of Long Meadow Ranch’s Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena (this restaurant review will be the very next item published on this site — stay tuned). Also, before we get too far into springtime, I want to share my own [...]

Having spent a decent portion of 2009 tasting the wines of Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder, it had been quite a while since I had made a trip up Howell Mountain Road. I suppose that my own personal biases had played a key factor in most of my tasting excursions for last year. I’ve discovered [...]

From what I’ve heard, Erasto and Pablo Jacinto will shutter The Border, and they will open a new Mexican concept — called “Casa” — inside of the OxBow Market. Upon hearing these rumors, I can’t say that I’m all too surprised by the idea of The Border closing: (1) the economy has been troublesome, and [...]

I once had an English professor at UCLA who claimed that the purpose of being an English major was to learn how to write essays about books that you’ve never read. This comment was as cynical as it was correct: I winged way too many midterms on a plot summary and a prayer. Sometimes it [...]

The smartest thing I’ve done this year was to attend the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) Preview this week, a good six or seven months before I’m scheduled to actually sit for the CWE exam. The preview has not only proven motivational, as I realize that I’ve become rusty in several areas, but it also allows [...]

Cheeseburgers still get plenty of discussion around these parts, even though the Napa Valley is known more for its regal fare. The fact is, if you live here, you just can’t always eat foie gras (and anyway, there are definitely times when only a burger will suffice). In my article “The Tell-Tale Burger,” I go [...]

For those who are gearheads, the “Fat Boy” is best-known as a model of Harley Davidson. I’m not sure if the Fat Boy sushi roll at Hana borrows its name from the motorcycle, but I did spot a couple Harley Davidson stickers posted near the sushi bar. Etymology aside, the Fat Boy at Hana is [...]

Even as someone who used to cook the pastry station at a Michelin-star restaurant, I will admit that baking can sometimes present a challenge. It requires practice and patience the same way that golf requires practice and patience; those who decide to bake cookies once a year will probably have about as much success as [...]