707 Scout

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. If you haven’t gotten your tickets for Charlie Palmer’s annual PIGS & PINOT, time is running short. The event takes place Friday March 21st and Saturday March 22nd. A sellout each year, this year’s luxe event…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. It’s the height of olive season in Sonoma, when the first oils are pressed and curing begins. Throughout January and February, the Sonoma Valley offers dozens of classes, dinners, tastings, and tours. You can see what’s on…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. It’s that special time of year when menus pay homage to the much-adored truffle. One of our favorite menus is at LA TOQUE in Napa, where beginning on Friday January 10th (through early March), chef Ken Frank will…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. Best Restaurant in America is a…winery? Call us flabbergasted. THE BEST RESTAURANT IN AMERICA, as voted by OpenTable diners is ST. FRANCIS WINERY in the Sonoma Valley. Not that the luxe wine and food pairings that I once…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. A first look at Torc: Get a sneak peek at Napa’s newest restaurant entrant, TORC. The menu looks spectacular and chef Sean O’Toole is again in his element, with free rein over the kitchen. Pictures of his…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. Popular Napa chef Sean O’Toole opens the doors to TORC on Monday November 25, ending more than a year of speculation as to who would go into the former vegetarian restaurant and yoga studio Ubuntu. BiteClub is a…

On Saturday November 30th and Friday December 13th, head up to the CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA’S WINE ANNEX in Napa for an afternoon or evening of wine education with Karen MacNeil. The first class is called What Makes Great Wine Great and covers characteristics that all great wines possess,…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. It’s an almost uncomfortable moment when chef Max Schacher, the longtime toque of the iconic KENWOOD RESTAURANT, lifts a glass to the new owners and young chef taking over his restaurant. “Santé!” we say, clinking wineglasses, but Schacher…

By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter. Each December, luxe resort MEADOWOOD NAPA VALLEY and its Michelin-three-star chef, Christopher Kostow, put together a lineup of international chefs and winemakers that have culinary sorts clapping their hands with the kind of glee reserved for five-year-olds on Christmas…

For a taste of all things Napa, including lots of wine and food, check out the FLAVOR! NAPA VALLEY festival. From Wednesday November 20th through Sunday November 24th, catch a lineup of chefs and winemakers in classes, workshops, demonstrations, tastings, and meals. You’ll find a wide array of events,…