By 707 correspondent Heather Irwin. Sign up for the BiteClub Newsletter.
Seems even an iconic chef like Napa’s Cindy Pawlcyn sometimes stumbles. As of this week, she has officially shuttered CINDY PAWLCYN’S WOOD GRILL AND WINE BAR. Revered for her other Napa restaurants, Mustard’s Grill and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, the seemingly doomed Main Street restaurant opened in 2011 as Go Fish, a Pawlcyn seafood concept that never quite hooked an audience. She transformed it in 2012 to Brassica Mediterranean Kitchen, then in 2013 to the more American-focused Wood Grill and Wine Bar. “We’ve closed our doors,” says the website. “Thank you for your support.”
BURGERFI in downtown Napa seems to be moving forward after some delays. Construction is under way for the hipster burger joint, with a menu that will include a crispy quinoa burger, chili cheese dogs, Parmesan fries, a brisket burger, and the Breakfast All Day Burger (patty, American cheese, bacon, maple syrup, fried egg, hash browns, and ketchup). Best of all, they’ll also be offering frozen custards and concretes, the thicker, creamier cousins of milk shakes.
BiteClubbers say that the shuttered CLAUDIO’S (9890 Bodega Hwy, Sebastopol) may have a new owner. Word is that it will reopen as STILLWATER, a farm-to-table eatery. The spot, which has always been a bit of a Bermuda Triangle for restaurateurs (Mojo Cafe, Two Crows, Cafe St. Rose, P/30) will likely be up and running in early spring—we hope.
Another tip came in this week about Petaluma’s TOPSY’S. The restaurant opened in late 2013, replacing Avatar’s Punjabi Burrito at 131 Kentucky Street. Open for breakfast and lunch only, early reviews are raving about the Southern charm of chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, pie, beignets, and biscuits. Expect a wait on busy weekends, as locals have already discovered the restaurant, which features RAMEKINS chef Annie Simmons.
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