Napa Insider

There’s a whole part of Napa most of us never see. Hidden in the hills are incredible works of art, architecture and sculpture that stretch the limits of imagination. Trust me, I’ve seen some of them. On Sunday, I’ll be heading to Quixote winery–a structure of mind-bending lines, brilliant colors and cartoonish proportions that has […]

Cinco de Woo Hoo!

Not like you need an excuse to hang out on the patio and drink margaritas all day, but hey, thanks to the victory of the Mexican army over the French some 150 or so years ago, you’ve got one. So grab a glass, some chips, a Cerveza or two and tap into the salsa and […]

Govinda’s

It has come to my attention that some of you don’t share BiteClub’s passion for bacon. Or foie gras. Or carnitas, sweetbreads, brick-grilled chicken or, well, much of anything that once had a face. And I get that. I really do. But here’s the thing–vegetarian food is, for the most part, horrifying to me. I […]

Mother’s Day

Brunch is so ho-hum. This year take mom for a seaside afternoon, an eco-hike, or a day of pampering in Petaluma. Then, have brunch. Seaside getaway to Bodega BayEat: Bodega Bay’s Seaweed CafĂ© hosts ‘7 Courses in May’, a menu featuring Andante Dairy cheese and Peay Wines at 6pm, Sunday May 13, $130 prix fixe, […]

Willi’s Wine Bar

Willi’s Wine Bar isn’t new. It doesn’t have a maitre d’, a cheese cart or a celebrity chef. It’s inconvenient to get to and the whole “small plate” thing can add up to a damn fortune. But day after day, season after season, year after year, the cozy Santa Rosa bistro just keeps on cranking […]

La Texanita

Chilaquiles. It’s been called the Mexican hangover cure for its amazing restorative powers. I call it the cure for whatever’s gnawing at your craw. All the requisite mood/metabolism enhancers are present and accounted for here: Fried, spicy, cheesy and meat. Vegetables take an appropriately supportive role in the form of guacamole (yes!), a tomato wedge […]

Oh Southern Comfort

Chas Langley isn’t one for formalities. Standing in the barebones kitchen of Honey Biscuits, he hollers, “Now, make sure you get the Styrofoam plate in that picture. That’s kind of my trademark.” “Uh, why?” I snap back with crumbs of sweet pastry (what he calls Fat Rascalz) flying from my mouth as I focus the […]

Eat local. Dammit.

Local is the new organic. Meaning that buying tasty little organic kiwis from New Zealand is nice and all, but you’ve just helped destroy the ozone with god knows how much jet and diesel fuel getting it here. You cad, you. During the last weeks of April, locavores “activists who try to eat only foods […]

Phyllis’ Giant Burgers

Five words: Phyllis’ Giant Burgers is open. Don’t miss: The cheese steak is a monster of a meal, with green peppers, onions and juicy, greasy meat on a fresh roll. Homemade milkshakes of every flavor and hue make it worth the subsequent coronary. And, of course, there are the burgers. But you knew that. Phyllis’ […]