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Tag: California

Gian Antonio Pepe at the pizza oven
New generation heads famous Pepe group

New generation heads famous Pepe group

Four generations after Gian Antonio Pepe’s great-grandparents arrived at Ellis Island, the youngest member of Pépe International, Inc. is rolling up his sleeves. And getting to work leading the Carmel, Calif. restaurant group into the future. In an ongoing quest to refine menus, manage post-pandemic staffing issues, and create a warm Italian family ambience in their restaurants and bakeries, the young entrepreneur continues traditions harkening back to his old family get-togethers in New Jersey and Italy, even while he puts…

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Levendi Wines
Grape dreams on cool California nights

Grape dreams on cool California nights

Cool nights and lengthy warm days work their magic on the Napa Valley vineyards that are the backbone of the Levendi Winery. The Greek toast “Levendi,” states the winery’s website, “Acknowledges a hard day’s labor and achievement. “It celebrates the fields, the rain and the sun that nurture the special grapes. Essentially, it’s a toast to celebrate life.” And no matter the fickle whims of Mother Nature or the challenges of the past years, Levendi Winery has sprouted new business…

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Clean Slate Wine Bar Chef Melissa
Clean Slate Rocks Plan B

Clean Slate Rocks Plan B

The ink was barely dry on their lease when husband-wife partners Jason and Melissa Scrymgeour were sent back to the drawing board. “We signed the lease for Clean Slate Wine Bar in downtown Solvang on the central coast of California in February 2020, and immediately, the world shut down, Jason says. “Our original concept was to be a wine-focused, wine-driven concept, which happened to serve really good small plates.” The idea was flipped on its back, however, when terms of…

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Willie's Partner and Friends
Fresh, bright, positivity

Fresh, bright, positivity

West coast businessman and restauranteur Willie Rhine isn’t a gambler, and not likely to throw the dice on a frivolous concept. So when the hospitality industry was contracting nationwide during the pandemic lockdowns, Willie and his business partner Chad Gardner of Gardner Hospitality Group were thoughtfully opening a new concept in the affluent community of Rancho Mirage, Calif.; often called the “Camp David of the West.” In a community that has hosted past presidents, from Eisenhower to Obama, as well…

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Julia’s Vegetarian Breakfast Bowl
Magical mystery tour

Magical mystery tour

On California’s Monterey Peninsula, wildflowers growing along the coast have found their way inside. Just past the bright pink door that opens onto natural hardwood the sounds of the 1960’s float and painted flowers bedeck the walls. It’s a sensory bomb experience at Julia’s Vegetarian Restaurant. Chef/owner Anthony Gerbino, a self-taught cook and artisan of beautifully plated vegetarian and vegan cuisine, is a chef of few words. But his patrons aren’t. And in social media review sites, they speak of…

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Ryan Hudson
Cannabis dispensary: an elegant concept rich in beauty

Cannabis dispensary: an elegant concept rich in beauty

Ryan Hudson waited wearily in line and thought, “This could be sensational.” Instead of long lines funneling into dreary spaces at a San Francisco dispensary back then, he imagined something different. An upscale experience in an architecturally beautiful space staffed by helpful, knowledgeable professionals. Years later, Hudson and his partners brought the concept to life. An idea sparked by his “lightbulb moment”  in line that day, and years of work bore fruit in 2011, when the  The Apothecarium opened its…

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MAMA Oakland—the food & legend

MAMA Oakland—the food & legend

The experience at MAMA Oakland often begins with the “Legend.” It arrives at the table along with the dinner menu. And upon its page is found icons and descriptions that solve one of dinner’s bigger mysteries. Specifically, what wine should we get? Co-owner Stevie Stacionis explains. “My husband (Josiah Baldivino) and I co-own a wine shop and bar a few doors down called Bay Grape. When we decided to open our restaurant  we planned to have an extensive wine selection,…

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Changala Wine & Pup
Vineyard caters to family & dogs

Vineyard caters to family & dogs

Off the beaten path in Paso Robles, Calif. awaits a vineyard and tasting room that welcomes the entire family, even the four-footed members. “Besides offering our customers great red blends, Changala Winery strives to be very welcoming, warm, with no pretensions,” says Barbara Hooker, spokesperson. “It’s a little bit of a drive for people, which takes them through wine country to a secluded tasting room where customers can bring their kids and their dogs.” With outdoor seating positioned near Willow…

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Michael Baldacci & Family
Baldacci vineyard chills out with new wine cave

Baldacci vineyard chills out with new wine cave

The sunlight streams past a knoll on the Baldacci Family Estate Vineyards, glinting off rows of grapes growing lustily in the Stags Leap soil of Napa Valley. In photographs, the mood of mellow beauty and natural harmony evoke feelings of a day well lived, and expectation of a soothing sip of nectar, which in the case of the industrious family vineyard, is its prized Cabernet Sauvignon. “As stewards of the land and keepers of the grape, we can cultivate, shape,…

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Park Ave Chicken Thigh
No tattoos, no jargon; just clean cooking

No tattoos, no jargon; just clean cooking

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Chef David Slay begins his day at sunup. “I’m not a big sleeper,” says the top Zagat rated chef/owner of Park Ave restaurant in Stanton, Calif. “The first thing I do is check our video feed from my vineyard, so I can see as workers arrive, and start planning for the day.” By 8 a.m., Chef Slay is on the scene at his destination restaurant in a blue-collar community about 15 miles from the coast. The romantic restaurant, with its…

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