Does anything sound more fun than a pint of polenta poured out on a toasted board like steaming lava, with old world pork meatballs cooked tender in a tomato sauce and a fist-full of sauteed vineyard mustard greens floating on top? The answer is no!  And doubly so when the polenta is ancient grain red polenta, rediscovered and given to me by my vineyard organic farming friend, Amigo Bob. The idea of taking something we love (creamy polenta) and presenting it in a totally new fashion with killer ingrediants is what gets me truly excited about being back in the restaurant business at my new place, Bottega Napa Valley. Watching heads turn in the dining room as the cedar boards are wielded around the room is just unbeatable, and terribly fun!

Second to the fun of surprising people with the food is my own discovery of new wines in creating our wine list and pairings. What I have been pouring lately with the antipasti course is a fabulous white wine, normally from the Alto Adige region of Northern Italy (an Alpine region also famous for Grappa), brought here by George Vare and planted in Napa Valley. Both the Ribolla Gialla and the Bianco are personal favorites. Uber lovely food wine that you will remember for a lifetime.