Every year, as the names get bigger and bigger, more and more eyes from the food world focus on the small St. Helena restaurant — and on Kostow, who has become a leading advocate for a modern Napa aesthetic. “Christopher is becoming not only an ambassador for Meadowood and Napa, but the United States,” said Bonjwing Lee, the globetrotting food photographer who has chronicled the dinners for the past three years. In effect, the 12 Days has thrust Meadowood onto the international scene, with its merry band of young turks all enthusiastically waving the Napa Valley flag. “The 12 Days is quite legendary within the industry,” said Matthew Orlando, the chef-owner of Amass in Copenhagen and this year’s first guest chef. Each dinner begins with a reception in the kitchen, where diners sip on sparkling wine while watching the chefs fill black olive meringues with whipped olive oil. [...] the evening moves on to an eight-course tasting menu accompanied by Napa Valley wines. Some guest chefs replicate dishes from their own restaurants, whereas others forage in the garden and improvise on the spot. Meadowood donates $2,000 in the name of each participating chef plus 20 percent of every dinner ticket to two local nonprofits — the Holly Cranston Memorial Fund and Napa Emergency Women’s Services — which share the money equally. The evolution of the dinner series into an A-list chef gathering mirrors the restaurant’s own maturation from a sophisticated resort eatery into a world-class, Michelin three-star destination — one of just four restaurants west of the Mississippi to hold that distinction. The 38-year-old Kostow, a philosophy major turned cook, came to Napa Valley in 2008 as the restaurant’s new executive chef. The first edition of the 12 Days of Christmas was already planned, thanks to the Food Network, which sponsored the inaugural run. The company’s idea was to generate online video content and perhaps spin off a show down the line. Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco’s Jardinière cooked a Mexican meal, and Los Angeles celebrity chef Joachim Splichal did a German-themed one. The event’s rise to prominence coincided with the the Restaurant at Meadowood receiving a perfect three stars from the Michelin Guide in 2010. The restaurant had earned those three coveted stars with 20-year-old ovens, while sharing every pot, pan and dish station with the banquet department. Once the accolades started flowing, the restaurant detached from the resort’s food and beverage operations. In 2012, the entire kitchen was remodeled into the expansive culinary stadium it is today, the envy of most every professional chef. Planning for the dozen December dinners begins months in advance, from booking flights (United Airlines is a key partner in the event) to planting literal and figurative seeds for the visiting chefs’ menus. Several years ago, Kostow and his kitchen staff undertook another challenge and began contributing dishes to each night’s menu. To spend a day prepping with industry giants like David Kinch or David Chang is an education for young cooks — and a boon for the restaurant as well. “Chef (Kostow) says it’s like getting to stage at 11 different restaurants,” said Kat Weiner, who has cooked at the restaurant for four years. Blaine Wetzel, visiting chef from the Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Wash., who cooked on Day Five this year, tried unsuccessfully for years to get a job — or at least dine — at La Grenouillère, an isolated restaurant in northern France. On any given night, diners may consist of chefs, cooks and staffers from restaurants in Napa Valley and San Francisco, dedicating entire paychecks to experience foreign food cultures or novel ideas from a famous chef. “The food geek part of me is always checking the kitchen out and looking for little types of hints,” said Rob Lam, chef-owner of Butterfly in San Francisco, who has attended dinners in the past. Despite the price tag, each night sells out quickly — one San Francisco resident will eat at every single dinner this year. “These collaborative experiences are great for consumers, because it gives them access to food and chefs they may not ever encounter on their own,” said Bonjwing Lee. Copenhagen, Paris, New York, Lima and Tokyo may still dominate as international gastronomic centers, but Kostow argues the Bay Area deserves to be in the mix. #SF #News #49ers
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 01:00:08 +0000
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