A BEAUTIFUL LOCAL CUISINE
in Napa Valley Three-Star Michelin Chef Christopher Kostow ’95 Serves Sense of Place.
By Tina Antolini
In the kitchen of the Restaurant at Meadowood, the flagship restaurant of Chef Christopher Kostow ’95, there’s a pan filled with what looks like tree bark—thin and pale brown, curling at the edges. In fact, it is tree bark, of the madrone tree, which grows near the restaurant in St. Helena, Calif. “It’s a local bark,” Kostow says, as he navigates through the gleaming kitchen, where almost a dozen cooks are busy prepping for the night’s service. “We make an apple cider, but instead of using cinnamon or spices, we use this natural stuff; it’s really perfect.” Kostow is dedicated to foraging the fields, woods, and gardens of Napa County to bring setting to the plate. His ingenuity and talent have earned him accolades from around the country and the world, along with a stack of awards and honors. He’s the third youngest chef to receive three Michelin stars, and the James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef in the western United States in 2013. Kostow is also the author of a cookbook, A New Napa Cuisine (2014), which pays homage to his chosen home. It’s easy to see why Napa Valley has captured Kostow’s imagination. On a fall day, the vineyards of the region are radiant with autumn color, as grape leaves turn varied hues of golden yellow, burnt orange, and brilliant crimson red. Vineyards surround the entrance to Meadowood, the upscale resort that houses Kostow’s restaurant, and they seem to positively glow in the morning sun. Photo courtesy of The Restaurant at Meadowood
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Berkshire Bulletin