CHEF LEILANI SPICES UP NAPA

The chef, owner, and entrepreneur of Roux and Vine Catering. Magnolia Street Wine Lounge and Kitchen aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for visitors from diverse backgrounds at her new Napa tasting room

Chef Leilani’s goal is to make sure that every person who walks through the door feels welcomed, feels like they’re at home, or at their friend’s house. A sort of a relaxed, kickback vibe. She notes, “I was very intentional with creating a space and city where we (minorities) haven’t always been welcomed Our money is circulating here, they’ll take it, but they don’t want to see you stay I created a space where people can come and always be themselves The goal is to really get to know customers and their stories, like we do with all the winemakers we carry ”

She balances traditional wine pairings with innovative culinary creations to enhance the tasting experience through Winemakers Dinners Chef Leilani works with winemakers to find out what they want to serve with their wine Together they collaborate to build and curate a custom menu She adds, “For example, if we are doing Paula’s (P Harrell Wines) Rose, I’ll do shrimp creole over fried XX rice or a noodle, because it pairs well together. Really, it’s about choosing what goes well with the wine and how we believe people will receive it ” Every quarter there is a new wine menu, artwork, and cuisine selections, so guests receive a different experience whenever you visit

When describing the journey from conceptualizing the tasting room to its grand opening Chef Leilani says, “Our restaurant business in Oakland dropped so we decided to close. The restaurant was a way to give back to the community as I grew up in Oakland However, the community wasn’t interested in the wine portion of the restaurant After talking to my husband about opening a restaurant and wine lounge in Napa, my husband eventually agreed to it “

Chef Leilani found a location that she says she immediately fell in love with When the person who had the lease on the space, found out that she would be taking over the lease, they resigned their lease for another 5 years She adds, “I was crushed My husband then suggested that we open the wine tasting room, since this is what I really wanted anyway I agreed We worked with a broker who found this place for us in downtown Napa and a good friend of mine who is an interior designer came in and did everything.”

She faced challenges though, “Everything was going great and then I got a complaint on my liquor license Things came to an immediate halt The complaint came from a non-melanated residential neighbor In the complaint, the person stated, “her and her following xxx xxxxx are not compatible with Napa.” I was depressed because of all the money we had just spent on opening The complaint was full of lies I called my attorney and was prepared to fight After a couple of hours of getting in contact with the appropriate parties, I was told that the complaint was rescinded Once that was out of the way, we were able to move forward”

As a minority female chef entering the traditionally male-dominated wine and culinary industry in Napa Valley, Chef Leilani shares, “Every job I’ve ever had has been male dominated, even as a chef We, as women, are just now grabbing a hold of what we are deserving of When I do my speaking engagements, I always discuss intentionally making pathways to be able to pull your people with you and lift them up I haven’t really had many issues because it’s really just about learning how to speak to people and understanding their vices and being able to work around it”

Chef Leilani encourages aspiring chefs or entrepreneurs looking to diversify into new culinary ventures to research the industry, location, and market She adds, “Plan, be resilient, be intentional in uplifting others, and hone in on your gifts “Chef Leilani’s exciting future plans include opening a winelounge in two more states and a restaurant in Napa!

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