Dear Friends,

Last month John and I took a much needed vacation of hiking and kayaking at Echo Lodge near Lake Tahoe. It's a special place we get to enjoy because we're members of the California Alpine Club - a wonderful group of people committed to preserving and enjoying our natural resources.  

Exciting news: I have heeded your requests to bring my classic American fare to south St. Helena. We got lots of compliments and great reviews on my dear, sweet Brassica, but hey - it's election season and popular vote wins!

We are introducing Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar - "CP's" for short - today, September 5th, 2012. The menu will remind you of Mustards Grill, with classics my "Up valley" friends tell me they can't get enough of. It's family- and wine-friendly American comfort food with fun stuff like Sweet Crispy Pork Belly, Brown Derby Cobb salad, Napa Cab Braised Shortribs, Niman Ranch Burgers, West Coast Crab Rolls and root beer floats. We even have some amazing new chalkboard art. (Thanks, Anne!)

Our popular Vintner Splash continues every Saturday night. The awesome September line-up begins with Jaffe Estate this Saturday. The patio is open daily, with cool live jazz & world beat on Thursday evenings - as long as the weather cooperates. Let us know if you think we should bring live music inside when the weather turns chilly.

To make sure I see you often, locals are invited to take 15% off your entire bill at Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar all day every Wednesday and Sunday through October 31st. Just present a driver's license with your Napa Valley address to get the deal. (Wine bottles to go, always 25% off the wine list price, and cookbooks not included.)

At Mustards Grill, we're thrilled to welcome a new and very talented chef, Michael Foster who's been at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for the past three years. (Chef Dale Ray, who has been a huge part of Mustards' success, has gone on to complete his doctorate and fulfill ministry work. We'll miss him and wish him the best.)

For Mustards' Pour Off Pair Off every Thursday this month, Patrick has asked winemakers for their favorite pairings in honor of "crush." Since they didn't provide recipes, it'll be a hoot to see how close we come to what they had in mind (not that we follow recipes anyway). Come check it out.

At Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, John Trunk has been named the new chef after earning his stripes as our terrific sous chef at Brassica. Please help us give him a warm welcome. This month's Supper Club (Wednesdays and Thursdays) celebrates apples, pears, pumpkins and squash from around the globe. Roasted Pumpkin Gnocchi, Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Pears with Blue Cheese & Candied Pecans, Roasted Summer Squash Fettuccini, and Prawn & Pumpkin Curry "Padang Style" are a few of the temptations...

The apple trees at Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar are laden with fruit and so it's time to share my favorite apple pie recipe with you. Happy cooking!

I hope to see you soon - especially at "CP's"!