If you think you know Napa and Sonoma, think again. We’ve got the skinny on the region’s newest hot spots (and updates on a few old favorites), just in time to celebrate the harvest season. Discover the movie mogul’s swimming pool where you can make a splash, the glampground where you can sleep in a yurt, the fried chicken shack where you can sample a Michelin-starred chef’s finger-lickin’ fare and, of course, the coolest watering holes, from a bike-themed tasting room to an organic cider house that rules. Scroll down, and get ready to wine and unwind.
Building on the success of their popular Oak Park taqueria La Venadita, Tom and David Schnetz open Oakhaus nearby, serving up German comfort food with a side of nostalgia. Get set to tuck into a Teutonic Thanksgiving (yes, in the middle of summer) with all the fixins.
After “How did Jack die?” the most burning question during the first season of This Is Us might’ve been, “Will Toby live?” Happily, the answer to the latter was yes, and Chris Sullivan will resume his role as Toby Damon, Kate Pearson’s big-hearted boyfriend turned fiancé, when NBC’s breakout hit returns in September. The Gold River-raised actor talks about being part of a TV phenomenon, how he got the theater bug at Jesuit High School, and what it took to look Marvel-ous for his scene-stealing turn as Taserface in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Call it farm-to-chopstick. Not only does nearly every bite of sushi rice in the United States come from California, but almost all of it—97 percent, to be exact—comes from the Sacramento Valley. And when it comes to ultra-premium Japanese-style rice (yep, there’s a difference), Yuba City’s Montna Farms is the American gold standard. Just ask chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who uses Montna-grown rice in his celebrated restaurants from L.A. to New York. Here’s the story of the tiny grain that’s making it big.
Rebecca Lowe’s colleagues at the NBC sports desk refer to her affectionately as “Mother of Dragons”—such is the fierceness of the 36-year-old London native’s passion for English Premier League soccer, which she covers for a growing American fan base. The broadcaster—who lives in El Dorado Hills with her husband Paul Buckle, head coach of the Sacramento Republic FC, and their 1-year-old son, Teddy—shares the inside scoop on how she manages her dual roles as a soccer guru and soccer-loving mom, and why there’s nothing quite like rooting for the underdog.
In the age of social media, cities from Amsterdam to Toronto are recognizing the branding value of civic photo ops and making typography part of their urban topography.
Crowdfunding websites might be best known for launching cool products, but these days, they’re also being used to help citizens improve their cities, one downtown waterslide at a time.
