Out and About in the Neighborhood
The holiday season has gotten off to an exciting start beginning with the tree lighting celebration several weeks ago. While the event has already been covered, I want to give a shout-out to Samantha Holland and her Yountville Parks and Recreation team for holding another successful holiday kick-off for the entire community. Kudos to Mayor Margie Mohler for enthusiastically hosting and to Congressman Mike Thompson and Supervisor Anne Cottrell for joining the festivities. Seeing all the lighted trees on Washington Street has always meant the holidays are in full swing.
Let Us Eat Cake
Following Thanksgiving dinner, I got a surprise text from Rob Wiley. His husband, Thomas Henthorne had baked his signature mandarin orange cake, and I swooned over it at an earlier party. Tom got the recipe from his late mother and continues to carry on the tradition. When we came home from some holiday shopping, we found two slices of cake awaiting us on our front porch. Thank you, Rob and Tom, my calorie counting days are officially in hiatus!
Tom is not the only baker in the Wiley-Henthorne household. Knowing that Tom loved coconut cake and unable to find one in the markets, Rob decided to take a crack at baking one himself. After one failed attempt, he produced a perfectly delicious coconut cake for Tom’s birthday!
We were delighted to join a holiday dinner party at the home of Judy and Mitch Meredith and in addition to all the delicious food prepared by our hosts, we enjoyed a scrumptious Napoleon cake baked by Ukrainian chef Natalia Trebitsyna. Her business isNatalia’s Dacha, and this cake and other dishes from family recipes are on sale at the Napa Farmer’s Market. Thanks to Robin McKee-Cant for turning us on to this amazing cake and to Natalia’s business. And of course, thanks to Judy and Mitch for their warm hospitality.
12+ Days of Yountville Cheer
The Yountville Chamber of Commerce announced the “12 Days of Yountville Cheer” but I can attest that 12 days were only the beginning. We quickly decided to take advantage of one of the offers from The Kitchen at Priest Ranch and try their 12-days special: a smashburger, fries and glass of rosé. It was a chilly day, but hubby and I enjoyed our meal at one of the outdoor patio tables. The wine and hugs kept us warm!
We checked out several booths at the Holiday Artisan Faire and came across one from Charsaw Farms. This Napa County lavender farm, owned by Julie and Doug Thompson produces lavender-based products, including the strawberry-lavender jam we purchased for hostess gifts. Working the booth was a charming woman, Kate Kerr, and we talked about how I played pickleball with Julie Thompson a few years ago. Who should walk in the door as we were leaving the Faire, but Julie herself? I hadn’t seen her since she’d gone back to work, and I learned she had finally retired.
Yountville Fit held two holiday parties this season. The first one was to celebrate the tree lighting ceremony and the second to spread some holiday cheer to its members. Paula Simi read a rhyming poem about the camaraderie and great staff at the gym. Owners Donavan and Jacqui Almond, manager Arianna Avina and most of the coaches were on hand to mingle and jingle. I got a ride from Karen and Steve Zanetell, who also graciously drove us to Congressman Mike Thompson’s holiday party a few days before. We agreed they were becoming our personal Uber drivers!
Hanukkah Fun
The Bardesonno Hotel hosted their fifth annual Latke Throwdown. Latkes are a fried potato pancake served especially during Hanukkah. Four chefs competed for the tastiest latkes, including defending champion, Itamar Abramovitch from Blossom Catering. It was a tough competition but the winner this year was Chef Rick Edge of Lucy Restaurant at Bardesonno. For anyone who might be thinking the competition was rigged, the winner was chosen in a blind taste test by judges including Yountville Town Manager Brad Rauston. Brad said the winning latke was indeed his personal favorite.
Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, and holiday dinners are part of the tradition. On the first night, we had a family celebration in Alamo hosted by my son’s mother-in-law. It was fun to see our grandkids Adele and Jacob open their gifts.Another dinner has been planned for the last night by Marilyn Rappaport and Barry Jekowsky. Marilyn is the queen of latke-making and enjoys entertaining for Hanukkah. I applaud her for her willingness to host even after her recent hip replacement surgery. You just can’t have too much fun or too many latkes for Hanukkah!
Art is All Around Us
The Youth Art Show at the Steve Rogers Gallery is currently on display through Jan. 5. I can’t say enough about the excellent artwork of these young artists who range in age from 5 to 18 years. I was especially delighted with a watercolor of the Armistice Chapel at the California Veterans Home by 11-year-old Gia Matchak. Gia’s father, Pastor Jacob Matchak is a minister at the Veterans Home and proudly accompanied his daughter at the reception.
A very different exhibit called “Pet Show” can be viewed at the St. Helena Library and features artwork by neighbor Linda Rowland and her daughter Robin Meezan. Both artists captured images of pets in drawings and collage. A member of Yountville Fit, Linda did sketches of pets owned by several members of the gym, so it was not surprising to see the reception filled with people I knew from my workouts. Also “out and about” at the exhibit was co-columnist, Susan Wiechers with neighbor Julie Worthington. Linda’s husband Gerry Rowland, a most cheerful bartender, was serving pre-mixed cocktails he had created from his line of Coit Distilled Spirits.
The Latest Recreation Guide Has Arrived
Yountville residents should have received the current Recreation Guide with activities from January through May, 2026. The Parks and Recreation Department puts out the guide three times a year and it’s always interesting to see some returning programs and some new ones. The Golden Ticket Program offers a wide array of classes to choose from for just one affordable fee. Alan Tenscher and Mimi Ousman are back offering their beginner and intermediate pickleball workshops.Teen programs are offered, along with programs from the Yountville Library. If you didn’t get your guide in the mail, you can also find it on the town website in the Parks and Recreation Department section.
It’s hard to believe it’s almost 2026 and another year has flown by. I wish you all joyous holidays, good health and much happiness in the New Year!
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