Chef Michael Chiarello Ditches Napa Valley (For a Day) For His L.A. Book Signing

NapaStyle

Michael Chiarello's latest cookbook, Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country

Does your perfect vacation involve a private tour and tasting at a Napa Valley winery? Do you count the tiny towns of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga among your ideal destinations? And do Bistro Jeanty, étoile and Bottega top the list of your favorite restaurants?

If you answered "yes" to even one of those questions, mark your calendar for Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 12 p.m., when Napa Valley chef and Top Chef Masters contestant Michael Chiarello will be signing copies of his latest cookbook, Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country, at the Beverly Hills' Williams-Sonoma.

In addition to authoring previous cookbooks including At Home With Michael Chiarello: Easy Entertaining, and The Tra Vigne Cookbook: Seasons in the California Wine Country, Chiarello also founded Napa Style, the Napa Valley-inspired catalog and retail shop which sells every home, garden, kitchen and outdoor furnishing you might find in your dream wine country home. We're talking about coffee tables made from the tops of reclaimed wine barrels, Bouchon-themed (yes, of the Thomas Keller variety) wine trays and plates, scrolled iron candelabras and our personal favorite, Venetian-style stemless champagne flutes.

Then there's Chiarello's Yountville-based Italian restaurant, Bottega, which sits among Napa Valley's crème de la crème (read: Michelin starred) of dining establishments. As frequent patrons of the Napa Valley, we know that Bottega's Parmesan and olive oil starter, fish branzino and braised short ribs are worth the trip alone.

Now we can attempt to recreate Bottega's recipes at home thanks to Chiarello's new cookbook, Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country, a 224-page photo-filled tome filled with 100 of the chef's favorite Southern Italian recipes. And as we said before, if you're interested in meeting the man himself, he'll be at the Beverly Hills' Williams-Sonoma location signing copies. But a word of warning: while the cookbook is on sale at multiple outlets, Chiarello will only be signing copies of books with proof of purchase from Williams-Sonoma. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Williams-Sonoma: 339 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills. (310) 274-9127.