Wine Country's All-Star Chefs

As one of the pioneers of Wine Country's widely imitated Wine Country casual style of dining , Pawlcyn's been serving up fresh, clean, uncomplicated food from Yountville to St. Helena for nearly 25 years. Taking cues from American comfort food, Italian and Mediterranean, Latin and Asian influences, her restaurants have become institutions. Her most recent project, Go Fish, departs from her usual M.O., focusing on sushi and fresh fish.
Restaurants: Mustard's Grill, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Go Fish
Cuisine: Wine Country Casual
Die for dish: Gourmet burgers and tea-smoked duck at Mustard's; mushroom flatbread, steak frites, rabbit at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen; lobster roll at Go Fish
Wine lists: She's known for exhaustive lists that showcase Napa wines
Special Mojo: Cindy is all about the Napa lifestyle. Her restaurants always feature comfy seating, patios and/or fireplaces, along with a come-as-you-are vibe.
Why it's so worth the wait: Locals still clamor to eat at her restaurants.
Why we love her: This Midwestern girl hasn't gone Hollywood.
Who's actually in the kitchen: Cindy's handed over day-to-day operations to staff while maintaining exec. chef status.
Celeb-factor: A powerful influence in Napa, but not well-known to diners outside the Bay Area.
Cred: Opening chef for Meadowood, involved in opening for Fog City Diner and Tra Vigne, multiple James Beard nomiantions, Wine Country culinary icon
Where to go: Yountville, St. Helena
How to get there: Go Fish , Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen

(Note: Saint Rose is currently closed, and in the midst of moving to a new location in Sebastopol, scheduled to open in May 2008) Hidden in a funky downtown neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Cafe Saint Rose is exactly what a bistro should be. Folks are packed elbow to elbow in this bustling and idiosyncratic spot that so perfectly reflects the creative force in the kitchen. Off-the-beaten path, Mark's restaurant is a perennial chef's favorite.
Restaurant: Cafe Saint Rose
Cuisine: Eclectic influences from around the world, but grounded in solid French techniques.
Die for dish: Mark goes for whatever ingredients sound best at the moment. So if you're jonesing for the mushroom soup you had last week, you may be out of luck this week. Best bet is to put your trust in his judgment and enjoy the ride.
Wine lists: Like the menu, the list changes up frequently. Running just a few pages (rather than the books you often get), it features well-chosen, usually small production, affordable sips. The $20 corkage encourages you to trust Mark's picks.
Special Mojo: Mark's a quirky, fun guy who's always re-inventing the spot. He hosts a weekly movie night along, frequent theme dinners, and a record player with plenty of wax to choose from.
Why it's so worth trying to find: The restaurant is well-hidden, which keeps out the foodie riff-raff.
Why we love him: Finally getting his very own restaurant has given Mark the opportunity to put his unique stamp on everything he does. Plus, he's got a heart as big as his culinary imagination.
Who's actually in the kitchen: Mark's a heavy presence in day-to-day operations.
Celeb-factor: A local chef's favorite, but you won't find him on the foodie "circuit"
Cred: Former Iron Horse winery chef, caterer
Where to go: Santa Rosa
How to get there: Cafe Saint Rose

This dynamic duo seem to be everywhere all at once. When they're not serving up housemade gelato at Wine Country events, they're criss-crossing the country to appear in New York or Aspen, holding down the fort at their two restaurants or making an appearance on the Food Network. Thing is, these young, married chefs are pretty regular folks who would rather be in their garden or hanging with their young daughters more than just about anything else. Their passion for fresh ingredients, love for their local purveyors and slow preparations have made them the posterchildren for contemporary Northern Californian-Italian cuisine.
Restaurants: Zazu, Bovolo
Cuisine: Cal-Italian
Die for dish: Braised pork cheeks, housemade salumi, anything from their gardens
Wine lists: A well-chosen list of mostly small producers. Food pairing is always a priority.
Special Mojo: Two minds are always better than one. John's got a passion for meat while Duskie has special affinity for sussing out unique local purveyors for the rest of the menu.
Why it's so worth trying to find: The out-of-the-wy candlelit roadhouse, Zazu, has a great copper bar where you can rub elbows with locals.
Why we love them: They feel more like hip friends who know a lot about food than stuffy chefs.
Who's actually in the kitchen: There's a certain electricity when the couple are in the kitchen, but with increasingly celeb, they've handed off some of the day to day to staffers.
Celeb-factor: The couple recently appeared on national advertisements for the state of California.
Cred: The couple wowed Seattle before heading to Wine Country.
Where to go: Santa Rosa, Healdsburg
How to get there: Zazu

Restaurant: Zin
Cuisine: American comfort food with a California twist
Die for dish: Beer-battered green beans, pork chops, daily 'Blue Plate' specials, anything from the ZinGarden
Wine lists: Not just zinfandel on the menu, though they have a special selection from nearby Dry Creek. Lots of hard-to-find local wines and a large by-the-glass list.
Special Mojo: Dinner at the bar is always a hoot, especially when other sit-down spots fill-up. Locals come weekly for Blue Plate specials.
Why it's so worth trying: Who needs stuffy. Kick off the heels and stuff yourself with some seriously solid comfort food.
Why we love him: Jeff, and wife Susan, are down-to-earth folks who spend plenty of time with their hands in the dirt at ZinFarm. How unpretentious can you get?
Who's actually in the kitchen: Jeff's a hands-on guy, frequently behind the grill.
Celeb-factor: A recent food Network appearance on Giada's show.
Cred: CIA grad, worked with Jeramiah Tower, Bradley Ogden; Central Valley farm boy.
Where to go: Healdsburg
How to get there: Zin

Restaurant: Syrah
Cuisine: California-French
Die for dish: Liberty duck, crab cakes, seared foie gras
Wine lists: Syrah, despite the name, has a broad wine program with plenty of affordable sips. There’s a strong focus on the namesake wine as well as other Rhone varietals. Fear not, however, you’ll find a nice selection of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and the like. Smaller, local producers are a strong-suit. An in-house wine shop, Petite Syrah, features a large collection of small-production wines from Sonoma County.
Special Mojo: The small space isn’t especially conducive to romance, though a corner banquette can be cozy. You’ll frequently find lots of locals and regulars. The annual Seder dinner is legendary, and about the only place in Wine Country you’ll find Matzoh ball soup.
Why it's so worth trying: Josh's cooking is exactly what you'd expect from Wine Country cuisine.
Why we love him: Quite possibly the most affable chef in Wine Country
Who's actually in the kitchen: The staff’s got the menu down cold, though you’ll frequently find Josh stirring things up in the small open kitchen. Co-owner and wife, Regina, is a frequent presence with son Jackson.
Celeb Factor: A regular on the local event circuit, Josh and fellow chef Mark Stark are the dons of Santa Rosa’s cuisine scene.
Cred: Pawlcyn protege
Where to go: Santa Rosa
How to get there: Syrah

Restaurant: Cyrus
Cuisine: Ultra-luxe French/California with Asian-fusion thrown in for good measure.
Die for dish: You pretty much can’t go wrong. The menu priced by courses, but if you’re really going to do Cyrus, don’t try to cheap out. Go for the ultimate and indulge in Douglas’ 7-course tasting menu ($120).
Wine lists: A heady 40-plus page list of trophy wines from around the world, spanning from $30 half-bottles to $1200 sauternes. Wine pairing, however, is a specialty, so you’ll do best (unless you’re an expert) to put your trust in their hands.
Special Mojo: Old World service is the hallmark of Cyrus. And we mean serious doting. Maitre’d Nick Peyton (who is a co-owner) has a legendary knack for accommodation. Don’t miss having a mind-blowing cocktail at the bar before (or after) dinner. The cheese cart is great, but for true decadence, check out the caviar scale which is balanced out by a small gold bar.
Why it's so worth trying: French Laundry-caliber food and service without all the reservation weirdness. With the a la carte courses, you can get away for a few hundred dollars (still considerably less than the French Laundry), or spend your children’s inheritance in a single meal. At least you have a choice.
Why we love him: Keane isn’t a showboater. Instead, he focuses on the kitchen.
Cred: Four Seasons, Lespinasse, Jardiniere
Where to go: Healdsburg
How to get there: Cyrus