For nearly 30 years, Elaine Bell has helped wineries show off their wines in the best possible settings: in their own wineries or vineyards, with cuisine that frames and highlights their best qualities.
A Sonoma Valley native, Bell once had to choose between becoming a concert flautist or a slave to the kitchen. She chose the Culinary Institute of America. “There were only 20 women at the Institute back then, but we were dedicated. When I first started to cater in the wineries, I took an old Kenmore Range and hooked it up to propane to make it portable!”
In 2005, Bell and her husband—former winemaker John Merritt—expanded their business by starting Picnic People of Northern California. “We really got into the fun of smoked meats,” laughs Merritt. “We do company picnics—complete with games and airbrush tattoos—and can do breakfast for 2,000 folks! It’s really been a fun addition to the business. Smoked pork, ribs, brisket. What could be better?”
While wineries continue to be prime clients for Elaine Bell Catering, Merritt notes they’re now the events catering company for Novato’s Stonetree Golf Club. The Diagio Wine Group wineries are also prime clients.
Bell’s logo carries the motto: “Creative. Fresh. Sustainable. Memorable.” She brings all of those attributes to the table. She started the business in 1981, and I vividly remember a dinner she did at Sterling Vineyards at just about that time. The entrée was a ginger chicken dish that was so moist and flavorful, I immediately begged for the recipe—which she graciously mailed to me the next day. Trust me: I was the star chef at my house when I replicated it as best I could that evening.
“Today, our most called-for dish is our asiago soufflé potato appetizer: Baby red roasted potatoes, hollowed out, stuffed with the cheese, and then re-baked.” Bell then notes with pride the young lady who was recently planning a wedding: “She came in, and had a hard time verbalizing what she wanted. When we created several new dishes for her to taste, she was awestruck that we’d gone out of our way to accommodate her needs.”
Knowing Elaine, she was all the happier for being able to help out.
