To further stir things up, she’s just released Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig’s Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country, a tantalizing collaboration with her partner/executive chef John Toulze. It’s her second literary foray, a “coffee table” book filled with menus and recipes (of course) as well as beautiful photographs and Bernstein’s own stories about the farmers, ranchers, cheese makers and vintners she’s partnered with through the years. As with all her enterprises, it’s another invitation to savor the bounty of the county.
What got you interested in the food industry?
I graduated from Philadelphia College of Art with a degree in photography and, when I realized how challenging it would be to pursue my “ideal job,” I started to think about what I could do to make a living. My involvement in the food industry began with a job as a waitress at T.G.I. Friday’s. I found I loved the “buzz” of the restaurant and got more involved in that company, traveling all over the country as a trainer and team leader for its national restaurant openings. From there, I became operations manager for several restaurants in Philadelphia (including The Fish Market and Marabella’s) and Los Angeles (Alice’s Restaurant, Tavern on Main). Then I was director of operations for Viansa Winery in Sonoma County before opening my first restaurant in 1997. Along the way, I earned a degree in culinary and restaurant management from The Restaurant School in Philadelphia.
Are you a high or low maintenance person?
Generally I’m low maintenance, but when I’m under a lot of stress, I think about every detail of what’s going on, and that tends to affect everyone else involved, so I think I shift gears really quickly into high maintenance.
Describe your dream home.
My current home is the perfect space for me: It’s cozy, filled with art I’ve collected and has lots of windows so I can see nature around me. It also has a fireplace, a nice soaking tub, a lot of light and a great kitchen.
If you died and came back as an animal, what would you like to come back as?
I love both my dogs, Lucy and Sophie. But if I were to come back as one of them, it would be Lucy (pictured). She has no inhibitions, is happy all the time and nothing scares her. Everything seems like fun to Lucy. She’s a five-year-old mix of a miniature schnauzer and a Japanese chin (a Pets Lifeline rescue, so a real Sonoma girl). Lucy loves everyone and always makes people laugh. She loves to play, eat, romp—who wouldn’t want Lucy’s life?
What do you do to uplift your spirits?
Chocolate. My love affair with chocolate is all about the memories I associate with it. If it’s a “gotta have it” craving, I still love Reese’s peanut butter cups—they could be the death of me! Reese’s is about Easter and Halloween and reminds me of bartering with my brothers for who got which candy. If I want to languish over the chocolate experience, it’s Valrhona chocolates. Valrhona is a French chocolate manufacturer based in the small town of Tain-l’Hermitage in Hermitage, a wine-growing district near Lyon, so when I indulge in these chocolates it transports me to a region in France I love. And, then there’s Lindt milk chocolates, which remind me of my grandfather, who used to bring them to us from his trips abroad.
What subject do you wish you’d paid better attention to in school?
I live so much in the present but often wish I had a better foundation in history, particularly political history, to enhance my perspective on current events.
What’s one of your favorite spots in the North Bay to relax?
I love how tranquil Sea Ranch is—the smell of the ocean, the natural beauty and the stillness. It amazes me that all this is so close to Sonoma but feels so far away. It provides the ideal environment for me to really unwind, disconnect and relax, but it’s also so easy to get to. The first time I went to Sea Ranch was with a friend; we just needed to get away and wind down, but we didn’t have a lot of time to travel somewhere. I fell in love, and it’s become a place I go often.
What movies have you watched over and over again?
“Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
