Changes include nine new items that will bring the chain into a “new era,” according to a news release.

Among them are four new sandwiches: Toasted Italiano with Black Forest ham; Chicken Bacon Rancher; Ciabatta Cheesesteak; and Tomato Basil BLT.

RELATED: How Panera Bread ducked California’s new $20 minimum wage law

Salad-wise, the chain is adding New Mediterranean Chicken Greens with Grains; Southwest Chicken Ranch; Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains; and Ranch Cobb Salad.

There is also a Bacon Mac & Cheese.

Twelve existing items will receive “menu enhancements,” including the Bravo Club Sandwich, Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt and the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.

The new menu will add items priced at less than $10 at participating restaurants, the news release said, including the Tomato Basil BLT, a Ranch Cobb Salad and the Mediterranean Greens with Grains. It also states that there will be “more chicken and steak on many salads and sandwiches.”

Panera Bread is exempt from a law hiking wages for fast food workers from $16 to $20 an hour in California, a fact that has been widely reported this week. The law contains an exemption for chains that bake bread and sell it as a stand-alone item. Critics have said Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for the exemption and note that Newsom’s donor Greg Flynn owns a number of Panera franchises.

In addition Panera Bread settled a class action lawsuit over delivery fees for $2 million this week and in recent months has been subject to wrongful death lawsuits over the caffeine content in its lemonades.

The restaurant walls are decorated with facades that evoke charming residential streets somewhere in Latin America, complete with pink and yellow houses with sills popped out to display planter boxes overflowing with flowers. The new location was first announced last June.

The new menu offers five types of tacos ($4.95 each) with fillings including fish, carnitas, carne asada, pollo al pastor and tofu, each served with cabbage slaw, crema and a salsa. There are sandwiches featuring pork, steak or Peruvian roast beef ($14.50 to $14.95). The Baja fish taco is crispy and flavorful — it was named No. 4 on USA Today’s 10 Best Fish Tacos in California list in 2018 — while the tofu taco is surprisingly filling and savory.

For those looking for even more filling fare, the restaurant offers plates such as chicharron de pollo ($15.65) made with crispy chicken, salsa criolla, rice, beans, yellow sauce, salad and sweet potatoes. Meanwhile, sides include  plantains, beans and ric, and yucca fries ($5.50 to $6.50).

Cholita Linda’s three other locations are in Oakland’s Temescal Plaza, on Alameda’s Park Street and in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

Details: Open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 24 Broadway Lane at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek; cholitalinda.com.

1 WATCH : The ‘Dune’ we deserve

“Dune: Part 2” is finally in theaters and all we can say is, wow!

2 PLAY: Magic mustard season

It’s that time of the year in Napa when mustard blooms cast those rolling hills in a beautiful golden glow — but that’s not the only reason to visit the wine country these days.

3 DINE: Check out an exciting new seafood restaurant

Newly opened Hurrica Restaurant in Redwood City welcomes visitors by land or sea with first-rate seafood and a flashy jellyfish aquarium. We checked it out recently and here are our thoughts.

4 MAKE & SCARF: Umami bombs away

These crispy, healthy and utterly addictive lettuce wraps are so easy and quick to make, you won’t believe your tastebuds.

5 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all over

From Smuin Ballet reviving two of its greatest hits to a “Magic Flute” in Livermore and free tunes at a beloved old bandshell, there are a lot of great shows and concerts to catch this weekend.

6 WATCH: A ‘Shogun’ for a new generation

James Clavell’s epic and compelling novel has been adapted for TV again, and this version is even better than the classic 1980 one.

7 PLAY: A hot, hot, hot new game

“Helldivers 2” is taking the video game world by storm — here’s why.

Brix Factory Brewing has been in a stealth-opening phase this past week and will hold a grand opening this weekend (March 1-3) at 2431 Peralta St. in Oakland. Patrons will get to sample the strange but tasty brews of ex-Drake’s brewmaster John Gillooly, whose “Rube Goldberg mind” has elevated him into an “industry treasure and delight,” according to his frequent collaborators at Hen House Brewing. Also involved in the operation is Gillooly’s wife, Natasha, daughter Kira, Drake’s former brewery engineer Michael Boals and industry vet Eric Ortega.

Brix takes its name from the Brix measurement scale used in brewing, though the moniker also adequately reflects the rough, brick-and-concrete landscape of much of West Oakland, where unique businesses continue to pop up. The cult favorite June’s Pizza has obtained a beverage license for a spot next to the brewery, which right now only serves snacks. And Brix is a few blocks away from Ghost Town Brewing, a big-time medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival.

Lemon Theory
“A lower ABV Blonde ale featuring bright hop flavors reminiscent of an orange/lemon Creamsicle, held together with pleasantly toasty malt flavors driven by malted wheat from Admiral malts. Citric finish.”

Pop Art
“Pop Art is a hybrid ale with elements of fruited seltzer and blonde ale. The blackberry aromatics blend with the fruity ester profile generated by our house ale yeast.”

The Eye of Tasman
“Crisp pilsner hopped at all stages with resinous Superdelic hops bursting with dank Sativa, bright tropical fruits and aromatic calamansi zest.”

Details: Open 2 to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday (closed Tuesday-Wednesday) at 2431 Peralta St., Oakland; brixfactorybrewing.com.

No, Wendy’s Co. says, there won’t be surge pricing on cheeseburgers and Frostys.

The fast-food chain has moved to clarify comments on its fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this month about an upcoming dynamic pricing test. The program could be in effect by 2025 as part of a $20 million investment in digital menu boards for US company-operated stores. The plan offers Wendy’s “more flexibility” to display featured items, but the company is now saying that it doesn’t intend to use that to hike prices at busy times.

During a conference call earlier this month, Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner said that the Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain will start testing dynamic pricing, also known as surge pricing, as early as next year.

“Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings, along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling,” he said. “As we continue to show the benefit of this technology in our company-operated restaurants, franchisee interest in digital menu boards should increase, further supporting sales and profit growth across the system.”

More on food: How Panera Bread ducked California’s new $20 minimum wage law

Wendy’s came under fire on social media after Tanner’s comments, which some interpreted as calling for Uber-like surge pricing when demand is high.

Tanner, a longtime PepsiCo executive, became Wendy’s CEO earlier this month.

Wendy’s isn’t the first burger chain to use this menu technology. As far back as 2015, McDonald’s Corp. introduced digital menu boards that make item changes and promotions easier.

To be sure, companies can use the technology to raise prices. But Wendy’s says it’s focused on value, and digital menu boards would allow the company to easily “offer discounts” to its customers, “particularly in the slower times of day.”

Bloomberg has reached out to Wendy’s for further comment.

Lesser brands mix a dash of mango puree with various sweeteners, often high-fructose corn syrup, or super sweet juices, such as white grape or apple. Nicer brands rely on flavorful juices, such as pineapple and orange, that underscore the mango flavor and deliver a full-flavored juice.

The best mango juice blends deliver a burst of fresh, bright flavor thanks to a generous amount of mango puree and a careful blending of numerous flavorful juices and purees. The lousy ones either mask the mango by overdoses of alternative juices or contain so little mango in the first place, you can’t taste it.

Here’s the scoop on the best of mango juices and the watery, oddball impostors. Nutrition info refers to one cup of juice.

Lakewood Biodynamic Mango Blend

Velvety thick and very fresh, this flavor-dense juice showcases the sweet, bright essence of mango. It’s sweet and tart — and if you’re making tropical cocktails or smoothies, eminently bar worthy. 150 calories, 10 mg sodium, 33 g sugar. $8.29 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)

Open Nature Mango Nectar Juice

Mango is the primary flavor in this rich, syrupy juice. It tastes like a hunk of fresh-cut mango. 120 calories, 30 mg sodium, 31 g sugar. $4.99 for 33.8 ounces at Safeway. (4 stars)

Santa Cruz Organic Orange Mango

This expert blend uses apple, banana and orange juice to highlight the mango. It’s slightly less mango-forward than the top-rated brands, but it’s both delicious and quenching. 120 calories, 15 mg sodium, 25 g sugar. $5.79 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (3½ stars)

Trader Joe’s Organic Mango Nectar

Kudos for capturing the flavor of mango, but this extra-sweet juice is unbalanced. It’s in desperate need of an acid kick. 130 calories, 30 mg sodium, 31 g sugar. $4.99 for 64 ounces. (3 stars)

Welch’s Mango Pineapple Juice Cocktail

Even though the mango is way understated, and the juice tastes too sweet, the hit of pineapple is a win. 110 calories, 20 mg sodium, 27 g sugar. $3.18 for 64 ounces at Walmart. (2½ stars)

Good & Gather Organic Pineapple Mango

Sadly, despite the label, this blend is not pineapple-mango. It tastes more like banana-apple. It’s not bad, but the flavor of mango is missing entirely. 120 calories, 15 mg sodium, 25 g sugar. $4.99 for 32 ounces at Target. (1½ stars)

365 Organic Orange Mango

Love apple juice? Grab a bottle of this, as both the mango and the orange have gone AWOL. 120 calories, 30 mg sodium, 29 g sugar. $3.99 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (1½ stars)

Ceres Mango Juice Blend

Why this is labeled “mango” is a mystery. It tastes exactly like what it is — pear juice. 120 calories, 10 mg sodium, 21 g sugar. $5.29 for a 33.8 ounce box at Whole Foods. (1 star)

V8 Splash Mango Peach

It looks like Kool Aid and tastes just as fake. This tart, acidic “juice” literally has no fruit juice at all. It is basically water that’s colored with carrot juice and spiked with artificial flavors. 50 calories, 15 mg sodium, 10 g sugar. $2.58 for 64 ounces at Walmart. (½ a star)

Ocean Spray Orange Mango Immunity

Love the idea of immunity in a glass, but this tastes like grapefruit-flavored cough medicine.  60 calories, 10 mg sodium, 14 g sugar. $3.98 for 60 ounces at Walmart. (No stars)

Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.

Billionaire Greg Flynn, who made his fortune running one of the world’s largest restaurant franchise operations, is getting a new boost from sourdough loaves and brioche buns.

That’s because a California law that’s about to raise the state minimum wage at fast-food spots to $20 an hour from $16 offers an unusual exemption for chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item.

Governor Gavin Newsom pushed for that break, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the main beneficiaries is Flynn, a longtime Newsom donor whose California holdings include two dozen Panera Bread locations.

The specificity of the exemption has puzzled observers for months, especially after the governor told reporters last year that it came about as “part of the sausage-making” of politics. In response to detailed questions, Newsom’s office said the wage law was the “result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years” — and will make a real difference for hundreds of thousands of Californians.

Flynn, who has been involved in business dealings with Newsom in addition to contributing to the governor’s political campaigns, said in a brief conversation that he didn’t play a role in crafting the bread exemption. He didn’t respond to requests for comment about his connections to Newsom.

Representatives of Panera Bread didn’t reply to multiple requests for comment.

Flynn emerged as a prominent critic of the fast-food bill, known as the FAST Act. In a 2022 opinion piece in Capitol Weekly, a publication covering California politics, he said it would all but kill the franchising business model in the state.

Behind closed doors, he urged the governor’s top aides to reconsider whether fast-casual chains such as Panera should be classified as fast food, according to people familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be named because the talks were private.While that plan wasn’t adopted, the Service Employees International Union, a labor group that was the driving force behind the bill, decided to accept a narrower carve-out as the talks progressed — one that would only apply to restaurants operating bakeries. That position was adopted as a means of winning the governor’s support for the legislation, said a person with knowledge of the discussions. The rationale was the governor’s longstanding relationship with a Panera franchisee, the person said.

While Panera locations and a handful of other eateries get a break on wages, competitors are bracing for higher costs when the law takes effect in April. McDonald’s Corp. franchisees have estimated the wage law will cost each California location $250,000 a year, characterizing it as a “devastating financial blow,” according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has said it’s considering a price increase to offset the extra expense.

Michelle Korsmo, the head of the National Restaurant Association, told an industry conference last year that “everyone’s scratching their head” about the bread exemption. She described the provision as an example of why her organization’s members should develop political connections to seek better legislative outcomes.

“You may be celebrating or you may be lamenting the bakery exemption,” she said. “But remember, all of that comes through relationships.”

‘Low Pay’

The push to transform fast-food employment gained steam during the pandemic, when workers showed up for low-paying jobs while many higher earners were able to work from home.

In early 2021, the California legislature considered a bill to address what a lawmaker called the “abuse, low pay, few benefits and minimal job security” workers faced. The legislation was designed to give employees a role in regulating the industry by including them in a council with business representatives that could set wage and workplace standards, among other changes.

That would raise costs for owners such as Flynn, who has made himself into the largest restaurant franchisee in the US, if not the world. He turned a handful of Applebee’s branches into an empire with $4.5 billion in sales, including 2,600 locations of brands such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Wendy’s. Based on his company’s website, his California restaurant-chain holdings consist only of Applebee’s, which as a sit-down restaurant isn’t subject to the fast-food wage law, and Panera. Flynn is worth at least $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Flynn attended the same high school as Newsom in the suburbs outside San Francisco. The future franchising mogul served as student body president as a senior, the same year Newsom played basketball as a freshman, according to a yearbook.

Over the years, Flynn’s donations to Newsom’s political campaigns have included $100,000 to fight off a conservative-led recall effort and $64,800 to support the governor’s reelection in 2022. Flynn has been known to tout his relationship with Newsom, according to people familiar with the matter, with one saying the fast-food entrepreneur has said he can reach the governor via text.

A business connection goes back to 2014, when Flynn acquired a Napa Valley resort managed by Newsom’s hospitality company. Newsom, who was then serving as California’s lieutenant governor, reported an undisclosed amount of income from Flynn’s company that year. The management contract began under the previous owners, the Getty family trust, and Flynn decided not to renew it about a year into his ownership, said a person familiar with the decision.

Newsom’s office and Flynn declined to respond to detailed questions regarding the two men’s personal and business connections. Newsom’s assets were put in a blind trust after he was elected governor in 2018.

Newsom signed the fast-food wage bill into law in September 2022. That version of the measure set the stage for minimum pay to rise to $22 an hour at chains with more than 100 locations across the US. But it included the exemption for establishments that sold bread as a standalone item. It also defined what counts as bread according to a federal law that, the Food and Drug Administration said, excludes bagels and croissants.

Another win for Panera: The exemption meant bakeries were also off the hook on industry standards that could have been established by a fast-food council with authority to set rules about working conditions, including training.

Industry Pushback

The fast-food industry’s backlash to the law was swift, with large chains such as McDonald’s and trade associations staging a campaign to repeal the FAST Act almost as soon as it passed. About a year later, a compromise was worked out that set the minimum hourly wage at $20 and limited the worker council’s powers.

The new law applied the rules to chains with at least 60 national locations instead of 100, subjecting more companies to the higher pay requirement. Yet the bread exemption stayed in.

Newsom and the SEIU declined to discuss who wrote the provision. Open-records requests filed with the governor’s office were repeatedly denied.

The office of California Assemblymember Chris Holden, the bill’s lead author, said it didn’t have any insight into the exemption’s origins.

“We don’t know how that came about,” Willie Armstrong, Holden’s chief of staff, said by phone. Holden recently introduced a bill that would shield other establishments from the minimum wage law.

Lorena Gonzalez, who introduced the first iteration of the FAST Act in 2021 before leaving the legislature the next year to lead the California Labor Federation, said Panera will likely have to raise wages to keep up with other chains.

“It’s kind of a silly exemption,” Gonzalez said. “If you look at where Paneras are located, and their clientele, it’s not as if they’re going to be able to hire people for less.”

That may prove true, and some Flynn-owned Paneras already advertised $20 as the top end of the hourly pay range for certain non-management roles as of mid-February. Across California, about 24% of fast-food employees earned a base wage of at least that much as of the end of last year, according to a payroll index compiled by payments services company Square. Some cities and counties already require higher pay than the state minimum.

For now, though, Panera will have more wiggle room on wages than its competitors, which could face penalties if they don’t comply. Panera appears to be the largest chain by number of locations in California and countrywide to benefit from the exemption, according to company websites and a Bloomberg review of data compiled by research firm Technomic.

Other restaurants such as Paris Baguette and Great Harvest Bread Co. also appear to qualify for the carve-out, although the details remain uncertain ahead of the law’s debut. Many restaurants located inside grocery stores are also spared.

Higher Costs

Habit Burger Grill, a fast-casual chain owned by Taco Bell parent Yum! Brands Inc., wrote down the value of its assets last year to account for higher future wages in California. After the noncash charge, Habit reported a $10 million operating loss in the most recent quarter.

Fast-food chains can’t just start baking and selling bread now to get the exemption — they had to have been doing so by Sept. 15 of last year.

But some companies are looking to find ways to avoid being forced to raise wages. Honey Baked Ham Co. recently hired a lawyer to argue it shouldn’t be subject to the law, according to documents obtained through a public records request with the state’s Department of Industrial Relations, which will enforce the act. The agency and an attorney for the company declined to comment.

At a Flynn-owned Panera in Sacramento, not far from the stately California capitol building, workers rushed to stack sandwiches and fill a flood of online orders during a recent lunch hour. Employees said they knew the company had been left out of the wage increase but declined to give their names when discussing their views on the matter.

The branch had an opening for a cashier at a salary range of $16 to $18 an hour.

–With assistance from Leslie Patton, Devon Pendleton and Andrew Oxford.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Paint Party at Strike Brewing: 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, 2099 S.10th St., San Jose. Get ready to create your own artistic masterpiece at Strike Brewing. Unleash your inner artist while enjoying delicious craft beers. A painting instructor will be on-site, so no experience is necessary. $35 to $60. bit.ly/StrikePaintParty

Dungeons & Drake’s: 6 to 9 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays, Drake’s Brewing Company, 1933 Davis St., San Leandro. Head for Drake’s Barrel House to take up thy dice while sipping from the goblets of the gods. Whether thou art seasoned or unfamiliar with the ways of Dragons and Dungeons, all are welcome to partake in this epic tradition. Free admission. bit.ly/DungeonsDrakes

Futures Barrel Tasting: March 1-3 and 9-10, Amphora Winery, 4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. This educational wine experience includes tastings through Amphora’s eclectic lineup of red wines from the 2022 and 2023 vintages, led by owner and winemaker Rick Hutchinson. bit.ly/FuturesTasting

Cheese & Wine Pairing Course: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 2, Bennett Lane Winery, 3340 Highway 128, Calistoga. Join Bennett Lane winemaker and William Cofield Cheese founder Rob Hunter for a wine and cheese pairing course. Take in Rob’s unique insight while enjoying a curated selection of cheeses paired with Bennett Lane Wines. $40. bit.ly/WineCheesePair

Taste, Bottle & Buy: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 2, J. Rickards Winery, 24505 Chianti Road, Geyserville. J. Rickards is combining two popular events into one fantastic day. Taste new releases from J. Rickards Winery and Mercury Wine, then have your selections bottled on-site in festive wine jugs. $20. bit.ly/TasteBottleBuy

Brews & Views: 6 to 8 p.m. March 7, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, 390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay. Sip Half Moon Bay brews while engaging in a discussion about the future of work and workers in the age of AI. Free admission. hmbbrewingco.com/events-calendar/ai-age

Sip, Swirl, Savor: 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 8, McGrail Vineyards, 5600 Greenville Road, Livermore. Have you ever been puzzled by others identifying violets and leather in wine? Join McGrail Vineyards’ staff for an educational and delicious event demystifying the secrets of professional wine tasting. Learn how to sip like a pro with expert guidance and a curated selection of six McGrail wines. $45. mcgrailvineyards.com/events-current/

Spring Yoga, Hiking, and Wine Tasting Retreat: March 8-10 and 22-24, Sonoma. Celebrate the Spring Equinox with a healthy weekend retreat in Sonoma wine country. Enjoy daily yoga, guided meditations, hiking and organic wine tasting. $945. bit.ly/BodyFlowsRetreat

Discretion Brewing Anniversary Party: 12 to 9 p.m. March 9, Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave., Soquel. Celebrate 11 years of Discretion with games, live music, brews on tap and a double can release in Discretion Brewing’s expanded, dog-friendly beer garden. Free admission. bit.ly/DiscretionAnniversary

‘Eden’ Cinequest Film Screening: 4:30 p.m. March 9, California Theatre, 345 S First St, San Jose. See the debut of Los Gatos filmmaker Chris McGilvray’s “Eden,” a documentary about a family that operates one of California’s most historic wineries, struggling with succession in a hauntingly beautiful meditation on balancing personal and professional identities. $14. bit.ly/EdenScreening

Spring Winemaker Dinner: 6 to 9 p.m. March 9, Elizabeth Spencer, 1165 Rutherford Road, Napa. Enjoy a spectacular celebration of flavors and craftsmanship with crafted pairings of wine and gourmet cuisine. $235. bit.ly/SpencerSpring

Expedition Stags Leap – Winery Tour & Lunch: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. March 9, Pine Ridge Vineyards, 5901 Silverado Trail, Napa. Explore the distinct terroir of Stags Leap District single vineyard wines during this vineyard walk and wine tasting. $250. bit.ly/ExpeditionStags

Fork2Film Festival: March 14-17, Cameo Cinema, 1340 Main St., St. Helena. This festival brings together audiences, filmmakers, chefs and winemakers for epicurean screenings, food and wine experiences and filmmaker Q&As. $20-$25 per event. cameocinema.com/

Pigs & Pinot: March 15-16, Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg. This celebratory weekend offers a series of intimate dining and educational events hosted by chef Charlie Palmer, with a cast of sommeliers, winemakers and celebrity chefs showcasing some of the world’s greatest pinot noirs with perfect pork pairings. $275. pigsandpinot.com/

WINeFare: March 16-17, Haight Street Art Center, 215 Haight St., San Francisco. This wine tasting features pours from 75 women-run wineries and importers from California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, France, Italy, Mexico and Spain. $50 to $140. thethirdplace.is/event/winefare-2024

Appellation St. Helena bASH: 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 23, CIA at Greystone, 2555 Main St., St. Helena. The 13th annual wine and food pairing competition pairs wines from 20 ASH member wineries with savory bites prepared by professional chefs and teams of rising star students at the CIA. $200. bit.ly/bASH2024

San Mateo Wine Festival: March 23-24, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. Come out to the grand San Mateo Event Center to raise a glass and enjoy a weekend of wine, spirits, casual bites, shopping and live music. $79-$99. bit.ly/SanMateoWineFest

West Coast Taco & Beer Festival: March 23-24, History San Jose, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. Eat. Sip. Repeat! This event features unlimited taco and beer tastings from dozens of restaurants and breweries, plus live music, boutique vendors, games and entertainment. $49 to $109. bluestreament.ticketspice.com/wctbfbayarea

Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains: 1 to 4 p.m. March 24, Mountain Winery, 14831 Pierce Road, Saratoga. Dive deep into the wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains at the 2024 Grand Tasting. Explore the stunning grounds and breathtaking views of The Mountain Winery while you sip award-winning wines, show off your skills in a lively lawn game and bid on exciting silent auction items. $25 to $79. bit.ly/MountainWines

Amaro – Bitter and Refined: 7 to 9 p.m. March 25, The Alembic, 1725 Haight St., San Francisco. Join Alembic mixologists for an adventure through Italy celebrating Amaro, one of the country’s most popular spirits. This two-hour class will turn everyone, from bar beginner to cocktail connoisseur, into the ultimate host. $110. bit.ly/AmaroAlembic

Women in Wine Dinner: 6 p.m. March 29, Carneros Resort and Spa, 4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa. Celebrate National Women in Wine Day with a dinner and wine pairing highlighting four notable women who continue to shape Napa Valley’s wine industry. $160. bit.ly/WomenWineDinner

Pebble Beach Food & Wine: April 4-7, Pebble Beach Resorts. Over the course of four days, 125 chefs and 150 winemakers will gather for this premier food and wine destination event. $475 to $850. pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/

Pinot & Puzzle Competition: 4:30 to 6 p.m. April 7, WALT Wines, First Street West, Sonoma. Get ready to challenge your puzzle-solving skills while sipping delicious pinot wines and vying for the prize in a thrillingly thirsty competition. $70. bit.ly/PinotPuzzle

Intro to American Whiskey: 12 to 2 p.m. April 13, Elixir, 3200 16th St., San Francisco. Bourbon, rye, single malt, blended — what’s the difference? How does American whiskey differ from other whiskies? And what’s the difference between “whiskey” and “whisky”? Learn it all in a fun and interactive format from the experts at Elixir. $75. bit.ly/WhiskeyELIXIR

Bay Area Craft Beer Festival: 12 to 4 p.m. April 13, Waterfront Park, 245 North Court St., Martinez. Gear up for the ultimate beer lover’s paradise. This year’s festival promises an unrivaled experience with over 40+ local breweries and an impressive selection of over 100 beers to sample, including some fantastic Home Brews. $60. bit.ly/BayCraftBeerFest

Mad Tea Party: 6 to 10 p.m. April 13, Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Fairyland invites adults for an Alice in Wonderland immersive experience filled with fantasy, dance, games, live entertainment and special libations including the March Hare’s Madness cocktail. $35. fairyland.org/events-and-performances/mad-tea/

Bay Area Brew Fest: 12 to 10 p.m. April 20, Presidio Main Lawn, San Francisco. The Bay Area Brew Festival returns with an extravaganza featuring more than 60 breweries, food trucks, DJs and more. Admission includes unlimited beer samplings, with VIP attendees getting an extra hour with limited release beers. $50-$90. bayareabrewfestival.com/

Taste of Yountville: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 21, Chandon, 1 California Drive, Yountville. Enjoy an intimate food and wine tasting experience in the heart of Napa Valley. Taste of Yountville will feature 14 tasting rooms and wineries and delicious farm-to-table bites by the Chandon culinary team in a beautiful outdoor garden seating. $150 to $225. yountville.com/tasteofyountville/

CBCA Clayton Art & Wine Festival: April 27-28, Main Street, Downtown Clayton. Browse arts and crafts stalls, sip wine or beer and sample the fare in the food court. There’s a play zone for kids and live music and entertainment throughout the weekend. Free admission. bit.ly/CBCAartwine

CabFranc-A-Palooza: May 3-5, Livermore venues. Cabernet franc lovers and wine producers are descending upon Livermore Valley for the second annual CabFranc-A-Palooza featuring more than 50 wineries, special events and tastings. $99 to $125. cabfrancapalooza.com/

SF Beer Fest: 12 to 10 p.m. May 11, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. Head for Fort Mason to try the best beer in town, all under the same roof. Enjoy a vast selection of specially curated beers set to an absolutely jamming soundtrack. $45-$65. bit.ly/SFBeerFest2024

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival: May 17-19, Anderson Valley venues. This region of Mendocino County is known for its pinot noir, which will be celebrated during this three-day festival featuring delicious samplings and food pairings, educational seminars, a sunset barbecue, a grand tasting and a VIP Bubble Lounge. $75-$500. bit.ly/AVPNF2024

Sun, Wind & Wine Festival: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 18, 1290 River Road, Salinas. The 16th annual fest includes a strolling wine tasting through the barrel cellar of Mer Soleil Winery, which is not normally open to the public. Festival guests will enjoy limited-release Santa Lucia Highlands wines poured by the vintners themselves, plus live music and gourmet bites. $149 to $199. santaluciahighlands.com/events/wine-festival/

Pleasant Hill Art, Wine & Music Festival: May 18-19, Downtown Pleasant Hill. This annual festival offers a diverse array of local food, wine, beer and arts and crafts vendors, plus tons of kids events and live entertainment. Free admission. pleasanthillchamber.com/art-wine-music/

Have a wine, beer or spirits event to add? Submit it online at forms.gle/Cu9J6Ks2fQiQUcKk8.

“Oh, the stories I could tell,” says the legendary barman.

Metheny recently reacquired the Blue Light, runs the Toy Soldier and Trinity in San Francisco and is involved at Ditas in Sausalito. A party to celebrate the restaurant’s new partnership with Love will start at 9 p.m. Friday at the restaurant at 562 Bridgeway in Sausalito. For more information and to RSVP, go to ditasmarin.com/ditasevents-2.

Earlier this year, Metheny teamed up with longtime Palm House mixologist Duncan Wedderburn to open Ranch Water at 711 Fourth St. in San Rafael in the vacant Fourth Street Tavern space (hear more on my Barfly Podcast). Recently, I caught up with the San Francisco legend, Marin newcomer and Bartender Hall of Fame inductee to ask him how things are going.

Q You have a long history as a bartender. What, in your opinion, makes a great one?

A It’s a combination. First of all, you have to have a great personality. You have to engage with people; they have to enjoy their time with you. For me, that’s always been No. 1. For two, you have to have drink creativity, but still follow the direction of the bar manager to make the drinks correctly. It’s really drink quality and personality that makes for a great bartender. And for management, you’ve got to be there on time, follow the rules, back up your staff and be reliable. It’s a combination of different things, please the customer while you’re pleasing the boss. A customer needs to leave so happy that you’re going to get repeat business from them.

Q In the ’90s, people from Marin almost always opted to go out to the late-night bars in San Francisco. What has changed?

A There are plenty more places to go to nowadays. Back in the ’90s, there wasn’t much South of Market. It wasn’t really developed, or by the ballpark, even Potrero Hill wasn’t much back then either. Back in those days, Harry and I had the only North of Market dance bars. There were also no cellphone cameras. So, people could do more wild things. There also seemed to be more celebrities out and about back then. You don’t see them as much these days. Maybe those cameras have scared them away a little bit; everything they do now is going to be on YouTube immediately.

Q You’ve done this for more than 25 years. What keeps you going into work every day?

A I love it. The friends you meet. Duncan and I were friends before, and now we’re even better buddies. I love meeting people and interacting with them. Every day it’s something new, and a new creative idea might pop up at any time. You want to keep it entertaining for your customers, because it has always been entertaining for me. I am actually excited to go into work each and every day. I truly enjoy everything about it.

Q What ingredients/qualities do your staff have at Ranch Water?

A The bartending staff is very professional. All the traits we just talked about, they all have them. They follow direction. Duncan is here day to day; they follow his direction. The people we hired are fun, nice and reliable — and professional, which is often overlooked. Customers don’t see everything their bartender has to do, and all these people do it very well. I often come here just to see them.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com

Recipe

Ranch Water’s Ranch Water

1 ½ ounces Cenote Blanco tequila

¾ ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice

½ ounce mango puree

½ ounce agave syrup

2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub

1 ounce Topo Chico sparkling mineral water

Tajin classic seasoning (for rimming)

Rim the serving glass with Tajin seasoning by wetting the rim and dipping it into the seasoning. Fill the rimmed serving glass with ice. Combine the first five ingredients listed in a separate mixing glass with ice and shake until chilled and combined. Strain into the serving glass and top with sparkling water. Stir and serve.

Note: A “classic” Ranch Water cocktail is just tequila, lime juice and soda water. San Rafael’s Ranch Water features several different versions on their cocktail menu.

— Created by Duncan Wedderburn

There’s a new top toque in the Michelin-starred Chez TJ kitchen.

Stan Michalski, a veteran chef with a Michelin-packed résumé, has taken over as executive chef of the contemporary French restaurant in Mountain View.

The news was announced by George Aviet and family, who have owned Chez TJ — which has held a Michelin star since 2007 — for more than 40 years. The restaurant is housed in an 1894 Victorian on a property that features a chef’s garden.

“With over 15 years of experience, Stan brings Chez TJ not just culinary mastery, but a deep love of hospitality — believing what matters most is bringing people together over a delicious meal,” the Chez TJ team said when introducing Michalski. “He views preparing meals for guests as though he’s cooking for his closest friends.”

Michalski’s culinary career started in his New Jersey hometown, where at this first job he made pizzas at a local pizzeria. He trained at the prestigious Johnson & Wales, then headed to Boston’s L’Espalier.

He became chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred Dovetail in New York City, then moved to San Francisco, where he worked with chef Michael Tusk at Quince, one of a handful of three-starred Michelin restaurants in the Bay Area.

Michalski succeeds Christopher Lemerand, who joined Chez TJ three years ago and launched the restaurant’s pandemic-era outdoor dining before the big move back indoors.

Details: Chez TJ serves a prix fixe Chef’s Tasting Menu from Tuesday through Saturday at 938 Villa St., Mountain View; www.cheztj.com