Chef Ken Frank Spearheads New Chefs' Edible Gardens At Copia

Chef Ken Frank of La Toque and five other Napa Valley restaurants will soon be serving produce so fresh it was picked hours before being served, thanks to the Napa Chefs' Edible Gardens co-op on the grounds at the former COPIA building on First Street.

Frank has teamed up with chefs from Hog Island Oyster Company, Zuzu, Angele, Restaurant Pearl and C Casa Taqueria (opening soon in the Oxbow Public Market) to operate the organic gardens and provide all the labor and supplies. The restaurants represent various ends of the culinary spectrum: French, seafood, Spanish, "Fresh" Mexican.

"It's a great example of cooperation for the public good," said Frank. "It keeps an element of the COPIA alive while a long-term solution is found, and provides us access to great gardens within a few blocks of our restaurants. This will ensure our Oxbow district is a 'must do' stop on visitor itineraries."

Frank was approached by the city of Napa about six months ago to determine if there was interest in the Napa chef's community to save the COPIA gardens after COPIA closed. Frank was excited about the idea and approached the other chefs. His wife, Sherylle, the original gardener at Brix in Yountville, had built and maintained the gardens there for about 12 years before retiring when Frank moved La Toque from Rutherford to its downtown location in The Westin Verasa, Napa. Sherylle will join the chefs in putting her touch on the new downtown gardens.

The organic plots will play an instrumental role in further elevating downtown Napa as a foodie's paradise. "Napa has quickly become a very hot gastro-destination," said Frank. "Yountville is great, but Napa has caught up fast and there's more to do here. It's now a dead heat, something considered impossible even five or six years ago. Even in a bad economy what we're doing here is gaining steam."

Due to liability reasons, the gardens will not be open to the public, but visitors can enjoy the fruits of the chefs' labors at the various restaurants.

The Oxbow District of downtown is located approximately two blocks west of Downtown Napa and is located near all of Napa Valley's attractions, including the wine train, wineries, and the Oxbow Public Market. For more information about the Napa Chefs' Edible Gardens, call 707-257-5151 or visit La Toque's website at www.latoque.com.