Ka-In Napa Valley: Where Filipino Food Meets Fine Wine AND GOOD COMPANY
Kain Na (Let’s eat!) is a phrase that we all know very well! Filipinos love to get together and celebrate, and even more so when it’s about food and supporting our community. We’ll find any excuse to party, especially when we can get behind a good cause. Living in Napa, the food and wine mecca, FilAm and Napa resident Eric Gonzales pulled together local, Filipino-American owned businesses to be a part of the inaugural Ka-In Napa Valley, a Filipino food and wine pop up event, that will be taking place on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at The Commons at Justin-Siena High School from 4-7 PM.
Ka-in Napa Valley will celebrate local Filipino culture and cuisine while raising money for Justin-Siena’s Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP). DISP is a scholarship fund established and seeded by Eric Gonzales. “Being born and raised in Vallejo, I grew up in a diverse community, but Napa is not as diverse. I have a passion for diversity, and I want to surround my family and build my business to look like the communities where we live and serve”. Gonzales has been blessed with the opportunity to give back to his community, starting with his kids’ high school – “My family created this scholarship program to support a diverse scholar. We want to financially support and mentor students from traditionally underrepresented communities, while giving them an opportunity to be a well-rounded leader at Justin-Siena”.
The following purveyors and community partners will be featured at Ka-In Napa Valley:
Le Paris Artisan
Le Paris was founded by Jay Magsano who studied Pastry Arts and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a degree in Management and Culinary. Magsano was born and raised in the Philippines, and grew up with both parents who greatly influenced his passion to pursue cooking and the food industry. “ Both my parents are great cooks! Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been closely involved in the food industry. I worked as a service crew member, waiter, caterer, kitchen help, and the list goes on. At the same time, I was trying to sustain myself so I could go to college.” Now, Magsano has two cafes in Napa and American Canyon, and will soon be opening a third location in the Green Valley District in Fairfield.
Le Paris offers a full line of French pastries, desserts, sandwiches, and coffee. All of their creations start with the customer’s experience – “We visualize you taking your first bite and going off into your happy place. We think about what kinds of memories you have while eating your favorite dessert or pastry and get to work making it happen with our finest ingredients.”
“Being the first Filipino operator in Napa, I’d like to show people that we have a great variety of pastries and desserts they can enjoy while we infuse uniquely Filipino-French-American inspired flavors! I am proud of my roots and my love for cooking is the reason why I showcase the many different desserts Le Paris can offer.” Visit one of Les Paris’ locations and follow Le Paris Artisan on Instagram to see their latest creations and get updates on their new location.
Winston’s Cafe & Bakery
Winston’s Cafe & Bakery is co-founded by Alex Macaraig, his wife Cassan, and Paulie of Paulie’s Bagels. This is where East Coast meets West Coast with Filipino influences. They serve farm to table style breakfast and lunch cuisine with a focus on seasonality and supporting local agriculture. They strive to provide a welcoming atmosphere for both locals and visitors alike.
When Macaraig was approached by Gonzales to be a part of Ka-in Napa, he was thrilled, especially because he was born and raised in Napa. Even more so, because he is a Justin-Siena alumni. “When I went there, I was one of few Asians. Having gone there and seeing the school become diversified, it’s really surreal. Napa is also becoming more diversified. It’s been exciting and different”.
For Macaraig, food gets him excited because it “brings people together and makes them happy. That’s the main reason I work in food”. At the pop up event, he will be serving Filipino comfort food that’s not currently part of Winston’s menu. You’ll have the opportunity to try homemade spam sliders, lumpia, and chicken skewers. Hopefully we will see these items featured on Winston’s menu in the near future.
Winston’s is located in downtown Napa at 1517 3rd St. Napa, CA 94559. Follow @winstonsnapa on Instagram.
Napa de Oro
In 2019, Abe Marapao and Noe Taojo, teamed up with winemaker Rudy Zuidema to create Napa de Oro aka “Napa’s liquid gold”. The Napa de Oro vineyard and winery are based in Coombsville, which is one of the cooler regions in Napa Valley. They produce seven wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Caroline’s Red Blend. Napa de Oro’s Chardonnay was awarded the “Double Gold Award” and named “Best in Class” at the 2021 OC Fair’s Commercial Wine Competition.
Napa de Oro gives homage to their Filipino roots through their name and label design. Oro means gold in Tagalog, and the label features the Filipino flag’s sun and stars. Napa de Oro is doing wine tastings at Feast It Forward in downtown Napa while their winery is being upgraded and modernized. Follow @napadeoro on Instagram to stay updated on their re-opening.
Roline’s Uniquely Filipino
Chef Roline Casper is an instructor at the Napa Valley Cooking School specializing in Filipino cooking, owner of Roline’s, and author of #1 Amazon best-seller: "The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made Simple." It’s these accolades that named her one of "Solano County's Groundbreaking Women in 2022".
Chef Roline opened Roline’s in 2009, with the mission “to educate and to promote Filipino culture through our food." She was inspired by the strong women in her life: “My mom, lola, and titas, against all odds, who worked tirelessly to provide for their families”.
Chef Roline is thrilled to be part of the Ka-in Napa Valley event. “My daughter is a Justin-Siena alumni and this is an opportunity to showcase Filipino culture through our food while supporting DISP. I am hoping people will appreciate Filipino food and culture while helping the community”.
Roline's is located at 2048 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville, CA 95687. Follow @rolinesunifil and @chefroline on Instagram.
Who’s ready to eat? Ka-in Na! Tickets are $75 and you can purchase tickets here.
Written by Jennifer Redondo
Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose
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