New Chef at Dry Creek Kitchen, Kevin Had the Sads

HEALDSBURG—Celebrity mustached chef Charlie Palmer has named a new chef de cuisine at his Dry Creek Kitchen: Sonoma native Dustin Valette, who is a CIA Hyde Park grad and has worked at Aqua and Bouchon. [EaterWire]

SOMA—Oh heavens to Betsy. Via SFist comes news of an event that combines wine and S&M: "While dominants can enjoy wines out of fancy goblets, submissives will be blindfolded (which, we're told, enhances the taste of the wine and the bite of the rope) and forced to lap up their wine from a dog bowl on the floor." [SFist]

TOP CHEFFAGE—For anyone who thought that Kevin Gillespie seemed a bit ... off during the two-part finale of Top Chef, you weren't dreaming. Right before filming the Napa episodes, the poor guy had just broken up with his wife of six years: "For once in this entire competition I let my emotions get the better of me. I know you know what was going on in my personal life." Sadface. [AJC via Eater National]