A Very Hollingsworth BBQ; SFist Tackles Beard Noms

Hollingsworth at work with his tweezers. [Photo: Gilt City]

ST. HELENA—French Laundry chef de cuisine Timothy Hollingsworth is coming to the end of his term this month (and planning a move to L.A.) If you want to catch him before he splits, Gilt City is offering a $225 cooking demonstration and lunch with Hollingsworth, where he'll demonstrate how to make authentic BBQ. Personally, we'd expect something a little more exotic than a 'cue buffet for that level of coin, but if you can be Thomas Keller's right hand for four years, you can probably put out a decent brisket. [EaterWire]

SAN FRANCISCO—Our pals at SFist have some important (and hilarious) thoughts of their own to share on the James Beard nominations, including a distaste for Flour + Water ("We had a uniformly bad meal...Maybe, as a food critic tried to explain, it was because were there on a Monday night? Alas, our wallet cannot differentiate days of the week") and a love for Rich Table ("It's perfect. Those of you who disagree can go to hell"). Also discussed: Gary Danko's breakfast cakes, Daniel Patterson's e-mails, and why you don't have to eat Christopher Kostow's cooking to root for him. [SFist]

OAKLAND—Duende's Paul Canales heard Josh Sens' complaints about his confusing bodega setup loud and clear, and he's now transitioning the bodega to become part of the main restaurant during dinner service, with the same menu and 30 extra seats for walk-ins. No more ordering food and wine at separate counters, and more room for diners of every stripe (an important thing in a restaurant that does 250 covers on a Saturday night). [Inside Scoop]

THE MISSION—Don't want to venture out to a remote island in Washington state to sample the cooking of The Willows Inn's Blaine Wetzel? You're in luck: the newly-anointed James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee and Noma alum is rolling into Commonwealth on April 22 and 23 to cook with Jason Fox. The duo's $80 dinner will alternate courses, with three from each chef; wine pairings are an extra $40. Call Commonwealth at (415) 355-1500 or e-mail inquiries@commonwealthsf.com for reservations. [Inside Scoop]