Tra Vigne Staff Migrates To Brasswood, New St. Helena Restaurant

When Tra Vigne closed this December, an entire staff was out of work. Not for long, it seems, as many have moved on to open Brasswood Bar and Kitchen, a new restaurant in St. Helena from Cairdean Estate owners Edwin and Stacia Williams. Formerly The Farmer & The Fox, Brasswood is in Cairdean Village, home to seven acres of land with outdoor picnic areas, shops, a deli, art gallery and now new restaurant. The Williams hired Marcus Marquez (Goose & Gander) to run the restaurant, and he knew a golden chance when he saw one to recruit the Tra Vigne team, most of which are now working at Brasswood, including Tra Vigne sous chef David Nuño, who is now Brasswood’s chef, and general manager Jennifer Bohr.

“It was a unique opportunity. We all really liked working together, and we were given that opportunity to not only continue doing the some of the same food items and the great service that Tra Vigne had, but also being able to create our new niche for ourselves,” assistant general manager Luke Christian told Eater. “The locals had their favorite servers and bartenders and staff, and it’s great to see the locals coming to us to see those same faces.”

Brasswood’s space seats 99 inside, including the bar where the full menu is served, plus another 35 outside, weather permitting. Nuño’s Cal-Italian menu is reminiscent of Tra Vigne, though nothing is exactly the same. Familiar dishes include the duck leg risotto, wild mushroom spinach ravioli and pan seared flounder. Wines from sommelier Joshua Fisher are Napa-focused, with many from Cairdean Estates. Brasswood is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.