Facebook Delivers Thousands of Meals to North Bay Fire Victims

Facebook delivered 5,000 meals to the Salvation Army over the weekend

One week after the wildfires in the North Bay were ignited, relief efforts are in full swing, with meals and donations flooding in from surrounding communities, including Silicon Valley. Facebook was on the scene Sunday, reports the Chron, delivering rice dishes, stews, and vegetables to the Salvation Army. The social media giant took action after the Salvation Army put out a call for meals on its own Facebook page, adding a significant boost to the number of meals the organization has been delivering, which is typically 600 meals but has been at around 3,600 since the fires entered the equation.

Wine industry has hope for the future after fires

40 lives have now been confirmed lost in the deadly fires that have been raging in the North Bay for over a week. “No one would compare the loss of wine with the loss of life. But wine is these communities’ lifeblood — economic, cultural and otherwise,” writes Esther Mobley, the Chron’s wine and spirits critic. Though there’s been backlash against media reporting on wine and marijuana harvests lost, it’s really about the men and women who grow those crops, and the myriad of people who rely on those industries for their livelihoods. Luckily the number of wineries seriously damaged or destroyed was relatively low, compared to the number operating in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake County with only about 20 rendered inoperable. Now comes the rebuild, and the process of convincing tourists, the region’s lifeblood, to return. Read more here.

E.J. Gallo donates $1 million to wildfire relief

The company, which owns vineyards and wineries throughout the wine regions affected by the fires, has pledged $1 million to organizations offering relief, as well as matching employee donations. The money will go to the American Red Cross California Wildfires Relief Fund, the Community Foundation of Sonoma and the Napa Valley Communication Foundation.

A Napa winery survives two disasters

A feel-good story of survival for Fontanella Winery in Napa, as it narrowly escaped the Nuns fire. Three years before, the winery experienced loss and destruction from the Napa earthquake — now they’re calling themselves “The little winery that could.” Read on for the harrowing account.

The former chef de cuisine of Marlowe is opening a restaurant next week

Son’s Addition, from Anna Sager Cobarruvias and husband Nick Cobarruvias (Marlowe) is opening on October 24 at 2990 24th Street; Nick will run the kitchen, while Anna will manage the front of the house. Shareable items on the menu include bacon-kimchee deviled eggs, with a list of local wines and beers will accompany. Stay tuned for more at opening.

Going to Honolulu anytime soon?

Former Top Chef contestant Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone restaurant in Honolulu was temporarily closed last week after at least 45 people were sickened after eating there. Health officials have confirmed that at least six of the cases were norovirus, the leading cause of foodbourne illnesses in the US. It’s been cleaned and has since reopened.