Coastal Shifts

First, I must apologize for the nearly year-long lapse in writing. In August, we relocated from Palo Alto, CA to Chapel Hill, NC. The change brings a whole new food culture to explore. And beyond the southern staples of fried chicken and BBQ (with vinegar sauce!), you'll find a community as dedicated to the locavore movement as any in California. Many young chefs have returned to their hometowns with the skills and techniques they learned in the kitchens around the world. So while we still search for Mexican food on par with California, we are enjoying the discovery of new favorites, including fresh North Carolina flounder as tender, flaky and delicious; a German-style bakery with melt-in-your-mouth pastries; a local deli that makes its own corned beef and pastrami; and a dairy farm with fresh-churned ice cream that takes you back to another time.

And, I'm still traveling often to California so there will be updates from there as well. Stay tuned. Dawnville is back.