For many, the name Charlie Palmer is immediately associated with his eponymous steak houses—and his Michelin star gem Aureole—in Manhattan.
But, it’s also synonymous with Sonoma Wine Country and Dry Creek Kitchen, a pioneering restaurant that helped establish Healdsburg’s status as an international culinary destination.
His long association with events like Pigs & Pinot, to benefit organizations like No Kid Hungry, has made him a magnet for celebrity chefs, winery big wigs and high-dollar donors alike.
Now he’s bringing that magic to the South Bay, with a new hotel and restaurant.
It comes via his relatively-new hospitality development venture, Appellation Hotels, which he runs with his business partner, Chris Hunsberger—a 30-year veteran of the Four Seasons.
They’re building a new hotel in Healdsburg, took over the revamp of Lodi’s Wine & Roses six months ago, and are working on a Morgan Hill hotel property with entrepreneur Frank Leal.
Palmer met Leal—whose properties in Santa Clara and San Benito counties include a winery, an event center and a restaurant—on frequent visits to Healdsburg.
They got to talking about a collaboration, and now, that project is well in the works.
The Appellation Morgan Hill property is slated to open toward the end of 2025.
They also have a Sun Valley, Idaho project under construction and recently passed the daunting hurdle of getting their Pacific Grove development at the site of the old Tin Canner approved by the Coastal Commission (after four years).
Meanwhile, Palmer has cooked up a star-studded event that will take over the streets of downtown Morgan Hill on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 1-5pm.
The inaugural MOHI Food & Wine Festival should be a foodie’s delight, given that it features the kitchen heads from local restaurants alongside celebrity chefs.
Attendees should expect tasty dishes will be paired with mostly-local wines.
The best part is that it directly benefits Morgan Hill high school culinary programs that dovetail with a range of hospitality specialty tracks at nearby Evergreen College.
“We met with people who run the culinary and hospitality programs at the local high schools,” said Palmer, who serves on the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute. “These programs give young people at an early age the opportunity to see this as a career possibility. Out of 7,000-8,000 kids in the system, 170 kids are involved. A good start. When I was a junior in high school, I myself was introduced to the culinary world. It really opens up your mind. Not everyone knows what they want to do, or can say, ‘This is my dream,’ at that stage.”
He feels this established pathway to growing hospitality talent is one key factor in framing Morgan Hill as a “culinary destination.” Palmer also points to the farms and orchards and the rapidly growing winery scene, as well as the construction partnership with Leal.
He’s made the culinary pathway program the beneficiary of this $200 ticket event on Oct. 27 for one overriding reason.
“We all have to be thinking about this: How can we grow and encourage the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals?” Palmer said. “We want to help them expand and build it into something better, and work with Evergreen College to expand their culinary program, as well. A bunch of my buddies, including Michael Mina, are all very excited to support it.”
Palmer graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York, in 1979. “There is nothing like bringing youth into the mix. The CIA is all about taking high school students and helping them build a career, whether it’s in culinary, wine, science or restaurant and hotel management.”
The event will feature 12 stations, with a mix of local and star chefs, like Tyler Florence, Michael Mina and Elizabeth Faulkner, paired with wineries, including Alara Cellars, Calera and Guglielmo. He’s got some big-name sponsors, including the Big Green Egg, who are donating money to the scholarship fund, as well as the 12 eggs which the chefs will be using to prepare their dishes.
Palmer is very excited by what he’s found in the South Bay, including interesting produce and beyond.
“I didn’t know that mushroom propagation is part of this scene,” he said.
He hopes this event will highlight Morgan Hill as a place of many foodie-focused facets that people don’t know very much about, creating a desire for exploration.
When asked what gives him hope that Morgan Hill can blossom to its full potential, he says the place is a lot like Healdsburg 25 years ago.
“It started with big ideas that we were able to accomplish,” Palmer said. “From the time I decided what Dry Creek Kitchen was to be and what I wanted, it just snowballed, and everyone wants to know more about what makes the area special. Getting word out on a national level and relationship-building are key. We need to do this in Morgan Hill.”
He’s working closely with major stakeholders, including Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner, Associate City Manager Edith Ramirez, and the City Council, so they can build the ideas into “something that is bigger than we can imagine. We have a common goal and it is evolving.”
Asked about those who inevitably protest development in any municipality, he is sanguine.
“There was a small group in Healdsburg who were vocal,” says Palmer. “But it’s a 1 in 10 ratio of those that can’t envision the future.”
For more information or tickets visit: mohifarm.com/store/event/2024-mohi-farm-food-wine-festival
Sunday’s lineup
Chef Elizabeth Falkner: Grilled Oyster King Mushroom Salad with caper-date vinaigrette
Calera Pinot Noir
Chef Tyler Florence: Steak Diane, with grilled Australian wagyu, buttered brioche, black truffle cognac sauce
Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon
Chef Michael Mina: Hawaii Spiced Beef Short Rib with olive oil-herbed sweet potatoes, matbucha puree, red wine jus
Leal Vineyard Godsend Cabernet Sauvignon
Chef Lance Ramhurst: Grilled Lions’ Mane Mushroom with smoked ricotta, tomato jam, sourdough baguette
Leal Vineyard Estate Carnavál Meritage
Chef Nicola Cavicchini: Grilled Scallops with sour apple emulsion, bacon, pickled kiwi
Bricoleur Vineyards Chardonnay
Chef Todd Fisher: Smoked & Grilled Santa Carota Beef Tomahawk, with bone marrow, roast garlic bordelaise
Harney Lane Vineyard 2021 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lizzy James Vineyard
Chef Sal Calisi: Pulpo alla Griglia, grilled Spanish octopus, sautéed escarole, cannellini beans, toasted garlic, chili
Alara Cellars 2021 Grenache
Chef Thomas Bellec: Smoked Salmon with brown butter, cauliflower mousseline, verjus-pommery mustard, sauce vierge
Lion Ranch 2021 Viognier
Kuba Hemmerling (Pt. Reyes): Point Reyes Blue cheese
Leal 2009 Tawny Port
Chef Micheal Jochner: Richards Regenerative Beef Slider with Rumiano cheddar, pickled Hikari Farms cucumbers
Domain Chandon sparkling
Chef Lou Zulaica: New Zealand Lamb Chops with crispy herb polenta, smoked tomato vegetable ratatouille, cabernet bordelaise
Guglielmo Winery Syrah
Chef Cristobal Castro: Assorted Dessert Bites
Leal 2009 Tawny Port
