New to the Napa Valley, the Bistro Fare of Bouchon

When in the Wine Country. Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville and his brother, Joseph, of the Woodbox Inn in Nantucket, Mass., have just opened another restaurant in the Napa Valley. It’s called Bouchon, after the taverns (known as bouchons) in the Lyonnais region of France. The menu is, naturellement, bistro dishes: shellfish, charcuterie, quiche of the day, roast chicken, steak pommes frites, cheeses, seasonal tarts and sorbets. Chef Christopher Salans trained at the Cordon Bleu in France and most recently was the chef at Bouley Bakery in New York. Adam Tihany (Le Cirque 2000, Remi, Spago Las Vegas) designed the interior. Bouchon is currently open for dinner only, but by the end of the month, the place will run from 7 a.m. to 1:30 in the morning, which sound like racy hours for Yountville.

* Bouchon, 6534 Washington St., Yountville; (707) 944-8037.

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A Caffeine Brunch. Campanile is hosting a brunch lecture Sunday featuring Jerry Baldwin, chairman of Peet’s Coffee & Tea. Baldwin will talk about single-origin coffees and proprietary blends while you sample an assortment of croissants, muffins, turnovers and scones, and your choice of a frittata made of spinach, summer squash and prosciutto or a sandwich of marinated peppers and goat cheese. Coffee will, needless to say, be served. Brunch runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The price is $15 a person; advance payment is required. Call the American Institute of Wine and Food at (310) 535-6090 for reservations and information.

* Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; (213) 938-1447.

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Mega-Eatery Wine Focus. The ninth annual Bon Appetit Wine and Spirits Focus takes place at Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave. in Hollywood, on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. It’s structured like a walk-around tasting event with booths from about two dozen restaurants (Atlantic, Aubergine, Belvedere at the Peninsula, Campanile, Crustacean, Chaya Brasserie, Coco Pazzo, Gustaf Anders, Jiraffe, Jozu, La Cachette, Matsuhisa, Michael’s, Michi, Mimosa, Posto, Remi, Rix, Spago, Troquet, Vida, Water Grill and Xiomara). The chefs will be on hand to hobnob. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at the door or by calling (888) 343-6287. Champagne-, wine- and espresso-tasting tickets can be purchased for an additional $35. The event will include a silent auction benefiting the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

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A Tamale Date. Chef John Sedlar once again visits Alto Palato to whip up a tamale dinner. Sedlar will be repeating the tamale menu he cooked there in July, so if you missed it back then, here’s your chance. The four-course tamale dinner costs $58 per person and takes place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22. The main course is a Borrego Canyon goat tamale with tomatillo sauce and a half-roasted quail on the side. Dessert is a grapefruit ice cream tamale topped with Medjool and Deglet Noor date sauce.

* Alto Palato, 755 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; (310) 657-9271.

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