From the Totally Unconfirmed But It Would Make Sense Department:
Rumors are buzzing around that that the Food Network is putting out feelers on turning the defunct Copia into a West Coast studio. Sunset magazine shot out the gossip in this month’s magazine and Napa insiders have been buzzing for a while.
With the imminent arrival of Iron Chef Morimoto, Marin’s nice-guy chef, Tyler Florence opening ventures all over Northern California, Michael Chiarello’s Bottega and Napa Style empire in Yountville and FN Golden Boy Guy Fieri all hanging out in Wine Country, it seems like a no-brainer. A friend of Fieri told BiteClub upon hearing the gossip that it would totally make sense for the coast-hopping chef/family-man to be able to tape a little closer to home.
Now if we could just get one of them to sponsor Taste3 again.
A second rumor is that the Culinary Institute at Greystone may also be looking at the luxe space as an annex to their St. Helena digs.
With all the hubub, it seems there may be a tasty reincarnation of Robert Mondavi’s dream culinary destination yet. Stay tuned…
Amazing! It’s a real shame more people don’t know about this place, this covered just what I needed this morning!!!
I think this would be great. I know the FN is all show and not real – it’s not Cooks Illustrated, but it’s fun. I hope they will have things the public can go to in it for free. Win-Win all around if they do! Personally I never liked the original overly high priced Copia.
THIS IS THE GREATEST IDEA EVER. IN THE LONG RUN SAVE MONEY KEEP OUR CHEFS HAPPY AT HOME.
Great! Now we can have even more expert advice on making sandwiches or boiling water. The FN has become so watered down only non-cooks watch it.
Better if local architects, designers, craftspersons, and contractors were part of the process.
If the rumor is true, it would be the perfect reincarnation for the Copia building.