In the weeks after the wine country fires, the Bay Area restaurant community has stepped up repeatedly to offer assistance for those in need. Everyone has wanted to help, which has led to many benefits, and small. All of them have been heartfelt. There is something about a disaster that brings people together. A benefit held Tuesday, The Grateful Table, was particularly moving because all 500 participants sat at one long outdoor table that stretched down the line dividing Napa and Sonoma counties.

For Thanksgiving tradition is tradition, and at the Food & Wine section, we have favorites that we just can't do without. They're time-tested classics for our Best Ways to roast turkey (we still love brining and air-drying), and prepare gravy, mashed potatoes, pie and more.You'll also find all of them, plus dozens of other recipes we've developed over the years, online at www.sfgate.

The star of the Villon menu is the duck ($120), surrounded by bowls of Brussels sprouts, sunchokes and other items. The star of the Villon menu is the duck ($120), surrounded by bowls of Brussels sprouts, sunchokes and other items. The area around the Proper Hotel and its restaurant Villon is an urban checkerboard: New bike shops and bars stand next to boarded and graffiti-covered storefronts.

Berkeley’s beloved Cheese Board is hoping to literally corner the market with its latest expansion.According to Cathy Goldsmith of the Cheese Board Collective, the shop will take over the Berkeley Produce Center space at 1500 Shattuck Avenue. The timing is still fluid, Goldsmith says, considering the transition will start the market’s owner Sam Hort retires.“It’s exciting time for us right now,” Goldsmith says.

From a meal delivery service to a thriving catering business, from an Off the Grid stand to a Financial District takeout spot, Bini’s Kitchen owner Binita Pradhan has built up quite a momo-making momentum. Now she is barreling forward once again into a larger, second location in SoMa.Pradhan recently signed a lease for a restaurant at the corner of Sixth Street and Howard Street, in the ground floor of a 66-unit affordable-housing complex that opened earlier this year.

Brigitte’s Apple TartMakes two 9½-inch tartsMelted butter or pan spray for greasing the tart pansAll-purpose flour as needed2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions (see Note)8 to 10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice½ cup apricot jam4 tablespoons granulated sugarInstructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

When you don’t want Thai or Korean but both: E & O off Union Square Trends are an interesting phenomenon. Most are fleeting even if they come to define an era: the pillbox hat of the 1960s, the bell-bottom jeans of the 1970s, and the shoulder pads of the 1980s. A few trends, however, stick around to become classic, fitting into the culture so easily few of us know exactly how they began. Food is a little different.

The Mission Street entrance to RN74 in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, September 18, 2017. The famed restaurant will serve its final meal on October 7th to make way for Ayesha Curry's new restaurant, ... more The Mission Street entrance to RN74 in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, September 18, 2017. The famed restaurant will serve its final meal on October 7th to make way for Ayesha Curry's new restaurant, International Smoke.

Leek & Goat Cheese Tart With Cabernet OnionsMakes two 11½-by-8-inch rectangular tarts6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided4 large leeks, white and pale green portion, diced (about 5 cups)Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste4 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick rings3 cups Cabernet SauvignonMelted butter or pan spray for greasing the tart panAll-purpose flour as needed2 sheets puff pastry dough, defrosted according to package instructions1 cup whole milk1 cup heavy whipping cream4 large eggs2 large egg yolks1 cup...

When it comes to Thanksgiving, Zoe Johns has no hard and fast rules. Except one.“I always welcome (guests) with a drink, preferably a glass of wine,” says Johns.Johns, a former product developer and director of catalog marketing for Pottery Barn, joined her family’s Oakville winery, Turnbull Wine Cellars, in 2013 for a brand overhaul that included a revamp of its tasting room experience.