Rotary Gourmets at the Wine Train

When you think of attending a service club meeting, you usually don’t expect to get a great meal to enjoy with your membership duties. Sometimes, finding a place that will serve the size and the frequency of the group is a big enough challenge. Not so, for one lucky group in Napa.

The North Napa Rotary Club, with a current membership of 32, meets every Tuesday night at 6:30 at the Napa Valley Wine Train Culinary Arts Center, located at the rail yard off Soscol Avenue. The Culinary Arts Center is a little known jewel in the crown of Napa cuisine. Businesses, organizations, and social groups can rent the upstairs – overlooking the Napa River – for most any occasion.

While the view is wonderful, it is the food that has won accolades throughout the world – the world of Rotarians, that is. In 2007, the North Napa Rotary club was voted as one of the top 5 clubs for insatiable gourmets for the food that is served at the meetings.

The other four clubs were:
Rotary Club of Munchen-Englischer Garten, Germany
Rotary Club of Tokyo Tsukiji, Japan
Rotary Club of Cognac, France
Rotary Club of Parma, Italy

Typical meals include the same attention to detail that Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald applies to all his meals: Excellent quality, local products, and inventive artistry blending flavors and products. Who knew volunteering for a service club could be a weekly opportunity for a culinary journey?

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

The North Napa Rotary has many local projects, including:
Dictionaries for all 3rd graders in Napa.
Work Projects at safe house for NEWS (Napa Emergency Women’s Shelter)
Work projects with Veterans Home and the newly returning soldiers from Iraq.
Highway 29 trash Pickup North of Salvador Avenue.
Bike Stop North of Oak Knoll next to Wine Train Tracks.
North Bound Highway 29 Entrance at First Street Bridge, Plant restoration and maintenance.

If you would like more information on the North Napa Rotary, contact Napa Valley Wine Train CFO Tony Giaccio at (707) 251-5207.