Here at Lodestar Farms we are always looking for ways to enhance our cooking (and eating!) experiences. As we travel around sharing our olive oil we always keep an eye open for out-of-the-way places and gourmet specialty products that are unique to a region.

Most specialty food farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs who have developed a special taste have great success stories about how they started their businesses. In our travels, we’ve discovered some great family farms, restaurants and gourmet companies to "swap stories" with. We admire every newfound friend we discover for their dedication, tradition and passion for culinary excellence and gourmet food.

Sign up for our Seasonal E-Newsletter for further details on these locations and new discoveries. We always enjoy discovering new family farms (especially if we can order a taste of their farm), please drop us any leads you may have.

Family Farms
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company - Point Reyes Station, CA
www.pointreyescheese.com
If "Farmstead" means from the farm, then Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese means the best blue cheese we have ever tasted. Meet the cows at this link.

The James Ranch Gourmet Lamb - Penn Valley, CA
www.thejamesranch.com
Sure Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, orders her lamb from this ranch but you can too. Penn Valley is located about 45 miles south of our farm.

Lundberg Family Rice Farm - Oroville, CA
www.lundberg.com
Since 1937 this family has been the gourmet leader in producing brown rice and specialty rice products. Lodestar Farms neighbor 12 miles to the west.

Restaurants
The Black Crow Restaurant - Chico, CA
The best way to describe The Black Crow is energy and the only way to sustain energy in a restaurant is with great food, California style. Visit the farms that make Butte County special then taste why they are at The Black Crow.

Red Tavern - Chico, CA
www.redtavern.com
The biggest thing missing from Chef Craig Thomas' restaurant is a walk in freezer. It's also the best thing about it. Farm fresh food helps make dinner here one romantic night. Former owner of Citron in Oakland, CA we're glad he made the move to Chico 5 years ago.

Cooking Schools
California Culinary Academy - San Francisco, CA
www.baychef.com
A true San Francisco experience means food. Our dream vacation in San Francisco, a room at the St. Francis on Union Square and weekend cooking classes from this renowned culinary academy. We always enjoy teaching a California Olive Oil class at the CCA and then discovering new restaurants.

Cook Street School Of Fine Cooking - Denver, CO
www.cookstreet.com
Classic Foods

San Francisco French Bread Company
www.sourdoughbread.com
Before there was a Golden Gate Bridge there was Parisian Sourdough Bread. This is the bakery that made San Francisco sourdough famous. Now you can order for fresh Friday deliveries anywhere in the USA.

Slow Foods USA
www.slowfoodusa.org
An international movement that highlights and promotes the use of culturally significant foods lost in modern agricultural trends. Discover what food used to taste like.

Wine
Rombauer Vineyards - St. Helena, CA
www.rombauer.com
O.K. we’ve never personally met the Rombauer family but just find their vineyards and tasting room the most
enjoyable farm atmosphere in the Napa Valley. Great wine…great staff to learn about wines from.

Grey Fox Vineyards - Oroville, CA
www.greyfox.net
Our neighbor 2 miles on the east hillside. Nothing is better than having a great local wine you can confidently share in any setting. Visit their tasting room and you will meet a winemaker.

Rosebowl Florist & Wine Shop - San Francisco, CA
www.rosebowlflorist.com
Best florist in San Francisco with the coolest delivery trucks. Also the first store in San Francisco to notice a small family olive oil farm in Oroville. Deidra has a great wine tasting bar which highlights those small family wineries in California.

Food Media
Gastronomica, The Journal Of Food And Culture -
www.gastronomica.org
In their own words, "No nutritional guidelines. No lifestyle articles. No filler." Food is art.