Napa Valley’s Model Bakery will open its much-anticipated Walnut Creek outpost on Oct. 25, making it easier than ever for Bay Area fans to get their hands on the bakery’s signature export: the English muffins that Oprah Winfrey has repeatedly declared her favorite.

Fried in clarified butter, rather than baked, the famous muffins have made Oprah’s annual “Favorite Things” list four times. They’re buttery and crispy on the outside and pillowy within, with a chewy, ciabatta-like texture — and they’re a delightful base for breakfast sandwiches.

The new 5,000-square-foot bakery and kitchen has boosted owner Sarah Mitchell Hansen’s hopes to expand the bakery’s wholesale English muffin offerings to Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods and other Bay Area markets.

The original Model Bakery opened in St. Helena in 1908, but began a new era when baker Karen Mitchell bought it in 1984. Her daughter, Sarah, grew up at the bakery and took over the reins when Mitchell retired about 20 years ago — though Mitchell, now in her 80s, can still be found in the bakery’s kitchen on occasion, Hansen says. The bakery now has locations in Napa’s Oxbow Market and Yountville as well.

Walnut Creek visitors will be able to watch English muffins and other delights being made through a large window near the entrance. The bakery will offer plenty of pastries, coffee from Caffe Vita and 10 different breakfast sandwiches. Expect to see a seasonal lunch menu and beverages ranging from fresh juices to beer and wine — from Napa, of course.

Walnut Creek residents were some of the most frequent customers at the Napa Valley bakeries, Hansen says, and the expansion will let her meet her wine country visitors on their home turf.After nearly three years of renovations, the new space incorporates elegant touches designed by Richard Von Saal, from Napa’s VonSaal Design Build studio, including a chandelier made of kitchen utensils, black-and-white checkerboard floor tile and a large walnut table inspired by Walnut Creek.

“I’ve invested a lot into this building,” Hansen says, “and I think we’re going to be here a long time.”

Details >> 1315 N. Main St., Walnut Creek; themodelbakery.com

Yelp Top 100 restaurant grills again in Redwood City

Mazra, a Yelp Top 100-ranked Mediterranean restaurant, is back in business after completing fire damage repairs in Redwood City.

A two-alarm blaze tore through the kitchen in June, barely two months after the restaurant opened in a renovated downtown space with seating for 120 inside, 50 on the front patio and 40 more on the back patio.

Only about 15% percent of the restaurant walls were damaged and in need of repair, chef-founder Saif Makableh said. But he and his family took the opportunity to make further changes. “We redesigned our barbecue pit so that the chances of a fire happening again are slim to non. This included tiling of walls to withstand heat of up to 2,000 degrees while also enclosing the actual barbecue grill.”

Meantime, the original San Bruno location is being renovated and will reopen in early 2025.

Yelpers who gave Mazra five stars raved about the wood-grilled Double Kebab Plate; the 6-Hour Lamb Shank, the Crispy Cauliflower appetizer and the Street-Style Wraps filled with steak or chicken shawarma and “to die for” fries. Saif said the Lamb Chops and the Grilled Salmon Plate are particularly popular.

Details >> Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday 2021 Broadway in Redwood City; eatmazra.com

Morgan Hill festival sets lineup of top chefs

Culinary superstars will be serving up some of their favorite dishes at the first-ever Morgan Hill Food & Wine Festival, subtitled “Grilling for Growth.”

Headlined by chef Charlie Palmer, the Sunday, Oct. 27, festival will feature chefs Michael Mina, Tyler Florence and Elizabeth Falkner, among others, who will provide high-end food paired with local wines.

Mina, who will soon release a cookbook, is the founder of the Mina Group, whose restaurants include International Smoke, MINA Family Kitchen, Clock Bar, Bourbon Pub and Estiatorio Ornos.

Florence is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and Food Network star who has hosted “Tyler’s Ultimate” and “The Great Food Truck Race,” now in its 17th season. He also runs Wayfare Tavern and Miller & Lux.

Falkner is a frequent festival chef with a 20-year culinary career in San Francisco and a decade in New York.

Palmer is known for running Aureole, a New York restaurant that earned 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards during its tenure. Now he’s part of a team creating luxurious boutique hotels, including the Hotel MOHI by Appellation, slated to open in downtown Morgan Hill in 2025.

The hotel was narrowly approved by the Morgan Hill City Council in June after opponents argued that the deal offered millions of dollars in tax breaks to the business owners.

The festival intends to support the “creation and development of hospitality programs across the Morgan Hill Unified School District.”

Details >>The event will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27 at 90 E. 3rd St., Morgan Hill. General admission tickets, $200, may be purchased online at www.mohifarm.com/store/event/2024-mohi-farm-food-wine-festival/. The $350 VIP tickets have sold out.

Pleasanton Starbird opens; Cupertino location is next

Starbird, the Bay Area-born premium chicken concept, has finally come to Alameda County.

The chain has renovated a free-standing Pleasanton restaurant space on Owens Drive near Interstate 580, and offers seating for 40 indoor and on the patio. It’s the first Starbird for Alameda County and the second East Bay location after Contra Costa’s Walnut Creek.

The signature Starbird 2.0 sandwich is topped with rainbow slaw and avocado. Other sandwiches include the new seasonal Cali Gold BBQ, with bacon and barbecue sauce;and the Seoul Star, with a Korean sauce, sweet soy glaze and veggies. Flavors are also available as wings, tenders or nuggets or atop salads.

Besides Pleasanton, Starbird has opened locations in Palo Alto and South San Francisco this year. Coming before year’s end will be a Cupertino restaurant on Stevens Creek Boulevard.

Details >> Open daily from 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday at 6455 Owens Drive, Pleasanton: www.starbirdchicken.com

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com or John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com.