Southern Smoke Comes to Napa for a Night of Food, Fire, and Giving Back

For one night only, some of California’s most celebrated chefs and wineries are coming together for a live fire barbecue in St. Helena to support the Southern Smoke Foundation (SSF), a nonprofit that provides no-cost mental health services and emergency relief funding to food and beverage workers across the country.

Hosted by Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on Thursday, July 25, the second annual Farmstead Live Fire x SSF event will welcome 250 guests for an outdoor walk-around tasting, with live fire cooking stations, a pop-up cocktail bar, and live bluegrass from Jason Beard’s Bring Joy. Last year’s inaugural event raised $53,000, and this year organizers hope to surpass that through ticket sales, a silent auction, and a raffle. Tickets are $260 per person, with all proceeds benefiting SSF, and are available via Tock.

The culinary lineup includes a powerhouse roster: Brandon Jew (Mister Jiu’s), David Nayfeld (Che Fico), Elliot Bell (Charlie’s), Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions, The Progress), and Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow (Flour + Water), among others. Participating wineries include Scribe, Matthiasson, The Mascot, Paradigm, and Robert Sinskey Vineyards, with Tito’s Vodka sponsoring cocktails.

Founded in 2017 by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and executive director Lindsey Brown, Southern Smoke Foundation has granted more than $14.5 million in emergency assistance to hospitality workers nationwide, and since 2020 has provided over 7,800 no-cost counseling sessions across 11 states.

“Raising awareness in California is just as important to us as fundraising,” Brown says. “Hopefully next year, we’ll see growth in the number of emergency relief grant recipients and participants in our Behind You mental health program in the Bay Area and Napa.” Among the participating chefs’ restaurants, SSF has previously awarded emergency grants to team members at Farmstead and Che Fico.

McNaughton and Pollnow first met Shepherd during a mental health panel at The Chef Conference in Los Angeles last year. “The honesty of that conversation really underscores the need for an ongoing dialogue that normalizes discussions about mental health, and how essential it is for F&B workers to have access to counseling,” Pollnow says.

At Flour + Water, the team includes a dedicated Chief People Officer to oversee company culture, hosting regular field trips and volunteer days, and offering educational grants for employee development. “We’re committed to cultivating a people-first culture where transparency is foundational to how we operate and support our team,” McNaughton says. “We’re honored to champion SSF by participating in this event, and look forward to continuing to be advocates for Behind You, as well as their Emergency Relief Fund program.”

Elliot Bell of Charlie’s echoes the sentiment: “This is the kind of event that reminds you what hospitality is truly about. Bringing people together, cooking with heart, and giving back. I’m especially excited to work with the garden at Long Meadow Ranch for the first time—it’s a dream setting for any chef who values ingredient-driven cooking.”