Rumors swirl as to exactly why the name did change. Some say it was to add their surname to a successful family venture, others say it was to avoid franchise restrictions in towns that don’t allow chains, still others say it was to quell any requests for loyalties from a family who sold their business years ago. Despite the politics of the situation, Gott’s will remain an institution, as is testified by the hundreds, if not thousands of people, who still wait in line each day for a pistachio milkshake, sweet potato fries, ahi burger or cold beer at their favorite roadside attraction..

St. Helena, CA  – March 24, 2010 – The family that founded St. Helena’s historic Taylor’s Refresher restaurant 60 years ago and still owns the rights to the name expressed outrage today at Napa Valley developers Joel and Duncan Gott for abruptly and unlawfully changing the name of the business.

Jean Taylor Nicholson, 83, and Virginia Taylor Toogood, 80, the daughters of Taylor’s Refresher founder Lloyd “Popsy” Taylor, said the Gotts’ exploitive actions will wipe out the good name of their father’s original drive-in and its place in St. Helena history dating back to 1949.

“We are shocked and angered by this announcement and will fight to protect our family name and reputation,” said Virginia Toogood. “Taylor’s Refresher has a long and cherished history in St. Helena that will be irreparably damaged by this. This is like changing the name of the Martini Winery, the French Laundry or any other historic business in our community without consent. It’s not right. We own the property and the name, not the Gotts.”

The Gotts announced today they are changing the name of the restaurant to Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet “for legal reasons,” a reference to a four-year trademark infringement case they forced upon the sisters by opening Taylor’s restaurants in San Francisco and Napa without consent, which they have admitted in legal proceedings.

The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled in 2008 that the sisters are the legal and rightful owners of the trade name and mark “Taylor’s Refresher” and that the Gotts are using the name in St. Helena under a license from the sisters. The Gotts’ appeal of the ruling against them is pending in federal court in San Francisco. The Gotts also announced they are changing the names of their San Francisco and Napa restaurants.

Generations of local residents and travelers have patronized the hamburger stand that Popsy Taylor first opened at 933 Main Street in 1949. Virginia and her late husband, Charley Toogood, took over the restaurant in 1968 and, with other family members, operated it for the next 30 years. In 1999, the sisters leased Taylor’s Refresher to the Gotts, who renovated it before reopening as both Taylor’s Refresher and Taylor’s Automatic Refresher. Over the next five years, the revitalized restaurant grew in popularity to enthusiastic crowds.

Then in 2004, Nicholson and Toogood were surprised and embarrassed to learn from friends that the Gotts were about to open a new Taylor’s Automatic Refresher at the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco. Three years later, the Gotts opened a third Taylor’s Automatic Refresher in the Oxbow Public Market on First Street in Napa.

While Nicholson and Toogood receive percentage-based lease payments from the original St. Helena restaurant, they have received nothing from the Gotts for the use of the name in San Francisco or Napa. The sisters want to protect their trademark, name and value of the St. Helena restaurant for their families and heirs.

St. Helena, CA - (MARCH 24, 2010) Effective March 25, Joel and Duncan Gott, owners of Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, are changing the name of their three popular Bay Area restaurants to Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet. To celebrate, the brothers have rehired the original chef, Rick Robinson, and are hosting a series of parties at their various locations, open to the public.

“After ten years, we are proud of what we have created and have decided it’s time to give the businesses our family name – with the same great food and great service,” says Joel. “Tray Gourmet says it all – our salute to the classic roadside stand done with a twist: fast food as fine food, made with fresh, high quality artisan ingredients and cooked to order.”

Robinson, who was the founding chef when the restaurant opened in 1999, has returned as executive chef, and will be enhancing the traditional American offerings with a keen focus on maintaining the emphasis on handcrafted dishes.

“We’ll be pursuing an even higher level of cooking that showcases more boutique ingredients from local ranchers, farmers and purveyors,” he said. “While the menu will remain the same, we’re not going to rest on our laurels. We’re striving to consistently improve, and will be adding some really interesting specials like an Ahi poke salad and an upscale tuna melt.”

To mark the occasion, the Gotts are inviting their friends and customers to celebrations on Thursday, March 25 at the San Francisco Ferry Building location from 6 – 9 pm and Friday, March 26 at the St. Helena and Napa Oxbow locations from 6 – 8 pm.  Partygoers will enjoy free cheeseburgers, Ahi burgers and “Seoul” burgers (kimchi and pork) as well as free fries, homemade ice cream sandwiches and drinks – all served up with great music from well-known artists Sean Garvey playing in St. Helena and DJ Lucy Wrubel performing in San Francisco.

Having redefined drive-in cuisine and garnered a large and loyal following, the three restaurants, owned and operated by partners Joel and Duncan Gott since 1999, received the 2006 James Beard Foundation’s “America’s Classic Restaurant” Award. The restaurants have been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Travel & Leisure and Food & Wine, while Robert Parker Jr. has said theirs are “the world’s greatest hamburgers”.

Bay Area locations include the original old fashioned drive-in burger stand in St. Helena, the bustling San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace restaurant and the most recently opened eatery in downtown Napa’s Oxbow Public Market.

“We are all very are excited about Gott’s Roadside, and will continue the tradition we have built over the last ten years,” says Joel Gott. “I’m particularly happy to welcome Rick back into the kitchen to help us grow.”

Duncan Gott adds, “We are very fortunate to have such loyal customers who have been the key to our success.  We will serve the same high quality food and offer the same great menu in a fun atmosphere.”

Known for its delicious and upscale take on all-American fare using the best ingredients, the three sites often have lines of hungry customers snaking out the door.  The iconic menu serves up Niman Ranch beef, rare Ahi tuna burgers with wasabi mayonnaise, grilled fresh Mahi Mahi tacos, thick and rich Double Rainbow ice cream shakes, French and chili-dusted sweet potato fries, fresh salads and home-made soups, complemented by California micro-brewed beer and boutique wines.  The restaurants also lure customers with their seasonal specials like the “Seoul” pork burger with kimchi, pulled pork sandwiches, the ultimate BLT with heirloom tomatoes, and shrimp tacos.

The St. Helena drive-in burger stand is located on Highway 29, 933 Main Street in St. Helena and open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week. Telephone: 707-963-3486.

The San Francisco restaurant is on the Embarcadero in the Ferry Building Marketplace, Space #6 and open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. Telephone: 415-318-3423.

The Napa eatery is located at the Oxbow Public Market Annex, 644 First Street in Napa and open from 10:30 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. Telephone: 707-224-6900.

Take-out service is a popular option, with call-ahead ordering available at 866-EAT-FOOD. Please note the company’s new web address: http://www.gottsroadside.com.

Kids aren’t always excited as their Grands when the time comes for a visit, but maybe they’ll take the right bait. One of the lures offered in the Napa Valley is (like, totally) awesome skateboarding.

In downtown Napa, at the corner of Pearl and Yajome, is the Napa Skateboard Park. No one would call this concrete jungle world class, and in fact the city is looking at building a replacement. But it’s a comfortable skate for novices and journeymen, with enough humps and bumps to challenge. On the same lot is a toddler playground. There are no benches in either area, so Grands keeping watch might want to take their own lawn chairs.

At the other end of the valley is the Calistoga Skateboard Park. Located at 1305 Washington, the park boasts street ramps and grind rails.We haven’t been there yet. Have you?

Star of the valley is the new St. Helena Skatepark that just opened in October ’09.  It’s located in Crane Park (Crane & Grayson Aves.), which offers activities for the whole family (bocce, playground, tennis, picknicking, etc.).

With some pretty scary looking drop-ins, the park actually served our family skaters – aged 7 to 30-something – very well. We were surprised to find “Officer Friendly” on duty.  Although not a skater, he kept an alert eye on the diverse crowd sharing the concrete playground.

Oh yes. One of the things all three parks have in common is the requirement for helmets and pads – both knee and elbow. And just because you’re a dad who learned your moves more than 25 years ago, don’t think that rule doesn’t apply to you. As the officer quietly reminded our 30-something, he’s a role model for the entire park.

About that gear: We wanted an early start, so found the pads and headgear we needed for my 8-year-old granddaughter at Target (Trancas & the 29) – reasonably priced and style acceptable!  But we’ve also poked into more specialized local shops, such as Boardgarden in both Napa and St. Helena.

And even if you don’t have time or inclination to head to the parks, Kohl’s in downtown Napa carries a fun line of Tony Hawk shirts for kids of all ages. Who’s Tony Hawk? Perhaps the world’s best-known skateboarder. Now that I’ve fact-checked myself on line, I realize there are also Hawk hoodies, shoes, wallets, pants and backpacks at Kohl’s. For those SoCal grandkids, the lure may now be the shop – as much as the skate!

Either way, they’ll be stoked.

For example, at only 15 months, my granddaughter, Mackenzie defines the corner of Browns Valley and Robinson as Baa-Baa.  That’s because just a few blocks to the west are the sheep, goats, pigs and fowl that reside at the Connolly Ranch.  It’s one of our favorite strolls.  For us it’s enough to call to the animals through the fence and to toss a few bread crumbs across to the ducks and geese.  But camps and classes await her as she gets older.  It’s a great local asset designed to connect kids with nature through farm-based environmental education programs, according to the web site.  (www.connollyranch.org)

Also an adventure for Grands and Kids is Scientopia Discovery Center at 1785B Tanen St. Kenzie loved her first visit, well before her first birthday. But her older cousins (6 and had just as much fun. It’s a big-city concept tailored to the not-so-big city of Napa. There’s plenty of action for curious kids, with science lessons learned more by osmosis than through conscious education.  Unless, of course, the youngsters join the Reptile Club or attend the special Science Nights. Get a loyalty card and earn a free visit after nine reasonably priced paid visits. The web site alerts us to special dates, such as free days for grandparents and spring break schedules. (www.scientopiadiscoverycenter.com)

Nothing better after such adventures than lunch at The Little Gourmet at 1040 Main St. in downtown Napa.  It’s no exaggeration to say that the restaurant specializes in “creatively fun and healthy meals for lunch and dinner.”  But the fare for adults is delicious as well.  In the future, we hope to take advantage of the cooking and etiquette classes that are geared for youngsters.  (www.thelittlegourmetnapa.com)

If you’re like me, we’ll want to keep adding to this list of Napa’s activities for Grands and Kids.  Let’s share.

You will not easily find the info listed in this article, as most businesses would rather you were spending your money in town, but YourNapaRealtor is here to help de-mystify ALL the glories of Napa – both indoors and out.

Below, I am listing the hidden gems for mountain biking in the Napa Valley. Soon, I will also review the best hikes and road rides.

Here are the top 3, in our order of preference:

1) Las Posadas (Angwin) – RARE MAP – Rolling trails with ups and downs, whoop-de-doos, mostly single track, diverse terrain, freeride dirt jump parks.

2) Oat Hill (Calistoga) – Review and Maps – 9 miles up to the mine, then 9 back. Great views, single track / fire road.

3) Skyline (Napa) – directions – RARE MAP – fun single track/trail system, shared with hikers and horseback riders. Bring your discs for a round of post-ride frisbee golf!

Imagine this reality – one day soon, you will be able to ride your bike from the hot springs of Calistoga, 44 miles south through the vineyards of Napa, then hop on a ferry to San Francisco or Marin – all without having to compete with automobiles and traffic.

Surprisingly, the path has not received much resistance from the decision-making governing bodies and agriculture groups. A joint statement from the founding members of the Vine Trail Coalition was issued May 7, 2009, indicating support for the trail plan: “The Napa Valley Grapegrowers, the Napa County Farm Bureau, the Napa Valley Vintners and the Winegrowers of Napa County support the voluntary development of a trail along the existing major transportation routes that does not require any modification of the Agricultural Preserve,” it reads.

At a recent NVVT Committee meeting, I learned of the following progress:

- NVVT has received its 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization

- As part of above, they have organized a board of directors, and are now able to accept volunteers and donations.

- A new website (napavalleyvinetrail.org) is under development and will launch Q1-2010.

- Yountville is breaking ground on the first part of designated NVVT around April 15th, 2010.

- The first phase, from Trancas in Napa to Calistoga, is 22 miles.

- Current budget for the project is at approximately $40M, of which the NVVT Coalition is responsible for raising 20% and is counting on goverment funds for the remaining 80%.

- Committees are actively working on capital campaign, permits, and all other aspects of making this trail a reality.

To volunteer, get additional information, or provide comments contact NVVT: info@napavalleyvinetrail.org

On a recent hike in Las Posadas (Pacific Union Campus, Angwin), we photographed some of these beauties for our friends at YourNapaRealtor. No mushrooms were hurt, or eaten, in the process of shooting this gallery!

Directions:

View Larger Map

It’s always fun to find a surprise a little off the beaten path that has been there forever, but is entirely new to you. One such place is the Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company, housed in an old barn in St Helena, just east of the landmark Tra Vigne restaurant, at the end of Charter Oak Avenue.

This little gem has been around for over 30 years, and is the best place to pick up deli meat, breadsticks, cheese and obviously, olive oil from a family-owned, authentic Italian deli.

Directions:

View Larger Map

They also serve amazing carnitas and burritos from their deli counter and offer a huge selection of hot sauces to take home with you.

Azteca also offers catering if you are throwing an event in the Napa Valley and would like to bring the party home..

Directions:

View Larger Map

The good news is that the mustard has come early, and despite some cloudy days, it is lovely in the Napa Valley!