Boo. 👻

Issue 55

Oct 17, 2025

NEWS (TO US)

All the latest scoops

Theda’s Ice Creamery. Open now
They’ve got something for everyone: Fresh Mint Chip (for your vegan friend), Apple Cider Donut (for your gluten-free pal), Maple Roasted Carrot (for your eccentric co-worker), and Rocky Road (for the normies among us). And they’re even open till 9/10pm! Ice cream after-party, anyone?

Naysayer. Opening location #2 — but they need your help!
Visit the link and contribute today!

Strange Times Coffee & Tea. Open now
Folklore’s weekday alter ego is serving up Mad Fritz espresso, pastries, sandwiches, and that all-important WiFi, perfect for pretending to work while writing a local newsletter (ahem).

Napa Hot Chicken. Grand opening, this Sat Oct 18
With $5 sliders all day long. Plus: a chance to win free sliders for a year. Yes, a whole year.

Good Pantry. The signage is up!
Is it open? Not quite. Is it progress? You bet. We’re now one sign closer to snacks.

Napa River. There’s a porpoise up in there
And we like him.

Napa Valley Transportation Authority. Weigh in on the pedestrian and bike projects
And if they don’t listen to you, you are allowed to continue to complain about the lack of stop signs.

Eikos. Sushi + Noodles
Calling all nood-ists (noodle enthusiasts, you guys, get your mind out of the gutter): Eiko’s is bringing back some Napa Noodle favorites, like Dan Dan and ramen.

Costa Alegre Market. That odd retail space on Pine Street has a new tenant
Signs are up in the window. Opening soon. Let’s hope for the best.

House Plant Tattoo. New private tattoo studio
If you get a Valley Villager tattoo, we’ll give you free newsletters for life. Not that we charge for them now. But still. Immortalize us on your body, and we’ll keep sending emails until arthritis takes over our typing fingers.

Napa Valley Education Foundation Campus. Open now
Check out the fall lineup of community classes, many in collaboration with our friends at Nimbus Arts.

The Village (Calistoga). Wine for you. Play for the kids.
A new family-friendly wine country hangout. Of course, enough wine and you may find us hanging from the jungle gym as well.

Guild Napa. New Mini (Mess) Makers Programs
New weekly art-and-play classes for little ones (and their brave adult sidekicks).

Under-Study. All kindsa fun classes
Too many for us to list here, all worth a peek.

Rumor Mill

Con Amor. Opening soon…
A little birdie told us they’ll be open before Día de los Muertos, so we’re breaking the news a little early. Follow them on social so you can be the first to know when the doors open.

Over the Hill

Abo’s Cocina (Vallejo). New Guatemalan restaurant
Early reports say churrasco, pepián, and warm, familial vibes. We’ll share more once we’ve had a chance to eat our way through the menu.

BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET

Tips for keeping it frugal around town

Hudson Greens & Goods. Rummage through the Bargain Bin.
Tucked between the chanterelles and the cider is Hudson’s bargain bin — a mixed bag of daily delights. Slightly wilty broccolini, almost-too-ripe stone fruit, day-old-but-still-good bread, beer on the brink of expiring, last season’s marshmallows, vegan crackers that nobody asked for — it’s all fair game. The bins change daily, just enough to make you feel like you’re on an Iron Chef challenge. Think Grocery Outlet, but every item is artisanal and “bargain” really just means “priced like normal food.” Consider it thrifting, but for your fridge.