Kristy Ellington

Publisher of Among Locals. Co-founder at EC2 Studios, a Bay Area-based content and creative shop telling the stories of artisans.

Sep 9, 2025

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6 min read

When the Headlines Hurt, Go Local.

Organizers to follow, matcha to drink, a sunroom to covet, and a midweek calendar for sweet relief.

Kristy Ellington

Food & Drink

The Hottest Flight in Napa Right Now Isn’t Wine. It’s Matcha.

Sep 8, 2025

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5 min read

The Hottest Flight in Napa Right Now Isn’t Wine. It’s Matcha.

I went looking for the valley’s best green latte and found a tasting tour to rival your next rosé crawl.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Sep 4, 2025

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9 min read

☀️ Consider Your Weekend PLANNED

Zine-making, fried chicken Fridays, a Cacao Noir cake worth writing home about, and the low-key Doberman who’s stealing hearts.

Kristy Ellington

People

Sep 3, 2025

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8 min read

Ben Koenig Isn’t Ready to Give Up

How Heritage Eats went from fast-casual darling to near-collapse and why its founder is betting on humility instead of hype.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Good News: The Fire's Not Totally Catastrophic and Your Pet Could Be a Cover Star

Aug 28, 2025

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14 min read

Good News: The Fire's Not Totally Catastrophic and Your Pet Could Be a Cover Star

The Pickett fire may have started by mistake, a beloved park is getting artsy, and the Heritage Eats 3-Part Instagram saga ends with an updated menu. All in one scroll.

Kristy Ellington

🎟️ Keller’s Got Wagyu and Pliny on Tap. The Faire’s Got Deep-Fried Oreos. Choose Your Fighter.

Aug 7, 2025

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13 min read

🎟️ Keller’s Got Wagyu and Pliny on Tap. The Faire’s Got Deep-Fried Oreos. Choose Your Fighter.

We've got new restaurants, big fairs, and even bigger flavors for tomato girl summer. Head into this week hungry.

Kristy Ellington

👻 Ghost Sightings, Spaghetti Discourse, and a $26 Million Dream Home

Jul 31, 2025

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14 min read

👻 Ghost Sightings, Spaghetti Discourse, and a $26 Million Dream Home

Also: a farmers market in limbo, public transit news, and the triumphant return of The Pickled Pig.

Kristy Ellington

Culture

Everyone Loves the Farmers Market. So Why is Its Future So Uncertain?

Jul 30, 2025

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5 min read

Everyone Loves the Farmers Market. So Why is Its Future So Uncertain?

In a town built on agriculture, the Napa Farmers Market is still battling for permanence and support.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

It's Giving Summer Festival Season (Minus the Dust and Wristbands)

Jul 24, 2025

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20 min read

It's Giving Summer Festival Season (Minus the Dust and Wristbands)

Your cultural cheat sheet and unofficial guide to all the music happening around here (spoiler: it’s not Porchfest in St. Helena).

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

What’s Happening in Napa This Week? Everything.

Jul 17, 2025

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14 min read

What’s Happening in Napa This Week? Everything.

Markets, music, meetups, and the sweetest adoptable dog. Plus the local news you actually care about.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

🔥 Hot Lawsuits, Cold Cuts, and a Full Moon Party You’ll Regret Missing

Jul 10, 2025

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20 min read

🔥 Hot Lawsuits, Cold Cuts, and a Full Moon Party You’ll Regret Missing

Word on the street: porch parties are expanding, post offices are becoming hotels, and Napa just served Shein. Stay tuned.

Kristy Ellington

Business

Jul 9, 2025

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6 min read

The Tourists Aren’t Coming. Now What?

Tourism may be dipping, but wineries and hotels are discovering something more sustainable than foot traffic: community.

Kristy Ellington

Events

Karaoke is Napa's Most Underrated Wellness Practice

Jul 7, 2025

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6 min read

Karaoke is Napa's Most Underrated Wellness Practice

Turns out, singing your feelings at a steakhouse is a form of therapy. Cringe? Sure. But that’s kinda the point.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

🇺🇸 Napa's Got 4th of July Plans. Do You?

Jul 3, 2025

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16 min read

🇺🇸 Napa's Got 4th of July Plans. Do You?

Where to be, what to eat, and how to celebrate all over town. (Plus: a Meghan Markle wine twist you didn’t see coming).

Kristy Ellington

Food & Drink

Meghan Markle’s Napa Valley Rosé Sold Out in Minutes. That's Not What the Internet is Mad About.

Jul 2, 2025

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6 min read

Meghan Markle’s Napa Valley Rosé Sold Out in Minutes. That's Not What the Internet is Mad About.

Haters think the wine is a scam but it's actually a case study in how modern brands are built—with vision, story, and zero vineyard ownership.

Kristy Ellington

Food & Drink

Napa's Latest Breakout Food Scene is Built on Fried Chicken

Jun 30, 2025

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9 min read

Napa's Latest Breakout Food Scene is Built on Fried Chicken

Forget molecular or micro-seasonal. This food shift is rooted, personal, and built on comfort food that actually means something.

Kristy Ellington

Events

The Real Star of Napa Valley This Summer? Outdoor Movie Nights

Jun 29, 2025

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5 min read

The Real Star of Napa Valley This Summer? Outdoor Movie Nights

In an era ruled by algorithms and $15 popcorn, the coolest thing you can do this summer is watch an old movie outside with your neighbors.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Fancy First Street, PorchFest, and the Hottest Restaurants You Need to Try

Jun 26, 2025

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18 min read

Fancy First Street, PorchFest, and the Hottest Restaurants You Need to Try

From real estate revamps to riverside getaways, this week’s got everything: food, gossip, events, and the one free chipping service you’ll actually care about.

Kristy Ellington

Food & Drink

These Are the Hottest New Restaurants in Napa You Have to Try

Jun 24, 2025

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4 min read

These Are the Hottest New Restaurants in Napa You Have to Try

They are about to be all over your Instagram feeds so grab a table before they book up.

Kristy Ellington

Food & Drink

Carabao Proves the Filipino Food Movement Isn’t Just About the Food

Jun 19, 2025

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4 min read

Carabao Proves the Filipino Food Movement Isn’t Just About the Food

Filipino chefs are both preserving tradition and rewriting it with every plate.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Solstice, Juneteenth Takeover, and Carabao's Opening Night

Jun 19, 2025

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19 min read

Solstice, Juneteenth Takeover, and Carabao's Opening Night

More sun, more fun, more reasons to get outdoors and remember that this is the whole point.

Kristy Ellington

Business

This New Downtown Shop is Quietly Rewriting the Retail Rulebook

Jun 17, 2025

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5 min read

This New Downtown Shop is Quietly Rewriting the Retail Rulebook

Good vibes aren't a strategy, but maybe they should be.

Kristy Ellington

Events

Uptown’s Fall & Winter Screening Lineup Is Straight Outta Your VHS Dreams

Jun 13, 2025

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3 min read

Uptown’s Fall & Winter Screening Lineup Is Straight Outta Your VHS Dreams

Get your tickets now because one of these shows is almost sold out.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Jun 12, 2025

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21 min read

🌲 Big Trees. Big Events. Big Dad Energy.

A guide to everything good this weekend, from burgers and botanicals to redwood retreats.

Kristy Ellington

Weekly Newsletter

Pride, Presence, and Why a DJ Before Noon Is Good Business

Jun 5, 2025

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20 min read

Pride, Presence, and Why a DJ Before Noon Is Good Business

What’s happening around Napa this week (spoiler: it’s more than wine and weddings, no offense to either of those things).

Kristy Ellington