You don't have to be a chef to find inspiration at the Culinary Institute of America's (ciaatcopia.com) public food and wine showplace. Turn left at the Winemaker Wall of Fame (salute Merry Edwards, the sole woman!) for gourmet-themed art, including vintage portraits of Julia Child taken before she was famous. Upstairs is fabulous, free Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum, with its dazzling wall of copper baking molds (10:30am to 5pm daily). Check online for cooking classes, demos, documentaries and too-spicy-for-TV star-chef panels.
There's always something happening at this 80,000-sq-ft campus, including one-day cooking classes ($250; see the website) led by America's Test Kitchen chefs and sit-down meals served in the garden. Copia happy hours (5pm to 6pm & 8pm to 9pm Wednesday to Sunday) are a local favorite for sweet deals on Napa wine, Sonoma beer, farm-inspired cocktails, and bargain bites – the chefs might be standing right behind you, so be nice. The Store downstairs is one-stop-shopping for gourmet gadgets, signed cookbooks, and gifts for budding chefs (start 'em young).
