Duskie Estes began cooking at the age of five in her EZ-Bake oven. She is a graduate of Brown University.  Growing up in San Francisco, she fell in love with everything restaurant through her weekly Wednesday night dinners out with her father. She worked at Lucky's/Al Forno (Rhode Island), 21 Federal and Kinkead's (WashingtonDC), Green's and Glide Church (San Francisco), Baywolf (Oakland), Share Our Strength (WashingtonDC and Seattle), and Dahlia Lounge, Etta's Seafood, and Palace Kitchen (Seattle, WA.). During her two year tenure as chef at Palace Kitchen, she was voted City Search's Seattle Best Chef in 2000. Under her leadership, Palace Kitchen was rated by Gourmet magazine as one of the top five Seattle restaurants in 2000 and in the nation's top 50 restaurants in 2001. She was coauthor on Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen, which received the James Beard Award in 2001.

John Stewart is from Mt. Kisco, New York and grew up in the kitchen of his family’s four generation catering company, Thomas Fox and Sons, founded in 1919 by his great grandfather. By the age of 7, he was polishing silver, folding pastry boxes, and icing petit fours with his grandmother. In this environment, John learned fundamental cooking techniques and a strong connection between family and food. Relocating to Seattle in 1994, John worked at Etta’s Seafood and Palace Kitchen, where he met Duskie. He fortuitously was offered the position of sous chef at the well known Cafe Lago, and fell deeply in love with all things Italian. John could easily resonate with the Italian generosity of spirit, the connection between food and family, and the inclination not to waste a morsel (“snout to tail” philosophy). John is a 1990 graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, an avid gardener, and as of the move to Sonoma, a blossoming chicken, pig, and sheep rancher. The resulting eggs can be found in the pasta at ZAZU. John is an avid salumist studying with chef Mario Batali and at the University of Iowa Meat Lab. He is responsible for their line of BLACK PIG meats, bacon & salumi made from heritage breed, antibiotic and hormone free, and free range pork. In 2009, Rachel Ray picked their BLACK PIG Bacon for her holiday gift giving guide. They are most excited about their current wooly pig project out back.

In 2001, Duskie and John opened ZAZU restaurant + farm in Santa Rosa. ZAZU was named a TOP 10 best new restaurant of 2002 and was listed in the San Francisco Chronicle’s TOP 100 restaurants in 2003, 2004, and 2005. ZAZU was also rated in the TOP 10 Italian Restaurants in Northern California by ZAGAT and TOP 50 restaurants in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine. In 2008, 2009, and 2010, ZAZU was included in the San Francisco Michelin guide as an Inspectors Favorite for value, receiving a “Bib Gourmand”. In 2009, Duskie & John received the Rising Star Chef Awards for Sustainability.

In 2005, Duskie and John opened BOVOLO in Healdsburg. San Francisco Magazine voted BOVOLO’s pork check sandwich in the TOP 5 Sandwiches in the Bay Area. Gayot included BOVOLO in their TOP 40 Cheap Eats in the U.S. and Zagat included BOVOLO in its San Francisco Dining Deals.

Duskie & John released their first wine in 2005, Holdredge Schiopettino, MacBryde Vineyard, which can be found exclusively at ZAZU and The French Laundry. The grapes received tender care and attention from their babydoll sheep, Pickles & Pancake. Recently the vineyard had to be torn out, because of Duskie & John’s unwillingness to spray near their family, so the family decided to build a “Pig Palace” and to learn about animal husbandry. In addition, they have just released their BLACK PIG PINOT, available by the glass at both restaurants.
 
In 2007, Duskie was a fierce competitor on the Food Network Challenge. In 2007, Duskie and John were fortunate to be on the cover of Wine Spectator. They are also among those featured in the California Tourism Commercial with Thomas Keller, Doug Keene, Suzanne Goin, and Guy Fieri (you can see it on www.wineinstitute.org). They have also been featured on P.B.S.’s Chef A Field and on Emeril Green. Both restaurants have been included in Gourmet, Food & Wine, Sunset, Every Day with Rachel Ray, Wine Spectator, Bon Appetit, Art Culinaire, San Francisco Chronicle, Press Democrat, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Food Arts, San Francisco Magazine, Hemisphere, Zagat, Elle (Japan & Mexico), Marie Claire, Luxury, Los Angeles Times, Michelin and more. You can catch Duskie in the ZAZU garden before service gathering fava leaves or squash blossoms with her two little girls.

Besides these successful restaurant+ joint ventures, Duskie and John, married in California wine country in 2000, are the proud parents of Brydie and MacKenzie Estes Stewart, born in 2001 and 2002 respectively.

John Stewart

is from Mt. Kisco, New York and grew up in the kitchen of his family’s four generation catering company, Thomas Fox and Sons, founded in 1919 by his great grandfather. By the age of 7, he was polishing silver, folding pastry boxes, and icing petit fours with his grandmother. In this environment, John learned fundamental cooking techniques and a strong connection between family and food.

Relocating to Seattle in 1994, John worked at Etta’s Seafood and Palace Kitchen, where he met Duskie. He fortuitously was offered the position of sous chef at the well known Cafe Lago, and fell deeply in love with all things Italian. John could easily resonate with the Italian generosity of spirit, the connection between food and family, and the inclination not to waste a morsel (“snout to tail” philosophy). John is a 1990 graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, an avid gardener, and as of the move to Sonoma, a blossoming chicken, pig, and sheep rancher. The resulting eggs can be found in the pasta at ZAZU. John is an avid salumist studying with chef Mario Batali and at the University of Iowa Meat Lab. He is responsible for their line of BLACK PIG meats, bacon & salumi made from heritage breed, antibiotic and hormone free, and free range pork. In 2009, Rachel Ray picked their BLACK PIG Bacon for her holiday gift giving guide. They are most excited about their current wooly pig project out back.

About Zazu

The zazu kitchen is inspired by the thoroughly American and deep Italian roots of Sonoma County's wine growing families. The food is innovative but approachable, yet heavily based in combinations that have a culinary history and that work. The nightly changing menus are put together after much thought and research. Duskie likes to update comforting American classics with the best local ingredients Sonoma has to offer (like making an It's It with her own ice cream and oatmeal cookies dipped in Berkeley's Scharffen Berger chocolate, tomato soup with a Petaluma's Bellwether Carmody grilled cheese sandwich, a banana split with a bruleed banana and ginger ice cream, a celadon salad - a wedge of iceberg lettuce with green goddess dressing, avocado, cucumber, and pea shoots).

After training with a Tuscan couple, John likes to prepare authentic and rustic Italian foods. John makes Zazu's pastas daily with eggs he gathers from his own chickens. He is also an avid gardener, growing all the ingredients that go into his ribollita in Zazu's garden to highlight "olio nuovo" fresh from the press in November. Other Italian inspired dishes have included: vin santo braised rabbit with chestnut pappardelle and thumbelina carrots; seared sonoma duck with laura chenel goat cheese gnocchi, black mission figs and saba; or vin santo ice cream with biscotti di Prato.

Finding themselves in the agricultural and viticultural mecca of Sonoma County, with the best ingredients and wine in the world, Duskie and John focus on a menu that is "wine friendly" and uncomplicated. They are committed to the philosophy of finding ingredients as close to the restaurant as possible (out back), harvested at peak ripeness, and doing as little as possible to alter their natural perfection.

ZAZU was named a TOP 10 best new restaurant of 2002 and has been listed in the San Francisco Chronicle's TOP 100 restaurants in 2003, 2004, and 2005. ZAZU was also rated TOP 50 restaurants in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine. ZAZU has been featured in Wine Spectator, Decanter, Art Culinaire, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, The Press Democrat, Los Angeles Times, Elle, Marie Claire, and San Francisco Magazine to name a few.

Besides these successful restaurant joint ventures, Duskie and John, married in California wine country in 2000, are the proud parents of Brydie and MacKenzie Estes Stewart, born in 2001 and 2002 respectively.