A real highlight of the Mendocino Wine and Mushroom festival was when Chef Nicholas Patti, of the popular Mendo Bistro, joined creative forces with Elizabeth Terry, an author and award-winning chef from Savannah, Georgia, in creating a five-course mushroom-themed dinner paired with wines from Jepson Winery.

Elizabeth Terry is the author of Elizabeth on 37th, named after her famed Savannah restaurant, where she has rightfully earned a reputation as the Queen of New South Cuisine. The result of Elizabeth’s collaboration with Nicholas Patti’s Northern California style was a Southern menu with Mendocino twists. Show stoppers of the dinner included a pairing of the 2001 Jepson Viognier with fresh California sea bass with chanterelles and sweet potatoes and a dessert made from candy cap mushrooms — which have an aroma and flavor resembling fresh maple syrup —served with meringues and persimmon ice cream.

If you couldn’t make the festival, stop in at the Mendo Bistro for Chef Patti’s stellar, seasonal take on local ingredients. — Ziggy Eschliman

Mendo Bistro, 301 Main St., Fort Bragg, CA (707) 964.4974