WORK • Friday Routine
MARTINA KOSTOW • CEO & co-founder • Team Kostow (The Charter Oak, Loveski Deli, Ciccio’s)
Neighborhood you live in: Calistoga
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Mornings are a bit chaotic getting my two daughters Daisy and Lulu ready and off to school and activities. I appreciate that my business partner and husband Christopher takes the girls to school, which allows me to go to the gym and clear my mind. It’s nice to get an hour to myself every day before I typically head to The Charter Oak.
I usually come in through the back kitchen door, say hello to everyone, and walk through and around the building, making my way downstairs to the office. There’s prep going on in the kitchen; team members are setting up in the service station and at the bar.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Christopher and I have been focused on further expansion, having conversations around where the next 1-2 locations should be, what the space(s) should look like, and what our offerings will be. We're very much curating each store and experience based on the size of the location and the community that we're in.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My folks are coming into town this week, as well as my in-laws, so it’ll be nice for them to take the girls out for dinner at Picobar (a family favorite) while Christopher and I sneak away for a much-needed date night. We’ve been really looking forward to dining at Enclos in Sonoma — not only have we heard amazing things, but one of our longtime team members, Hollin, opened as their maître d’.
How about a little leisure or culture?
We had a great time taking the girls to BottleRock for the first time. They had some amazing acts this year. We also ventured down the new Napa Valley Vine Trail earlier in the year, when it was a little chillier.
Any weekend getaways?
We recently did a staycation at Carneros Resort & Spa in Napa with Daisy and Lulu and our dog Charlie. We love it there — we’re close to home and the businesses, but feel like we're a million miles away.
What was your last great vacation?
In April we went to London — I can see myself living there someday. I can walk Green Park every day and go out for amazing meals every night; that would be the dream. We visited Oxford and I was hard-selling my children on attending one of the Colleges someday — selfishly, as an excuse for me to visit often.
A couple years back, I was finally able to share Thailand with my daughters. Our friends own a beautiful place called Siri Sala (it was highlighted in the last season of The White Lotus) in Bangkok, then we traveled to Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Christopher and our daughters had the opportunity to see where my mom is from and meet our entire family, who still live in a remote village in Sing Buri. Seeing the immediate connection between my daughters and my family in Sing Buri was very impactful, and I came home feeling more connected to my Thai culture.
Where are you donating your time or money?
The main charity we dedicate our time to and raise funds for every year is The Cameron Thompson Legacy Scholarship, a scholarship Christopher and I started alongside Tracy Thompson after her son, Cameron (who was a cook of ours at The Restaurant at Meadowood) unexpectedly passed away. Its focus is to make sure minorities are always represented in kitchens and that they have access to the resources they need to support their career endeavors.