Crista Luedtke and Her Many Projects

Many of you already know Crista Luedtke, former partner and co-founder of Big Bottom Market, and a woman who has played an important role in helping to evolve the town of Guerneville. She opened boon hotel+spa and then boon eat+drink followed. Soon after she teamed up with Michael and Kate to open the Market and El Barrio followed. Although our team has bought her out, both Crista and her mother Sue, continue to be ardent supporters of all things Market related.

Beyond her businesses Crista continues to keep busy with creative side projects.

She has been a contestant on Guy’s Grocery Games, winning the first ever title of GGG grand champion. Since then she has recently moved to the other side of the table as a culinary judge. She’s become somewhat of a regular now and has more episodes airing in the fall and more filming later this year.  keep an eye on the Food Network to see her in action, eating and judging.

The Film “Empire on Main street” continues its successful festival run and will be screening early Sept 2018 at the DC shorts film festival in Washington DC and then again in Napa at the Napa International film festival in November, which is partnered with Sundance. The film has won many awards for best documentary and peoples choice awards at several festivals throughout the county and even at Cannes Film Festival in France this summer. You can watch the trailer at www.empireonmainstreet.com. With the success of the film, the filmmakers have decided to turn the film into a docuseries and have partnered with Authentic Media out of NYC/LA to co-create the series. Stay tuned for more on this as it unravels.

If you have never been, you have to head over the El barrio. Crista and her team have dreamed up new cocktails and they have a greater focus on bringing more culinary treats to the menu. El Barrio now serves up tacos on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and will continue with the ever popular winter Wednesday posole as we near fall.

And who hasn’t had theBrussels sprouts from the boon eat+drink menu?!?
If you have and you love them check out this recipe from the LA Times and make them at home. If you’ve never had them, test out this recipe. You’ll fall in love.

Photo Credit: Kelly Puleio