Personalities

Joanne Weir

Joanne's Links:

Chef/Author-- Copita Tequileria y Comida

Joanne is thrilled to be opening her first restaurant with seasoned operator, Larry Mindel. Joanne will be the guiding force behind Copita’s menu and bar program, inspired by recipes from her recent cookbook, “Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites.” Joanne’s industry experience comes from her many culinary endeavors, including multiple television programs, a James Beard Award-winning cookbook, international teaching positions, and her time as a professional chef.

Joanne’s passion for home cooking was stoked by a legacy of life in the kitchen. A fourth generation professional chef, Joanne’s great-grandmother, operated a restaurant in Boston at the turn of the century called Pilgrim’s Pantry. That enthusiasm for food was passed down to her mother, a professional chef and caterer, who worked the legendary cookbook author, Charlotte Turgeon.

Joanne spent five years cooking with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California and studied with Madeleine Kamman in France where she was awarded a Master Chef Diploma with honors. Born with a love for teaching, Joanne’s passion has taken her all over the United States and the world. As the very first recipient of the IACP Julia Child Cooking Teacher Award of Excellence, Joanne has a lifetime of experience that flavors everything she touches. Her first book, “From Tapas to Meze,” (Crown, 1994.) was nominated for a James Beard Award and selected by Julia Child as one of her 12 personal favorites out of 1,000 cookbooks published that year.

Joanne went on to publish many cookbooks and her talents were brought to life in the PBS series “Weir Cooking in the Wine Country”, shot on location in the Napa Valley. “Weir Cooking in the City,” a 26-part PBS series, followed shortly thereafter and Joanne received a James Beard Award for Best Cookbook in the General Category in 2005 for the companion book (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Weir is now producing her own wines called Joanne Weir Wines in collaboration with boutique winemakers from California and around the world. Her 2010 Chardonnay and 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon won double gold in the San Francisco 2013 wine competition. Joanne has recently been named Culinary Editor-at-Large of Fine Cooking Magazine. Joanne writes for many national magazines including, Cooking Light, for whom she serves on their Nutritional Advisory Board, Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Better Homes and Gardens, Food & Wine, AARP The Magazine and Sunset Magazine and has been featured on numerous television shows including, The Today Show and Good Morning America. In 2012, Joanne published her latest book, “Cooking Confidence: Dinner Made Simple”, which is the companion to her new television series, “Joanne Weir’s Cooking with Confidence.” Recently, her television series won the 2013 Taste Award for “Best New Series”.

Copita represents the culmination of Weir’s vast experience cooking, traveling, and sharing meals with friends. The restaurant showcases her love of Mexico and her California approach to cooking, bringing Joanne full circle and back to the Bay Area.