Welcome back. Fair warning: this week’s Monday Town Notes are useful, but maybe not exactly lunch reading.

We have one county warning about poisonous wild mushrooms, another about potentially infested grapevines sold at the Napa Costco, and then, because I promise this is not secretly a public health newsletter, a few nicer notes about new restaurant movement around town.

So yes, we are covering mushrooms you should not eat, grapevines you should not plant, and Mexican food you probably should eat.

That is range.

Here’s your Lowdown Trivia for the week: California has an official state mushroom, and yes, it grows naturally right here in the state. Which mushroom is it?

A. Death Cap
B. Western Destroying Angel
C. Chicken of the Woods
D. California Golden Chanterelle

OK, here’s the reminder.

Napa County Public Health says three adults were hospitalized after eating poisonous wild mushrooms foraged in the Deer Park area, specifically around Deer Park Road, Fawn Road, and Silverado Trail.

And maybe this is just me as a former dirt and sticks kid, but I feel like some of us had that little phase where foraging seemed kind of magical. You learn about berries, mushrooms, plants, the whole “nature provides” thing.

And then, pretty quickly, you also learn that nature provides consequences.

Because with mushrooms especially, you really, really need to know what you are doing. Foraging can be a great hobby in the hands of someone who is actually trained and careful. But just going outside and eating something because it looks right is a very dangerous game.

The bigger warning from the county is simple: poisonous mushrooms can show up anywhere, and they can look and taste similar to safe ones.

So the advice is also simple: don’t eat wild mushrooms. Don’t eat mushrooms someone else picked. Keep an eye on kids and pets in areas where wild mushrooms are growing. And if someone may have eaten a poisonous mushroom, call Poison Control or seek medical care right away.

Very much not the cheeriest town note, but definitely a “better to know than not know” one.

OK, this is the one I feel genuinely bad for including.

Napa County’s Agricultural Commissioner says grapevine plants sold at the Napa Costco may be infested with glassy-winged sharpshooter, which is an invasive insect pest that can spread Pierce’s disease.

Not only is this kind of gross, but it is also very bad in wine country.

The bug itself is not huge. Adult glassy-winged sharpshooters are about half an inch long, usually dark brown, with clear-ish wings. Basically, not the kind of insect you would see on a plant and immediately assume could become a countywide problem.

But the issue is what they spread.

When a glassy-winged sharpshooter feeds on an infected plant, it can carry the bacteria that causes Pierce’s disease to another grapevine. That bacteria essentially clogs the vine’s water system, causing the leaves to scorch, fruit to decline, and eventually the whole vine can die.

So yes, one tiny bug on one Costco grapevine is a much bigger deal here than it would be in almost any other town.

Between April 21 and May 26, the Napa Costco received 220 grapevines from Burchell Nursery in Fresno County. So far, 63 have been destroyed, one glassy-winged sharpshooter egg mass was found, and the remaining 157 grapevines are still unaccounted for.

So if you bought a grapevine, citrus tree, or other fruit tree from Napa Costco, or a nearby Costco, in April or May, the county is asking you not to plant it, move it, return it, throw it away, or compost it.

An agricultural inspector can come examine the plant and any nearby host plants if need be.

So “please quarantine your Costco grapevine” is the kind of oddly specific local warning you should know about this week.

I’m just going to say it: Mexican food might be Napa’s best food category.

Not the fanciest. Not always the most written-about. But usually more affordable, often more satisfying, and very frequently the thing I actually want to eat.

And right now, we have two good updates in that department.

First: Don Perico is getting closer to its next chapter. After more than 30 years in Napa, the family-owned Mexican restaurant is preparing to reopen at 1300 First Street, in the former Buckhorn Grill space.

Their own site still says re-opening Summer 2026, so I would not circle an exact opening date just yet, but it is nice to see a longtime Napa spot getting closer to being back downtown.

And second: Valencia Restaurante appears to be getting started too.

Their Instagram announcement said pre-opening began Friday, May 22, from 7 to 10 p.m., with “authentic flavors, made with passion.” So if you noticed another new Mexican restaurant name floating around town, that is the one.

Between Don Perico coming back and Valencia starting to open its doors, downtown’s Mexican food map is getting a little more interesting again.

Not exactly a civic infrastructure update, but honestly, knowing where lunch might happen is its own kind of public service.

This is exactly why Monday Town Notes exists.

Not every week needs to be a deep dive into the local economy. Sometimes it is enough to know what not to eat, what not to plant, and where we might all be getting lunch soon.

Trivia answer for today: D. California Golden Chanterelle - honestly, an absolute beauty.

The California Golden Chanterelle, or Cantharellus californicus, is native to California, commonly grows under oak trees, and became California’s official state mushroom in 2024.

And just to be extremely clear after today’s issue: that is a fun fact, not a recommendation to go wandering under an oak tree looking for dinner.

For this week especially, I’m very happy to be a helpful PSA delivery system for Napa. If you know someone who forages, has kids or pets playing outside, or may have purchased one of those Costco plants, feel free to forward this one along.

Better to get the warning to the right person than have someone accidentally eat the wrong mushroom or plant the wrong grapevine.

Appreciate you reading. I’ll see you Friday at 6 a.m. sharp for the Weekend Game Plan.

Callie