Taub Family Outpost Brings Matriarch Linda Taub Out Of Retirement

After Linda Taub’s husband David, the CEO of wine importer Palm Bay International, passed away in 2012, her life felt “empty.” When the opportunity to head up Taub Family Outpost, a new restaurant, bar, and retail market on the historic square in Sonoma arose, Linda didn’t hesitate to take on the challenge.

Born into a New York-based family of restaurateurs, Taub often found herself helping out in the kitchens of her father and uncle’s establishments, so she is no stranger to the hard work involved in running a successful restaurant. However, some of the impediments to opening and operating during Covid-19 were unforeseeable even to the most experienced hospitality professionals.

A graduate of Hofstra University School of Law, Taub raised three sons, Marc, Andrew, and Joshua alongside her husband while maintaining a career as a civil litigator. During that time, she also traveled widely with her husband to wine regions and expanded her appreciation and understanding of fine wine and the families who make it. Today Taub’s son Marc is the CEO of both Palm Bay International and its sister company, Taub Family Selections, and Marc’s son Jake, the fourth generation of the family in the wine and spirits business, is taking on an increased role as well.

Taub Family Outpost combines a tasting room, full-service restaurant, outdoor dining space, speakeasy-style cocktail bar, and retail market under one roof. In addition to owner and proprietor Linda Taub, the team includes Executive Chef Trevor Anderson, Director of Operations and Beverage Director Kevin Reilly, MS (Master Sommelier), and General Manager Martin Gobbée. In addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an inviting cocktail list, a focused selection of local wine and a wide-ranging collection of imported wine are on offer. 

Chef Anderson has partnered with local farms to utilize the freshest ingredients possible in his internationally inspired California cuisine. Under the direction of Linda Taub and Kevin Reilly, MS, the wine list features the best of Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa as well as broad selection from around the world, available by the glass, bottle, or through a series of international or domestic wine flights. Besides bottles of wine and spirits, the ground-floor Outpost Market sells sandwiches, tinned specialty foods, cheese, crackers, and chocolate that are perfect for a picnic or late-night hotel snack. Hidden behind the upstairs dining room, The Beacon Cocktail Bar serves a rotating lineup of classic craft cocktails and seasonally appropriate libations made with artisanal spirits and mixers. 

While the Outpost was planned to be fully open in the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 crisis led to a gradual unveiling of its operations. The Market opened for takeout food, wine, and cocktail kits on March 30, 2020. The outdoor dining patio, located behind the neighboring building and to the side of the Market, offered its first food and beverage service on November 1, 2020. The Beacon finally opened its doors on April 2, 2021, featuring reservation-only cocktail experiences that are limited to 90 minutes to avoid crowding. 

We spoke with Linda Taub about her return to the world of restaurants, the challenges of opening a restaurant and bar this past year, and what visitors to Taub Family Outpost can expect. 

World Wine Guys: After a career in law and a lifetime of travel to wine regions, why did you decide to get back into the restaurant world?

Linda Taub:Growing up in New York, the restaurant business was a huge part of my early life. My family owned and operated eight restaurants in Manhattan and Long Island, including classic steakhouses like Manny Wolf’s, The Old Homestead, Shines, and Double Dolphin. Some of my fondest teenage memories revolve around helping in the kitchen during the holiday rush, and spending time with my father, Harry Lewin and my uncle, Michael Wayne learning all facets of the business. I saw how hard it was to run a successful restaurant, and how rewarding it could be. I later went on to study law and pursue a career as an attorney while raising three sons with my husband, David. Our mutual love of fine dining aside, the restaurant insider realm became part of my past. David was in the wine import business, working with incredible winemaking families all over the world. I had the great joy of traveling to wine regions by his side for decades, which cultivated in me an appreciation for all sorts of wines, and a fascination with the stories behind them. When my husband passed away, my life felt suddenly empty. I have always been one for a challenge, so when the Outpost opportunity presented itself, I didn’t think twice. My son Marc had, in recent years, started making wine in California and purchased a gorgeous winery and ranch in Mendocino County, so the idea of starting a project of my own in Northern California was very appealing to me. 

WWG: What was the thought process behind having three different areas offering distinct experiences within the Outpost? 

LT:Our aspiration is to provide an inviting setting where our guests feel like they are part of our family. It was also very important to us to create a space that brought something new to the plaza while complementing our neighboring businesses. The three areas of the Outpost are intended to ensure our patrons can enjoy the Outpost all the time, in different ways, with experiences that never feel repetitive. From a bustling breakfast, tea, and coffee service to specialty items for picnics in the park or dinners at home, our casual downstairs market and on-site dining serves locals as well as visitors alike. Our wine bar is also situated downstairs, offering selections from our favorite local and international wineries. Upstairs, the family lounge features a blend of comfy couches and chairs for sharing bottles and seasonally inspired dishes, along with banquet-style seating to accommodate more formal dining. 

It was important to me that this space was designed to make all visitors feel welcome, no matter their age. The walls are adorned with special pictures of generations of our family and some of our favorite artwork, and the vibe is like being at home, in a relaxed and welcoming setting among friends. Tucked away in the back is The Beacon, a speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge featuring a sultry, dusky design and one of the best cocktail programs in Northern California. The team is currently running 90-minute cocktail experiences by reservation, featuring pairings with Prohibition-era inspired bites by Chef Trevor. And while each of the spaces have their own unique vibe, we are happy to provide any service in any of the spaces to meet our guests’ needs.

WWG: How did you go about choosing the wine and spirit selections for the retail market, bar, and wine list? 

LT:We are so excited to bring to Sonoma a diverse selection of wines and spirits from some of my family’s favorite producers and dear friends from around the globe, to complement an outstanding roster of local wines. Both in the retail market and on the restaurant wine list, we offer over 200 wines spanning an array of price points, with special emphasis on bottles $50 and under. From wines that are simple, delicious, and surprising – perfect for a picnic on the square – to older vintages perfect for celebrating a birthday or anniversary, there is something for every palate and occasion. Kevin Reilly, Master Sommelier, has worked closely with me to curate the bottle list. It features labels from virtually every major wine producing region in the world, with special emphasis on the most distinctive bottlings from throughout Sonoma County. Our array of wines by the glass are carefully selected to pair seamlessly with Chef Trevor’s cuisine, which features local produce and specialties prepared with a bit of international flair.

Cocktails are served throughout the Outpost and Beacon, as well as to-go. They range from classic to inventive, and incorporate locally sourced ingredients, botanicals, and garnishes. And, as everything else, they were designed to pair perfectly with the dishes coming out of our kitchen. 

WWG: How did Covid-19 affect the opening and operation of the Outpost? 

LT: As for so many businesses, Covid-19 was an unimaginable hurdle. Our grand opening was slated for March of 2020, so we were not able to launch per our intended plan and it was a very challenging first year of operations due to SIP and restrictions. However, we decided that it would be important to go ahead and open in some form to serve the local community. My incredible team pivoted quickly, opening a takeout window for coffee, wine, retail food items, cocktails to-go, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We later were able to serve via sidewalk seating, and then opened an outdoor patio space to accommodate additional outside dining, which proved to be very well received. These facets provided some essential outreach to the local community during a very difficult time for everyone. With a slow return to some normalcy, we continue to evolve. We are very pleased that the demand for in-person dining has greatly increased. Due to this increase we have limited our take-out offerings to during the week and for breakfast and lunch only. We are getting back on track to be fabulous, and we can’t wait for what the future holds!