New exec chef at Auro Napa

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley has named Evan Neumann executive chef of Auro, its Michelin-starred restaurant in Calistoga. (fourseasons.com) The resort said Neumann takes over Auro in April 2026. It called Auro Calistoga’s only Michelin-starred dining room. (fourseasons.com 1) (fourseasons.com 2) Neumann was born in Cavaillon, raised in Avignon, trained at the École Hôtelière d’Avignon, and entered his first professional kitchen at 14. Four Seasons said he became an executive chef by 21. (fourseasons.com) (auronapavalley.com) His résumé includes kitchens linked to Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Anne-Sophie Pic, Daniel Boulud and Christophe Bellanca. Four Seasons said his most recent stop before Auro was Essential by Christophe in New York. (fourseasons.com 1) (fourseasons.com 2) Auro’s menu is already framed as contemporary American cuisine built around hyper-seasonal Napa Valley ingredients, French technique, and Mexican and Japanese influences. The restaurant serves a seven-course format and also offers a Chef’s Table inside the kitchen. (fourseasons.com) (auronapavalley.com) The chef change lands after Auro spent the last three years defending its Michelin standing under previous executive chef Rogelio Garcia. Four Seasons said the restaurant has retained one Michelin star every year since 2023. (fourseasons.com 1) (fourseasons.com 2) The resort also said Auro earned its first Michelin star eight months after opening and has collected Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for three straight years, from 2023 through 2025. (fourseasons.com) (fourseasons.com) Auro’s own site now presents Neumann as the chef leading the dining room, suggesting the handoff is already in place across the restaurant’s public-facing materials. (auronapavalley.com) (auronapavalley.com) For Auro, the immediate task is simple: keep a Michelin star won quickly, held through 2025, and now handed to a new chef with a French fine-dining pedigree. (fourseasons.com) (fourseasons.com)