Fresh meat: Villa Creek Restaurant in Paso Robles has hired farm-to-table chef Tim Veatch as executive chef after 19 years in the biz. Since the late '90s, the eatery has continued to serve inventive dishes with a rustic-Californian, seasonal approach, which is great for Veatch's resume (Farmshop in Marin, Camino in Oakland, and three-Michelin star Saison in San Francisco). For a sizzling summer menu of Veatch's fresh offerings, go to villacreek.com ... Live music is kicking off at Croma Vera Tasting Room located in scenic Avila Beach. Get funky with jazzy Americana duo The Taproots from 5 to 7 p.m. this July 30 and explore this new beachside wine tasting escape (go to cromavera.com/saturdays/ for more info) ... Looking for even more wine and music pairings to savor this summer? Go to slowine.com for shindigs at See Kelsey Winery, Baileyana Winery, and more.