Laura Holmes Haddad, a.k.a. The Grrl, is a freelance wine and food writer. A graduate of Smith College and the California Culinary Academy, Laura worked as a caterer and then as a cookbook editor at Simon & Schuster before devoting her time to writing.
              Laura’s work has appeared in Wine Mutineer, Beverage Media, The Tasting Panel, and Wines & Vines magazines as well as iVillage.com, WineEnthusiast.com, MyRecipes.com, and travelandleisure.com. Her book Anything But Chardonnay: A Guide to the Other Grapes was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in 2008. She is co-author of Pure Flavor: 125 Fresh, All-American Recipes from the Pacific Northwest and Lulu Powers, Food to Flowers: Simple, Stylish Food for Easy Entertaining. Her latest collaboration is Plats du Jour: A Journey Through the Seasons with the girl & the fig restaurant, due out in November 2011.
              Laura launched her website www.gourmetgrrl.com in 2004 where she offers advice to busy foodies seeking a one-stop spot for the latest trends in food, wine, and cocktails. Laura currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter, where she can be found drinking Champagne and wondering what to make for dinner.