Two Local Restaurants Launched a Food Collaboration. The Result Is Delicious

Chef Carlos Mojica Jr. was only 24 years old when he opened Guiso Latin Fusion in Healdsburg. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)

As a kid, chef Carlos Mojica of Healdsburg’s Guiso Latin Fusion restaurant remembers tagging along to his cousin’s soccer games with Santa Rosa native Dominic Ciambrone, a celebrity shoe designer whose up-styled kicks now command upward of $200,000 a pair.

The two recently reconnected at Mojica’s restaurant, sparking a food collaboration between Guiso and Canevari’s Deli in Santa Rosa, owned by Ciambrone’s father.

“I saw this as a perfect opportunity. Dom came to eat at the restaurant and loved it. I was like, if you want to do a collab, I’m in,” said Mojica. “Within a day, they said they’d love to,” he added. And the Cubano Cannelloni was born.

Mojica’s cuisine focuses on approachable, upscale Latin-inspired dishes including a Cubano sandwich. In developing the dish, Mojica said he fused Italian and Latin culture, creating pork-filled crepe with a Peruvian Aji Amarillo sauce sold at lunch and dinner at his restaurant and to-go at the deli.

“We’ve sold out almost every day,” said Mojica, who plans to create a new collaborative dish each quarter.

Find it at Guiso Latin Fusion, 117 North St., Healdsburg or Canevari’s Deli, 695 Lewis Road, Santa Rosa.

Readers Raved About These Local Restaurants. So We Tried Them Out

Philly Cheesesteak from Golden Steak Warriors pop-up. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Getting restaurant tips from readers is one of my favorite things about this job. No one is more passionate than a foodie with a hot scoop on a new menu.

I love to follow chatty social media groups like Sonoma County Foodies, Foodies of the North Bay and Save Sonoma County Restaurants, where y’all breathlessly share news about secret menus (Deb’s Kitchen in Petaluma has a secret PizzBirria in collaboration with Tacos Tijuana), and pop-up cookie pushers like Rustic Fig.

What I love most is that you aren’t praising the fancy-pants, Michelin-gunning, $500 dinner kinds of places. They’re neighborhood joints, Wednesday night takeout faves, hidden gems and vibrant new faces to the local culinary scene.

And though I keep a running list of them all, I’m embarrassed to say that the list is so long that it sometimes overwhelms me. Some, I write about in my BiteClub column, but even then, many get passed over.

So, I recently headed out for two weeks of intense eating to catch up on the raves flooding my inbox and Instagram feed.

My scale tells me I gained six pounds on this adventure, but hopefully, it was worth it for this extensively fat list of new, new to me and just plain worth seeking out Sonoma County food.

Crispy rice with peanuts at Viethai Cuisine in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Crispy rice with peanuts at Viethai Cuisine in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Viethai Cuisine

When I ask the chef/owner, Sansanee, about the most popular type of pho at her restaurant, her answer is simple: “Do you like blood?”

Bun bo Hue is a much-loved noodle soup usually made with pork and pork blood. You love it, or you don’t, but the fact that it’s on the menu tells me everything I need to know.

The food here is the real deal. Run by a husband-and-wife team, the menu includes Southeast Asian street food like Nam Khao Tod (a crispy rice salad), corn fritters and satay along with spicy red curry, Pad Thai, Khao soi (coconut curry soup) and larger entrees.

Corn fritters at Viethai Cuisine in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Corn fritters at Viethai Cuisine in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

The pho (I got rare steak and brisket, no blood) is fragrant and nourishing, especially if you’re under the weather. Appetizers, like the crispy rice salad with bits of perfumed lemon grass and lime, are a must-try, along with the crispy fried pork with a tomato dipping sauce. Grab a Thai green tea with condensed milk, a sweet, refreshing addition to the meal.

I found the Pad Thai — a benchmark of a Thai restaurant — overly sweet without the smokiness of the wok, but a minor misstep that didn’t reflect on the rest of the lovingly crafted menu.

320 W. Third St., Suite G, Santa Rosa, 707-978-2292, viethaisr.com.

Luau Hawaiian BBQ

If you’ve been to Hawaii, you’ve experienced the magic of Plate Lunch — a massive serving of rice, macaroni salad and a protein like Kahlua pork, lau lau or katsu chicken.

It’s a grab bag of food influenced by the food traditions of China, Japan, Native Hawaiians and the mainland that humbles even the biggest appetites.

The new Luau Hawaiian BBQ cafe offers the mainstays, including Spam Musubi, saimin (dashi broth noodle soup), barbecue plates, volcano chicken katsu, and Mochiko chicken (chicken fried with sweet rice flour).

It’s hearty, filling, and good, though not noticeably different from Ohana Hawaiian BBQ (which I’ve had more times than I’d like to admit).

447 Stony Point Road, 707-843-560, luauhawaiianbbqsr.com.

Golden Steak Warriors

Sonoma County has finally (finally!) seen the golden light of Cheez Whiz and grilled steak on an Amarosa roll, Philly-style.

This husband-and-wife team pops up at spots like Maison Healdsburg and local wineries with their ooey, gooey noshes.

Instagram.com/golden_steak_warriors.

Kimchi and tofu stew with enoki mushrooms and a duck egg at The Casino's Half Hitch pop-up. (Heather Irwin)
Kimchi and tofu stew with enoki mushrooms and a duck egg at The Casino’s Half Hitch pop-up. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Half Hitch

Though officially based in Tomales, chef Amelia Telc brings her skills to The Casino in Bodega and other Sonoma County pop-up spots frequently.

Korean and Chinese cuisine strongly influence the menus of the SF Mission Chinese alum, though she’s well-versed in European standards, as well.

Instagram.com/halfhitch_tomales.

La Churroteka

Mitote Food Park is my happy place. Maybe it’s the mezcal cocktails. Maybe the tlayuda (think Mexican pizza). Probably the quesabirria. Definitely, the filled churros.

This family-run food truck specializes in these magical wands of golden fried deliciousness, filled with evaporated milk, caramel, chocolate and strawberry.

665 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa.

Hank’s Creekside

Being a single woman of a certain age used to mortify me — until I realized the absolute freedom and happiness of being a single woman of a certain age.

So please, don’t feel the need to disturb me while I quietly sit alone, gazing out the creekside window of this historic cafe, eating a delightful Rueben sandwich and dipping my fries into a tub of Thousand Island dressing.

I’ll bring my crew for pancakes and eggs next time. 2800 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-575-8839, hands-creekside.com.

What should I check out next? Let me know through email: heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com or on Instagram.com/biteclubeats.

Betty’s Fish and Chips Gets New Owners. Will They Still Serve Pie?

The famous Lemon Cloud Pie and Apple Pie from Betty’s Bakery and Fish and Chips in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)

For three months, the new owners of Betty’s Fish and Chips shadowed longtime baker Susan Corso to ensure they got the famous Lemon Cloud pie just right. You don’t mess with a staple of the iconic Santa Rosa seafood shack, a family favorite since 1967.

In late October 2023, Dan Coleman and his fiance, Cassidy Salvato took the reins of the chippery after Corso retired, but only after securing all of the recipes. But Coleman is no newbie to the restaurant, having worked at Betty’s for over a decade, starting at age 17. When the Santa Rosa native returned home after opening a fish and chip shop in Las Vegas, the opportunity to buy the restaurant seemed right.

“The opportunity just opened up after 27 years and I picked up where I left off,” Coleman said. Corso and family members Brian and Lori Hall took over the restaurant in 1996 from the original owners.

Coleman and Salvato don’t plan to make any radical changes to the menu, aside from two new sauces — a dill and caper tartar sauce and ginger-soy Thai sauce that Coleman makes — though the restaurant’s traditional tartar isn’t going anywhere.

“If the wheel isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” Coleman said, considering adding a few new items, including a brisket sandwich for non-seafood eaters.

If you haven’t been to Betty’s in a minute, best bets include their battered Icelandic cod (no, it’s not beer battered, and yes, the recipe is a secret), fish tacos, housemade clam chowder bread bowl and fresh fruit pies, especially the Lemon Cloud.

4046 Sonoma Hwy., Santa Rosa, 707-539-0899, bettysfishandchips.com. Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

From the Archives: When Leonardo DiCaprio Came to Santa Rosa

This article was originally published Sept. 15, 2018.

One of 2018’s most buzzed-about benefit art auctions took place in Sonoma County Saturday, Sept. 15. But if you weren’t among the exclusive few to attend, or happening to drive down Grange Road in Bennett Valley, you might very well have missed it.

While most in Sonoma County were busy enjoying their Saturday evening — browsing their social media feeds, watching a Netflix series, maybe taking a sip or two on a glass of local wine — Leonardo DiCaprio was hosting a “zero-waste live auction benefit” at Jackson Park Ranch in Santa Rosa.

The invitation-only event, organized by DiCaprio’s charitable endeavor The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) in partnership with Jackson Family Wines, raised $11 million for projects addressing climate change and protecting biodiversity. The auction brought the total financial impact of LDF to over $100 million, according to the foundation.

During the evening, LDF and DiCaprio also made donations to support disaster relief efforts for those impacted by Hurricane Florence, and to the Just and Resilient Future Fund, which supports “recovery assistance for the most vulnerable” following last year’s wildfires in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties.

SANTA ROSA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Naomi Campbell arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)
Naomi Campbell arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)
SANTA ROSA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Catherine Deneuve arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)
Catherine Deneuve arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)

Celebrity guests

The event was co-hosted by DiCaprio and Laurene Powell Jobs, philanthropist and widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Julia Jackson, a second-generation proprietor of Jackson Family Wines and environmental philanthropist, was the co-chair. Among the 350 guests were actors and celebrities such as Catherine Deneuve, Edward Norton, Naomi Campbell, Tobey Maguire, and Mark Ruffalo.

Also attending the event was world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, and Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who gave a live performance of “My Heart Will Go On,” the leitmotif of one of DiCaprio’s early movies, “Titanic,” as well as “Viva la Vida,” and “Something Like This.”

The annual auction, which previously has taken place in glamorous spots like St. Tropez, featured works by Wayne Thiebaud (the starting bid for this piece was $3,000,000), Frank Gehry, Richard Prince, Ai Weiwei and David Hockney, among others. All art work had been selected by DiCaprio’s art advisor, Lisa Schiff, and was auctioned by Sotheby’s.

The Jackson family provided the Sonoma County location for the event and also donated an auction lot to help raise funds for LDF’s global environmental efforts. 

In addition to the auction and live performances, the evening included interactive experiences such as garden-based rooms that highlighted individual wine affinities using color and texture. There even was an appearance by a live hawk.

SANTA ROSA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: (L-R) Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson and Mark Ruffalo arrive at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California.
(L-R) Katie Jackson, Julia Jackson and Mark Ruffalo arrive at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)
SANTA ROSA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Chace Crawford arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)
Chace Crawford arrives at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala at Jackson Park Ranch on September 15, 2018 in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)

Sustainable food and wine

The zero-waste, sustainable event used 100 percent renewable energy and locally sourced foods. According to People magazine, DiCaprio had requested a sustainable menu, which was created by chef Kyle Connaughton of Single Thread Farms in Healdsburg and executed by Justin Wangler, Executive Chef at Jackson Family Wines. Vegetables and herbs for the dinner were sourced from the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens.

The first course was aptly named “Summer in Sonoma” and included vegetables with a creamy tofu sauce and seafood, all from local food suppliers. The second course was heirloom tomatoes with homemade tofu and pickled wasabi leaves, followed by an entree of roasted turbot with heirloom squash and Sonoma mushrooms. For dessert, guests enjoyed a sesame semifreddo.

The wine selection, put together by Jackson Family Wines, featured Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from the winery’s premium portfolio, including Galerie, Brewer-Clifton, Cambria, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, Hartford Family Wines and Vérité.

Chef Kyle Connaughton uses a Japanese donabe from his collection, at back on the wall, to cook his Tilefish, Blue Foot, and Chantrelle “Fukkura-San” with Leeks, Brassicas From the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Broth at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
DiCaprio had requested a sustainable menu, which was created by Chef Kyle Connaughton (pictured) of Single Thread Farms in Healdsburg and executed by Jackson Family Wines’ Executive Chef Justin Wangler. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

An outspoken climate activist

Leonardo DiCaprio has been an outspoken environmentalist since he founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) in 1998. In 2016, he used his Academy Awards acceptance speech for best actor to urge his audience to reject the “politics of greed,” and support leaders willing to take action against climate change.

“Climate change is real, it is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,” the actor said.

Over the last few years, DiCaprio has donated at least $20 million to help advance the United Nations climate negotiations, protect the environment and endangered wildlife, and spread public awareness about the dangers of climate change.

The actor met with Donald Trump, shortly after Trump was elected president, to discuss a strategy to take on climate change while creating jobs in clean energy. That plan, apparently, was never executed. Since then, DiCaprio has publicly criticized President Trump’s decision to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement and called his administration’s stance on the environment “willful ignorance.”

Partnership with local winery

In July 2018, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) announced that they are partnering with Jackson Family Wines.

The partnership was initiated by Julia Jackson as she “continues to build on her family’s commitment to sustainability and pursue her passion to foster awareness of environmental issues and create change through social impact, innovation and philanthropy.”

As part of this collaboration, Jackson Family Wines will also become LDF’s exclusive wine sponsor, and will serve its environmentally conscious wines at LDF events.

“My father, Jess, and my mother, Barbara, built our family wine business over the course of three decades. One of the most impactful lessons they instilled in me was that we should never take nature for granted,” said Julia Jackson.

“We have a responsibility to give back just as much as we take. That is why I am so excited about our collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which provides critical support for projects and organizations that are defending our vital species and eco-systems.”

Monti’s Restaurant Gets Major Makeover. What Will Change?

Monti’s restaurant in Santa Rosa. (Sonoma County Tourism)

Gasp! Monti’s is closed?

The longtime Montgomery Village restaurant loved by lunching ladies and Sunday night prime ribbers is getting a much-needed rejuvenation over the next several months, according to owners Mark and Terri Stark. It will be shuttered — temporarily — as major cosmetic upgrades move forward.

“She’s getting a much-needed face-lift to provide a better dining environment,” said Terri Stark, whose restaurant group includes the recently-opened Augie’s in Santa Rosa, Willi’s Wine Bar, Bird and Bottle, Grossman’s, Willi’s Seafood, Bravas and Stark’s Steak and Seafood. Improvements to the restaurant, which opened in 2004, include new flooring, bar tops, bathrooms, expanded patios, new furniture and a new kitchen. Watch for lots of Mediterranean blue and yellow with rattan finishes.

Mark and Terri Stark at Stark's Steak & Seafood, in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, July 8, 2014. The couple also owns Bravas Bar De Tapas, Willi's Wine Bar, Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar, and Monti's Rotisserie & Bar, and are getting ready to open a sixth restaurant in Sonoma County.(Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Mark and Terri Stark are the owners of Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Tuscan Kale and Quinoa Chopped Salad from the Stark Reality Restaurant Monti's in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Tuscan Kale and Quinoa Chopped Salad from Monti’s in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

The menu will maintain its focus on contemporary Mediterranean dishes and keep fan favorites like the lamb burger, pizzas, and rosemary fries, but it will also add some homemade pasta and grilled fish.

Monti’s staff have been relocated to the Stark’s other restaurants during the renovation but will return when it reopens this summer.

“Monti’s isn’t broken, it just needs some much-deserved love,” Stark said.

The change comes as much of the nearly 75-year-old outdoor shopping center undergoes updates and revamps, including new stores and restaurants, including the recently-opened Shake Shack.

How Is Climate Change Impacting Sonoma County’s Ecosystems? Local Scientists Find Out

At Pepperwood Preserve, scientists lay down white-tubed “quadrats” and measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses, invasive exotic annuals and wildflowers. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

Imagine taking an empty picture frame and laying it flat on a grassy meadow on the same day each spring. Inside that rectangle is a microcosm—a living, breathing universe unto itself. In the height of the season it might be buzzing with pollinators. A snake might slither past or a gopher might pop up. Filling the diorama, native grasses and wildflowers jockey for space with invasive species in a patchwork quilt of ground cover.

If you were to study the picture inside that frame, year after year, measuring how it changes and evolves, the data would unfold like a time-lapse video, charting the effects of extreme weather patterns, non-native plants, controlled grazing, and rampant wildfire—the real-time window into the local impacts of climate change.

In Sonoma County, we know intuitively that our landscape is changing. From one year to the next, we seesaw from extreme heat waves and drought to epic rains and floods. Call it climate change, call it global warming. As fires scorched our land, some call it life or death.

“The ‘change’ part in climate change is that we don’t know what’s coming. We just know it’s changing, and that makes it extremely difficult to predict what the effects are ~ researcher Sarah Gordon

But spring arrives, and the landscape regenerates. Some years, lupines and poppies in our meadows bloom weeks earlier than usual. Other years, migrating Canadian geese arrive later. After the Tubbs Fire, bright blue lazuli bunting songbirds appeared for the first time in years. Some seeds can lie dormant for decades, only triggered to germinate by fire.

Timing is everything. Humans invented clocks, but nature keeps its own calendar. Scientists call it “phenology,” the study of the timing of biological life cycles like flowering and mating and how those cycles are influenced by climate. From grasslands to wetlands, scientists fan out across Sonoma County, documenting its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants.

At Pepperwood Preserve, scientists lay down white-tubed “quadrats” and measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses, invasive exotic annuals and wildflowers. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
At Pepperwood Preserve, scientists lay down white-tubed “quadrats” and measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses, invasive exotic annuals and wildflowers. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
Scientists measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses (California oatgrass, blue wildrye), invasive exotic annuals (barbed goatgrass, ripgut grass) and wildflowers (buttercups, native clover). (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
Scientists measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses (California oatgrass, blue wildrye), invasive exotic annuals (barbed goatgrass, ripgut grass) and wildflowers (buttercups, native clover). (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

Every May at Pepperwood Preserve in the Mayacamas, researchers have been studying the same square-meter grassland plots, down to the centimeter, for the past 13 years. Instead of picture frames, they lay down white-tubed “quadrats” and measure the percentage of cover of native perennial grasses (California oatgrass, blue wildrye), invasive exotic annuals (barbed goatgrass, ripgut grass) and wildflowers (buttercups, native clover).

“If you look at every single vegetation map of Sonoma County, there will be many different forest types and shrub types, but when it comes to grasslands, it’s just listed as ‘grasslands.’ You know why? Because you can’t see it from space. You have to put your nose into it and really bend over to see it,” says Michelle Halbur, ecology research manager at the 3,200-acre preserve. “And what you see is incredibly diverse, on small and big spatial scales. Grasslands are very patchy. They’re dynamic over time, and they’re hard to categorize. They’re like the black box of vegetation types.”

Ecologist Sarah Gordon studies tiny, endangered plants in seasonal vernal pools, like this one along the Laguna de Santa Rosa near Sebastopol. Vernal pools appear with winter rains and disappear by late spring. Gordon is hoping to better understand how changes in temperature affect plant health. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
Ecologist Sarah Gordon studies tiny, endangered plants in seasonal vernal pools, like this one along the Laguna de Santa Rosa near Sebastopol. Vernal pools appear with winter rains and disappear by late spring. Gordon is hoping to better understand how changes in temperature affect plant health. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

In the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed, plant ecologist Sarah Gordon studies vernal pools, the seasonal, swimming-pool-sized bodies of water that appear almost magically with the onset of winter rains and dry up by April or May, as part of a program started in 2006. These extremely fragile ecosystems are home to the endangered California tiger salamander and three endangered plants—Burke’s goldfields, Sonoma sunshine, and Sebastopol meadowfoam—which exist almost exclusively in Sonoma County.

On a recent morning, Gordon and a colleague set out with clipboards, making ripples across the pools in knee-high boots, to collect observational data, noting water depth and plant populations. Wading across one pool, Gordon spotted thin, green stems of Sonoma sunshine sprouting through the black mirrored water. A closer look revealed a string of tiger salamander eggs attached to a stem. Over the past few years, she’s witnessed “pretty extreme algal blooms” in the vernal pools, similar to toxic algae blooms on the Russian River, which can threaten fragile species.

At Pepperwood Preserve, a solar-powered weather station provides researchers with information on long-term weather patterns. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
At Pepperwood Preserve, a solar-powered weather station provides researchers with information on long-term weather patterns. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
Each year, as more extreme weather extreme weather conditions impact conditions impact the land, one of of The questions q uestions researchers hope researchers hope to answer is, answer WI p lant s How Willthe plants animals respond? But in the same breath, they also Willour community respond? And animals resp Ond? BU in same breath, they also want to know, how Willour community respond?
At Pepperwood Preserve.  (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

“The ‘change’ part in climate change is that we don’t know what’s coming,” says Gordon. “We just know it’s changing, and that makes it extremely difficult to predict what the effects are going to be.”

This time of year, before the rolling hills of Sonoma County turn from Irish green to golden rye, students at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma flock to the school’s nursery to help repot seedlings. The seedlings will eventually find a home in restored grasslands as part of a program facilitated by Petaluma’s Point Blue Conservation Science. At Tolay Lake Regional Park outside Sonoma, students have helped restore over 4,000 plants.

Each year, as more extreme weather extreme weather conditions impact conditions impact the land, one of the questions researchers hope to answer is, how will the plants and animals respond? But in the same breath, they also want to know, how will our community respond?

Students also collect native grass seeds near future restoration sites. The seeds are brought back to the nursery to be weighed and catalogued. Then, depending on what kind of seed it is, they will encourage it to germinate—some seeds need to be roughed up and soaked in water or even dipped in acid to help break the seed coat. “There’s kind of a secret recipe for each species of seed,” explains Point Blue’s Isaiah Thalmayer.

If all goes well, by next spring Casa Grande students will repeat the ritual of replanting their carefully tended seedlings into larger pots.

But for now, students and researchers watch and learn. Each year, as more extreme weather conditions impact our grassland and wetland ecosystems, one of the questions they hope to answer is, how will plants and animals respond?

And in the same breath, they also want to know, how will our community respond?

In the plant nursery at Petaluma's Casa Grande High School, students team up with researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science to raise native plants for restoration projects, including one at nearby Tolay Lake Regional Park. Students gain hands-on experience in germinating the seeds of different types of grasses and shrubs and learn how researchers use stands of native plants to sequester carbon. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
In the plant nursery at Petaluma’s Casa Grande High School, students team up with researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science to raise native plants for restoration projects, including one at nearby Tolay Lake Regional Park. Students gain hands-on experience in germinating the seeds of different types of grasses and shrubs and learn how researchers use stands of native plants to sequester carbon. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
In the plant nursery at Petaluma's Casa Grande High School, students team up with researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science to raise native plants for restoration projects, including one at nearby Tolay Lake Regional Park. Students gain hands-on experience in germinating the seeds of different types of grasses and shrubs and learn how researchers use stands of native plants to sequester carbon. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
In the plant nursery at Petaluma’s Casa Grande High School. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

Along the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the community seems up to the challenge. One Fulton area landowner had no idea what a vernal pool was when they purchased their property. At first, they were nervous about caring for endangered plants. But after a few years, “they changed the whole trajectory of what they are planning to do with their property,” says Gordon. “They installed fencing and brought conservation grazing onto the property, on their own time and on their own dime. They have done everything they can to help take care of these endangered plants.”

At Pepperwood, volunteer outings and forest and grassland workshops are offered several times a year. “We’re trying to help build the skill set so folks can go back to their own land, their own homes, and apply the work that we’re doing and the monitoring that we’re doing,” says Halbur.

“It’s important for the long term, not just because climate change is happening, but to ensure that we are always learning. We’re always asking of the land itself, how is it doing? Are we doing a good job?”

Ecologist Michelle Halbur kneels beside a one-meter square quadrat, which she uses to document the distribution of grassland plants. Halbur has been visting the exact same grassland study sites each spring for the past 13 years. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
Ecologist Michelle Halbur kneels beside a one-meter square quadrat, which she uses to document the distribution of grassland plants. Halbur has been visting the exact same grassland study sites each spring for the past 13 years. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
The small-scale ecosystem inside a one-meter square quadrat at Pepperwood Preserve in Santa Rosa. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

To learn more

Pepperwood Preserve: Wildflower tours and hikes each Saturday in April. pepperwoodpreserve.org

Point Blue Conservation Science: pointblue.org

Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation: Spring ecology workshops in March and April. lagunafoundation.org

7 Budget-Friendly Napa Valley Hotels

Although it’s located right off of Highway 29 in St. Helena, Harvest Inn feels like you’ve discovered a secret stretch of Napa Valley. The grounds are lush, peaceful and covered with towering redwoods. (Courtesy of Harvest Inn)

There’s no getting around it, a Napa Valley getaway adds up quickly. But if you do a little research and choose wisely, you can still find stylish hotels that won’t break the bank. And if you plan your stay during the week or during the quieter winter months, your hard earned dollars will go even farther. To help jumpstart your getaway planning, we’ve put together a list of our favorite budget-friendly Napa Valley hotels.

Harvest Inn

Although it’s located right off of Highway 29 in St. Helena, Harvest Inn feels like you’ve discovered a secret stretch of Napa Valley. Stretching eight acres and surrounded by hundreds of towering redwoods, a peaceful calm prevails at here; many rooms and suites boast views of vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains.

The resort pool and hot tub are family-friendly, but there is a second, adults-only pool and hot tub for those seeking a quieter experience. The pools are heated to 80 degrees year round. Saturday mornings, May through early November, guests can enjoy complimentary meditation and yoga steps away from the vineyards.

Harvest Table, the property’s onsite restaurant, is open daily for dinner, and weekdays for breakfast. Brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday.

1 Main St., St. Helena, 707-963-9463, harvestinn.com. Rates from $259.

Stretching eight acres and surrounded by hundreds of towering redwoods, a peaceful calm prevails at Harvest Inn; many rooms and suites boast views of vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains. (Courtesy of Harvest Inn)
Stretching eight acres and surrounded by hundreds of towering redwoods, a peaceful calm prevails at Harvest Inn; many rooms and suites boast views of vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains. (Courtesy of Harvest Inn)

Archer Hotel Napa

Location, location, location. Set in the heart of downtown Napa, Archer Hotel allows you to park your car and then forget about it. Seemingly countless wine tasting rooms, restaurants and shops are located just steps away.

Be sure to pay a visit to the sixth-floor rooftop. The sundeck features a six-inch deep wading pool with colorful lounge chairs ideal for soaking up vitamin D and one-of-a-kind Napa views. Neighboring Sky & Vine rooftop bar pairs the panoramas with fire pits, craft cocktails and bites.

And, because we love a Sonoma County connection, Healdsburg’s own celebrity chef Charlie Palmer has his Charlie Palmer Steak restaurant in the Archer lobby.

1230 First Street, Napa, 707-690-9800, archerhotel.com/napa. Rates from $299.

The rooftop pool at Archer Hotel Napa. (Courtesy of Archer Hotel)
The rooftop wading pool at Archer Hotel Napa. (Courtesy of Archer Hotel)

Silverado Resort

Originally constructed as a luxe private estate, Silverado Resort boasts a fancy exterior vibe, but all of its 345 condo-style rooms feature full kitchens, which can really help you stretch your travel budget. The resort is also amenity rich — along with two PGA championship golf courses, there’s nine tennis courts, three bocce and pickleball courts, as well as a trio of swimming pools. Add the spa, fitness center and Grill restaurant to the list of perks, and you might think twice about leaving the property during your stay.

1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa, 800-532-0500, silveradoresort.com, rates from $299.

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery

Set on Calistoga’s main drag, Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery boasts 17 rooms and a private cottage. Rooms offer queen beds and have a sink, but shared restrooms and showers are located at the end of the hall.

After a busy day of wine tasting, you can grab a beer at onsite Napa Valley Brewing Company, or go for a stroll through downtown Calistoga. One of our favorite hikes, Oat Hill Mine Trail, follows an old stagecoach route for more than eight miles. Great views are waiting about a half-mile from the trailhead just off the Silverado Trail.

1250 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga, 707-942-4101, calistogainn.com. Rates from $169.

Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa

This revamped roadside motel embraces its beginnings. In the retro-inspired camper rooms you’ll find décor including hula hoops, cork boards and quirky art. Deluxe Rooms offer an entirely different, elevated vibe, and in some cases, views of the Mayacamas Mountains.

The hotel’s three geothermal pools make it easy to linger longer and the onsite Moonacre Spa & Bath offers massages, facials, and a twist on the traditional Calistoga mud bath. Those looking to stay active can check out a complimentary cruiser bike for up to two hours. Onsite restaurant Fleetwood serves up woodfired dishes in a setting.

1880 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707-942-0991, calistogamotorlodgeandspa.com. Rates from $191.

The Calistoga Motor Lodge, a 1940s roadside motel, has been transformed into a nostalgic ode to the American road trip of your childhood. (Courtesy of Calistoga Motor Lodge)
The Calistoga Motor Lodge, a 1940s roadside motel, has been transformed into a nostalgic ode to the American road trip of your childhood. (Courtesy of Calistoga Motor Lodge)
Pool at the Calistoga Motor Lodge
Spend your downtime floating in the lodge’s three geothermal pools, each at varying temperatures, or relax in the sun in a hammock or on a day bed. (Courtesy of Calistoga Motor Lodge)

Napa Valley Railway Inn

It’s a dream come true for train enthusiasts and anyone watching their budget. Six railcars and three cabooses are permanently parked on the original tracks of the Napa Valley Railroad Company. One caboose is home to The Model Bakery’s Yountville location, but the remaining train cars are outfitted with everything you’ll need to spend the night.

But perhaps the biggest perk of a stay here is the primo location. If you call Napa Valley Railway Inn your home away from home, you’ll be within walking distance of some of Yountville’s best offerings. Along with countless wine tasting rooms, shops and restaurants, save time to enjoy the Yountville Art Walk, comprised of more than 35 outdoor sculptures. You can’t shuffle through town without seeing many of the pieces.

6523 Washington St., Yountville, 707-944-2000, napavalleyrailwayinn.com. Rates start at $245.

Maison Fleurie

Reportedly the oldest hotel in Napa Valley, Maison Fleurie was built in 1873 as the Magnolia Hotel. Back in the day, travelers might have come for the saloon and rumored bordello, but today’s modern travelers love the property’s central Yountville location. The inn’s lavish gardens are the inspiration for its name. Maison Fleurie means “flowering house” in French.

As part of the Four Sisters Inn collection, every stay includes a daily afternoon wine and cheese hour, as well as a full breakfast. Along with complimentary bicycles for guests interested in rolling through Yountville, Maison Fleurie features a pool and hot tub. The pool is heated from May until October, and is also available for use by guests of its nearby sister property, Lavender.

Maison Fleurie offers 13 guestrooms, while Lavender is a bit more intimate, with just nine guestrooms.

6529 Yount St., Yountville, 707-944-2056, maisonfleurienapa.com. Rates from $275.

2020 Webber Ave., Yountville, 707-944-1388, lavendernapa.com. Rates from $299.

Gravel Racing Was Happening in Sonoma Long Before It Became Cool. Now It’s Disappearing

Cycling standout Miguel Crawford was getting folks together for rollicking low-fi bike races in rural west county over a decade before the worldwide rise of gravel racing. (Brian Tucker)

Meet Miguel Crawford, husband, father, teacher, extreme velophile—dude has 15 bikes lined up neatly in his Sebastopol studio—and accidental pioneer.

It was 26 years ago that Crawford, a longtime Spanish instructor at El Molino, then Analy High School, organized his first Hopper. That’s the innocuous-sounding name for the merry sufferfests comprising the Grasshopper Adventure Series, which he founded with little to no fanfare back in 1998.

A slightly sadistic series of four to six “rideslash-races” taking place between January and summer, Crawford’s “Hoppers” have long put a premium on hard-won versatility, taking riders over pavement, dirt, gravel, distressed macadam, fire roads, old logging trails, single- track, you name it.

Ripping down Old Cazadero Road north of Guerneville, or grinding up Willow Creek outside Duncans Mills on a smorgasbord of different rigs—road bikes, mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes—those intrepid early Hopper racers didn’t look or feel especially cutting edge.

It turned out, however, that the multi-terrain adventures Crawford has been curating since the previous millennium preceded by at least a decade the rise of gravel riding and racing, a discipline that’s recently gained worldwide popularity. Grasshoppers were all about gravel—and the gravel ethos of fun and exploration— before gravel was cool.

“Gravel,” we are reminded by five-time Olympian and Hopper veteran Katerina Nash, is not to be taken too literally. That word has become shorthand, a catch-all for a mix of different terrains. A huge part of its appeal, says Nash, “is that it brings together all these athletes”— mountain bikers, roadies, members of the cyclocross tribe—“who wouldn’t otherwise meet.”

There are now hundreds of gravel racing events across the United States each year. Among the best known is Unbound Gravel, a 200-mile ordeal contested by 4,000 riders each June in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The Super Bowl of Gravel, as some refer to Unbound, has been won by several Hopper regulars, including Yuri Hauswald, Amity Rockwell, Alison Tetrick, and Ted King, who refers to the Grasshopper Series as the “OG”—the original gangster—of gravel. That tribute was validated in March of 2023 by the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, which included Crawford in its second class of inductees, along with Petalumans Hauswald and Tetrick—lending the Emporia, Kansas-based Hall of Fame a distinctly Sonoma flavor.

Decades before the bike industry began marketing gravel bikes, noted Crawford’s Hall of Fame presenter, Dan Hughes, “Mig and his friends were pushing their old road bikes to the limit, installing the largest tires the frames could handle and taking parts from early mountain bikes to create new frankenbikes that could handle the abuse of long mixed-terrain rides.”

The natural beauty of Crawford’s courses, coupled with the relaxed, low-fi vibe of the events, has earned the series a fiercely loyal following throughout Northern California and beyond. Hoppers tend to draw a mix of eager, über-fit amateurs and, at the pointy end of the peloton, a who’s who of pro riders, both mountain and road, seeking some hard miles to sharpen their fitness for the upcoming season.

It’s a mix that has led to some surreal moments. Crawford recalls Giro d’Italia stage winner Peter Stetina texting him from Europe to learn the results of certain Hoppers. “He’d be over in France, racing Paris–Nice or something, asking me who won Old Caz.”

But as word of the rides got out and the number of participants grew, so did attention from neighbors, including members of the Kashia Pomo rancheria. Some citizens complained to their elected officials, others to the California Coastal Commission. By 2022, the process of securing permits for Sonoma County events had become so onerous, even Kafkaesque, that Crawford made the tough, sad decision to move the bulk of the series to friendlier environs—ones outside the county where the races were born.

Miguel Crawford, a longtime Spanish instructor at El Molino, then Analy High School, organized his first Hopper 26 years ago. (Courtesy of Miguel Crawford)

The one who made it happen

A three-sport athlete and member of El Molino’s Class of 1988, Miguel “Mig” Crawford became an elite bike racer following his graduation from Humboldt State. Upon returning to Sonoma County, he spent a decade, on bike and on foot, getting to know the fire roads and byways, the abandoned railroad corridors and old logging trails of west county like the creases on the palm of his hand.

Working with remote, often stunningly beautiful roads such as Sweetwater Springs, Skaggs Springs, King Ridge, Kruse Ranch, Old Caz, Willow Creek—“sounds like a greatest hits album,” notes Crawford, as he ticks them off—he devised long, looping rides that were at once spectacular and spectacularly hard.

Mig and friends would meet in the parking lot behind Occidental’s Union Hotel, where he would hand them a laminated card with a hand-drawn map of that day’s route. In those early, unsanctioned years, there was no registration, no waivers or rest stops or prizes, other than bragging rights and a bag of chips at the finish, paired with a Coke—or perhaps some other, more potent cold beverage.

Crawford would “start us on pavement, jump to dirt, connect through the backwoods to a bit of singletrack,” says old Hopper hand Geoff Kabush, a Canadian mountain biker who competed in three Olympic Games. “It was always fun to see what he was going to piece together.”

The underground feel of those early Hoppers faded as the fields grew. The registration fee edged up, from free, to $5, and then $10. By the time the legendary Ted King showed up to ride his first Grasshopper in 2011, the price of admission was up to (gasp!) $20.

“Hoppers have a different feel than a lot of the other races we do around the country. It still has that original ethos, those nuggets of camaraderie that you don’t see elsewhere.” – pro rider Ted King

The event had been described to him as a group ride, and King remembers thinking at the time, “Why do I need to pay $20 to go on a training ride?”

But he soon found himself drawn in by the fellowship and the beauty of the route. Following the punishing climb of Geysers Road outside Cloverdale, which pitches up the way Mike Campbell says he went broke in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”: “gradually and then suddenly”—riders took a left at the old Jimtown Store, finishing 3,000 vertical feet later at the terminus of Pine Flat Road.

What King remembers about that day was the fun he had, the friends he made—and the dessert awaiting them.

“There were all these cupcakes,” he recalls, 13 years later. “Really nice, artisanal cupcakes.”

“That might’ve been the best 20 bucks I ever put into my cycling career.”

As many former WorldTour pros have after him, King discovered a fulfilling second career as a “privateer”—a rider unaffiliated with a team—on the gravel racing scene. The Hoppers, he says, “have a different feel than a lot of the other races we do around the country. It still has that original ethos, those nuggets of camaraderie that you don’t see elsewhere.”

As pro mountain biker Alex Wild put it after winning the Lake Sonoma Hopper in 2022, “No one’s telling me to be here. I don’t have to put [Hoppers] on my schedule. But Mig just puts on such good events, it makes people want to ride them.”

Top rider Larissa Connors of Santa Rosa finishes a muddy Mendocino Hopper in 2023. (Brian Tucker)
Top rider Larissa Connors of Santa Rosa finishes a muddy Mendocino Hopper in 2023. (Brian Tucker)

Today we ride

Twenty-six years after Crawford and a dozen of his buddies rolled out of Occidental for the inaugural Hopper, some 600 riders straddled their bikes, chatting nervously in the parking lot at Todd Grove Park in Ukiah. It was January 27, 2024, and the group was waiting for the start of the Low Gap Hopper, a half-dirt, half-pavement, 48-mile ordeal into which Crawford crowded 6,200 feet of climbing. (For context, the first mountain stage of this summer’s Tour de France is 87 miles, with 11,617 feet of gain.)

One the coolest things about these adventures, says Chas Christiansen, an artist and pro gravel rider, is who you end up saying hello to in the parking lot or at the start. “You’re standing next to these pros—Ted King, or Levi, or Peter Stetina—guys who just rode in the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia. It’s wild.”

Christiansen was a 20-something San Francisco bike messenger in 2010 when a friend talked him into signing up for the Old Caz Hopper – the perennial Grasshopper season opener until 2019, when a landslide prompted the county to close the road. (It has yet to reopen.)

He grabbed his vintage Miele, an Italian racing steed—“the only bike I had with gears,” he recalls—and headed for Occidental. Thus did he find himself later that morning battling gravity and the elements on the descent of Old Cazadero Road. Such was the steepness of one muddy section of Old Caz that Christiansen was forced to sit astride the top tube of the bike, braking Fred Flintstone-style.

“I had a foot down on each side, like a trimaran,” he recalls.

Up ahead, riders were dismounting. Why are they doing that, he wondered, until he saw the rain-swollen creek bisecting the trail. “You know it’s a good race when there’s a surprise river,” says Christiansen.

Fourteen years later he’s still racing and riding bikes for a living. Christiansen credits Grasshoppers for helping him “get comfortable being extremely uncomfortable” and “riding deep into the wilderness and being confident in my own abilities to survive and thrive.”

Standing on the far side of Austin Creek that soggy morning, photographer Paul C. Miller snapped a picture of Christiansen as the grinning bike messenger forded the stream, shlepping his vintage road bike. Behind him are two riders, one carrying a mountain bike, the other a cyclocross rig. Crawford in particular treasures that image because it captures a core Hopper tenet: There is no “right” bike.

It has long delighted him that these mixed-terrain adventures force specialists out of their comfort zones. Pure roadies merely survive the rocky, technical sections. Fat-tire folk struggle to keep up on pavement. As Hopper apostle Austin McInerny recalls, each new event prompts a fresh round of “tinkering with our bike set-ups, asking one another, ‘What tires you gonna run?’” “For me, that was the fun,” says Crawford, who for years competed in his own events, finishing first in exactly one of them. “Here’s the course, now choose what to ride. We’re all trying to get there as fast as we can. How’s that going to play out?”

Some of that mystery has been removed by the emergence of discipline-specific gravel bikes—including those made by Specialized, now the title sponsor of the series.

McInerney got his first taste of the Grasshopper series around 2006. He was immediately beguiled by the beauty of the routes, and grateful for Crawford’s willingness to share. “Surfers are all about locals only, but Mig’s attitude was, ‘No, you’re here, you’re willing to check it out, you’re part of my group.’” That day’s ride finished at the top of Willow Creek Road, “and it was a huge party up there, chips and beer and soda and people just hanging out, celebrating.”

There is no “right” bike: Chas Christiansen, front, on a vintage Italian road bike, illustrates a core Hopper tenet while racing Old Caz back in 2010. (Paul Miller)
There is no “right” bike: Chas Christiansen, front, on a vintage Italian road bike, illustrates a core Hopper tenet while racing Old Caz back in 2010. (Paul Miller)

Growing pains

Rider Austin McInerny has a background in environmental planning and has consulted extensively on natural resource management cases, including work with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies “with thorny issues, a lot of it dealing with recreation and public lands management.”

For the last six years or so he’s been Crawford’s point man, working with Sonoma County to get the Hoppers permitted. For years, he said, wrangling those permits had been straightforward.

Early in 2022, when the county began consideration of McInerny’s application for a permit to run the King Ridge Supreme Hopper in March of that year, “that’s when things started to go sideways.”

As they later learned, the county was in the process of updating its system for reviewing events such as theirs. As part of that overhaul, Hopper applications were now being scrutinized by newly created Municipal Advisory Councils.

In late January of ’22, Crawford and McInerny were informed by Permit Sonoma that the King Ridge application had drawn the attention of the powerful California Coastal Commission. Concerned citizens had objected to numerous aspects of the application—in particular the Grasshoppers’ plan to use Willow Creek Road, described by one as “an environmentally fragile area within Sonoma Coast State Parks’ salmon-bearing Willow Creek watershed.”

In addition to adverse impacts sure to be suffered by the salmon, the citizen went on, area roads would be blocked by cyclists “and their friends and families cheering them on.”

With the event less than two months away, Crawford and McInerny modified the course, routing riders away from Willow Creek. For weeks, the Coastal Commission withheld its approval of the application. In a letter to the commission, McInerny expressed frustration with its ongoing “review,” pointing out that this Hopper no longer passed through the area of environmental concern.

“The event does not use any of the coastal pullouts, is outside of the busiest time of year, nor requires any road closures. The event has already received approval from California Highway Patrol and is under review by Caltrans, which issued a permit for the same event in 2019.”

“Sadly,” he wrote, “this appears to be a case of locals not wanting to share the beauty of west Sonoma County with others.”

The Grasshopper never did hear back from the Coastal Commission. But a week after McInerny sent his letter, Crawford was informed by Permit Sonoma, that, upon careful review of the code, organizers didn’t need an encroachment permit for the King Ridge Supreme, after all.

The event was on! But the drama was not over.

The course called for riders to roll west on Skaggs Springs Road, then south on Tin Barn Road. Unbeknownst to Crawford and McInerny, that intersection, and the land around it, is the Stewarts Point Rancheria of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians.

Some of the Kashia Pomo, including tribal chairman Reno Keoni Franklin, were upset that neither the county nor representatives from the Grasshopper Adventure Series had consulted them.

“They did not require safety measures to protect the children and elders who [live] on the Rez. They did not require the riders to post safety signs or to slow down when entering the reservation,” Franklin wrote in a Facebook post the day before the ride.

Describing the event as “extremely dangerous,” that he would be “driving tomorrow to block the road and anyone participating in the race to walk their bike through reservation. I am traveling on this and could use some support.” short notice, Crawford changed the route again, shortening the course considerably to the rancheria. a follow-up email to riders, Crawford explained that he hadn’t consulted with the Kashia before this Hopper, “but neither had we prior to any of our previous events, as this was not requested by any of the county nor California permitting agencies that we had consulted. As far as we understood, both Tin Barn Road and Skaggs Springs-Stewarts Point Road are public roads which have been used legally by the public for years.”

Having spoken with chairman Franklin, Crawford continued, “I now understand the importance of contacting the Tribe, regardless of what is required by the state or the County of Sonoma. All of us, unless native to California, are visitors on this land, and this is important to remember and recognize.”

Scarred by those experiences, and considering “the uncertainty and extremely laborious requirements” of the overhauled permitting process, says McInerny, the Grasshopper hasn’t applied for any permits in Sonoma County since—with the exception of the Lake Sonoma Hopper, which is held on lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has been “fantastic to work with,” says Crawford.

“We were caught,” McInerny believes, “in the middle of an apparent turf battle between the various MACs” and Permit Sonoma staff.

While unwilling to comment specifically on the Grasshopper series, Permit Sonoma director Tennis Wick defended the county’s revamped permitting process as an improvement over the old one, describing it as more efficient, and more responsive to concerns voiced by locals.

“Conducting a community event requires engagement with and respect for that community,” he wrote in an email. “There have been multiple complaints about events impacting local residents and Tribal Partners. Now that advisory councils receive referrals on event applications, residents and businesses may comment on proposals affecting their communities.”

The Grasshopper’s brief flareup with the Kashia Pomo left “no hard feelings,” says Franklin. “We know they learned from it, and in a good way.” He describes Crawford as “a great guy” running “a great organization. They’re raising funds for good causes—causes we support, too.” (The Grasshopper series often donated money to the west county volunteer fire departments along its routes.)

“If they ever do come back, we’ll be happy to work with them.”

Grass Hopper Adventure Series, Lake Sonoma Hopper Mt. Bike race on April 15th 2023.
Grasshopper Adventure Series by Lake Sonoma in April 2023. (Brian Tucker)

New chapter, new outreach

For now, however, the series that sprung up organically in Sonoma County holds all but one of its events elsewhere. In Mendocino County, Ukiah has embraced the Grasshopper series, hosting both the 2024 season-opening Low Gap Hopper in January and the Ukiah- Mendo Gravel Epic on May 11. The 89mile Huffmaster Hopper, on February 24, took place in Colusa County.

“What we’re looking for now,” says Crawford, “is to do events in communities that want us to be there, that see the benefit—that we’re bringing money in, bringing a form of recreation that’s healthy and positive.”

Yes, he is wide open to future rides in Sonoma County, but not if it means the kind administrative war of attrition the Grasshopper endured in 2022.

“It’s a shame,” says Peter Stetina, of the Hoppers exiting Sonoma County, “because they have such a rich history there.” He spoke of widespread “disgruntlement” within the county’s “cycling community”—a frustration with some leaders’ inability to see “a bigger picture” and appreciate the tourism dollars cycling can bring.

Amity Rockwell was philosophical about the migration of Grasshoppers from their original home, describing it as not so much sad as “a little bittersweet,” and, perhaps, inevitable.

Riding King Ridge and Old Caz and Willow Creek “was pretty special,” Rockwell allows. But as the number of riders in the Hoppers “doubled and tripled in size,” it became more difficult to hold the events “in a respectful manner in these really tiny places.” As it booms in popularity, the gravel scene “has undergone massive change in the last six or seven years. There are a lot of races that aren’t what they used to be. They’re something new now.”

One recent addition to Crawford’s series is a rider mentor program devised by Helena Gilbert-Snyder, a pro rider and analyst at Specialized Bicycles.

Gilbert-Snyder is passionate about correcting gender disparity in sports—which can be especially pronounced in cycling. Women make up a little over 20% of the Grasshopper fields. While that’s “above average” for gravel events, says Crawford, “I would obviously like it to go higher.”

Lining up for the Low Gap Hopper will be 20 young female riders, each paired with a seasoned female mentor.

What the job entails, said Rockwell, one of the mentors, is to “follow a junior rider around for the day, help them eat and drink and wear the right clothes.” While it might seem straightforward, “it’s a lot to take on, if you’ve never done this before.”

“When I was just getting started in my early 20s,” she recalls, the Hoppers “were a way for me to race against Olympians and WorldTour riders. And now here’s a chance for me to help a young rider who maybe has dreams of doing what I do, someday.”

She’s confident that the Hoppers will bloom wherever they’re planted. Spectacular as it is, Sonoma County has no monopoly on gorgeous Northern California scenery. And Crawford, she believes, has created “this, like, magic potion,” of elements, including the chance for pros to race hard “but not take everything so seriously,” and for up-and-coming riders to rub elbows with the pros.

“It’s just the right mix. We’re all drawn to it.”

Who loves a Hopper?

The front row of any Hopper sendoff has long bristled with world-class talent. Here are some of the big names who’ve suffered for vertical gain in the hills of western Sonoma County.

Mountain bike world champions: Chris Blevins, Kate Courtney

WorldTour road racers: Katie Hall, Ted King, Levi Leipheimer, Peter Stetina, Alison Tetrick Laurens ten Dam

Olympians: Geoff Kabush, Katerina Nash, Flavia Oliveira, Max Plaxton

Local rising stars: Luke Lamperti, Ian Lopez de San Roman, Vida Lopez de San Roman

19 Sonoma County Restaurants We Return to Again and Again

“Where do you want to go eat?”

“I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”

Choosing a restaurant is one of modern city-dwellers’ greatest conundrums. Sure, it sounds simple, but have you ever tried to get four people to agree on one restaurant?

I thought not.

This is a list (inspired by Texas Monthly’s “The Good Place” article) we hope will answer that question and possibly end a few family arguments. Maybe it will take some pressure off entertaining visitors from out of town. And maybe I’m making it as much for myself as I am for you, because the obvious choices never seem to be at the tip of my tongue.

The rubric is simple: These are restaurants that are dependably good, have experienced staff and are rooted in the community. They’re the kind of places everyone has been to, or wants to go to, or has heard good things about. They’re places I personally frequent with friends and family.

The restaurants I’ve chosen are all about consistency and comfort, not “it” factors or multicourse meals. They aren’t newcomers.

Are they all “best in class” restaurants? Nope — that’s far too subjective. I learned long ago that world-class chefs and outrageously creative menus don’t often generate consensus among a wide swath of eaters.

Another important factor is the menu: All of these can cater to varying diets and food preferences, making them crowd-pleasers.

Inevitably, I’ll leave out a favorite neighborhood haunt or obvious choice from this list, but that’s what makes it fun. Let me know your favorite spots at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com and we’ll update this list from time to time.

Click through the above gallery for a peek at some top dishes at each restaurant.

Santa Rosa

Ausiello’s Fifth Street Bar & Grill: Eating at most bars means rolling the dice, but this family-owned pub has great burgers to go with your beer, wine or tonic of choice. Cozy, friendly and a super spot for sports-watching. 609 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, ausiellos5thstreetgrill.com

Dierk’s Parkside: Breakfast classics done with a chef’s touch. Corned beef hash, biscuits and sausage gravy, fried chicken with biscuits and an only-in-Sonoma County Country Benedict with scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and oven-dried tomatoes on a crispy baguette. It’s a Hollandaise hug on chilly mornings. 404 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, dierksparkside.com

El Fogon: For Californians, tacos and burritos rank equal to pizza for Taco Tuesdays or really, any day. El Fogon does it right, with top-notch birria, impressive machete (a foot-long quesadilla filled with meat, cheese, sour cream and tomato) and straight-up street tacos. 623 Fourth St, Santa Rosa and 6650 Commerce Blvd., No. 5, Rohnert Park, santarosa.elfogognca.com

Michelada at El Fogon Taco Shop in Santa Rosa on Friday, April 14, 2023. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Michelada at El Fogon Taco Shop in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

Riviera: Locals have been flocking to this Italian kitchen for more than 25 years. Family-owned and downright neighborly, it has familiar pasta dishes (I’m all about the Gnocchi Riviera), classic Caesar salad and tiramisu that are best bets. 75 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, rivieraristorante.net.

Rosso: If pizza and pasta aren’t comforting food, I don’t know what is. Crispy Neapolitan-style pizzas (the Funghi di Limone is a favorite), hearty Bolognese with penne and the legendary fried chicken with caramelized pancetta glaze with creamy smashed potatoes are my go-to orders. 53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, rossopizzeria.com

Willi’s Wine Bar: Before I was a food writer in Sonoma County, this was the spot I went to for a “fancy” date — once upon a time, chef Mark Stark’s foie gras poppers were one of my favorite dishes. After 20 years, the restaurant continues to impress me even though I’ve eaten at far fancier digs since. The full bar makes it a great happy-hour stop, and their wine list is highly approachable. The menu stays consistent (the Tunisian carrots are still around), and the focus on small plates keeps things interesting. One of my favorite “off-duty” hangouts. 1415 Town and Country Drive, Santa Rosa, starkrestaurants.com

Tunisian carrots at Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa. (Willi's Wine Bar)
Tunisian carrots from Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa. (Willi’s Wine Bar)

Cloverdale

El Milagro: The choices in north Sonoma County can be limited, especially for a group. But this family-owned Mexican kitchen is always a great choice. The menu goes far beyond taqueria standards, with regional Mexican cuisine like pumpkin-seed mole sauce with chicken, pork ribs with nopales in tomatillo sauce and a la carte street tacos. The extensive menu also has familiar favorites like carnitas, fish tacos and wet burritos. 485 South Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, elmilagrocloverdale.com

Petaluma

Acme Burger: The burgers are big and juicy (and you can still get a simple single for $6.95), but the addition of fried chicken and fried rock cod has elevated the menu far beyond fast food. Daily soups are especially good, and the kid’s menu is a bargain. Seasonal milkshakes are delicious, too. Walk-up ordering keeps things moving, and you can get in and out almost as fast as at In-N-Out. 550 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati; 1007 W. College Ave., Suite D, Santa Rosa; and 330 Western Ave., Petaluma, acmeburgerco.com

Brewsters: Casual outdoor seating at picnic tables makes this a good choice for a crowd, especially with a play area for kids and a dog-friendly policy. A great beer and cocktail selection keeps everyone content. The wide-ranging menu is casual, with some lovely upscale touches like duck-fat fries with garlic aioli; buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with bacon and goat cheddar; and ahi tuna poke with fried wontons. And there’s excellent house-smoked barbecue to boot. 229 Water St., Petaluma, brewstersbeergarden.com

Cucina Paradiso: With upscale Italian food that isn’t stuffy and always hits the mark, this is a good choice for a third date, a dinner with parents or a work dinner (there are several larger tables to accommodate groups). The authentic menu gets high marks for its portion sizes and consistency. Prices aren’t cheap, but you won’t leave disappointed over a poorly executed dish. 114 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, cucinaparadisopetaluma.com

Lunchette: Not only are the grab-and-go salads and grain bowls excellent, but owners Naomi Crawford and Joel Baecker are conscious owners who source locally, aim for zero waste, are active in the community and are just darn good people. The trout salad with roasted beets, carrots, pickled raisins and preserved lemon dressing is my go-to, along with their tart Meyer lemon pot de creme. You’ll also love the Tahini Bowl with organic brown rice, chickpeas, pickled cauliflower and spiced sweet potatoes. 25 Fourth St., Petaluma, lunchettepetaluma.com

Sax’s Joint: Breakfast paradise with a ’50s vibe and gigantic portions. They’re famous for their plate-size cinnamon rolls. Friendly waitstaff make everyone feel welcome. Expect to wait if you’re rolling up at peak weekend breakfast times, but it’s so worth it. 317 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, saxsjoint.com

Sebastopol

Fern Bar: Though the menu may not be for everyone, I often end up here with friends when we’re trying to decide where to grab a drink. Fernbar’s craft cocktails are their calling card, but I’m always intrigued by their ever-evolving starters and shared plates. A current favorite is the okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), but I’m dying to try the aged beef dumplings and savory Vietnamese crepe (bahn xeo). Chicken-liver toast with plum rosemary jam is always on my order, and the stuffed roti with butter chicken can’t be beat. 6780 Depot St Suite 120, Sebastopol, fernbar.com

At El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma. (Mariana Calderon)
At El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma. (Mariana Calderon)

Sonoma

El Dorado Kitchen: This hotel restaurant always delivers, with a wide variety of dishes from fancy dinner selections (caviar, Wagyu beef carpaccio, filet mignon) to a “I just went wine tasting all day and want something simpler” dishes like a vegan rice bowl with mushrooms and seaweed and beet salad with orange yogurt. Every meal (breakfast through dinner) has inclusive vegan plates that are every bit as good — if not better — than other selections. Burgers and shrimp tacos and great lunch choices. The restful garden patio is a nice meetup spot, and the bar is a nice single-person dining experience. 405 First St. W., Sonoma, eldoradosonoma.com

Girl and the Fig: Legendary bistro-style French cuisine at this destination restaurant. Relax on the patio, sit at the polished wood bar or meet friends in the friendly lemon-yellow bistro. Steamed mussels and frites, duck liver mousse or duck confit are great picks. Fig and arugula salad is a required order. 110 W. Spain St., Sonoma, thegirlandthefig.com

Shrimp diablo at Grata Restaurant in Windsor. Photo: Heather Irwin, Press Democrat
Shrimp Diablo at Grata restaurant in Windsor. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Windsor

Grata: The Gnudi Alla Vodka is a comfort go-to, along with the Cacio e Pepe with tons of zingy pepper and Parmesan that speaks to your inner child. Dishes like goat cheese and ricotta ravioli with local wild mushrooms and pea shoots are a more Cal-Ital twist. Make sure to try whatever seasonal risotto is on the menu. Happy hour is a steal of a deal. The outdoor patio is our favorite spot to eat. 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, gratawindsor.com

Kin: Kid-friendly and adult-endorsed is a rare combination in a restaurant, but Kin has it down. Burgers and dips are excellent, Kin macaroni and cheese is decadent (also in a pizza version) and tempura-battered and fried pickles are crowd-pleasers. More grown-up entrees like lasagna Bolognese are excellent. Reasonable prices for a family dinner. 740 McClelland Drive, kinwindsor.com

Sweet T’s: Anyone who can’t find a tasty dish on this menu is clearly a grouch. Memphis barbecue nachos with smoked brisket (vegetarian options available) is the place to start. Fried chicken with biscuits and Southern sides (creamed corn and braised greens are excellent), barbecue plates, Key lime pie and a Texas margarita are what we’re all about. 9098 Brooks Road S., Windsor, sweettssouthern.com

Pecan Pie from Sweet T's in Windsor. (Photo by John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
Pecan Pie from Sweet T’s in Windsor. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

On the coast

Spud Point: Though I have favorites for chowder, fresh crab and barbecued oysters elsewhere, this always-packed spot is unrivaled for its Dungeness crab sandwich (and I do love their garlicky chowder). Crab cakes (only available on the weekend) are also excellent. What makes this an undisputed “good place” is its consistently excellent quality. 1910 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, spudpointcrabco.com

Local Chefs Join Forces to Create Ultimate Texas-Style Barbecue in Sebastopol

Brisket, pulled pork and ribs with all the sides: collard greens with smoked turkey, mac and cheese, pickled onions, and cornbread, from Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ at Old Possum Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)

Local barbecue powerhouses Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ and Marvin’s BBQ are joining forces to create the ultimate Texas-style cue in Sebastopol.

The newly christened A&M BBQ will feature dry-rubbed brisket (amen!), pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, tri-tip and occasional specials like oxtail from the current Marvin’s spot at 495 S. Main St. in Sebastopol.

The duo is doing a light update to the space to include more inside seating and will officially change names and the menu on April 1. During the transition, Marvin’s will remain open.

Marvin Mckinzy removes his slow-cooked tri-tip from the grill at Marvin’s BBQ and Deli Wednesday, August 30, 2023 in Sebastopol. (Photo John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Marvin Mckinzy of Marvin’s BBQ and Deli in Sebastopol. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Kris Austin of Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ at Old Possum Brewing. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Kris Austin of Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ at Old Possum Brewing. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Owners Kris Austin of Austin’s and Marvin Mckinzy of Marvin’s got to know each other over social media as both built up their businesses. Both grew up in barbecue-loving households — Austin in Kansas City, Memphis and Texas, and Mckinzy in Kentucky.

“He was stalking my social media, so I stopped in the store, and we had a conversation. We’ve been hanging out ever since,” said Austin of Mckinzy.

Barbecue nachos with pulled pork, nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, black beans and chimmichurri at Austin's Barbecue at Old Possum Brewing in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Barbecue nachos with pulled pork, nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, black beans and chimichurri at Austin’s Barbecue at Old Possum Brewing in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Texas-style BBQ is known for its low and slow smoking with a simple dry rub, in this case just salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, according to Austin.

“We let the smoke do the work, and we don’t try to cover up our meats with sauce so you can taste the time we put into it,” he added.

McKinzy and Austin will make their own sides at the restaurant, including collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, baked beans and coleslaw with classic banana pudding for dessert. They’ll make their own sauces to accompany the meats.

“We just got tired of doing stuff individually and being stressed out. Now people don’t have to choose between us,” Austin added.