Category: Food + Drink

The Fremont Diner in Sonoma is famous for its chicken and waffles. The wait for a plate can be up to an hour on busy weekends, but these chicken and waffles transport your taste buds straight to the South. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Food & Wine Magazine Named Fremont Diner Among “Best Diners”

Fremont Diner was just named among the “best diners” in America by Food & Wine magazine. Now it will be even more crowded, but everything works quite smoothly and the food is always interesting. It’s definitely a creative diner, rather than what we might think of as a traditional one. So often you see two […]

Fort Bragg to hold 20th Annual Beer Festival

The Fort Bragg Rotary Club will be holding their 20th annual beer festival on Saturday, March 19 in Fort Bragg. Sixteen craft brewers will pour their best beers and ales and the famous North Coast Brewing Company will be showcasing their new North Coast Steller IPA. The beer fest is part of the Fort Bragg […]

The Best Deals of Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2016

Written by Heather Irwin for BiteClubEats. Best. Sonoma County Restaurant Week. Ever. After six years of trial and error, the more than 100 regional restaurants participating in this year’s Sonoma County Restaurant Week (March 7-13, 2016) have dialed it in with great meals at great prices for 2016. I’m more impressed with the lineup this […]

Is Your Wine Aging Well, or Just Getting Tired?

An awful lot of wine we cellar or put in storage lockers simply does not get better with age, but why? One of the problems we face is how to know whether a particular wine is aging well or merely getting tired. One way is to open a bottle of which you have more than […]
A sample flight of bears at Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg in 2013.

Bear Republic to Open New Brewpub in Rohnert Park

Bear Republic Brewing Co. will expand in Sonoma County by opening a brewpub in Rohnert Park, at the site of the shuttered Latitude Island Grill. The new brewpub will be in addition to its original location in Healdsburg and its new production facility in Cloverdale. It is expected to open within a year. The deal […]

Santa Rosa’s Secret Breakfast Spot

Written by Heather Irwin for BiteClubEats. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve found a secret Santa Rosa breakfast spot. Local cook Damon Gault slings hash from around 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings at Sprenger’s Tap Room (446 B St., Santa Rosa). And by “around” we mean as long as people are eating and his food doesn’t […]

Drinking Stories: The Role of Yeast in Winemaking

Written by Bill Swindell for The Press Democrat. Bill Swindell’s new podcast, “Drinking Stories,” peels back the veneer of the wine, beer, spirits and cider industries. In the first episode, Bill speaks with Kevin Sea of Santa Rosa Junior College about yeast, the Jan Brady of the fermentation process, and the important role it plays […]

Review of Franchettis Wood Fire Kitchen in Santa Rosa

Written by Heather Irwin for BiteClubEats. Two forks + one bite of polenta cake = friendship on the line. Over a recent lunch nosh-fest my gal pal and I had nearly inhaled a plate of seared polenta with truffle porcini spread, mushrooms, arugula and tiny Peruvian sweet peppers ($14) at the new(ish) Franchettis Wood Fire […]

Sonoma County’s Best Food and Wine Pairings

Written by Heather Irwin for BiteClubEats. Chefs have become the secret weapon at Sonoma wineries trying to woo your tastebuds, not simply with a bite of bread or a dull plate of cheese and crackers, but with Michelin star-worthy dishes. In Sonoma County, more and more wineries are offering these intimate white tablecloth experiences that […]