The Madrona hotel and restaurant in Healdsburg has introduced a two-course, prix-fixe lunch designed for diners short on time.

Available Wednesday through Friday, the $45 menu is intended to be served in about 30 minutes and includes a choice of starter and entrée.

Options include the estate-grown salad, caviar and onion dip, kale-and-furikake pasta, and the Madrona burger served with roasted onions and beef-fat fries. Guests can also add a rotating by-the-glass wine pairing.

Reservations recommended.

1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-395-6700, themadronahotel.com

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On June 2, the Specialty Food Association announced the winners of the 2026 Good Food Awards, honoring producers whose products excel in taste, craftsmanship and responsible sourcing.

Now in its 16th year, the awards recognize artisan food and beverage makers committed to sustainable production, ethical business practices and high-quality ingredients. More than 1,200 products from across the United States were entered this year. After an initial round of judging narrowed the field to 349 finalists, judges selected 242 winners.

Producers in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties were well represented among this year’s honorees, earning awards for products ranging from cheese and cured meats to cider, olive oil, coffee and pasta.

Sonoma County

Basket Ricotta

Bellwether Farms, Petaluma

Sheep Cheese-Sonoma Herb

Bellwether Farms, Petaluma

Culatta

Canteen Meats, Petaluma

1870

Ethic Cider, Sebastopol

Tuscan Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Sebastopol

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Sebastopol

Apple Cider Balsamic Vinegar

Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Sebastopol

Strawberry Snap Pea shrub

Land + Local, Healdsburg

Organic Chili Lime Olive Oil 2025 Harvest

McEvoy Ranch, Petaluma

Napa County

Organic Savory Onion Jam

Clif Family Winery & Farm, St. Helena

Marin County

Antica Collection-Hourani Flour Fazzoletti

Mill Valley Pasta Co., San Rafael

Colombia Las Flores Thermal Shock Pink Bourbon

Equator Coffees, San Rafael

Point Reyes Fennel Blue

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Point Reyes Station

The post North Bay Producers Win Big at 2026 Good Food Awards appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Inside the narrow kitchen of Sebastopol’s Alesta restaurant, strips of blue painter’s tape cling to eye-level stainless-steel shelves, each carrying a handwritten reminder: “breathe,” “anyone can cook” — a nod to “Ratatouille” — and “sense of urgency.” But the one that means the most to co-owner Ugur Akkaya comes from another favorite film, “Toy Story.”

“To infinity and beyond,” Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase, is scrawled across one strip.

“It means keep going to what is beyond. It’s the chase of perfection,” Akkaya said, pointing to the tape.

It is a mantra he loves, and one that captures the care he and chef Kadir Senel put into each dish.

That pursuit is reflected in a menu far more ambitious than the strip-mall setting might suggest. Alesta, which opened in mid-April in the former Piala space on the edge of downtown Sebastopol, is neither a gyro shop nor a grab-and-go deli. Instead, it is a small neighborhood restaurant where Akkaya and Senel draw on Turkish, Greek, Lebanese and Eastern European flavors filtered through French technique.

“We do this for the love of culture and cuisine, but in our own style,” Akkaya said.

Akkaya began cooking as a child, first learning to make a perfect pot of rice for his mother. Instead of college, he entered the restaurant world, learning on the job in San Diego and Sonoma County before teaming up with Senel, a longtime friend who operated a Mediterranean food truck in Santa Rosa.

Together, they opened Alesta with a larger menu that has since been pared back to keep the small kitchen running smoothly. What remains is the food they most enjoy eating, served with easy hospitality that includes complimentary cups of Turkish black tea.

The restaurant’s name means “ready” in Turkish, a call used by seafarers embarking on Mediterranean journeys. In Sebastopol, Akkaya and Senel seem less interested in arriving than in discovering how much farther they can go.

Best bets

Saganaki, $19: A quick burst of flame turns pan-fried cheese into tableside theater. The brandy burns off almost instantly, leaving behind a singed block of firm, mild cheese topped with figs and orange. Rich enough for two to share.

Branzino, $34: Fillets of mild, white-fleshed fish with crisp skin rest atop white beans in a pool of velouté, the classic French sauce enriched with butter and stock.

Assorted meze plate, $27: Small bowls of atom — whipped labneh with brown butter and Turkish peppers — sweet potato hummus and smoky baba ghanoush arrive with warm pita, fried olives and pickled vegetables. Enough for sharing, or a substantial lunch for one. Individual portions are available for $12.

Mediterranean salad, $14: Not the salad you expect. Red and yellow beets sit in honey yogurt and are topped with arugula, pickled onions and walnuts. We ordered a second. The Anatolian salad ($12), finished with pomegranate seeds, feta and walnuts, offers a refreshing summer alternative.

Moussaka, $32: One of the menu’s pricier dishes, this refined version layers eggplant, béchamel, beef Bolognese and potatoes beneath bubbling cheese. A ring of tomato sauce adds brightness and balance.

Mixed skewer plate, $31: A generous assortment of chicken, lamb and beef skewers served with rice, pita, tzatziki and greens. The meats are nicely charred while remaining juicy inside.

Also great

Karides, $19: Another signature dish, featuring oven-baked shrimp, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, finished with a flambé.

Manti, $29: Fans of pelmeni and other Eastern European dumplings will appreciate these meat-filled pasta parcels topped with garlic yogurt and brown butter.

Alesta serves Turkish and California wines, beer, tea and soft drinks.

If you go: Alesta, 7233 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol; 707-329-6533, 707-519-4565, alestasoco.com. Reservations through OpenTable are recommended, particularly for dinner, though a handful of bar seats are reserved for walk-ins.

The post Alesta Brings Refined Turkish and Mediterranean Food to Sebastopol appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

The drive from Santa Rosa to Kenwood winds through the Valley of the Moon’s patchwork of vineyards, rural lanes and hillside estates tucked into the mountains above the valley floor. Even by Sonoma County standards, it is a striking stretch of road — every curve revealing another postcard view of Wine Country.

What’s harder to find is a place to sit and take it all in.

Salt & Stone has become something of a community living room for Kenwood. Its parking lot is busy from lunch through dinner, drawing a mix of Oakmont residents, weekend visitors and locals lingering over a drink. The appeal is broad: a menu that moves comfortably from steak tartare and duck confit salad to burgers and fried calamari, a full bar and a spacious patio overlooking the vineyards of Kunde Winery. A koi pond and steady stream of diners add to the sense of activity. There is almost always something happening here, whether it’s a midday business meeting, a family dinner or a glass of wine at sunset.

Here’s what to know before you go.

Background

Before Salt & Stone, the space housed KenWood, opened by the investor and restaurateur Bill Foss after a 26-year run led by chef Max Schacher, whose restaurant had built a devoted local following, particularly among nearby Oakmont residents. Foss and his team set out to update the menu with more locally sourced ingredients, though some longtime patrons felt the change came at the expense of the easygoing appeal that had defined the restaurant’s earlier years.

Most popular dishes

The classics never fail to win over diners: French onion soup, oysters, filet mignon, crispy-skin salmon, prawn and scallop tagliatelle, and Shanghai chicken salad top the list of favorites.

Fun fact

Look for the wall fresco from San Francisco’s legendary Poodle Dog restaurant, a wonderfully odd piece of pre-1906 earthquake history featuring a pig in chef’s whites, a goat in a topcoat and a dog in a bell captain’s hat hustling steaming platters to the table. This wonderfully weird art has been part of the restaurant since its days as Bunny’s Kountry Kitchen, a favorite Sonoma Valley gathering spot in the 1950s.

The vibe

The sprawling complex has a space for every mood: high-tops and bar seats for happy hour meet-ups, front-porch tables for midafternoon salads and multiple indoor dining rooms mostly ignored once the sun comes out. Regulars jockey for the best pond-side patio tables from May to October, when views of rolling vineyards and Northern California’s blue skies are at their best. The come-as-you-are vibe works as well for after-pickleball gatherings as for dressed-up date nights.

The food

Though ownership has changed over the years, the restaurant has maintained the kind of broad, dependable menu that has long made it a Kenwood standby, with daily specials providing just enough variety. Salt & Stone sits squarely in the Wine Country menu milieu, but its appeal lies in consistency: favorite dishes stay on the menu, sparing regulars the all-too-common fate of watching a beloved order disappear in favor of something more precious.

The menu, with more than 50 dishes, can be a lot to take in, but the service is unhurried, encouraging diners to settle in. The expansive wine and cocktail lists only add to the deliberation, making “I’ll have that next time” a perfectly reasonable strategy.

Generous Dungeness crab cakes ($26); blackened snapper tacos with mango salsa ($18); and truffled mac and cheese with Grana Padano, cheddar and Gouda make solid, shareable starters. Don’t miss the crisp-edged pork belly with pickled carrots, sambal aioli and Vietnamese fish sauce glaze ($19), a table favorite that disappeared quickly.

The crispy-skin salmon ($30) delivers on its promise, with tender flesh and crackly skin over creamy mushroom risotto with tarragon beurre blanc. The Pasta Bolognese ($26), made with housemade rigatoni, leans red-sauce Italian American, with plenty of tomato and cream, and is all the better for it. A supersize carrot cake cupcake special — one that deserves a permanent place on the dessert menu — was enough for four to share, and we did, not daintily, but with gusto, scraping up every last bit of cream cheese frosting with forks and fingers.

The deals

Happy hour starts early and stretches through most of the day, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Until 5 p.m., all bar bites are $8, with drink specials including $8 cocktails, beer and wine. Grab a seat early because nearby Oakmont seniors know a good early bird deal — and who’s going to argue with a half-price dirty martini?

The price

The menu accommodates both modest appetites and larger splurges: a substantial appetizer or salad and a drink can still come in under $30, while happy hour keeps bites and drinks to $8 apiece. At the other end of the spectrum are more indulgent options, including wine-braised short ribs ($36) and filet mignon with lobster tail ($67).

The spot

9900 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-6326, saltstonekenwood.com

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Perhaps it has to do with the seemingly constant uproar in the world, but nostalgic foods are coming back strong. Everywhere we look, restaurants are serving up comfy retro delights like corn dogs, deviled eggs, and your grandparents’ beloved shrimp cocktail cradled in ketchup-horseradish sauce.

“Every time there’s an economic downturn — a recession, a pandemic, a war — people go back to the foods that comfort us,” says Clark Wolf, a Guerneville-based food, restaurant, and hospitality expert who consults for businesses across the country. “From the sourdough bread we baked while we were in Covid isolation, to mac and cheese and barbecue at eateries when we started to get back together, we know what we want.”

Wolf, a 2009 “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” James Beard Foundation inductee, author, and host of television and radio shows, adds that the trend isn’t surprising.

“In big cities, and now almost everywhere, in a predictable cycle, casual French bistros resurface,” he says, referencing newer hot spots like Brigitte Bistro in Petaluma and Santa Rosa’s Augie’s French for soul-warming onion soup gratinée and beef bourguignon. “It’s true in New York City, San Francisco, and now, all over Sonoma County, (and) happening everywhere from a limited-service counter spot to a fancy restaurant.”

Foods that remind us of childhood and simpler times when life moved at a slower pace have a similar appeal. Remember when weekend mornings meant French toast in front of Saturday morning cartoons, followed by a neighborhood baseball game while snacking on steamed, grilled hot dogs?

While we may be peckish for the past, many of us have more evolved palates than when we thought Jell-O Pudding Pops were the pinnacle of good taste. We’re no longer picky, we’re choosy. And whether we’re at a diner or a Michelin-starred restaurant, we like our comfort food with a side of sophistication. That French toast might be crafted with ube (vibrant purple yam), topped with fresh local berries and homemade ube-taro whipped cream, as found at the Kelly family’s Two Niner Diner at the Petaluma Municipal Airport. And those franks might be spiffy corn dogs, enjoyed at Sebastopol’s Fern Bar with a contemporary twist of crisp-skin hot links dunked in curried ketchup.

Even the classic grilled cheese is recontextualized with high quality ingredients and some degree of novelty, such as the golden, griddled Texas toast stuffed with melty cheese and juicy birria, plump shrimp, al pastor, grilled chicken, or tender asada at Galvan’s Eatery & Beer Garden in Cotati.

“We want some adventure, but not too much,” Wolf says. “We crave a burrito, but maybe now with a Korean taste,” such as the version at Santa Rosa’s Zoftig gussied up with Stemple Creek Ranch grass-fed beef and housemade kimchi.

Call it “NewStalgia.”

As Sonoma County chefs pull out the stops for treasured treats to soothe our souls, there’s plenty of room for fun.

At the posh Valette in Healdsburg, the “Snickers Bar” has long been a favorite dessert, looking like the famous candy: a slim rectangle of sea salt caramel, peanut powder, and locally made Volo dark chocolate. More recently, chef-owner Dustin Valette revamped the confection into “It’sNotA ‘Snickers Bar’ Deux” as an even fancier work of art, a tall cake layered with dark chocolate sea salt ganache, peanut butter custard, and espresso caramel, then sprinkled in peanut crumble and pierced with shards of cocoa tuile.

“We’ve run our original take on the Snickers Bar forever,” says Valette, who is celebrating the 11th anniversary of his eponymous destination. “Everyone absolutely loves it — it evokes childhood memories, but now it’s with an even more elegant chef touch.”

Some chefs turn to our childhood bookshelves for inspiration — specifically, Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham.” Healdsburg’s Acorn Café offers a version with herbed yogurt, dukkah, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs providing the “green” to poached eggs and ham, while Charlie Palmer, the celebrity chef-owner of the new Folia Bar & Kitchen in Healdsburg, gives a whimsical salute with his Green Eggs and Ham Benedict; the brown butter hollandaise is capped with an herb shakshuka.

Palmer’s son, chef Reed Palmer, Folia’s chef de cuisine, recently unveiled his twist on the tried-and-true tuna salad sandwich. This one features premium oil-packed Italian tuna spiked with pickled peppers and onion, topped with lightly dressed organic iceberg lettuce, and piled atop griddled, fresh-baked challah.

“It’s an homage to an East Coast luncheonette-style tuna fish sandwich,” he says. “The main inspiration is the Palace (Diner) in Maine — the best diner in the world. And if you want, we’re happy to make it a tuna melt with lots of beautiful cheese.”

While homestyle is trending, chefs are walking a tightrope to keep quality high but prices low.

“Value is the story this year,” says Andrew Freeman, founder of San Francisco’s af&co., a lifestyle and hospitality marketing and public relations firm that represents several Sonoma County restaurants. “Even in fine dining, guests want to walk away feeling like it was worth it. So whether it’s a great lunch deal, a prix-fixe only concept, or a high-end ‘happy meal,’ operators are finding creative ways to offer value at every level.”

Sax’s Joint in Petaluma — typically a breakfast and lunch spot — leans into its 1950s-style diner vibe with modern-day blue-plate specials at monthly pop-up dinners. Locals crowd in for prime rib, stuffed pork tenderloin, and the chicken Diane, a mid-20th century throwback recipe from owner “Mee Maw,” featuring pan-seared poultry blanketed in rich, creamy sauce made with mushrooms, brandy, and Dijon mustard. Included in the $35 tab is a choice of salad or soup; baked potato, mashed potato, rice, or French fries; plus a side of veggies and garlic bread.

Even the Michelin-starred Cyrus in Geyserville is taking note. While the restaurant’s multicourse Cal-Japanese tasting menu commands a $325 price tag, savvy diners have discovered the luxe destination’s Sunday Family Meal. Chef Douglas Keane’s menu offers an upscale take on deeply satisfying comfort dishes with an East-meets-West approach: fried chicken glazed in spicy-sweet Korean gochujang and pillowy Parker House rolls slathered in savory-sweet miso butter along with creamy mashed potatoes, housemade pickles, and kimchi. For $95 per guest plus a 20% service charge already figured in, it makes end-of-meal math easy.

The set menu idea ends up being a win-win. “In an era where guests are seeking value at every level, these concepts balance approachability with a sense of occasion,” Freeman says. “Guests know what they’ll spend; operators gain consistency, cost control, and efficiency.”

Desserts, too, hearken back to a bygone era. Suddenly, several Sonoma County restaurants are parading out twists on the iconic baked Alaska — once the height of sweet sophistication on big nights out. There’s the baked “gelaska” at Stella in Kenwood, made with gelato rather than the typical ice cream, and served “up” in a fancy brass coupe. The casual, hip Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa has its own inventive take: baked Japan with sesame chiffon cake and matcha ice cream surrounded by fluffy toasted meringue. Tucking into that in the Rat Pack-era resort makes this finish to a meal even more fun.

It all equates to a tasty stroll down memory lane filled with beloved foods that hold timeless allure.

“The bottom line is that we’re coming to really appreciate the foods we may have long taken for granted,” Wolf, the restaurant consultant, says. “Those natural, wholesome, homegrown foods many of us grew up with are harder to get and much more expensive to buy, yes, so we’re learning to value them more. And I think that’s always a great thing.”

The post Sonoma County Restaurants Serving Cozy Retro Dishes appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Travel + Leisure recently highlighted 10 of California’s most underrated destinations, steering readers away from the tourist magnets that dominate travel itineraries. Among the hidden corners of the Golden State, the Russian River Valley stood out for its rustic charm, redwood forests and quintessential summer pleasures.

Los Angeles writer Chelsee Lowe, who grew up in California’s Central Valley, recalled childhood visits to Healdsburg, where her grandmother lived near the town plaza.

“We would shop for the latest installment of ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ series at Toyon Books, which is now a Copperfield’s,” Lowe wrote.

As an adult, she found herself returning to the Russian River Valley, drawn by its towering redwoods, leisurely river floats and vineyard-lined landscapes.

Some destinations here have already earned national acclaim, from Healdsburg’s Michelin-starred SingleThread to Guerneville’s upscale Dawn Ranch. But beyond the headline attractions, the valley offers plenty of quieter pleasures.

Here’s how to spend a memorable getaway in the Russian River Valley.

Where to stay

At the northern end of the valley in Healdsburg, h2hotel (219 Healdsburg Ave.) is among the region’s most environmentally conscious accommodations, holding LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Guest rooms feature Egyptian cotton linens, natural bath products, ergonomic workspaces and glass carafes that can be filled at complimentary water stations on every floor. Visitors can also take advantage of free Sunday morning Ashtanga yoga classes and complimentary three-hour bicycle rentals for exploring town.

For travelers who prefer to stay directly on the river, Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville (16215 and 16217 First St.) offers cabins and glamping tents steps from the water. During the busy summer season, guests can retreat from the crowds to accommodations equipped with luxury linens, Malin + Goetz bath products, kitchenettes, fire pits and picnic tables. The property is open from April through November.

Where to play

No visit to the Russian River is complete without time on the water. Visitors can bring their own flotation devices, from inner tubes to inflatable mattresses, or rent kayaks, canoes and other watercraft from Johnson’s Beach, King’s Sport & Tackle in Guerneville, Burke’s Canoe Trips in Forestville and Rivers Edge Kayak & Canoe Trips in Healdsburg.

Summer also brings a full calendar of community events. In the “Vacation Wonderland” of Monte Rio, the annual Big Rocky Games (July 3-4) feature family-friendly competitions including a rubber duck race, water balloon toss, Hula-Hoop contest and potato sack race. Other seasonal highlights include the free RioFest music festival (June 20) and the 115th annual Monte Rio Variety Show (July 23), both held at the historic Monte Rio Amphitheater (9925 Main St.).

For a quieter afternoon, browse one of the area’s independent bookstores. Levin & Company Books in Healdsburg (306 Center St.) has served readers for more than three decades with thousands of titles, alongside a curated selection of CDs and vinyl records and an upstairs art gallery. Russian River Books & Letters in Guerneville (14045 Armstrong Woods Road) stocks an extensive collection of new and used books and sits next door to Coffee Bazaar, making it an ideal spot to settle in with a novel and a cup of coffee or tea.

Where to eat

The Russian River Valley’s dining scene ranges from nationally recognized restaurants to local favorites known mostly to residents.

One standout is Canneti Roadhouse Italiana in Forestville (6675 Front St.), where housemade pastas and rustic Italian cooking have earned a devoted following. Signature dishes include the Tonno del Chianti and a rotating Pasta Trio featuring the chef’s selection of freshly made pasta.

For rib-sticking soul food and barbecue, Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville (16632 Highway 116) serves Southern staples including fried catfish, shrimp po’boys, Cajun chicken and sweet potato pie.

And few meals feel more fitting after a day on the river than a burger. Healdsburger (48 Healdsburg Ave.), just a stone’s throw from the river, offers specialty burgers alongside sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, ice cream and milkshakes.

Where to sip

With dozens of wineries scattered throughout the Russian River Valley AVA, narrowing down the options can be difficult.

North of Sebastopol, Kobler Estate (4630 Gravenstein Highway N.) pours a Bacigalupi Vineyards Chardonnay marked by notes of citrus zest and green apple. It pairs naturally with a slice of pie from nearby Mom’s Apple Pie.

South of Healdsburg, Copain Wines (7800 Eastside Road) offers sweeping hilltop views of vineyards and valley landscapes alongside its cool-climate wines. Nearby Riverfront Regional Park provides an easy opportunity for a post-tasting stroll around the lake.

Need more recommendations for a perfect weekend escape to the Russian River Valley? We got you covered.

The post Russian River Valley Named Among Most Underrated Destinations in California appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Sitting outside her tree-ringed home pottery studio in Santa Rosa, Hannah Allen recalls the exact moment the life she’s now made for herself began to take shape. The Sonoma County native and owner of Olivet Ceramics was tending bar at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco when a customer off-handedly mentioned Heath Ceramics, the esteemed tableware maker founded in Sausalito nearly 80 years ago.

“She was like, ‘I’m the plateware representative. I fly around and talk to chefs about their plateware needs.’ I was like, ‘That’s a job? Oh my God,’” says Allen, who is clad in the clay-stained Carhartt overalls she typically wears on days spent at her pottery wheel. “So that was the first seed.”

Allen and Healdsburg’s Jee Park both craft ceramic pieces for some of the finest restaurants in Sonoma County and beyond, yet these two artists followed wildly different paths toward taking their place at those acclaimed tables.

A longtime restaurant veteran, Allen began crafting her own pieces when she was laid off during Covid, and she started taking classes at Clayfolk, a studio an old friend had opened in Occidental.

“I was wrestling clay off the wheel. It was falling off, it was messy, it was ugly, I had a mask on—it was terrible,” she says, laughing. “I just decided that this was going to be my meditation, because I needed a break from real life. In Occidental, I didn’t get any [cell] service, and I was like, ‘This is good for me to have this quiet time.’ And all of a sudden, that’s where I was spending all of my time. I could not get away.”

In 2021, she took a job at SingleThread, where she still works as rooftop captain, leading the service team on the roof deck. Looking at and handling the three-Michelin-starred restaurant’s plateware on a daily basis proved inspirational, and she often brought her own pieces in to give to co-workers.

“At SingleThread, there’s the principle of kaizen—one good change every day to make improvements,” she says. “Being surrounded by that principle while creating art, I was like, if I can just kaizen every day and kaizen each piece, I can keep doing this.”

Keep on she did, firing and glazing clay mugs, plates, vases, and more in a variety of earth tones, each piece with a tactile, slightly imperfect, wabi-sabi feel. When SingleThread’s owners briefly partnered in the opening of Little Saint in 2022, co-owner Katina Connaughton asked Allen to make vases for the flower program. Around the same time, Melissa McGaughey, who co-owns Quail & Condor and Troubadour Bread & Bistro and uses Allen’s plateware at the restaurants, offered to sell her pieces at Quail & Condor. “She gave me two shelves, and it was gone, just like that,” Allen says.

“Hannah has a unique style,” McGaughey explains. “There’s a feminine feel to it—a softness to the bold colors and weight to the shape. Hannah’s ceramics [at the restaurants] are from a color palette based on a Turkish rug, to showcase our influence from my Turkish heritage. The food has a more complete story when paired with plateware that reflects the founders.”

McGaughey also notes the simplicity of those pieces for everyday use. Functionality is a key consideration for Allen, an approach gleaned from her years of restaurant work.

“As a service industry professional,” Allen says, “I’m like, ‘Are you ready for the high volume that’s going to be put on these plates? Here’s what I think we should do if you’re going to be passing them to people. Here’s what’s going to be easiest to clear.’ I’m always advocating for the ease of it.”

Jee Park also emphasizes practicality when making ceramics, although her style is distinct from Allen’s, and her career path even more circuitous. The proprietor of Healdsburg’s Seoul Sister Studio immigrated to the U.S. at age 4, growing up in the Chicago area in what she calls “a pretty stereotypical kind of Korean family, where academics were really important.”

Park obliged, earning a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. She confesses she didn’t much like engineering, so she became a high school math teacher, first in New Jersey and then San Francisco. Later, she went to graduate school at Stanford, which led to her becoming an interaction designer at Yahoo in the early 2000s. Her love for ceramics bloomed in part due to a phenomenon many Bay Area residents can relate to—rush-hour traffic.

“I was living in the Haight, driving down to Sunnyvale, which is a bear,” recalls Park, sitting on a couch with her dog in her expansive warehouse studio in downtown Healdsburg. “In order to break up the commute on the way home—and, I think, in response to me making digital things that weren’t physical—I stopped at the Palo Alto Art Center to take classes. That’s how I started ceramics, and I just completely fell in love with it.”

While Park enjoyed the tactile aspect of the art form, she also found a synergy between ceramics and the user interface work she did in the software world.

“I love to solve problems,” she says. “You think about restaurants—especially in San Francisco—their kitchens are fairly small, and you’ve got to think about the footprint of the piece, and about whether they’re going to be handwashed or if they’re going to be dishwasher-safe. I don’t just think, ‘Oh, it’s beautiful’; it’s got to actually work, too.”

Park’s work may be functional, but it’s not simple. She is inspired by architecture, citing the free-flowing structures of Gaudí and Gehry, an influence that can be seen in pedestals she designed for Dry Creek Kitchen. Many of her pieces feature intricate hand-carved lines, including a set of textured bowls she created for Petaluma’s Table Culture Provisions that can be flipped over to be used as platforms.

“I really like to make my pieces multifunctional,” she says. “So you get more bang for your buck.”

Years before she moved to Healdsburg in 2021, Park and her sister brought their mother to Wine Country for her 70th birthday, where they dined at Dry Creek Kitchen and Cyrus, both of which are now clients. “They are just so important,” she says, “because they’re part of my origin story.”

“I feel like it elevates what we’re doing, and it’s a conversation starter,” Shane McAnelly, executive chef of Dry Creek Kitchen, says of Park’s work. “We have little cards one of our managers made that talk about Jee’s background, so when people ask about it—which happens with relative frequency—we can bring those out and plug her.”

While her local ties have proved fruitful, a farther-flung place also lingers in Park’s consciousness. She named her studio Seoul Sister in part to recognize her Korean heritage, and she cites “Irworobongdo,” a screen painted with a landscape of mountains, sky, and water traditionally placed behind the royal throne in Korea, as a touchstone.

“The Korean people are supposed to be like the water in that painting, where you overcome the obstacles,” she says. “Nothing stops water, right? And it may not [take] a direct path, which my life has definitely not been a direct path.”

Water flowing over and around rocks, rarely taking a straight line, but always winding to its inevitable destination—it’s a description that fits not only Park’s journey, but also Allen’s, and perhaps the entire discipline of ceramics.

“When I got started,” Allen remembers, “and pieces weren’t coming out the way I wanted, I often would tell myself, ‘Well, the clay’s going to tell me what it wants to be today.’ And that was it.”

The post Local Ceramics Artists Create Tableware for Some of Sonoma County’s Best Restaurants appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship, kicks off June 11 and runs through July 19. The 23rd edition will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32, and the first to be jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.

One of the tournament’s 16 venues is Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, though FIFA will not call it that. Tournament rules bar corporate-sponsored stadium names, so the home of the San Francisco 49ers will be known as “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” throughout the World Cup.

The six World Cup matches at Levi’s, ahem, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, will be held June 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, and July 1.

For fans planning to watch closer to home, businesses across Sonoma and Napa counties will be ready with television screens, cold beer and game-day fare.

Where to watch the games in Sonoma County

Victory House, Santa Rosa

Victory House, the sports bar at Poppy Bank Epicenter, will show every World Cup match on its large-screen televisions. Additional games will be shown throughout the Epicenter complex, including at Chuck’s Bowling Bar & Lounge.

The venue will offer game-day food and drink specials and host a contest in which patrons can guess the tournament’s total number of goals. The grand prize, valued at $1,500, is a four-hour party at Chuck’s for up to 32 people, including a $500 food credit. Entry forms will be available at the bar. Participants must be at least 18 years old. 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-757-9041, visitvictoryhouse.com

The Goose & Fern, Santa Rosa

The British pub in Railroad Square will host a watch party for the World Cup final starting at 11:30 a.m. July 19, with indoor and outdoor screens, live music and a pig roast. All ages are welcome. 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-843-4235, thegooseandfern.com

Ausiello’s 5th Street Bar & Grill, Santa Rosa

Ausiello’s will screen every World Cup match with watch party drink specials. The specials include $5 pints of Stella and Michelob Ultra and a $50 bucket of four custom canned Casamigos margaritas, plus more for select games. 609 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-579-9408, ausiellos5thstreetgrill.com

Mitote Food Park, Santa Rosa

Mitote, a tented food court in Santa Rosa’s Roseland neighborhood, will show World Cup matches on a large outdoor screen. Patrons can order food and drinks from various trucks serving Mexican specialties. More information will be posted on Mitote’s social media channels. 100 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, mitotefoodpark.com

Sazon Peruvian Cuisine, Santa Rosa

The Roseland restaurant plans to air matches on two indoor televisions and post watch-party information on social media. 1129 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, 707-523-4346, sazonsr.com

Passion Peru Restaurant, Santa Rosa

Passion Peru Restaurant will show all World Cup games on its indoor screen. 4219 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-235-9876, passionperurestaurant.com

Sivar Pupusas y Tacos, Santa Rosa

The Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant will screen all World Cup matches on multiple screens. 1709 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-791-7255, instagram.com/sivarpupusasytacos

Los Tres Chiles, Santa Rosa

The Mexican restaurant will air matches on indoor and outdoor screens throughout the tournament. Specials will be available on game days. Owner Gustavo Gutierrez and Taqueria Sol Azteca owner Frankie Lemus also helped produce a bilingual World Cup magazine and tournament bracket placemats to be distributed at participating restaurants. Copies will be available at Los Tres Chiles. 2765 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-304-5724, lostreschiles.com

Taqueria Sol Azteca, Rohnert Park

The taqueria will screen matches on two indoor televisions. More information about watch parties will be posted on social media. 1435 E. Cotati Ave., Suite C, Rohnert Park, 707-792-1859, taqueriasolazteca.com

Playbook at Graton Casino, Rohnert Park

Playbook Sports Bar & Kitchen at Graton Resort & Casino will host a World Cup opening-match watch party starting at 11 a.m. June 11 and a viewing party for the final on July 19. Tickets range from $40 to $365 and are available through OpenTable. 288 Golf Course Drive W., Rohnert Park, 707-588-3734, graton.com

Galvan’s Eatery & Beer Garden, Cotati

The Cotati beer garden will show all matches on five screens in its outdoor dining and lounge area. 500 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, 707-664-5987, instagram.com/galvanseatery, facebook.com/GalvansEatery

El Gallo Negro, Windsor

The Windsor Oaxacan restaurant will screen the World Cup games along with soccer-themed drinks and specials. Customers who arrive wearing jerseys for Mexico’s opening match against South Africa will receive discounted margaritas. A special “World Cup Legends” cocktail menu includes drinks inspired by stars of the game. 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-838-9511, elgallonegro.net

Paradise Burger And Kitchen, Windsor

Paradise Burger and Kitchen will air selected World Cup matches on three screens, including the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa. Watch party schedules will be posted on social media. 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 300, Windsor, 707-837-7443, instagram.com/paradiseburger_kitchen, facebook.com/Paradiseburgerandkitchen

Beyond the Glory, Petaluma

The Petaluma sports bar will screen the World Cup matches on multiple television and projection screens. 1371 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 130, Petaluma, 707-971-8366, btgpetaluma.com

Petaluma Portuguese Hall, Petaluma

The Petaluma Holy Ghost Society, commonly known as Portuguese Hall, will host watch parties starting June 12 for the United States-Paraguay match and June 27 for a slate of group-stage games: Panama vs. England, Croatia vs. Ghana, and Portugal vs. Colombia. Nachos, linguica dogs and no-host cocktails will be available for purchase. 4649 Bodega Ave., Petaluma, 707-971-5517, petalumaholyghostsociety.org

Murphy’s Irish Pub, Sonoma

The pub and restaurant near Sonoma Plaza will screen all matches live on high-definition televisions. Drink specials will be available on game days. Guests are encouraged to wear their team’s colors. 464 First St, E., Sonoma, 707-935-0660, sonomapub.com

Sangiacomo Winery, Sonoma

Sonoma Valley United FC will host a World Cup viewing party and fundraiser at Sangiacomo Winery starting at 5:30 p.m. June 25. The event will feature a screening of the United States-Turkey match, along with food, wine and family activities. Tickets are $40 for adults, including a welcome glass of wine, and $20 for youth ages 17 and younger. Tickets are available on Zeffy. Sangiacomo Winery, 21545 Broadway, Sonoma. premier.upsl.com/teams/sonoma-valley-united-fc-344422

Where to watch the games in Napa County

Kerr Cellars, Napa

Kerr Cellars will screen all World Cup matches on an 85-inch television and offer wine specials during games: Sonoma Coast Chardonnay for $10 per glass and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for $12. No registration is required; walk-ins are welcome. 1463 First St., Napa, 707-963-5377, kerrcellars.com

Napa Palisades Saloon, Napa

Napa’s Spanish radio station MegaMix KVON will host a World Cup watch party starting at noon, June 11, at Napa Palisades Saloon. 1000 Main St., Suite 100, Napa, 707-492-3399, napapalisades.com

The full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule is available at fifa.com.

Multiple locations

Mountain Mike’s Pizza

A sports watch party just feels incomplete without pizza, and Mountain Mike’s aims to deliver on both fronts with big-screen TVs to catch every game and all the ‘za one can eat. As the World Cup approaches, the pizza chain is spotlighting its Triple Play bundle ($29) that includes a large, one-topping pizza and any two sides, such as salad, fries, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks or churro bites. Available Monday through Thursday for dine-in or takeout. Locations in Petaluma, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cloverdale and Napa. mountainmikespizza.com

Raquel Issenberg of La Prensa Sonoma contributed reporting.

Did we miss a World Cup watch party? Let us know at maci.martell@pressdemocrat.com.

The post Where To Watch the World Cup in Sonoma, Napa Counties appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Forest succession after a major disruption like logging or wildfire — of which we’ve seen plenty lately — can be measured in stages. The early-seral stage, dominated by grasses, shrubs, and eventually saplings among both surviving large trees and standing dead and dying trees, typically lasts between one and three decades.

It’s been more than 100 years since the last big fire at one coastal Sonoma County state reserve, but the forest is largely suspended in an early-seral stage. That’s thanks to decades of active land management for the benefit of a single shrub, the rhododendron, which is also the namesake of the reserve. In May and June, visitors to the Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve will find the plant blooming in all its rosy-pink magnificence.

California State Parks senior environmental scientist Brendan O’Neill explains that crews thin the redwood, tan oak, and fir forest by removing smaller trees from beneath the main forest canopy, then piling the cuttings and covering them to cure, before burning the piles in winter when conditions allow. “The rhododendrons depend upon sunlight and openings in the forest to be at their greatest,” O’Neill says.

Three species of native rhododendrons exploded on the landscape after last century’s fateful conflagration. All are fire-adapted, possessing latent buds in their root crowns that initiate vigorous new growth after a fire, even if the rest of the plant is charred beyond repair. In 1933, about a decade after the fire, Edward P. Kruse donated to California part of the large ranch on which his family had been raising sheep and logging tan oak — expressly for the public’s continued enjoyment of the dense rhododendron stands whose fragrant, late-spring blossoms had already become a popular tourist attraction.

As the decades passed, the forest advanced into a mid-seral phase and the rhododendrons began to suffer. By the 1970s, State Parks ecologist Jim Barry recognized that without logging or fire, they would largely disappear. So he proposed an “out-of-the-box” and “a little bit revolutionary” idea, in O’Neill’s words, of maintaining the forest in an early-seral stage indefinitely.

Today, selective thinning and pile-burning are far more commonplace for fire safety and fuel-load management: a clear co-benefit of the rhododendron-driven work at Kruse. Another benefit? The unique beauty of a steep, deep-green forest lit with dappled sunlight and pastel-pink blossoms held 20 feet high on the elongated branches of these endemic yet ephemeral shrubs.

Where to see rhododendrons in bloom this spring and early summer

Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve

Kruse Ranch Road, Cazadero. parks.ca.gov

Salt Point State Park

25050 Highway 1, Jenner. saltpoint.org

Botanica Nursery and Gardens

3970 Azalea Lane, Sebastopol. botanicanurseryandgardens.com

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

18220 Highway 1, Fort Bragg. gardenbythesea.org

The post Where to See Rhododendrons in Bloom in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

At the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction, a 6-liter bottle of the cult Cabernet Sauvignon blend Screaming Eagle set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine: half a million dollars. Heidi Peterson Barrett made that wine. Today, you can taste Barrett’s offerings at much more down-to-earth prices at her first tasting room in downtown Calistoga.

The story

Barrett grew up in the vineyards and cellars of Napa Valley, working alongside her father Dick Peterson, a legendary innovator in California’s post-Prohibition wine industry. She became one of the region’s most sought-after winemakers in the late ’80s and ’90s, making top-scoring wines for Dalla Valle, Screaming Eagle, Grace Family and other cult producers.

The winemaker founded her own brand in 1994 somewhat on a spur of the moment. She had been hired to make a Sangiovese for a client who suddenly needed to abandon the project. Instead of letting the client sell the wine on the bulk market, Barrett decided to buy it herself and start a winery. She called it La Sirena, inspired by the mermaid on Mexican Lotería cards and a nod to her love of scuba diving and the ocean.

In April, after a decade-long search for just the right spot, Barrett opened her debut tasting room in Calistoga.

“I would either be priced out of the market, or it was way too big of a place, or it came with a large home or more vineyard land,” she said. “I was really just in need of a tasting room, and this place has a little barrel cellar with the potential to make some of the wine here. It was a perfect fit.”

The tasting room showcases La Sirena wines, along with selections from Barrett & Barrett, co-founded with her husband Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, and Aviatrix, a collaboration between Barrett and her daughters Chelsea and Remi Barrett. Made from the family’s vineyards and purchased fruit, wines range from Moscato and Grenache to serious red blends. Annual production totals about 3,000 cases.

The vibe

Barrett describes her fledgling tasting room as “joyous,” and it’s hard to argue with that. Set on Foothill Boulevard next to Rivers-Marie and close to Lola Wines, La Sirena is filled with nautical whimsy, awash in cheery cobalt and aquamarine hues. Barrett, also an artist, painted the mermaid mural in the women’s bathroom.

The concrete-topped bar is decorated with blue mosaic tiles, and Barrett’s colorful paintings line the walls on both the main floor and in the upstairs loft. Outside, you’ll find two fun surprises: a petite side patio overlooking a neighbor’s vineyard and a set of swings — yes, swings! — hanging beneath a vine-covered arbor in the parking lot. Go ahead and take a ride (I did). In addition to wine, the tasting room sells Barrett’s handmade ceramics, jewelry and paintings.

On the palate

Though Barrett made a name for herself with Cabernet Sauvignon-based trophy wines, the offerings at La Sirena venture beyond typical Napa Valley varieties.

The 2021 Grenache from Aviatrix ($40), made from Bennett Valley grapes, has a bright and juicy profile that’s all about ripe red fruit. Also on the fresher side, La Sirena 2023 Moscato Azul ($34) from Lake County and Calistoga has lovely floral aromas, plus peach and tropical fruit flavors. With barely a half-percent residual sugar, it’s crisp and dry.

Fans of serious reds will appreciate the La Sirena 2021 Studio Series from Napa Valley ($125). An unconventional blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc, the wine is rich in leathery spice aromas and black fruit flavors.

Tasting flights include a $25 mini tasting for walk-in visits, a signature tasting ($50) and two different reserve tastings ($75-$100).

Beyond the bottle

Calistoga is a walkable town, but it can be more fun to travel by cruiser bike. It’s an easy, flat ride between La Sirena and other downtown tasting rooms, including Lola and Tank Garage, plus shops and restaurants. Beyond downtown, riders can pedal alongside vines to visit local wineries. Bring your own bike or rent from Calistoga Bikeshop.

La Sirena, 810 Foothill Blvd., Calistoga. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Reservations required for reserve tastings. 707-942-1105, lasirenawine.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost, and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Bluesky @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

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