Restaurateur Lowell Sheldon of Sebastopol’s Peter Lowell’s will open Handline Fish and Food, a “California coastal inspired restaurant” next May with partner Natalie Goble. There has been plenty of speculation about what’s going on at the former Foster’s Freeze on Gravenstein Highway, but Sheldon plans for a chef-driven menu that isn’t about clam chowder and fish and chips, but is more inspired by Californian flavors.
“We are many things in California, but essentially we are a blend of Mexican and American. This is our history, and this is what we grew up eating,” said Sheldon. Inspirations for the restaurant, he said, include the Marshall Store, Fish Restaurant, Gott’s Roadside, Swan Oyster Depot, the old Foster’s Freeze and El Molino Central.
The menu is still in development, but think ceviche, fish tacos, burgers, seafood stews and salads.
Also from Sheldon, Peter Lowell’s has recently implemented a no tipping, inclusive service charge to help employees earn a fair wage. Similar programs have come and gone in the county, but frankly, it’s time for food service professionals to earn enough to survive in this already insanely expensive region.