Spring is a great time to explore Sonoma Wine Country. The days are mild and sunny, vineyards are waking up from their winter slumber and wineries are releasing new vintages and serving up an assortment of new experiences.
From chef Dustin Valette’s new wine club to a private lakeside tasting experience, Sonoma County has a lot in store this spring. Click through the above gallery for all the details.
When it comes to Sonoma County’s constantly evolving food scene, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. With hundreds of restaurants to keep track of, chef shuffles, new menus and sharing all the tasty tea, I rarely have time to look up from my plate. But when I do, I see an impressive landscape only continuing to bring new talent and ideas to our delicious little corner of the world.
Here’s a list of newcomers on the horizon, along with a handful of highly anticipated openings for summer 2023. It’s a doozy of a list, so hold onto your forks, folks. And click through the above gallery for a sneak peek.
Goose and Fern
When the neighborly Railroad Square British pub Toad in the Hole suddenly closed in February, rumors of a possible new owner were already in the air. Happily, the tales were true.
Longtime Toad in the Hole employee and native Brit Clyde Hartwell plans to reopen the pub this summer with a new look, vibe and name.
“It will be a warm, egalitarian watering hole,” said Hartwell’s wife and business partner, Brittany. The couple plans to redecorate the space to be more like a village pub and to keep most of the original menu, especially the much-loved fish and chips and pasties (think British-style empanada).
They’ll spice things up with additional pub staples including Scotch eggs; meat pies; sticky toffee pudding; oxtail soup; toasted cheese sandwiches; and hearty ploughman’s platters with local cheeses, ham, preserves and crusty bread (fuel to get back to plowing those fields).
116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa.
Kracken Kitchen
Chef Dino Moniodis (of Dino’s Greek Food and Zimi on Mission, both in Santa Rosa) is teaming up with Three Disciples Brewing to open a gastropub at the former Two Tread Brewing at the Santa Rosa Plaza this summer.
The roomy restaurant space and brewery hasn’t been open to the public since 2019. But it includes a large kitchen and brewing tanks.
Moniodis will create an international small-plates menu with a lamb and mushroom sandwich (a take on a French dip), chanterelle and Dungeness crab flatbread, shrimp saganaki, pot stickers, pork larb spring rolls and chicken tikka tacos.
“It will be more refined than a typical gastropub, with a lot of different kinds of food,” he said. Moniodis also said he’s working on a food truck concept serving Persian and Iranian food, which he hopes to launch in late summer.
1018 Santa Rosa Plaza, Santa Rosa
Americana Sebastopol
The owners of Santa Rosa’s Americana restaurant and Estero Cafe in Valley Ford have recently taken over the lease of the former Gypsy Cafe. Once known as the Pine Cone Restaurant, this historic location has a spot in the hearts of longtime locals.
Chefs Ryan and Samantha Ramey hope to bring their locally sourced diner-style cuisine to the exploding food scene in Sebastopol sometime this summer. “I just love Sebastopol,” Samantha Ramey said.
162 N. Main St., Sebastopol, americanasr.com
Goldfinch
The new owners of the former K & L Bistro in Sebastopol have revamped the space entirely, with a planned early-summer opening under chef Rodrigo Mendoza. They’ve kept the exposed brick walls and historic feel of the place intact and added updated fixtures and a jealousy-inducing open kitchen.
Goldfinch is part of the in-progress Livery on Main project — a food hall, event and coworking space operated by Farm to Coast Collective, a subsidiary of local development company the Beale Group.
199 S. Main St., Sebastopol.
Barrel Brothers Brewing Co. Kitchen & Cocktails
Details are still scarce on this one, but we know that the ridiculously drinkable brews of this Windsor-based taproom will be part of a restaurant and patio. According to the owners, the new space will feature a 39-tap self-serve wall and menu of international street food.
9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128, Windsor.
Mandarin Kitchen
The newest restaurant from chef Tony Ounpamornchai (of Sea Thai Bistro, Sea Noodle Bar and Raku Ramen and Rolls) opened April 1 in the former Tony’s Seafood spot at Montgomery Village.
Ounpamornchai said the new menu is inspired by heirloom recipes from his parents and his native Thailand, along with Chinese influences. It includes a made-to-order savory Vietnamese crepe, crispy calamari, hot and sour soup, grilled sea bass in banana leaves, Kung Pow chicken and prawns and massaman chicken curry.
We’re eager to try Indonesian-inspired mee goreng (rice noodles with chicken tofu and soy sauce) and “water spinach,” which are all but unknown in these parts. The lunch menu is pared down to include shumai and hargow dim sum, along with stir-fried eggplant, curry and noodles. The restaurant also has a full bar with specialty cocktails. 7
22 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-303-7007, mandarinkitchensr.com
Red Bird Bakery Santa Rosa
After an extensive remodel of the small Santa Rosa storefront formerly occupied by Criminal Baking Co., bakers Linda and Isaac Cermak have officially opened in Santa Rosa. It’s the third location for the veteran Della Fattoria bakers.
The couple founded their bakery business in 2015 using a small industrial kitchen in north Santa Rosa, followed by Cotati (556 E. Cotati Ave.), then The Barlow in Sebastopol. Their breads are favored by many restaurants and are now available at local grocers and farmers markets.
Open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 463 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa, redbirdbakery.com
Pizzando
This longtime Italian trattoria has reopened after adding a new bar, expanding its dining room and updating the menu. Chefs Thomas Mulligan and Francisco Alvarez, who head the culinary team at Spoonbar at h2 hotel and The Rooftop at Harmon Guest House, have added handmade pastas, seasonal dishes and ultra-thin crusted Roman-style pizza.
301 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg.
In case you missed it, we’ve previously written about a handful of new spots coming in 2023.
Ethel’s Bagels: A pandemic pop-up that’s become a top purveyor of Bay Area bagels plans to open their Petaluma bakery in May after lengthy renovations. They plan to sell organic bagels and a delicatessen menu including Reuben sandwiches, classic lox, breads such as New York rye and braided challah and babka, rugelach and other traditional Jewish sweets. 1000 Clegg Court, Petaluma, ethelsbagels.com Read more.
Augie’s French: Downtown Santa Rosa will say bonjour to a casual French bistro early this summer, according to restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark. The couple recently leased the empty former Bollywood space at 535 Fourth St. with plans to serve classic bistro dishes like steak frites and mussels. The restaurant also will feature a fresh seafood bar, wine and cocktails. Read more.
Molti Amici: Longtime friends and former SingleThread co-workers Jonny Barr, Sean McGaughey and Melissa Yanc (of Quail & Condor Bakery, Troubadour Bread and Le Diner) will open an Italian-inspired restaurant this year at the former Campo Fina. 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. Read more.
Marla Santa Rosa: Marla, a popular bakery with a production facility in Windsor, plans to take over the space previously occupied by food and wine shop Miracle Plum at 208 Davis St. in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square, Marla co-owner Amy Brown recently announced. Brown and her partner, Joe Wolf, sold baked goods at Miracle Plum between October and December 2022 before the shop permanently closed in January. They hope to reopen the space as a bakery and cafe in early May. Read more.
After a long, wet winter with many days spent indoors, we could all use an invigorating spring getaway. The Sonoma Coast — including the areas surrounding Jenner and Fort Ross — holds special magical appeal year round, but especially in early spring.
Admire the velvety-gray-blue ocean kicking up against craggy rock bluffs and thrill as the water bursts to sparkling sapphire when the sun peeks through the clouds. Breathe in the salty ocean air while cuddled up in a warm quilted jacket, a steaming cup of hot chocolate in your mittened hand.
All that winter rain has set the stage for brilliant tapestries of wildflowers along coastal hills and meadows as you make the winding, cliffside drive along Highway 1. Here’s how to spend three perfect days on the Sonoma Coast.
Check into Timber Cove Resort, perched north of Fort Ross along a breathtaking coastal cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Built in 1963, the historic property was extensively renovated in 2016, but still brims with the nostalgic charm that was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architectural style.
Look up to the boulder outcropping above the property – you’ll see an obelisk, the Bufano Peace Statue Monument, soaring 93 feet above the rocks, as an iconic symbol of beauty, spirit and tranquility.
Enjoy lunch at the resort’s Coast Kitchen, amid the nautical decor of polished wood, bright blue cushions and a rock wall that looks like part of the surrounding cliffs. The grilled salmon wings are must on the seafood-centric menu, tempting with rich nubbins of salmon belly ribboned in succulent fat and grilled to a slightly smoky char.
After lunch, hike in Salt Point State Park a few minutes from the resort, off Highway 1. The 6,000-acre park features one of California’s first underwater parks, Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve, where marine life is protected from boisterous surf and divers are welcome to explore. At low tide, visitors can also seek out ocean creatures in the tidal pools.
Plan your visit so it coincides with one of the Winemaker Dinners at Timber Cove Resort (find more information and purchase tickets on Resy). The suppers sell out quickly and feature multi-course meals, such as a recent evening showcasing Raen Winery and its Sonoma Coast vineyard in Fort Ross. Just one of the dishes guests savored: Sonoma Meat Co. lamb loin with brown butter sweet potato, turnip-parmesan purée, toasted nuts and pomegranate raspberry sauce, paired with Raen’s delicate 2021 Fort Ross-Seaview Sea Field Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Start the day with the new wine-paired brunch at Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery.
You’d never expect to find a luxury winery in this remote part of the world, but in 1988, Lester and Linda Schwartz purchased 976 acres of virgin forest and grasslands in the high coastal ridges and planted a 53-acre vineyard. Their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive here. So does their rare, dark berry-kissed Pinotage, in tribute to the couple’s South African heritage.
Chef John Vong wows with a seasonal, often-changing menu that may include delights like celeriac soup with lemongrass, cardamom and fried celeriac; local wild mushroom potstickers with roasted fennel, truffle soy and Brussels sprouts; and char siu pork drizzled in English cucumber Pinotage glaze alongside scallion-peppercorn crepe.
After brunch, treat yourself to a coastal helicopter tour via Helico Sonoma ($290/person). The company flies R22, R44, Bell 206 and other model helicopters for stunning tours of the area’s spectacular forests, vineyards and ocean. You’ll also delight in aerial peeks of otherwise hidden landmarks, such as the Odiyan Buddhist Retreat Center, a 1,000-acre spiritual and ecological preserve that welcomes guests to discover Buddhist methods like yoga, meditation, and gardening. You can arrange for the helicopter to pick you up from an open hillside next to some of the Schwartz family’s Fort Ross vineyards.
After your helicopter adventure, hang with the locals at The Ocean Cove Bar & Grill nestled in the redwoods. It ain’t fancy here, but you can gaze at the beautiful ocean, letting your mind drift as you chill in the bar-style dining room. This is good pub fare, and it tastes even better sitting on the deck overlooking the water. Fill up on buffalo wings dunked in housemade bleu cheese dressing, an old-school bay shrimp Louie salad, fish ‘n’ chips with crinkle fries, or sweet-savory sauced baby back ribs.
Return to Timber Cove for a nightcap in the great room that shares space with the lobby and bar. Visitors cozy up in front of the huge rock fireplace to play retro board games and sip wines showcasing Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties.
On your last day on the coast, breakfast at Café Aquatica in Jenner. This tiny, charming cottage offers a small selection of superb dishes, each with big flavors and a good amount of vegan and/or gluten-free options (gluten-free bagels, even).
Belly up to the counter and peruse the chalkboard for healthy, great-tasting bites like toasted focaccia slathered in avocado, arugula and everything seeds then topped in options like a poached egg and/or luxurious smoked salmon. Indulge in owner Rachel Kulinski’s made-from-scratch pastries and a fair-trade single-origin coffee, adding a splash of housemade chocolate sauce to your drink.
Wrap up your adventure with a leisurely guided kayak excursion with WaterTreks EcoTours/Jenner Kayaks. You’ll paddle through the Sonoma Coast State Park and the Jenner section of The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, seeing lots of Russian River Estuary wildlife like playful harbor seals and noisy flocks of birds.
Timber Cove Resort: 21780 Highway 1, Timber Cove, 707-847-3231, timbercoveresort.com
Coast Kitchen at Timber Cove Resort: 707-847-3231, coastkitchensonoma.com
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery: 15725 Meyers Grade Road, Jenner, 707-847-3460, fortrossvineyard.com
Helico Sonoma: 707-526-8949, helicosonoma.com
Odiyan Buddhist Retreat Center: 33755 Tin Barn Road, Cazadero, 510-981-1987, odiyan.org
The Ocean Cove Bar & Grill: 23255 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-847-3089, oceancovelodge.com
Café Aquatica: 10439 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-865-2251, cafeaquaticajenner.com
WaterTreks EcoTours/Jenner Kayaks: 10438 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-865-2249, watertreks.com
We have a lot of restaurants to choose from in Sonoma County — a heck of a lot. But which, according to the venerated New York Times, are the best for food and wine?
In an article earlier this month, the newspaper’s wine critic, Eric Asimov, revealed six of his “favorite places to find an excellent glass with your meal” in Sonoma and Napa counties.
“The restaurants in California Wine Country can be super-expensive or somewhat dull, but these places offer great combinations of intrigue and value,” said The Times of Asimov’s selection of favorite restaurants.
While Sonoma County and Napa Valley are “full of alluring restaurants,” it can be hard to find wine lists that “offer both wide selections and good values,” wrote Asimov, who has been traveling to Northern California as a wine critic for nearly 20 years.
“Top-echelon restaurants, like the French Laundry in Yountville and Single Thread in Healdsburg, have wonderful selections. But these are special-occasion places, where you plan months in advance, spend hours over a meal and likewise expect to spend a small fortune,” he wrote.
Asimov’s favorite picks combine intriguing, good-value wine lists with “terrific food” and “a welcoming, relaxed ambiance.” “I’ve visited multiple times and have always left happy,” he wrote.
Click through the above gallery to see Asimov’s six favorite restaurants in Sonoma and Napa counties. Read The New York Times article here.
In a food mecca like Sonoma County, happy hours are a chance to sample top-notch cuisine and drinks at bargain prices. And one of the best, for after-work drinks, visitors and locals, is the Stork Club Happy Hour at Stark’s Steak & Seafood in Santa Rosa.
Like most happy hours, this one is on weekdays only, from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. But if you’re looking for a quiet place to kick back after a busy day, this is not the place. When we arrived at 3:45 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, the restaurant was already packed.
Guests can grab a seat at the bar, which has a full menu, or opt for a table — we waited 15 minutes to be seated during our recent visit. (No reservations can be made between 2:15 and 5 p.m.)
The restaurant is divided into two sections; one side is home to the bright and buzzing bar area with smaller tables while the other is more intimate and formal, with booth seating. The classic upscale steakhouse in Railroad Square has a cozy atmosphere with brick-ensconced fireplaces, large windows and upholstered leather seating.
Start with the classic Fords Gin martini ($6) and make it dirty, so it has a briny kick that will pair well with the bites to follow. (Stark’s happy-hour drinks list features nine alcoholic beverages for $6 or less, including a lager, a red wine, a white wine and a handful of cocktails.)
For food, make it a tapas-style experience by ordering a selection of small plates to share. Most dishes on the happy-hour menu are $7 — two special items were $9 at the time of our visit, including a banh mi sandwich made with the restaurant’s popular prime rib.
The BBQ oysters ($7) have a tangy cocktail sauce over each shell and are sure to please any seafood lover. The potato skin fondue ($7) is the epitome of guilty pleasure, with steaming smoked cheddar over crispy potatoes and bacon bits. It’s large enough to share with friends, unless you want to keep it all to yourself.
The tuna tartare tacos ($7) are a great bang for your buck. (Tuna tartare is a Stark’s specialty and frequently appears on the menus at other Stark restaurants around Sonoma County.) Three tacos are loaded with ahi tuna infused with miso and truffle flavor, and with pine nuts for extra crunch. The fried wonton-style shells are crunchy and work well with the fish.
The truffle fries ($7), popular at happy hour for good reason, are hard to pass up. Reliably simple, they deliver with the kind of comforting umami we crave. Pro tip: Ask for some of the steakhouse aioli to dip the fries in and you’ll be golden.
The star of the Stork Club Happy Hour is the crispy calamari ($7), drizzled with orange chile sauce and sprinkled with garlic and parsley. The skillet they come in is on the smaller side, but it fits plenty of calamari. The sweet chile sauce brings a citrusy flair to the dish, and the batter is perfectly crunchy without being too thick.
The meaty prime rib banh mi sandwich ($9) makes for a great finale to your happy-hour meal and can easily be shared by two people. It’s topped with an herby slaw that adds an invigorating crunch to the sandwich.
We’ll be highlighting other happy hours around Sonoma County in the coming weeks, so check back at sonomamag.com and in The Press Democrat. Know of a good local happy hour, with great food and drink? Email Lonnie Hayes at lonnie.hayes@pressdemocrat.com.
Stork Club Happy Hour at Stark’s Steak & Seafood: 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com
Travel + Leisure magazine announced today its 18th annual “It List” of the best new and renovated hotel properties in the world.
Among the 100 properties to make the cut in 2023 is The Madrona in Healdsburg.
The historic inn and restaurant, previously known as Madrona Manor, reopened in April 2022 following a $6 million makeover. The property was bought in 2021 by an investment group headed by San Francisco-based designer Jay Jeffers and Los Angeles hotelier Cory Schisler.
The Madrona’s new look is contemporary, yet with a nod to the property’s history. To furnish the renovated hotel, Jeffers incorporated antiques original to the 1881 mansion alongside custom furniture he designed himself and commissioned pieces from makers and artists. Much of the art comes from his friend Lisa Chadwick’s Dolby Chadwick Gallery in San Francisco.
“The vibe honors the Aesthetic Movement, an era of beauty for beauty’s sake, which was popular in Healdsburg in the late 1800s,” wrote Leilani Marie Labong of Travel + Leisure. “And because it’s Wine Country, you know the food and drink will be exceptional. Try the wood-fired vegetable pie for lunch, and indulge in duck bolognese gnocchi dinner,” she advised.
Travel + Leisure’s 2023 “It List” spans 37 countries on six continents; this year, it included 37 properties in the United States. The hotels featured on the list are selected by Travel + Leisure editors, who “reviewed hundreds of new and renovated properties across the globe.”
Also on the list this year is the recently renovated Nick’s Cove in Marshall.
The popular restaurant and cottages on the Tomales Bay were updated for the first time last year since the property reopened in 2007. Along with freshly painted walls and new furnishings, overnight guests will find custom throw rugs, colorful throw pillows, new bedding and towels, refinished hardwood floors, vintage clawfoot tubs, wood-burning stoves and cheerful nautical wallpaper in the cottages.
Nick’s Cove restaurant also has received a facelift. The taxidermy that previously graced the restaurant’s walls is gone (some local regulars were happy to give it a new home) and there are new tables and chairs.
“The counter service restaurant is a popular spot for locals and Highway 1 daytrippers, thanks to the beautiful setting and coastal classics with a regional spin, from grilled Tomales Bay oysters slicked with barbecue sauce to velvety macaroni and cheese loaded with Dungeness crab,” wrote Leilani Marie Labong of Travel + Leisure magazine.
Find the Travel + Leisure “It List” of best new and renovated hotels here.
U.S. News & World Report, known for its influential best colleges and hospitals rankings, has listed the 25 best small towns to visit in the USA – and the town of Sonoma came in on number 12.
The list, part of the media company’s annual Travel Rankings, featured American small towns like Bar Harbor, ME, which took the number one spot this year, Telluride (No. 2), Jackson Hole (No. 3), Lake Tahoe (No. 4), Monterey (No. 8) and Laguna Beach (No. 19). The rankings are based on user and editor scores and take into consideration elements such as “sights, culture, people, food, family, nightlife, adventure, romance value and accessibility.”
“Located in the heart of one of America’s best winemaking regions, this Northern California town boasts all of the charms of a rustic, yet refined locale without the crowds and high price tags of its larger neighbor, Napa,” said U.S. News & World Report of Sonoma.
This is the third time U.S. News & World Report names Sonoma one of the best small towns in the US (the town took the No. 1 spot on the 2017 list).
Other national travel publications and media companies also have recognized Sonoma’s small-town charm: Travel + Leisure magazine has named Sonoma among the top 10 towns in California with under 15,000 residents and one of “America’s best towns for July 4th.” Last year, Sonoma made Only In Your State’s list of best main streets in Northern California. And Budget Travel has named Sonoma one of the “coolest small towns in America.”
What are some of your favorite spots in the town of Sonoma? See a few hidden gems in the gallery above.
April, when grapevines awaken from winter and the growing season starts, is Sonoma County Wine Month. It kicks off wine event season, too, with local wineries offering special tastings, new releases, discounts, hikes, parties and other events throughout the month.
You can find the full list of events for Sonoma County Wine Month — this year is the eighth annual celebration — at sonomawine.com/sonoma-county-wineries. To help you narrow your list, here are six ways to take advantage of Wine Month:
Rowen Release Party, Saturday, April 8: The Cellar Door at Rodney Strong Vineyards is celebrating the release of its 2019 600L Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 600R Red Blend, with winemaker Justin Seidenfeld. Visitors will be guided through a carefully selected tasting of wines paired with small plates from Out To Lunch Catering in Petaluma. Tickets are $150 each and $110 for wine club members. Buy tickets at rodneystrong.com/events.
Vino & Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 8: Keller Estate is recreating the nostalgic thrill of hunting for Easter eggs, but with an adult twist. Participating families can search around the winery for eggs and treats, with adults reliving childhood memories and kids creating new ones. Tickets that are $50 per person include a take-home prize, and $70 tickets include empanadas and wine following the egg hunt. Kids are free. Buy tickets at kellerestate.com/Visit/Events.
Earth Day with wine, Saturday, April 22: Celebrate Earth Day with a hike around Benziger Family Winery’s Sonoma Mountain estate, followed by a glass of wine. Chris Benziger will lead the hour-long hike as he tells family stories and gives insight into the winery’s biodynamic farming practices. Tickets are $35, or $25 for wine club members. Reserve a spot at benziger.com.
Papapietro Perry Wines and Puppies, Saturday, April 22: Enjoy a tasting of Papapietro Perry wines in the company of an adoptable pooch from the Healdsburg branch of the Humane Society of Sonoma County. Visitors can try a glass of the winery’s single-vineyard wines on the patio while taking part in the Humane Society’s Kissing Booth. Hot dogs will be served for $5, which will be donated to the Humane Society along with 10% of the winery’s sales from that day. Tastings are $30 per person, and the dogs will be at the winery between noon and 3 p.m. Book tastings at exploretock.com/papapietrowinery.
End of Frost Party, Saturday, April 29: Celebrate the end of the rainy, cold winter with Emeritus Vineyards from 11 a. m. to 1:30 p.m. This celebration will be hosted at Hallberg Ranch, where visitors can meet the vineyard and winemaking teams and enjoy the vineyard’s new vintage Ruby Ruby, other special wines and small bites. Advanced tickets are required and are $50 per person. E-club members get two complimentary tickets. Buy tickets at emeritusvineyards.com/event/end-of-frost-party.
Passport to Dry Creek Valley, Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30: This traveling tasting experience is a great way to try wines around Dry Creek Valley if you’re not sure where to start. During the two-day event, you can visit different wineries at your leisure and try wines you won’t find on store shelves. There will be wine and food pairings and entertainment throughout the weekend. Tickets are $250 for both days, $150 for Sunday only and $50 per day for designated drivers, who also get food and nonalcoholic beverages. Buy tickets at drycreekvalley.org/events/passport-dry-creek-valley.
Easter is Sunday. A number of events will be held locally to mark the day. Events, both before and on the holiday, include egg hunts, the chance to meet the Easter Bunny, contests and crafts.
B.R. Cohn’s Easter Brunch and Egg Hunts
Enjoy live music, Easter egg hunts for all ages, wines and a boxed brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $65 a person, $55 for club members (up to four), $25 for children (five and up).
Location: 15000 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma. For more information, go to brcohn.com/events.
Sonoma Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Join the Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association for its annual Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday in Glen Ellen. The event includes the opportunity for children who find five or more eggs to win a candy bag prize. Children are advised to bring their own baskets to collect eggs. Admission is free.
Location: Dunbar School, 11700 Dunbar Road, Glen Ellen. For more information, go to bit.ly/3m0YrGd.
Comstock Wines Annual Easter Egg Scramble in the Vineyard
Comstock Wines is hosting its annual Easter Egg Scramble in the Vineyard, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The children’s egg hunt will be followed by wine specials for adults and pizza for families. Reservations are required, and it is recommended to arrive at 10:30 a.m. for check-in.
Location: Comstock Wines, 1290 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. For more information, go to bit.ly/3MaF5cn.
2023 Annual Rio Nido Roadhouse Easter Sunday Egg-stravaganza
Rio Nido Roadhouse is hosting its annual Easter Egg-stravaganza staring at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Egg hunts will be separated by age group, kids five and under starting at 11 a.m., six to nine-year-olds at 11:30 a.m., and nine and older at noon.
People are invited to submit an entry to Rio Nido Roadhouse’s diorama art contest for a chance to win prizes. This year’s theme is “Peeps in mythical lands.” Shoebox-sized submissions must be dropped off by noon on Easter Sunday and will be judged by local artist Beverly Bird. Prizes will be awarded by 2 p.m.
There will also be a homemade Peep catapult competition for kids of all ages.
Location: 14540 Canyon 2 Road, Rio Nido. For more information, go to bit.ly/3MhilY7 or call 707-869-0821.
Rohnert Park Assembly of God Egg Hunt
Children are invited to participate in an egg hunt after the 10:30 a.m. church service on Sunday. There will be a special egg hunt for preschoolers. The Sonoma Bubble Man will perform at noon. Admission is free.
Location: 4695 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. For more information, go to rpassembly.org.
Rohnert Park Public Safety Officers Association Easter Egg Hunt
The Rohnert Park Public Safety Officers Association will be hosting a community Easter Egg Hunt at Foxtail Golf Club at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The event is for children of all ages. It is recommended to arrive early. Admission is free.
Location: 100 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park. For more information, go to bit.ly/40TAE9W.
Safari West’s Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt
Join the animals of Safari West for the wildlife preserve’s Easter egg hunt and brunch on Sunday.
Morning package brunch starts at 10 a.m. followed by an egg hunt. The morning package is for guests who stayed overnight on Saturday or those signed up for the noon, 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. tours.
Afternoon brunch starts at 2 p.m. followed by an egg hunt. The afternoon package is for guests staying overnight on Sunday or those signed up for the 9 a.m., 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. tours. Admission is $52 for adults; $32 for children (ages 4-12).
Location: 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa. For more information, go to bit.ly/3Kk24yT.
“Santa Rosa’s best Easter Egg Hunt“
Over 5,000 eggs will be up for grabs at an Easter egg hunt hosted by Santa Rosa’s Ignite Martial Arts on Saturday. Special golden eggs will be included in the hunt and will contain cash, gift cards and other prizes. Following the event, there will be free pictures with the Easter Bunny. Four hunts will be held, at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
Location: 799 Piner Road Santa Rosa. For more information and to register, go to bit.ly/3nEyrRo.
2023 Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Sebastopol
The Kiwanis Club of Sebastopol hosts its annual community Easter egg hunt at Ives Park on Saturday. Children can hunt for eggs, meet the Easter Bunny and get treats starting at 10 a.m. Admission is free.
Location: Ives Park, 7400 Willow Street, Sebastopol. For more information, go to bit.ly/3G9lRA3.
Easter At Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Hunt for eggs and enjoy an Easter brunch on Sunday at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. The egg hunt is for all ages and will begin at 10 a.m., followed by an Easter brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Brunch is $125 for adults, $39 for children ages six to 12. Brunch is free for children five and under.
For brunch reservations, call 707-939-2415 or email smi.reservations@fairmont.com.
Location: 100 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma. For more information, go to bit.ly/3U5VLn8.
Newsong Church Easter Egg Hunt
Newsong Church in Windsor will be hosting an egg hunt for the community on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. There will be music, face painting, an inflatable slide, doughnuts and a gift basket raffle for families. Newsong Church is looking for volunteers for the event. Admission is free.
Location: 167 Arata Lane, Windsor
Know of any other Easter events? Email Charlie Wiltsee at charlie.wiltsee@pressdemocrat.com.
Tucked around the back of a secluded artists’ colony, near the end of a pebbly dirt road and surrounded by stands of bamboo and ornamental grasses, is the tiny studio workspace of Sonoma ceramist Hiroko Ishida. Inside, shelves upon shelves are lined with ceramic pottery pieces, many finished, some in progress. All demonstrate the organic forms, subdued colors, and playful shapes that have become Ishida’s hallmark.
For the past decade or so, Ishida has presented her ceramics at exhibitions, fairs, and farmers markets, attracting those who prize a naturalistic style rooted in Japanese cultural traditions. Chef Emma Lipp, who discovered Ishida’s work online several years ago, says Ishida’s work has a very identifiable aesthetic that reflects both contemporary Japanese aesthetics and the more humble traditions of clay.
Ishida’s work has a clear sense of self, Lipp explains.
“I love her use of pattern and restraint in palette.”
Ishida has had a lifelong career in the arts, though the art forms in which she works have evolved over time. She grew up in Tokyo, where she studied textiles and French color history and later spent a decade working as a weaver. She lived in Europe for several years, where she learned to love fashion and the stylized forms of French haute couture. Later, she was the chef at a well-known vegetarian restaurant in Tokyo, an experience that influenced the form and function of her current tableware designs.
It wasn’t until 2010, a few years after Ishida moved to California with her husband, that she found her way to the art of ceramics. Ishida took several years of classes at Napa Valley College, including beginning ceramics, sculpture, and kiln building. Her studies there laid the foundation for her current body of work, which is guided by the shape of the clay itself, maintaining irregularities found in the clay body and in the natural flow of the glaze. Hand-shaped platters display a delicate, frilled edge, while a stack of plates, each a slightly different size and shape, share a wabisabi aesthetic.
Ishida has a lifelong passion for the Japanese tea ceremony, which she still studies locally a few times per week. Her instructor, she says, has helped her reconsider the potential of form and color in her designs. “In the Japanese tea ceremony, the bowl has many meanings: the name, feelings, and using the five senses,” she says.
From teacups and mugs to larger bowls and vases, many of Ishida’s pieces are created with the seasons in mind. Summertime designs, Ishida explains, are lighter in color, with wide rims to cool liquids more quickly, while winter pieces feature narrower rims and darker colors to retain heat. She shapes her work intuitively, often using a loose hand to add dimension to her pieces with carved edges and freeform dots and stripes. Designs are not sketched out in advance, but rather take shape on the wheel or table, giving a light-handed, experimental feel to the work.
“My style favors the minimalist approach,” says Ishida. “All our senses enter my art pieces.”
For more information on exhibits and sales, visit hirokoishida.com or follow on Instagram @hiroko9675.
