A selection of baked goods from Pascaline Patisserie and Cafe. (Sierra Downey/Sonoma County Tourism)
The trip to Forestville’s French patisserie, Pascaline Patisserie and Cafe (4550 N. Gravenstein Highway, Sebastopol), has always been fraught with peril — at least for my car’s interior. Chef Didier Ageorges and new pastry chef Lea Schleimer make croissants so flaky they threaten to shatter into crumbs if you even look at them hungrily.
Pascaline’s pastry case is filled with buttery Kouign-Amann, crown-like caneles and other goodies that leave greasy fingerprints and brown flakes everywhere as you inevitably snack on them while you drive home.
Pascaline recently opened a new outpost — in Santa Rosa, closer to home for many of us.
French onion soup and a croque-madame at Pascaline Bakery and Cafe in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Lunch begins at 11 a.m., with soups, salads and sandwiches like the iconic French onion soup and croque-monsieur with ham, Swiss and Bechamel sauce on crispy Pullman bread. The opening menu is abbreviated but will expand as the staff gets up to speed. Currently, there are no espresso drinks, but coffee is sold.
The new location is in the former space of Worth Our Weight, a beloved culinary training program and working cafe for at-risk youth directed by Evelyn Cheatham, who died in 2019. Many local chefs, including Ageorges, John Ash and Duskie Estes, worked with the students and hosted pop-up events at this spot near Montgomery Village. We can’t help but think Cheatham would be happy to see such sweet joy in the neighborhood again.
Eighteen chefs will compete to make the best meaty bites at the upcoming Heritage Fire Tour at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena on Aug. 20.
The heavy-hitting cast of flame-fervent cooks includes Napa’s Garrison Price of Bear at Stanly Ranch, Erik Hangman of Imagination on Fire, Sticky Business Barbeque, Oakland’s Mago and others from the Sacramento area and beyond.
General admission, $125, includes unlimited tastes of heritage breed animals cooked over open fires, curated dishes, beverage pairings and live entertainment.
VIP access for $175 includes early entrance, exclusive beverages and in-person meetings with chefs, winemakers, brewers and farmers.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg. (Jordan Vineyard & Winery)
Jordan Vineyard and Winery has made this year’s World’s 50 Best Vineyards list, which was announced April 12 at a ceremony in La Rioja, Spain’s premier wine region.
Coming in at No. 20, the Healdsburg winery was recognized as a “continent winner,” or the top vineyard in North America. It was the only Sonoma County winery to make the list this year and only one of two U.S. wineries in the top 50 (Oregon’s Brooks Wine came in at No. 28).
South America dominated this year’s list with six vineyards in the top 10, including the winner, Catena Zapata, a Malbec-producing winery in Mendoza, Argentina.
This is the second time Jordan Vineyard and Winery has made the World’s 50 Best Vineyards list. Last year, it took the No. 46 spot.
“We are very honored that Jordan has been recognized among the top 50 wineries on the prestigious World’s Best Vineyards list for the second consecutive year,” said John Jordan, chief executive officer at Jordan Vineyard & Winery. “Ranking first in North America this year is a testament to our team’s unwavering commitment to preserving the timeless essence of Jordan and our dedication to improving year after year.”
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards ranking, now in its fifth year, is organized by UK-based media group William Reed, which also releases the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants and World’s 50 Best Bars lists. To make each year’s selection, judges assess the quality of the wine at each estate and the all-around visitor experience, including opportunities to learn about winemaking and grape-growing, and pair wine with food.
“The World’s Best Vineyards continues to highlight wine tourism destinations around the globe. We’ve found that local and international tourists are looking for experiences that offer a whole host of activities,” commented Andrew Reed, managing director of wine and exhibitions at William Reed, in a press release.
At Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Jordan Vineyard & Winery)Member’s of Jordan’s loyalty program can book overnights stays in the winery chateau. (Courtesy of Jordan Vineyard & Winery)
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards described the ethos of Jordan Vineyard and Winery as “the spirit of France in Sonoma” on its website and highlighted the winery’s commitment to protecting flora and fauna.
Founders Tom and Sally Jordan designed the Bordeaux-inspired winery chateau 50 years ago. Today, the winery is focused on land preservation and sustainability, while offering guests top-notch culinary experiences, Russian River Chardonnay and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Guests to the Healdsburg winery estate can choose from a variety of experiences, including a tour of the 1,200-acre estate aboard a Mercedes Sprinter. Members of the winery’s loyalty program, Jordan Estate Rewards, can stay overnight at the French-style chateau, which recently underwent a $1 million remodel.
Find the complete 2023 World’s 50 Best Vineyards list here. Click through the above gallery to see photos of Jordan Vineyard and Winery.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Road Healdsburg, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com.
Margherita Pizza served at Glen Ellen Star in Glen Ellen. (Crista Jeremiason/The Press Democrat)
Sonoma County’s Bib Gourmands have been announced for 2023, following the July 18 release of the annual California Michelin Guide. Once again, there are no new additions to Sonoma County’s lineup of eight restaurants considered to be restaurants with “good food at a moderate price.”
Receiving the awards for 2023 were Healdsburg’s Chalkboard; El Molino Central, Valley Bar & Bottle and FolkTable in Sonoma; Khom Loi and Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol, Stockhome in Petaluma and Glen Ellen Star in Glen Ellen.
These North Bay restaurants also were Bib Gourmand award winners: Napa County’s La Calenda in Yountville; Marin County’s Playa, Pig in a Pickle, Sushi Ran and Village Sake; and Solano County’s Michael Warring in Vallejo.
While most people are familiar with the Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand award is lesser known. The Michelin guide, launched by French tire company Michelin in 1900, began awarding stars to fine dining establishments in 1926. In 1955, it introduced a second designation for restaurants deemed a good value by Michelin inspectors. It became known as Bib Gourmand in 1997 and was indicated in the guidebook with an image of the tire company’s mascot “Bibendum,” also known as the Michelin Man.
Today, the Michelin Guide comprises a series of guidebooks and announces awards annually across countries, regions and cities — there’s a Michelin Guide for France, but also one for Paris; in the United States, awards are announced in cities like New York or Washington, D.C. and statewide, in the case of California. Restaurants now need to serve two courses, a glass of wine or dessert for around $40 or less to be considered for the Bib Gourmand category.
While the stars remain the restaurant world’s most coveted awards, being selected a Bib Gourmand by Michelin inspectors is also an honor and can put a restaurant on the map of foodie destinations. This year, the California Michelin Guide lists 143 Bib Gourmand restaurants in the state. A great meal under $40 isn’t easily found in California.
Click through the above gallery for some excellent deals courtesy of Michelin.
Summer socializing under shady umbrellas requires three things: fruity cocktails, friends, and tasty nibbles. After painstakingly pub-crawling and happy-hour stalking, we’ve assembled this idiosyncratic — and possibly cocktail-goggled — list of bar bites and cocktail pairings in the county.
Best salaryman experience: Okonomiyaki + Kyoto Sour
Fern Bar
Japanese okonomiyaki is the ultimate last-call bar snack. The lovechild of an omelet and a pancake, this ugly-duckling dish redeems itself with crispy, gooey savoriness and drizzles of sweet Kewpie mayo. Wash it down with Fern Bar’s green tea-infused gin cocktail. Oishii!
6780 Depot St., Suite 120, Sebastopol.
Okonomiyaki and Kyoto Sour at Fern Bar in Sebastopol. (Fern Bar)
Top secret rendezvous: Trompo Street Tacos + The She Devil
Geyerville Gun Club
The rare combination of a chef-driven menu and top-notch bar program means you can’t go wrong at this far-flung outpost. Sidle up to a barstool and grab one of their daily street tacos (or Reuben fries, or Korean tacos, they’re all good), then dive into a sneaky minx of a margarita with smoky mezcal, citrus, and a sprinkling of ghost pepper.
21025 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville.
Top ’90s nostalgia: Banh Mi Sandwich + Raspberry Lemon Drop
Kettles
Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches tick off all the boxes for bar-snack perfection, filled with barbecued pork, pickled veggies, and pâté stuffed into a French roll. Though we swore off lemon drops in 1998, it was impossible to resist a sticky-sweet cocktail (sugar rim and all) made with low-proof Soboloff vodka.
1202 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa.
A night owl perch in a sleepy town: Spicy Pimento Cheese + Li Hing Margarita
Starling Bar
After most of Sonoma has gone to bed, head to this cool-kids neighborhood bar. There’s something oddly satisfying about the East meets Midwest combo of a sweet-sour margarita dusted with li hing (made with dried, salted plums) and the pimento cheese with tortilla chips.
19380 Hwy. 12, Sonoma.
Smashburger and Bedstuy Old Fashioned at Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa. (Willi’s Wine Bar)
A virtual trip to Brooklyn: Smashburger + The Bedstuy
Willi’s Wine Bar
Wrapped in grease-spotted brown paper, Willi’s tiny-but-mighty burger is topped by a bagel-inspired “everything” bun and stuffed with special sauce, lettuce, onion, and cheese. Kick back a barrel-aged whiskey Old Fashioned, and you’re on the A train to Prospect Park.
1415 Town and Country Dr., Santa Rosa.
Best all-around: Crab Rangoon Dip + World’s Best Vodka Soda
Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen
A deconstructed version of the Chinese restaurant favorite, this crabby dip comes with fried wontons for dipping. The entire menu is a bar-snackers dream, with upscale versions of chicken tenders, poutine, tacos, and noodles.Keep it simple with their signature vodka, tonic, and unicorn tears-infused soda.
Whamola wieners at Claypool Cellars in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Even if you’ve never heard of the band Primus (or the South Park theme song), we still encourage stuffing your face at the giant hot-dog-shaped wiener cart at alt-rocker Les Claypool’s wildly wonderful wine tasting room near Forestville.
Known as Pachyderm Station, Claypool’s tasting room serves serious pinot noirs with an imaginative selection of gourmet wieners, each named after family members.
Whamola wieners at Claypool Cellars in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Choose from the Colonel’s Choice (sauerkraut, stone-ground mustard and pepperoncini); Iowan Gal (Ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, cheddar and corn chips); Leenie’s Weenie (Frank’s Red Hot sauce, blue cheese dressing and crumbled salt and vinegar chips); or Cage’s Caveman (Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, dill pickle chips and crispy fried onions).
Each Niman Ranch dog is served on a Dutch Crunch roll from Franco American Bakery. $7.50 each.
The Roasted Garlic Ranch Burger with Valley Ford Estero cheese and housemade ranch dressing from Americana restaurant in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Here are a couple of newsy nibbles from the Sonoma County dining scene:
Santa Rosa’s Americana has opened a second location in Sebastopol, in the former Gypsy Cafe space. The restaurant opened July 6, and the menu is identical to the Santa Rosa restaurant’s breakfast and lunch offerings, featuring classic diner dishes with modern flair (including one of the best burgers in Sonoma County). Click through the above gallery for a few favorite dishes to order.
Crab Cakes and Seared Steak with sides from Americana in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)Root beer float at Americana restaurant in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. (Kelsey Joy Photography)
Popular Sonoma bakery and breakfast spot Baker & Cook now offers dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. The prix fixe menu is three courses for $72. Previous menus have included a shaved summer squash and pickled cucumber salad, yellowtail amberjack with steamed quinoa, lamb with saffron mashed potatoes and lemon cheesecake with blueberry compote.
Call or text 707-509-9225 for reservations. 18812 Highway 12, Sonoma, bakerandcooksonoma.com
After more than a year of false starts at Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, co-owner Catherine Bartolomei sits across from me as we dine from the new six-course tasting menu from chef Craig Wilmer. She’s enthusiastic about the former Coi and Petit Crenn chef now heading the kitchen of the luxury hotel.
The current menu includes complex seasonal dishes, two favorites being a ladder of perfectly stacked spring peas interspersed with tiny basil leaves and a rangpur lime emulsion, and a strip loin of beef from Snake River Farms. Sommelier Jared Hooper pairs the dishes with humor and a passion for offbeat wines.
Chef Craig Wilmer of Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (Farmhouse Inn)
Wilmer, who worked for many years with chef Erik Anderson (Coi, Truss, Barndiva), has settled into the kitchen over the last four months following the brief tenures of chefs Trevor Anderson, Daniel Beal and Jeremy Cabrera. Despite the prior chaos, Wilmer seems at home in the space and will hopefully elevate the food to its former critical acclaim.
Once considered one of the hottest reservations in Sonoma County, the restaurant went through a series of chefs after the departure of longtime culinary director and chef Steve Litke in late 2021. Litke oversaw the restaurant from its inception, retained a Michelin star for 14 years and made the dining spot a destination.
The Farmhouse Inn is an international darling of travel magazines and Instagrammers for its luxurious, modern guest accommodations and quiet location. It’s been owned by the brother-sister duo Catherine and Joe Bartolomei since 1999. The tasting menu is $225 per person, with wine pairings an additional $125. 7871 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com
The home has nearly 7800 square feet of total living space and sits on 56 acres overlooking the Oak Knoll District AVA. (Paul Rollins / Sotheby’s International Realty)
A 56-acre vineyard estate with 7,766 square feet of living space is currently on the market for $25 million. It is currently the most expensive property listed in Napa.
Construction of the 4,950-square-foot main residence, which overlooks the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area, was completed in 2002 by owners Betsy Moulds and her late husband, Steve Moulds, of Moulds Family Vineyards. It was designed by notable local architects Ed Keiner and John Kasten, and crafted by builder Dale James and landscape architect Jack Chandler. The interiors were designed by Erin Martin of Martin Design in Napa, who handpicked every piece of furniture for the home.
The main residence has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and features vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams, wide-plank hickory-pecan floors and a great room that opens to a covered 2,022-square-foot deck that can accommodate 100 guests, according to the listing.
Martin, who said she “was given free rein to run with [her] ideas,” chose a neutral color palette for the interiors of the home to create a blank canvas that would help showcase the many artifacts the Moulds had collected during their travels.
In addition to the main house, the sprawling estate incudes an additional 7,322 square feet of entertainment areas, including an entertainment barn, a two-bedroom guest house and a two-bedroom apartment.
Views from the main residence include the property’s own nine-acre Cabernet vineyards. For new house owners interested in making wine, there’s an area for processing grapes and a wine cellar.
Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home.
For more information on this home, contact Hillary Ryan of Sotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage, 707-312-2105, 707-200-2488, 1229 Adams Street, St. Helena, hillary.ryan@sothebys.realty, sotheybys.com
Click through the a above gallery for a peek at the new In-N-Out location.
Hold onto your Double Double, because a new In-N-Out restaurant is opening tomorrow in Santa Rosa.
According to a press release, the Southern California-based burger joint and point of cheeseburger pride for West Coasters since 1948 will open its fourth Sonoma County location Thursday.
The forthcoming In-N-Out will be located at 2532 Santa Rosa Ave., on a busy section of the local artery connecting the north and south ends of west Santa Rosa.
Though potentially heavy traffic from the restaurant’s famously long drive-thru lines has locals concerned, Santa Rosa’s planning commission conducted impact studies and approved plans for the 3,900-square-foot eatery in 2020. There will be 76 indoor seats and 76 outdoor seats, plus access to the restaurant and drive-thru lane on both Yolanda and Santa Rosa avenues.
Signs announcing the new location were posted in June 2022. There are currently three In-N-Out restaurants in Sonoma County; in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Petaluma. The first Sonoma County location, in Rohnert Park, opened in 1996.
