Additional Sonoma County luxury establishments that were recommended by Forbes include Farmhouse Inn (pictured) and Farmhouse Inn Restaurant in Forestville and Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg. (Farmhouse Inn)
Condé Nast Traveler magazine has announced its annual Top 20 Hotels in Northern California: Readers’ Choice Awards. This year, five Sonoma County properties made the list, which was topped by Auberge de Soleil in Rutherford, Napa Valley.
Healdsburg, which was named “Sonoma County’s most charming town” by Condé Nast Traveler in August, had two hotels on the list: Montage Healdsburg took the No. 2 spot; Hotel Healdsburg ranked No. 10.
“This accomplishment wouldn’t be possible without the support of our dedicated hotel teams and the loyal guests that visit our beautiful town,” said Tallia Hart, CEO of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. Click through the above gallery to see all the Sonoma County winners.
Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, now in their 35th year, are the longest-running recognition of excellence in the travel industry. This year, more than 240,000 readers rated their top travel experiences around the world. Read more here.
People enjoy a sunny walk at Doran Beach in Bodega Bay on Thursday. (JOHN BURGESS / The Press Democrat)
It’s never been easier to travel with your dog, especially if you’re thinking about a getaway to the Sonoma Coast. Along with wide beaches and striking oceanfront hotels, a number of coastal wineries and restaurants welcome hounds and their humans. Click through the above gallery for some of our favorite dog-friendly destinations on the Sonoma Coast.
The Meatball Sub on a toasted ciabatta roll with provolone and asiago cheese, marinara and french fried onions from Canevari’s Delicatessen & Catering in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
For more than 100 years, the inimitable Canevari’s Deli and ravioli factory has been a delicious part of the fabric of Santa Rosa. Founded by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s, the family-run shop made hundreds of pounds of meat and cheese-filled pasta weekly. It remained in the Canevari family until 2012.
A decade ago, Lou Ciambrone (formerly of Sweet Lou’s in Cotati) took over the business and kept most of the menu the same — homemade ravioli, fresh cannoli and meaty sandwiches made fresh, hot and piled impossibly high. With a hearty handshake and booming voice, Lou is the embodiment of the warm goomba hospitality expected by longtime Canevari customers.
Now, a new generation is stepping in to expand the deli and continue its legacy. Lou’s son, Dominic Ciambrone, known internationally as the Shoe Surgeon, recently returned to Santa Rosa to inspire fresh ideas at the humble deli.
The well-known shoe designer makes bespoke kicks for celebrities and influencers at his Los Angeles loft (starting around $5,000 per pair). Though he’s embedded in the Los Angeles scene, Dominic grew up in Santa Rosa and worked at his parents’ restaurant as a kid.
The Sausage and Peppers Sandwich with a Spicy Deviled Egg from Canevari’s Delicatessen & Catering in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
“Hospitality is in my blood,” Dominic said while sitting inside the newly remodeled cafe in September. The interior has been refreshed with new counters and subway tiles along the back wall, but the historic black-and-white photos remain. “My dad has done an amazing job, but I want to give it new life and fresh energy. But the food (will) remain the same.”
The younger Ciambrone’s vision includes collaborations with big names including “Top Chef” Michael Voltaggio and celebrity chef Christian Petroni, who has appeared in “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network.
Dominic sees the connection between Santa Rosa and Guy Fieri’s local TV production as a boon.
“Chefs come here all the time for Guy’s show,” he said. “We could do pop-ups and private dinners.” Production crews from Fieri’s shows are frequent visitors to the deli, he claims.
“I want to create opportunity. I’ve always looked up to Guy; he’s such an entrepreneur, and he comes from Sonoma County. It’s important for me to give back to the community that gave me my start,” Dominic said.
“I just want to blow this brand up and let the world know,” he said. He also hopes to ship the raviolis across the country and make Canevari’s a “worldwide” name.
Biting into a fresh cannoli filled with creamy ricotta, a shower of powdered sugar, a drizzle of honey and bits of torn basil, it’s easy to see how this kind of grandma-style Italian cuisine could be a draw.
Lou Ciambrone looked over at my gussied up cannoli and asked his son about the fancy additions he’s made to the simple dessert.
“He’s been in L.A. too long,” Lou said with a hearty laugh.
Canevari’s is at 695 Lewis Road in Santa Rosa. Call 707-545-6941 or visit canevarisdeli.com. The deli is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and closed Sunday and Monday.
Click through the above gallery for a peek at some of the delicious dishes from Lunchbox.
We’ve been waiting ever so patiently for longtime pop-up burger and fry spot Lunchbox to open at the former East West Cafe in Sebastopol. So, so patiently.
The owners have announced that they’ve passed their inspections and are slated for an October opening. Even better news? They’ll be joining up with nearby Psychic Pie (the best Roman-style pizza ever) for hoagie offerings. A photo on their Instagram shows a tempting image of a sourdough meatball hoagie and Philly-inspired garlic-herb roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe.
Burger from Lunchbox. (Jessica Fix Photo/Lunchbox)Crispy fries smothered in American cheddar, onion butter, fancy sauce, peppers and green onions. (Courtesy of Lunchbox)
Speaking of Philly-style sandos: Biteclub’s been on the hunt for the best Philly cheesesteak in Sonoma County.
The results have been mixed. Overly precious, California-ized cheesesteaks lack the greasy, cheap bread, Cheez-wiz, onion-y goodness this sandwich should always have. Cheap cheesesteaks taste like cheap meat and despair.
So far, the crowd favorite is Streetside Asian Grill (and I concur). The unassuming food truck focuses mostly on fresh Vietnamese and Asian-fusion dishes, but the Philly cheesesteak has become a bestseller. Cheesesteak fries are sold, too. Find the truck’s latest location on Instagram.
Ken’s Roll at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park September 21, 2022. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
Each day Keita Tominaga opens the doors of Hana Japanese restaurant, he faces a challenging prospect — stepping into his late father’s shoes.
In May, the 31-year-old chef took up the reins of the venerated Japanese restaurant in Rohnert Park and PABU Izakaya in San Francisco, following the untimely death of his father, Kenichi “Ken” Tominaga, at age 61.
Ken Tominaga opened Hana in 1990 — long before nigiri and sushi rolls were a common sight in Wine Country — and PABU in 2014 with Chef Michal Mina (three additional locations in Boston are now closed). Most recently, the popular chef partnered with Dustin Valette to operate a sushi bar at Valette’s three-story Matheson restaurant in Healdsburg.
Ken’s greatest legacy, however, was his jubilant hospitality and kinship with the local food and wine community. Almost any night, you could find off-duty chefs seated at his sushi bar or sipping sake at a table and chatting with him.
“I was planning to take over the restaurant, but not this way,” said Keita Tominaga, looking around the empty Rohnert Park restaurant in late September as kitchen staff prepared for service later that evening. In the months since his father’s death, Tominaga says, many chefs have come to the restaurant to pay their respects and offer advice and support.
Though Keita always had planned to follow in his father’s footsteps, Ken’s unexpected death left a vacuum. Keita is scrambling to fill that gap with the help of his mother, Emiko, and brother, Kousuke, while also envisioning his future.
Sonoma meets Tokyo
Keita Tominaga grew up in Sonoma County and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He has cooked at the Farmhouse Inn, Diavola, Jackson Family Wines and Auberge du Soleil, which have given him a strong foundation in Western cuisine.
But six months working in Tokyo at the Michelin-starred Tenoshima last year brought him closer to Japanese cuisine. He learned about kaiseki, traditional multicourse meals of small seasonal dishes presented in a precise, ritualized manner. The experience allowed him to escape his father’s shadow.
Keita Tominaga’s Chef choice from bottom omakase nigiri, hon-maguro, ishigakidai, katsuo, iwana, hotate, and uni at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)Sukiyaki at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park September 21, 2022. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
“I was a nobody there. Here, everyone compared me to my father,” Keita said. “I was able to develop a tougher skin there.”
He also delved into the culture and history of Japanese flavors, learning not just the techniques of cooking but the reasons behind those methods — why seasonality and history play a huge part in Japanese cooking.
“My boss (chef/owner Hayashi Ryohei) was very into that. He was into the ‘why,’ not just the ‘how,’ like ‘Why do we eat certain things at certain times of the year?’” he said.
“His take on food was to modernize the traditional in a respectful way,” Keita said.
Past and future
It’s much the same at Hana since the generational transition.
“I’m protecting what needs to be protected and changing what needs to be changed,” Keita said.
He’s cautiously watching for what works at the restaurant, and what doesn’t.
The menu hasn’t changed significantly, but Keita features more seasonal local produce now. On a recent visit, he offered a height-of-the-season tomato salad as an amuse-bouche. Fish on the menu continues to be sourced both locally and from Japan. He’s also revisiting Hana recipes that haven’t changed in decades.
The sushi bar, as ever, is the hot spot of the restaurant. Without the diversion of Ken’s larger-than-life presence, the dining room feels a bit worn, in need of fresh paint and modern tables. The more recently opened sake bar, however, is charming.
By early next year, Keita hopes to tackle some unfinished projects and make the menu entirely his, from start to finish. As he thinks about the future, his father still looms large in his mind.
“What do people feel when they walk in this door?” he said of his father’s constant smile, humor and appreciation for sharing Japanese cuisine. “Those things can’t change. That has to be protected.
“I’m still just learning how my father ran this place. Yes, we argued. We yelled. But those were good things,” Keita said.
“There are a hundred fires burning all the time, and I have to put them all out. But I can only do that one at a time. It feels like it’s been a very long and a very short year.”
Best Bets
Sushi & Sashimi, $8 – $30: Fresh fish is the reason you’re at Hana. Meticulous attention to detail and extensive knowledge make this one of the best places for raw fish in the North Bay. It isn’t cheap, but expect perfect cuts of tuna, mackerel, eel, sea urchin, salmon and seasonal specials with properly seasoned rice. This is the gold standard by which other fish should be measured.
Happy Spoon, $8: A delicious bite that combines a single oyster, uni, ikura and tobiko (roe), with a dot of ponzu-infused crème fraîche, this is a Hana classic.
Ken’s Roll, $22: The founding chef’s namesake roll is a flavorful blend of crispy prawn tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and shichimi pepper. If you’re more of a traditionalist, rolls filled with pickled daikon or plum, squash and even natto (fermented soybeans) are $7. On the other end of the spectrum, the Supreme Roll has toro (fatty tuna), uni and Osetra caviar ($40).
Maitake mushroom tempura at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
Sukiyaki, $38: Unlike its stylish cousins, ramen and shabu-shabu, sukiyaki isn’t exactly a cultural zeitgeist, but this showstopper should be. A skillet-size Japanese hot pot (or donabe) comes to the table trailing fragrant steam from onions, tofu, mushrooms, green onion and thin strips of rib-eye steak swimming in a sweet, salty, umami-packed broth. Served with rice and a raw egg for dipping into.
The restaurant also serves excellent Hokkaido Miso Ramen ($20) with a rich and salty broth, egg, corn and butter and Tempura Udon ($17) with fried prawns and udon noodles.
Miso Soup, $4 to $7: You’ll never go back to bland prepackaged miso after this. O-Age miso soup is made with red miso and studded with fried tofu and green onion. Asari miso soup is flavored with red miso and Manilla clams.
Sake: The restaurant has a large selection of Japanese sake, although the longtime sake sommelier Danny Pitassy no longer works at Hana. There’s an extensive wine list, too.
Hana Japanese is located at 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-586-0270, hanajapanese.com. Open 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Last seating at 8:30 p.m.
Acme Burger at Acme Burger in Cotati. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
If you’re looking for a great meal without spending too much money, head to Santa Rosa. The Sonoma County city has been named one of the top wallet-friendly foodie destinations in the U.S. by financial website WalletHub.
Santa Rosa came in at No. 71 on WalletHub’s list, which featured 182 cities across the country. Topping the list this year was Portland, followed by Orlando and Miami. In the Bay Area, San Francisco made No. 4, Oakland 20, San Jose 45 and Fremont 139.
In order to determine the best and cheapest foodie destinations in the U.S., WalletHub compared over 180 cities across two “key dimensions” — “affordability” and “diversity, accessibility and quality.” The site evaluated those two dimensions using a variety of metrics, including cost of groceries, affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants and food festivals per capita.
So what are some of the best cheap eats in Santa Rosa? WalletHub didn’t offer any suggestions, but we have listed some of our favorites in the above gallery. See the WalletHub list here.
Mission Spa Suite at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. (Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa)
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa is among the nominee finalists for the 2022 Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence. The Sonoma property has been nominated within two “categories of excellence” — Best Historic Hotel and Best Historic Resort — and joins finalists from around the country, including renowned East Coast hotels that were built in the 18th century. The winners will be announced Nov. 17 at an awards ceremony and gala at the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama.
“We are delighted to be among some of the country’s most iconic destinations,” said Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in a statement on Facebook.
The awarding body, Historic Hotels of America, was founded in 1989 and is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s official program for “recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels” in the country. Today, the program includes more than 300 hotels. (A hotel must be at least 50 years old, recognized as having “historic significance,” and a National Historic Landmark or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places to be nominated and selected for membership in the program.)
The Sonoma Mission Inn, a Sonoma County historic landmark and member of Historic Hotels of America, was built in 1927 on the the 360-acre Bigelow Ranch. Located in Boyes Hot Springs, the ranch had previously been the site of the Boyes Hot Springs Hotel, a popular resort that was destroyed by a wildfire in the fall of 1923. When the new Spanish Mission-style hotel opened on the property in August 1927 it too was named the Boyes Hot Springs Hotel but changed name to the Sonoma Mission Inn in February 1928.
The location for the Sonoma Mission Inn was designated as sacred ground by Native Americans, who utilized its hot springs for medicinal and spiritual purposes long before it became a wellness destination for vacationers. During World War II, the hotel served as a U.S. Navy rehabilitation facility for sailors and marines returning from combat duty in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. The hotel returned to civilian use in October 1945. In the late 20th century, following an extensive renovation, a new thermal mineral water source was discovered more than 1,000 feet below the property. The Sonoma Mission Inn then changed ownership a number of times before it was acquired in 2012 by Fairmont Hotels, which had managed the property since 2002.
Click through the above gallery for photos of the historic property.
Michael Volpatt, owner of Big Bottom Market, is perhaps best known for his biscuits, which were one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” a few years ago. But Volpatt, a longtime fixture in Guernville, has had his hands in the mix in many ways beyond making biscuits. Among other projects, he co-owns the Equality Vines tasting room across the street from the market and, during the pandemic, he became the host of a self-produced cooking show, making livestreams of his homemade meals.
Considering Volpatt’s deep roots in Guerneville, it’s no wonder that his home emanates a love for this tiny Russian River community. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium, just steps from the river, is now listed for $625,000.
Volpatt worked with interior designer Christian Damerow to bring more light into the home and create space for hosting overnight guests. The pony walls that framed the staircase were replaced with wood-framed cable railings, connecting the first and second floors in a way that allows more light to flow through the space. The look was capped off with nature-centric touches, including plenty of stained woods and a layout that yields focus to the towering redwoods outside.
The condominium is surrounded by towering redwoods. (Jordan Lebovich)The vibrant green tile in the bathroom picks up the color of the redwood canopy outside. (Jordan Lebovich)
Volpatt, an avid cook and frequent visitor to New York’s Fire Island Pines, wanted a kitchen that referenced his “happy place.” Damerow achieved this by using white oak floor material on the ceiling and the backsplash, with a black stone countertop as a contrasting design element. To make more room for food prep, the refrigerator was moved to a downstairs storage unit and replaced with Sub Zero under-the-counter refrigerator and freezer units.
To maximize seating in the living room, Damerow designed a built-in couch, which was then made by the late Howard Green of Evergreen Flooring. The cushions were also made locally, by seamstress Bonnie Plevney of Bonnie Sew Good.
An art wall in Michael Volpatt’s Guerneville home, which is currently listed for $625,000. (Jordan Lebovich)
In the main bedroom, the focal point is a redwood slab headboard. Volpatt fashioned this “redwood chic” piece of decor from wood from Sturgeon’s in Sebastopol, a steam-powered lumber mill that has been around since the early 1900s and now serves as a museum. The main bathroom features vibrant green Moroccan tiles that pick up the color of the redwood canopy outside.
Design details like angular sink fixtures, patterned textiles and mid-century modern furniture pieces are mixed with local art, vintage finds and gifts from friends, including a Cher collage Volpatt received on his 50th birthday. Another highlight is a vintage painting that used to hang in Pat’s International, a Guerneville diner since the 1940s. Click through the above gallery to take a look inside the home.
This condominium at 14058 Sosna Way in Guerneville is listed with Mary Mount with Russian River Realty Co., 707-869-0608, 707-695-3980, RussianRiverRealty.com
As California continues to experience historic drought conditions, now is a good time to rethink the lush cottage garden aesthetic, if you haven’t already. Thankfully, there are plenty of lower-water options if we look to the gardening practices of other regions. Here are a few ideas from local nurseries.
Choose plants wisely
“We have to really think about the next 10 years, not the next couple of months,” says Ashley Porter of Cloverdale Nursery about the choices we make for our gardens. She suggests picking plants from countries with hot and dry climates, such as Australia, Chile, Mexico and South Africa, and recommends varieties like the “Safari Sunset” Leucadendron, a colorful, drought-hardy shrub from South Africa, and the bowing, spiky-leafed Lomandra Breeze, which is native to Australia.
Mick Kopetsky of Mix Garden in Healdsburg recommends plant varieties that can endure both arid summers and wet winters. “The climate is changing, but it’s not changing consistently,” he says. Some of his favorite plants include the Grevillia, Brugmalia and Bulbine–Bulbine, which has spears with yellow and orange flowers that bloom from March to November. Herbs also are great year-round plants, he says, especially not-too-thirsty sage and rosemary.
Fight evaporation
Carefully selecting drought-tolerant plants for your garden isn’t the only way you can conserve water. Kevin Lenhart, lead designer of online landscape design service Yardzen, recommends planting trees. “The shade cast by tree canopies keeps plants and soil cool, minimizing the loss of moisture to evaporation. Tree roots also break up the soil, improving its ability to absorb water back into the ground.”
Another way to create shade is to plant gardens more densely, says Ashley Porter of Cloverdale Nursery. Instead of planting in rows, she recommends planting in groups to create “microclimates (where) the shade of larger plants protect (smaller) sun-sensitive ones.” Porter also recommends catching water on rainy days.
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Mulching is another way to keep moisture in the ground (but remember that some mulches can be fuel for wildfires). Lenhart calls ground cover a “living mulch,” which also can help suppress weeds and erosion.
“There’s a bit of a doom-and-gloom mentality with the weather and water situation,” says Porter. But she believes there are ways adapt to this change that will reconnect people with nature and other regions of the world. “Now is the time to observe, learn and pivot,” she adds.
Click through the above gallery for more inspiration.
Crudite on the opening menu at Cyrus restaurant in Geyserville. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
After 10 long years, the Michelin-starred Cyrus restaurant has returned to Sonoma County after closing in 2012.
In many ways, the new restaurant, now located in Geyserville, holds true to the original vision of Chef Douglas Keane and business partner Nick Peyton — it is a mix of opulent, painstakingly created European and Japanese small bites arranged with culinary tweezers and served on bespoke ceramic dinnerware. It doesn’t get a whole lot more pinkies up than this $295 prix fixe meal. Although, compared to other high-end Wine Country restaurants that charge upwards of $500 per person for their multi-course meals, it’s a relative deal.
We recently tried Cyrus’ Dining Journey, a 17-course culinary adventure. Click through the above gallery for a look at the opening menu. Stay tuned for a review in a few weeks.
Tickets for the Dining Journey are released two months in advance at exploretock.com/cyrus. Cyrus, 275 CA Highway 128, Geyserville, 707-723-5999, cyrusrestaurant.com
