“There is absolutely tons of science behind (the importance of) living in a space that is soothing and comfortable,” says interior designer Natasha Stocker. This concept could apply to the residential and commercial design work done by Stocker’s Santa Rosa-based firm, Inspired Spaces. But in this case, she is referring to her work decorating the new dwellings of formerly homeless clients.
“The majority of the people we’re helping are coming from shelters and didn’t even have a door to close,” adds Stocker.
During the pandemic,when a knee injury had the busy designer convalescing on the couch for eight months, Stocker knew it was time to launch her years-long dream to start a nonprofit.
Fifteen years ago, Stocker did some design work with The Living Room in Santa Rosa. The nonprofit works with women and children who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness. Stocker knew she wanted to extend her work beyond that initial design. “My time at (The Living Room) stopped at picking out paint colors,” says Stocker.
Now the team at Inspired Spaces Foundation saves discards from design jobs and actively seeks out donations of furniture and goods. The pieces are configured into coordinated looks and an “inspired space” is created for a family in need. Coming full circle, Stocker’s foundation is matched with clients through The Living Room. Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa also partners with the foundation.
It proved serendipitous five years ago when Michelle Frydenlund joined Stocker’s firm. Frydenlund has a background in nonprofit work and mental health services. When the facility she managed closed in 2012, she headed to Santa Rosa Junior College to take their interior design classes. Frydenlund was looking to delve into creative work.
Stocker, meanwhile, was looking to veer her creative work into a service-oriented vein. Their intersection of skills brought the Inspired Spaces Foundation to life. A couple years into planning, the foundation has warehouse space and a months-long waiting list of clients. They hope to address the latter by increasing their volunteer force.
In addition to running the design firm, the team spends evenings and weekends on nonprofit work. On some Saturdays, design installations take place in clients’ new homes.
“We cry a lot,” says Stocker describing how meaningful the work is. Frydenlund emphasizes the importance of clients feeling “seen and listened to.” They attribute the secret to client happiness to attentiveness and bringing clients’ ideas to fruition.
A living room with a “beachy vibe.” Inspired Spaces Foundation aims to design a space according to a clients wants and needs. (Emi Curtis)
Many clients, the duo says, are escaping abuse, recovering from addiction or coping with mental illness. The design process offers them a chance to make requests, take control of their spaces, and feel empowered to think about and ask for what they like–something many of them have not experienced before.
“We can step in,” says Frydenlund, telling them, “You have worked so hard. Let us take care of this.” She adds that this frees up clients “to focus on thriving.”
When the duo describes their designing process, they’ll discuss the practical needs of a space and the technical elements of design. But it’s impossible not to see how psychology is woven through their thinking.
When designing for herself, Frydenlund turns to her own instincts. “What colors do I love? What colors make me feel calm and zen? That’s what I need when I’m at my house,” she says. “The home is the place to decompress, and colors that I like make me feel calm.” Frydenlund prefers to stay away from color trends and go with what speaks to her.
Stocker has design advice that’s also based on personal preference. “Clean out your space of anything you don’t absolutely love,” she says. “When people don’t have a lot or feel like they don’t have the money to make their space beautiful, they tend to collect a lot. They have stuff just to have stuff.” Stocker suggests focusing on having things that bring joy, and having fewer of those things.
There’s lots of “they don’t build ’em the way they used to”-charm in a circa-1944 bungalow on Belle View Avenue in Petaluma. The 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 2,500-square-foot home is listed for $1.25 million, down from the original price of $1.398 million.
Architectural details like a covered porch, double hung windows and an arched doorway provide the classic charm. Built-in cabinetry—typical of Craftsman homes built in the early 20th century—offers lots of storage and style. Plenty of windows—including an oversized living room window in the front, plus a whited-out interior—give the home a sense of airiness.
The home is decorated with modern furnishings, offering a clean look that contrasts with busier, classic architectural details. Elaborate window casings painted white, for example, help the details shine in a blended and subtle way. Kitchen cabinets have been painted white, too. Vibrantly colored, large-scaled artwork invigorates the otherwise tranquil vibe.
One bathroom has traditional, black and white dotted mosaic tiles that fit right in with the 1940s charm. Another bathroom has an updated modern look, with a wood-paneled, granite-topped double vanity sink.
The top story rooms have sloped ceilings that add visual interest. The bottom story—accessible via a circular staircase—has many built-in cabinets and bookshelves, a fireplace and a tile floor. This area opens up to the backyard through elegant French doors.
The backyard is spacious with fruit trees, raised garden beds and a hot tub. A brick patio offers a spot to sit amid the lushness. An A-frame shed gives a place to park garden tools and other materials.
This home is listed with Suzanne Agasi of Alliance Bay Realty. For more information, call 415-990-3946 or visit belleviewbeauty.com.
Long known for its geothermal geysers and mud baths, the once sleepy town of Calistoga is becoming an increasingly popular destination for travelers in search of a wellness getaway but also something a little different. This Napa Valley town offers a long list of things to do, from hiking along a former stagecoach road to touring a Tuscan-style winery castle to riding through bucolic vineyards in an all-terrain vehicle. Click through the above gallery for a few ideas on how to spend a perfect weekend in Calistoga.
Did we miss one of your favorite things to do in Calistoga? Let us know in the comments below.
SIGH Champagne Bar in Sonoma. (Courtesy of Wilson Ishihara Design)
Mark Wilson and Yoko Ishihara of Wilson Ishihara Design have worked on restaurants and other hospitality projects since 2015. Together, they’ve been the vision behind Wit & Wisdom restaurant and SIGH Champagne Bar in Sonoma, as well as the rebuild of Sweet T’s Restaurant & Bar in Windsor, after the original location was lost in the 2017 wildfires.
The business partners come by their immersive, hands-on approach honestly. Ishihara, who was born in Japan, was drawn to the creative side of hospitality, while Wilson worked in restaurants for years before studying design.
“It’s amazing how many restaurants are designed by people who have little clue how restaurants really work,” Wilson says. “And that’s something Yoko and I pride ourselves on; that we can design a place that is beautiful, but that also functions well and makes things easier for the staff.”
For this, our annual food issue, here’s a window into the world of small details that go into a successful restaurant design.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Designers Yoko Ishihara, left, and Mark Wilson. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
How does the design process begin?
Ishihara: We start every project the same way, with historical research and figuring out the story that we’re going to tell to build the project. And that comes from looking into books and other primary references, taking a deep dive into the individuals who created the culture of that community. And then obviously, we have to go to places that inspire our story and experience the culture there. And from that initial research and the historical references, we start creating the design. We can’t make any design decisions without having the conceptual story in place, because that story is our entire basis for making decisions.
What’s an example of that kind of storytelling?
Wilson: When we were working on Wit & Wisdom in Sonoma, my wife ran the volunteer program at the local hospital, and some of the volunteers have lived in the community for 80-plus years. And so we’d find these little historical tidbits — my design partner Yoko is the queen of research — and I’d go back and fact-check with the volunteers, and we’d get another whole layer of understanding.
Ishihara: We looked into the historical progression of the town of Sonoma, and some of the key figures, and we settled on the 1950s period with Chuck Williams [founder of Williams-Sonoma], with M.F.K. Fisher and Julia Child. And we focused on a story with Julia Child and M.F.K. Fisher having a dinner party at Fisher’s house in Glen Ellen, and this notion of cooking dinner together. That whole scene just really resonated with me; the idea of unpretentiousness, of inviting someone to your home and making them feel welcome. Also, at that time, Sonoma was a community of makers, which was one of the key words that we used. There were machine shops; there was a foundry in town. So we also focused on that sense of craft.
The plans for Wit & Widsom included subtle nods to local history and personalities, including author Jack London. (Wilson Ishihara Design)Wit and Wisdom restaurant in Sonoma. (Wilson Ishihara Design)
What follows from there?
Ishihara: Then we start creating the spatial relationships and the massing of the space. And then it goes all the way into furniture and how we select the fabrics. And we kind of make fun of each other sometimes, because even for the tiniest project, we can’t really make any decision without that conceptual story. We start building the palette, the general aesthetic of the space, and after that, a little bit more into the details, like what does the millwork look like? It’s very organic.
So for example, at Wit & Wisdom, there’s a chair in the front that has this custom-designed fabric with a bear, because of the Bear Flag Republic. It looks so abstract that you might not even notice. But some guests might decipher that tiny message that we put there. The background story we create helps sprinkle the message everywhere in different ways. And I think that keeps the spirit of the place.
Wilson: It’s all of those things together that, I hope, make you feel really intrigued and comfortable when you’re in the space.
The rebuilding of Sweet T’s in Windsor two years after the fires seems to have been a defining experience for you both. How did that relationship start?
Wilson: We met with the owners, Dennis and Ann Tussey, and just fell in love. It’s great to be able to feed off someone else’s creative energy.
Ishihara: It was definitely a special project, for the sheer fact of how they lost the restaurant. It was such the soul of the community. And it wasn’t just about Ann and Dennis; it was all these people who were looking for a re-creation of this home that they had had. With Sweet T’s, we were really tapping into the Southern roots, bringing that hospitality front and center, because you really have that feeling, when you enter the restaurant, of being welcomed to their home.
Wilson: Ann told us that we really needed the grill out in the middle of the dining room, to create this sense of hearth when you first walk in. And we’ve got the brick at the bar, and the glazed brick at the grill station, the wood on the ceiling — taking the details, but then pushing them one more level in certain areas.
I think for us, we knew it wouldn’t be successful if we just re-created the other space, what it used to be. So we needed to spend time to get to know Ann and Dennis, and work them through the process of the design. We always kept in mind how hard it was for the owners to be going through this process.
Sweet T’s Restaurant & Bar in Windsor. (Courtesy of Sweet T’s Restaurant & Bar)
What do people find surprising about the overall design process?
Ishihara: There are so many parts to it. It’s not like we’re just spreading beautiful fabrics out on a tray, like on a reality show. There’s the creative process: the drawing, the making, the fine-tuning. But then there’s the production portion of each project, where you actually make the design happen. And that’s probably more than half of our time; just chugging through that process. Functionally, if the design doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how beautiful it is.
Wilson: It’s important to be creative, but to be technically savvy at the same time.
How do you define Sonoma design?
Ishihara: The word that always comes to my mind is unpretentious — and sophistication. There’s a strong sense of this authentic, down-to-earth feeling in Sonoma. And it’s just so beautiful.
Wilson: There’s so much history here, the number of local families who have lived here forever. When we were doing the research for the lodge, we found a historic picture of a lunch from the 1920s, a big work party to fix the park in the square, which had fallen into disrepair. There was a huge communal table set up in one line, and this wonderful intergenerational connection and sense of community. And I looked at that photo and I thought, that’s the town we should be, and many times are.
The old cottage kitchen was completely reimagined as the center of the home, with hand-built wooden counters and peg rails, and a deep copper sink. (Eileen Roche)
Husbands Adrian Chang and Chris Lewis traveled the world together before settling into a cottage in the redwoods outside Occidental. And the roots of the couple’s journey to their home in western Sonoma County are as multilayered and intertwined as those of the surrounding redwoods.
The pair met in Tokyo over a decade ago, where Chang worked in fashion and Lewis was a creative director in the international division of British department store Harrods.
Lewis grew up in both Britain and in the African country of Zambia, where his father worked on a copper mine. Chang was raised in a Chinese American home in the Bay Area and studied textiles and fashion in college before moving to Tokyo to work in design. Together, they’ve traveled constantly, living first in Tokyo, then in Sri Lanka and Singapore before moving to Chang’s native California in 2016, a few months before their wedding.
Food writer Adrian Chang and designer Chris Lewis have turned their Occidental cottage into a living laboratory for traditional cooking and craft. (Eileen Roche)The couple raises chickens in a coop built by Lewis. (Eileen Roche)
Long before the trend of the Great Resignation, the couple decided to slow down their lives and move to Sonoma as a way to refocus on shared values of family and home.
“We were living a wonderful life, but it was a life we were becoming increasingly disillusioned with, and we needed to make a change,” explains Lewis.
That change involved not only relocating to Sonoma, but a rededication to the pursuit of craft — for Chang, a focus on traditional Asian cooking, and for Lewis, the chance to return to a love of woodworking and building with salvaged materials.
Over the past six years, the couple has slowly rebuilt their 1,600-square-foot Occidental cottage, with Lewis doing much of the construction himself.
“In our earlier careers, we had spent so much time focusing on other people’s projects, but not getting our hands dirty. So one of our ideas was to find a place which was a real fixer-upper, where I could spend my time applying the trades I’d learned from my father,” explains Lewis. “We really have been swallowed whole by this place in the most wonderful way. And that’s what we wanted, to be fully immersed in it,” adds Chang.
Chang stores homemade pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi in ceramic jars. (Eileen Roche)Lewis made the counters as standalone pieces of furniture, and tiles cover the walls from the top to the bottom. (Eileen Roche)
For Lewis, the process of renovating the house has been an opportunity to honor childhood values of making the most of what’s on hand:
“I grew up realizing how resourceful my parents were, living miles and miles away from the nearest town. Everything which my parents had, they had to grow themselves, and my dad would find old things and rebuild them,” Lewis explains.
At the cottage, Lewis’s dedication to process is evident throughout the home — in the re-plastered fireplace, the handcrafted kitchen cabinets, the outdoor tea table and chicken coop, all built with salvaged redwood and fir that Lewis saved from the demolition or collected over time.
“It’s as much recycling as possible — that’s the challenge. How to scrap, how to reuse and make do,” says Lewis.
During the renovations, Lewis did much of the electrical work as well, working with a local electrician who would allow him to observe and work alongside. “I’ve been over every single inch of this place. I know where every spider lives,” Lewis laughs. “But, you know, it’s great to feel that connected to a building. And from a practical point of view, if I hear something, a creak or a buzzing, I know exactly what it is.”
A renovated bath with a treetop view. (Eileen Roche)
For Chang, the move to the redwoods has been a chance to rediscover his roots in food and forge new connections among the local Asian community.
“Growing up, I was taught to assimilate. That’s what people from immigrant families do, right? But when I moved to Asia, that was the first time I was constantly around people who looked like me.”
The newfound pride in his family background spurred Chang’s desire to absorb as much as possible about traditional Asian ingredients and techniques: working with Asian vegetables, making tofu and soy sauce from scratch, learning to fold dumplings and to make noodles by hand.
Dining area. (Eileen Roche)
Upon returning home to the Bay Area, Chang spent more time with his grandmother, cooking alongside her and observing her ways in the kitchen. He realized that there was an entire community of Asian Americans who longed to create a new relationship with the foods of their roots.
“Food is the best way to do this,” he says. “It is almost a kind of time machine, a portal to reconnecting with parts of who you are.”
In 2018, Chang started an Instagram account to document his experiments and talk about what “real” Chinese and Asian American cooking looks like.
“There was this really great response,” he says happily. “I had a lot of people coming to me and sharing their memories of the same dishes, or sharing their family’s variation on a dish, and connecting over those experiences.”
Chang’s work with traditional foods has led to a career as a food writer and cooking instructor. He started a Bay Area group called the Sticky Rice Supper Club, and a potluck gathering that brings together other Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their families to build community around traditional foods.
Living room. (Eileen Roche)Living room. (Eileen Roche)
Since last year, Chang also has been teaching Asian cooking classes online, with guests joining from as far away as Japan and the U.K. to learn, for example, how wild herbs and bitter greens connect with the Chinese seasonal calendar. And under the name Morihouse, he and Lewis are doing occasional food pop-ups in Occidental, serving up their playful approach to foods, such as rice bowls with barbecued pork belly, Japanese potato salad, and Welsh-style purple sauerkraut.
“It’s just this all-encompassing idea of food as community and food as togetherness,” Chang says.
The couple’s home life is marked by a deep connection to place — a world made by hand. It’s evidenced in the food they eat, the tea they brew, the dogs and chickens they’ve made part of their family. “It was the way all of our people used to live — everything was based on the season. It was something to celebrate, whether you lived on a farm and it was harvest time, or whether it was literally what food was available to you,” explains Lewis.
Chang says as the weather warms, their diets shift from the fermented foods they’ve made at home and that have carried them through the winter, to fresher things like green onions and leafy greens grown in their raised beds. They also make and eat a lot of natto, a traditional Japanese soybean dish that is enjoyed in hot weather.
“Now is when we start seeing the fruits of the winter labor — the ferments we made last year are really starting to come into their own. We’ll have finished all of the sauerkraut and kimchi, and we can start eating fresh things from the garden again.”
The couple often end their day with tea on the patio. (Eileen Roche)
The couple say they’re surprised by some of the connections they’ve discovered between Lewis’s rural Welsh food culture and Chang’s Chinese roots. The red seaweed gathered along the Sonoma Coast, for example, is a traditional ingredient in both Welsh laverbread, which Lewis’s father grew up eating, and many Asian foods.
“We don’t like the word ‘fusion,’” explains Lewis. “But we end up finding so many similarities in these different traditional foods. We’ll sit here and have something from Adrian’s heritage, something from my own, and the flavors will just blend and work so well together.”
They’re currently working on a cookbook, a reflection of their seasonal approach to eating and living — and perhaps even a small line of textiles and housewares, all connected back to the fundamental values of family and craft.
“It’s really about trying to be a pathway for others to be inspired to explore their own heritage,” says Chang. “When we cook together and talk about our recipes or the things Chris has made, I always say it’s such a great opportunity to make it your own, to use what you have available to you. It’s your taste. Because you’re creating the memories.”
Cold Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Nori. (Eileen Roche)
Cold Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Nori
Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side
This recipe for chilled sesame noodles provides a respite from summertime heat, and is inspired by a classic dish from Szechuan, China, where heritage cook and food writer Adrian Chang’s yeh-yeh (paternal grandfather) was born. Cold ramen noodles are mounded with thin slices of cucumber, nori, and green onions, then served with a creamy sesame dressing.
The nori in this dish is meaningful to both Chang and his husband, Chris Lewis, whose families have deep roots in coastal communities. Chang’s Teochew Chinese and Lewis’s coastal Welsh ancestors were each known for their seaweed seaweed-foraging traditions. Chang explains that red laver, the seaweed known as nori in Japan, grows abundantly along the Sonoma coast. It is light, crunchy, loaded with nutrients, and surprisingly mild in flavor. You can purchase locally -foraged dried nori from Strong Arm Farm in Santa Rosa (strongarmfarm.com) or at local Asian markets. Chang makes ramen noodles by hand, but packaged, dried ramen noodles are widely available in supermarkets.
Chang points out these sesame noodles also pair beautifully with a wide variety of summer vegetables, including halved cherry tomatoes, julienned zucchini, and chopped fresh kale.
For the noodles
• 4 packages dried ramen
• 4 Persian cucumbers, whole, or 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup (about 6 ounces) dried nori, torn into dime-sized pieces
• 2 green onions
• 2 tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. roasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
• Zest of 1 yuzu or 1 Meyer lemon
For the sesame dressing
• ½ cup tahini or homemade sesame paste (recipe below)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
For the sesame paste
• 1 cup roasted sesame seeds
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup roasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt
Slice cucumbers into thin rounds, then sprinkle with ½ tsp. sea salt. Allow to sweat for 10-15 minutes, then gently squeeze out any water.
Tear or cut nori into small pieces. Soak in cold water until reconstituted, about 10 minutes, then drain. Gently combine the cucumber and nori in a small bowl and set aside.
Boil your noodles until al dente, about 2-4 minutes, depending on the brand. In a colander, rinse under cold water until no longer hot, then drain. Using your hands, gently toss the cooked noodles with a few tablespoons of roasted sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
If making your own sesame paste, combine the roasted sesame seeds, canola oil, roasted sesame oil, and sea salt in a blender, and blend until smooth.
In a blender, add either tahini or sesame paste to soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar, and pulse to combine. The mixture should be the consistency of a creamy salad dressing.
If it’s too thick, add a few teaspoons of water and pulse again. Set aside.
Chop the green onions finely. Reserve a few pinches for topping; toss the remainder with the noodles.
To serve, divide the noodles between two plates and mound the cucumber-nori mixture on top. Spoon the sesame dressing over top, and garnish with chopped green onion, roasted sesame seeds, lemon or yuzu zest, and a drizzle of roasted sesame oil.
For more information on pop-ups and cooking classes, or to read Adrian Chang’s online journal with traditional Chinese recipes and seasonal reflections, visit www.mori.house or find the couple on Instagram @mori.house.
Located south of downtown Napa on 712 acres of vineyards and farmland, Stanly Ranch offers easy access to popular locales in both Napa and Sonoma counties. It is the third Auberge Resorts Collection property in Napa Valley, joining Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford and Solage in Calistoga. (A fourth Auberge property, Calistoga Ranch, was destroyed by the Glass fire in September 2020.)
“We couldn’t be more excited to open this exciting new resort that has been brought to life with years of thoughtful planning,” said Ed Gannon, General Manager at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Connected by winding pathways and stretches of newly planted grapevines, Stanly Ranch features 135 rooms in 78 cottage-like, single-story buildings. All accommodations have a modern farmhouse appeal and, regardless of room category, all boast a patio with fire pit. Most cottages also have outdoor showers.
After checking-in at Stanly Ranch in Napa, guests are transported to guest rooms in golf carts. (Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection)
The idea of bringing the outside in, a popular design concept these days, is a theme that is repeated throughout the newly opened resort. The Ranch House, where check in takes place, is flooded with natural light thanks in part to a hinged glass wall that opens at the touch of a button. Signature restaurant Bear is flanked on two sides with sliding glass walls that blur the line between where the inside ends and the outside begins.
Led by Executive Chef Garrison Price, former head chef at José Andres’ China Poblano, Bear’s menu features a strong showing of plant-inspired, plant-forward selections ranging from salads with Chioggia beets and farm eggs to raw and preserved vegetables with a cashew-miso dip.
“I’d say that’s kind of the single thread throughout. Really focusing on local ingredients and trying to manipulate them as little as possible to allow its original form to shine,” said Melissa Douma, Area Marketing Manager at Auberge Resorts Collection. “We call it elemental cuisine.”
Oysters and bubbles at Bear, Stanly Ranch’s signature restaurant. (Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection)Perfect for summer, the dessert menu at Bear, Stanly Ranch’s signature restaurant, features a variety of unique ice cream flavors including sourdough ice cream topped with yeast caramel. (Courtesy of Eric Wolfinger)
Steps away from Bear restaurant, Gavel coffee bar serves fresh-baked pastries and grab-and-go selections, including sandwiches and salads. With plentiful alfresco seating, lawn games, fire pits and even bike parking, the space known as the Village, is designed to act as social hub for both resort guests and the surrounding community.
The only dining option exclusively for resort guests is Basin Bar. The casual eatery, described as “farm-driven,” is located alongside the Lavender Pool, the resort’s main swimming pool. Surrounded by a newly planted grove of lavender, the pool area will be encircled by a fragrant sea of purple once the plantings mature.
The most talked about piece of the property though is the Halehouse spa. An oasis of wellness, the focus here isn’t merely on pampering; catering to all levels of athletes and improving peak performance is top of mind, too. In addition to classic treatments like massage and facials, therapeutic bodywork includes myofascial therapy, compression therapy and pressure point massage.
Perched on a hilltop, the spa is spread throughout more than a half-dozen buildings, with an adults-only infinity pool at its center. Along with the usual fitness center, there’s a movement studio and a line-up of high-tech equipment focused on restoration and recovery, including a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, tepidarium or warm relaxation room, cold plunge bath, salt room and cedar sauna.
If you’re not staying at the hotel, you can purchase a Halehouse day use pass for $350. It includes use of wellness offerings, the locker rooms and a pool deck chair.
Rates start at $1259 per night, plus a $65 daily resort fee. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the newly opened resort.
Clockwise from left, Jen Heskett, Aaron gonzales, Jim Ship and Brittany Ship float around in the Russian River to beat the hot weather at Veterans Memorial Beach in Healdsburg, California on Monday, August 28, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Whether you’ve packed your summer schedule full or are looking for more things to do, Sonoma County’s got you covered. But why should Wine Country’s luxury reputation get in the way of your summer fun? This summer, experience the best of Sonoma County on a budget! Click through the gallery above for ideas. Did we miss one of your favorite free or cheap things to do this summer? Let us know in the comments!
Ciao Bruto founders, left to right, Courtney Humiston, Sam Bilbro and Thomas DeBaise. (Courtesy of Ciao Bruto)
Ciao Bruto — an Italian phrase that translates to “Hello, Ugly!” — may be an unconventional name for a wine shop, but this new Healdsburg boutique is anything but typical.
Opened just off the plaza in late May, Ciao Bruto doesn’t offer a single wine from Sonoma County or even California. Instead, it spotlights organic and biodynamic wines from northern Italy’s Piedmont region. The shop also offers artisanal Italian specialty products, such as pasta, tinned seafood, and condiments.
The store’s name is not intended as an insult, explains Ciao Bruto co-owner Thomas DeBaise, but rather a tribute to the unapologetic rusticity of the Italian wines he loves.
“When you drink Italian wine it’s the exact opposite of French wine,” he says. “French wine is constant layers of refinement, but even with the most refined Italian wines, there’s always a hard edge. That’s the most charming part.”
Many of the stores products are produced on Italian winery estates. (Tina Caputo)
Located next door to the Idlewild Wines tasting room, which specializes in California wines made with northern Italian grape varieties, Ciao Bruto is co-owned by Idlewild winemaker Sam Bilbro, along with DeBiase, who serves as the winery’s head of operations, and Courtney Humiston, Idlewild’s hospitality director and the former wine director at Petit Crenn in San Francisco.
The idea for Ciao Bruto grew from the trio’s deep appreciation for Italian wines and the enthusiastic demand for Idlewild’s Sunday educational tastings, which feature Italian selections that inspire Bilbro’s own winemaking. When the space next to the tasting room happened to come up for lease, it seemed like a nudge from fate, says DeBiase.
“This was something we were dreaming about doing for years before it actually happened,” he says. “We didn’t know if the shop was going to be here in Healdsburg or maybe in San Francisco, but it ended up being literally right next door.”
The shop currently carries about 250 wines and plans to double its offerings in the next couple of months. All selections are organic or biodynamic, primarily made in small quantities by winemakers who also grow their own grapes. Piedmont is the store’s main focus, but shoppers will also find selections from other Italian regions like Sicily, as well as hard-to-find Champagnes from France.
“Even though there are a lot of wineries here in Healdsburg, and we’re one of them at Idlewild, it’s kind of a wine desert,” says DeBiase. “If you want a bottle of Champagne, where do you go? You have to drive 15 miles minimum, or you go to Safeway and get whatever’s there. And for a lot of the food products, you have to go to San Francisco to get them. So there was a thirst for this and we wanted to fill the space.”
Ciao Bruto also brings in Italian artisanal food products grown and crafted on the same estates that produce many of the store’s wines, including Caravaglio capers, Il Censo pasta, and dried chickpeas from Paolo Bea. In the next month or so, once its new refrigerators arrive, the shop will begin offering grab-and-go Italian cheeses and cured meats.
While the store currently operates exclusively as a retail business, with no in-store tastings, DeBiase hopes to eventually add wine classes, pop-up dinners, and tastings with visiting Italian winemakers.
Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 130 Plaza St., Healdsburg. 707-756-3918, ciaobruto.com
Three-way Smoker Combo with ribs, chicken, brisket and sides of Mac N’ Cheese and Okra/Corn/Cherry Tomato Saute from Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar in Windsor. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
You don’t need to travel to Texas for awesome southern barbecue, because it’s right in our backyard. Hot summer weather is the siren call for some smoked meats, potato salad and a side of sauce. Check out our gallery to discover the best barbecue joints the county has to offer for the most devout meat-lovers.
There are many excellent hotels to call home during a stay in Napa Valley. But if you’d like a taste of history to pair with your cabernet, there are a handful of properties that date as far back as the mid-1800s.
