BBQ Smokehouse Bistro & Catering pork ribs and coleslaw being served during the 22nd annual Sonoma County Cajun Zydeco & Delta Rhythm Festival held Saturday at Ives Park in Sebastopol. September 2, 2017. (Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)
After 56 years in the restaurant and catering business, Chef Larry Vito is hanging up his apron and closing the Bar B Que Smokehouse Bistro. The Sebastopol restaurant opened in 2009 and was one of the few in Sonoma County to offer respectable slow-cooked smoked meats, cornbread and collard greens.
“I bought a smoker at an auction on impulse, and it changed my life,” said Vito, now 71 and ready for retirement.
A high-end chef and caterer for most of his career, Vito was nervous about putting his name on a simple barbecue shack, but ultimately his affordable prices and tasty ’que created a loyal following.
An early entrant into the local barbecue revival that began with his restaurant, Vito watched other pit masters come and go over the years. He credits his modest prices and tried-and-true recipes for the smokehouse’s success.
Vito had hoped to sell the business for $50,000 but hasn’t had an offer yet.
“Time is a-wasting, and I don’t see the restaurant industry getting any easier. And I’m not getting any younger,” he said.
Increasing labor and food costs, along with the high cost of outsourcing deliveries to companies like Grubhub and DoorDash, were additional reasons to close shop, Vito said. He will lay off eight staff members when the restaurant closes sometime in early September. (The timing will depend on when the restaurant uses up its remaining inventory.)
Vito plans to travel to Mexico, where his 36-foot sailboat awaits him.
“I’m going wherever the wind blows,” he said. “We had great fun, and I have no regrets. I’m ready to get out of Dodge.”
Fried chicken with cucumber and coconut peanut curry from Valley Bar + Bottle on the Sonoma square. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Every town has hidden gems that locals know, but usually elude outsiders. These restaurants are top-notch contenders that may not be on your radar. We’ve handpicked some gems worth seeking out. Click through the above gallery for details.
The dining room of The Villa restaurant, now closed. (The Villa)
Gaspare Bernardo was just 29 years old when he opened The Villa restaurant in Santa Rosa in 1976. Last week, the longtime owner and host — now 75 — quietly shuttered the iconic hilltop restaurant, citing hiring issues and a dramatic drop in customers since COVID-19 began.
“It’s not easy, and it was one of the worst things I had to do in my life,” Bernardo said of the closure.
Hidden on a hilltop overlooking much of Bennett Valley, the restaurant was the go-to spot for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and prom dinners. In rural Sonoma County, the white-tablecloth Italian cuisine, vaulted ceilings and an expansive view were an anomaly, predating the advent of Wine Country cuisine in the 1980s.
Though The Villa’s edges had frayed in recent years, the restaurant still had a loyal following for its early-bird dinners and daily happy hours. But like hundreds of other restaurants in Sonoma County, Bernardo has recently struggled to find waitstaff and wasn’t up to managing the restaurant alone.
“The restaurant just wasn’t making it anymore. There was just too much pressure on me, and we had to call it a day,” he said. “We tried the best we could, but it’s just been a struggle. It’s so very disheartening.”
Twelve employees were laid off.
Bernardo partially blames his decision to close the restaurant for more than a year during COVID, when county health mandates severely limited indoor dining in 2020.
“We shouldn’t have closed. We should have kept the deck open and the bar and that was a mistake. We couldn’t recover,” he said.
Bernardo, who was born in Calabria, Italy, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1969, opened the restaurant with four friends: Johnnie Giacri, Tino Tocchetto, Mario Peric and Michele Chieffo. All had worked together at The Fisher restaurant in Burlingame and moved to Santa Rosa in 1976 to take over the former Hilltopper restaurant.
The opening menu featured 110 items, including seafood, veal and pasta, according to an archival Press Democrat story. Bernardo stuck to Italian-American staples — spaghetti and meatballs, linguine with clams, lasagna, ravioli and veal scaloppine — throughout the restaurant’s tenure. Caesar salad made tableside was a signature dish.
Bernardo recalls hosting hundreds of busy Mother’s Days, prom dinners, New Year’s parties and even a visit from football legend and former Oakland Raiders Coach John Madden. (In the 1970s, the Oakland Raiders’ training camp was in Santa Rosa).
“I was at The Villa for most of my life, so I saw it grow from every angle. There were a lot of celebrities here over the years,” Bernardo said.
In its nearly 50-year history, partners at The Villa came and went, but Bernardo remained constant.
John Vicini, the owner of Trecini Winery, spent 27 years working at The Villa, retiring as a partner. Though he left more than 20 years ago to start his wine brand, he said Bernardo is like a brother.
“I feel so sorry. It was my first job, and we were just young kids. It was very stressful, but we worked together 14-hour days,” he said.
There are no plans to reopen the restaurant, which was Bernardo’s lifework, leaving him unsure about his future.
“I’m very confused and have no idea what I’m going to do now. I’ve been in the restaurant business my whole life, but I couldn’t do it by myself any longer,” he said.
Acme Burger at Acme Burger in Cotati. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Downtown Petaluma is already hopping with great places to eat and drink, and even more venues are set to welcome guests this fall and beyond. Here are four dining-and-drinking destinations we’ll be first in line for.
Luma Bar & Eatery
Petaluma’s beloved oyster bar and seafood restaurant The Shuckery is about to get a sister establishment in the former Dempsey’s brewpub location. Set to open in late November, Luma Bar and Eatery will focus on veggie-forward fare.
“The goal of the menu is to showcase Sonoma County’s bounty of produce and support local farms,” says proprietor Jazmine Lalicker, who also owns The Shuckery.
While vegetable dishes will receive top billing at Luma, offerings will not be exclusively plant based. “We want to have a menu that is inclusive of everybody—vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores,” says Lalicker.
Luma will feature four distinct seating areas swathed in earthy garden tones, including a traditional dining room, a cocktail bar, an intimate wine lounge, and a riverfront patio.
Sisters Jazmine (left) and Aluxa Lalicker at The Shuckery in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Kapu
Since 2020, Petaluma has been buzzing with the rumor that David Ducommon of Duke’s Spirited Cocktails in Healdsburg is about to launch a tiki bar in town. With opening day for Kapu projected for early November, the rumor is about to become reality.
Once you step through the bar’s lava cave entrance, another world awaits. Legendary tiki bar designer Ben Bassham—a.k.a. “Bamboo Ben”—and his son, Blake, created or commissioned each element of Kapu’s design, from its Balinese tiki sculptures to the main bar’s hand-carved bamboo panels.
“Kapu is about escapism. It’s a chance to step away from the norm for a few hours,” says general manager Mike Richardson, a former manager and mixologist at Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas. “This is our effort to celebrate multiculturalism through art, food, music, and drinks.”
Especially drinks. As a tiki bar, Kapu will specialize in tropical craft cocktails. The small-plates menu, still in development, will lean toward street food with Hawaiian, Korean, and Portuguese influences.
Along with a massive rectangular tiki bar, Kapu will include individual booth-style huts, a dragon-festooned lounge equipped with vintage pinball and pachinko machines, a patio, and the Captain’s Room, a reservation-only space designed to evoke an old sailing ship smashed onto rocks.
Mike Richardson, general manager at Kapu in Petaluma. (Tina Caputo)
Acme Burger
Chef Todd Kniess opened his first Acme Burger in Cotati in 2019 and followed up with a Santa Rosa outpost in 2021. This October, the latest Acme is set to debut in Petaluma, just across the parking lot from the new Crooked Goat Brewing taproom.
Those who’ve visited Acme’s other locations already know what all the excitement is about. Burgers are made with freshly ground beef each day and have just the right amount of seasoning and char. Non-beef burger options are equally satisfying, from buttermilk fried chicken to Willie Bird turkey to Impossible patties.
The new building is pretty cool, too. Originally a gas station, the structure is brimming with vintage Americana charm. Patrons will be able to dine on the patio out front, or order food from Crooked Goat for tableside delivery.
Sonoma Beef Burger with onion rings, fried chicken burger, chili fries and Cajun fries from Acme Burger. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Stellina Alimentari
Anyone who has sampled the stellar Italian pastries and focaccia sandwiches at Stellina Pronto bakery will be thrilled to learn that owners Christian and Katrina Caiazzo are launching a new food-focused business in the former Thistle Meats storefront on Petaluma Boulevard.
Like the small “alimentari” grocery stores of Italy, Stellina Alimentari — the venue’s working name — will be an Italian specialty market and bottle shop with a deli counter offering a variety of focaccia sandwiches, salumi, antipasti, imported and local cheeses, salads, and prepared foods to take away. Those who like to linger can enjoy a glass of wine or beer onsite.
“Our pantry will feature our favorite products from local and Italian producers, including Calabrian peppers, the best anchovies, grissini, artisanal olive oils, and wines from 20 regions of Italy as well as local Sonoma County vineyards,” says Christian Caiazzo.
A freshly made pizza is pulled out of the oven, during community pizza night with live music at Raymond’s Bakery, in Cazadero, Calif., on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
Every Friday evening, the tiny town of Cazadero comes alive with the smell of fresh garlic and sourdough pizzas. As a live band settles in for the opening notes of sound check, people gather on the deck under the redwoods at Raymond’s Bakery for a night of music, good food, and catching up with their neighbors.
“People who are visiting will often ask, ‘Is this a private event?’ And I’ll say, ‘Oh no, it’s just Friday night in Cazadero,’” says bakery owner and pizzaiolo Mark Weiss.
Owner, Mark Weiss, and his daughter who works at the bakery, Ella Weiss, 17, hold one of their pizzas, during community pizza night with live music at Raymond’s Bakery in Cazadero. (Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)Willie Perez, of Cazador, plays music with his band, during community pizza night with live music at Raymond’s Bakery in Cazadero. (Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
What’s the magic here? Maybe it’s the hand-pinched garlic fennel sausage Weiss imports from Chicago for his Kitchen Sink pizzas. Or the excuse to dance and drink local Wild Hog wine. Or maybe it’s simply the need for a sense of community.
“One thing that surprises me every Friday is that the magic keeps happening, and people keep showing up. It always reminds me of that movie ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ with Reese Witherspoon,” Weiss says. “It just feels like what you think a community gathering should be.”
Friday nights through October. Best to order pizzas ahead by phone or online. Raymond’s Bakery, 5400 Cazadero Highway, Cazadero. 707-632-5335, elimgrove.com/raymonds-bakery
Stewart Cellars tasting room in Yountville. (Douglas Friedman)
The past few years have certainly been a time of change, but one change is for the better: we spend more time outdoors now than we did before the pandemic. From dining to wine tasting to weekend excursions, we want to soak up the scenery and fresh air every chance we get.
The town of Yountville is built for an alfresco lifestyle and can easily be added to a Sonoma County getaway. In this walkable village with dramatic mountain views, you’ll find Michelin-starred restaurants and many of Napa Valley’s top wineries. Make it a day trip or a full weekend of outdoor activities. Here are our top picks in Yountville.
Dine
Yountville is known for its many excellent restaurants, and here’s a fun fact: the Napa Valley town boasts the most outdoor dining spots per capita in Wine Country, with all of its restaurants and cafés offering open-air seating.
Famous French Laundry owner and chef Thomas Keller debuted his new Regiis Ova Caviar and Champagne Lounge as a pop-up last June. This summer, he decided to make the destination restaurant permanent. Lucky us, because this is a delight for lovers of the salty fish roe.
The caviar and champagne lounge features Keller’s own Regiis Ova brand in Siberian, Royal, Ossetra, Hybrid and Supreme styles. The caviar is served with classic garnishes and potato blinis (15 grams for $50-$65), or stuffed into darling little waffles, laced into crab on Parker House rolls, atop French onion dip with kettle fried potato chips, or as a crown to deviled eggs.
To sip, choose the Champagne flight ($65), bringing 2 ounces each of three elegant quaffs. Relax on the all-season patio, complete with shade, a fountain, and a cozy fireplace.
6480 Washington St., Yountville, 707-947-7181, regiisova.com
Regiis Ova caviar atop French onion dip with kettle fried potato chips. (Regiis Ova)Regiis Ova caviar in miniature waffles. (Regiis Ova)
Chef Michael Chiarello owns Yountville’s popular Ottimo and Bottega. Now, he gives us the new Coqueta, boasting delectable Spanish cuisine. This is food for sharing, in bold flavors like Spanish white anchovies with Manzanilla olives, piquillo peppers, Basque piparra peppers and pickled kumquat; or olive oil-poached, head-on gulf prawns in robust black garlic-chile sauce.
Dig into paella Valenciana, too – it’s a marvelous mélange of grilled rabbit, snap peas, carrots and Spanish Bomba rice cooked in roasted carrot sofrito and rabbit broth. To sip, sample housemade sangrias (try the Basque favorite mix of Mexican Coke, red sangria and cinnamon), or a margarita topped in “salt air” (a tasty dollop of salted foam). The shaded, wood plank deck is the place to sit.
6525 Washington St., Yountville, 707-244-4350, coquetanv.com
Just a minute southwest of town, the Lakeside Grill at Vintner’s Golf Course is off the radar for most people, but it’s a terrific, retro-style spot for comfort eats like golden crisp onion rings, nachos of housemade tortillas smothered in melty Jack and Cheddar, and a truly great Chinese chicken salad with cellophane noodles and housemade Hoisin dressing. You know, the stuff we all secretly love.
Other favorites include a terrific taco salad brimming with spicy carne asada, rice, beans, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and salsa; and a big, juicy burger with bacon, onion ring, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and ranch dressing on a French roll. To sip, order an ice cold beer. To sit, kick back on the patio with views of the ninth hole, flower gardens and lake.
Across from Yountville’s North Block hotel and restaurant, you’ll find an elegant compound housed in charming stone buildings. This is the home of Southside café and coffee bar, plus the Stewart Cellars tasting room.
Reserve a seat on the flagstone courtyard for a first-rate Portfolio Flight wine tasting, and request sips of two brand new releases, as well.
The NV Sparkling Riesling is the winery’s first-ever sparkling wine, and it’s enchanting, bright and bioche-y with hints of apple and pear. The 2021 Sonoma Mountain Rosé is a rarity, too, made of 90% Pinot Gris and 10% Pinot Noir, fermented for just 15 days on the skins for a pale pink color and crisp, beautifully floral character.
Stewart Cellars tasting room in Yountville. (Douglas Friedman)Stewart Cellars tasting room in Yountville. (Douglas Friedman)
Certainly you know that Zapp’s Cajun Crawtators potato chips are the perfect pairing for an elegant rosé. Oh, you didn’t? Then head over to Silver Trident Winery for the Potato Chip Extravaganza featuring artisanal potato chips paired with Silver Trident wines.
Through the guided, high-end “picnic,” you’ll find that Symphony No. 9 Sauvignon Blanc goes well with Route 11 Sour Cream ‘n’ Chives chips, Benevolent Dictator Pinot Noir matches with Zapp’s Cajun Dill, and Playing with Fire red blend likes Zapp’s Voodoo smoky paprika and garlic. For al fresco finery, you can choose a seat on the patio overlooking excellent people-watching on Washington Street.
The Potato Chip Extravaganza, featuring artisanal potato chips paired with Silver Trident wines, at Silver Trident Winery in Yountville. (Boris Zharkov)
Play
Embrace all of the outdoors via a hot air balloon ride with Napa Valley Aloft. You meet the flight crew at V-Marketplace in Yountville, then head to a remote wilderness launch site.
Depending on the weather, you might reach heights of up to a stunning 4,400-foot elevation, soaring over mountaintops, vineyards, water reservoirs and forests.
The big wicker basket transporting you is sturdy, the hour-long flight surprisingly smooth, and the landing is actually graceful, thanks to your seasoned pilot manning the whoosh-roaring propane burners.
6525 Washington St., Yountville, 707-944-4400, nvaloft.com
The Cosmonaut with vodka, dry Curacao, strawberry and lime from Vintage Space at The Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa Tuesday, August 23, 2022. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Vintage Space, the new retro-inspired cocktail lounge and live music venue at the landmark Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa, is a clever nod to the property’s midcentury past.
Managed by Benson Wang and Anderson Pugash of Palm House Hospitality, the lounge is the latest upgrade to the hotel, which was built in 1957 and purchased by Palm House Hospitality and Stephan Yang and Rebecca Bunya of Yang Capital in 2019. Wang and Pugash are also behind the popular San Francisco hangouts Palm House and the Dorian.
Wang, a Sonoma County native and fourth-generation restaurant owner, was inspired by “the extreme optimism” and excitement of the 1950s space race. He wanted to infuse that sense of “curiosity and innovation” into Vintage Space’s lunar-inspired music lounge, he said.
“We really want it to be an immersive, transformative space,” said Wang, who worked with designer Brian Anderson of BAA Design to create the futuristic setting. “Preserving the history of the space as an entertainment venue was important to us. We just wanted to create something a little more adventurous.”
And the vibe and cosmic cocktails at Vintage Space fit that bill.
The boomerang-shape bar is backlit by the glow of an illuminated moon. There is a rotating list of cocktails, mocktails, local craft beers and wines by the glass.
The M.A.S.A. cocktail, developed by bar manager Scott Gallagher, is a refreshing favorite, with spicy serrano pepper-infused peach puree, smoky mezcal, tequila and sparkling wine.
There is also the Cosmonaut — a play on the classic Cosmopolitan — that arrives capped with a glistening bubble. A satisfying pop releases a burst of citrus essence, which lingers on first sip.
The Black Hole Espresso Martini — an infusion of Bella Rosa nitro cold brew, cacao from Santa Rosa’s Sister Harvest and housemade mint whipped cream — is perfect for those seeking a caffeine buzz.
“I think people are just excited to have a music venue in Santa Rosa,” said bar manager Gallagher, who helped develop the venue’s drinks program. Before coming to Vintage Space, he ran the bar program at Little Brothers in San Francisco after getting his start at San Francisco Irish pubs Maggie McGarry’s and Little Shamrock.
A Petaluma native, Gallagher is a self-proclaimed Old Fashioned fan and will make a mean one on request, with spicy Michter’s Rye Whiskey and a spherical king cube.
Nonalcoholic cocktails include the E. Tea, an Arnold Palmer-type drink with habanero shrub, and Tranquility, a refreshing herbaceous combination of lemon, mint and rosemary.
Moon Landing Snack Packs are also sold, like Comet Corn popcorn, furikake Chex Mix and a host of other salty, crunchy indulgences.
Vintage Space currently hosts live music at 8 p.m. Fridays and a DJ at 9 p.m. Saturdays. Upcoming acts include LuvPlanet on Sept. 2 and Northern California DJ Miguel Migs on Sept. 17. If you want to arrive early for a meal or appetizers, the Flamingo’s Lazeaway Club restaurant is highly recommended.
“The music lounge at the Flamingo has a long, celebrated history within our community,” co-owner Pugash said. “We’re really excited to pay homage to its past while looking towards the future.”
Looking forward, Wang and Pugash hope to host Halloween and New Year’s parties at Vintage Space, plus live comedy and a Sunday Drag Brunch.
“The Flamingo has been a Santa Rosa institution since it opened in the 1950s,” Wang said. “We’ve received great feedback about the newly designed space and are so grateful to everyone we’ve met throughout the launch.”
Details: Vintage Space at the Flamingo Resort, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; 707-545-8530; vintagespacesr.com
You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com.
A selection of small plates from Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Emma K Creative)
We’re taking away all your excuses for eating another fast food lunch. Healthy, whole foods aren’t hard to find in Sonoma County. But sometimes it takes a little sleuthing to find the perfect grain bowl, scrumptious salad or vegan entree worth the trouble. After an exhaustive search, here are some of our favorite spots for grab-and-go meals you won’t regret five minutes after eating. Click through the above gallery for details.
Eating out for a living has many privileges, but dining for pleasure is a gift I rarely get to appreciate.
When a restaurant opens, it’s usually a one-and-done deal for me. As much as I’d love to return again and again to see how the menu evolves, how service improves (or doesn’t) and whether the food is as good (or bad) as I remember, constant deadlines never go away, and there’s always somewhere newer and shinier to discover.
That means sometimes I praise a restaurant, then find out things have fallen apart since my last visit. Other times, a bad menu turns around with a little time.
So it’s extra-special when I get to return to restaurants I’ve already written about or reviewed for a second look. Recently, the stars aligned and I ended up at Gourmet Au Bay in Bodega Bay, Grata in Windsor and Barndiva in Healdsburg.
These disparate restaurants have had time to find themselves, let chefs settle in and evolve their menus. The confident service at each was notable during my recent visits. Maybe it’s time to find a little pleasure in the daily grind again. Such is the life of a food writer.
Gourmet Au Bay (last reviewed in 2016)
Why I went: Plans to go to Spud Point Crab Co. for a crab sandwich went awry when long lines caused a hangry meltdown.
The verdict: This is an upgrade from coastal crab shacks, with a great selection of wines sold by the glass and an impressive kitchen. We had managed our expectations, but a glass of crisp rosé started things off nicely.
Meaty crab cakes arrived in a sizzling mini cast-iron skillet with a nickel-size dollop of creamy aioli. Crispy-edged and full of crab, these were a winner.
We also loved the giant bowl of mussels with slices of bread for dipping. The clam flatbread was studded with roasted garlic and bacon, with a light cream sauce atop a cracker-crisp crust.
The only miss was the ceviche, which had exactly four tiny pieces of fish swimming in a soupy salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion.
Details: 1412 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9875, gourmetaubay.com
Shrimp and Saffron Risotto is served at Grata Italian Eatery in Windsor. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
Grata (last reviewed in 2020)
Why I went: My friend lives in Windsor, and we needed a place to eat.
The verdict: This quaint Italian eatery opened near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I remember a group of us huddled together in our masks, hoping a few shared dishes wouldn’t kill us. It wasn’t a great beginning for a review, and there were some significant misses before the restaurant hit its stride in recent months.
Our recent meal struck many right notes, including an awe-inspiring butter lettuce salad with fresh peaches, creamy burrata and pistachios. We couldn’t stop eating the Cacio e Pepe fries, served with truffle aioli and smothered in pepper and Parmesan.
The night’s smash hit was goat cheese and ricotta ravioli in a delicate garlic cream sauce. Topped with kernels of sweet corn and local mushrooms with a chiffonade of basil, the dish quickly could have become a tasteless, gloopy mess. Instead, the sweet pops of corn and peppery basil were a perfect complement to the light, perfectly cooked pillows of ravioli. Bravo.
Details: 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707-620-0508, gratawindsor.com
Red Currant Curd dessert with Ras Wl Hanout Ice Cream will satisfy sweet tooths at Barndiva in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
Barndiva (visited, but never reviewed)
Why I went: It was the only Michelin-starred restaurant I could get a last-minute reservation at for my son’s 25th birthday.
The verdict: My son, as you may imagine, loves great food. It’s a genetic thing. Sadly, he lives in a small town where Applebee’s is considered fine dining. While in Santa Rosa for his birthday, his only request (aside from Costco T-shirts) was a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
I waited too long to make reservations but lucked out and snagged a ridiculously early seating at this upscale Healdsburg restaurant that uses the tagline “eat the view.” A new chef (Erik Anderson) and a new beverage director (Scott Beattie) recently have changed the menu, though the ever-popular goat cheese croquettes with lavender honey have remained.
My son and I were both gobsmacked over our meal. A seemingly simple caprese salad was an adventure, with a “reanimated” tomato (an Early Girl tomato that had been dehydrated, then rehydrated and filled with mozzarella foam). A basil gelee and tiny Sun Gold tomatoes were hidden beneath the wild arugula. Rare roasted duck with blackberries and chanterelle mushrooms was also a stunner. But the Mount Lassen trout with a light saffron sauce and a single sweet Jimmy Nardello pepper was the dish of the night.
Pommes Puree (fancy mashed potatoes) were mostly butter with a hint of potato, which is not a bad thing. Pastry chef Neidy Venegas creates dessert wonders like the Boston Cream, an orb of lavender pistachio mousseline and vanilla buttermilk cake in a strawberry verjus granita. Heavenly.
Details: 231 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-431-0100, barndiva.com
Cowgirl Creamery employee Erica Martinez helps a customer at company’s Point Reyes Station location in 2013. The retail shop and one-time factory will permanently close on Sept. 5. (Charlie Gesell )
Recent news that Cowgirl Creamery’s Point Reyes Station retail shop and one-time factory will permanently close on Sept. 5 has come as a shock to many, but for industry insiders, it’s not a total surprise. According to the Point Reyes Light weekly newspaper, vendors were told of the impending closure in mid-July.
The move comes five years after Cowgirl was sold to Emmi, a Swiss dairy conglomerate that purchased Humboldt’s Cypress Grove in 2010 and Redwood Hill Creamery in 2015. In 2019, Cowgirl founders Sue Conley and Peggy Smith stepped back from daily operations and officially retired in 2021. Cowgirl closed their longtime Ferry Building retail shop in 2021 after COVID-19 slowed foot traffic to a trickle.
Opened in 1997, the quirky Point Reyes Station barn was the headquarters of Conley and Smith’s iconic artisanal cheese company, where they introduced triple-cream Mt. Tam, washed-rind Red Hawk, cider-washed Hop Along and champion melter Wagon Wheel. For 25 years, the shop welcomed cheese pilgrims and coastal travelers looking for picnic and pantry supplies. You could even watch Red Hawk curds and whey being separated through large glass panels.
Cowgirl soon outgrew the location, and in 2008, production moved to the current Petaluma facility.
The closure is a heartbreaker, for sure, though the Point Reyes Station shop had several ongoing issues, including wastewater constraints that precluded additional customer bathrooms or scaling up Red Hawk production, according to the Point Reyes Light. A new tenant has not been announced yet.
