Nick’s Fries with beef and lamb at Nick the Greek in Santa Rosa. (Nick the Greek)
I won’t lie. I nearly crashed my car scarfing down garlic fries from the newly opened gyro and souvlaki restaurant at Coddingtown. The San Jose-based chain founded by three cousins (all named Nick) has nailed fast-casual Greek eats using all the garlic. That’s a good thing — unless you’re a vampire.
The menu is straightforward: pitas filled with meat, plates of meat, salads with meat or bowls of meat. There are, of course, non-meat items like falafel or the veggie gyro (zucchini, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, fries and tzatziki sauce); but this is Greek food, so, mostly meat.
That’s where things got dicey as I tried to eat a box of Nick’s fries with feta, garlic, spicy yogurt, green onions and combination beef/lamb gyro meat with my fingers. As I drove south on Highway 101, the aroma alone forced me to crack open the box around Cotati. By Petaluma, half the takeout box was gone. I ended up getting most of it on my shirt, but that was a small price to pay. There was a significant swerve as a large chunk of lamb hit the floor. Box was then closed until I was safely stopped. Fries can be dangerous.
Gyros, of course, are the thing at Nick’s (all $10.95). Soft, spongy pitas are stuffed with chicken, pork, beef and lamb either cut from the rotating spit (gyro meat) or on a skewer (souvlaki). Topped with creamy cucumber-yogurt sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and onions, they get a bonus handful of fries tucked inside.
You also can get a plate ($14.95) with tasty yellow rice and salad or a gyro bowl ($11.50) with rice and lettuce topped with red wine vinaigrette. There’s a Greek salad entree ($10.95), natch, as well as the Prasini Salad ($9.50) with romaine lettuce, dill, feta and lemon dressing.
Don’t miss the baklava or loukoumades (beignets with nuts and syrup) for dessert.
282 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, 707-806-2207, nickthegreek.com/santa-rosa. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Wine Country and modern architecture pair spectacularly in a prefabricated Geyserville home currently listed for $3,950,000. The 3,000-square-feet, four-bedroom, five-bathroom home was designed by Dwell in 2018 and features a stunning butterfly roof. It sits on a 3.8-acre lot surrounded by neighboring vineyards — here’s the chance to live among the vines while someone else takes care of the grapes.
With en-suite bathroom in each bedroom, a sprawling lawn and pool, bocce ball and pickleball courts, the home feels like your own private resort. Inside, midcentury design elements and bold decorative accents, like a wall of vibrant vintage concert posters, set the scene. Stained wood paneling and cabinetry provide warm contrast to the white walls while large windows let in plenty of light, as well as oak and vineyard views. Folding glass NanaWalls open up toward the expansive yard.
With so much nature on display, both inside and out, little is needed to adorn the space. But a few spectacular modern details do the trick: a symmetrical globe chandelier, brass angular fixtures and geometric tiles throughout. Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home.
For more information about this property at 2225 Wilson Road in Geyserville, contact listing agent Peter Colbert with Compass Realty, 415-798-0203, or peter@winecountrycolbert.com, compass.com
For anyone dreaming of owning a patch of beauty in an oceanside community, a brand new home just hit the market in Bodega Bay.
The three-bedroom, two-bath home was designed with a nod to classic Craftsman style and is currently listed for $1,350,000. The property sits on a hill along the town’s main drag, Highway 1, and has partial views of the bay beyond.
The 1400-square-foot dwelling is airy due to its open floor plan, with the kitchen and eating area adjoining the living room. Maple cabinets throughout the home add delicate warmth to the color scheme and tiles in grays, greens and blues enliven the palette with a freshness that seems to reference a seascape. The countertops are made of on-trend concrete.
There’s a gas-burning fireplace in the great room and solar panels on the roof. The small redwood groves that surround the house can be viewed from the home’s good-sized windows, many of which are double-hung, which is typical of Craftsman style. The eye-catching mahogany front door, handcrafted by a Bay Area artisan, has horizontal windows from top to bottom that allow more light into the space.
The home also features midcentury design elements, such as large slider doors. The combination of Craftsman style and midcentury design works well here, and creates a sense of openness and a seamless indoor/outdoor aesthetic.
The best views (and fresh ocean air) can be enjoyed on the sweet little rooftop patio, accessible via a wide outdoor staircase. From here, you can see the Bodega Harbor and Spud Point Marina. There’s also a patio in the yard with patches of redwoods surrounding the area. Bodega Bay’s little strip of downtown shops, such as Fishetarian Fish Market, a surf shop, plus kite and taffy stores, is just minutes away.
Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home.
This home is listed by Steve Hecht and John Chute of Artisan Sotheby’s Int’l Realty. For more information, call/text Steve, 707-481-8474, or John, 707-540-5331, or visit CoastalAgent.com
Crafting the perfect cocktail is an art form. When done well, the finished product is a thing of beauty. But few put much thought into one of the most important ingredients of a great cocktail. A new Petaluma company is on a mission to change that.
“Cocktail enthusiasts spend lots of time and money on the perfect spirits, mixers, glassware, bitters and tools — yet the ice is often overlooked,” said Charles Joly, resident mixologist at Abstract Ice. “Ice is the unsung hero of the cocktail.
Abstract Ice was launched earlier this year by Todd Stevenson, Ash Notaney and Leon Sharyon, formerly of Lagunitas Brewing Company. After making a name for themselves in the craft brewing world, the trio has turned their attention to creating crystal clear ice in unique shapes and sizes.
A number of Sonoma County craft distilleries, including Griffo Distillery in Petaluma and Hanson of Sonoma Distillery, have already taken notice of Abstract Ice’s artful cubes and added them to their drinks. Local restaurants like Healdsburg’s The Matheson, Sonoma’s Wit and Wisdom and Petaluma’s Brewsters Beer Garden have also incorporated Abstract Ice products into their bar programs.
In addition to cooling a drink, ice also helps dilute it and adds texture. Available in different shapes and sizes, Abstract Ice looks more interesting than regular square ice cubes and also helps control the dilution (or melting) process. (The ice melts more slowly because it is dense and has a large surface area.)
“We use their ice because they level up every drink we put them into,” said Jenny Griffo, who owns Griffo Distillery with her husband, Michael. “It definitely is hard to make an amazing Old Fashioned like we do if you don’t have premium ice like Abstract’s to prevent quick melting and then a watering down of the cocktail.”
Abstract Ice uses water from the city of Petaluma for their ice cubes and a patented technology to provide an additional level of water purification. (Water frozen in a traditional freezer traps dissolved air and impurities, resulting in cloudy ice.)
“Abstract Ice is made in a controlled process with water in constant motion while it is being frozen,” said Ash Notaney, president of Abstract Ice. “The constant motion prevents the entrapment and results in perfect, pure, clear ice.”
Looking to step up your own cocktail-making game? Abstract Ice is sold in select Sonoma County stores, including Wilibees in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, Charley’s Wine Country Deli in Petaluma and Big John’s Market in Healdsburg. In addition to pure ice, the company will soon release ice containing California-grown flowers and fruit sourced from local farmers markets.
Joly recommends cocktail enthusiasts temper the ice – take it out of the freezer and let it rest for a couple of minutes – before adding their drink of choice. Tempering prevents the ice from cracking and keeps it clear.
“Mix and match the different cubes and don’t just limit yourself to cocktails,” said Joly. “I love sipping an iced coffee over our Orbs.”
It’s never been easier to travel along the Mendocino coast with your dog. Dreamy waterfront hotels and beautiful botanical gardens welcome pups and you can bring your four-legged friend to wineries and restaurants, on rail bike rides — even when kayaking. With so many options, it’s ruff to choose, but here are some favorite dog-friendly destinations on the Mendocino coast. Click through the above gallery for details.
Shrimp po boy, barbecue chicken and cracklings at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
There’s no question who is in charge at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville.
Inside the bustling barbecue spot, owner Yvette Bidegain flits from table to table, with a giant smile and infectious giggle. Here everyone is “honey,” as Bidegan fusses over customers, smooths over minor service wrinkles and leaves a broad wake of hospitality.
Even on a sober Sunday, the joint has the Saturday-night feel of a lively rural roadhouse, with waitstaff bringing out plate after plate of ribs, cornbread waffles and the evening’s special Shrimp & Grits as fast as the kitchen can keep up.
Saucy Mama’s puts the soul in soul food by fusing the deeply Southern flavors of Bidegain’s family’s Louisiana heritage with her own California culinary twists.
A Sonoma County native and the seventh of nine children, Bidegain inherited the barbecue legacy of her father, Leroy Richardson of Richardson’s Ribs. Raised in Mississippi, not far from New Orleans, Richardson arrived in Northern California in the early 1950s, hoping for a new life and armed with an arsenal of family recipes.
Owner Yvette Bidegain at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
A wall paying homage to Richardson’s Ribs, owned by Bidegain’s father at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
In the late 1970s, Richardson launched his barbecue business at the Sonoma County Fair, pressing his children into service at an early age, Bidegain said. The business evolved into a roving barbecue food truck and three restaurant locations in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.
“There were nine of us, and my parents had us all in the kitchen,” Bidegain said. “We worked our buns off. The (restaurant business) is either something in you, or it’s not.”
The last Richardson’s Ribs restaurant closed in 1995, just a year before her father’s death.
But his recipes live on in Bidegain’s fledgling kitchen. Pictures of the family, menus and other homages are enshrined on Saucy Mama’s walls.
Like Richardson’s Ribs, Bidegain’s restaurant is a family business. Her husband, Tim Kobus, helps run the place, and her daughter and granddaughter work as servers.
Kobus, like Bidegain, wears several hats. On a recent day, he was stirring a giant pot of grits while directing kitchen staff. He also helped with the lengthy and often painful build-out process of the space that had stood empty for three years and was heavily damaged by flooding in 2019.
The restaurant business, however, is a second act for Bidegain. The 62-year-old spent most of her adult life working for Caltrans; she recently retired after 36 years. With her four children grown, she needed a new project.
“After the kids grew up, I had a void in my life,” she said. “I had all this extra time when I retired. I said, there has to be something out there that no one else is doing.”
Soul food was her answer.
Equipped with tried-and-true recipes, she launched a catering business just before the pandemic started. But with few events to buoy the enterprise, Bidegain turned her sights to the idea of a pop-up food business at Guerneville’s Stumptown Brewery.
With little local competition for her unparalleled fried catfish (honestly, the best I’ve ever had); smoked beef ribs; chicken skin cracklings; and best-in-class sides like three-cheese macaroni, collard greens and black-eyed peas, she found a ravenous audience.
Bidegain isn’t just the boss — her keen palate is behind all the dishes. Her first-time special of shrimp and grits, which she insists we try, is a jumble of poached shrimp, onions and garlic atop a bed of creamy, golden cornmeal that’s cheesier than a prom photo. Cornmeal waffles fan out on top with “crack” butter that lives up to its name.
There are generations of heart and soul in every bite.
Saucy Mama’s menu isn’t overly long, so there’s room for additional specials, including an occasional crawfish boil, jambalaya and smothered pork chops. Saucy Mama’s doesn’t have a website or social media, so plan for food exploration rather than expectation.
And leave the high-profile barbecue joints to amateurs, because they’ll never have the authenticity and passion Saucy Mama’s brings to Guerneville.
Best Bets
Shrimp po boy, barbecue chicken and cracklings at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint in Guerneville. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)
Crispy Fried Catfish Entree, $20: The seasoned cornmeal crust has a flavorful, crunchy texture, unlike greasy, bready batters. Inside, fresh catfish is moist, succulent and not fishy (like most frozen, imported catfish we’ve tried).
Shrimp Po Boy, $18: A small French loaf is cut into a boat (rather than sliced through), holding onto a delicious, saucy mess of fried shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes and remoulade sauce. Unlike a mayonnaise-heavy aioli, the remoulade has a tart vinegar punch with mustard and capers. The hidden fried pickle is a sweet-sour surprise.
Cracklin Chicken, $8: Deep-fried chicken skin with hot sauce. You love it or you hate it.
Extras (sides), $5/small or $10/large: Sides are everything at a barbecue spot, because no matter how good your ’cue is, if you can’t make a decent slaw, you’re sunk. Macaroni and cheese is made with four types of cheese and cream. Okra is deep-fried and tossed with onions and bacon. Collards are OK but lack the vinegar bite we like.
BBQ Pork Ribs Entree, $23.50: Fall-off-the-bone ribs slathered with sweet sauce are on point. Fried chicken, hot links and barbecue chicken are available as entrees or a la carte. Comes with the famous cornbread waffles. Pick two extras.
Save room for Banana Pudding ($6), Pecan Pie ($7), Peach Cobbler ($6.50) or the rarely found Sweet Potato Pie ($6).
Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint is at 16632 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-604-7184. Open from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. saucymamasjookjoint.com
USA Today has announced its annual 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards, highlighting “the best of the best” in the U.S. in categories such as food and drink, hotels and things to do. This year, 10 Sonoma County businesses were among the winners, which were chosen by a panel of experts and then voted on by USA Today readers. Click through the above gallery to see the winners. See the winners in all USA Today 10Best categories here.
Sarah Doyle, Sofia Englund, Julia Green and Linda Murphy contributed to this article.
Clockwise from top left, Cajun Spiced Catch of the Day, Shrimp and Grits, Bacon + Cheddar Hushpuppies, Collards + Mac and Cheese, Southern Fried Chicken Dinner, Smoked Trout + Baby Lettuces from Easy Rider in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
I’m suddenly feeling nostalgic. A little more than halfway through 2022, many of us have probably forgotten the fledgling restaurants that impressed us when they opened just months ago. Here’s a reminder of some of the best openings of the year so far. Click through the above gallery for details. And stay tuned for more restaurant openings.
The pool at Kenwood Inn & Spa. (Courtesy of Kennwood Inn & Spa)
With more than 425 wineries, an epic food scene, a striking coastline and towering redwoods, it’s easy to understand why Sonoma County is a honeymoon hotspot. There are plenty of picture perfect local hotels to check into after saying “I do,” from expansive luxury resorts to intimate, family-owned inns. Click through the above gallery for seven favorites.
The Charlie Hustle fried chicken sandwich from Jam’s Joy Bungalow in Cotati and Sebastopol. (Courtesy of Jamilah Nixon-Mathis)
If you’re not a commuter to Santa Rosa, Petaluma or one of the other towns along the SMART train route, you might not have had a chance to ride the North Bay’s passenger rail line. But with a dozen stops from the Sonoma County Airport to Larkspur and a handful more planned, there is more to do along the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit line than go to the office.
Here are eight stops, from north to south, that offer things to see and do within a short walk from each station. You can take the kids or your out-of-town visitors to the Charles M. Schulz Museum or shop for antiques in Santa Rosa or even pick up fresh produce in the farmers market at a historic Frank Lloyd Wright building. Plus, you’ll save gas and parking-meter money.
