Page 138 – Sonoma Magazine

8 Gorgeous Waterfront Hotels on the Sonoma-Marin-Mendocino Coast

June 2023

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Dreaming of a coastal getaway? Check into these gorgeous hotels along Highway 1 in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties. Take a walk on the beach, go surfing, eat oysters or just relax with a tasty glass of wine and someone special by your side. Click through the gallery above for eight favorite places to stay on the coast.

Sofia Englund, Maci Martell and Sarah Stierch contributed to this article.

Healdsburg Restaurant Noted Among World’s Best

June 2023

By Heather Irwin

SingleThread restaurant in Healdsburg. (SingleThread)

SingleThread has done it again.

For the third consecutive year, the Healdsburg restaurant has cracked the prestigious “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, a curated collection of outstanding global dining experiences.

Sonoma County’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant fell from No. 50 to No. 69 in 2023, landing it on the extended 51-100 list rather than the Top 50 after peaking at No. 37 in 2021.

SingleThread also won in 2019. The awards were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual list of the world’s finest restaurants, published since 2002, is a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences and a barometer for global gastronomic trends, according to organizers.

A panel of more than 1,000 international restaurant industry experts — food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-traveled gourmets — selects the restaurants for each year’s list.

The awards were announced June 20 in Valencia, Spain.

“It’s always an honor to be recognized among great restaurants around the world, many of whom we are very close with and collaborate with regularly (we just had Odette #14 here in May to cook two nights at SingleThread),” said Chef Kyle Connaughton, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Katina.

“The restaurants on the list (are) so different and unique, so we are very proud to represent Sonoma County with our focus on our agriculture and local artisans.”

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants lauded the Japanese-inspired SingleThread on its website.

The organization said: “The well-loved culinary dream team of chef Kyle Connaughton and farmer Katina Connaughton run this destination restaurant with rooms in the Sonoma wine region. Katina’s farm produce meets her husband’s unique Japanese cuisine in a kaiseki-style 11-course menu that begins with an array of small snacks and runs through dishes like Wagyu beef with shiso and potato — plus a strong wine selection, of course.

“If possible, stay in one of the luxurious rooms inspired by ancient Japanese ryokans, or inns, and enjoy a breakfast of cedar-roasted salmon, tamago, donabe rice and other delicacies.”

Only two American restaurants made the Top 50: New York’s Atomix at No. 8, followed by fellow New York legend Le Bernardin at No. 44.

SingleThread came in ahead of the only other Bay Area restaurant, Saison, ranked No. 98.

Over the five years, the list has moved away from its intense focus on Europe, America and Japan to include top-rated eateries in South America (Peru’s Central in Lima took the No. one spot in 2023), Mexico City (Pujol was No. 13) and Southeast Asia (Singapore’s Odette was No. 14 and Bangkok’s Le Du was No. 15).

To see the complete list of winners, go to theworlds50best.com.

These Sonoma County Restaurants Put the Joy Back Into Dining Out

June 2023

By Heather Irwin

At Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails, you can pour 1-ounce samples from cocktail taps or full pours from their beer taps. How much you pour is up to you. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed out loud at the pure joy and silliness of a restaurant dessert.

With the mountain of troubles restaurants have faced since 2017’s wildfires, through COVID and beyond, there’s been a sober-mindedness about dining out.

Instead, the last six years have been about comfort, predictability and guaranteed winners like fried chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes and carefully curated vegetable-forward dishes cooked over coal. There’s little room for silliness when restaurant margins are slim and diners fickle.

Menus certainly haven’t had the unbridled joie de vivre of, say, sparkling edible glitter sliding down a mound of melted chocolate and gooey cake or a cereal-milk panna-cotta trio topped with Cocoa Puffs and Fruity Pebbles at the newly opened 19Ten restaurant in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square.

It also hasn’t had the little kid thrill of playing with the 39-tap self-serve wall of beer, cider and cocktails at Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails in Windsor. Just try not to snicker at taps labeled The Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries sour beer or Dad Pants Pilsner.

Sonoma County is ready to enjoy a little eater-tainment again, and 19Ten co-owner Brad Barmore thinks his twinkling Princess Cake was a fun idea worth trying. So did I.

We couldn’t stop laughing when the cake arrived at the table because, while delicious, it gave the overall impression of something a magical unicorn might have left behind on the forest floor. Our snort-worthy question: Does the glitter dissolve after you eat it, or will it reappear?

Fact: Edible glitter dissolves in the digestive system.

Classic and new

19Ten, opened in the former Jack & Tony’s, is already a Railroad Square destination. JC Adams and Barmore have expanded their portfolio (they also own KIN Windsor and KIN Smoke in Healdsburg).

The cavernous space has been opened up, lightened up and given a new chance at life. Even on the second day of service, the restaurant produced American classics with fun and flair.

The 19Ten menu is a mix of new concepts and inspirations from both their KIN restaurants. There are ideas Barmore has long wanted to try, like the glittery cake or Beet Fries with togarashi-mayonnaise dipping sauce. There’s plenty to love on the menu and nothing stuffy or plain here. It’s a celebration of food and fun.

Start with one of their craft cocktails and Smoked Brisket Elote Tacos ($18) with tender Texas-style smoked brisket, roasted corn, cotija cheese and pickled red onion. Or order the sweet-savory Eight Hour Pork Belly ($16) with gochujang honey glaze, chicharron and chile dust. The Beet Fries ($12) are divisive, with large chunks of red beet flash-fried and fairly beet-forward in taste. They’re great if you like beets, which I do.

Scallop Crudo ($16) is a great plate to share, with thin slices of fresh scallops marinated in a tart-spicy chile-oil vinaigrette.

Entrees are harder to choose. Here you’ll want to invest in hearty dishes like the Beef Duo ($40) with a hangar steak and beef cheeks or the Smoked Baby Back Ribs covered in a bourbon Dijon glaze. Our favorite was the simple 19Ten Burger ($19) with a crisp Parmesan skirt around two burger patties. Ten-inch brick-oven pizzas are nicely cooked, but we learned too late that Clam Pizza ($22) isn’t a personal favorite because clams on pizza are weird unless you’re from Connecticut.

Do save some room for the Princess Cake. 19Ten is at 115 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-791-7494, 19Ten.com.

Barrel Brothers

Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails is equally amusing, if for no other reason than you can pour 1-ounce samples from cocktail taps or full pours from their beer taps. How much you pour is up to you.

The food is equally playful, with simple but well-executed nibbles, bowls, skewers and baskets. The Moroccan Spiced Lamb skewer ($5) is perfectly seasoned and served with a pool of tart tzatziki. The Grilled Halloumi skewer ($5), or “stick” as it’s called on the menu, has squeaky grilled Greek cheese with layers of naan and an Indian-inspired spinach sauce.

Ceviche ($15) was less impressive, with more vegetables than fish. But the absolute winners of the day were pupusas ($14) filled with roasted pork, cheese, black beans and potatoes. It’s a shareable dish with richness from the fried El Salvadoran griddle cakes and freshness from the pile of cabbage salad and salsa on top. Southern Fried Chicken ($17) is also excellent, served with sweet pickles and a creamy ranch dip.

The outdoor patio is a top spot for people-watching, and don’t miss the Sasquatch wallpaper in the bathroom.

And remember to have some fun. Barrel Brothers Brewing Kitchen and Cocktails is at 9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128, Windsor, barrelbrothersbrewing.com.

Oysters Worth a Trip to This Bodega Bay Restaurant

June 2023

By Heather Irwin

Raw oysters and a crab sandwich with kale slaw at Fishetarian Fish Market in Bodega Bay. (Heather Irwin / The Press Democrat)

I’ve always been a proponent for confidently traveling alone and sitting at a table for one. There’s something so satisfying about eating what you want, taking the necessary time to contemplate each bite, talking to others (or not) and focusing on the meal. You don’t get that kind of solitude with an entourage.

Recently, I took a solo trip to Bodega Bay, bound for the headlands and a soul-cleansing trip to the ocean. Alone. I was craving a crab sandwich and some oysters, and Fishetarian Fish Market (599 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9092, fishetarianfishmarket.com) fit the bill.

I’ve long been a fan of the sandos at Spud Point Crab Co., Fisherman’s Cove and Ginochio’s Kitchen (all on Westshore Road), which all have slightly different variations on the same themes.

But huge props to Fishetarian for its large, plump raw oysters and mignonette served on a bed of ice. A plate of six is $19.99, and when eaten alone, a moment unto itself. Suck ’em down, pour the sour mignonette on top, slurp as loudly as you want and savor the experience without anyone ruining it by pointing out the dribble of lemon running down your chin.

The crab sandwich wasn’t as impressive. June is the bitter end of Dungeness crab season in Northern California, so it’s not always the ripest time to get huge sweet chunks of crab stuffed between slices of bread. But my $21.99 crab sandwich at Fishetarian had too much bread, cheese and veggies and not enough crab to really satisfy my craving. Maybe it’s my fault for eating Dungeness in late June.

The Boston chowder, local rock cod fish and chips or grilled fish tacos are better choices. There are also great kid-friendly options (grilled cheese or PB&J) and fun souvenirs, T-shirts and other goodies to bring home from your trip.

I’m a fan of the locally owned Fishetarian Fish Market overall, and my solo dining experience fueled my hike up the headland bluffs and back. I’m still dreaming of eating those fat oysters on a sunny picnic table for one.

Winery Family’s Sonoma Home Listed for Record $15 Million. Here’s a Peek Inside

June 2023

By Karen Kizer

Don and Nancy Sebastiani’s home at 175 Fourth St. E. is currently on the market for $15 million. (Provided by Caroline Sebastiani of Sotheby’s International Realty)

The prices in a recently record-breaking Wine Country real estate market may have reached a new peak. An iconic home west of Sonoma has been listed for $15 million. If it sells at asking price, it will be the most expensive home sale on record in the city of Sonoma.

The 11,892-square-foot “Fleur de Lys Estate” is the home of Don and Nancy Sebastiani whose family has deep roots in Sonoma. Don’s grandfather, Samuele, founded Sebastiani Vineyards in 1904, just eight years after immigrating from Italy. (After overseeing the winery for several generations, the Sebastiani family sold it in 2008.)

The four-bedroom, 10-bathroom home, which is down the road from the historic Sebastiani Winery, was built in 2012 in a grand, old-world style with balustrades, arched coffered ceilings and lots of highly variegated marbles. The classic look blends well with a few modern elements: clean lines, rustic stained wood trims and many contemporary if not whimsical lighting fixtures.

Show-stopping design elements on the home’s main level include 13th-century Fleur de Lis cabochons in the entryway and rare Breccia Medicea marble in the kitchen, with a red-purplish veining that contrasts with black and white checkerboard floor tiles. A two-story library wall is a dramatic backdrop for the living room, which is decorated with traditional furniture and textiles, as well as modern “ghost” coffee tables. On this floor is also a game and media room, two powder rooms, a guest bedroom with en suite bath, a den with a fireplace and en suite full bath.

On the second level, there are three additional bedrooms, with mountain and vineyard views. The main bedroom has two en suite bathrooms and there is also a small gym on this level. The basement houses a tasting room, office and a partial kitchen.

The home’s 4.5 acres of grounds feature manicured lawns, ornamental hedges, historic oak trees and winding stone paths. A large pool and terrace are framed by lush plantings.

Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home, located at 175 Fourth St. E. in Sonoma.

For more information about this property, contact listing agent Carol Sebastiani, 415-290-3123, or Kristie Eddy, 949-577-1717, Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage, 793 Broadway, Sonoma, sotheybysrealty.com, carolsebastiani.com

Modern Cabin in the Sonoma Redwoods Listed for $820,000

June 2023

By Karen Kizer

The home is cleanly modern yet super cozy thanks to redwood views and sharp design choices. (Brian McCloud Photography)

Sleek contemporary style doesn’t always evoke a sense of comfort. But a 1950s Cazadero home, which just hit the market for $820,000, strikes design gold by being both modern and cozy.

Redwood views and sharp design choices make this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home a perfect setting for “away-from-it-all” living. (Fortunately, the Russian River and the coast are just a short drive away, so the home is actually close to a lot of good spots.)

The forest ferns and towering redwoods that surround the home are viewable from the inside through floor-to-ceiling windows and several skylights. A vertical paneling warms the home which takes its design cues from an alpine chalet.

Updated floors and cabinetry add grainy, woodsy warmth, and the whole look is brightened with tile in pretty but subtle hues, peach in the great room and green in the bathroom.

A detached building with plenty of windows could function as an office or yoga studio. A guest suite with a separate entrance has its own kitchenette and bathroom.

Just outside the home are plenty of paved spots to take in the setting: seating areas, a picnic bench and a hot tub. The dwelling sits on an acre of woods. Click through the above gallery for a peek inside this home.

For more information about this listing at 1455 Cazadero Highway, contact listing agent Noel Flores, Continuum Real Estate, 415-730-0554, continuumrealestate.com

A Lavender Lover’s Guide to Sonoma County

June 2023

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Lavender fields at Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa. (Matanzas Creek Winery)

“Lavender month” is lavishly celebrated in Sonoma County in purple fields and with lavender-infused dishes and drinks.

Here are some of the best local lavender fields to enjoy the fragrant flower this summer and throughout the year. Plus, find recipes (below) for some lavender treats from chef Sondra Bernstein of The Girl & The Fig in Sonoma.

Matanzas Creek Winery

Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley has been a haven for lavender lovers since 1991. Visitors come to sip Sauvignon Blanc on a terrace overlooking lilac and amethyst fields dotted with sunflowers. The lavender is organically farmed and the blossoms are used in culinary, bath, body and home products sold at the winery’s lavender market. Make a lavender visit reservation or order lavender products by emailing lavender@matanzascreek.com. 6097 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-528-6464, matanzascreek.com

Monte-Bellaria di California

*Note: Now closed for the season.

Monte-Bellaria di California, a 9-acre farm in Sebastopol, offers visitors an opportunity to take a walk around lavender fields with views of rolling hills and Russian River vineyards. Owner Bill MacElroy experimented with different types of lavender before settling on the fragrant and hardy Grosso variety that makes up most of the property’s 35,000 plants. Open to visitors on weekends, prepaid, timed tickets are required. The farm store sells fresh lavender, lavender essential oils, olive oil and honey products. 3518 Bloomfield Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-2645, monte-bellaria.com

Bees N Blooms

*Note: The Lavender Bloom Fest is over for 2026. Check back in early April for information on 2027 dates.

Bees N Blooms in Santa Rosa boasts a labyrinth made entirely of lavender — some 900 fragrant plants planted into seven concentric circles. Each of the seven circles features different lavender varieties that bloom at different times, beginning at the entry with English Munstead. The farm welcomes visitors for its Lavender Bloom Fest 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from May 23 through July 12. Visitors can cut their own lavender June 28 and 28, July 4 and 5 and July 11 and 12. Reservations are required. Lavender home products can be purchased online. 3883 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa, 707-293-8293, beesnblooms.com

Lavender Bee Farm

Lavender Bee Farm in Petaluma is host to over 5,000 lavender plants and multiple beehives. The farm, presided over by JoAnn and Richard Wallenstein, is open to visitors by appointment only. Lavender Bee Farm produces and sells an array of lavender products with delicious and healing qualities: lavender buds for migraines, culinary lavender for creative cooks, lavender eye masks for sleep aid and stress relief and, of course, lavender honey. 746 Chapman Lane, Petaluma, 707-789-0554, lavenderbeefarm.com

Sonoma Lavender Co.

Sonoma Lavender in Kenwood is one of the largest purveyors of lavender products in the United States. Founded by Gary and Rebecca Rosenberg, the family business grows three varieties of lavender: English Lavender, with a sweet, flowery aroma; Provence Lavender; and Lavender Grosso, a French cultivar with an herb-like fragrance. Sonoma Lavender products, made in Santa Rosa, include lavender body elixirs, heated spa wraps, candles and sachets. The products are available online. 707-523-4411, sonomalavender.com

The Girl & the Fig

At the Girl & the Fig in Sonoma, lavender is a culinary staple and makes a seasonal appearance in the restaurant’s desserts and cocktails, such as the recent lavender mojito and lavender espresso martini. The restaurant also sells a lavender sea salt, available for purchase from its online shop. 110 W. Spain St., Sonoma, 707-938-3634, thegirlandthefig.com

Nimble & Finn’s

Nimble & Finn’s in Guerneville and Santa Rosa, founded by sisters Leandra Beaver and Jazmin Hooijer, scoops up some of the best artisan ice cream in Sonoma County, including a much-loved Lavender Honeycomb. 16290 Main St., Guerneville; 123 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, nimbleandfinns.com

Sweet Scoops

Sweet Scoops’ seasonal lavender fig ice cream is another local favorite. Sweet Scoops is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Joe and Ramie Hencmann, who abandoned “the rushed life” in Denver and moved to Sonoma County to pursue a more creative lifestyle as the proprietors of this sweet homemade ice cream shop on the Sonoma Plaza. 408 First St. E., Sonoma, 707-721-1187, sweetscoopsicecream.com

Traditional Medicinals

Traditional Medicinals has been making herbal teas since the early 1970s, when Rosemary Gladstar and Drake Sadler founded the Sebastopol company in an effort to revive herbalism in North America. Fans of Traditional Medicinals can enjoy a variety of herbal infusions, including their relaxing “Chamomile & Lavender” tea and “Cup of Calm,” a blend of lavender, passionflower, chamomile, peppermint and catnip. Traditional Medicinals teas are available online and at a variety of Sonoma County stores and community markets. 1-800-543-4372, traditionalmedicinals.com

Three Sisters Apothecary

Three Sisters Apothecary and Soapy Tails, the two brands from Sonoma County-based natural soap and skincare producer Soap Cauldron, has several lavender products. Their bar soaps are handmade in small batches in the tradition of the first soap guilds of 7th-century Europe, using only natural botanicals, pure essential and vegetable oils. Check out local farmers markets and grocery stores for their French lavender body butter, lip soother, massage oil, and dog shampoo bars and coat tamers. 707-888-5659, soapcauldron.com

Lavender Mojito by Sondra Bernstein

Makes 2 cocktails

4 ounces light rum
16–20 fresh mint leaves
Juice of 2 limes
2 ounces Lavender Simple Syrup
Club Soda
Lavender sugar rim or lavender sprigs, for garnish

Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a pint glass. Add the rum, lime juice, and lavender simple syrup and muddle a bit more. Add the ice, stir, and top with a splash of Club Soda. Garnish with a lime wedge, mint leaves or a lavender sprig.

Lavender Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons culinary lavender

In a saucepot, bring 1 cup of water, sugar, and lavender to a boil. simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and let sit until cool. strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard the lavender. Store the lavender simple syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Note: Adjust the amount of lavender and the steeping time based on the strength of the lavender and your personal taste.

Lavender Sugar

½ cup superfine sugar
¼ cup culinary lavender

Place lavender and sugar in a coffee grinder and grind to a fine dust.

Goat Cheese & Lavender-Honey Toasts by Sondra Bernstein

Makes about 50 nibbles

½ cup honey
1 tablespoon culinary lavender (save a pinch for garnish)
1 cup fresh goat cheese
¼ cup heavy cream

Place the honey and lavender in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Let the lavender steep in the honey until you have reached the desired intensity. Strain the lavender and set aside.

Place the goat cheese and cream in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the lavender honey to taste (about 5 tablespoons). Whisk until the mixture is light.

Place the goat cheese mixture on a toasted baguette or cracker of your choice. Drizzle with the honey and garnish with the reserved lavender.

Lavender Crème Brûlée by Sondra Bernstein

Serves 6

2 ¼ cups heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
3 to 4 sprigs fresh lavender or 1½ tablespoons dried culinary lavender, plus additional for garnish
8 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar plus about 4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons wildflower honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the cream and milk in a saucepan and add the lavender. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Let the lavender steep for about 15 minutes or until the milk has a lavender flavor. (For a stronger flavor, allow the lavender to steep longer.)

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, and honey until smooth. Whisk it into the lavender-cream mixture. Strain though a fine-mesh sieve and skim off any foam. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pour the mixture into 6 ramekins or brûlée dishes. Set the ramekins in a baking pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until set. (The custards are done when they stop jiggling.) Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow the ramekins to cool in the water bath for 5 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, for at least three hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle the tops of the ramekins with a few teaspoons of sugar and caramelize with a small torch or under a broiler set on high.

Sofia Englund, Karen Kizer and Meg McConahey contributed to this article. This regularly updated guide was originally published in 2016.

A 111-Year-Old Family Cattle Ranch East of Healdsburg Faces Its Toughest Chapter Yet

June 2023

By John Beck

All the keepsakes and mementos may be gone. The historic ledgers and sepia family photographs, paintings of cows above the fireplace, ribbons and trophies from national cattle competitions, newspaper clippings—all wiped out in a firestorm that blew through so hard it ripped truck doors off the hinges.

But the 111-year farming legacy lives on at Oak Ridge Angus Ranch in Knights Valley, a rural Sonoma community 20 minutes east of Healdsburg. Over a century ago, Massimino LaFranchi was a pioneer in this region of the county—a Swiss immigrant who bought 500 acres in 1912 and named his ranch by looking across to the trees that dotted the hilltops nearby.

In the 1940s, Massimino’s sons—Henry, Al, and Nick—known to most simply as the LaFranchi brothers, grew a thriving dairy business from two Ayrshire heifers that Henry bought in 1936 as part of his FFA project at Calistoga High School. Riding boxcars around the country, they won prizes at agricultural fairs and made a name for Oak Ridge Ayrshires. One of their cows was named Supreme Champion at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin. But in 1975, when new dairy regulations proved expensive, the brothers made the transition from Ayrshires to Black Angus beef cattle.

Now, Cheryl LaFranchi, a pioneer in her own right, is the one to steer the family farm through its most challenging stage yet—a ground-up rebuild after the devastating 2019 Kincade fire. “We’ve never had cattle die like that, never,” she says, standing with her Australian shepherd Buster Brown in the middle of the farm, nestled in a swale between green rolling hills. To the west is Alexander Valley, and to the east Napa Valley. When flames coming from the north and east overran the farm that October night, they destroyed nearly every building on the property, including five homes for farmworkers and family as well as eight cattle and hay barns. In the aftermath of the fire, the herd was thinned from 600 to around 400. “I’ve had maybe five cows in my lifetime die,” says La Franchi. “All of a sudden, every time you turned around, they were sick. They gave up.”

The 2019 Kincade fire leveled nearly everything on Cheryl LaFranchi’s Knights Valley ranch. “You can’t rebuild those old redwood barns,” she says. “I loved all the history we had. That, you’re never getting back.” LaFranchi has yet to reach a settlement with PG&E. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

But, season by season, the ranch is coming back to life. The last of the houses was just rebuilt, and the old redwood outbuildings have been replaced by shiny red metal barns. Just the other day, over by the pond, LaFranchi spotted a bald eagle. A new family of foxes made a den nearby and a flock of around 75 geese wander the ranch, looking for bits of leftover grain. Ground squirrels and deer are still scarce, but the turkeys are back, eating hay side-by-side with the cows.

As you get to know Cheryl LaFranchi, you get to know a lot of her sayings, passed down from her father, Henry, who picked them up from his father. She’ll pepper sentences with “Jesus criminy” or “holy smokes.” When things get bad, they “go sideways.” If something is high-end, it’s “Cadillac,” as in, “You might not make the Cadillac money if you do like we do, but we’re doing just fine.”

“When you farm, it’s not all sugar and roses,” LaFranchi likes to say. By the time she gets to, “I don’t need to stick the fat hog to every steer that runs through the place,” it doesn’t matter if you technically understand or not—you get it.

Every day, LaFranchi is up by 6 a.m., often starting the day bottle-feeding young calves. Until recently, she used to run a truck over each day to Bear Republic Brewery in Cloverdale to haul as much as 40,000 pounds of brewer’s grains to feed the cattle. The spent grain is a novel source of recycled nutrition LaFranchi and her husband discovered in the early 1990s, long before other ranchers took note. After Drake’s Brewing bought Bear Republic earlier this year, they now source local spent grains from Lagunitas instead. Raised at first on grass and hay, the cows will eat the barley-based byproduct for the last six months to a year of their lives. It’s what gives Oak Ridge beef its unique flavor, tenderness, and marbling—a different flavor profile from entirely grass-fed beef or beef finished on corn.

“I never thought about doing anything else,” says LaFranchi, above, with her shepherd, Buster Brown. “I love cows. I like to be outside. The cattle ranch, like we run it, is really great if you like to putter along.” Left, young Black Angus feed on spent grain, which LaFranchi sources from the Lagunitas brewery. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

Their beef is sold primarily through Sonoma Meat Company in Santa Rosa, another family business with strong local ties. LaFranchi ’s husband, Frank Mongini, a large-animal veterinarian, first approached the company in 2011, and the relationship began with just a single animal. Now, Oak Ridge sells around 12 to 14 cows a month, lending their name to the beef but leaving the butchering, marketing, and sales to S onoma Meat Company. Much of the appeal of the branded campaign is the story of the ranch and its animals. Given no antibiotics or hormones, the Black Angus graze freely, from the valley floor to the hilltops. In addition to natural grass and spent grain, they also feed on leftover almond hulls brought in from the Central Valley.

It’s all part of the regenerative, sustainable farming model the LaFranchis have practiced for over a century, long before “sustainability” was a marketing catchphrase. That same appreciation for the land also translates into a love of community. That’s what LaFranchi had in mind when she dreamed up the Range to Table program in 2012 with the Redwood Empire Food Bank. The idea was to use excess brewer’s grains to help feed cattle in the region, even those from other ranches, and donate the beef. It’s a way for cattle that might otherwise go to waste—steers with one testicle, cows with blindness or ones that are too big or too small—to go to work in the community.

“Instead of just getting rid of them and not getting a lot of money for them, we said, ‘Send them up here. Frank and I will feed them, and we’ll donate them to the food bank in your name.’” Ranchers in the region jumped at the opportunity. In 2018, the last full year of the program before the fire, they donated over 22,000 pounds of ground beef.

At Oak Ridge Angus Ranch in Knights Valley, a rural Sonoma community 20 minutes east of Healdsburg. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

Attending a well-known industry bull and gelding sale up in Red Bluff this February for the first time since the fire, LaFranchi says she was happy “to see the bulls back in the top end of the bull sale, grading like they’re supposed to.” Breeding and selling cattle was once the lifeblood of the business. But these days, more than 80% of their revenue lies in the branded beef program with Sonoma Meat Company. Every so often, she’ ll get a text from a friend sharing a photo of a local menu, whether it’s “bacon-infused Oak Ridge Angus beef sliders” at Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol or brisket at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma.

Her grandfather Massimino would surely chuckle. “I think he would just be like, ‘Holy smokes!’” she says. “And my dad, too. My dad would really get a kick out of it.”

But Cheryl LaFranchi is most proud of keeping the ranch in the family so far. She doesn’t have any children of her own. Her brother works in computing. Her two nieces work at a nonprofit and at Redwood Credit Union. And her nephew is an airplane mechanic.

“But everyone still lives on the farm,” she says. “That, when it’s all said and done, will be my greatest accomplishment—that the kids were able to come back to the ranch and stay on the ranch. It’s not much of a family ranch if there’s no family.”