When Sonoma-based furniture maker Michael Palace took a job as a contractor in the 1980s, he had no idea that this would lead him to discover a new medium for making art.
At the time, Palace was working as an artist in Arizona, where he created hyperrealistic paintings from photographs he took on desert hikes. He turned to home building as a means to make more money, which in turn led him to carpentry and discovering the joys of creating three-dimensional art out of wood.
Palace eventually moved to the Bay Area and later to Sonoma, where he honed his craft as a woodworker and furniture maker. He now creates fine art furniture and cabinets in his roadside studio on Arnold Drive, just outside downtown Sonoma.
When people ask Palace how long it takes him to build a piece of furniture, he jokingly tells them, “About 30 years.” While it might take him only a couple of days to build a cabinet or a chair, it is the decades of continuous practice of his craft that enable him to create furniture that are structurally sound and visually stunning.
Palace’s muse is leftover wood on construction sites. “People treat wood like it’s garbage,” he said. He collects the discarded lumber and then creates furniture from it. He likes to “resurrect (fallen) trees into art,” he said. Over the years, he’s collected not only lumber but a library of books on the history of furniture design and joinery.
Palace sources wood primarily from the town of Sonoma and the surrounding areas, which provide him an ample supply of fallen walnut, maple and eucalyptus trees. He rarely uses wood from remote areas or from vulnerable regions, like the rainforests in the tropics. These sustainable practices allow the furniture maker to sleep well at night.
The grains, textures and hues of the wood provide the “color” for Palace’s furniture pieces. He creates contrast in each piece by using woods in a variety of colors, from the ruddy red of the eucalyptus to the honey tones of the maple. He then carves wood overlays into what he calls “erosion patterns.”
Palace likes to play with form, too. He bends table- and chair legs into rounded shapes, which, while not perfectly straight, are perfectly balanced. He finds inspiration for these shapes in a variety of places, from animal legs to his daughter’s feet, when she was a teenaged ballerina dancing on pointe.
The Sonoma artist occasionally uses his painting skills when creating furniture. One desk, entitled Fragile As a Forest, has been adorned with hyperrealistic butterflies that look as though they just landed on the wood. Another cabinet has trees on its doors that appear to be reflected in glass.
Palace’s love for trees stems from his childhood years in Washington, when his family went on numerous camping trips in the woods and brought along books to study the plants and animals around them.
His goal now is to create furniture pieces that are so sustainable that they will last the same amount of time it takes for a tree to reach its full growth, which he estimates to be about 100 to 200 years. Meticulous joinery allows him to create furniture that stand the test of time as it allows the wood to expand and contract with the seasons and changing temperatures. Nails and screws, on the other hand, are more likely to cause splits and breakage, he said.
Palace attempts to capture and emphasize the living essence of the trees in each piece of furniture he creates by using raw edges and highlighting the different grains. “I really want people to value and treasure our environment,” he said. He doesn’t like to conceal any flaws, like cracks or holes in the wood. “Nature isn’t perfect,” he added.
Bubbles from Breathless Wines in Healdsburg. (Courtesy photo)
Every year in March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. But did you know that the annual celebration began in Sonoma County?
In 1980, a group of Santa Rosa women formed the National Women’s History Project after noticing an absence of women in school textbooks: only 3% of the content was devoted to women throughout history and their achievements.
The National Women’s History Project (now known as the National Women’s History Alliance) mobilized and convinced Congress of the need to acknowledge and celebrate annually women’s role in history, leading to the first official National Women’s History Week during the week of March 8, 1980 (to coincide with International Women’s Day). Seven years later, the alliance led a successful campaign to officially declare the month of March as National Women’s History Month.
Since then, the alliance and institutions across the country celebrated women’s historical achievements every year. The theme for Women’s History Month changes annually and, over the years, more diverse perspectives have shaped the annual celebration. But the foremost goal of the month remains the same: to provide education on how women helped shape the nation and to empower children by introducing them to historical role models.
This year, the theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” recognizing the countless ways women from all cultures have provided healing and hope to the world throughout history and to this day.
Sonoma County will honor the month with various in-person and virtual events, exhibitions and group discussions. Here are a few ways to learn about and celebrate women’s history this month.
Events
Advocating for Your Health: Conversations with Dr. Eki’Shola Edwards
In tune with this month’s theme of providing healing and promoting hope, the Sonoma County Regional Library will host an online conversation series with Dr. Eki’Shola Edwards, who will be offering advice on how to choose a primary care physician, navigate preventive health guidelines and advocate for yourself in healthcare. This presentation and Q&A series will be split into three parts: from 11-11:30 a.m. on March 11, March 16 and April. This virtual event is free, although registration is required.
Breathless ‘Demi’ Debut with Champagne, Charmian and Gold
Sister-owned Breathless Wines in Healdsburg is celebrating Women’s History Month with a release of its new demi (half) bottles of brut and brut rosé, along with a presentation and book signing by award-winning author Rebecca Rosenberg. Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster will lead a tasting of the new wines and Rosenberg will present three notable women from history from her books “Champagne Widows,” “The Secret Life of Mrs. London” and “Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor.” The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13, at the winery. Tickets are $49 and can be purchased on Tock.
Bessie, Billie and Nina – Pioneering Women in Jazz
The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will present a celebration in honor of three groundbreaking women in jazz — Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone — featuring dynamic vocalists and an all-female band. Singers Charenée Wade, Tahira Clayton and Vanisha Gould will perform classic songs from Smith, Holiday and Simone with arrangements by pianist and musical director Carmen Staff. The event will be held 7:30 p.m. March 22. Tickets are $35-49. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Documentary Film Discussion Group: Miss Representation
The Sonoma County Library will host a virtual discussion highlighting the 2011 documentary “Miss Representation,” which exposes how the mainstream media has contributed to the underrepresentation of women in the film industry and in other positions of power. The Zoom event will be held 6-7 p.m. March 24. Register for the free event here.
STEAM Bilingual Storytime with Miss Kelly
The Sonoma County Library is celebrating Women’s History Month with a “Women in STEAM”-themed storytime and book giveaway. A children’s librarian will host the virtual storytime and do a random drawing from the attendee list to pick a winner for the book giveaway, which will include a bundle of five women’s history-themed books in a canvas tote bag. The event will be offered in English and Spanish from 10:30-11 a.m. March 30. Learn more and register for this free event here.
SRJC Women’s History Month – Honoring Women of the Resistance
Santa Rosa Junior College is hosting a variety of events for Women’s History Month, including engaging lectures and discussions with activists, directors, authors, doctors and professors spanning a variety of topics. All of the events will be held on Zoom and are free to the public. Learn more about each event and find the dates and Zoom links here.
Exhibitions
“Agency: Feminist Art and Power”
The Museum of Sonoma County is currently presenting an exhibition in collaboration with The Feminist Art Project, curated by Karen M. Gutfreund. The exhibition, entitled “Agency: Feminist Art and Power,” features works from women of various cultural backgrounds and identities that explore the concept of individual agency while challenging societal norms. The exhibit will be on display throughout Women’s History Month and until June 5. Learn more about the exhibition here.
The curator also gives a tour of the exhibition every second Saturday of the month. The next tour will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12. The tour is included with admission and no registration is required.
425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa, 707-579-1500, museumsc.org
Finding Our Roots: Women of Petaluma Flourishing and Blooming over the Years
The Petaluma Women’s Club and the Petaluma Garden Club have teamed up for a joint project at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum that includs an exhibition entitled “Finding Our Roots: Women of Petaluma Flourishing and Blooming over the Years.” The exhibition will be on display at the Petaluma Museum from March 22 to April 22.
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)
In a nutshell: Petaluma’s Easy Rider’s approachable Southern-inspired menu standouts like shrimp and grits, blue crab cakes, collards, Cajun-spice fish and fried chicken that draw you in gently rather than forcefully with an overblown caricature of Southern cuisine. Curated local ingredients and California flavors punctuate rather than dominate, accented by Anson Mills grits from South Carolina, Gulf shrimp and Atlantic blue crab.
It’s incredibly rare for a restaurant to come along at just the right time, in the right place, with the right food and the right talent.
Easy Rider in Petaluma is that rare bird that fits with the moment, with their approachable Southern-inspired menu, elevated flavors and damn good cocktails on the bustling corner of Kentucky and Washington streets in downtown Petaluma.
The warm glow from inside spills onto the sidewalk outside. Tables are in short supply at the scandalously early seating of 5:30 p.m., a hint of the restaurant’s early popularity. We sat at one of two semi-enclosed booths — a quieter, more intimate space than the bistro tables or bar area. It’s worth requesting.
Most striking is the easy mix of classic Southern and Low Country dishes like shrimp and grits, crab cakes (with blue crab), collards, Cajun-spice fish and fried chicken that draw you in gently rather than forcefully with an overblown caricature of Southern cuisine. Curated local ingredients and California flavors punctuate rather than dominate, accented by Anson Mills grits from South Carolina, Gulf shrimp and Atlantic blue crab.
Bacon + Cheddar Hushpuppies with strawberry/ jalapeño jam from Easy Rider in Petaluma. (The Press Democrat Staff)Southern Fried Chicken Dinner with leftover collards, mac n’ cheese, bacon truffle gravy and Calabrian chili honey with The Derby Cocktail from Easy Rider in Petaluma. (The Press Democrat Staff)
Easy Rider isn’t a South-meets-California-style restaurant, but a comfortable marriage of the South and West.
The team behind Easy Rider, Chef Jared Rogers and Dustin Sullivan, aren’t newcomers to the North Bay food scene. Rogers, who grew up in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, founded Marin’s Guesthouse restaurant with Sullivan in 2018, serving a well-sourced modern Cal-Italian, wood-fired cuisine. Both also worked at Larkspur’s much-loved Picco. Easy Rider extends that experience but lets Rogers loose with his native cuisine of rural Virginia.
“I’ve spent thousands Fed-exing grits here,” the baby-faced Rogers said. He’s passionate about using produce sourced from nearby but isn’t shy about bringing in Gulf-caught seafood from Sausalito’s Gulfish to get authentic flavors.
Chef Jared Rogers from Easy Rider in Petaluma on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (The Press Democrat Staff)
Portions are hearty, almost surprisingly so for the price, but Rogers said he wants guests to experience generous Southern-style hospitality and share around the table.
Dishes range from about $12 for some appetizers and smaller plates and top out at $38 for a New York strip steak. Mixed drinks are $13 and worth the price. We tried four appetizers, two desserts, one salad and three entrees, costing $193 before tax, tip and a $12 “living wage” fee. That’s a gut-busting amount of food for under $200.
It all works brilliantly, if not always perfectly, with heart and soul and the right stuff at just the right time.
Must-orders
Bacon and Cheddar Hushpuppies, $12: Hot, crispy and with just the right amount of cornmeal for its barely there cheesiness and bits of bacon. Strawberry jam with a prickle of jalapeño cuts the savoriness like a champ.
Low Country Crab Cakes, $19: Blue crab has a far more delicate flavor than Dungeness, and it shows in these well-crafted cakes. The addition of Old Bay seasoning plus rémoulade and pepper coulis could overpower but instead merely enhance.
Smoked Trout and Baby Lettuces, $17: My favorite trout salad in the world is at Blue Ridge Kitchen in Sebastopol and is more of a chopped salad with smoked pink trout. This version is equally impressive, though it includes far more greens, an impossibly light lemon dressing, apple, fennel and pecans. It’s luxurious, airy and a great foil to heavier dishes.
Southern Fried Chicken Dinner, $29: Joy, elation and clapping were in order when this impressively huge dish of fried chicken, beautifully browned mac and cheese, collard greens and a gravy boat (no kidding) came to the table. Chile honey on the fried chicken and gravy studded with bacon and an intense perfume of truffle were a little showboat-y but not unappreciated. We agreed the chicken could have used a brine for slightly moister meat, but generally steer clear of saying anything ugly about someone else’s fried chicken.
Shrimp and Grits, $30: Rogers learned grits as a young chef and knows how to make them. The perfectly cooked (no grittiness) Anson Mills grits are topped with slices of andouille sausage, pickled veggies, asparagus and Gulf shrimp. The dish comes together with a savory-spicy Creole sauce made with bell peppers, onion, herbs, butter and hot sauce that makes the dish sing. We did agree that the grits were a little loose, and personally (every Southerner has an opinion about this), I like my grits with more butter. But such minor gripes hardly stood up to our unanimously positive impression.
Sticky Toffee Cake, $11: It’s buttery, sticky, sugary, salty, gooey happiness with a scoop of ice cream. Save room.
Very good
Cajun Spiced Catch of the Day, AQ: We may be splitting hairs a bit on this, because the red rice jambalaya with crayfish and a lovely pool of dill butter was perfect. We’d give it another chance for sure. The Cajun-spiced flounder was well-cooked, but what should have been a crisp sear ended up a little gummy. Otherwise excellent.
New Orleans-Style Beignets, $11: We were too full to appreciate these fried bits of dough with hot fudge, raspberry coulis and vanilla cream, but we recommend them highly for brunch.
Misses
Pork Belly Biscuits, $16: We really wanted to love these biscuits, with crispy pork belly, Bourbon glaze and pickles. The tiny biscuits impressed, but the belly was tough and dry, making them hard to nibble without ripping the meat with your teeth.
Cocktails
There are plenty of Southern-inspired drinks here, along with modern takes on classics. Each was better than the last — weird, that.
Tan Lines, $13: Think margarita with a kick of green chile.
Gin-gin Gimlet, $13: Gin and ginger with sage, lime, grapefruit and tart elderberry. It’s excellent to whet your appetite.
Pisco Punch, $13: Pisco, pineapple, vermouth and bitters, this drink is like a velvet-gloved slap in the face, in a good way.
Easy Rider, 33 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-774-6233, easyriderpetaluma.com. Open 5 to 9 p.m. daily, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Sunday brunch, reservations recommended at resy.com.
Camarones Empanizados from Sol Food in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Petaluma’s newest restaurant, an offshoot of the insanely popular Puerto Rican eatery Sol Food in San Rafael, is open. But hold your frijoles and manage your expectations, because it has a limited takeout-only menu rather than the full lineup of the original.
We’re not complaining though, because Sol Food’s pink frijoles, which you can get at the Petaluma location, are manna from heaven. But crave-worthy dishes like Pollo al Horno (chicken thighs); Camarones Empanizados (breaded fried prawns and plantains); and a much-loved Cubano sandwich with roast pork, ham, pickles and Swiss aren’t representative, in takeout form, of the exceptional, line-around-the-block cuisine Sol Food is known for. Think of the Petaluma spot as a sneak preview rather than a full opening.
Locals have been buzzing for more than a year about Sol Food taking over the cavernous former Sauced BBQ spot in Petaluma’s Theater District. We’re told that many Sonoma County residents have stopped at the San Rafael restaurant post-hike or post-bike ride, so it made sense for co-owners Marisol Hernandez and her husband, Victor Cielo, to head north for their third location (there’s another Sol Food in Mill Valley).
An employee at Sol Food in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
On our first visit to the Petaluma spot, we spied more than a dozen white-jacketed cooks learning the ropes in the revamped kitchen. Takeout orders were coming fast and furious, with heaping bags of food on every counter. Service was efficient and friendly, but more cooks and waitstaff are needed before the restaurant can open for dining in with a full menu.
At this point, you’ll have to wait a bit for espresso drinks (like our favorite coconut latte with sweet coconut cream), daily specials or rotisserie chicken. The full menu at the San Rafael location includes dishes like Coconut Milk French Toast, Arroz con Picadillo (ground beef with seasoned rice), coconut stew with shrimp, Mofongo (Creole prawns with garlic and tomato) and many other sandwiches, salads and soups.
If you go, we recommend the Pollo al Horno, Maduros (sweet fried yellow plantains), Cubano sandwich and Tembleque, a creamy coconut pudding with mango sauce. Don’t forget a bottle of pique (spicy vinegar) sauce to pour on … everything. Details and ordering info at solfoodpickup.com or delivery though solfoodrestaurant.com.
Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 151 Petaluma Blvd S., Suite 129, but hours may vary. 707-347-5998.
McPlant burger from McDonald’s. (Courtesy of McDonald’s)
McDonald’s first meatless burger, the McPlant, is surprisingly delicious. And by surprisingly, we mean that with a grilled patty, sesame seed bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and American cheese, you won’t miss the meat.
The McPlant is co-developed with Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles company that’s pioneered realistic-looking and tasting alternatives to beef, pork and chicken. The ingredients include pea protein, potato starch, coconut oil and rice protein.
Here’s the rub, however: If you’re looking for something healthier than beef, it’s kind of a wash. At 510 calories, 27 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbs and 45% of recommended daily sodium, it’s more about choosing to eat plant-based food over meat than it is about eating healthy.
How does it stack up against The Amy burger at Amy’s Drive Thru? We’re huge fans of this double patty with double cheese and secret sauce, but if I had to choose, I personally like the Beyond Burger for its meaty taste rather than the more traditional veggie burger at Amy’s, not that I’d ever turn down an Amy burger.
The McPlant is available at all Santa Rosa McDonald’s, as well as those in Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Sonoma and Windsor.
Acme Burger at Acme Burger in Cotati. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Sonoma County serves up some of the best cuisine in the country. People come from all over the world to taste our locally sourced farm-to-table fare. While a multi-course dinner at some of the area’s finer establishments can come with a hefty price tag, you can get a great meal for less money if you know where to go — and we do.
First out in our series on where to get the best local cheap eats is Santa Rosa. Click through the above gallery to find out where to get a meal for less than $10, including best dishes to order. A special thanks to the Facebook group Save Sonoma County Restaurants for sharing their favorites.
Heirloom tomato salad from The Matheson in Healdsburg. (Michael Woolsey)
For more than 20 years, research charity V Foundation has hosted an annual weekend wine celebration in Napa Valley to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research. Next month, Sonoma County will be stepping into the spotlight as it brings together award-winning chefs and vintners for a local edition of the charitable event.
The inaugural Sonoma Epicurean, a series of “signature events,” debuts March 31 and will run through April 3. The events will take place at a variety of locations, primarily in and around Healdsburg. The weekend will kick off with a handful of “epicurean winery dinners” at Aperture Cellars, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars and Williams Selyem Winery. (Guests will be able to choose one of these dinners to attend.)
“Collaborating with my fellow community members here in Sonoma County and in the food and wine industry is always inspiring and (it’s) rewarding to know how our efforts can help benefit others,” said Aperture Cellars founder and winemaker Jesse Katz.
For the event, Katz has teamed up with Chef Dustin Valette of Valette restaurant and The Matheson to create a food and wine experience with locally grown and foraged produce and wines from Aperture Cellars. Valette is just one of several top Sonoma chefs that will be pairing antioxidant-rich seasonal ingredients with local wines throughout the four-day event; Chef Charlie Palmer of Dry Creek Kitchen and Hotel Healdsburg will be preparing a menu at Williams Selyem Winery in Healdsburg, and Montage Healdsburg’s Executive Chef, Jaron Dubinsky, will be cooking at Pride Mountain Vineyards in Santa Rosa.
Aperture Cellars in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Aperture Cellars)Dustin Valette, co-owner and chef at Valette and The Matheson in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Michael Woolsey)
In addition to wine and food experiences, Sonoma Epicurean will also feature workshops, including a wine tasting experience and photography class with Jesse Katz and his father, renowned photographer Andy Katz. Tara Jasper, distiller and founder of Sipsong Spirits in Windsor, will host a workshop together with cookbook author Janet Fletcher on pairing cocktails with local cheese.
“Cancer research is near and dear to my heart,” said Jasper. “I am a recent survivor of breast cancer and it also took my mom’s life. I found out I was a BRCA carrier after I found out I had cancer. Now my life’s work is focusing around sharing this story. All women need to know if they have the gene.” (Mutations in BRCA genes significantly increase the risk of breast cancer and other cancers, such as ovarian cancer.)
Tara Jasper, founder of Sipsong Spirits in Windsor.A cocktail made with Indira Gin from Sipsong Spirits in Healdsburg.
On Friday, April 1, event participants will be able to attend a party at the Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa together with local chefs such as Duskie Estes of Black Pig Meat Company and Mark Stark, Executive Chef at Stark Reality Restaurants, which includes Willie’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa and Bravas Bar de Tapas in Healdsburg. There will be wine and cocktails from local artisans and music from Grammy- and Tony Award-winner Christian Hoff and The Jonny Tarr Quintet from San Diego.
Partygoers can then cure their hangover with a “wellness breakfast” on Saturday, April 2, and then attend a symposium with expert panel discussions surrounding developments in cancer research, cancer disparities among different ethnic groups, and breast cancer awareness. The weekend of events will conclude with an “epic feast and auction” at Montage Healdsburg, with food from the hotel’s Executive Chef, Jaron Dubinsky, and wines from Sonoma County wineries. The auction will be hosted by ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Sage Steele; Liam Mayclem, an Emmy award-winning radio and TV host, will be the auctioneer.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund and will be used to fund cancer research and related programs to improve cancer outcomes for Black Americans and other “underserved communities disproportionately affected by the disease.” Stuart Scott, an ESPN sportscaster, helped raise funds for the V Foundation for more than two decades before he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away in 2015.
“We are looking forward to hosting this important cancer research benefit. Sonoma County is celebrated as a wine and artisan destination, and farm-to-table paradise,” said Jane Baer, Vice President and Managing Director of Sonoma Epicurean. “We can’t think of a more picturesque setting to bring together the V Foundation’s scientists, doctors and champions with Sonoma’s vintner and culinary stars.”
The V Foundation Wine Celebration was founded in 1993 by ESPN and legendary basketball coach and commentator Jim Valvano. The foundation has raised more than $130 million for cancer research and funded more than $290 million in cancer research grants nationwide.
Tickets to the four-day Sonoma Epicurean are $2,500 per person. Day passes are also available, ranging from $750 to $1,500. You don’t have to attend the event to support a great cause — the V Foundation welcomes donations.
Semla, a sweet Fat Tuesday treat from Sweden, is available at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma throughout February. (Stockhome)
We may not live in the Big Easy, but even so, we can enjoy a bit of the colorful celebration of Mardi Gras in Sonoma County on Tuesday, March 1, in the form of live entertainment, rich feasts and traditional treats from local restaurants.
Check out these upcoming Mardi Gras events and meals around the county and transport yourself to the French Quarter.
Cajun and Creole cuisine, Fat Tuesday treats
Several restaurants in Sonoma County offer traditional Cajun and Creole cuisine on Fat Tuesday and throughout the year.
The Parish Cafe in Healdsburg (60 Mill St.) serves authentic New Orleans classics such as po-boys, gumbo, red beans and rice and beignets. The cafe has teamed up with neighboring Elephant in The Room for a special Mardi Gras celebration March 1, 3 – 8 p.m., with musical performances by Brian Francis Baudoin and Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes. There will be a crawfish boil in addition to regular menu favorites and wines from New Orleans natives (now Healdsburg locals) Flambeaux Wines. Limited presale tickets ($20) can be purchased at The Parish Cafe and The Elephant in the Room. 707-431-8474, theparishcafe.com
Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar in Windsor (9098 Brooks Road S.) serves catfish, shrimp and grits, Cajun shrimp gumbo and other southern comfort food. 707-687-5185, sweettssouthern.com
Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford (14415 Highway 1) serves beignets, po-boys, shrimp boils and New Orleans BBQ shrimp and grits. 707-876-1983, rockeroysterfellers.com
Simmer Claw Bar in Rohnert Park (595 Rohnert Park Expressway) serves Vietnamese-Cajun fusion, including flavorful seafood boils. 707-806-2080, simmerclawbar.com
Stockhome in Petaluma will serve semla, a Swedish cardamom-spiced bun filled with cream and marzipan and topped with a lavish swirl of whipped cream that’s traditionally enjoyed on Fat Tuesday in Sweden. Stockhome is offering the sweet treat all month long. Semla sells out fast, so order ahead for pickup at Stockhome (220 Western Ave.). 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com
For king cakes, call Scandia Bakery in Sonoma (500 W Napa St., 707-938-5820) to place an order. Scandia Bakery also makes Swedish semlor (plural of “semla”). Tips Roadside in Kenwood (8445 Sonoma Highway) offers a twist on the king cake: a King Cake shooter.
A King Cake shooter from Tips Roadside in Kenwood. (Tips Roadside)Semla at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Start the celebrations early
Mardi Gras Party Under the Oaks: The Forestville Chamber of Commerce will host a Mardi Gras party under the oaks in Forestville Downtown Park on the weekend before Fat Tuesday. Forestville’s own Bourbon Street Brass Band will perform authentic New Orleans funk and jazz music. Local Cajun-inspired pop-ups Saucy Mama’s and Bayou on the Bay will be serving up comforting Creole cuisine and soul food. Saturday, Feb. 26, 1-4 p.m., at 6990 Front St., Forestville.
March 1 events
Mardi Gras at Sally Tomatoes: Sally Tomatoes will host a Mardi Gras night full of Cajun food, live music and comedy. Barrel Proof Comedy will supply stand-up comedy acts and Sonoma County band The Rotten Tomatoes will perform blues and rock ‘n’ roll covers. Guests can enjoy Gerard’s Famous Cajun Buffet with Cajun-style dishes such as dirty rice, big chicken mamou and cornbread. The event will be held 6-9 p.m. at Sally Tomatoes. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-665-9472, sallytomatoes.com
Petaluma Music Festival’s Mardi Gras Party: The Petaluma Music Festival will host its eighth annual Mardi Gras party live at The Block in Petaluma from 5 -9 p.m.
You can buy a Mardi Gras dinner (first-come, first-served), which includes jambalaya, red beans and rice, Cajun green beans, collard greens and cornbread. The Sonoma County-based jazz group The King Street Giants will perform New Orleans-style jazz music at 6 p.m.
Tickets (not including dinner) are $15 for adults 21 and older, $10 for teens 13 -20 and free for kids 12 and younger. Proceeds will benefit music programs at Petaluma public schools. Buy tickets on Eventbrite.
Fat Tuesday in the HopMonk Beergarden: HopMonk Sebastopol will celebrate Fat Tuesday in its cozy beer garden with The Pulsators performing New Orleans R&B and rock ‘n’ roll fusion. The outdoor show is free and starts at 5 p.m.
Fat Tuesday at Rio Nido Roadhouse: Rio Nido Roadhouse will host a Fat Tuesday celebration with the Bourbon Street Brass Band performing funky live music. New Orleans-themed dinner specials and cocktails will be available throughout the night. 5-8 p.m.
The tasting barn at Horse & Plow in Sebastopol. (Scott Hampton)
Sonoma County is home to more than 400 wineries, but if you’re seeking natural wines — those made in a low-intervention style — you have to know where to look.
Natural wines are growing in popularity among winemakers and wine drinkers alike, but most natural winemakers are one-man or one-woman shows.
“Natural wineries often operate on much smaller budgets when compared to older, more entrenched conventional wineries,” said Jack Sporer of Fresh Wine Co. in Sonoma. “This means it’s harder for them to afford the startup, compliance and employee costs of a brick-and-mortar tasting room.”
But Sporer believes this will not always be the case. “As these wineries gain followings though, I’d expect the number of natural wine tasting rooms to increase,” he said.
Challenges aside, a group of local winemakers have figured out how to make excellent natural wines while also operating tasting rooms. Here are seven to visit.
Horse & Plow
This small, family-owned winery produces natural wines and ciders from organic grapes and apples grown in and around Sonoma County.
Husband-and-wife team Chris Condos and Suzanne Hagins employ a hands-off approach to cider- and winemaking; they add no synthetic ingredients or additives to the drinks they produce.
Condos started his winemaking career at Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa and launched Vinum Cellars in Oakville in 1997. Hagins became interested in wine while working in the restaurant industry in Charleston, South Carolina. She then worked a harvest in France before stints in the cellars at DeLoach, David Bruce and Goldeneye wineries and eventually launched her own small pinot noir label, Lutea.
Swing by Horse & Plow’s tasting barn, on a sprawling 2-acre lot just outside Sebastopol, to enjoy naturally made wines and ciders paired with artisan cheese and charcuterie. There is ample outdoor seating next to shady oak trees, a vegetable garden and apple trees. The tasting room has wine flights and also sells wine by the glass. Bottles range in price from $20-$40. Open noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday.
Winemaker and owner Sam Bilbro of Idlewild Wines foot treading Nebbiolo grapes grown at Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino County at his winery in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Fermenting cortese grapes are pulled from a barrel at Idlewild Wines. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Idlewild Wines
Idlewild winemaker Sam Bilbro uses natural winemaking practices and Italian grape varieties grown in Northern California to craft wines inspired by those made in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
“Natural winemaking is a process of respecting nature’s processes,” Bilbro said. “It begins with a relationship with the vineyard in which organic and holistic farming practices are in place, to ensure a healthy ecosystem for years to come.”
The Healdsburg winemaker sources grapes from three regenerative vineyards in Mendocino County (regenerative vineyards use a holistic approach to land management that includes composting, carbon sequestration and other measures). He only uses native yeast and naturally occurring products in a “judicious and minimal fashion” when crafting his wines.
Like other natural winemakers, he adds just a small amount of sulfur dioxide to his wines. (Sulfur is a naturally occurring compound winemakers use to prevent flaws and spoilage in their wine.)
Bilbro shares a tasting room on the Healdsburg Plaza with Evan Lewandowski, another natural winemaker. The tasting room has flights for $40 (per person) of Idlewild’s current-release single varietal wines, paired with prosciutto, salumi and Italian cheeses, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Taste and buy natural wines at Miracle Plum in Santa Rosa. (Chris Hardy/for Sonoma Magazine)
Miracle Plum
This neighborhood shop in downtown Santa Rosa may not be a winery but it is one of the best places in Sonoma County to taste natural wines.
Since opening in 2018, Miracle Plum has carried low-intervention wines on its shelves. Now, customers also can sample natural wines by the glass in a new wine bar.
“We wanted to pour wine from the very beginning. It just took us three years to get there,” co-owner Gwen Gunheim said. “The winemakers we feature practice native yeast fermentation and strive to add nothing and take nothing away, in attempts to let the wines, grapes and land have the loudest voice.”
The new wine bar at Miracle Plum is one of a few places in Sonoma County where you can sample natural wines from different winemakers. In addition to a rotating lineup of wines by the glass, the wine bar also has a flight of three wines ($28) and patrons can pick any bottle off the shelf and enjoy it at the bar for a $10 corkage fee.
You’ll often find local winemakers pouring their wines here on Thursdays. Visitors can taste wine at Miracle Plum during the shop’s regular hours, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Pax and Pamela Mahle established Pax Wines in 2000 with the goal of making wines with as little intervention as possible. They soon became pioneers of natural winemaking in Sonoma County.
Winemaker Pax Mahle uses syrah and gamay noir grapes from cool coastal vineyards, as well as more unusual grapes, such as mission and trousseau gris, to create a lineup of refined and distinctive wines. The grapes come from vineyards that use organic, sustainable and biodynamic practices.
Mahle uses only the native yeast present on the grapes or in the winery to start fermentation and applies sulfur in limited quantities when necessary (for stabilization). This holistic approach to winemaking leads to clean natural wines with distinct expressions of terroir.
The Pax Wines tasting room, in The Barlow in downtown Sebastopol, is a charming and lively place to sip wine. It has cozy couches and lounge furniture inside and outside, bar seating, records spinning on an LP player and the occasional live music act. Choose from several flights ($25-$40 per person) or a glass of wine on tap with cheese and charcuterie.
6780 McKinley St., Suite 170, Sebastopol, 707-331-1393, paxwine.com
Winemaker Evan Lewandowski of Ruth Lewandowski Wines. (Courtesy of Ruth Lewandowski Wines)
Ruth Lewandowski
Ruth Lewandowski is a small, natural wine project from Evan Lewandowski, a relative newcomer to the Sonoma County wine scene. Lewandowski cut his teeth at Domaine Binner in the Alsace region in northeastern France before returning home to Salt Lake City to make wine.
Now Lewandowski is in Sonoma County, and he sources fruit from vineyards in Mendocino County, which he manages in partnership with Sam Bilbro from Idlewild Wines. The two make up Wild Ruth Farming, a collaboration that focuses on holistic farming practices that reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides.
Ruth Lewandowski shares a tasting room with Idlewild Wines, just off the Healdsburg Plaza. The tasting space includes a light-filled indoor area and a small parklet for winery visitors to taste through Lewandowski’s stellar lineup of five current wines. Tasting appointments are available Friday through Sunday for $25 (per person). The wines often sell out in wine shops across the state, so a visit to the tasting room is a rare opportunity to sample them.
Taste wine under the shade of trees at Ryme Cellars in Forestville. (Courtesy of Ryme Cellars)
Ryme Cellars
Megan and Ryan Glaab established Ryme, a portmanteau of their first names, in 2007 to make the kind of wines they like to drink.
The couple sources grapes from organic and sustainable vineyards and implements natural and Old World winemaking practices. They shy away from varietals that tend to saturate the California wine market, such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, and instead produce wines like a cabernet franc aged in amphora (the clay vessels used since ancient times to ferment and age wine) and a pétillant-naturel (a sparkler generally produced via a single fermentation) of vermentino. They age most of their wines in used French oak barrels.
The Glaabs like to keep things simple when making wine. For the Ryme team, that means no cultured yeast, no temperature control and no added enzymes and other additives in the winemaking process.
“We take a minimalist, hands-off approach to our winemaking. Ryme wines are made in very small lots and are fermented using yeasts present in the environment and on the grapes,” Megan Glaab said. “We believe in highlighting the fruit, site and vintage in the wine and therefore do not implement the use of any new oak. We do use small amounts of sulfur where needed.”
The Ryme tasting room, tucked away in a sun-dappled grove just outside the town of Forestville, recently made headlines when actress Elizabeth Olsen mentioned it was one of her favorite spots to visit when vacationing in Wine Country. Spend a morning or an afternoon here, tasting through a flight ($25) of natural wines under the shade of trees. On weekends, pair your tasting with a picnic brunch or lunch from nearby Pascaline Patisserie.
The Drink in Healdsburg is a sweet spot where coffee and natural wine come together. Monday through Saturday, you can order an espresso or iced latte from the coffee cart and book tastings with one of two local wine labels, Rootdown Cellars and Leo Steen Wine.
Rootdown Wine Cellars is a natural wine project from winemaker Mike Lucia. Lucia has an impressive resume that includes wine cellar stints as a teenager in the ’90s and launching several wine brands, including Es OK and Cole Ranch.
As the name of his latest wine label implies, the winemaker is inspired by the positive influence that healthy, organic soils can have on wine. He favors varietal-specific wines over blends, like his 100% trousseau or chenin blanc, and tends to source the grapes for each cuvée from single vineyard sites. In his wines, the influences of the earth and soil take the lead while the fruit follows.
Leo Hansen, the man behind Leo Steen Wines, grew up in Denmark, where he worked in his father’s restaurant from the age of 12. Hansen’s career then took a winding path from a degree in sales and marketing to an apprenticeship at Kolding Hotel and Restaurant School, where he studied under renowned Danish sommelier Orla Farmann. After traveling the world, Hansen became wine director at Kong Hans, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen. His job brought him to California, where he immediately fell for the land, the people and the wine and eventually launched his own wine label.
Both Lucia and Hansen have adopted a hands-off approach to winemaking, working with natural yeasts, reducing or eliminating the use of new oak and favoring lower alcohol levels. Lucia uses rare grape varietals to craft his wines — he hopes to one day use grapes from the Jura region in eastern France. Hansen uses chenin blanc, chardonnay and grenache grapes for his wines. Tastings of their wines ($25) are available at The Drink noon to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
William Allen and Karen Daenen, the team behind Two Shepherds, believe winemaking is an art, not a science. They also believe that wine doesn’t need much manipulation to taste good. The two work with uncommon grapes like trousseau gris from small, organic lots in Lodi, Mendocino, Russian River Valley and Yolo to make Old World-inspired natural wines.
The passionate couple ferment all their wines at their Windsor winemaking facility with native yeasts and no additions besides minimal amounts of sulfur. They never use new oak in their wine production and they typically do not filter their wines either.
What started out as a hobby for Allen in 2010 eventually grew into a full-fledged winery project, which Daenen joined in 2015, assisting with winemaking, marketing and accounting while Allen manages the day-to-day cellar responsibilities.
Taste Two Shepherds wines at the warehouse winery in Windsor noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tastings are $20 (per person); that fee is waived with the purchase of one bottle (per person). You can also book a vineyard tasting and farm tour by appointment for $35 Monday through Saturday.
Assorted vegan rolls from Magdelena’s Savories & Sweets are top row left to right: 1) a Vegor vegan with “Just Egg”, Garlic, Cheese, Sweet Earth vegan bacon roll, 2) a Lemon roll with lemon frosting, 3) a Golden Mylk cinnamon roll with vegan chai cream cheese frosting, and bottom row left to right, 4) a Soyrizo, Pickled jalapeño, cheese & cilantro roll, 5) a Classic Cinnamon roll with vegan cream cheese frosting, 6) a Chocolate roll with Espresso frosting. (Photo by Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
The customer at Wilco Farm Store in Petaluma could be heard from two aisles away, insisting that a cashier try the new, neighboring Magdelena’s Savories & Sweets on her lunch break.
“It’s vegetarian and vegan,” she said with great enthusiasm. “But you wouldn’t think so; it tastes so good. And the cinnamon roll, it’s so huge and delicious.”
I already had made the drive to the shopping center at Old Redwood Highway and McDowell Boulevard specifically to visit the cafe — first stopping in at the new Wilco for some barn supplies — but this made things more interesting. After all, if you can’t trust animal feed store clientele for plant-based dining recommendations, who can you trust? If you’ve ever heard livestock owners scrutinize hay quality down to the individual leaf and stem, you know what I mean.
Magdelena’s owner Greta Canton has been analyzing her food this critically for 36 years, after becoming a vegetarian at age 16.
“Back in 1986, it was very much a hippie thing,” she said. “I remember arguing with my mother over whether chicken broth was technically meat or not. She undoubtedly thought it was a vegetarian item.”
Canton attended Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, drawn to its Tibetan Buddhist philosophies. She read the book “A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things,” by Jason W. Moore and Raj Patel about the world consumption of chicken.
“Something that ordinary — the amount we eat, the space it takes to produce,” she said. “What we do to genetically alter them to maximize the type of breast cut we want, how many chicken bones will be left on the planet well into the future. Not to mention the human connection of what it does to workers in this supply chain, and the pay gap to get that chicken cheap.”
Finding like-minded people made Magdelena’s a reality. Canton had spent the last decade with Petaluma’s Lagunitas Brewing Company, where she became friends with two of the original investors, Norman and Deirdre Cram. After Heineken International bought Lagunitas in 2017, the Crams let the dust settle, then offered Canton a loan from their profits.
“It was a form of stewardship,” Canton said. “They believe in a living wage and a pay-it-forward philosophy. Their thought is that their loan to me will spread out in positive measure to the community at large in the form of jobs and purchases from local vendors.”
Cozy space, focaccia pizzas
The current economy has meant a slow start for the cafe that opened just a few weeks ago, in a compact space that used to be the bare-bones Brasil BBQ. A sign on the door reads, “Thanks for being amazing and understanding,” as Canton works through a lack of staff and some supply challenges.
So Magdelena’s offers a limited menu for now. Decor is a work in progress, though it’s already cozy, with mint-colored sponge paint walls, bistro tables and upholstered chairs, live plants and farmhouse artwork.
But even on that limited menu, don’t miss the focaccia pizzas. A cross between artisan and home cooking, the comfort food pie is baked in sheet pans for a pillowy, chewy crust crafted from Petaluma’s organic Central Milling flour. It’s a hearty meal — the individual pizza is 6 inches by 9 inches, medium is 9 by 13 inches and large is a sizable 13 by 18 inches.
A vegan focaccia pizza called “Korean BBQ Pulled Shrooms” has shredded trumpet mushrooms, slow cooked Korean barbecue sauce, red onion and chilies, at Magdelena’s Savories & Sweets in Petaluma. (Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
The base is housemade vegan marinara with a pleasing peppery kick and robust herbs. If you go vegetarian, the cheese mix is mozzarella, Jack, Parmesan and cheddar; or go vegan with a blend of Petaluma’s Miyoko’s Creamery cashew milk cheese and coconut-based Chao Field Roast cheese seasoned with fermented tofu (for vegan, add $2 -$4).
You might get a special like one day’s pie topped in basil and the Herbivorous Butcher pepperoni made of tomato and tapioca ($13-$24). But the signatures are stars for excellent reason. I love the interplay of flavors in the Greek Pizza, smothered in San Francisco’s Black Sheep Foods shawarma spiced plant-based lamb, almond feta, Miyoko’s mozzarella, roasted red pepper, red onion, kalamata olives and a bight kick of mint ($14-$27).
Even more intense flavors pop through with the Korean pie, a sizzle-your-lips spicy-sweet delight of shredded trumpet mushrooms slow cooked in Korean barbecue sauce with red onion, chiles and cheese ($14-$27).
The Buffalo Cauliflower Blue pizza is another winner, of seasoned and baked cauliflower, celery, ranch sauce and blue cheese ($13-$24). Think of it as a version of the increasingly popular cauliflower wings on local menus, where the vegetable is tender and meaty on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Lemon sweet rolls
“I am a flavor freak,” Canton said. “The more the merrier. Being a vegetarian has made me very eclectic, and I like the idea of experimenting with taste profiles.”
Thus was born her savory and sweet rolls, too ($5.50 individual/$30 half dozen). On display in a glass case, the puffy, soup bowl-size beauties beckon in sweet flavors like cinnamon slathered in vegan cream cheese; lemon with lemon frosting; or chocolate with espresso frosting.
The Golden cinnamon roll is particularly superb, crafted with Golden Mylk, a caramelized coconut milk infused with cardamom, black pepper, turmeric and coconut sugar. The finishing touch is lots of earthy-sweet, vegan Chai cream cheese on top.
Assorted sweet and savory vegan rolls from Magdelena’s Savories & Sweets in Petaluma. (Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
There’s also a “Just Egg” recipe with garlic, cheese and “Facon;” or Soyrizo with pickled jalapeno, cheese, garlic and fresh cilantro (add $1-$6 for vegan cheese on either roll).
This is pure, textured, spiced, vegan soy protein, Canton assured a customer who lingered at the display case and proclaimed that some chorizo products are made with pork salivary glands, lymph nodes, cheeks and fat.
Alongside bohemian local beverages like Soul Fixx Guava Cardamom Kombucha ($4) from Healdsburg, the cafe serves beer and wine. Splash down with an Old Caz Bukovany Pivo Czech Pilsner ($5) from Rohnert Park, for example, or vegan Pacific Redwood Organic Red Table Wine from California ($6 glass/$18 bottle).
As things gear up, Canton will unveil new items, like red velvet or pesto vegetable sausage rolls, veggie rice bowls, sandwiches, salads and more daily specials, plus a deli area stocked with plant-based cheeses and meats.
“I am not militant about being vegetarian or vegan,” she said. “It just seems like an easy choice for me when faced with the environmental circumstances we find ourselves in. If we can eat together and help the planet heal, just a tiny bit in the process, then that’s something I want to be a part of. I hope others will like our food and feel the same way.”
Well, I’m in. When the food is this delicious, that choice is no effort at all.
Carey Sweet is a Sebastopol-based food and restaurant writer. Read her restaurant reviews every other week in The Press Democrat’s Sonoma Life. Contact her at carey@careysweet.com.
