Galette des Rois at Sarmentine in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/ The Press Democrat)
As if warm baguettes, flaky croissants, buttery sandwiches and rustic boule (round loaves of crusty bread) weren’t enough gluten-y temptation in these winter months, Sarmentine Bakery in Santa Rosa is baking authentic galette des rois, or king cake, throughout the month of January.
The round, crown-shaped cakes are a French tradition to celebrate the Epiphany, when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus. The fun of the traditional sweet dessert shared with family and friends is discovering the “feve” (bean) hidden inside the cake. The fortunate person who finds the bean in their slice is assured luck and prosperity and is named king, or queen, for a day.
For a local twist, Sarmentine has replaced the bean with a tiny porcelain Snoopy for the king or queen to find. This is Santa Rosa, after all, and the “Peanuts” puppy is a local icon. Along with luck and prosperity, the person with the fortuitous slice has the tab covered for next year’s cake.
You’ll have to sign a waiver to buy the cakes, however, taking personal responsibility if someone breaks a tooth or accidentally swallows the hidden treasure. We kid you not — a lawsuit about gobbling up a porcelain pup is no laughing matter.
Prices are $18 and $25 for the brioche galette de rois and $32 and $40 for the frangipane version. Order by calling 707-623-9595 or emailing order@sarmentine.com. 52 Mission Circle, Suite 112, Santa Rosa, sarmentine.com
Easy Rider Opening: A Southern-inspired restaurant with California flair is slated to open in Petaluma this week, featuring dishes like hush puppies with strawberry jalapeño jam, wild mushrooms and whipped goat cheese on a Meyer lemon loaf and Duroc pork chop with sweet potato grits and green beans.
Easy Rider will open in the former Drawing Board/Whisper Sisters space at 109 Kentucky St. The interior has been revamped to evoke a roadhouse feel, and there will be a large by-the-glass wine list, local beers and specialty cocktails. Chef Jared Rogers and restaurateur Dustin Sullivan of Marin’s Guesthouse are behind the project, with Executive Chef Mario Chivarria (Picco, Zero Zero) helping to craft the menu. Expect dinner daily and a boozy Southern brunch menu to come. More details at easyriderpetaluma.com.
The Marine Layer tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. (Gretchen Gause)
Coronavirus restrictions, wildfires and uncertain business conditions in the last two years gave pause to many Sonoma County wineries over how to operate their tasting rooms and still stay in the black.
Yet remarkably few local tasting venues have closed during the pandemic. In fact, many are now thriving after adjusting from pouring for to the masses to offering more customized visits for fewer guests willing to pay more for the extra attention.
Even more remarkable, some confident winemakers opened new tasting rooms in the second half of 2021, pandemic be damned. They recognized that the thirst for wine tasting remains unquenchable, no matter the conditions, and that direct interaction with customers is the best route to immediate sales and customer loyalty.
Here are 2021’s most exciting tasting room debuts, all of them highly recommended for ringing in 2022. There’s a heavy focus here on Healdsburg, which continues its run as a travel and tourist darling, and where some projects long-delayed by politics, remodeling, wildfires and COVID-19 have finally come to fruition.
Abbot’s Passage Winery & Mercantile
Katie Bundschu established Abbot’s Passage in 2021 at the former site of Valley of the Moon Winery in Glen Ellen (where grapevines were planted in 1863 and the stone cellar built in 1887). It’s her personal branch on her family’s Gundlach Bundschu winemaking tree. Many wine tastings take place at tables in the Olive Grove, weather permitting.
There are also food-and-wine experiences among old zinfandel vines, with crackers, cheeses, charcuterie, dried fruits and pickled vegetables — many of them housemade. The standouts are Rhone-style, field-blend reds; the brisk Sunblink, a mix of roussanne, marsanne and grenache blanc; and The Traverse, a Bordeaux-style red blend. Visitors can try out the shuffleboard courts at this kid- and dog-friendly winery, and the indoor Mercantile sells glassware, jewelry, hats, totes and other goods chosen by Bundschu, who embraces women-owned businesses and locally sourced crafts.
This six-winery collective with tasting rooms, a large piazza, event spaces, rooftop terrace, bocce courts, picnic tables and a gourmet marketplace opened in late summer 2021 on the western outskirts of Healdsburg. It’s among the most ambitious and anticipated wine-centric venues to open in Sonoma County since the pandemic began and already has become a spend-the-day spot for families with kids and canines and for wine lovers seeking hard-to-find wines.
Aldina Vineyards owners Al and Dina Lopez and their children, Monica and Francisco Lopez, took three years to build the Mediterranean-style facility, central piazza and the family-friendly Frank’s Place area outside the southern wall, with bocce, picnic tables, piped-in music and opportunities for noshing and wine tasting.
Bacchus Landing’s winery tenants, each with their own tasting bar and outdoor patios, are Aldina Vineyards, AldenAlli, 13th & Third Wines, Montagne Russe, DOT Wine and Smith Story Wine Cellars. They’re open Thursday through Monday for walk-ins, though appointments are recommended, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment. Most offer pairings, with bites from the Bacchus Landing kitchen and marketplace. Contact each winery, via phone or website, for details and reservations.
The event schedule for 2022 includes Sunday Fundays starting in March, with food trucks and other activities; live music on the piazza on the first Saturday of each month, beginning April 2; a spring bazaar (May 7); Independence Day weekend celebration with live music and artisanal food experiences; and a pop-up art gallery (Aug. 6).
A bonus: There is plentiful parking in the Bacchus Landing lot, which is outfitted with several electric-auto charging stations.
Many terrific wines are produced from grapes grown in the Petaluma Gap AVA (American Viticultural Area), though the number of winery tasting rooms in the city of Petaluma could be counted on one hand. In August 2021, Garry Brooks added another finger when he opened the Brooks Notes Winery tasting room downtown.
Brooks and his wife, Joanne Note, planted a small vineyard in Sonoma in 2002 while they worked tech jobs. In 2004, Brooks took a leap of faith and left technology to make wine. Starting at Ravenswood, he went on to production work at Kosta Browne and Dutton Goldfield and also earned an enology and viticulture degree at UC Davis. Brooks and Note started their label with the 2011 harvest. Current releases include pinot blanc, pinot noir, a grenache/syrah/mourvedre blend and cabernet sauvignon, all made in tiny quantities. The starter flight is $25; a tasting of five pinot noirs, with a cheese plate, is $40; six single-vineyard wines, paired with cheese and charcuterie, is $75.
Jeff Cohn worked for years as director of winemaking at zinfandel superstar Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda. On the side, he created JC Cellars in 1996. In a long story made short, Kent Rosenblum sold his winery and brand to the Diageo corporation, and Cohn pushed all his chips into JC Cellars, later renamed Jeff Cohn Cellars.
After building their brand, Cohn and his wife and business partner, Alexandra, eventually established a tasting room in downtown Sonoma. In June 2021, they relocated to Healdsburg to be closer to the vineyards from which they buy grapes and to Grand Cru Custom Crush in Windsor, where Jeff produces the wines. He calls the wines “unapologetic” — boldly-flavored zinfandels, syrahs, grenaches, mourvedres and white Rhone-varietal viogniers, roussannes, marsannes and grenache blancs that remain wonderfully balanced for their robust nature. Tastings of five wines are $35; the Vault Private Tasting ($60) includes eight reserve-level wines, served in a private tasting room.
Baron Ziegler and winemaker Rob Fischer were among the founders of Banshee Wines in downtown Healdsburg in 2012 — a tasting room that attracted the younger wine drinkers so many older wineries covet. The partners sold a majority share of the business to Foley Family Wines in 2018 and Ziegler and Fischer moved on to create Marine Layer Wines, producing truly exceptional chardonnays and pinot noirs from cool-climate Sonoma Coast vineyards.
After leaving Banshee, Ziegler leased the former Flight Deck Tasting Lounge (across Center Street from Banshee) for Marine Layer and initiated a major remodeling of the space, now with an inviting mix of elegant, crisp, casual decor. Seating is on couches, before an enclosed glass fireplace and at a long bar. After building delays related to the pandemic, Ziegler opened the 3,200-square-foot space in September 2021, offering five-wine flights for $35 and five wines with a mezze plate from soon-to-open Little Saint that includes dips, spreads, housemade crackers and crudités, for $50.
For several years, Knights Bridge Winery proprietor Jim Bailey and his partners poured their estate-grown cabernet sauvignons, sauvignon blancs and chardonnays at a tasting room in the former Calistoga National Bank building in downtown Calistoga. Now, Bailey and his wife, Kelley, have brought tastings to their Knights Valley estate with the opening of a wine production facility and tasting salon in eastern Sonoma County.
The estate winery processed its first fruit in 2021, though grapes have been planted there for more than 160 years. The salon, which debuted in December, offers views of Mt. St. Helena and vineyards to the east, visible through floor-to-ceiling windows. Entering through the state-of-the-art production facility, guests follow the same route that grapes do, past five custom tulip-shaped concrete tanks, through the barrel cave and into an art-filled, natural-light well for private seated tastings of the wines, plus local cheeses and charcuterie. The wines, made by Doug Danielak since 2006, are of an elegant, restrained — dare I say classic French — style, with fruit character balanced by savory notes and sturdy tannins for aging.
Call the salon at 707-341-3391 or email contact@knightsbridgewinery.com for more information, appointments and tasting fees.
Ned Hill, proprietor of La Prenda Vineyard Management, farms multiple sites within Sonoma Valley. A few years ago, he began producing wines from his clients’ grapes and selling them under the Sonoma Collection and La Prenda labels. In October 2021, Hill and his wife, Erika, opened a tasting room in downtown Sonoma to showcase the wines made from the grapes they farm. Their portfolio is broad, including sparklers, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, malbec and Bordeaux-style red blends.
Tastings are $20 for the Sonoma Valley Tasting, $25 for the Signature Tasting and $35 for the Reserve and Library Tasting. Most of the wines, produced by former Schug Vineyards winemaker Mike Cox, are nicely priced and textbook examples of what Sonoma (and some Napa) grapes can produce. It’s a great place to taste a broad range of wines at a fair price.
A selection of Nigiri Sushi from The Matheson in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Gazing into the crystal ball to predict what we’ll be eating and drinking in the coming year is always one of my favorite stories to write as the new year approaches. It’s a combination of guesswork, wishful thinking and piecing together the breakout ideas of the previous 12 months that have gained traction.
During the pandemic, however, there have been few straight answers, though more frequent shifts that have moved the entire food industry in new directions.
Here are some of the innovations I predict will continue in 2022, finding new audiences or becoming significant trends for Sonoma County eaters.
Plant-based everything
If you’re still calling a plant-based diet vegetarianism, catch up. Reducing meat, dairy and egg consumption has gone mainstream, and most of us already have tried meatless burgers, Meatless Mondays and increasingly creative meatless dishes at restaurants that are less about “going without” and more about enjoying without.
We’ll see a continued explosion of alternatives for grocery staples (egg-less “eggs,” meatless frozen entrees, jackfruit everything) as well as chefs adding even more meatless menu items as demand grows.
Chef Crista Luedtke squeezes a lemon on a plate of roasted cauliflower, pureed chickpeas, and topped with roasted figs, chopped green olives, pine nuts, and parsley at her restaurant Brot in Guerneville. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Santa Rosa’s Cozy Plum Bistro (1899 Mendocino Ave., 707-526-3333, cozyplum.com) has created a comforting, approachable menu with dishes like “loaded tots,” crispy tater tots with taco “meat” made with soy, nondairy cheese, cashew sour cream and pico de gallo; and Philly cheesesteak with meatless steak, peppers, onions and a vegan herb cheese sauce. Little Saint is a plant-based restaurant slated to open in Healdsburg in February. Branch Line, another meatless eatery, opens in Railroad Square this spring.
Restaurants open fewer days
Staffing issues have forced restaurants to rethink their hours. Restaurateurs simply can’t afford to stay open on a sleepy Wednesday afternoon or a ghostly Monday night. Instead, they’ll only open during peak times.
After struggling to find back-of-house workers, John Ash & Co. at Vintner’s Inn and Resort recently announced they’ll be closed two days a week. Reservations are becoming required more often everywhere, and you may be directed to reservation apps like Tock that require you to enter a credit card number with your reservation. That way, if you don’t show up, you might have to pay a hefty fee, which discourages no-shows that dent restaurants’ bottom lines.
Diversified business models
Restaurants aren’t simply restaurants anymore. They sell pantry items, kitchen goods and lifestyle home goods, too, to bring in more revenue. Stockhome (220 Western Ave, Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomepetaluma.com) sells Swedish candies and home goods along with jewelry, clothing and other locally made products. Franchetti’s Gasthaus (1229 N. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-526-1229, franchettis.com) rents their restaurant kitchen during off-hours as a commercial kitchen to caterers and up-and-coming food businesses.
“Saturday candy” is available for sale at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)Ceramic bowls for sale at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Courtesy of Stockhome)
Local delivery options
National delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash and UberEats have almost entirely cornered the market on food delivery, and the hit on restaurants — up to 30% of the tab — is brutal. Local delivery options like Redwood Food Taxi, Petaluma Food Taxi and Sonoma Food Taxi keep dollars local and work with restaurants to make the process more equitable.
Luxury dining is booming. After being holed up at home, many want to spend their dollars on a food experience that delivers, whether that’s hosting clients with deep pockets or a special splurge for a couple. Expensive restaurants like Single Thread (131 North St., Healdsburg, 707-723-4646, singlethreadfarms.com) and The Matheson (106 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-723-1106, thematheson.com) are booked out for months. Cyrus restaurant, a reprisal of Chef Douglas Keane’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant that closed in 2012, is expected to open in late 2022.
Uzu-San at Single Thread in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)The Ken’s Sushi Roll from The Matheson in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Streamlined menus with hyperlocal ingredients
Lengthy menus with everything but the kitchen sink will be curated so restaurants can cut down on skyrocketing meat prices, take advantage of seasonal products and insulate themselves from supply-chain issues.
Expect menu prices to keep increasing as the cost of ingredients and operations rise for restaurant owners who can’t offset those costs with volume or cheaper ingredients. We’ll also see prices rising at supermarkets as consumers question the environmental and other impacts of industrial farming and meat production and supply issues become the norm.
Luxury steaks
Concerns about the environmental impact of beef are growing, pushing many consumers to buy from smaller-production ranches. And there are only so many cuts of prime rib and filet on a cow, making them increasingly expensive.
Watch for more braised meats from cheaper parts, ground meat, creative uses of offal (still a tough sell for many Americans) and consumers willing to buy high-end, sustainable steaks as a luxury at restaurants. At home, meat CSA (community-supported agriculture) options like Panizzera Meat Co.’s subscription boxes will allow local meat producers to sell directly to consumers, lower costs and offer locally raised meat (panizzerameatco.com).
A whole new cocktail hour
Booze drinking is evolving. Takeout cocktails are a boon to restaurants with full liquor licenses and will continue in the state of California post-pandemic (whenever that is).
Lower-alcohol or alcohol-free cocktails are rising in popularity, focusing on flavor rather than buzz potential. Brands like Seedlip have pioneered nonalcoholic spirits, and a new generation of zero-alcohol gins that express the botanical qualities are exceptional. On the other side of the fence, canned full-strength cocktails are on the rise, with several local companies jumping on the bandwagon. Cappy Shakes Cocktails from former Duke’s founders Cappy Sorentino and Steven Maduro lead the pack with not-too-sweet versions of gin and tonic, Tiki-inspired Sidewinder Fang and Cucumber Cooler. Griffo Distillery, Zaddy’s, Alley 6 and Barrel Brothers are also making top-notch canned party-starters.
Cans of Tomales Collins and Whole Lotta Sunshine cocktails at Griffo Distillery and Tasting Bar in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Mushrooms as tonic
Mushrooms aren’t just for pizzas anymore. The healing properties of funky fungi are becoming big business. Farmacopia (95 Montgomery Drive, No. 90, Santa Rosa, 707-528-4372, farmacopia.net) is one local seller with a lot of variety.
Commercial kitchens as launchpads
Unused or lightly used commercial kitchens are worth their weight in gold for new restaurant entrepreneurs looking to get a foothold.
Old Possum Brewing in Santa Rosa (357 Sutton Place, 707-303-7177, oldpossumbrewing.com) has helped several restaurant concepts come to fruition, including Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ and Bayou on the Bay. The combo of a brewery and outside food service has become big business, allowing each to stick to what they know best. We’ve also seen a boom in local food truck traffic at places like Shady Oak (420 First St., Santa Rosa, 707-575-7687, shadyoakbarrelhouse.com), Cooperage Brewing (981 Airway Court, Santa Rosa, cooperagebrewing.com), Hen House Brewing (322 Bellvue Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-978-4577, henhousebrewing.com) and others.
Of all the meaty dishes I thought never could be delicious without meat, charcuterie tops the list.
Creating the smoky, spicy, fatty flavors of traditional fermented meats is an art that requires time, precision and skill. But the owners of Renegade Foods have cracked the code on recreating the mouthfeel, umami and spice of excellent charcuterie with an entirely plant-based lineup of salumi that will enliven your next cheese board.
Iona Campbell and Kalie Marder have followed a vegetarian diet for most of their lives and went vegan several years ago. The like-minded sisters-in-law share a passion for food, but as plant-based eaters they were unsatisfied by traditional imitation meats on the market.
“They were so boring and had no flavor,” Marder said.
Campbell became interested in meat preservation and charcuterie — despite not eating meat — while living in Spain and working in the food industry throughout Europe.
The experience inspired her to think about how to incorporate the smoking process, fermentation and spices of traditional charcuterie into a meatless product. While living in Sonoma in 2010, she started testing recipes and sharing the results with friends and family.
Now the recipe is perfected. Campbell and Marder mix seitan (wheat gluten), herbs and spices to make a dough that is smoked and fermented to create meatless salumi that mimics the texture and flavors of smoky chorizo, spiced soppressata and sweet Toscana. They also make a winter salami with Champagne and truffles. With traditional salumi-making processes, their meatless products develop a rich, marbled interior and deep-red color.
“It’s been a lot of trial and error, but what we find is … fermentation and slow smoking bring out the umami flavors,” Campbell said.
Renegade Foods salumi is made in Petaluma and is available at several Sonoma County wineries, including Gloria Ferrer Vineyards and Three Sticks Wines in Sonoma, Kunde Family Winery in Kenwood and Thumbprint Cellars in Healdsburg. It’s a product that works well in Wine Country, where many like to share their meals over a glass of wine.
While vegans and vegetarians are a target market for Renegade Foods, Campell and Marder also are hoping to entice flexitarians, who embrace a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eat meat.
“People are realizing that they don’t need to go vegan,” Marder said. “It’s about little changes and providing a delicious alternative.”
So how does the salumi taste? The mix of smoke and fermentation flavor, spices and texture is rock-solid. The taste of seitan is pronounced, so if you’re not into that (or you’re gluten-intolerant), you might not like it so much. Paired with vegan or traditional cheese, it’s an excellent addition to any charcuterie board, no meat required.
The New Year is here along with all those resolutions about living healthier, thriftier, more fully and just better. A good-looking kitchen may make it easier to stay motivated. Here’s some kitchen inspiration from local designers — from minimalist to maximalist to in-between. Click through the above galley for ideas.
Sonoma County is gearing up to ring in the New Year. (Shutterstock.com)
Ready to ditch 2021 and say hello to 2022? Here are some spots to dine deliciously and celebrate the New Year.
Santa Rosa
Epicenter: Family party 5- 9 p.m. with laser tag, bounce houses, video games, magic show and bowling. Watch the ball drop at 9 p.m. and celebrate with a sparkling cider. Buffet menu includes cheeseburger sliders, pizza, chicken wings, fruit platter, fries and chocolate-topped cream puffs. 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa.
John Ash & Co.: Four-course dinner with choice of pheasant and quail terrine, beef carpaccio, avocado and tofu poke stack, baked rock shrimp cannelloni, portobello Wellington, Liberty duck breast, diver scallops, beef filet, blood orange creme brulee and huckleberry pavlova. Book at vintnersresort.com. 4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa.
La Gare: Four-course dinner with potato leek soup and Caesar salad, followed by choice of chicken cordon bleu, beef Wellington, prime rib, Australian lobster tail or surf and turf. For dessert, chocolate caramel cake. Three seatings: 5 p.m., 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. For reservations, call 707-528-4355. 208 Wilson St., Santa Rosa.
Ricky’s Eastbound: Pick-up dinner of herb-roasted lamb shank, au gratin potatoes, honey-roasted Brussels sprouts, salad and rolls. $110 for two, $215 for four. Email order to rickyseastboundorders@gmail.com. 5755 Mountain Hawk Drive, Santa Rosa.
Healdsburg
Matheson: Two New Year’s Eve parties at the tri-level restaurant. Downstairs, the menu includes caviar on smoked brioche with whipped tofu; seafood matsutake chawanmushi with Maine lobster and sea urchin; aged Sonoma duck with salsify, chard and mandarin; beef Wellington with whipped potato and Périgord truffle. Also a few specials, including Alba white truffle (additional cost) and house-cured foie gras. The Chef’s Tasting Menu Dinner is planned for the dining room and mezzanine for $175 per person (5 p.m. seating) and $275 per person (8 p.m. seating). Tickets available at exploretock.com.
Upstairs, Roof 106 will have an a la carte menu for walk-in customers (you can queue up at the host stand in front of the restaurant) from lunchtime to midnight. The menu includes wood-fired pizzas, appetizers, sushi rolls and deserts from the dinner menu.
The Matheson party continues with a ticketed New Year’s Eve celebration from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for $100 per person (must be 21 years and older). Music from the band Notorious, a DJ on Roof 106 and a midnight toast. The Matheson will have a la carte food, champagne, wine and cocktails available to order. Find details at exploretock.com/thematheson or by calling 707-723-1106. 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg.
Valette: Six-course tasting menu with caviar ($95 extra), Dungeness crab tartare, scallop en croute, mushroom gnocchi with prosciutto and truffle, maple-glazed Liberty Farms duck breast, American wagyu filet and Million Dollar Bar. $150 per person. Reserve at valettehealdsburg.com/reservations or 707-473-0946. 344 Center St., Healdsburg.
Rohnert Park
Sally Tomatoes: Served buffet dinner with salad, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, prime rib and chocolate bourbon torte. Stand-up comedy show and live music. Tickets at bit.ly/32rFUbQ. 1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, sallytomatoes.com
Sebastopol
Blue Ridge Kitchen: Enjoy dinner and a party at The Barlow. Three-course meal includes oysters and shrimp cocktail starters and entrees of braised Kobe beef short ribs, cioppino or butter-poached black cod. Lavender panna cotta or Mississippi mud pie for dessert. $95 per person, including admission to the after-party. Call 707-222-5040 for reservations. 6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol. brkitchen.com
Gravenstein Grill: Winter vegetable croquette, root vegetable salad, French onion soup, Dungeness crab salad, New York strip steak, Liberty duck breast, wild mushroom gnocchi and Meyer lemon tartlet. $150 per person; call for reservations, 707-634-6142. 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. gravensteingrill.com
Sonoma
Glen Ellen Star: New Year’s Eve menu starts with a sparkling wine toast and housemade Parker House rolls with brown butter. For dinner, choose between wood-baked halibut with slow-cooked fennel and saffron, sultanas, toasted pine nuts and sauce Maltaise or New York strip steak with Romanesco sauce, caramelized shallots and pomegranate Bordelaise. Entrees come with rigatoni cacao e pepe, 24North Parmesan Reggiano and grated Perigord truffles, served family-style. $100 per person. 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Reserve through resy.com or at glenellenstar.com. 707-343-1384.
Kivelstadt Cellars Eatery: Truffle fries and a glass of 2020 Carignane Pet-Nat Wondering for $15 on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Josh Yenne will play live from 1- 3 p.m. on New Year’s Day. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year’s Day. Reserve at kivelstadtcellars.com or exploretock.com. 22900 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-938-7001.
Layla at MacArthur Place: Dungeness crab cakes, warm Berkshire pork belly, stuffed Sonoma quail and a choice of two seasonal desserts. $110 with wine pairings available for $60 extra. Seatings at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 29 E. MacArthur St., Sonoma. Reservations at macarthurplace.com, 707-938-2929.
Picazo Kitchen & Bar: Traditional Mexican chile en nogada with poblano chile stuffed with veggie peccadillo, vegan walnut sauce, pomegranate and parsley, all served with cilantro rice and corn flour tortillas. Other options include lobster tail pasta with fettucine Alfredo or 6-ounce steak frites with chimichurri. Reserve ahead both for dine-in and take-out. $45 for one, $85 for two. 19101 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-935-3287.
Sonoma Grille and Bar: Three courses include choice, for the first course, of raw Royal Miyagi oysters, chilled baby scallops with sweet and spicy sauce, lobster bisque drizzled with basil oil or blood orange salad with feta, pistachios, frisée and Champagne vinaigrette. Entrees are a choice three-cheese ravioli with tomato sauce; spinach fettuccine with sea scallops; Blue Nose seabass with Tuscan lentils or tenderloin filet with grilled asparagus and crispy shoestring potatoes. For dessert, choice of chocolate torte with gelato and chocolate sauce, cranberry pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce or strawberry cheesecake with strawberry Champagne sauce. $80 per person. 5 -10 p.m. Also open New Year’s Day. 165 W. Napa St., Sonoma. Reserve at 707-938-7542.
Wit & Wisdom: Multi-course meal includes a caviar amuse bouche of Yukon gold roti with crème fraîche and Mina Reserve Osetra caviar and dill. A la carte first course includes choice of smoked burrata with Burgundy truffle and shaved Alba white truffles ($35) or ahi tuna tartare with quail egg. Additional courses include scallops, wild mushroom tagliatelle, lobster pot pie, eye of ribeye steak with potato puree and creamed spinach. Add a black truffle to any course for an additional $65. For dessert, a “Farewell to 2021 chocolate extravaganza” consists of Valrhona milk chocolate cream, brownie bar, gold leaf and Champagne gelée. Reserve at opentable.com/r/wit-and-wisdom-sonoma. Dinner is 5 -9 p.m., and the bar will be open late for a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-931-3405.
Valley Ford
Dinucci’s: Antipasti plate, minestrone, salad, ravioli with Bolognese sauce, filet mignon or Alaskan halibut, mashed potatoes and cheesecake. $42 per person. Music from Nick Foxer. Book online at dinuccisrestaurant.com or call 707-876-3260. 14485 Valley Ford Road, Valley Ford.
Clockwise from center, The Boho Bowl, gluten-free summer squash tartlets, Mochi donuts, Earl Grey polenta olive oil cakes, at The Altamont General Store in Occidental. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)
It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of restaurant debuts throughout the year, bouncing from one grand opening to the next without really having time to fully digest each experience.
Only through the lens of time can we understand a new local restaurant’s importance to Sonoma County, whether through what’s on the table, who’s in the kitchen or how the restaurant impacts the greater community.
My list of 2021’s most notable restaurant openings is a look at what’s garnered special attention this year — small pop-ups becoming permanent restaurants, a new generation of immigrants opening their own restaurants, experienced chefs taking considerable risks in a challenging time or new ideas for old spaces.
No doubt, there are restaurants I’ve overlooked or some that didn’t fit the framework of this article. (You can read about all the restaurants that opened this year on pressdemocrat.com and sonomamag.com.)
In no particular order, here are my picks for this year’s biggest restaurant openings. Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the restaurants and suggestions on what to order.
Healdsburg
Quail and Condor: Bakery superstars Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey opened their small storefront in January and the rave reviews have continued since. The couple is known for their wild yeast sourdough and hearty dark loaves, but their sweet pastries — croissants and filled Danishes, also made with sourdough — alone are worth the trip. Yanc, a former chef at Single Thread, won $25,000 on the 2019 Food Network “Holiday Baking Championship” show and the couple raised more than $20,000 for their bakery build-out in 2020 through crowdsourcing. 149 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-473-8254, quailandcondor.com
Why it matters: This scrappy young couple have not only launched their own bakery but have hosted frequent dinner pop-ups to support their friends’ culinary enterprises, from burgers to bao. Yanc and McGaughey plan to open a sandwich shop, Troubadour, in downtown Healdsburg at the former Moustache Baked Goods (381 Healdsburg Ave.).
Bread from Quail and Condor Bakery in Healdsburg. (Emma K. Morris(
The Matheson and Roof 106: Chef Dustin Valette’s much-hyped new dining experience includes a reservation-only downstairs restaurant and a more casual upstairs lounge.
Why it matters: The rehab of the 106 Matheson building, where Valette’s grandfather once had a bakery, was a massive undertaking, resulting in a modern three-story wonder that’s dominating the Healdsburg restaurant scene. An approachable menu, a self-serve wine wall, a separate sushi menu inspired by Hana’s Ken Tominaga and Valette’s boundless energy (and sizable personal investment) have The Matheson well on its way to becoming a Healdsburg institution, for good reason. 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-723-1106, thematheson.com
Heirloom tomato salad from The Matheson in Healdsburg. (Michael Woolsey)Flatbreads from The Matheson in Healdsburg. (Michael Woolsey)
Hazel Hill at Montage: This multimillion dollar resort has had its ups and downs, and its swanky restaurant has followed suit. The Olive Terrace dining area features an outdoor dining patio, fire pits and lounge areas to sip cocktails or enjoy fine dining. An expansive view of the Alexander Valley is spread out like a quilt with more than 200 acres of land surrounding the terrace. 100 Montage Way, Healdsburg, 707-979-9000, montagehotels.com
Why it matters: The French-ish opening menu at Hazel Hill was way out of step with the unmistakable sense of place (the Alexander Valley) that the resort cultivates. Frankly, it was a disappointment, with poorly thought-out dishes and awkward service. The kitchen has since settled in, with comfortable and family-friendly breakfast, brunch and lunch menus. The dinner lineup is impressive, although the prices are mile-high.
The Olive Terrace at Montage Healdsburg. (Christian Horan Photography)Wagyu steak tartare with bone marrow toast at Hazel Hill restaurant at Montage Healdsburg. (Christian Horan Photography)
Occidental
Altamont General Store: Jenay and Andzia Hofftin spent nearly four years rehabbing Occidental’s iconic 1876 hotel, housed in the west county hamlet’s oldest building. Hailing from pioneering stock, Jenay’s family has been part of the town since the two-story way station was built. This buzzy general store is a breath of fresh air, with an Instagram-worthy interior and plenty of grab-and-go dishes. 3703 Main St., Occidental, 707-874-6053, altamontgeneralstore.com
Why it matters: This wife-and-wife team are part of the fabric of this sleepy coastal hamlet that’s been slow to attract millennial tourists. Nourishing veggie-and-grain bowls and sweet ice cream, along with small-production wines by women, make this a starting point for more exploration of the artisan food scene happening in west county.
Mochi donuts, gluten-free summer squash tartlets, left, and Earl Grey polenta olive oil cakes, right, at The Altamont General Store. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)The Boho Bowl, with stewed French lentils, rice, pickled beets, Brussel sprouts, curried cauliflower, arugula, roasted root vegetables, sauerkraut, pumpkin seeds, chimichurri sauce and creme fraiche, at The Altamont General Store. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)
Sebastopol
Khom Loi: Inspired by their many travels to Thailand, chefs Matthew Williams and Moishe Hahn-Schuman dreamed of bringing the flavors of Thailand to Sebastopol for years. After several pop-ups at their nearby Ramen Gaijin restaurant, the duo honed the dishes that pay homage to the cuisine of Laos and Chiang Mai, Thailand, with nods to central and southern Thailand. 7385 Healdsburg Ave., No. 101, Sebastopol, 707-329-6917, khomloisonoma.com
Why it matters: Two white chefs opening a Thai restaurant made San Francisco Chronicle writer Soliel Ho cry foul, calling the venture “cultural appropriation.” But Ho’s criticism was an errant missile in this case, as Williams and Hahn-Schuman have always been clear that their food is not “authentic” but inspired by, or a tribute to, cuisine they love. (Their other restaurant, Ramen Gaijin, points out their “otherness” in the name; “gaijin” translates as “foreigner”.)
Ho’s inquiry raises the bigger question, however, about where passion for a foreign culture leaves off and exploitation begins in the culinary world and beyond. For many food writers, woke or unwoke, 2021 was a year of rethinking words like “authentic” and “exotic” that no longer seem appropriate or inclusive.
Sonoma Burger: After finding success with his pandemic burger pop-up at Gravenstein Grill, Chef Bob Simontacchi decided to take over a nearby restaurant space for a casual burger spot that’s top-notch. 173 Pleasant Hill Ave. N., Sebastopol, sonomaburger.com
Why it matters: Adept restaurateurs who have tried pop-ups and special takeout menus are finding a following with customers adapting to a different style of dining. Sonoma Burger has a touch-screen ordering kiosk and outdoor seating that’s well-spaced.
Petaluma
Stellina Pronto: This Italian-inspired bakery turns out incredible lacquered pastries, focaccia sandwiches, salads and espresso drinks, with plans to expand the menu to wood-fired pizzas, piadine and meatball subs. 23 Kentucky St., Petaluma, stellinapronto.com
Why it matters: Chef Christian Caiazzo and wife Katrina Fried are among the millions of restaurateurs urgently trying to figure out how to run a restaurant in a world that no longer supports traditional restaurant business models. When their critically-acclaimed Point Reyes restaurant, Osteria Stellina, closed during the pandemic, they pivoted to a more financially lean fast-casual bakery without table service or a large kitchen staff. While Caiazzo didn’t spend 35 years behind the stoves of Michelin-starred restaurants to become a barista slinging cappuccinos and lattes, he’s enjoying the new adventure with his family at his side.
Santa Rosa
Lazeaway Club: The total remodel of the midcentury Flamingo Hotel is as hipster-slick as a pompadour with a mid-fade. The restaurant has a Palm Springs vibe with island-inspired dishes that aren’t overly complicated but perfectly enjoyable. A great drink menu and summer poolside dining make it destination-worthy even if you’re not a tourist.
Why it matters: The revamp of this historic icon revived the sagging old hotel. A thematic restaurant that doesn’t take the joke too far and offers plenty of beachy drinks brings the ’60s party palace back to life. 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, flamingoresort.com
Poolside dining at Lazeaway Club at Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)The lobby at the recently renovated Flamino Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)
Old Possum Brewing: The large commercial kitchen at Old Possum has launched several new food businesses that operate in conjunction with the brewery. Over the summer, Sebastopol’s Barrio led the charge with creative Mexican cuisine, followed by Austin’s Southern Smoke BBQ and Bayou on the Bay. 357 Sutton Place, Santa Rosa, 707-303-7177, oldpossumbrewing.com
Why it matters: Commercial kitchens for startup food businesses are few and far between in Sonoma County and, if they can be found, they’re expensive. Partnering with a brewery creates a win-win for everyone, with food to pair with the beer. Food trucks pulling up to breweries also have become an important trend as the often-eschewed trucks find great partnerships at breweries that don’t offer food.
Tony’s Galley: Chef Tony Ounpamornchai of SEA Thai Bistro, SEA Thai Noodle Bar and Raku Ramen and Rolls opened a fifth restaurant in 2021. Montgomery Village former owners David and Melissa Codding, longtime fans of Ounpamornchai, gave the Thai restaurateur the financial backing he needed to make Tony’s Galley a reality. In a time when so many restaurants are closing, it’s heartening to see a success story. 722 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-303-7007, tonysgalley.com
Why it matters: The Coddings, who recently sold the outdoor shopping mall to a Boston-based developer, have long been champions of local businesses. In 2007, they invited Ounpamornchai to move his original restaurant, SEA Thai Bistro in Petaluma, to a small corner space now occupied by Tomatina. With their financial support, Ounpamornchai was able to grow his following and later move the restaurant to its current location, which seats 120. Will the new out-of-state owners continue to support local small businesses in the same way?
Windsor
Pezcow: The former Tu Mole Madre has been transformed into an elevated Mexican restaurant centered around its wood-fired oven and the talents of owner Damian Zuniga and his extended family. 8465 Old Redwood Highway, No. 510, Windsor, 707-393-8370.
Why it matters: Zuniga has worked in restaurants since he was 15, many of them owned by the Diaz family, successful Sonoma County restaurateurs who own Agave, El Gallo Negro, El Faralito and a bottled mole company. Now 32, with three food businesses to his name, Zuniga is hoping to replicate the success of the Diazes with a food empire of his own. He’s part of a new generation of local immigrants who are launching off the shoulders of those who came before them, the immigrant business owners who gave them a start. 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-393, 8370. bit.ly/31k9I9X
The Warike Restobar in downtown Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)Lomo Saltado Clásico, traditional Peruvian style beef tenderloin, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, soy and oyster sauce, french fries and rice from Warike Restobar in downtown Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Multiple locations
Peruvian openings: A slate of Peruvian restaurants have suddenly opened in Sonoma County, including Inca’s Peruvian Cuisine (799 Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol, 707-861-9057), Warike Restobar (527 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-536-9201) and Bistro 201 (613 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-559-5130).
Why it matters: Why does Sonoma County suddenly have six Peruvian restaurants? The cuisine is approachable and existing restaurants like Sazon have proven popular. There’s some grumbling about who’s authentic and who’s not, but at the end of the day it all comes down to a good Pisco sour and the best leche de tigre.
Dino’s Greek, Zimi Pizza, Zimi on Mission, Taverna Lithi: Passionate about bringing the Old World flavors of Greece to Sonoma County, Chef Dino Moniodis is building a little restaurant empire. Starting with his tiny food trailer (Dino’s Greek Food), he’s opened two brick-and-mortar restaurants — Zimi Pizza at The Block in Petaluma (20 Grey St.) and now, Zimi on Mission (500 Mission Blvd., Santa Rosa, eatzimionmission.com). He’s developing another restaurant, Taverna Lithi, at the forthcoming Livery food hall in Sebastopol.
Why it matters: Moniodis is an energetic entrepreneur, whose risk-taking seems to be paying off in the challenging restaurant landscape of 2021. Fast-casual dining with good prices and hard-to-find Greek flavors have made him one to watch.
Banh mi sandwiches prepared by Jamilah Nixon-Mathis, chef and founder of Jam’s Joy Bungalow. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)Peanut noodle salad prepared by Jamilah Nixon-Mathis, chef and founder of Jam’s Joy Bungalow. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
Cotati
Jam’s Joy Bugalow: Chef Jamilah Nixon-Mathis’ new restaurant and kitchen is a weird, wonderful, jungle-y hodgepodge of fun. Here you can explore her expanded menu of Southeast Asian-inspired dishes with all the spicy, sweet, aromatic flavors we’ve come to expect from Jam’s Joy Bungalow. 101 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, jamsjoybungalow.com
Why it matters: Female chefs are a rare breed, and this entrepreneur and mom has expanded her business from a food truck to a small takeout window to a full-fledged restaurant.
Il Fuoco: Chef Rob Larman has pivoted many times in his career, and Il Fuoco is the latest transformation. The former Cochon Volant, which focused on barbecue, has become a wood-fired pizza oven spot. 18350 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-522-7778.
Why it matters: Adaptation was the name of the game for restaurants in 2021. Moving to a new concept brings new interest and new customers when done right.
Fleur Sauvage chocolates for sale at the Windsor farmers market. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Robert Nieto and his wife, Tara, have been selling their pretty, artisan Fleur Sauvage chocolates at local farmers markets for the last three years, but on Wednesday, Dec. 15, they will open their own chocolate shop at 370 Windsor River Rd. in Windsor.
The couple launched their chocolate business in 2019, after Robert Nieto worked as pastry chef at Madrona Manor, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro and Jackson Family Wines. You might also have seen him as a competitor on the Food Network’s “Holiday Wars,” “Cookie Wars” and “Beat Bobby Flay” over the last few years.
If you like artfully made chocolate, you’ll appreciate Nieto’s skill with his thin-shelled jewel-like bonbons and chocolate wine bottles filled with truffles. Nieto has been up to his eyeballs in chocolate orders for the holidays, so they plan a soft opening for the new shop, highlighting just a few treats for gift-giving, including signature multicolor chocolate bonbons.
A chocolate showpiece made by co-owners Robert Nieto is on display during the grand opening of Fleur Sauvage Chocolates in Windsor, Calif., on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)The Mont Blanc Tart made with chestnut and vanilla cremes available at Fleur Sauvage Chocolates in Windsor, Calif., on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
“We do have some holiday-themed bonbons, and we’re going to try to offer the Cocoa Bomb,” Nieto said. “We make our own cocoa mix, with cinnamon to spice it up and marshmallows inside.”
The shop also will sell jelly candies in Wine Country flavors like pear-chardonnay and mulled wine. Nieto pops the candies out of a silicone mold and casts them in sugar for a frosty coating. He also hopes to bake a few individual desserts for the holidays and give the classic bûche de Noël dessert a modern twist.
Tara Nieto will run the front of the store, where you can order espressos, lattes and hot chocolate to warm up on cold winter days. There are several seating areas, inside and outside the shop, which is located in a former driving school.
Fleur Sauvage Chocolates already partners with several wineries to serve their chocolates, from Badassari Wines in Windsor to Walt Wines in Sonoma and Napa. But Nieto plans to get more involved with the Windsor community.
“I’d like to offer a workshop on how to make your own chocolate bar,” he said. “It’s really family-oriented here.”
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday but may change in the future. For more information, go to fleursauvagechocolates.com.
After 20 years of designing urban, suburban and rural residences, San Francisco-based Feldman Architecture has released a book showcasing selections from their award-winning body of work.
The book, called Immersed, The California Houses of Feldman Architecture, features two Sonoma County properties — one in Healdsburg and one in Sonoma — that exemplify architect Jonathan Feldman’s light-on-the-land approach and his vision to create site-sensitive homes, which, through the use of local and natural building materials, blend with the surrounding landscape. Other spectacular properties in the book include a Carmel home with a “caterpillar roof” that mimic the hillside in the background and a high-art Santa Cruz surf house cladded in locally-sourced reclaimed lumber.
Feldman and his partners approach new projects as “observers and editors,” taking inspiration from the landscape and what already exists on a property while carefully making additions to the setting without radically changing it. For the Healdsburg home featured in the book, they took design cues from a cabin on the hillside property. The home was then situated to maximize views, while its shape was informed by the surrounding landscape so that the house would blend into the hillside setting.
The Healdsburg home is sleek and modern with black steel elements but, in Feldman’s words, the look is “softened” by bleached walnut ceilings and plaster walls. It makes great use of the indoor-outdoor design trend that is continuing to have a big moment in California. Four massive glass doors on each side of the home roll up warehouse-style, or like garage doors, and transform the home into an open-air pavilion. Concrete floors indoors extend to the outdoors on the terrace, and around the pool and fire pit.
The Sonoma property was conceived as a “garden pavilion” — “a simple and modern shell that directly immerses its inhabitants” in the surroundings, according to Feldman. The homeowners are avid gardeners, so the design was intended to showcase their garden, allowing it to be seen from the indoors through a wall of glass in the front and on the sides of the house. This wall of windows also makes the 2,000-square-foot home feel more expansive. Like the Healdsburg home, this property is modern and sleek but the look is softened by dark slate grays in the concrete and Douglas fir accents.
Click through the above gallery for a look at the two Sonoma County properties.
“Immersed, The California Houses of Feldman Architecture” is available online and a local booksellers. $75, oropublishers.com.
Purple sea urchins on the North Coast. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
A sea urchin a study in contradictions: Tenacious and spiky on the outside, vulnerable and velvety on the inside. With a beauty both fragile and fierce, it can burrow for decades into rock, but die from the tiniest crack in its brittle shell.
As an ingredient, sea urchin is a flavor bomb that’s sweet and briny, custardy and ambrosial, summoning the taste of both earth and sea in every bite.
If you’re like some people, a glance at a jiggly orange blob of sea urchin roe, or uni, might be enough to prompt a hasty “no thanks.” But fresh, local sea urchin, abundant in the ocean along the North Coast, has captured the fancy of coastal chefs, and it’s increasingly finding its way onto menus. Local uni is an umami delicacy on par with caviar — with an environmental backstory that people can feel good about.
Sweet and briny, the orange roe of purple sea urchins is a prized ingredient for North Coast chefs. (Courtesy of Urchinomics)Chef de Cuisine Jason Azevedo’s pasta with purple sea urchins and Dungeness crab at Little River Inn Restaurant in Little River. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Jason Azevedo, chef de cuisine at the Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast remembers his first taste of uni in his 20s.
“It was at a sushi restaurant, and I got the big combo platter to try anything,” he recalls. “It reminded me of foie gras in the rich sweetness, and then that melty, briny flavor — I fell in love with it.”
From there he started adding the tender lobes to his tapas dishes and garnishing paella with it. He pureed it to make a savory flan: a silken uni custard, with a layer of miso in place of the caramel base.
These days, Azevedo uses the luxurious umami flavor of uni to elevate a pasta dish (see recipe p. 52), using black squid-ink pasta draped in a golden-hued cream sauce. He forages for urchin down in the coves below the inn when he gets the chance or, he adds with a smile, “When I’m having a really bad fishing day.”
Chef de cuisine Jason Azevedo of the Little River Inn on the Mendocino coast. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Chef de Cuisine Jason Azevedo in the dining room of the Little River Inn. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Urchins along the West Coast come in two main varieties for eating: the red urchin and the purple. Red urchin has long been favored by chefs because of year-round availability and bigger “tongues” — the five spears of roe that form the edible part of the sea urchin. These silken lobes can be a couple of inches long and an inch or more wide, with a color ranging from deep gold to vibrant orange.
The smaller, scrappier, and more populous purple urchin has snagged the spotlight in recent years as a tasty way for humans to literally take a bite out of an ecological disaster that began a decade ago, when warming seas triggered an alarmingly large algal bloom, followed by a disease called “sea star wasting syndrome” that killed off an estimated 80% of the sea stars that feed on urchins and normally keep the urchin population in check.
An overpopulated urchin barren where kelp no longer grows. (Chris Nelson)An overpopulated urchin barren where kelp no longer grows. (Chris Nelson)
Like abalone, sea urchins feed on bull kelp that grows in undersea forests supporting a range of sea life. However, from 2014 to 2016, warmer sea waters that scientists nicknamed the “Pacific warm blob” inhibited regrowth of those kelp forests. As luck would have it, purple urchins can survive on nothing but rock and algae for decades, earning them the nickname “zombie urchins.”
Within a few years of the purple urchins’ population explosion, not only were abalone starving to death, forcing the closure of the abalone fishery in 2018, but many of the West Coast’s once-lush underwater bull kelp forests had been reduced to “urchin barrens” — spiky carpets of purple urchins covering miles of ocean floor.
On a drizzly Saturday morning at Caspar Cove in Fort Bragg, while others are still asleep, Josh Russo has already been in and out of the ocean, culling as many purple urchins as he can find in a targeted section of the cove. “It’s perfect out there,” he says of the day’s dive, noting 15 feet of visibility underwater and some promising areas of regrowing bull kelp, visible from shore as dark floating orbs. As the lead organizer for the North Bay chapter of the Watermen’s Alliance, Russo rallies groups of diving volunteers to harvest overpopulated purple urchins from selected areas, giving the bull kelp a chance to thrive again.
Russo serves on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Protected Areas group, where he successfully lobbied this year for bigger limits on individual harvests of purple urchin — up to 40 gallons per person — and more aggressive culling methods at Caspar Cove.
A healthy bull kelp forest, shown before an overpopulation of purple urchins ravaged its growth. (Chris Nelson)
Russo shows a bag of urchins he collected on the morning’s dive, their spikes moving slightly in the morning rain, headed for the kitchen at Little River Inn. “We also have to remember the purple urchin are not an invasive species; they’re a native species,” he says. “They’re not the enemy; they’re just overpopulated right now. Our effort is to restore the balance.”
Cally Dym, the fifth-generation owner of the Little River Inn and restaurant has been foraging on the beach her family once owned, now known as Van Damme State Park, since she can remember. Back then, abalone was the prize, part of a thriving ecosystem that brought thousands of tourists to the Mendocino Coast each year to dive and dine.
While Dym, like others on the North Coast, longs for the day when the abalone fishing returns (Fish and Wildlife has set 2026 as the date for releasing its plans for the fishery), uni has been an interesting side trip. While she calls urchin an “acquired taste,” it’s one that her husband Marc likes, and she’ll grab him some when she’s out “rock-picking” the tidepools at a very low tide.
Down Highway 1 from Little River, in the town of Elk, the back dining terrace of Harbor House Inn overlooks a sunny cove, a view that tempts Executive Chef Matthew Kammerer out of the kitchen. “Honestly, I like any excuse to get outside,” the Michelin-starred chef says with a grin, and fetching purple urchin at a low tide is as good a reason as any. “This is a rare place,” he says. “That’s why I chose it. It still feels raw and untouched.”
“A lot of our guests have their first uni experience here,” he said. “In a restaurant like this, it’s about language and the mindset you put guests in before they eat something. So, if you’re excited about it, they’re excited about it.”
Kammerer’s urchin-based creations include a savory Japanese-style uni custard or chawan-mushi and a dish of warm celery root and cool uni that has guests raving. The backstory of the sea urchin takes some time to explain at the table, but Kammerer believes it’s worth it.
“We see it as our job to get people asking more questions about where their food comes from and about the need to go local to sustain economies and the natural world,” Kammerer says. Depending on the season, he sometimes uses red urchin purchased from local fishermen, but admits the purples are more desirable from a local and sustainability standpoint. “You can find like 50 in five minutes,” he says of gathering the plentiful purples from tidepools in the cove below the restaurant. The meatier ones, he says, will be the ones feeding near the seaweed.
Both chefs Kammerer and Azevedo mention that the key to good uni is freshness and proper handling. Cleaning an urchin is a matter of cutting a circle around the bony plates on the bottom of the urchin that form its mouth (kitchen shears work nicely).
Once the mouth is removed, the urchin can be gently rinsed out with sea water. This will reveal the five points of roe, sometimes called tongues, that sit on the inside of the urchin’s shell like the petals of a flower.
In Europe and Japan, urchin is often served this way, on the half shell, so diners can scoop it out with a spoon. Live, whole urchins can keep in the refrigerator in seawater for 24 hours, but not much longer. Cleaned and in the half-shell, they can keep for a couple of days on ice.
If you forage at a minus tide, or attend one of the Watermen’s Alliance urchin dives, you should expect that only 5-10% of urchins will yield a decent amount of the sought-after roe, so take more urchin than you need, keep them in seawater, and be prepared to smash up the ones you don’t use and put them in your compost bin. Urchin can also be ordered in advance online from purveyors or ordered from a favorite fishmonger or market.
To address the problem of purples not yielding enough roe, a global company called Urchinomics hopes to start “ranching” sea urchins, by harvesting them from barrens and fattening them up for 6-12 weeks on a special non-bull kelp seaweed diet, then selling them to restaurants in places with high demand. Urchinomics conducted successful tests of the program in Bodega Bay last year, and, according to the company, expects to open a ranching site in Southern California in the next year. Finding the right site and working with regulators takes years, but the company is optimistic that the North Coast region will one day have its own purple urchin ranch that keeps the population in check, while filling a growing demand for the roe.
Meanwhile, some locals on the coast are feeling hopeful this year about the fact that cooler summer temperatures and windier days drew an upwelling of kelp-friendly cold water into the urchin-dotted bays, with promising stands of bull kelp visible right off shore.
Dym, who goes to a place she calls “my beach” whenever she can, said she saw a good amount of young abalone among the colorful tidepool life on a recent excursion. She shared a photo of a bright and perfectly formed young sea star, a key urchin predator, that she found on the rocks at low ride. “We still have a long way to go,” she said of the once-vibrant fishery with an uncertain future, “But seeing this, it made my day.”
Volunteer divers harvest urchins in an effort to restore healthy kelp forests to the Sonoma and Mendocino coast. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
How to get your (gloved) hands on some sea urchin
• Go on a volunteer “Purple Urchin Removal” Day with Josh Russo and Watermen’s Alliance, announced on their Facebook page (facebook.com/ groups/158992911481142/about) The group welcomes volunteers, and there are thousands of purple urchins available for the taking this season.
• Rock-pick your own purple urchins from the tidepools at Van Damme or Caspar Cove at a very low, minus tide. Practice ocean safety: Go with a group, wear sturdy water shoes and gloves, and never turn your back on the ocean. The North Coast is famous for sneaker waves. You’ll also need to have a current fishing license.
• Order online from a purveyor like Water2Table Fish Co. (water2table.com/direct-to-consumer) or SeaStephanieFish (seastephaniefish.com) that brings urchin to the Bay Area with pop-up events and sales. Uni sells out quickly, so plan ahead.
• Ask your favorite fishmonger or supermarket to order uni for you from their supplier.
Chef de Cuisine Jason Azevedo’s pasta with purple sea urchins and Dungeness crab at Little River Inn Restaurant in Little River. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Squid-Ink Pasta with Uni Sauce
This uni recipe comes from Jason Azevedo of the Little River Inn, who prefers to make his own squid-ink pasta. Home chefs can buy the pasta at well-stocked markets or order it online. Creamy and luxurious, this is a satisfying dish for a winter evening.
For the uni sauce:
½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
¼ cup leeks, finely diced
¼ cup celery, finely diced
1 cube unsalted butter
1 tbsp salt, or less, to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cup fish stock (or bouillon)
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ cup uni or 10-15 “tongues”
1 lemon, zest and juice
In a saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion, leeks, celery, and lemon zest on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until ingredients are translucent but not browned. Add salt, Old Bay Seasoning, and flour, and cook for four minutes until a smooth, bubbly paste forms. Add uni ‘tongues,’ lemon juice, fish stock, and cream, and stir with a whisk until smooth. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until creamy. Taste for seasoning, and add more Old Bay or salt as desired.
Place sauce in a blender or use an immersion blender in the pan, and whirl until pureed. Strain sauce through fine mesh, and set aside.
For the pasta dish and garnish:
1 lb. pasta sepia (squid-ink pasta, available in gourmet markets and online)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup Dungeness crabmeat, cleaned and divided in half
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp chives
Uni for garnish (if you have extras)
In a separate pan, boil pasta and cook as directed on package. Do not overcook; pasta should be al dente — approximately 7-10 minutes. While pasta cooks, melt the butter, and sauté ½ cup Dungeness crabmeat in a large skillet until lightly caramelized (the other ½ cup of crabmeat will remain cold for the garnish). Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine, and reduce the liquid on medium-low heat until there is almost no liquid left in the pan. Add 2 cups of the uni sauce, and 2 tbsp of the water the pasta was cooked in. Stir to blend. Add in the cooked pasta, and gently fold together with a wooden spoon, just until coated. Allow to bubble gently on low heat for 2 minutes.
Plate the pasta and garnish with the remaining half-cup of chilled crabmeat, a sprinkle of chives, and some extra uni, if you have it. Serves 2-4, depending on whether it’s a main course or a side dish.
