A selection of breads from Nightingale Breads in Forestville. (Courtesy of Nightingale Breads)
A power generator isn’t typically at the top of the wish list for an artisan bakery. But after suffering through the consequences of electricity outages during floods, fires and public safety power shut-offs, Nightingale Breads owner Jessie Frost is asking for help to keep the lights on, literally.
Frost recently set up a Go Fund Me page seeking $50,000 in donations to upgrade her tiny Forestville bakery. A large chunk of that money would buy a generator to keep the ovens on, the water hot and the refrigerators running to preserve valuable ingredients during power outages. Like many local restaurants and businesses, Nightingale Breads lost power for more than 12 hours during the recent rain storms, hampering their ability to bake.
“As it’s become clear that these sorts of interruptions in business will continue to happen, we’ve decided this purchase will be a great asset for us,” Frost said about the generator on the Go Fund Me page.
Frost took over Nightingale Breads in 2018 after founder Beth Thorp retired. Since then, she’s slowly grown the business to include more grab-and-go items, including sandwiches and an expanded lineup of sweets and breads.
Many area restaurateurs are looking into alternative power sources after losing thousands of dollars’ worth of ingredients and prepared products in their commercial refrigerators and freezers during power outages and shut-offs. Events like these also shutter restaurants for days, further hurting revenue. Many can’t afford external generators, and it’s likely we’ll see more local fundraising efforts to keep doors open during the ongoing natural disasters that have become business as usual in Sonoma County.
To make a donation and learn more about Nightingale Breads’ vision for the future, visit nightingalebreads.com. The bakery is located at 6665 Front St., Forestville.
Most of us dream of the “perfect home:” Spacious but cozy, functional but beautiful; the list goes on. We all have our individual preferences but there are a few common home features prospective buyers tend to be looking for.
Sonoma-based realtor Regina Clyde is familiar with the desires of prospective home buyers. Over the years, she’s taken note of their likes, dislikes and deal breakers. Now, she’s designed a home based on their preferences.
The result is an impressive property on Pueblo Avenue in Sonoma. Located just off the plaza, the 4,000-square-foot, one-story structure is a modern take on a ranch-style home, complete with a pool, plenty of outdoor lounging areas and an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), popular right now due to increasing demands for expanded living space. The home, which was listed for $5,495,000, sold in just three days.
Clyde, a realtor with 14 years of experience selling and updating homes in Sonoma County, was new to home design when she started working on the blueprint for the Pueblo Avenue home. “I went to it with crayons, basically, with my two contractors,” she said.
She may have been new to the home design game, but Clyde had a clear idea of what she wanted — and what she didn’t want. For one, she wasn’t going to design a typical farmhouse property. In her opinion, the now ubiquitous farmhouse trend, with its white board-and-batten siding, was ready for an update. So she flipped the aesthetic on its head and decided to paint the building black.
“That’s why I call it the Black Fox,” she said of the home. (Black Fox also is the name of the dark charcoal gray paint Clyde selected for the home’s exterior.)
With the assistance of Mickey Greer of Mickey Greer & Associates in Sonoma, Clyde made design choices that make the subtly-styled interior sing. Beautiful bamboo cabinets throughout the home provide storage and add warmth to the space; the cabinets are stained or bleached to create different shades. A roughly textured backsplash wall, sleek wooden cabinets and modern light fixtures in simple angular shapes stand out in the kitchen. The great room and the kitchen share an arched ceiling that is lower than the roofline to create a greater sense of intimacy. Greer recommended this particular design, said Clyde, as most people love an airy space but also want to feel cozy.
The Black Fox home has multiple covered outdoor spaces — at the top of home buyers’ wish lists in these pandemic times. The roof extends over an outdoor lounging area with a large sectional sofa next to an electric fireplace built into the wall. The ADU comes with a white kitchen with wooden countertops and textured backsplash, a bright-looking bedroom and an adjacent covered outdoor dining space with a kitchen. All rooms can be accessed from the pool area, as the house and ADU surround it on three sides. Click through the above gallery for a peek inside.
The highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley officially opened its doors Monday. That’s big news in Wine Country and what makes it even more special — at least to wine-lovers — is the fact that the resort is located within a working winery property.
“We could not be more excited to welcome guests,” said General Manager Mehdi Eftekari, who’s been overseeing the construction of the property during the past three years. “It’s been a long time coming, giving us the luxury of time to build a team of truly talented people and put together thoughtful programming that embodies the best of the Napa lifestyle.”
Also referred to as The Resort at 400 Silverado Trail, the Calistoga property has 85 guest rooms and suites located within Elusa Winery. The resort also is home to TRUSS Restaurant + Bar from renowned Chef Erik Anderson, along with Spa Talisa, two pools and a supervised kids club that caters to traveling families. Rates start at $1,200 a night.
TRUSS cheeseburger. (Courtesy of Bonjwing Lee)
Chef Erik Anderson’s menu highlights ingredients from local purveyors, as well as caviar from his private label with Sausalito-based California Caviar Company. (Courtesy of Bonjwing Lee)
Opened in mid-September, Elusa Winery features hand-crafted wines by Thomas Rivers Brown, a Calistoga resident and former Food & Wine magazine “Winemaker of the Year.” Elusa’s inaugural release includes cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. The wines are available exclusively to members and as a part of tastings at the winery.
TRUSS Restaurant + Bar is led by Michelin-starred Executive Chef Erik Anderson, previously at San Francisco restaurant COI and The Catbird Seat in Nashville. Boasting vineyard and mountain views, the TRUSS Living Room offers a seasonally focused all-day dining menu along with bar bites, signature cocktails and wine. (TRUSS Living Room reservations are available now via OpenTable.)
The resort’s more formal dining space, TRUSS Restaurant, is expected to begin lunch and dinner service in the coming weeks. The restaurant’s wine list includes approximately 250 labels, with a nod to the Calistoga area.
Spa Talisa offers its own take on the Calistoga mud experience, along with a wide range of treatments, including a Vineyard Scrub that utilizes grape seeds. Along with indoor spa treatments in eight rooms, al fresco experiences include the Spa Garden with a whirlpool that is heated in winter and cooled in summer.
“Uniquely situated amid the vineyards with endless opportunities to use native ingredients and draw upon the natural environment, I’m thrilled to act as a guide to our guests as they seek to strengthen both their body and mind at Spa Talisa,” said Spa Director Natalie Posner.
Click through the above gallery for a peek at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley.
Homeware designer and Airbnb owner Anya Dinovich creates vacation rentals for “design-minded travelers.” She draws inspiration for her Sonoma properties — one in Kenwood and one in Cazadero — from the cozy vibe of Sundays and a quote from dancer and choreographer Mark Morris: “The goal of Sunday is to leave my home as little as possible.”
Dinovich is also a fan of lazy Sundays at home; of doing nothing or spending time with family and friends. “For me, that means being cozy,” she says. She creates pom pom pillows, sheepskin rugs and wool wall hangings to enhance that Sunday feeling; she even named her online boutique Seven Sundays. “I believe that being surrounded by beautiful things affects our mood and sense of well-being,” she adds.
Dinovich wants to create a cozy environment in which people can relax and enjoy themselves, while having a rich sensory experience.
“When designing an Airbnb you don’t have to worry about the functionality as much as you do when it’s (a) home you live in everyday,” she says. “It becomes a bit of a fantasy; a dreamy place where you can lounge by the fire, enjoy another’s company, read, relax, daydream.”
Homeware designer Anya Dinovich rests her head on one of her fiber creations. (Seven Sundays Studio)Shower at Casa Anush. (Seven Sundays Studio)
The homeware designer’s Kenwood Airbnb, a three-bedroom home named Casa Anush with an adjacent geo-dome, showcases her approach to interior design. Large pom pom pillows add a soft and playful look. The bathroom shower has black hexagonal tiles that create a dramatic backdrop for plants. Woven lampshades and leather vases add interesting textures. A giant geo-dome provides an unusual space for sleeping. A pool area has a covered sofa with wispy drapes for sheltered lounging.
Her Cazadero Airbnb, the Sequoia House, is a 1970’s marvel of a cabin nestled among redwoods along Austin Creek. Dinovich has used the particular geometry of the cabin to enhance each space.
Upstairs, an a-frame ceiling creates a cozy, tent-like sleeping area with a patterned wool blanket and fluffy pillows. The richness of the wood-paneled walls is brought out by a white fiber wall hanging and a sofa with sheepskin blankets in front of it. A fireplace in the center of the room does double duty as a source of heat and a decorative design piece while floor-to-ceiling windows connect the indoors and the outdoors. (The Sequoia House was featured on Netflix’s “The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.”)
In addition to selling her textiles through her online store Seven Sundays, Dinovich also sells the pillows, wall hangings and blankets in her vacation rentals directly to clients who stay at her properties. Products from her second company, Hooga Hooga (inspired by the Danish practice of “hygge,” or “cultivating coziness”) are also displayed and sold at the properties.
“I hope that by sharing my creations with people who want to have unique, handmade items in their home, I also get to share the sense of calmness and joy that we all need now more than ever,” she says.
A variety of pizzas, including the Old Grey Beard, left, featuring Italian sausage, Calabrian peppers, hot honey and orange zest, the Spayde, center, a square pan pizza with red sauce, mozzarella, pecorino, olive oil and fresh basil, and the Chingona, top, featuring olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta and fresh basil at PizzaLeah in Windsor, Calif., on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Everyone loves a list, and Yelp is no exception. This week, the crowd-sourced review site that chefs love to hate released its Top 50 Places to Eat in the North Bay. Curated by Yelp “data scientists” using “a variety of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews”, the result is an eclectic and somewhat unexpected mix of local restaurants.
To be fair, the multitudes have spoken, and most of these restaurants are quite delightful — some even destination-worthy. But hot dog and breakfast sandwich spots making the region’s “Top 50”? The sound of local foodies scratching their heads in bewilderment is pretty deafening. Click through the gallery to see which Sonoma County restaurants made the list (including their spot on the list).
Co-owner Gal Ginzburg will take your order among the antique radios at the Lightwave Cafe at Creekside Park in Monte Rio. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Avocado toast from The Pharmacy cafe in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of The Pharmacy)
Branch Line, a new plant-based eatery, is expected to open later this year in the former Flying Goat Coffee space in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square.
Owner Kim Bourdet of The Pharmacy cafe (990 Sonoma Ave., No. 1, Santa Rosa) says the space will be transformed into a fast-casual dining restaurant and mercantile with local products. No meat or dairy food will be available at Branch Line. Instead, the restaurant will make its own nut-based milks and vegan “cheeses” and focus on local produce.
Meyer lemon curd pot from The Pharmacy in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Psychic Pie, the funky pizza pop-up from Bay Area baker Nicholi Ludlow and his wife, Leith Leiser-Miller, has found a permanent home at the former Food Mechanic in Sebastopol (980 Gravenstein Highway S.). Aiming for an early 2022 opening, the couple plan to continue serving their Roman-style square pizzas by the pound at the new location, along with salads, wine, beer and sweets.
Ludlow and Leiser-Miller launched their Psychic Pie pop-up in April 2021 as a pandemic side hustle, making only 30 pizzas each week at a commercial kitchen in Santa Rosa’s Skyhawk Village. With nothing quite like their chewy, crunchy, locally sourced pies in the North Bay, eaters went wild for the couple’s par-cooked 9-inch-by-9-inch pizzas that could finish baking at home for a better-than-delivery experience.
The pizzas sold out swiftly each week. Seasonal produce and well-sourced ingredients, including Central Milling flour, Bellwether Farms ricotta, local water buffalo mozzarella and Zoe’s Meats bacon, made them all the more coveted.
“Our goal is hyper-local pizza that puts a big emphasis on naturally fermented dough — a truly Bay Area pizza,” Ludlow said in an interview with BiteClub in April. Both Ludlow and Leiser-Miller previously worked at San Francisco pizzeria Del Popolo.
Sadly, you won’t be able to get your hands on a Psychic Pie for a few more months, as Ludlow and Leiser-Miller build out the former Food Mechanic space. But like anything great, it’ll be worth the wait. Follow their progress on Instagram @psychic_pie.
Wine tasting at Grand Cru Custom Crush in Windsor. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Grapes slide to the sorting table in juicy clusters, dancing and jiggling on the vibrating, 20-foot-long mechanized belt. Winemaker and consultant
Adam Lee of Clarice Wine Company studies the fruit as interns and friends carefully pick out leaves, twigs, and other unwanted hitchhikers in a ritual that marks the beginning of the winemaking process.
But this is a different kind of winery. It’s Sugarloaf Crush, located along Highway 12 at the western edge of Sonoma Valley, and the expensive sorting and crushing equipment is all in rented space. Lee, known for his limited-production Pinot Noir, shares the 60,000-square-foot structure with some three dozen other clients, all making their own small-production fine wines. Think of it as a collaborative co-working space for winemakers.
“I knew that Clarice’s production was going to be small — only about 600 cases a year — and that certainly isn’t enough to sustain its own facility,” Lee says. “But I needed to make wine somewhere. Custom crush allows smaller wineries to exist, and if it weren’t for them, many of us wouldn’t be around.”
In the highly competitive world of Sonoma wines, pennies count. Winemaking equipment is expensive — sorters, tanks, presses, and bottling lines, not to mention the square footage to house them. So custom crush facilities, where small producers come together and share equipment, are a great value. Sonoma County has long hosted custom crushes, ranging from larger wineries that lease out their facilities for extra income to behemoth businesses like Healdsburg’s Rack & Riddle, which handles more than one million cases annually for some 150 clients.
Cristian Ortiz adds sulphur dioxide to wine barrels at the Grand Cru Custom Crush facility in Windsor. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
A boon for wine lovers
But here’s the big news: the newest custom crush facilities in Sonoma County now come with extra amenities that are a boon for wine-lovers: first-class tasting facilities, event areas, and tours. Guests can see the work in action, meet one-on-one with winemakers, and explore rare wines they might never find otherwise.
Trendsetters include the luxury Grand Cru in Windsor, Healdsburg’s architecturally stunning Grapewagon Custom Crush, and Sugarloaf itself, which wows with its communal Grand Room: a lounge trimmed in reclaimed wood featuring a fireplace, and plush leather furniture, not to mention an expansive entry lawn with majestic mountain views.
Working with a modern crush is a more personal experience now, says Rebecca Birdsall, who co-owns the 3,000-case Black Kite label with her husband Tom Birdsall, and was one of the first winemakers to join Grand Cru. They previously made wine at the more industrial Punchdown Cellars in Santa Rosa and were happy with the experience, she said.
“But we were intrigued by the elegant design and flexibility of Grand Cru, and the fact that we could use their tasting salons and take our customers into the winery and barrel-taste.”
Certainly, a custom crush is financially necessary for their Black Kite brand, with most of the wines produced in tiny batches ranging from about 125 to 200 cases. But Grand Cru’s individual tasting salons, framed by modern garage-style roll-up doors, allow customers to learn first-hand about — and fall in love with — the couple’s Burgundy-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Windsor’s Grand Cru Custom Crush has private tasting salons, which its winemaking clients use to meet with guests. Wineries here include Black Kite and Maritana Vineyards. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)At Grand Cru Custom Crush in Windsor the upper offices have views into the fermentation room. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
Cross-pollination of ideas
Winemaker Donald Patz makes 5,000 cases a year of his Maritana Vineyards Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Grand Cru. In addition to the value of being able to speak directly with his customers, he appreciates the collaboration with fellow winemakers and the cellar crew.
“Even when it’s really busy, the staff is so good at parsing out assignments that it feels like my own wholly dedicated team, with skills I couldn’t afford on my own,” says Patz. “And winemakers hang together here, so there’s cross-pollination of ideas, which is what I really wanted.”
Behind-the-scenes peeks become an integral part of custom crush visits, as guests experience the complicated waltz between winemakers and facility management. “There is immense communication taking place at harvest time to optimize the pick dates, the available labor, crush pad usage, and tank and press availability,” explains Birdsall.
“The best winemakers are clairvoyant.”
While Clarice’s Adam Lee, who is in high demand as a consutant, could likely operate out of almost any winery he’d like, he remains a custom crush fan. He makes his new Beau Marchais Pinot Noirs at Grapewagon, wines for the Bucher Winery at Grand Cru, and projects for J. Cage Cellars at Sugarloaf Crush. It’s interesting, he finds, as multiple winemakers collaborate, sharing tips and techniques. “In the heat of harvest, it sometimes is every person for themselves, but during the rest of the year we often chat and taste together,” he said.
Clarice Wine Company winemaker Adam Lee in Sugarloaf’s large shared tasting room. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
The storage room at Sugarloaf Crush has a capacity of 4500 barrels. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)Winemaker Chris Leonard of the Leonard Wine Company high up in the barrel stacks, sampling for a wine-blending trial. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)Jessica Yeates, the enologist for VML and Truett Hurst wineries, in the facility’s wine lab. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
Behind-the-scenes thrills
Witnessing the teamwork can be a rush. Flaunt Wine Company joined Grapewagon Custom Crush for the 2019 harvest, with owner/ winemaker Dianna Novy producing 250 cases of Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir. Grapewagon’s owners, James and Kerry MacPhail, originally built the 42,000-square-foot facility in 2011 for their MacPhail Family Wines. After selling that brand, the MacPhails switched the setup to custom crush, serving a dozen clients, including their own new label, Tongue Dancer. The facility is just 50 feet from the MacPhail family’s own home.
“Winemakers collaborate here, and if it weren’t for custom crush, small boutique wineries would be basically nonexistent,” says Novy. “There is a great camaraderie, and I think it’s because we all just want to drink the best wines, so we encourage each other to make the very best that we can.”
The Sugarloaf Crush facility rests at the base of Hood Mountain in Oakmont. (John Burgess/Sonoma Magazine)
How to taste at a custom crush
Custom crush tastings and tours are generally by appointment and often arranged individually by each winery client.
Grand Cru Custom Crush, 1200 American Way, Windsor. 707-687-0905, grandcrucustomcrush.com. Independent wineries include Bucher Wines, Maritana Vineyards, and Black Kite Cellars.
Sugarloaf Crush, 6705 Cristo Lane, Santa Rosa. 707-244-4885, sugarloafcrush.com. Three dozen wineries including J. Cage Cellars, Leonard Wine Company, Truett- Hurst, and Clarice Wine Company.
Grapewagon Custom Crush, 851 Magnolia Drive, Healdsburg. 707-433-4780. Over a dozen clients including Tongue Dancer, Flaunt Wine Company, and Beau Marchais.
Monday has always been Charlie Hustle day at Jam’s Joy Bungalow in Sebastopol. Chef Jamilah Nixon-Mathis’ epic fried chicken sandwich (named for rapper E-40’s album of the same name) is loaded with crispy thigh meat, sweet honey sauce, pickles, sriracha and cabbage piled so high it needs a low-flying aircraft warning.
And what if you missed the Charlie Hustle sando at the tiny Sebastopol Town Square walk-up window on Monday? Sorry, Charlie, you’d have to wait until next week.
At least that was true until the recent opening of Nixon-Mathis’ new Cotati restaurant and kitchen (also called Jam’s Joy Bungalow), where now you can get the Charlie Hustle every day of the week, along with an expanded menu of Southeast Asian-inspired dishes with all the spicy, sweet, aromatic flavors we’ve come to expect from Jam’s Joy Bungalow.
Jok at Jam’s Joy Bungalow. (Courtesy of Jam’s Joy Bungalow)Crispy rice salad, curry fries and fried chicken skins at Jam’s Joy Bungalow in Cotati. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Familiar menu favorites include the area’s best Banh Mi sandwich ($10, vegan and grain-free options available); Nutty Noods ($10) with buckwheat noodles, peanut sauce, shiitake mushrooms and crispy shallots; and Jok ($7), a savory rice porridge with herbs, fermented soybean paste, ginger, garlic and a creamy six-minute egg.
You’ll want to try menu newcomers like fried chicken skins (think poultry chicharrones) that crackle and melt in your mouth; a mountain of curry fries ($8) radiating the scent of turmeric and ginger and smothered with curry aioli, hot sambal sauce and a flurry of cilantro; or Go’s Balls ($6), orbs of crispy coconut and curry rice with sweet chile sauce.
Leave room for lighter options, including Crispy Rice Salad ($11), a chopped salad with pickled carrots, lettuce, ginger, jalapeño, shallots, peanuts and sweet-sour fish sauce dressing.
Weekend brunch packs the biggest punch, with most of the weekday items available plus Chicken and Waffle ($12) with mochi brown butter waffles, fried chicken and chile crunch honey; the JJB Breakfast Burrito ($11) with braised beef, kimchi, cheese and a fried egg; or Hawaiian surfer breakfast fave, Loco Moco ($11) with gravy, egg, rice, seaweed and Spam, fried chicken or Chinese sausage.
Daily specials and surprises make Jam’s Joy Bungalow all the more destination-worthy. If you’ve never tried Garlic Buttered Scallop or Salted Egg Lays potato chips from Thailand, you’re in for a treat. Sit outside on the patio or porch or head inside to the whimsical, jungle-y sit-down restaurant. Look for a slithering (fake) boa or visit the rain forest bathroom. It’s a dining adventure.
Hours change frequently, so watch their Facebook page for details. Cotati location is at 101 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati; Sebastopol walk-up at 150 Weeks Way, Sebastopol.
Homemade chocolate dipped marshmallows at Cravin’s Candy Emporium in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
If the anticipation of Halloween has you salivating for sweets, like those you hoarded years ago as a young trick-or-treater, there are plenty of places to buy unique candy in Sonoma County, including one that might take you right back to childhood.
Cravin’s Candy Emporium opened in downtown Petaluma in July, and the family-owned neighborhood candy store knows how to bring out the kid in its customers — no matter their age.
Walking into the candy store is like traveling back in time. Vintage posters and signs decorate the walls, along with game boards from the kiddie classic, Candy Land, with some of the editions dating back to 1955. Retro metal lunchboxes sit on high shelves. Hypnotizing round rainbow lollipops reach for the sky, and the movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” — the 1971 Gene Wilder version, of course — plays on a big-screen TV.
“It’s easy to leave your troubles behind when you are surrounded by candy,” said Debbie Giordano, who owns Cravin’s Candy Emporium with her husband, Joe.
Jawbreakers at Cravin’s Candy Emporium in Petaluma. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)A variety of chocolate bars at Cravin’s Candy Emporium. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Retro candy
Cravin’s Candy Emporium carries more than 4,000 kinds of goodies; no doubt, you’ll stumble on at least one long-lost childhood favorite. Here you can find Pop Rocks, Candy Buttons, Ring Pops, Cow Tales, Zotz and speckled Jawbreakers the size of your fist. In fact, it’s hard to take more than a few steps without exclaiming, “I remember that!”
The Petaluma candy store pays homage to the original Powell’s Sweet Shoppe in Windsor, which opened in 2003. After owner Michael Powell franchised his business in 2006, the Giordanos moved their young family from Santa Rosa to Boise, Idaho, to open their own Powell’s candy store. They later re-branded their store Cravin’s Candy Emporium and when an opportunity arose to open a second location in Petaluma, the Giordanos jumped on it. They now split their time between Idaho and Sonoma County. (The Giordanos have licensed the Cravin’s name; there is an independently operated Cravin’s Candy Emporium in Windsor, in the former Powell’s Sweet Shoppe location, and another in Bend, Oregon.)
Like the original Powell’s, Cravin’s in Petaluma has a dedicated movie area with wooden theater-style seats for watching “Willy Wonka.” Kids and kids-at-heart are encouraged to spend some time enjoying the film here.
“This is not just a jelly bean store,” Joe Giordano said. “It is about time. … It’s (about) having something in common, where a family can be together.”
Sweet memories
In addition to old-fashioned sweets and “Willy Wonka,” Cravin’s Candy Emporium stocks other nostalgia-inducing items. Remember Lite-Brite? You’ll find the backlit light box toy here, along with classic pick-up-sticks, although you might need to do a quick internet search to remember how to play the game.
If you can’t find that favorite sugar-laced candy of your youth, the Giordanos will put it on their special requests list. Surrounded by candies of all stripes, even Joe Giordano misses some treats, like the discontinued Wonka chocolate bar. But many previously extinct old-school candies, like Astro Pops and Wacky Wafers, have made a comeback in recent years and have returned to candy store shelves.
At the front of the store, you’ll find an ice cream case with two dozen flavors of gelato and a cooler stocked with a rainbow of soda in glass bottles. But the best place for chocolate lovers is toward the back of the store, where the giant peanut butter cups handcrafted by Debbie Giordano are kept. She also makes chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered honeycomb, English toffee, pecan turtles and marshmallow pops.
“The dream is real,” Debbie Giordano said. “Owning your own candy store is fun and amazing, and actually very fulfilling when you see people having a great time together.”
Swedish candy at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Elise Aileen Photography)
Candy from around the world
You’re never too old to dress up for Halloween, but trick-or-treating after a certain age or raiding your kid’s bag of sweets is a faux pas. So what’s a grown-up with a sweet tooth to do on Halloween? In addition to taking a sweet trip down memory lane, check out these Sonoma County restaurants and stores for candy from around the world:
Dulceria Las Tapatias (1630 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa) and Dulceria Pepito (2101 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa) have Mexican treats like cocadas (colorful candy made from coconuts), mazapan (a sweet, dry, peanut butter candy) and camote (a traditional candy from the state of Puebla made from sweet potatoes).
Swedish fish at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Courtesy of newrevmedia.com)Italian torrone, a soft nougat candy made with almonds, is available at Canevari’s Delicatessen in Santa Rosa. (Shutterstock)
Stockhome restaurant (220 Western Ave., Petaluma) carries more than a dozen types of Swedish sweets or lördagsgodis (Saturday candy) in old-school glass jars, including fruit-flavored Dala Horse Gummy Candy.
For Italian sweets, look in Canevari’s Delicatessen (695 Lewis Road, Santa Rosa). They have torrone, a traditional soft nougat candy made with almonds.
The Chocolate Cow (452 First St. E., Sonoma) sells Kookaburra Licorice from Australia, and at nearby Tiddle E. Winks Vintage 5 & Dime (115 E. Napa St., Sonoma), you can traverse the sugary globe. Choose from Hermann the German Bavarian Hard Candy (in a variety of fruit flavors), Violet Crumble chocolate bars from Australia, British Maltesers milk chocolate confectionery and other foreign sweet treats.
