Healdsburg’s New Burdock Bar Is a Hidden Gem

By Heather Irwin
Pork belly with mole and pineapple at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Burdock, the newly opened sister eatery to Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, is Healdsburg’s version of Harry Potter’s Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, existing only to a self-selecting crowd. Once inside, you see there’s a bit of magic about it.

Wedged between Duke’s and the former Brass Rabbit, the restaurant is an impossibly long and narrow passage, a secret alleyway edged in brick where wanderers discover a secluded market of top-shelf bourbon, tiki drinks and caviar puffs.

That may be overselling it, but after Beverage Director Michael Richardson makes you a stiff drink or four, dancing sprites aren’t out of the question.

So what is Burdock, exactly? Therein lies the quandary. Even the staff say it’s a work in progress, with ideas and menus inherited from the former Duke’s founders. On the cusp of the fifth anniversary of Duke’s Spirited Cocktails last April, the popular farm-to-glass bar was left rudderless when founders Tara Heffernon, Steven Maduro, Laura Sanfilippo and Cappy Sorentino left the business over a dispute with founding investor David “Duke” Ducommon.

Interior at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Interior at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Burdock was slated to open soon after, but its debut was pushed back until late June, when it opened with Chef Michael Pihl and Richardson.

Both are ridiculously overqualified for the gig, Pihl with stints at the former Michelin-starred Cyrus, Mustards Grill in Napa, Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley and Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak and Richardson a bar veteran who opened high-end bar programs in Las Vegas and co-founded Frankie’s Tiki Room there.

Though the restaurant hasn’t quite settled on its point of view, and Pihl is already planning a new menu (possibly Southern with bourbon pairings), there’s still something extraordinary about its in-betweenness.

We should mention that this is upscale Healdsburg and the prices at Burdock can be shockingly high for small plates, depending on what you order, though the quality and flavors are outstanding at any cost. Cocktails are all $20, and shots of premium whiskeys can run into the triple digits. You also can order a beer (none on tap) for $10 or wine by the glass for $14 to $20.

Custom rum drink with warm spices at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Custom rum drink with warm spices at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Delicious dishes

It’s rare to be so moved by such minuscule portions — small plates are tiny here — but sometimes less is absolutely more.

Crispy Pork Belly, $14: Fatty, meaty, crispy squares of pork belly with soft, warm bites of pineapple. What takes this dish to the next level is the mole — a thick gravy of chiles, warm spices, chocolate and nuts. There’s no bitterness, just the lasting flavor of sweet-savory warmth. A steal of a deal.

Akaushi Beef Carpaccio, $26: It’s perhaps a splurge, but it’s so memorable you’ll forget the price and only remember the whisper-thin slices of premium raw beef, gooey egg yolk and the earthy note of mushroom and tangy Pecorino cheese. If swagger had a flavor, this would be it.

Ahi Tuna Tartare, $17: Three little spoons with barely a bite of raw tuna had us snorting in disbelief. Really? Then we ate them. Oh. A flavor bomb of clean and briny tuna, a zing of sweet-tart Meyer lemon, specks of porcini mushroom, a hint of olive oil, a dot of crème fraîche and a crunch of popped farro. The richness would have been overpowering in a larger portion.

Spanish Octopus Salad, $18: Tender tendrils of meat are piled with whipped avocado and tiny potatoes. Spots of saffron crema are so tasty you’ll want more. Perfection.

Baked Oysters Cubano, $4.50: Plain and simple little oysters get a mink stole of mustard butter, Gruyere and Jamon Serrano. Lucky little oysters.

Griddled Asparagus, $9: Excellent with crisp Calabrian chile, but sadly, it doesn’t pair well with anything but a crisp chardonnay or beer.

Your call

Caviar Puffs, $28: This is lily gilding at its best — tiny gougeres (cheese puffs) filled with whipped brie and topped with pearls of Israeli Ostera caviar. I don’t think the caviar makes this dish worth the price, especially when we have solid Californian caviar. Call me a rube.

The drinks: I wasn’t overwhelmed by the listed cocktails, but I went wild for Richardson’s custom tiki drinks. These aren’t the farm-to-glass cocktails you’ll get next door at Duke’s but more serious mixed drinks that show off his experience.

Just so you know, although Burdock and Duke’s share a kitchen, you can’t get Duke’s casual menu at Burdock nor Burdock’s menu at Duke’s. It’s worth experiencing both spots, however, for their unique vibes.

And the bathroom: Japanese toilet. Just saying.

109A Plaza St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1105, burdockbar.com

5 Fabulous Foodie Wineries in Northern Sonoma County

By Linda Murphy

Is it a winery with a restaurant or a restaurant with a winery?

The distinction might not be obvious, but to Sonoma County regulators, there is a difference: Winery tasting rooms can have food pairings as part of their agriculturally-based marketing but can’t serve full meals or hand visitors a menu or even let them choose which dishes to eat. They can serve small bites of food to demonstrate the affinity with wine but can’t serve food without wine.

In contrast, a restaurant attached to a winery can operate separately. At Rustic: Francis’s Favorites, the Geyserville restaurant Francis Ford Coppola operated at Francis Ford Coppola Winery until June (when he sold to Delicato Family Wines), visitors could buy wines from the restaurant list to accompany their meals. Yet pairings of small portions of wine with food bites was not allowed under the county use permit.

The pandemic added a layer of complexity. If they wanted to stay open, tasting rooms had to move service outdoors and add food options. Charcuterie and cheese boards and baguettes for dunking in olive oil sprouted at wineries across the county, and guests embraced the wine-and-food concept. The recent outbreak of the delta variant hasn’t ended tastings, although they must still be outdoors and guests must wear masks until they’re seated at distanced tables.

Now, with those changes, visitors appear willing to pay up for a more satisfying, savory experience than simply standing at a wine bar to taste wine only.

These five northern Sonoma wineries don’t have restaurant permits, yet they go all-out with great dishes to accompany their wines, under their permits, of course. All experiences are by appointment only. Be sure to wear a mask, which you can remove when you sit down to taste and sip.

A note: wineries have not been immune to the shifting of careers of hospitality staffers during the pandemic. Restaurants woe the dearth of trained staff, and a few Sonoma wineries have lost their chefs, too. Shane McAnelly, who left Chalkboard Restaurant in Healdsburg to become estate chef at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor just before pandemic restrictions, recently moved to North Carolina. His protege, Evan Castro, has assumed the estate chef duties without a skipped beat. In Healdsburg, Estate Chef Carl Shelton has departed from J Vineyards & Winery. While the search is on for his successor, winery visitors should not be concerned: There is always a skilled chef to step into the void.

Bricoleur Vineyards

Mark and Elizabeth Wall Hanson and daughter Sarah Hanson Citron opened their Windsor wine visitor center at arguably the worst possible time: in 2020, just before COVID-19 ground tastings and group gatherings to a halt. They had transformed a horse ranch with vineyards into an outdoor haven for visitors, with a lake, culinary garden, rose garden (a perfect place for sipping Bricoleur’s two rosés) and a shaded pavilion ideal, as it turned out, for pandemic-times tastings.

Chef Evan Castro’s Sip & Savor outdoor tasting ($85) is a real treat, pairing small-plate courses with estate-grown wines from the Russian River Valley vineyard and the Hanson-owned Kick Ranch in the Fountaingrove AVA. The menu changes every two months: the August-September lineup includes Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc with Tomales Bay Marin Miyagi Oyster and cucumber mignonette; Kick Ranch Viognier with Compressed Piel de Sapo Melon, Serrano Peppers, Nasturtium Flower, Cilantro Flower and Estate Olive Oil; Estate Unoaked Chardonnay with Torched Skuna Bay Salmon; and Alexander Valley Zinfandel with Snake River Farms Tataki-style New York Strip steak.

The Our Roots pairing ($65) offers four similar dishes, with wines. On Fridays, Bricoleur hosts wine and pizza nights.

7394 Starr Road, Windsor, 707-857-5700, bricoleurvineyards.com

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

Brunch is back, big time, and this beautifully manicured Italianate estate in upper Dry Creek Valley delivers an inviting one.

Forget about brunches that promise “bottomless mimosas” made with cheap sparkling wines; Ferrari-Carano serves a sumptuous Sycamore Grove Wine & Brunch ($85) on Sundays through October, with dishes matched to its reserve wines. The “La Colazione Italiana” — breakfast, Italian style — can, on any day, serve Prosciutto Benedict with estate eggs, Hollandaise sauce and Italian prosciutto; a brunch pizza with Healdsburg’s Journeyman bacon; and a porchetta sandwich with herbed pork, truffle aioli and pecorino cheese on ciabatta bread. Ferrari-Carano’s wines are well-made and delicious, across multiple price points. The reserves served at brunch are top-shelf.

8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 800-831-0381, ferrari-carano.com

J Vineyards & Winery

This bubbly-centric Healdsburg winery, founded in 1986 by Judy Jordan and now owned by E. & J. Gallo, is on a brief hiatus from its outstanding Bubble Room wine and food pairing experience as a new culinary team is being assembled following Shelton’s recent departure.

Until the Bubble Room reopens for its five-course tasting menu (paired with a selection of sparkling and still wines), J offers a decadent outdoor summertime tasting experience, “Best of Both Coasts” ($90). It includes a New England lobster roll, truffle chips, local kale slaw and a fruit dessert, each matched to Nicole Hitchcock’s immaculately made wines. Stay tuned for the reopening of the Bubble Room; it will be worth the wait, based on J’s track record of delivering exceptional pairings of its wine with food.

11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 888-594-6326, jwine.com

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens

No stranger to blending a culinary team and winemaking crew, K-J continues its food and wine pairing program at its northern Santa Rosa visitor center.

Shining-light chefs Justin Wangler, Tracey Shepos Cenami and pastry/chocolate Chef extraordinaire Robert Nieto remain the bedrock of the K-J kitchen. While they work with parent company Jackson Family Wines’ multiple wineries and winemakers, their talent is most prominently showcased at the Santa Rosa winery headquarters where they draw on the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown by estate gardener Tucker Taylor, aka “Farmer T.”

A recent pairing menu ($85) included the Jackson Estate Cloud Landing Petaluma Gap Chardonnay with Farmer T’s Lettuce Mix with watermelon radish, oranges and Nicasio Valley Reserve Foggy Morning cheese; Jackson Estate Outland Ridge Anderson Valley Pinot Noir with red wine and mushroom risotto; and Jackson Estate Trace Ridge Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with coffee-crusted Snake River Farms coulotte steak. The visitor center also offers more casual wine and chocolate pairings ($25) and cheese and charcuterie ($45 per board) with wine tastings.

Lynmar Estate Winery

Restaurant-quality dishes matched to truly outstanding chardonnays and pinot noirs (including a stellar rosé of pinot noir) have long been offered at this Sebastopol wine estate. Lynn Fritz purchased the Quail Hill Ranch in 1980 as a getaway from his hectic CEO life (in 2001, he sold his Fritz Companies logistics business to UPS) and planted grapevines over the years, with the estate now totaling 100 acres.

A series of winemaking stars have mastered the cellar, the latest being Pete Soergel, Lynmar winemaker since 2015. To show off his wines, Lynn and Anisya Fritz offer two ways to enjoy the bounty of their now-bursting garden and ingredients acquired from mostly local purveyors. Estate Chef David Frakes’ Collector’s Pairing Lunch (Thursday to Sunday, $200 per person) is a three-course meal at a private table in the Quail Hill Vineyard, with each course paired to wine. The more casual, three-course Lynmar On Your Own Pairing (Thursday to Sunday, $110) allows guests to create their own gourmet boxed lunch, served in the garden and matched to a chardonnay and pinot noir. Both menus reflect what’s at peak ripeness for the season. Hello, tomatoes!

3909 Frei Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-3374, lynmarestate.com

Late-Night Sweet Shop Opens in Santa Rosa

By Heather Irwin
Brownies from Sister Sweet Shoppe in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Sister Sweet Shoppe)

If you’re one of those disciplined people who don’t eat after 8 p.m. and only have sweets on your “cheat day,” read no further; this is not for you.

But if you’re like every other normal person on the planet and the 10 p.m. sweet cravings come on like a freight train and you’re seriously considering those two-week-old Teddy Grahams you found in your kid’s backpack, then we have the solution: Sister Sweet Shoppe. The late-night snack business features homemade brownies, Rice Krispies “cereal bowl” treats, salty snack mix and custom-made soda concoctions from 6 p.m. to midnight.

The delivery-only kitchen is headed by sisters Elease and Elaina Dimond, both in their 20s, who know from personal experience that sometimes you just need a tasty snack after a little home-based adult relaxation.

“There are so many winos and green lovers around here that it’s enough of a market,” Elaina said. On nights when we’re tethered to our couches, she said, the choices were a bit limited in Sonoma County.

“I got over mug cakes so quickly, and people don’t always want Jack in the Box,” the former Sonoma State University student said. “We’ve all had that struggle.”

Sister Sweet Shoppe
Cookies from Sister Sweet Shoppe in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Sister Sweet Shoppe)
Elaina and Elease Dimond of Sister Sweet Shoppe in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Elaina Dimond)
Elaina and Elease Dimond of Sister Sweet Shoppe in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Elaina Dimond)

Using family recipes and diligent testing and tasting, they’ve come up with a stable of goodies that they bake from scratch at their 1229 N. Dutton Ave. kitchen (Franchetti’s restaurant during the day) in Santa Rosa. The number-one seller? Double Trouble Brownies made with three types of chocolate, a gooey center and crispy edges took three years to perfect.

Also on the menu are Brown Sugar Meringue Brunetties (shortbread blondies with marshmallows and chocolate chips); Cereal Bowl Bars with all your favorite childhood flavors; homemade Cracker Jack corn with peanuts; and salty pub snack mix in ranch, chile or crab boil seasoning. Grab a thirst quencher like the Maui Wowie, a combination of Sprite and pineapple, coconut and lime flavors. Party-size stashes are available, including trays of brownies, along with weekly specialty snack cakes.

“We’re never boring, and we want our products to be extra, like us,” Elaina said. “It’s about happiness through sugar and butter. Happiness through calories,” Elease added.

The business was a pandemic project, according to Elease, who urged her sister to come home from Southern California, where she was working as a candy maker at Disneyland (which closed during the quarantine).

“This was our time, and I said, ‘Let’s start our business.’ We always wanted to do something together, but we hadn’t decided on anything,” Elease said.

They quickly found an audience using social media and delivery apps like Door Dash and UberEats, now ubiquitous. In addition to getting their late-night deliveries, Thursday through Saturday, you also can order ahead and pick up at the kitchen or find them at the Saturday farmers market at the Luther Burbank Center.

The two hope to add a late-night cafe later in the year and have plenty of other treats they’re excited to add to the menu.

After working double with full-time day jobs and their night hustle since December, the Dimond sisters now are ready to devote their time exclusively to their sweet shop.

“For this whole year, we were women hustling all day and all night. We just put in our notice (at work), so now we can focus,” Elaina said.

“We just appreciate all the community support. People reaching out to us through our Instagram just motivates us to work even harder,” she added. “Were glad this is stuff people want and are craving at night.”

Sister Sweet Shoppe is on Instagram @thesistersweetshoppe or sistersweetshoppe.com. Order through Uber Eats, Grub Hub or Door Dash.

Where to Get the Best Rotisserie Meat in Sonoma County

By Heather Irwin
Kebab plate with garlic yogurt from Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Doner. Shawarma. Gyro. Kebab. Al pastor. Whatever you call it, wherever you’re from, there’s a word for one of the greatest inventions of all person-kind: spit-fired meat. Or maybe you call it rotisserie? In more direct terms, it’s putting pork, lamb, beef or chicken on a rod and letting it slowly roast for hours, marinating itself in its own delicious juices.

The practice is one of the simplest and oldest forms of cooking, allowing meat to cook from both inside and outside either over an open flame or coals or in an oven.

As my current obsession with al pastor (Mexican marinated pork cooked on a rotisserie) deepened, its history as a Lebanese import compelled me to look into its roots as shawarma. Which has its roots in Turkish doner. Which beget the gyro and kebab. Not that anyone can exactly lay claim to inventing a cooking method estimated to be more than 8,000 years old.

Unfortunately in Sonoma County, finding the familiar cone-shaped gyro broilers spinning with al pastor, gyro or doner isn’t easy. Most restaurants here don’t sell enough meat in a day to warrant the expensive spits, so when you find one it’s a special moment. For an eating adventure inspired by ancient flavors, here are recommended local places to take a bite.

Shawarma

While working in Manhattan, I became obsessed with halal carts offering shawarma. Shawarma can be made from pretty much any kind of meat, but chicken marinated in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cardamom, turmeric, cumin and oregano was my favorite, served with yellow rice and a ribbon of white garlic sauce. Decades later, I still remember the flavors.

Recently, while perusing a menu at East West Cafe in Santa Rosa, I saw shawarma listed. That old hankering returned, sending me on a hunt for other shawarma in the North Bay. Here’s what I found.

Sam’s Mediterranean Cafe, Chicken Shawarma Plate, $15.99. You don’t stumble on this out-of-the-way deli unless you spend a lot of time cruising quiet office parks looking for hole-in-the-wall lunch spots. Thankfully, I do, and this charming little place is a Middle Eastern gem. Their panini -style chicken shawarma wraps are a delicious entry point, with gently-spiced meat and melted cheese. Comes with garlic and hot sauces and a Greek salad. 613 Martin Ave., Suite 111, Rohnert Park, 707-584-0220, samsmeddeli.com

East West Cafe, Chicken Shawarma Plate, $15.95. Marinated chicken breast with grilled tomato, onion and tahini sauce on a pita. It’s a hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal with a side of fries to mop up anything you missed. Breast meat can be a little drier than thighs, but we won’t hold that against the lovely spices in this version. 557 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa, 707-546-6142, eastwestcafesantarosa.com. Also in Sebastopol.

King Falafel, Arabic Shawarma Plate, $14.99. Beef or chicken versions of this classic dish served with fries and white sauce. It’s the closest approximation of NYC’s halal carts. 100 Brown St., #150, Sebastopol, 707-824-4800.

Grossman’s Noshery & Bar, Chicken Shawarma Kebabs, $18. The touch of a chef makes these real-deal skewered chicken thighs marinated in warm spices a favorite. Served with yam fries, red and green schug (a hot sauce originating in Yemen) and an Israeli salad. 308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com

Zaina’s Bellini Cafe. Just-opened cafe in Cotati serves both chicken and beef shawarma wraps. 7981 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati, 707-664-5956.

Al pastor

Meaning “shepherd style,” this Middle Eastern-spiced meat stems from an influx of Lebanese immigrants to Mexico in the late 19th century. The spit-grilled shawarma, usually using lamb, was adapted and localized using pork and pineapple. You can usually spot it by its bright red-orange color.

For months, I was on a mission to find the absolute best al pastor in Sonoma County. Here are some favorites.

Cancun. The online menu doesn’t say “al pastor” but instead, “Marinated Mexican Pork.” Small shreds of pork are studded with bits of pineapple, which makes it one of my favorites so far. 443 Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-528-8933, ordercancunmexicanrestaurantca.com

El Fogon. Uses an al pastor spit and is a fan favorite. 6650 Commerce Blvd., Suite 5, Rohnert Park, 707-585-1623.

Cielito Lindo. Impressive flavors and generous portions from a Bennett Valley newcomer. 52 Mission Blvd., #110, Santa Rosa, 707-978-2070.

Tonayan. Super. Solid. Enough said. 500 Raley’s Town Centre, Rohnert Park, 707-588,0893, tonyanmex.com

Gyro, souvlaki and kebab

Greeks, as well as Turks and other Middle Easterners who have used spit roasting for millennia, would take issue with lumping these three dishes together. But in the United States they’re fairly interchangeable. What separates them from shawarma is their pairing with tasty tzatziki, a tart cucumber and yogurt dip.

I’m going to be honest and say I’ve always been a huge fan of the classic mystery meat “cones” of gyro that are shaved into long strips, but your experience may be different. Kebab and souvlaki tend to have larger chunks of skewered meat. The trick to great kebab is to avoid drying out the meat, and that’s hard to get right (which is why I don’t go nuts for kebab or its Indian counterpart, tandoor).

Dino’s Greek Food. Mobile gyro/souvlaki awesomeness. Don’t miss the loaded Greek fries either. The food truck is currently closed, but look for Dino’s to reopen at the forthcoming Livery in Sebastopol in 2022. facebook.com/dinosgreekfood

Real Doner. Doner is the Turkish word for gyro, and this spot is legit. 307 F St., Petaluma, 707-765-9555.

Ulia’s. I’ve always been impressed by the gyros at this warm little Santa Rosa deli (their Petaluma outpost closed). Family-operated, they’ve been through tough times during the pandemic, as much of their sales are business park- and catering-related. 130 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, 707-525-8542, uliasdeli.com

Stockhome. A Swedish take on kebab? The Scandinavian country can’t get enough of kebab as a late-night snack and tummy-filler. This version isn’t the most authentic you’ll ever have, but it’s truly delicious. Plus, I love it when my Swedish friends come with me and roll back their eyes in pleasure, remembering wild nights with old friends and post-party kebab. 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com

You Can Spend the Night at This Winery Chateau in Healdsburg

By Dana Rebmann

There’s no shortage of top-notch hotels and resorts that promise memorable stays when visiting Sonoma County, but how about spending the night at a winery? Recently, a few local wineries have started to offer overnight stays in adjacent guesthouses. At Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg, however, you can book a stay at the winery chateau — recently renovated to the tune of $1 million — if you join the winery’s membership program.

Tom and Sally Jordan, the founders of the northern Sonoma winery, added the French-style chateau to their vineyard estate in the 1970s with the intent to offer lodgings as well as culinary experiences to their guests. Along with a commercial kitchen and formal dining room, three guest suites were incorporated into the design. Since then, members of the winery’s loyalty program, Jordan Estate Rewards, have been able to book a stay at the winery chateau, a perk many have taken advantage of. Following the recently completed $1 million remodel, those stays, still only available to loyalty program members, are likely to become even more sought-after.

The newly remodeled Cépage Suite at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of R. Brad Knipstein)

John Jordan, Tom and Sally’s son, is now at the helm at Jordan Vineyard & Winery. When he first envisioned the renovation of the chateau guest suites, he planned to do it in phases. But when the pandemic hit, he saw an opportunity to invest in the future during a quiet phase in the wine industry and called on San Francisco interior designer Maria Haidamus to spearhead the renovation project. While modernizing the suites, Haidamus made sure that any design upgrades resonated with the time period and style the original design sought to emulate.

Original French-inspired features, such as rustic wood beams in the high ceilings and hexagon tile floors imported from southern France nearly four decades ago, were preserved. Antiques from the Louis XV period, collected by Sally Jordan, were also incorporated into the suites. Additional furniture and decor pieces, as well as art work, had to be sourced online due to pandemic travel restrictions and shutdowns.

“I didn’t want to make (the redesign) too traditional, so the challenge was to strike the right balance between making it updated (and) comfortable, but still true to the design period,” says Haidamus.

A late 19th century neoclassical pair of biscuit plates in antique brass frames hang next to a window in the newly remodeled Cépage Suite at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of R. Brad Knipstein)

The remodel of Jordan’s guest suites — from picking wallpaper to installing new light fixtures to hanging 19th century paintings — took only eight months to complete. Click through the gallery above for a peek at the luxurious new chateau suites.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Rd, Healdsburg, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com/reward-types/overnight-stays.  

Great Lighting Fixtures for Sonoma Homes

By Karen Kizer

As Sonoma designer Cesar Chavez will tell you, interesting lighting fixtures can add instant style to a space. In addition to enhancing the look of a room, the right fixtures can also serve as works of art, says Santa Rosa designer and Íreko proprietor Jim Rascoe. With such hardworking, space-changing design pieces, it’s important to choose well. Thank goodness Sonoma stores have our style backs with many fantastic lighting options to choose from. Click through the gallery for a few finds that will give instant style to your home.

9 Fabulous Outdoor Dining Finds from Sonoma Stores

By Karen Kizer

As vacation days and weekends on the water give way to busy school and work schedules, you might ask yourself, “Where did the summer go?” To make sure you squeeze all the sweetness out of summer before the first day of fall, we suggest perfecting your alfresco dining setup at home. Whether it’s a sunny summer lunch or an evening dinner as the sun sets, dining outdoors — for as long as possible — has a way of extending those summer vibes. We’ve lined up a few finds (enormous and small) for inspiration. Click through the above gallery for details.

Party for a Cause With Sonoma’s Out in the Vineyard

By Kaila Bohler

Gary Saperstein, the founder of Out in the Vineyard tour and events company, has dedicated three decades to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ community in Wine Country.

The Sonoma resident launched his company in 2008 to help make Wine Country a destination for the gay traveler. At the time, he had been noticing a steady increase of LGBTQ people visiting and moving to the area, yet there was a lack of marketing directed toward the LGBTQ community.

“Here we are 45 minutes north of the Castro in San Francisco, and yet nobody is marketing to the gay community,” he recalled thinking. “I wanted to open up the wine community to ours.”

Out in the Vineyard’s first event, Twilight T-Dance, was hosted by Beringer Winery in St. Helena. T-dances, or tea dances, date back to 1950s New York, when it was illegal to dance with someone of the same sex and bar owners risked losing liquor licenses if caught selling alcohol to LGBTQ clientele.

Alluding to the traditional tea dances in the English countryside, the tea dance was reconfigured in New York’s gay community as a format where gay people could dance together under the guise of enjoying afternoon tea. Later, tea dances turned into nightclub events and, thanks to Out in the Vineyard, Sonoma County eventually got its own t-dance, complete with disco music and local wine.

Visitors socialize around the pool during Out in the Vineyard's Twilight T-Dance at Raymond Vineyards, benefitting Face to Face Sonoma County AIDS Network, during Gay Wine Weekend in St. Helena, California, on June 14, 2014. (Alvin Jornada / For The Press Democrat)
Visitors socialize around the pool during Out in the Vineyard’s Twilight T-Dance at Raymond Vineyards, benefitting Face to Face Sonoma County AIDS Network, during Gay Wine Weekend in St. Helena on June 14, 2014. (Alvin Jornada / For The Press Democrat)
A sign displayed during pool party as part of Gay Wine Weekend at MacArthur Place on Sunday, June 21, 2015 in Sonoma, California . (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
A sign displayed during pool party as part of Gay Wine Weekend at MacArthur Place on Sunday, June 21, 2015 in Sonoma. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)

Out in the Vineyard’s inaugural Twilight T-Dance benefitted local nonprofit Face to Face, an organization that supports people in Sonoma County living with HIV and AIDS.

“I always knew when I started (Out in the Vineyard) that I wanted it to have a philanthropic arm,” said Saperstein. “I had lived here for almost 15 years and had never heard of Face to Face before Out in the Vineyard.”

Now also serving as Director of Development at Face to Face, Saperstein pointed out that, to date, Out in the Vineyard has raised over $400,000 for the organization through event ticket sales and auctions.

“The work now is focused on ending the HIV epidemic which is far from over … cases of HIV doubled in 2020 in our county and it hasn’t gotten much better this year,” said Saperstein.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Out in the Vineyard routinely organized winery tours, as well as customized day trips and extended stays tailored to visitors’ interests and preferences. The company also produced popular signature events like the annual Gay Wine Weekend, which attracts visitors from across the U.S. and has been named “best summer event” by Gay Travel Awards.

During the height of last summer’s pandemic surge, Out in the Vineyard pivoted from hosting in-person events to online events in the form of virtual wine tours, talks and hangouts. As Black Lives Matter protests swept the nation, Saperstein invited Black vintners to discuss virtually their experiences in the grape growing and wine industry. 

As the county began reopening this summer, Saperstein planned smaller in-person events in lieu of the previously larger gatherings organized by his company. In July, Out in the Vineyard hosted a smaller Twilight T-Dance event at Chateau St. Jean Winery in Kenwood. Attendees, required to show proof of vaccination, enjoyed performances by San Francisco drag queen Ruby Red Munro along with Adriana Roy and Madison McQueen. A portion of the proceeds were donated to Face to Face.

“Seeing the joy and love of bringing people together again and being able to see and hug each other again — being with the community, has been really heartwarming,” said Saperstein. “Even though they’re smaller events, it really is what Out in the Vineyard is all about.”

Events planned by Out in the Vineyard this summer include:

Mix & Mingle at Macrostie Winery in Healdsburg — Aug. 22, 4 p.m.-7p.m.

Eco Terreno Wines in San Francisco at a private residence — Sept. 11, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

To plan a winery tour or trip to Wine Country, visit outinthevineyard.com.

‘It’s Humbling and Great:’ Sebastopol Restaurant Honored by Michelin

By Heather Irwin
Khom Loi restaurant in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Inspired by the “resilience and creativity of chefs” during the pandemic, Michelin inspectors have named Sebastopol’s Khom Loi as one of 10 notable new San Francisco and Wine Country restaurants in its online guide.

The acknowledgment, chef-owner Matthew Williams said, is appreciated and immediately increased reservations for the Thai restaurant, which were lagging as the fourth wave of COVID, and indoor mask mandates took hold.

“It’s a nice thing for our entire staff at not the easiest time. It’s humbling and great because we’ve put a lot of work in to keep up with health and safety mandates and live up to the mission we planned,” said Williams, who also co-owns Ramen Gaijin, a ramen shop, with Chef Moishe Hahn-Schuman.

Related: Dive Into Inspired Thai Cuisine at Sebastopol's Khom Loi

The honor, announced Wednesday, comes in advance of the 2021 San Francisco and Wine Country Michelin Guide’s awarding of coveted stars and bib gourmands in late September.

Ramen Gaijin has been a bib gourmand selection since 2016, given to restaurants that are “good quality, good value restaurants,” while the star awards go to higher-end restaurants. Williams said he hopes the recent recognition might be a precursor to a bib gourmand for Khom Loi.

Resilience, however, has lost much of its meaning for Williams, who opened Khom Loi during the pandemic. The restaurant then closed, then opened again, then closed and finally reopened as mandates about indoor and outdoor dining fluctuated throughout the past year and a half. After facing potential power shut-offs this summer, a tough labor market and wildfire season, Williams said he’s grateful for the surprising news from the Michelin team.

Michelin’s anonymous chief inspector of North America called the restaurant’s menu “spiced and seasoned with little hesitation and fresh and electric at the same time.”

The inspector also noted Williams and Hahn-Schuman’s passion for the flavors of Thailand.

“Extensive travel throughout Thailand has informed and inspired this team to bring a taste of Chiang Mai to Sebastopol. The house-made Thai sausage is superb; and the paste for all the curries are made in-house, with our favorite being the green curry with Manila clams and potatoes,” the anonymous chief inspector wrote.

The praise from Michelin comes on the heels of a strongly critical essay in the San Francisco Chronicle accusing the chefs of cultural appropriation.

The two chefs, who are white, drew stinging criticism from the paper’s restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, for opening a Thai restaurant after “occasional travel” to Thailand and claiming their food was cooked “as you would find in Thailand.” She also blasted the restaurant for menu inaccuracies and profiting from a “fatuous claim of authenticity.”

Williams takes the commentary in stride.

“The criticism is fair, and I get where it is coming from. We just answer it by saying our travels and experiences around the world influence our style of cooking. Ultimately, we’re running Sonoma County restaurants that showcase local ranchers and farmers and create a place to gather.”

“We look at (Thai and Japanese cuisine) as something we are passionate about. Moishe has been cooking Thai food for 20 years after living, traveling and paying deep attention to the cooks of Thailand. We look at it as a form of advocacy, but it’s certainly a real critique,” Williams said.

Other restaurants included in the “new additions” include Horn BBQ of Oakland, Aurum in Los Altos, Ettan in Palo Alton, North Block in Yountville, Reve Bistro in Lafayette, Top Hatters in San Leandro, and San Francisco restaurants 3rd Cousin, Marlena, and Routier.

4 Sonoma Farmstands Off the Beaten Path

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Hit the road for produce, meats, and pantry goods fresh from local farms at the height of growing season. Even if your own garden’s production is off the charts this summer, these four spots offer gourmet ingredients worth the trip. Click through the above gallery for details.