Page 181 – Sonoma Magazine

20 Favorite Things to Do by The Russian River

May 2021

By Sofia Englund

Oakland residents Jude Bermeo, left, and Christine Olivo float down the Russian River, Tuesday, June 4, 2019 in Monte Rio. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2019

The pace of the Russian River sets the leisurely tempo of west Sonoma County life. In this laid-back enclave of eccentric cabins, nestled among redwoods and fir-covered hills, you are bound to find your own rhythm. Float down the river with us (and click through the gallery) to discover where to stay, play and dine in relaxed Russian River style.

Getting Here: Access the Russian River area by flying into Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schultz airport, or drive up Highway 1 from San Francisco. If you’re driving, make a few stops along the coast — Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay. Do some Birds’ watching in Bodega, then ride up the scenic Bohemian Highway.

Settle In: Make Guerneville the jumping off point for your Russian River expedition — the longtime bohemian refuge of Forestville is just a stone’s throw away, as is the “vacation wonderland” of Monte Rio. Guerneville’s comforting early morning fog, the rolling river and its proximity to the Sonoma Coast make the place a dream destination for those wanting to kick back and get pleasantly lost. Guerneville’s colorful collection of residents, its eclectic variation of visitors and varied array of storefronts reflect the archaeology of the town’s recent history: timber town, then hippie haven, then gay retreat and hip getaway.

Camp in style at AutoCamp, Guerneville: Promising “no-fuss” hospitality, AutoCamp’s mid-century modern glamping site features 24 custom Airstream trailers, ten fully equipped luxury tents and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired pavilion. Guests can enjoy art installations, bocce courts and other outdoor games, along with speciality bikes, canoes and tennis.

Stay in an eco-friendly oasis at Boon Hotel + Spa, Guerneville: Named after owner Crista Luedtke’s canine companion, Boon offers quintessential Guerneville lodgings — a tasteful blend of old and new. The hotel grounds once housed the local mercury miner community; the hotel has gone through a series of transformations since the 1970s. In 2008, Luedtke created an eco-friendly oasis of minimalist modern cottages that promises to “unclutter your mind and allow your body to rest.”

Get five star treatment with a family feel at Farmhouse Inn, Forestville: Run by brother-and-sister team Catherine and Joe Bartolomei, the Farmhouse Inn offers all the warmth and hospitality of a family-owned B&B while providing the high-end services and amenities of a five star luxury hotel. Located just 8 miles east of Guerneville, the inn houses a Michelin-starred restaurant and offers a variety of accommodations, from high-ceiling barn rooms to bungalow-style heritage rooms.

Camp riverside at Johnson’s Beach, Guerneville: Johnson’s Beach, a Sonoma County summer destination for nearly 100 years, offers a variety of rental accommodations: a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom main lodge overlooking the river, or rustic cabins dating to the 1920s. “Urban camping” at the beach is another popular option.

Relax on the Russian River: If your idea of a river experience is strenuous rafting, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Russian River is best enjoyed by lying lazily back in a canoe, kayak or float tube. Bring a beach blanket and stop to savor the sun at one of the many hidden beaches along the river. For rental river requirements and recommendations, visit Burke’s Canoe Trips in Forestville or King’s Sport and Tackle in Guerneville. Beaches along the Russian River include, in west Sonoma County, Steelhead Beach Regional Park in Forestville, Forestville River Access (Mom’s Beach) and Sunset Beach River Park. In Healdsburg, the Veterans Memorial Beach has lifeguards on duty and picnic areas.

Piknik Town Market: Though Big Bottom Market was sold last year and reopened as Piknik Town Market, new owner Margaret van der Veen assured fans that the Market’s world-famous biscuits are still baked daily. The spot also offers salads, sandwiches, gourmet groceries and picnic provisions, including to-go picnic boxes. 16228 Main St., 707-604-7295, pikniktownmarket.com

Enjoy homemade pastries on the patio at Gold Coast Coffee, Duncans Mills: This cozy coffee shop is located in the historic hamlet Duncans Mills (once a stop on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad to Sausalito). Stop in for a cup of their finest house-roasted coffee and pair it with a homemade pastry baked in the cafe’s wood-fired oven (which also bakes great tasting pizza!) and then enjoy breakfast on the deck.

Breakfast at a hidden gem: Cape Fear Cafe in Duncans Mills is on of “the best hidden gem restaurants” in Sonoma County, according to dining editor Heather Irwin. If you’re craving some California cuisine with southern flair for breakfast, we recommend pairing the Charleston Benedict — grilled shrimp and prosciutto, two poached eggs and lemon Hollandaise — with a classic Mimosa.

Have pies and ice cream at Guerneville Bank Club: The restored Guerneville Bank Club (circa 1921) offers an interesting mix of art shows, handcrafted pies, homemade ice cream and home accessories. The pies are baked at Chile Pies Baking Co. in a variety of flavors: strawberry rhubarb, apricot cherry, or the signature chile apple pie. The ice cream is the work of Nimble & Finn’s: flavors include lavender honeycomb and Meyer lemon olive oil with chocolate chunks.

Pick up picnic provisions at Big Bottom Market, Guerneville: An institution on Guerneville’s Main Street, this market offers a mix of vintage and modern sensibilities. Think gourmet deli meets farmer’s market meets modern day general store — add in owner Crista Luedtke’s “lumberjack chic” signature style and you get the picture. This is your one-stop-shop for picnic provisions: from the vintage basket to locally sourced cheeses, breads, meats, wines and brews.

Sip some Russian River Valley wine: The Russian River Valley is known for cool climate pinot noir and chardonnay — favorite wineries to visit include Gary Farrell Winery in Healdsburg (pictured), Ryme Cellars in Forestville (actress Elizabeth Olsen’s favorite spot) and Hartford Family Winery, also in Forestville. Here are 5 more must-visit wineries between Forestville and Sebastopol.

Sip on a cold one at Stumptown: The real gem at this Guerneville brewery, aside from the great beers, is the expansive outdoor deck, overlooking the Russian River. Spend a sunny Saturday sipping on a beer sampler or the “Donkey Punch,” a refreshing hoppy lager with a kick and a thick body. A great pit stop on the way to the river or the coast.

Enjoy bistro fare, California style, at Boon Eat + Drink, Guerneville: A year after opening Boon Hotel + Spa, Crista Luedtke launched this Guerneville bistro which pairs modern California cuisine with Boon’s pared-down decor and minimalist philosophy. The proof of her success can be seen in the lines that form on the sidewalk outside the restaurant.

Order cannolis at Canneti Roadhouse Italiana, Forestville: Canneti chef Francesco Torre grew up sampling his grandma Fina’s cooking in the Tuscan coastal town of Massa. Like Grandma Fina, Torres puts a lot of love into every plate he prepares; the locally sourced menu showcases food akin to the rustic variety that he enjoyed in his childhood.

Named after Via de Canetti, a winding rural road in Torres’ childhood Tuscany, Canneti’s decor is roadhouse simple, almost industrial: rough brick walls, farmhouse wood tables and chairs. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, and there’s patio in the back for a relaxed meal beneath the trees.

Browse Guerneville Main Street stores (and side streets): Rustic, renovated and retro storefronts line Guerneville’s Main Street and make it an eclectic shopper’s paradise. Start with a visit to Sonoma Nesting Company to pick up some local treasures for your home, then head on to dime store institution 5 & 10 for cheaper “collectibles” and Second’s First for some vintage clothing.

Go foraging through the Forestville Farmers Market: Starting June 1, every Tuesday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., the Forestville Farmer’s Market livens up the sleepy downtown with local produce, artisanal products, baked goods, arts, crafts, drinks, live music and dancing. A nice place to relax and recharge after a day on the river, sipping on a local brew under the oak trees.

See natural pieces of art at Goat Rock State Beach: Just south of the point where the Russian River meets the Pacific, this Sonoma Coast gem offers the kind of scenic beauty that only the powerful forces of nature can create: wild waves crashing against promontories have carved the rocky coastal landscape into abstract shapes and forms. Among these rugged structures are natural arches formed by the force of water eroding weaker strata of the rock formations.

Watch the sunset at River’s End, Jenner: Finally, as a romantic finale to your Russian River retreat, dine in style where the river meets the sea and watch the sun set on the Western horizon. The website URL for River’s End restaurant and inn is, very suitably, ilovesunsets.com.

Stroll among gentle giants: Avoid Muir Woods’ instagramming tourists by experiencing the majesty of the redwoods in Armstrong Woods’ relatively remote location near Guerneville. Magnificent, 1,200-year-old Sequoia sempervirens, commonly known as coastal redwoods, tower in a way that makes humans feel very small and very serene.

Watch a Civil War redux at Duncan Mills: Each year in July, hundreds of people gather in the Sonoma summer sun to march in itchy wool uniforms. Touted as the largest event of its kind in Northern California, this Duncan Mills extravaganza allows you to watch an authentic Civil War battle reenactment (on a carefully mown battlefield) while enjoying other great vacation attractions in the area. You’re welcome to put down your musket at any time to pick up some provisions at the onsite hot dog shack.

Don your Stetson at the River Rodeo: If you’d prefer watching cowboys wrestling calfs and riding bulls than soldiers marching in the mud, check out the top notch professional Russian River Rodeo held in Duncan Mills June 20-21.

Rainbow Cattle Co.: “The Rainbow,” as locals call it, has been a Guerneville fixture since the late 1970s. The LGBTQ+ community gathering spot is one of only a few Sonoma County bars that remain open until early morning hours, closing at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 16220 Main St., 707-869-0206, queersteer.com

Korbel Champagne Cellars: As the only Champagne producers in the Bay Area since the late 1800s, Korbel has earned a reputation in the county for its old world charm and first-class bubbles. The winery’s Champagne even made it to the table at former president Barack Obama’s inaugural luncheon, a Korbel tradition for presidential inaugurations dating back to the 1980s. Korbel offers free walking tours of its historic museum and cellars, which includes a complimentary Champagne tasting. 13250 River Road, 707-824-7000, korbel.com

Dawn Ranch: This classic river resort reopened Memorial Day weekend after a luxury revamp last year, and already this spring it was named in Esquire’s “41 Best New Hotels in North America and Europe 2024.” 16467 Highway 116, 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com

Favorite Sonoma Spots for Yummy Sushi, Authentic Noodles

May 2021

By Heather Irwin

Makimono Deluxe Sushi Platter at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. (Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

Food brings us all to the table. No matter where you hail from or what kind of food you grew up on, every opportunity to eat is a celebration in our book. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we’re celebrating this occasion by paying homage to a few of our favorite AAPI-owned restaurants in Sonoma County. Click through the above gallery for details. This list isn’t comprehensive, so let us know your favorites in the comments.

Around Town with Sebastopol Prop Stylist Alysia Andriola

May 2021

By Karen Kizer

Sebastopol prop stylist Alysia Andriola has an enviable job, telling stories with objects and working alongside photographers to create eye-catching displays for products from peanut butter to protein bars.

Andriola found her path years ago, while visiting her brother, also a stylist, in New York City. She found herself assisting on a photo shoot and jumped in to choose a platter and linens for a setup with a Thanksgiving turkey.

The client? Gourmet magazine. Andriola’s work was chosen for the cover of their Thanksgiving issue — the prop stylist equivalent of stumbling onto the field during the Super Bowl to score a winning touchdown.

Andriola describes her signature style as fluid, intuitive — and sometimes a little messy. “I’m drawn to textures and shapes. I like to evoke the unseen, too,” she says. She’s quick to point out that behind every aspirational image is a team of artists and hours of preparation. “In my work you carve out this little beautiful moment and it’s really not that big — everywhere else, it’s chaos and confusion. It’s lights and stands, boxes and bins and trash — and our coffees,” she says, laughing.

The Sebastopol home she shares with her teenage son mirrors this contrast. It’s filled with the ceramics she collects, along with her son’s music equipment and boxes of finds in various stages of packing and unpacking for shoots.

Juxtaposition is her muse: witness an oil-stained drip pan, found on the side of the road and now a go-to backdrop for product shoots. Or a scratched sheet of scrap metal with a reflective quality that she explains will photograph beautifully. Creating beautiful moments in an imperfect world — that’s definitely worth aspiring to.

‘In Danger Species’: Petaluma Artist Portrays Black American Experience

May 2021

By Megan McCrea

Artist Orin Carpenter at his art studio in Novato, Calif., on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Beth Schlanker/ The Press Democrat)

As Orin Carpenter tells it, his art career began at age 5, with painting on walls. He and his mother had just returned from the library, and he needed to paint. “This was one of those days where I ran out of paper. I was like, ‘You know what? I gotta get this out.’” Seeing the white wall, he couldn’t resist.

Carpenter’s interests have led him from his native Memphis to the Bay Area, from graphic design into a career as an artist and educator. Today, he’s a whirl of activity: teaching art at Marin Catholic, completing a doctorate in educational technology, leading workshops on art and racial justice, and, of course, making art in his studio.

Recently, he’s been immersed in two series: “Quarantine State of Mind,” abstract paintings navigating this past year, and “In Danger Species,” mixed-media meditations on the experience of living while Black in America. Carpenter had been marinating on the ideas behind the latter for some time. Then last year, when Ahmaud Arbery was killed in Georgia, “I said, ‘You know what? I can’t sit on this anymore. I have to create.’ It was more for me to express and have an outlet from the anger, you know? George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the countless others. That gave the energy for that series.”

Carpenter has just been named an artist in residence at MarinMOCA, where he’ll have a solo exhibit this December, and shows his work at the Artize Gallery in Palm Springs. Carpenter has been sheltering-in-place — and teaching high school art remotely — from Petaluma, where he lives with his wife Mickele, son Kaleb, daughter Kyndall, and the family’s two rescue cats, Lando and Phasma.

Here’s how artist Orin Carpenter spends a day. (This is from a Sonoma Magazine series “A day with …” in which we follow local people doing interesting work in Sonoma County).

4:30 a.m. I’m an early riser. I usually wake up anywhere from 4 to 5. Once I get up, being a Christian, I pray and read devotion and kind of start the day.

6:00 a.m. Sometimes I start working here, with my sketches. Then I have to get out of the space, and being outside is a refresher for me.

A variety of brushes inside artist Orin Carpenter's art studio in Novato, Calif., on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Beth Schlanker/ The Press Democrat) — A variety of brushes inside artist Orin Carpenter’s art studio in Novato. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)

7:00 a.m. Early on a weekend morning, when it’s quiet, I’ll wander around downtown Petaluma, kind of meditate, sketch there. I’ll go to Starbucks, get a white chocolate mocha, and maybe a chocolate croissant. (I mean, might as well overdo it with the chocolate!) Then I visit Brian’s Comics. And I don’t care how old you are — you feel like a kid when you walk in the place. I love going there; chatting with Brian about movies, books, writing; and then, of course, buying comic books. It just revives that energy — it reminds me of being a little boy going into the library.

10:00 a.m. I come home, start looking at notes. Right now, I’m working on concepts for some landscapes. I travel a lot with my family, and one of our favorite spots is Italy. I want to revisit Menaggio, because I just love the feel there. It’s funny, because I actually called it “home.” There’s something about it that’s comforting. So, I think of words that kind of go with “home” and Menaggio, start thinking about the color palettes there. I take photos and look at the color schemes and things that were there, and see if I connect with those, and, if so, are those the pieces and colors I want to put in my piece? Then I start playing with the values of those colors, kind of mapping out that series.

1:30 p.m. Because I’m painting, I create lunch here, to take a break and come back and paint. My wife and I joke about Italy. We do our rocket lettuce salad with Gorgonzola cheese and balsamic dressing and glaze, with candied pecans.

The multimedia piece titled "Sick and Tired" by artist Orin Carpenter at his art studio in Novato, Calif., on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat) — The multimedia piece titled “Sick and Tired” by artist Orin Carpenter at his art studio in Novato. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)

2:30 p.m. I have another virtual workshop coming up, where we actually use art as a vehicle to have these uncomfortable conversations, dealing with racial injustice. I like to be overprepared, so I make sure all the technical aspects are done, do a test run, and think about trouble spots, how to maneuver through that.

6:00 p.m. The family, we love trying restaurants. I think that’s the beauty of Northern California — you can find great places. La Rosa in Santa Rosa is our top one (500 Fourth St., 707-523-3663). Their carne asada is good, the risotto relleno is good, and the tequila shrimp is one of my favorites. I’ll get something and Mickele will get something, and we’ll try things out.

8:30 p.m. At night, it’s kind of doing a checklist: making sure I had a good stopping point for the creative work I’m doing, seeing if there are other materials I need — making sure I have all the elements, so when I continue to work on it, it doesn’t interrupt the flow. Emails go out for school and my PhD work. Kind of shutting everything down, making sure everything has been taken care of before I can go to sleep.

To see more of Petaluma artist Otis Carpenter’s recent work, visit orincarpenter.com

Americana Opens in Santa Rosa with Locally Sourced Comfort Food

May 2021

By Heather Irwin

Roasted garlic ranch burger at Americana Restaurant in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. (Kelsey Joy Photography)

When Americana opened last March, it was a dream come true for Samantha and Ryan Ramey. The owners of Estero Cafe in Valley Ford had saved for years with the hopes of bringing their field-to-fork diner fare to Santa Rosa.

So it seemed like kismet when the former Pullman Cafe space on Fifth Street in Railroad Square became available. The storied location once housed Josh Silvers’ Syrah restaurant, an incubator for many top kitchen talents in the North Bay. The Rameys leaped just in time for a pandemic to turn everything upside down.

Over the last year, they tried just about everything to keep their new restaurant open. Ultimately, though, they put Americana into hibernation and turned their focus to Estero.

Now they’re ready for another go.

With Americana still in startup mode, the menu is evolving. It’s an ode to classic American comfort food. Think ’50s favorites like burgers, milkshakes, fried chicken and onion rings with a side of the best pie you’ve ever had, but sustainably sourced from local farms and ranchers.

Think holy grail French fries cooked in beef tallow. Yes, just like the original McDonald’s fries that really did taste good. The fat is bought from Stemple Creek (as is the beef for the burgers) and rendered in house. It’s not a simple process, but the results are undeniable.

The couple recently built a walk-up takeout area to make dining from Americana even easier, with the full menu plus some extra baked goodies.

They’ve been open just a few weeks, and Samantha said the menu isn’t exactly what they’d planned originally. They’ve simplified a bit as they ramp up — there are no breakfasts (Estero’s signature) yet. Samantha said she hopes to include more plated entrees in the future.

But even in its infancy, Americana is the kind of uncomplicated, from-the-heart food that’s a panacea for the culinary doldrums and mental fatigue we’re all ready to put behind us.

Best Bets

Corn Dogs, $8.50: Dogs first, corn second. The crispy batter shell is a delight, but the snappy, beefy, salty hot dogs from Stemple Creek are outstanding. Served with house ranch or mustard sauce.

Blue Cheese/Mushroom/Bacon Burger, $21: This is a mouthful of a burger, piled with roasted trumpet mushrooms, fresh lettuce, bacon, homemade aioli and onions on a Village Bakery bun. Our only qualm is that the grass-fed beef could be cooked a little more rare to really get that juiciness we love.

Fried Chicken Sandwich, $19: Juicy, juicy, juicy breast of fried chicken with a light fry. It has more chicken than breading, and coleslaw gives it a second layer of crunch.

Cobb Salad, $18: The fresh ingredients set this salad apart. Butter lettuce with farm-fresh egg, bacon and blue cheese with housemade ranch. Instead of a ribbon for participation, this salad gets a gold medal.

Done For You Salad, $15: You pick the ingredients, and they make it. Think salad bar without the sticky tongs and sneeze guard.

Homemade Hostess Cake: It’s not a Ho-Ho; it’s an oh-my-goodness chocolate experience for one. Pastry chef Jenny Malicki doesn’t overload this devilish dessert with too much sugar, and she lets the chocolate on chocolate speak for itself.

Pies: Crusts always seem to be a waste of calories and the fillings far too sweet for my taste. Malicki’s strawberry-rhubarb pie is the exception. Buttery dough is cooked to a crisp crust with layer upon layer of flakes. Tart rhubarb and fresh in-season strawberries make this the best pie around. Whole pies are $40, daily hand pies are $7.

American Tacos: These weren’t officially on the menu yet. They are a nostalgic tribute to Midwestern moms, with the soft crunch of fried flour tortillas and hamburger, lettuce, sour cream and tomatoes for the win.

Milkshakes, $8: A creamy vanilla shake is a wonder. Made with Straus ice cream, these aren’t full of stabilizer and artificial flavors and gums, but actual milk and vanilla beans. Taste the difference. Try a float with Revive Kombucha root beer for a special treat.

Americana, 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-755-1548, americanasr.com. Online ordering available. Hours are currently 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

9 Favorite Sonoma Wineries for Picnics

May 2021

By Linda Murphy

Picnickers enjoy a glass of wine in Adirondack chairs at Truett Hurst Winery in Healdsburg. (Kim Carroll)

A-tisket, a-tasket, can you bring your own picnic basket to a Sonoma County winery?

That depends.

Now that reservations are required to taste wine at local wineries, appointments must also be made for picnicking on site. This means winery picnickers will have a formal start and finish time, with appointments generally lasting 90 minutes. No more lingering for an afternoon or whenever the mood strikes, because wineries must allow for physical distancing and make time between guests’ visits to sanitize tables, chairs and other surfaces.

However — and it’s a big, positive however — those 90 minutes will be relatively private, without intrusion from others. No fighting for a space to place your blanket. No kids or dogs trampling through your lunch. Wines are delivered to each picnic space, with servers having the time to explain the selections, answer questions, recommend a restaurant for dinner when asked or leave picnickers alone if that’s what they prefer.

In fact, picnicking at Sonoma wineries has become a more focused and engaging experience thanks, backhandedly, to COVID-19. Many producers have upgraded their picnic areas with fashionable seating, umbrellas, views of creeks and rivers and, most notably, by offering lunches and snacks to those who didn’t have time to pack a basket.

A side note: It’s an obscure reality that some wineries are prohibited from allowing picnicking by their county use permits. A “no picnicking” sign doesn’t necessarily mean the winery doesn’t welcome this all-American activity on its grounds; it’s rather a posting to keep the producer from potentially losing its alcohol beverage license by inadvertently breaking the rules. A winery’s permit also defines the distance from the tasting room within which wine can be legally consumed. Visitors can’t take their bottle of wine and wander out of bounds to enjoy it in private.

Here is a sampling of Sonoma County wineries that welcome picnickers, divided into two groups: those that allow guests to bring their own food to accompany paid-for tastings and those that provide fare to accompany the wines purchased. In all cases, call ahead or visit websites to learn about picnic options and policies, and remember to make reservations.

BYOB — Bring your own basket

Acorn Winery/Alegria Vineyard: Bill and Betsy Nachbaur have long welcomed picnicking tasters to their eastern Russian River Valley vineyard and winery, located between Healdsburg and Windsor. Going against the chardonnay/pinot noir grain, they produce the varietals they love to drink: robust zinfandels, sangioveses, syrahs, cabernet francs, dolcettos and field-blend red wines from old vines. Bill leads vineyard tours, and tastings are conducted in a picnic area next to Alegria Vineyard. The Nachbaurs suggest guests pick up picnic fare before their visit at Big John’s Market in Healdsburg or Oliver’s Market in Windsor. PizzaLeah in Windsor sells off-the-charts delicious and inventive pizzas, to go.

12040 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-433-6440, acornwinery.com

Armida Winery: Tote your goodie-filled basket to this winery at the north end of Westside Road near Healdsburg, where everyone is welcome to sit outside the geodesic-dome facility and taste the wines in three designated picnic areas, all with views of upper Russian River Valley and the Mayacamas mountain range. You can sit near a pond, under a 60-foot-tall oak tree or on a lawn that slopes toward a bocce court open to guests. Bottle purchases or tasting flights are necessary to reserve picnic space. Don’t miss the heady Poizin Zinfandel, elegant Gap’s Crown Chardonnay and racy Redwood Road Estate Sauvignon Blanc.

2201 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-2222, armida.com

Dutcher Crossing Winery: Debra Mathy’s dog-friendly winery sells cheese and charcuterie boards to accompany guests’ own lunch baskets, allowed with tastings by appointment. The grounds are gorgeous and welcoming, the vibe rustic and calming and the wines excellent and fairly priced, sourced from the estate and top-notch vineyards including Stuhlmuller, Bacigalupi, Terra de Promissio and Maple. From chardonnay to cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir to zinfandel and syrah to petite sirah, the range is broad and impressive.

8533 Dry Creek Road, Geyserville, 707-431-2700, dutchercrossingwinery.com

Truett Hurst Winery: This Dry Creek Valley winery (and its adjacent VML Winery) is a picnicker’s dream with three areas devoted to those who like to bring their own eats (and with cheeses and charcuterie available to buy by the basket-less hungry). The Olive Grove is the most intimate space, with just five tables. The Patio is protected by tree branches that provide shade, and music makes for a lively time. The Picnic Table area is shaded and affords guests — kids are welcome — views of farm animals that are a part of Truett Hurst’s biodynamic farming practices. Pygmy goats are the sociable stars, and human kids can feed them from dispensers (25 cents). Adults will savor the sauvignon blancs, zinfandels and petite sirahs.

5610 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-9545, truetthurst.com

BYOP — Buy your own picnic

Cline Family Cellars: How do you elevate a picnic-themed wine experience? Turn the de rigueur table into a private cabana. Cline recently debuted light-filled and airy cabanas near its Great Lawn, each accommodating four to six guests for a 2-hour stay. A chilled bottle of Nancy’s Sparkling Cuvee awaits, as well as a “picnic” basket of provisions, including salami, cheeses, nuts and crackers. A host assigned to each cabana takes and delivers additional bottle orders, and parking is available in a VIP lot. After slaking your thirst with Nancy’s bubbly, try the numerous zinfandels produced, many from century-old vines, viognier and syrah from the family’s Petaluma Gap vineyard.

24737 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-940-4044, clinecellars.com

Landmark Vineyards Sonoma Valley: Picnicking has long been a feature of this chardonnay and pinot noir producer’s menu of options for visitors. The Kenwood setting is gorgeous with a patio and fountain surrounded by gardens and an expansive lawn that, pre-COVID-19, hosted guests toting their own picnic blankets and baskets, and who played cornhole to keep the blood moving. Today the experience is more refined, with visitors creating their own picnic fare from the winery’s selection of local cheeses, charcuterie, grab-and-go items and gourmet popcorn. Guests also can add a plate of cheese, charcuterie, jams, nuts and berries to any tasting experience. A new addition is the Sensory Tasting Experience, which tests the five senses through a wine tasting with fresh herbs and flowers and ends with a guided tour of the grounds.

101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-0218, landmarkwine.com

Hanna Winery Alexander Valley: Hanna’s Picnic Under the Big Oak Tree on the estate includes a gourmet lunch and a tasting flight of five wines. Additional bottles can be purchased at a 10% discount. Owner Christine Hanna is an excellent chef and author of “The Winemaker Cooks” cookbook. The lunch is guaranteed to be delicious, as are Hanna’s sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignons.

9280 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-431-4310, x116, hannawinery.com

Notre Vue Estate: This eastern Russian River Valley wine estate produces two brands, Notre Vue (“our view”) and Balverne, the latter an abandoned brand revitalized by owners Bob and Renee Stein. Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and rosés made from pinot noir and Rhone-variety grapes are among the stellar wines made here, and they’re great mates for sipping during the Lakeside Lunch — a gourmet sandwich, seasonal salad, chips and a light dessert. The lunch is served on one of the Steins’ Lakeside Pavilions, overlooking a reservoir and cooled by Russian River breezes. The 250 acres of estate vineyards span the Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill appellations; another 350 acres are dedicated to Forever Wild open space.

11010 Estate Lane, Windsor, 707-433-4050, notrevueestate.com

Robledo Family Winery: Feel transported to a small Mexican village by visiting this Sonoma Carneros winery for tastings, bottle purchases and picnic provisions. Hand-carved furniture imported from Michoacán, earthen pots, rustic stone-tile flooring and wrought-iron chandeliers reflect the birthplace of Reynaldo Robledo, who, with his family, opened the first wine tasting room in the U.S. by a migrant worker from Mexico, in 2003. The Robledos grow grapes in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties and their sauvignon blancs, chardonnays, tempranillos and cabernet sauvignons are made predominantly from estate-grown grapes. Savor them with a selection of cheeses, salami and crackers available for purchase.

21901 Bonness Road, Sonoma, 888-939-6903, robledofamilywinery.com

New Burger Spot Coming to Sebastopol

May 2021

By Heather Irwin

BBQ burger at Sonoma Burger, a pop-up at Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol. Photo: Sonoma Burger.

Last winter, Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol hosted a burger takeout pop-up that began gaining traction in January. We heard buzz about the team looking for a permanent spot to expand the burger program, named Sonoma Burger, now confirmed to be at 173 Pleasant Hill Ave. (the former location for Giovanni’s Deli).

Slated to open July 1, the menu will feature Gravenstein Grill’s pimento burger, a barbecue burger with blue cheese and crispy onion strings, chicken and turkey burgers and a tempeh burger with miso-honey glaze, along with griddled hot dogs, salads, chili cheese fries, popcorn chicken and freshly baked cookies. Stay tuned.

More dining news

Challenges for restaurants: Yes, we are all so excited to eat out again! Restaurants love having us back, too. But at the same time, there’s an insane hiring shortage happening. Many servers and cooks have gone back to school, switched careers, left the area or are still getting by on unemployment. Restaurants are even closing on Fridays and Saturdays because they don’t have enough staff to cook the food. Hiring bonuses of $400 or more are barely making a dent in filling the need for people willing to work the restaurant industry.

Sure, it’s time for a reckoning on wages in the hospitality industry, but diners are averse to paying more for their food, so it’s a moot point, for now. In the meantime, have patience when going out to eat — your server might be just plain overwhelmed.

Soft Serve Spectacular: I’ve been working on a story about the food scene in Occidental for Sonoma Magazine, but here’s a sneak peek at something I fell a little in love with last weekend: Straus Soft Serve with plum shrub at Altamont General Store. Tart and sweet and a little savory, it’s a miracle. 3703 Main St., Occidental, 707-874-6053.

Amid Pandemic Shutdowns, Some Local Chefs Started Working from Home

May 2021

By Carey Sweet

Sean Perry, owner of Sean of the Bread, bakes a different style of bread each day in his Kenwood home bakery. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

It’s tough to keep a great chef down. As restaurants rode the wave of the pandemic, many talented food professionals found their careers taking unplanned turns. Yet rather than throw in the kitchen towel, some creative types turned to opening cottage enterprises, renting large commercial kitchens — or even securing permits for their home kitchens — to create new businesses.

The scale remains small for now, but given the allure of these one-of-a-kind artisan operations, not to mention the local support they’ve received, the sky’s the limit. “This isn’t how I normally launch things,” laughs chef Jennifer McMurry of her new Friday night supper club in Sonoma Valley. “Normally I have to know where I’m going with something before I leap.” But sometimes, not knowing can be delicious.

T & K Mixology, Sonoma

Home-based happy hour became quite a thing this past year, and thanks to craft bartenders Kenneth De Alba, 38, and Tony Leyva, 32, we can rival the region’s best mixologists. The duo introduced their artisanal cocktail mixer company in March 2020, after they lost their full-time jobs at Sonoma’s El Dorado Kitchen due to Covid.

“With bars being shut down, there was an obvious gap in the home market for craft cocktails,” says De Alba. “We looked at store-bought mixers and realized they didn’t taste fresh, and that we could make our own to taste as perfect as something we would serve at the bar.”

The Mint to Be cocktail mix from T&K Mixology in Sonoma. (Courtesy of T&K Mixology)

The result is a heavenly, all-natural quaff made in tiny batches of less than three cases per week in flavors like blood-orange margarita and strawberry.

Glittering like liquid jewels in their hand-labeled canning jars, the colorful mixes are exquisite enough to drink on their own, but T& K includes recipes for expert drinks like a Spicy Mezçal Margarita rimmed with chile salt.

“I’ve always described creating cocktails as cooking, combining fresh ingredients and flavors,” De Alba says. “We try to support local farmers, like using fruit from Watmaugh Strawberries in Sonoma, and organic California citrus. It brings us great joy to work with local businesses, and see how we’ve all come together and helped each other through these difficult times.” To order, search Facebook for T& K Mixology, find them on Instagram @tnkmixology, or email tnkmixology@gmail.com.

Sean of the Bread, Kenwood

For his new home-based business, professional baker Sean Perry managed to come up with the cleverest name we’ve heard in a long time, a riff on popular zombie movie titles of the early 2000s. Perry left his retail bakery job in San Francisco to move to the town of Kenwood last November and immediately sold several starters to neighborhood customers sheltering in place. Soon, orders were pouring in for his own fresh-baked sourdough bread, ancient grain loaves, English muffins, and bagels.

“The science of bread is fascinating, and I love explaining it to people,” Perry explains. “Grain’s ability to develop gluten and trap the wonderful gases produced by fermentation is what makes it a magical gift to humankind.”

Inspired by the tradition of small towns and villages having a local baker, Perry delivers his art within a three-mile radius of Kenwood or will meet customers in town for pick-ups.

It’s worth a drive for the all-natural, golden crusted breads lovingly mixed and shaped by hand, then baked loaf by loaf.

“I wake up around 4 a.m. every day,” he says. “This allows me to ensure that a product will never be rushed, and I can adhere to the bread’s schedule as opposed to trying to force the bread to adhere to mine.” To order, email seanofthebreadkenwood@gmail.com or visit seanofthebreadkenwood.com.

Ta’ Bueno, Sonoma

Surely, a superb cure for pandemic stress has to be gooey, cheese-laden enchiladas bathed in rich sauce, or steamy tamales plumped with lots of toothsome pork cloaked in fruity-smoky guajillo chile sauce. Happiness surely comes in complex, chocolatey chicken mole, sopes made with homemade masa, and creamy arroz con leche.

It’s Erik Mejia to the rescue, who debuted his Ta’ Bueno (“It’s Good”) Mexican food in August 2020 after a heady career at restaurants such as the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, which was lost last September in the Glass Fire.

Based on home delivery, Mejia’s concept is run out of a donut shop in Sonoma and showcases family dishes treasured through generations. “We had to call our grandmothers in for this, taking old recipes from our relatives from distinct parts of Mexico,” he says. That includes using real lard in the tamale masa, because, as Mejia, notes, “We are trying to keep Mexican food as authentic as possible. It is very hard to find a substitution for lard that keeps the full flavor, texture, and smoothness of a tamale.”

That said, he has introduced a best-selling vegan tamale that’s sumptuous, too — “because the world and its people are changing.” To order, visit facebook.com/tabuenosonoma, Instagram @tabuenosonoma, email tabuenosonoma@gmail.com or call 707-408-3138.

Kraffty Kitchen, Kenwood

Cookie dough is delightful enough, but when it’s healthy, it’s an extra-special pleasure. Kraffty Kitchen chef-owner Audrey Krafft’s treats are free of sugar, gluten, dairy, and eggs — and are ready to bake, freeze, or simply enjoy raw.

“Growing up, I would make a batch almost every week, occasionally baking cookies but 99% of the time just making it for the delicious dough,” she says. “I was obsessed.”

The fitness coach and personal trainer launched her company in March 2020, when shelter-in-place allowed her to focus on her paleo, vegan, and keto-friendly recipes. Because Krafft is sensitive to most added sugars, she uses zero-calorie monk fruit extract; she also uses a custom combination of almond and cassava flour. Her other secret weapons? Organic vegan butter from Miyoko’s Creamery in Petaluma, and natural vanilla and almond extracts from Sonoma Syrup Co.

“It took me almost a year to get the right consistency, texture and flavor,” she says. “And really, what’s better than eating someone else’s cooking in your jammies in the comfort of your home?” Available at Glen Ellen Market in Glen Ellen or Baker & Cook in Sonoma, or order online at krafftykitchen.com.

Viola Supper Club, Sonoma

Last fall, Jennifer McMurry, formerly of Viola Pastry Boutique and The Pharmacy, realized she had an opportunity to create restaurant-quality meals for longtime customers. Now, every Monday, she creates a new menu, then cooks multi-course, heat-and-eat meals, delivered on Friday. More than catering, it’s become a club, with local members who join on Instagram, then often celebrate their meals together via social media.

One of Viola Supper Club’s hearty dinner salads, with sprouts, chickpeas, and fresh avocado. (Courtesy of Viola Supper Club)

“I created this model directly due to the pandemic,” McMurry says. “I started small, working with former customers who knew me and my food. I really wanted to create something that felt special. It is very personal – I work with every guest individually.”

McMurry named the club for her grandmother, Viola, and follows her rule of showcasing fresh, organic, seasonal ingredients. “We buy local as much as we possibly can,” she says. “I shop at the farmers market every week to determine the menu. We also grow a lot of our own produce, and use local organic eggs and Straus dairy products.”

The menus are marvelous. One recent week, the meal began with chanterelle sformato with Pecorino Romano cheese and organic cauliflower, and ended with cardamom panna cotta and homemade salted caramels. “I’m grateful to have created something new during a pretty rough time,” she says. “It feels amazing every Friday when we get to deliver the food to people, and have a moment to see their excitement.” Join via Instagram @chefjennifermcmurry.

A Young Family Builds a Dream Home in Penngrove

May 2021

By Karen Kizer

Kaitlin Loewenthal has a nightly ritual with her three oldest children. Every evening, they each sit down on a plush velvet chair and, with a cup of tea in hand, they read for an hour from one of the many books on the shelves in the “reading room.”

Loewenthal, who owns and operates the boutique Hello Penngrove, designed this room in her custom home to facilitate this treasured time of day.

“If I create this magical space that’s dedicated to reading, we’re going to do it more and enjoy it even more,” she said of her thought behind the project.

Loewenthal and her husband, Aaron Loewenthal, a realtor, began working on the plans for their new home with architect James McCalligan in 2014. Two years later, they celebrated their first Thanksgiving in their new house.

When the couple found themselves in need of an additional source of income, they got creative: Their dream home was transformed into the vacation rental Hello Penngrove Home while the family stayed for a few days at a time in Kaitlin’s father’s nearby studio or the family vacation home at Stinson Beach.

The growing family (now six) soon perfected their packing skills — bags needed to be packed quickly and belongings put away while the house was cleaned and readied for guests; towels fluffed, local soaps and lotions put out and the fridge stocked with bubbly water.

Loewenthal discovered she enjoyed taking care of these hospitality details. Being a fan of minimalism also helped streamline the process — with few superfluous items in the home, packing the family’s belongings into lockable closets was easier than it otherwise might have been. Knowing they had to keep their belongings to a minimum to facilitate moving in and out of their home, Loewenthal continued to scrutinize every item in the household, assessing whether or not it was necessary and/or meaningful.

This less-is-more philosophy carries over to Loewenthal’s business. Hello Penngrove sells housewares, gifts and items for children, such as clothing, toys and, of course, books. The store doesn’t carry anything Loewenthal wouldn’t like to have in her own home and she often gives items a test run in the Hello Penngrove Home. She styles the products for photos, which then appear on the store’s Instagram page.

Loewenthal has adopted a holistic approach to home design. Just like the “reading room” engendered a new nightly ritual for her family, she believes that a well-designed space can change how we live. To that end, she also created a “secret garden” for her family’s home.

The Loewenthal backyard boasts a collection of trees — fig, orange, olive and lemon — that produce an impressive amount of fruits for the family and their lucky neighbors. Each child is in charge of their own raised bed — the corn was easy to grow, the watermelons proved a challenge — and they love filling their wagons with carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins and gourds.

Inside the home, a large dining table of reclaimed redwood accommodates large family gatherings and a chalkboard wall allows Loewenthal to create a seasonal mural — the bottom half is used by the kids for drawing.

The master bedroom is housed at the top level of a small tower-like structure connected to the house. The bedroom windows, high above the ground, allow for stargazing and waking up with the sun. Early rising is important for the busy mom and entrepreneur.

“I feel like I’m really trying to create spaces where we’re going to live life how we want to — I believe in decorating a space that reflects our values,” said Loewenthal.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the family has lived at home full time but Loewenthal imagines they will rent out their Hello Penngrove Home as an Airbnb in the future.

Forestville’s Backyard Restaurant Closing Permanently

May 2021

By Heather Irwin

“This was our baby,” said chefs and co-owners Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire of Backyard restaurant who are permanently closing their Forestville restaurant on June 6. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

Takeout boxes of fried chicken, biscuits and honey butter were the key to the pandemic survival of Backyard restaurant in Forestville. That, and nearly 25,000 meals they prepared each week for seniors at the West County Senior Center as part of an emergency restaurant relief program.

As they prepared to reopen their dining room, still reeling from a year of uncertainty, owners Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire realized that pre-pandemic issues still loomed large, including the need for building improvements, their lease ending and a shifting west county demographic that’s reduced the number of local families coming to their restaurant.

So, last week the couple made the final decision not to reopen, informing social media followers on Monday.

“We worked our butts off to survive COVID,” said Gardenhire. “It was so hard to pull this trigger and we really grappled with this, but it was just getting really, really tough out here in Forestville.”

The story of any closure, of course, is more nuanced than a simple goodbye. Like so many other restaurateurs struggling to restart at this point in the pandemic, they couldn’t seem to catch a break.

Rural west county’s ascension as a popular vacation rental spot has driven out full-time residents, resulting in fewer families and locals coming to their restaurant, Gardenhire said. And the iconic 77-year-old building they’d leased for nine years in Forestville was no longer meeting their needs.

“We don’t know what the future holds for us. Maybe in a year we’ll do something else after the dust settles. We’re going to miss seeing those mushroom foragers walk in the front door in the fall. We’re going to miss the guests who come in week after week. For nine years we’ve fed people, but I guess it just is what it is,” Gardenhire said.

The familiar sign of Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire’s Backyard restaurant which is permanently closing June 6 after making it through the pandemic in Forestville, Calif. on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat) — The familiar sign of Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire’s Backyard restaurant in Forestville. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

Backyard’s closure is a big blow for the restaurant community at large. Kedan and Gardenhire were at the forefront of a resurgence of true seed-to-table dining when they opened, sourcing from their own farm and small family or cooperatively owned farms nearby. Fermentation, sustainability, food justice and eliminating food waste were foundations of their food philosophy.

Kedan once made a gourmet dinner at the restaurant entirely from “garbage” — food scraps like broccoli stems, offal and other things usually meant for the compost heap. The restaurant was one of a handful to win Slow Food Sonoma County’s “Snail of Approval” for their commitment to ethically raised food. They were, and are, respected members of the local food community, and Gardenhire has been instrumental in feeding disaster survivors over the last several years.

“We’re always looking at how we can help, because at the core of what we do is feeding people. We nourish them. And when a crisis comes up, that’s what chefs do,” Gardenhire said.

While the restaurant winds down, Gardenhire is spending time making pottery and Kedan is teaching. In early July, they’ll begin cooking at Davis Family Vineyards. The restaurant employs seven full-time workers and two part-time workers. Several will be kept on for catering work, Gardenhire said.

“We’re gonna have some fun, and it will be our little home base for a while,” Gardenhire said. They also plan to serve fried chicken at the Gravenstein Apple Fair in August.

Before the restaurant closes, there’s still time to order your fried chicken dinners, house fermented kimchi, chocolate budino tarts, lamb gyros and chicken pot pies.

Backyard will host a fundraiser for El Molino High School on June 6. For more details on that and their Davis Family Vineyards schedule, go to backyardforestville.com.