How to Restaurant Now: Local Takeout Triumphs

By Heather Irwin
 First, the good news: takeout is getting great

Pre-Christmas takeout meals are shaping up to be pretty spectacular this year. From roasted Mount Lassen Trout with creamed kale, five-spice carrots and olive-oil potatoes from the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and Wagyu prime rib from Seared in Petaluma to cider-brined pork shoulder and apple strudel from Franchetti’s in Santa Rosa and Snake River Farms beef Wellington from Glen Ellen Star, all those little sugarplums and hunks of meat are dancing in our heads!

More good news: Pop-up kitchens are popping up all over Sonoma County

We’re huge fans of Chef Jennifer McMurry’s underground meal delivery service. The former Viola and Pharmacy chef is back in business, serving up dishes like short ribs with crème fraîche mashed potatoes, homemade butternut squash gnocchi, chicken pot pie, pork sugo, hearty salads and comforting soups. She works out of a commercial kitchen, so you’ll have to get on her “nice” list via social media (@chefjennifermcmurry on Instagram) to place an order. Menus come out weekly and deliveries are on Fridays. Each order comes with McMurry’s salted caramels.

TC Provisions (@tcprovisions on Instagram) has popped up for takeout at Wishbone in Petaluma with beef bourguignon, lobster bisque and trout en croute. More pop-up kitchens are set to launch soon.

Finally, with the current ban on dining outdoors at restaurants, over the next few weeks we’ll highlight some of the best takeout in the county from restaurants like Catelli’s, Sweet T’s, Single Thread, Valette and Folktable in Sonoma at biteclubeats.com. Share your faves with me at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com.

The bad news: hibernation

Expect an increasing number of restaurants to go into hibernation soon. Takeout isn’t sustainable and the winter months are always slow. John Ash & Co., Central Market, La Rosa Tequileria and Geyserville Grille all have proactively shuttered, with more restaurants to come. We hope to see them all back soon.

The ugly news: delivery continues to disappoint

On a recent sleepless night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the delivery meal I’d paid nearly $90 for and ended up throwing in the garbage. I actually laughed when I opened the sealed bag because everything looked so disappointingly unappetizing. It smelled off. It tasted worse. I stopped laughing.

I don’t blame the restaurant. I blame what restaurants have been forced to become. This wasn’t even close to being the first poorly packaged, miserably seasoned, soggy, not-what-the-picture-looked-like, ridiculously overpriced delivery disaster I’ve had recently. The same thing happened the night before. And the week before. And the month before. It’s predictable at this point.

What hurts even more is that the restaurant probably lost money on this transaction, with high fees and low margins. Nobody won except Door Dash.

Most restaurateurs take great pride in their food, but nine months into the pandemic they still haven’t quite figured out delivery. In many ways, they can’t.

Restaurants may have one order or 100 and are usually working with a skeleton crew. Ingredients may run out or go bad on shelves waiting for orders. Drivers show up late or not at all. Packaging is tricky, everything gets soggy and the half-hour drive leaves everything jostled and upended.

Yes, the system works well for tried-and-true delivery businesses like pizzerias, fast-food joints, taquerias and Chinese restaurants. Mary’s Pizza Shack always rocks it, and we are frequent, happy guests. The same is true for spots like Taqueria California and Amy’s Drive Thru. It’s about expectations, too. I can tolerate a sloppy $20 pizza but not a $90 disaster from a fast-casual restaurant.

Sadly, this is where we are and where we’ll probably be for at least a few more months. So before you give up on restaurants, let’s get smart. Here’s how:

1. Preorder: Support chef-run restaurants who want to make you happy. Dustin Valette of Valette Restaurant has a huge following for his Michelin-quality takeout meals, which are actually less expensive than some bad delivery I’ve had. Try Spinster Sisters’ Family Meals. They need preorders to make takeout work, so they know how to staff and what ingredients to order. Plan and order at least a few days ahead; some restaurants sell out, so even a week ahead is good idea. Yes, it takes a little thought, but I’ve created a calendar to remind me. Plus, contactless pickup and it’s all prepaid. Win!

2. Pick up your food: Get off your tush and go get it. Restaurants save the delivery fees and you don’t wait around or end up paying $50 for a $35 meal. Plus, it’s fun to sniff all that goodness on the car ride home. I recommend the Audible fairy tale comedy “Heads Will Roll” from Kate McKinnon (not for kids) to keep you company on the drive.

3. Spread the love: Consider getting out of your everyday area. See what’s available in Sonoma if you live in Santa Rosa. Take a trip to Healdsburg. Get down to P-town.

4. Be Nice: Every meal won’t be perfect. But hold your Yelp nastiness and let the restaurant know directly instead. Online reviews are forever, and your meal may have been a slip. A good restaurant will address your concerns. If they blow you off, then hit Yelp.

5. Share the love: Had a great meal? Share it on social media, tell a friend, go to Save Sonoma County Restaurants on Facebook and post a quick review and a picture. Tell me at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Word-of-mouth is more valuable than gold.

Sonoma County’s Best Restaurant Dishes 2020

By Heather Irwin
Tamarind glazed grilled shrimp at Stark’s Steak and Seafood Brazilian BBQ popup in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)

It’s almost cruel to talk about the incredible food I have eaten this year as we begin another pandemic lockdown. Many of these restaurants are closed or only offering takeout, which pales in comparison to the summertime luxury of being able to eat al fresco.

For that I’m sorry, but not that sorry. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and my it’s my most sincere wish that we’ll soon be able to enjoy the amazing food Sonoma County is known for. This look back at the best dishes I ate this year is also an homage to all the chefs who refused to give up and pivoted over and over to meet the challenges heaped on them at every turn.

Sadly, it’s my greatest fear that some of these restaurants won’t make it through the winter. The lack of any real Congressional action to assist the restaurant industry — a massive stimulus remains mired in committee — is about the only thing that can save them at this point. Customer support is still critical as we enter the darkest season these restaurateurs have known. Soggy takeout containers and cold food aren’t my favorite either, but it’s our current reality.

As we dream of better days, consider this a look at what was 2020 and what will be again.

Top five dishes

Grossman’s Noshery & Bar, every dish: Grossman’s is all that and a bag of matzoh chips. Fresh bagels and schmears, the world’s best egg salad, smoked fish, chicken liver with gribnes, veal palmeni and the dish I order frequently (just for my own satisfaction) — the Sabich platter with fried eggplant, falafel, pickled veggies, tahina, pita and Israeli salad. It’s my soul food. Full menu available for takeout. 308 1/2 Wilson St., Santa Rosa (at the Hotel La Rose), 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com

Bricoleur Vineyards, Heirloom Tomato Salad and Elote Agnolotti with roasted corn, charred shishito pepper, lime and cotija: There is a brief window in late summer where food becomes magical. Tomatoes and corn are at their peak, late-season berries are sweeter than ever and in the right hands a perfect meal is possible. Chef Shane McAnelly’s summer wine dinners at this fledgling winery are a combination of place, time and talent. I will likely never forget my dinner for one as I sat by the pond and savored every bite. Wine dinners resume in February. 7394 Starr Road, Windsor, 707-875-5700, bricoleurvineyards.com

Single Thread, opening course small bites and wild Kagoshima Kanpachi: Utter delight is the best way to explain the small fairy glen of flora and fauna studded with luxurious edible treats waiting for diners at this three-Michelin star restaurant. In their temporary home at Kistler Vineyards’ Trenton Roadhouse this summer, Kyle and Katina Connaughton matched the breathtaking scenery and moonrise with a series of dishes almost too beautiful to eat. The luxurious outdoor dining fantasy they recently built will remain until March, but currently, they’re takeout-only menu is available online. 131 North St., Healdsburg, 707-723-4646, singlethreadfarms.com

Blue Ridge Kitchen, Croque Madame: This showstopper is the Liberace of sandwiches. Its jeweled capelets of griddled brioche sit in a dainty puddle of golden saffron Bechemel. Up top is a jaunty chapeau of sunny-side-up eggs and sequins of caviar. Peering inside, you’ll find a symphony of fontina, country ham and even lobster. You can’t look away from that kind of fabulous. Open for takeout. 6770 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, 707-222-5040, brkitchen.com

Wit and Wisdom, Caponatina Angolotti: Michale Mina’s first Wine Country restaurant is top-to-bottom exceptional, but this simple little pasta dish with tomato-water glaze and Parmesan fonduta blew me away. Open for takeout. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-931-3405, michaelmina.net/restaurants/wit-wisdom

And the rest

Barndiva, Boeuf Bourguignon with crème-fraîche mashed potatoes and shiso dashi-glazed maitake mushrooms: One of my early takeout meals this year is still one of the best. Open for takeout. 231 Center St., Healdsburg, barndiva.com

Sushi Kosho, Japanese Eggplant with sweet miso glaze and walnuts and sushi made for a happy visit to one of my favorite chefs, despite the lockdown. Open for takeout. 750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, koshosushi.com

PizzaLeah, Old Grey Beard pizza: This sausage pizza gets a sweet-spicy kick from hot honey and orange zest added to homemade red sauce, fontina cheese, Italian sausage and a seriously delightful crust. Leah Scurto has become a huge part of the community since opening in March, with amazingly good pizza. Open for takeout. 9240 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 116, Windsor, 707-620-0551, pizzaleah.com

Stark’s Steakhouse Brazilian BBQ, Tamarind-Glazed Grilled Shrimp: Though this summer churascarria has ended, the memories of the all-you-can-eat fest will linger. You can still order the shrimp and other steakhouse classics for takeout. Stark’s Steakhouse is open for takeout. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com

Seafood and Eat (Down to Earth Cafe), Crab Louie Salad and Fish and Chips: A pandemic pivot resulted in one of the best seafood spots in the county. The Fish and Chips are unparalleled; with local rock cod fried in a beer batter, they’re flaky, clean and crisp rather than an oily, sodden mess hidden in a puffy pancake jacket. The Crab Louis Salad is a feast for the eyes and belly. Open for takeout. 9238 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-657-7701, facebook.com/dtewindsor

Simmer Claw Bar, Crayfish Boil with potatoes, corn and all the fixings: This was the last review I did before the COVID-19 shutdown and still one of the finger-licking best. Open for takeout. 595 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park, 707-806-2080, facebook.com/SimmerClawBar

Acre Pizza, Detroit-style pizza: Caramelized crust, homemade sauce and loads of cheese make this thick-crust, gramma-style pizza too delicious to ignore. 6760 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, 707-827-3455, acrepizza.com

Mateo’s Cocina Latina, Pork Belly: An unplanned lunch with friends turned up this incredible piece of crispy pork in a honey-serrano glaze. Unforgettable. 214 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1520, mateoscocinalatina.com

El Charro Negro food truck, Tacos and agua chiles: Home of the best ocean-to-table tacos, tostadas and ceviche in Sonoma County, hands down. Hours vary, but check out their social media for updates. Mitote Food Park in Roseland, 707-385-6465, charronegrofood.com

Note: We’ll be adding more favorites in the coming days.

Best Bets for Christmas Dinner Takeout in Sonoma County 2020

By Heather Irwin

A year like no other needs a holiday takeout like no other. Restaurants are counting on lots of holiday takeout orders to help float their staff after restrictions closed outdoor dining. We’re impressed with the level of care — lots of Beef Wellington, prime rib, and roasted goodness to bring comfort and joy to your family — be it big or small or somewhere between this year.

All takeout MUST be pre-ordered and some restaurants have upcoming deadlines of Monday, Dec. 21, so if you have your heart set on something, get cracking.

Did we miss someone? Please email us to be added.

Santa Rosa

Spinsters Sisters: A la carte holiday carryout with trout dip, country-style pate plate, lobster bisque, winter salad, braised duck legs with prunes and Armagnac, seafood cioppino, wild mushroom lasagna, potato and celery root gratin, grilled broccolini, cranberry upside-down cake and holiday brunch with apple crumb cake, cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, quiche. 401 South A St., Santa Rosa, thespinstersisters.com.

Monti’s: Prime rib dinner with minestrone soup, salad, caramelized Brussels sprouts, baked macaroni and cheese, $116, serves two. Roasted duck dinner with whole spit-roasted Liberty Farms duck, same choice of sides, $127. Order online at starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/montis. 714 Village Court, Santa Rosa.

Stark’s Steakhouse: Dinner for two with soup, required Caesar salad, oak-smoked prime rib with horseradish creme fraiche, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, broccolini, $116. Order at starkrestaurants.com. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa.

Franchettis: Italian rosemary white bean spread, Bavarian pretzel with a pimento cheese ball, cider-brined pork with apple cinnamon Riesling agrodolce, wood-fired roasted root vegetables, cheesy garlic potato gratin, herb focaccia bread, apple strudel. Serves three to four, $145, including wine. Email restaurant@franchettis.com or call 707-526-1229, 1229 N. Dutton, Santa Rosa. 

Ricky’s Eastbound: Heat and eat options include braised lamb shank with rosemary, mint, and port wine or applewood bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Includes au gratin potatoes, spinach cassoulet, arugula salad, dinner rolls, and butter. $85 and up depending on size. Plus, holiday cocktail specials to add include hot buttered rum, spiced pear hot toddy, Hawaiian Hol-tai and more. To order call 707-536-6606 or email rickyseastboundorders@gmail.com. 5755 Mountain Hawk Dr., Santa Rosa.

Cattlemen’s: Prime rib roast meal with mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon and onions, Caesar salad, sourdough bread. Add-ons include hot artichoke cheese dip or dessert sampler. $119, serves four to five people. To order call  707-396-0373. 

Rohnert Park

Sally Tomatoes: Butter Lettuce Salad with spiced pears, New York shrimp scampi with garlic, butter and capers, pork prime rib with brandied Italian cherry demi-glaze with wild mushroom and Gruyere scalloped potatoes, dark chocolate raspberry torte. $40 per person, four-person minimum. Order at 707-665-9472, 1100 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park.

Sonoma

Girl and the Fig: Family-style dinners include braised beef short ribs with creme fraiche mashed red potatoes, pan-roasted Brussels sprouts with housemade bacon, five-spice roasted carrots, Pan-O-Rama Bakery fig batard; Roasted Mt. Lassen Trout with same sides or Winter Squash Ragout with risotto cake and more. Serves four, $100 to $120. Additional sides include butternut squash soup, creamed kale, cheese and charcuterie and desserts. Going super luxe? Try the caviar service! Order online at 2020figholidays.square.site.

Reel and Brand: Potato and bacon chowder with mint thyme oil, winter salad with blue cheese and candied walnuts, seared New York steak with creamed spinach and twice baked potato, mushroom and butternut squash risotto, chocolate yule log cake, peppermint panna cotta. Family-style, $58. Available for takeout with advanced pre-order. Pre-orders need to be submitted by December 20, 2020. Email orders to  info@reelandbrand.net or call 707-938-7204. 401 Grove St., Sonoma, reelandbrand.net.

Glen Ellen

Glen Ellen Star: Beef Wellington with pomegranate Bordelaise, Caesar salad, au gratin potatoes, roasted Brussels with bacon marmalade, sticky toffee pudding, $65 per person. Vegetarian option: Root vegetable and mushroom pot pie, $60. Order at glenellenstar.com, 13648 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, 707-343-1384.

Healdsburg, Geyserville

Catelli’s: Osso Bucco or lamb shank dinner with herb-roasted mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, bourbon bread pudding; 10-layer lasagna (family-sized or for 2); 48-ounce spice-rubbed Tomakawk steak with peppercorn sauce and winter veggies. Order at mycatellis.com, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3471.

Spoonbar: Three-course prix fixe with Caesar and choice of crispy confit duck legs with polenta and huckleberries, braised lamb shank with roasted rosemary potatoes, braised short ribs with whipped Yukon potatoes or roasted cauliflower “steak” with Brussels sprouts. Dessert is cheesecake with cherry compote, $65 per person, order at spoonbar.com, 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-7222.

Mateos Cocina Latina: Whole or half-roasted Liberty duck with seasonal salad, roasted Romanesco, butternut squash puree, bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts. Order online at mateoscocinalatina.com, 214 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1520.

Single Thread: Christmas Eve prime rib, Parker House rolls, garlic sauteed spinach, farm potato pave, side salad with buttermilk Green Goddess dressing, pumpkin, and holiday spice pie, $60 per person. Order at exploretock.com/singlethreadfarms. 131 North St., Healdsburg, 707-723-4646.

Valette: Prime rib Christmas Eve dinner with housemade bread, salad, baked Brie en croute, whipped potatoes, roasted broccolini, Buche de Noel. $40 per person, exploretock.com/valette, 344 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-473-0946.

Petaluma

Street Social: Three-course prix fixe for two in collaboration Barber Lee Spirits includes ribolita soup and a Manhattan, dug leg confit with season vegetables and SoCo Vieux Carre, chocolate and clove pot de creme with apple brandy, $160. Order at streetsocial.social, 29F Petaluma Blvd, Petaluma.

Seared: Three-course prix fixe with salad, squash soup, confit chicken gnocchi, Wagyu beef prime rib, filet mignon or King salmon, Meyer lemon tart or prime rib family-style dinner for four. Cocktails are also available for pickup. Order online at petalumaseared.com or call 707-762-5997. 170  Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma.

West County

The Farmhand: Smoked beef tri-tip with garlic butter-smashed potatoes, pan gravy, sauteed French beans, candied yams. Pumpkin, cherry pie for add on. Order at 707-604-7795, 15025 River Road, Guerneville, thefarmhand.net.

Caterers

Park Avenue Catering: Creekstone Farms Beef Wellington with pomegranate Bordelaise, Caesar salad, au grain potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon marmalade, sticky toffee pudding. $50 per person, 2 person minimum. Order online at parkavecater.com/christmas.

Sonoma County Catering: Green salad with feta, roasted prime rib with creamy horseradish, garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes, garlic green beans, herb butter rolls. $119 serves four to 6 people. Order at sonomacountycatering.com.

Heat & Eat Rescue: These Local Restaurants Are Serving Up Family Meals To Go

By Heather Irwin
Barbecue chicken with a salad and curry rice from Red Bee BBQ in Santa Rosa. (Conner Jay/The Press Democrat)

Family-style meals with hearty comfort food, upscale cuisine, wine pairings and cocktails to go are giving new hope to some restaurateurs during the pandemic.

“It’s brought a new light to the restaurant,” said Christine Rizzo-Murphy, manager of Ricky’s Eastbound in Santa Rosa.

With restaurants closed to in-room dining and no real idea about what kinds of delivery and pickup food might appeal to shelter-in-place customers, owners Rick and Linn Bruno pivoted away from the individual portions on their regular menu and looked to their existing Heat & Eat menu with crowd-friendly dishes like beef stroganoff, chicken piccata and Noni’s Lasagna.

“It’s so good. It’s all made fresh,” Rizzo-Murphy said. “We’re definitely going to continue to do family meals after this is all over.”

Other restaurateurs are reporting similar success with these order-ahead dishes. Having only one meal to create allows for simpler ingredient ordering, a smaller staff, shorter hours and a clear view of how much income is coming in each day.

Make mom (or dad) happy, feed your neighbors or send a package to someone you love and give them a night away from the stove. They’ll thank you for it, albeit socially-distanced.

Most of these meals require advance payment by credit card and are available for pickup or delivery several days a week (usually Wednesday through Saturday). Ordering is often online, but some offer phone orders. Also, hours can change. Call ahead or visit restaurants’ websites or Facebook pages for details.

Sofia Englund contributed to this article. 

* My restaurant is serving family meals, please add me to this list *
Include name of restaurant, address, phone number, website and information about what kind of food and service is offered — curbside pickup/takeout and/or delivery.

Santa Rosa

Boudin Bakery: Boudin has three Family Meals for take-out: sourdough pizza meals with salad, sandwich and salad meals and bread bowl soup and sandwich meals. Family Meals for two are priced at $25 or four people at $45.99. Family Meals are available daily and can be ordered for pick up at boudinbakery.com. 2345 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa.

El Coqui: Daily Puerto Rican family platters available for pick up, including their signature Pollo al Horno, as well as Picadillo entree (seasoned ground beef) and Palomilla entree (sirloin steak). 24 hours advance notice required. Some delivery to areas outside of Santa Rosa. Menu and ordering online at direct.chownow.com/order/14942/locations/21078. 400 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa.

Related: These Sonoma County Breweries Are Offering Curbside Pickup and Delivery

Red Bee BBQ: Big old family-style barbecue with an international flair. Traditional brisket, pulled pork and chicken along with St. Louis Ribs, teriyaki chicken breast, baked beans, potato salad, cornbread, fried rice and Mexican street corn. Pickup or delivery through Grubhub. 750 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-541-6536; 8970 Brooks Rd S, Windsor, 707-836-4099, redbeebbq.com

Ricky’s Eastbound: Family pizza meals are available every Thursday (place order on Tuesday) with three par-baked pizzas (cheese, pepperoni, olive + pepper), Caesar salad and fresh baked cookies (2 adults, 2 children). Add Ricky’s favorite craft cocktails to any order. Find the full menu online at rickyseastbound.com. Call 707-536-6606 or email RickysEastboundOrders@gmail.com to place order. 5755 Mountain Hawk Dr, Santa Rosa.

The Spinster Sisters: It’s like a restaurant at home, with Chef Liza Hinman’s creative menu ideas. Each week features different Family Meal combos (for two — order multiple for larger parties), like Spinster’s fried chicken with creamy mac and cheese, braised collard greens, tomato + bacon, buttermilk biscuits, and German chocolate cake for dessert. Wine available to pair. Pre-order online at thespinstersisters.com. 401 S A St, Santa Rosa.

Windsor

Kin: Offering curbside pickup and delivery (via Doordash) of family-style dinners, serving 4-6 people. Dinners include choice of pasta (Pesto, Bolognese, Marinara, Alfredo, Mac and Cheese) with a side salad; and choice of meat (grilled chicken with mushroom demi glace, Chicken Cacciatore, braised short ribs) with risotto or polenta and side salad. 740 McClelland Dr, 707-837-7546, kinwindsor.com.

Red Bee BBQ: Big old family-style barbecue with an international flair. Traditional brisket, pulled pork and chicken along with St. Louis Ribs, teriyaki chicken breast, baked beans, potato salad, cornbread, fried rice and Mexican street corn. Pickup or delivery through Grubhub. 750 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-541-6536; 8970 Brooks Rd S, Windsor, 707-836-4099, redbeebbq.com

Sweet T’s: Ribs, BBQ tri-tip, whole fried chicken with quarts of sides including coleslaw, chicken andouille sausage gumbo, brisket chili and whole pies for dessert. Desserts should be reserved one day ahead; and dinners require pre-order (1 hour notice for whole tri-tip orders). There’s also a full list of cocktails to go. Menu at sweettssouthern.com/menu; call to pre-order at 707-687-5185. 9098 Brooks Rd S, Windsor.

Healdsburg, Geyserville

Single Thread: Three-Michelin-star Single Thread offers carefully curated nightly to-go menus like the Pork Tonkatsu (for parties of 2, 4, or 6) with Sonoma pork Tonkatsu, Japanese potato salad, Yuzu cabbage, miso soup, Koshikari rice, and Japanese cheesecake. Meals typically sell out, so order ahead online at exploretock.com/singlethreadfarms. 131 North St, Healdsburg.

Valette: While his daily to-go offerings with wine pairing are a la carte, on Sunday, Chef Dustin Valette does dishes for four like coffee-spiced sous vide New York steak for 4 with kale and radicchio salad, baked mac n cheese, red bliss potatoes, butternut squash, Valette house made bread, and cinnamon spiced pumpkin bread pudding. Menu at valettehealdsburg.com. Order via email or phone: Info@ValetteHealdsburg.com or 707-473-0946. 344 Center St, Healdsburg.

Healdsburg Bar and Grill: Offering family meals two days per week: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Dinner (with Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, glazed Brussels sprouts and chocolate chip cookie bars for dessert) on Saturday nights and Rib Feast (features 3 pounds of “perfectly smoked” baby back ribs with Cowboy baked beans, coleslaw, sweet potato fries, and chocolate chip cookie bars for dessert on Sunday nights. Available anytime after 4:30 p.m. Order online hbg.hrpos.heartland.us/menu, or by calling 707-433-3333. Orders can be placed up to one week ahead).

Petaluma, Rohnert Park

Butcher Crown Roadhouse: Weekends are for feasting and menus change every week, but expect things like a tri-tip feast or their famous Piri-Piri chicken. Online ordering and menu at toasttab.com/butcher-crown-roadhouse. 1905 Bodega Ave, Petaluma.

Sally Tomatoes: Weekly family specials include dishes like Chicken Cacciatore with creamy risotto, steamed artichoke with lemon aioli, hearts of romaine salad. $11.95/person (4 minimum) with no delivery fee. Add a bottle of Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon for $20.Order before 2:30 p.m. with delivery from 4-6 p.m. in Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove, Petaluma and Santa Rosa. Phone orders only. 707-665-9472, facebook.com/sallytomatoesrp

Stockhome: Swedish comfort foods, like meatballs, smoked salmon, pancakes and rye bread, and chicken with potato gratin, are combined into family meals that serve up to 4 people. Order online for pickup. Vegetarian/Mediterranean family options are available, too, like meze, falafel, veggie, rice, baklava combos, as well as individual servings. And you can add Swedish candy to your order! 220 Western Ave, Petaluma, stockhome-108965.square.site.

West County

Backyard, Forestville: Fried chicken boxes (five, nine or 20 pieces) with biscuits, honey butter and a seasonal side (currently coleslaw) are available to pre-order by calling 707-820-8445 on Mondays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pick up is on Saturdays between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Also available for pre-order and pickup: 3-course chicken pot pie for two ($30) and a quart of chicken bone broth soup ($12). 6566 Front St, Forestville, backyardforestville.com

Dinucci’s Italian Dinners: Family-style dinners available to go include quart-size minestrone soup, ravioli Bolognese and spaghetti Bolognese. Meals come with bread and a garden salad. Four-course Easter menu (available family-style) includes minestrone soup with warm sourdough bread, a garden green salad, a side of pasta with Bolognese sauce and traditional Easter ham with honey and cranberry glaze, roasted red potatoes and sautéed greens. Adult Easter Baskets with five “Boozy Bunny Shots” are available, too. 707-876-3260, dinuccisrestaurant.com. 14485 Valley Ford Rd, Valley Ford.

Fork Roadhouse & Catering: Family meal menu changes weekly but always includes choice of chicken pozole verde or fresh mixed greens with persimmon, pomegranate, chèvre and candied pecans and flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream and berries. Last week’s entrees: Moroccan white bean ragout ($50) with ginger, lemongrass, local lamb meat balls, roasted pepper-mint raita and preserved Meyer lemon (vegetarian option available); Maple rosemary pork chop ($50) with creamy polenta and gourmet mushroom gravy; Salmon picatta ($50) with lemon, white wine, capers, buttermilk mashed potatoes and season vegetables. Order online by Thursday noon for pickup on Fridays between 3-6 p.m. 9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol, 707-634-7575, forkcatering.com.

Kenwood, Sonoma

Black Bear Diner: Offering specially priced family meals (starting at $19.99) — including breakfast combos and family beverages to share — in addition to a limited menu with Black Bear Diner favorites such as Ribeye Steak and Bob’s Big Bear Burger. Find the menu and place your order online. 201 W. Napa St. #34, Sonoma, blackbeardiner.com. Open 7am-8pm daily.

Delicious Dish: Dinners for two ($25) and dinners for four ($45) available for pickup Monday-Friday Menu changes daily with different national and international flavors — Puerto Rican, American Chinese, Asian Fusion, Baja, Greek, BBQ… Order online or call 707-721-4231 to order. 18709 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, deliciousdishsf.com/dinners.

Palooza: Family meal specials are announced on social media, you can also call the restaurant for updates: 707-833-4000. Kids menu available, too. 8910 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood, paloozafresh.com.

Celebrity Chef Opens Take Out Restaurant At Cornerstone Sonoma

By Heather Irwin
Dishes from Folktable at Cornerstone Sonoma. (Courtesy of Folktable)

Black truffle chicken hand pies, steak tartare with fried capers and hash browns, wild mushroom tartine and fried chicken with hot honey are on the opening menu of Folktable, a new restaurant from Top Chef finalist Casey Thompson.

The takeout-only restaurant at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma is the first of several eateries planned by the Napa-based celebrity chef.  Thompson announced plans to open another restaurant, Georgette, last February in the former General’s Daughter. Due to the pandemic, that was put on hold. Folktable replaces the short-lived Palooza Beer Garden and Eatery, which opened last spring.

Like the gardens, the new restaurant falls under the growing brand umbrella of Sonoma’s Best Hospitality Group owned by developers Ken and Stacey Mattson. Thompson took the reins as executive chef for SBHG last year, working with familiar Sonoma icons including Ramekins and Cornerstone Gardens. The portfolio also includes Dirty Girl Donuts and Sojourn Cellars, with plans to launch Motha Clucka (a breakfast spot in Boyes Hot Springs) and Thompson’s Georgette restaurant next year.

The intriguing Folktable menu overseen by executive sous chef Melanie Wilkerson also includes tasty dishes like salt and pepper fries with malt vinegar aioli, chicken soup with pancetta, open-faced Dungeness crab sandwiches, low-braised lentil soup, an Angus beef burger, banana cream pie, and buttermilk carrot cake. Wilkerson and Thompson met while at Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.

While it may seem an unfortunate time to launch a restaurant, organizers say that the opening date had long been decided and staff hired, and their takeout concept works well with new guidelines. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, visitors are able to eat on the sprawling Cornerstone property, enjoying the winter gardens of this beautiful but long-challenged space.

23584 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, 707-356-3567, folktable.com.

Did You Know Sonoma County Has Its Very Own Ghost Town?

By John Beck
The ghost town on Wingo along Sonoma Creek south of the town of Sonoma. (JOHN BURGESS

This article was originally published in Sonoma Magazine in 2017. 

If Wingo is a ghost town, then the woman standing in front of me must be an apparition — in a pink top, black yoga pants and a blond ponytail. Shannon seems like an odd name for a ghost, but you never know.

On the other hand, Mike, the shirtless bald guy in cut-off Levi’s tinkering nearby in his junkyard, might actually qualify as a specter.

Maybe it was the vagueness about his last name: “If you find it out from somewhere else, that’s fine,” he said. “But I’m not the one to give it to you.” Or his story about the last stranger who wandered down the same dirt road I did, standing in the same spot at about the same time of day: “I told him, ‘You’ve got 10 seconds before I put a bullet in your head.’”

Welcome to Wingo, where no one wants you to know their name. Where people come to get away. And where lookie-loos aren’t welcome.

The “town,” as it stands now, is a long-forgotten cluster of cabins, most of them built in the 1800s, and a creaky train trestle along the narrow Sonoma Creek in the middle of nowhere. On a map, picture the tidal marshlands south of Sonoma town, east of Sonoma Raceway, north of Highway 37 and west of Interstate 80.

If you stand on a tuna can, you can see for miles. Except when the winds whip up on the state-owned salt flats to the north and a massive white wall of sand engulfs the abandoned town.

The rolling lift bridge on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad over Sonoma Creek next to the ghost town on Wingo. (JOHN BURGESS / The Press Democrat)
The rolling lift bridge on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad over Sonoma Creek next to the ghost town on Wingo. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

“The dust plumes go up 600 feet high in the air. It’s horrendous,” said Shannon Kiser, who has lived in a house adjacent to Wingo for 20 years. Her husband, Darrell, is a fifth-generation Kiser. His family has farmed 1,500 acres south of Wingo for the past 50 years, now leasing it to hay farmers. She’s the blonde in the yoga pants.

“We get a lot of people who walk in (Wingo) and kind of think they own the place,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Are you lost?’ Nope, they say, just cruising around. ‘OK, well, you’re in my front yard.’”

But back in 1847, Wingo boomed. It was called Norfolk then, a popular stop for the 37-foot paddle-wheel steamer Sitka that ferried passengers from San Francisco to Sonoma, eventually stopping at Sonoma Embarcadero near what is now Schellville, where horse-drawn carriages would take travelers onward to Sonoma.

Duck hunters and fishermen were the most frequent visitors. A 1908 article in the daily San Francisco Call describes a record 44-inch, 36-pound striped bass caught in Wingo.

In 1876, the experimental “prismoidal railroad” arrived, supporting train cars on a monorail, but it never made it to Sonoma. By 1880, a conventional two-rail line took its place. Wingo became known as the spot where the track split in two, one line going straight to Sonoma, the other veering right to Calistoga. By the early 1900s, travelers would leave downtown Sonoma at 6:10 a.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 9 a.m. At about this time, the railroad company renamed the town Wingo, but no one seems to know why.

“Some people say it’s because of how windy it gets here and some say it’s from the Windigo — a mythological beast — but I haven’t delved too much into it,” Kiser said, referring to Native American myth.

Sonoma County historian Arthur Dawson thinks it might have to do with all the winged migrating birds or the mosquitoes that once bred in the marshes before the land was cleared.

Fellow local historian Bob Parmelee heard that it might be an homage to Wingo, Ky., but he likes this theory better: “Someone once said, ‘If you’re down there and there are a bunch of mosquitoes and you slap the back of your neck — wham! Wingo!’”

Newt Dal Poggetto, who still practices law in Sonoma at age 93, would go fishing with his father for striped bass in Wingo in the late 1920s and early 1930s. “I remember watching the bridgetender shining his lantern to signal for the train to stop,” he said. “You’d see guys getting off the train with sardine cans. They’d come to go fishing.”

By 1937, when the Golden Gate Bridge opened, ferry and passenger train ridership began to drop off, and Wingo started to decline. Over the years, as the town became deserted, people still found their way there. In the 1950s, when historian Gaye LeBaron attended Sonoma Valley High School, the town was nothing more than an alibi, she said, when “watching the boat races at Wingo” really meant going to “park” in the dark.

In 1977, four of the cabins, often called “Raccoon Hiltons,” were destroyed in a fire that swept through town. In the 1980s, a rag-tag band of Sonoma bon vivants founded the Wingo Yacht Club Regatta as a lark.

By 1994, an elderly widow named Alice Mann was considered the sole resident of Wingo. She and her husband bought their cabin for $1,000 in 1956. Living alone, she pined for the arrival of swallows every March. She was likely gone by the winter floods of 2003, when 300 tons of debris backed up the creek and flooded the region for miles.

Today, freight trains still roll through Wingo. Kiser’s three kids often scurry up the backyard lookout they call “the fishing tower” to watch the train cars roll by.

The best way, should you dare, to get to Wingo is by taking Millerick Road south from Highway 121, past Larson Family Winery, until it dead ends. Then walk more than a mile down a dirt road until you get to the train bridge and you can see the “Wingo” sign on the old bridgetender’s station.

“Most people have never heard of Wingo and we like to keep it that way,” said Jeremy Heinemann, who grew up in Schellville. He’s spent a lot of time fishing for stripers and sturgeon along the creek. He named his “gypsy blues” band Wingo Moon one night while stargazing from the creek.

The late singer-songwriter and harmonica player Norton Buffalo tried to make Wingo famous at least twice — first with the song “High Tide in Wingo” and then with his sidekick Roy Rogers in their “Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox” music video filmed in Wingo. Like two itinerant bluesmen wandering the Mississippi Delta, Buffalo and Rogers roll into town as the train pulls away. As they start to play, women and children poke their heads out of the old cabins, running along rickety wooden boards to join in song.

It’s a far cry now from the Wingo of today. On a quiet Monday morning, Mike Verbish (Shannon Kiser offered up his last name) is rearranging the junk in his front yard. A TV inside his cabin is barely audible. Before you can make it to his door, you have to get past a beat-up DeLorean kit car and a rusty Jet Ski balanced atop a speedboat, surrounded by mountains of old truck parts.

At some point, not long after sharing how Bud Lime goes down easy on a hot day, Verbish, probably in his 60s, looks out past the cabins and the bridge to the wide expanse of nothingness and says, “It’s OK here. But if you don’t like quiet, you won’t last long in Wingo.”

Where to Go Foraging for Wild Mushrooms in Sonoma County

By Carey Sweet
Mushrooms picked on the forest floor of Salt Point State Park. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)

This article was originally published in Sonoma Magazine in January 2019. 

Mushrooms typically start popping up throughout Sonoma County about a week to 10 days after the first good soaking, and can keep growing for months: as long as it keeps raining, we can pick mushrooms all the way through May. If you’re in the mood for some fungi foraging, here are a few local experts that are happy to let you in on their secret shroom spots and make sure you don’t eat anything poisonous. To learn more about local mushrooms, click here.

15 Stylish and Well-Fitting Face Masks from Sonoma County Stores

By Karen Kizer

With face mask mandates likely to remain for the foreseeable future, it’s good to know where to find the best ones. By best, we mean well-fitting, pretty, naturally-dyed, kid-sized, edgy and with awesome prints and designs. Here’s just a sampling of what’s available in Sonoma County stores (online, too). In the crazy year of 2020, masks make for great stocking stuffers. Click through the above gallery for details.

These Local Distilleries Ship Cocktail Kits to Your Doorstep

By Dana Rebmann

Pandemic restrictions and precautions will change the way we celebrate the holidays this year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to celebrate at all.

If you’re hunkering down at home, or are looking for safe ways to spread a little holiday cheer, a growing list of Sonoma County distilleries are now mixing up some of their best drinks and delivering them right to the doorstep. Kits contain everything you — or the lucky recipient — need to mix delicious drinks at home.

Click through the gallery for some of the best curated cocktail kits available in Wine Country. All are available for pickup or can be shipped throughout California.

13 Luxe Holiday Gifts from Sonoma County Stores

By Karen Kizer

Of course, it’s the thought that counts but sometimes ordinary gifts won’t do. If you’re looking to give a gift that’s also a work of art, Sonoma County stores have got lots of options. Here are fantastic finds made by artisans from the Bay Area to Brooklyn to Morrocco—click through the above gallery for details.