18 Great Restaurants for Easter Brunch in Sonoma County, 2021

By Heather Irwin

Easter is almost here. And though things are still a little different, hope is on the horizon. This year, restaurants are offering outdoor dining, pickup meals and some limited indoor dining. We hope you’ll get out and support local restaurants and enjoy the warm weather as we look forward to being together as families, friends and neighbors.

Barndiva: Three course brunch includes asparagus with morel mushrooms, avocado toast with sunflower sprouts, salad Lyonnaise with bacon lardons, French toast with strawberry compote and Chantilly cream, Dungeness crab Benedict, black truffle Croque Madame, omelet with caviar, S’mores bar. $68 per person, reservations required, 231 Center St, Healdsburg, 707-431-0100, barndiva.com.

Cattlemens: Pre-order meals available for pickup in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Prime rib dinners for 2 or 4 includes baked potatoes, garden salad, bread, beans. Call to order. Santa Rosa: 707- 546-1446, Petaluma: 707-763-4114. cattlemens.com.

Charlie’s Restaurant at Windsor Golf Club: Easter brunch Saturday and Sunday. Regular menu plus Florentine scramble, bacon and mushroom quiche, eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles, French toast. Reserve in advance, 707-838-8802, 1320 19th Hole Dr, Windsor, windsorgolf.com/charlies-restaurant.

Dinucci’s: Minestrone soup with warm sourdough, green salad, pasta with Bolognese, Easter ham with honey cranberry glaze, roasted potatoes, sautéed green beans with bacon, $30 per person. Plus boozy adult Easter baskets with five “boozy bunny” shots with mixers, chocolate bunnies and shaker, $45. Call for reservations or pre-orders, 707-876-3260.

Down to Earth Cafe and Deli: A la carte family-style meals for pickup include short ribs with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, smoked pulled pork, stuffed portabellas with choice of sides including shells and cheese, coleslaw, salads, deviled eggs, pulled pork sundae, butterscotch pudding. Order by calling 707-753-4925. 8204 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati.

Estero Cafe: Full menu plus Easter specials. 14450 CA-1, Valley Ford, facebook.com/esterocafe.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn will host a Children’s Easter Egg Hunt from 9:30 a.m. for ages 7 and younger, and 10:30 a.m. for ages 8 and up. (Courtesy of Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn)

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn: Family-style brunch includes mini smoked salmon bagels, avocado toast, truffle asparagus, butter poached lobster Benedict with saffron Hollandaise, fried chicken and waffle with candied bacon, caramelized brioche french toast, braised short rib hash, grilled lamb lollipops, mini carrot cupcakes, milk chocolate tart. $75 per person. Reservations required, 939-2410. 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, fairmont.com/sonoma.

Pasta King: Take and bake try of lasagna in marinara, meat sauce or pesto. Serves 9 to 12 people. Call 707-792-2712 to order. 1492 Lowell Ave, Cotati, pastaking.com.

Patisserie Angelica: Chocolate raspberry truffle eggs, lemon egg-shaped cake, Gateau Parisian, Easter cookies, flourless chocolate cake, 707-827-7998, patisserieangelica.com. 6821 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol.

Preferred Sonoma Caterers: Pickup a la carte or complete meal. Menu includes spiral ham with apricot bourbon glaze, salmon with dijon maple glaze, cheesy hash brown potatoes, roasted asparagus and rainbow carrots, leek and Gruyere quiche, spinach salad with goat cheese and poppy seed dressing, lemon raspberry bundt cake. Order at 707-769-7208, 416 East D Street, Petaluma, sonomacaterers.com.

Ricky’s Eastbound: Takeout Easter dinner available for pickup or delivery. Honey glazed smoked pork loin chop with grilled pineapple, vegetable frittata, roasted sweet potatoes with orange, spring asparagus with feta and lemon dressing, baby greens. Dessert add-ons: Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, butterscotch pots de creme. $70 to $225 (depending on serving size). Order at 707-536-6606, 5755 Mountain Hawk Dr, Santa Rosa, rickyseastbound.com.

Rio Nido Roadhouse: Brunch includes quiche Benedict, breakfast potatoes, buttermilk popovers, sliced ham, spring pea salad, bottomless Mimosas. 14540 Canyon 2 Rd, Rio Nido, rionidoroadhouse.com.

Seared: A la carte brunch includes housemade doughnut holes, buttermilk waffles, Dungeness crab Benedict, prime rib sash, avocado toast, buttermilk fried chicken, grits and spring vegetable succotash and plenty of libations. 170 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. Reservations at petalumaseared.com or 707-762-5997.

Spinster Sisters: Easter pickup meal serve a la carte with smoked pate, buttermilk biscuits with honey butter, slab of frittata, strawberry salad kit, apple crumb cake, kimchi bacon deviled eggs, seasonal jam, strawberry shortcake kit. Order by calling 707-528-7100, 401 South A. Street, Santa Rosa, thespinstersisters.com.

Spoonbar: Bottomless bellinis, and al la carte menu with Dungeness crab and apple salad, yellowfin tuna sashimi, warm mushroom and goat cheese quiche, lobster eggs Benny, Niman Ranch kobe smash burger, crispy duck leg hash, herb roasted king salmon, filet mignon. Book at spoonbar.com or 707-433-7222. 219 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg.

Sweet Pea Bakeshop: Easter cupcakes come in cute gift boxes. Order yours today for pick up April 3. Call or email info@sweetpeanapa.com.  720 W Napa St, Sonoma, 707-934-8797. 


Tips Roadside: Bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys plus family-style options include grilled tri-tip, smoked brisket, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, scrambled eggs, Brussels and root vegetable hash, bacon and beignets. $55 per person, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance tickets required at tipsroadside.com. 8445 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood.

Volo Chocolate: Chocolate Bunny Season has arrived at this Windsor chocolate factory. This year, a special 2021 edition of Volo’s bunny is available: The Essential ‘Bean to Bunny’ is made from 62 % dark milk chocolate and comes with face mask and vaccination band aid, hand painted with white chocolate. Order online to get shipped to your home or pick up in Windsor. Bunny pick up is Wednesday, March 31st, Thursday April 1st and Friday, April 2nd between 2-5:30 p.m. A line will form outside. 399 Business Park Ct, Windsor, volochocolate.com.

Wing Man: Skip the ham and pick up crispy chicken wings with special sauces and sides along with more than 70 kinds of beer and growlers available. Open noon to 8 p.m. Order online at wingmanfoodtruck.com, 101 E Cotati Ave, Cotati.

Global Cocktails and Small Plates Restaurant Coming to Healdsburg

By Heather Irwin
Burdock in Healdsburg. (Photo: Allison Webber)

We are so chomping at the bit for Burdock, a new food and cocktail spot about to open in Healdsburg. Headed by the Duke’s Spirited Cocktails team, the restaurant will featuring a tasty lineup of small plates from around the globe and 10 rotating specialty drinks.

The opening menu will focus on Cuba, with dishes like baked oysters with roasted Serrano ham, Gruyere and mustard butter; wild scallop crudo with passion fruit and black mint and Ropa Vieja, a flat sausage with beef short rib, Calabrian chili, plantains and orange, from Chef Sean Kelley (formerly of Underwood Bar & Bistro).

Expect Havana-inspired cocktails like Grita de Yara with pisco, bell pepper, mango, vermouth, saffron and lemon; a new-school Daiquiri with rum, key lime, bergamot and coconut tincture or a power-packed rum and gin drink with honeysuckle, chamomile, wildflower honey and lemon called the Canchachara.

“The team designed the menu as an evolving sensory journey, rotating each season to evoke a specific world region or time period which has influenced how we eat and drink today,” said the news release.

Duke’s Spirited Cocktails has become a popular local watering hole but attracts a well-heeled crowd from the Bay Area and beyond. It was founded by four friends and Sonoma County industry veterans Tara Heffernon, Laura Sanfilippo, Cappy Sorentino and Steven Maduro. The restaurant is slated to open in April, but check the website at burdockbar.com for latest details.  109A Plaza St., Healsdburg, @burdockhealdsburg

Boozy Cans: Duke’s Cappy Sorrentino recently launched a line of canned cocktails called Cappy Shakes. Trust us, they’re not like anything like those sickly sweet, headache-inducers you’ve had before. We tried the Cucumber Cooler made with vodka, cucumber, yuzu and seltzer that was crisp, light and refreshing with a gentle buzz (each can has two servings). Other flavors include Gin + Tonic with lemongrass, lemon, lime and tonic or Fool’s Paradise, a dangerously delicious-sounding sipper with tequila, clarified passion fruit, eucalyptus and blanc vermouth. Available at Wilibees, 700 Third St., Santa Rosa, 707-978-3779 or Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, 111 Plaza St., Healdsburg.

Family-Run Sonoma Hotel, Named Among Best in The World, Celebrates 20th Anniversary

By Dana Rebmann
Additional Sonoma County luxury establishments that were recommended by Forbes include Farmhouse Inn (pictured) and Farmhouse Inn Restaurant in Forestville and Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg. (Farmhouse Inn)

Valentine’s Day 2021—the Farmhouse Inn’s 20th anniversary—found the Forestville boutique hotel long ranked among the best in the world. Its restaurant had maintained its Michelin star for 14 consecutive years, since first receiving it in 2007.

When siblings Catherine and Joe Bartolomei first came upon the 1873 vintage farmhouse and its early-20th-century adjoining cottages—then a B&B, it had seen better days. Located in “Apple Country,” where apple orchards far outnumbered vineyards, it seemed an unlikely place to open a luxury “Wine Country Hotel.” But Catherine and Joe, fifth-generation Sonomans, saw potential—and possibly the future. They bought the property and got to work.

“We’ve had the tremendous opportunity to take this little bed and breakfast to something that really has achieved international recognition,” said Catherine Bartolomei.

It has taken creativity, perseverance and more than a few coats of paint for the sister and brother entrepreneurs to get here.

“It was a lot of paint in those early days,” said Joe Bartolomei, who recalls painting every room on the property at least once. In support of his sister’s quest for just the right shade of blue for Cottage 8, he painted it four times.

Grandmas at work peeling potatoes. (Courtesy of Farmhouse Inn)

As the years passed, the sister-and-brother team checked off their list of upgrades and to-dos, one by one. The avocado green and peacock blue bath tubs have been replaced with jetted tubs and steam showers. The original card tables are a thing of the past and family members no longer need to peel potatoes for the restaurant, but chef Steve Litke’s acclaimed “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” dish remains a popular menu item. In 2015, the inn added an onsite spa. A few years later, a fancy food truck — Farmstand — was installed, offering casual outdoor dining in the courtyard and by the pool.

Never content to rest on their laurels, the Bartolomeis have continued to raise the bar of the Farmhouse Inn experience. Guests can now reserve luxury cars for complimentary drives, book a Wine Country adventure with a driver, or splurge on a sommelier-led wine tour. This program picked up speed last year with the acquisition of three new Volvo XC90 SUVs equipped with T6 engines.

A changing landscape

Over the past two decades, the landscape surrounding Farmhouse Inn has continued to change. Some two dozen wineries now dot the countryside and the Russian River Valley attracts wine enthusiasts from around the world.

“The destination has grown up around us in a way that we didn’t really anticipate. We kind of hoped that would happen but we had no crystal ball,” said Joe Bartolomei. “I’d like to think that we had a part in that; that maybe we helped put this region on the map. But it wasn’t anything that we had planned for.”

Brother and sister, Catherine and Joe Bartolomei are owners of the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, Farmhouse is now ranked by Travel and Leisure Magazine as the fourth best inn in America, and is number 28 on its WorldÕs Best Hotels list. Shot on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, Calif. (Photo by Charlie Gesell for the Sonoma magazine)
Sister-and-brother team, Catherine and Joe Bartolomei, owners of Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (Charlie Gesell)

Through the years, as Catherine and Joe Bartolomei have watched the area change and grow, they have adapted to changes—and to challenges.

In recent years, fire, flood and pandemic have presented the Farmhouse Inn and the Sonoma County tourism industry with a trifecta of unprecedented challenges. In February 2019, the Russian River overflowed its banks and brought its waters to the door of the Farmhouse Inn’s restaurant. Before the waters subsided, three guest cottages and two offices stood waist deep in water.

In 2020, the sister and brother entrepreneurs faced fire and pandemic. The Walbridge fire, the third major wildfire incident in Sonoma County in three years, burned across the hills north of Guerneville and westward toward Healdsburg in August. The Farmhouse Inn was included in the evacuation order. Fortunately, the flames did not cross the Russian River.

Visitors remained sparse for weeks after Farmhouse Inn weathered floods and fires. Then, as the pandemic began and stretched on, the inn was forced to furlough employees and close temporarily, in compliance with stay-at-home orders.

“The last few years have been really challenging,” said Joe Bartolomei. “In some ways it’s like, ‘Oh my god, how did we get to 20 years?’ In other ways, I feel like I can’t believe it’s only been 20 years.”

Lemon tree at Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (Courtesy photo)
A lemon tree grows at Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (Courtesy photo)

Embracing change

Despite the trials of the last few years, Catherine and Joe Bartolomei remain optimistic. Farmhouse Inn, like other Sonoma County hospitality businesses, has creatively adapted to meet the pandemic’s challenges.

“I think we’re better and stronger than we’ve ever been,” said Catherine Bartolomei. “Things are looking good. Things are looking up.”

The inn now serves Michelin-starred dining alfresco and also offers exclusive outdoor spa treatments. As activities have relocated to the outdoors, the Bartolomeis have found new innovative uses for the property’s beautiful grounds, including morning yoga sessions and evening wine tours hosted by the siblings’ favorite local wineries. Guests, excited to be out and about and eager to test out new experiences, seem happy to provide positive feedback to the inn’s staff.

Catherine and Joe continue to discover new ways to fine-tune guest offerings and evolve their business. New pool and patio furnishings are in the works, along with further enhanced in-room amenities. Next month, the property’s reimagined spa (with a new manager at the helm) will launch new programming, including a wellness-focused dining menu. Twenty years after opening, the Bartolomeis are hard at work innovating, creating and augmenting the Farmhouse Inn experience.

“We have so many ideas, so many things we want to do,” said Joe Bartolomei. “We’re still nowhere near completed with this thing.”

25 Favorite Sonoma County Restaurants for Takeout

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
Sonoma Beef Burger with onion rings, fried chicken burger, chili fries and Cajun fries at Acme Burger in Cotati. Heather Irwin/PD
Sonoma Beef Burger with onion rings, fried chicken burger, chili fries and Cajun fries at Acme Burger in Cotati. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)

Adios Taco Tuesday, it’s Takeout Wednesday! But today’s meal is extra special, because it’s the annual Great American Takeout Day, an annual event that benefits CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees) and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. So get your online ordering or dialing fingers ready and order a takeout or delivery meal from a restaurant you’d like to support. Take a picture of your meal and post it on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TheGreatAmericanTakeout and event sponsors will donate $10 to CORE and the NRAEF.

Seniors Returning To Sonoma County Restaurants

By Heather Irwin
Seniors are returning to dining in and out… (Shutterstock)

Vaccinated and raring to return to life, a tsunami of seniors are dining out — and in — at restaurants throughout Sonoma County.

“I am finding a lot of excitement from our regulars who feel a sense of relief from being vaccinated,” said Sarah Piccolo of Fork restaurant in Sebastopol.
After more than a year of takeout and limited outdoor dining, the county lifted its most restrictive regulations in mid-March, allowing indoor dining at 25% capacity. That, along with a drop in COVID-19 cases and increasingly mild weather, has seniors cautiously venturing out.
“They are sitting on the patio, excited to be back in our seats! Some of them have either done takeout or just cooked since March. It feels great to have them back,” Piccolo said.
With more than 82% of the over-65 age group vaccinated in Sonoma County, according to the California Immunization Registry, and a long year of missing family, friends and favorite restaurants, elders are ready to get out.
“One thing I’m really enjoying is seeing our older generation back out again … and celebrating with family,” said Guerneville restaurateur Crista Luedtke of Boon Eat + Drink. “It makes me realize we’re on the right path.”
Even anecdotally, the senior boom in restaurant patronage has been obvious throughout the county. On a recent visit to Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, we couldn’t get a reservation for the limited indoor dining, and elders were noticeably en masse at the few tables. Our server confirmed that they were seeing a trend of recently vaccinated seniors coming out to eat after a long absence. It was the same at Taub Family Outpost, where long-absent elders were enjoying brunch.
It’s a national trend, apparently. The New York Times recently reported that those 70 and older are drinking cocktails, meeting up with grandchildren and “filling restaurants” since receiving their full vaccination.
Even my own parents, who’ve been hibernating for nearly a year, are now a month past their second vaccination and cautiously eager to get back to life beyond limited grocery store visits and essential appointments. They dined outdoors at Blue Ridge Kitchen last weekend, thrilled to finally be eating with family somewhere other than at home.
Welcome back! Now if the rest of us could just get vaccinated…

New Furniture Store ‘Wine Country Decor’ Opens in Santa Rosa

By Karen Kizer

Opening a retail business can be a daunting experience under normal circumstances. Imagine adding a pandemic into the mix. Jorge Martinez, a Lake County woodworker and furniture maker, decided to take a leap of faith after he noticed an empty storefront on Sonoma Highway.

Martinez had previously sold his rustic furniture pieces in a Napa Valley consignment store. After fires and pandemic shutdowns, the store had closed permanently and he had moved his furniture into storage. As he kept passing by the empty storefront on his way to a construction job, he thought to himself, “I think God is trying to show me something.” He decided to give it a try, signed the lease, fixed up the storefront and, in February, opened Wine Country Decor.

In between customer visits, Martinez can now be found on the patio outside his store where he cuts wood with the help of an assistant and works on new furniture pieces, which can be customized using different materials — a wood vanity in the store, for example, is topped with a stunning double sink made out of copper. Martinez uses mostly recycled wood for his furniture (98 percent of the wood is recycled) and slabs of wide and wavy-grained wood are finished with wax instead of shellac for outdoor use.

Running a new retail store while also creating its inventory is hard work, but Martinez doesn’t complain. “My life is working hard,” he said. “This is my passion.”

Martinez grew up in Mexico in a family of artists. His mother was a painter, his father made furniture and when Martinez was around 7, he began learning painting, pottery and woodcraft together with his 11 siblings. He’s been wanting to bring the furniture designs of Mexico to the United States for some time. In addition to his own furniture pieces, he now imports oversized terra cotta pots that he embellishes with paint, metal-framed mirrors which he paints to create a patinated look, as well as paintings, sculptures and other decor.

Customers are starting to take notice of Martinez’ meticulously crafted furniture and unique decor offerings and he’s enjoying seeing the momentum build.

“It makes me so happy,” he said of opening the store. “(It’s) opening my eyes. It makes me feel stable, like a rock.”

Wine Country Decor, 6001 Sonoma Highway, Santa Rosa, 707-843-7619, 707-495-8487, winecountry-decor.com

15 Finds from Sonoma Stores That Will Add Style To Your Dining Table

By Karen Kizer

We tend to think of our dining tables as simply utilitarian pieces of furniture. But the dining table is often the focal point of the room so it’s a good spot to infuse some extra style to your home. While we may not be entertaining guests for a while yet, it can still be nice to elevate your dining experience. Click through the above gallery for a few fantastic pieces for the tabletop. All are available in Sonoma County stores.

Sleep in a Treehouse, Then Fly Through the Redwoods at Sonoma’s New Glamping Spot

By Jess Lander

Glamping has soared in popularity over the last few years, bringing a wave of luxe camping destinations to Sonoma County and the surrounding Bay Area, from AutoCamp in Guerneville to Mendocino Grove. A newcomer to this list of glamping spots is Sonoma Zipline Adventures (formerly known as Sonoma Canopy Tours), which recently upped their game with brand new treehouses. 

Located among the redwoods in Occidental, Sonoma Zipline Adventures combines chic above-ground accommodations with an exciting, blood-pumping zipline course. After a tough year with few (good) adrenaline kicks, spending a night among the trees and then flying through the woods sounded like a good and safe way to lift the spirits. It turned out to be one of the most unique and memorable overnight stays I’ve experienced as a travel writer.

Sleeping in the Trees

Sonoma Zipline Adventures has constructed five treehouse yurts for overnight stays. (Courtesy photo)

After driving through Sonoma West County and into the woods, my friend and I arrived at Sonoma Zipline Adventures’ treehouse village — a collection of five green yurts suspended high above the ground. The yurts were surrounded by narrow wooden decks and connected by lightly swaying suspension bridges. I was impressed by the meticulous construction of the treehouses, which I later learned were built with the help of the zipline staff (a pretty scary undertaking, judging from this video). 

Each treehouse has its own name and theme. Ours was called Ocean, which turned out to be a suitable name as it rocked gently like a cruise ship whenever a staff member walked across our bridge. The interior of the treehouse was cozy and surprisingly large — it fit a queen bed, bunk beds, a small table with chairs, a compost toilet, and a kitchenette area — making it a good size for a couple, a small group of friends, or a family with children. A giant huggable tree extended right through the middle of the yurt, and while it was a pretty chilly night during our stay, the heater did a good job of keeping us warm. 

The treehouse did lack two things: a shower and WiFi. But if you’re going to sleep in a treehouse in the woods, it seems appropriate that you’d use this as an opportunity to unplug. And you certainly don’t need to look your best for the zipline tour — in any case, the helmet will mess up your hair.

After settling into the treehouse, my friend and I did some easy-to-moderate hiking around the 125–acre, heavily forested property and then spent the rest of the evening chatting, stargazing and playing Jenga.

During our stay, we had two generous meals delivered to our treehouse — it was quite impressive to witness how the staff carried these meals across the swaying suspension bridges without dropping anything. Dinner featured a charcuterie plate with bread to start, followed by steak, potatoes, asparagus, and a s’mores-like treat for dessert. The next morning, we received breakfast before our zipline tour; a menagerie of brunch items: eggs, sausage, potatoes, french toast, fruit, and orange juice. 

While I’ve stayed at several glamping spots throughout Northern California, this one is definitely the most unique, checking the boxes for childhood nostalgia, natural beauty, and modern-day conveniences. It also is the only one that included meals.

Flying Through the Trees

The Sonoma Treehouse Adventures experience includes two zipline tours. (Emily Blake photo)

After breakfast, we geared up (literally) for our zipline adventure. I’ve been ziplining several times but it was a first for my friend, who was pretty nervous. Luckily, our guides were outgoing and fun, which helped lower her heart rate a little. As part of our tour, called the Tree Tops Tour, we got to learn about the different trees we were ziplining from and between. The Sonoma Treehouse Adventures experience typically also includes a zipline course upon arrival, but the Forest Flight Tour is currently being renovated. 

The Tree Tops Tour features seven ziplines in total, including the longest and fastest ziplines at the park. You start small and work your way up to the longest one, which provides scenic views of the canyon. After that, there are some shorter but especially speedy ziplines. It was raining lightly during our experience, but we barely felt it (especially with our masks on, which are required during the pandemic). 

This zipline course stood out from others I’ve tried before. In addition to the ziplines, there was a spiral staircase to descend, two sky bridges (suspension bridges) to traverse, and at the very end, a rappel from 45 feet off the ground. Leaving the platform for the rappel was definitely the scariest part of the course but once I was on my way, it was easy, fun, and not too fast. 

I had an absolute blast and while my friend felt a little shaky throughout, afterward, she called it “exhilarating” and “freeing,” and added it was something she never thought she would do. It’s the kind of experience that leaves you with a major adrenaline rush and feeling as if you can overcome all of your fears.

Sonoma Treehouse Adventures costs $550 per person with a minimum of two guests. Additional children and household members are $275 a person with a max occupancy of four. 

6250 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental, sonomacanopytours.com

This Sonoma Winery Wants to Pay You $10,000 a Month and Cover Your Rent

By Dana Rebmann
two glasses of white wine on table overlooking California wine country on sunny, cloudless day (Shutterstock)

After 12+ months of pandemic living, we could all use a fresh start right about now. How about relocating to Healdsburg for a $10,000-per-month job, rent-free living and a 12-month supply of free wine?

Sonoma County winery Murphy-Goode has launched a four-month-long nationwide search for one person to “live out their ultimate dream job” in Wine Country. There are no required qualifications for “A Really Goode Job,” as the winery calls the new position. Instead, Murphy-Goode wants applicants to create a short video resume in which they explain their ideal role in the wine industry and what they would bring to the winery. The video should be uploaded to the application page by June 30, 2021.

While people from all over the U.S. can apply for the position, the winery is welcoming local applicants, too.

“Wine Country locals are the heartbeat of our community; an eclectic, diverse group with a variety of skills,” said Rick Tigner, CEO of Jackson Family Wines, the family-owned wine company that includes Murphy-Goode Winery. “Tell us about your favorite places and activities as a local; I’m sure we will be able to relate,” he said.

The Murphy-Goode gig starts this August and runs through July 2022. But, if everything works out well, the lucky employee might be able to continue working for the winery.

The new hire will spend the first 90 days on the job shadowing winemaker Dave Ready Jr. and will then be tasked with a variety of assignments depending on their interests, including “developing working relationships across functions of the winery” and “effectively promoting Murphy-Goode wines through various channels and events.”

During their employment, the winery will work with the new employee to help them pivot their career and choose their path in the wine industry.

“Our job is to help guide their path in the wine business, support their passions and provide a platform to achieve their dream job,” said Tigner. “The job could include anything from winemaking to viticulture, hospitality, culinary, digital marketing, and beyond. The sky’s the limit!”

Murphy-Goode ran a similar campaign in 2009. The winner that year, Hardy Wallace, landed the job by creating a viral marketing campaign and became a winemaker in Napa after his time at Murphy-Goode. He now operates Dirty and Rowdy Family Winery with his wife, Kate, and their friends Matt and Amy Richardson.

If you’re looking for a new career, love wine and like to live life “one sip at a time,” apply here. Job applicants must be 21 years of age or older and must be authorized to work in the U.S. For more information and tips on how to make your application stand out, click through the gallery above.

Cafe Citti Soon to Open in Santa Rosa, More Local Dining News

By Heather Irwin
Prosciutto di Parma and housemade mozzarella on housemade focaccia served alongside Caesar salad at Citti Cafe in Kenwood. (Chris Hardy / Sonoma Magazine)

We’ve heard some super-sad news from Sebastopol: Food Mechanic is closing. The cafe, owned by Shane Dykhuis and Anne Zuelke, served healthy soups and salads, along with some darn good cookies and collagen “jigglers,” made with juice and beef gelatin. To say that their smoked chicken salad was my very, very favorite in the whole wide world is not an exaggeration. On one of my hard days as I worked to get food to first responders and evacuees during the Kincade fire, that salad pretty much saved my bacon and my sanity.

“We’ve muscled through major challenges like wildfires and the ongoing pandemic, but these slowed down our momentum during critical growth periods and we’ve simply run out of time and resources to continue on in this capacity,” the couple said on Facebook in an announcement about the closure.

I’m heartbroken that they’ll be moving on, but we hope they’ll pop up soon in another spot. Open until March 26, 980 Gravenstein Hwy., Sebastopol, foodmechanic.com.

Madrona Manor makeover

The historic Healdsburg mansion and its restaurant will be closed for several months for a remodel after being acquired by an investment group headed by designer Jay Jeffers of St. Helena, Kyle Jeffers and Cory Schisler (see renderings of the remodel in the above gallery). What we’re interested in is the Michelin-starred restaurant run by Chef Jesse Mallgren, who will stay on when the property reopens under a new name, The Madrona. The restaurant will be a more casual spot than its former white-tablecloth incarnation, Jay Jeffers said.

Cafe Citti update

After months of waiting, Cafe Citti has received its much-anticipated building permit and hopes to open soon in its new location at 2792 Fourth St. in Santa Rosa. Luca and Linda Citti, owners of the popular Italian eatery, said last fall they planned to move for several reasons, including the need for renovations at the Kenwood building, power outages and the Glass fire that burned through parts of Kenwood.

Finally open

Of course, the biggest news is that Sonoma County has reached the much-anticipated red tier, which means restaurants can have indoor dining at 25% of their capacity. While we’re still quite happy outdoors in this lovely weather, it’s nice to know that we’ll be able to head inside — especially after getting our second vaccine dose!