Page 226 – Sonoma Magazine

10 Top Winery Patios in Sonoma County That Are Now Open

June 2020

By Linda Murphy

Click through the above gallery for photos.

There is something so refreshing, calming and authentic about tasting wine outdoors as opposed to indoors. Especially now.

June in Sonoma County is a feast for the eyes with its sheer beauty of green leafy grapevines, the colorful palette of wildflowers, towering redwoods, majestic oaks, undulating hillsides and the meandering Russian River. It also offers soothing sounds for the senses: bees buzzing in winery gardens, chirping birds guarding their nests.

When Sonoma County tasting rooms were first allowed to reopen during the pandemic — outside only — on May 23, some wineries quickly adapted and some were already prepared with expansive patios, seemingly designed for coronavirus times. (Indoor which istasting rooms were recently allowed to reopen, too.)

The large paved patio at Kunde Family Winery in Kenwood, for example, allows for safe physical distancing between tables. The soft babbling of the water fountain and surrounding cloak of vineyards make the space feel a world away from the traffic on Highway 12. Canvas umbrellas block the sun on bright mornings and warm afternoons.

Here are 10 Sonoma County wineries that, like Kunde Winery, offer an opportunity to spend time outdoors while sipping excellent wines and taking in the summer landscape.

Copain Wines

Fill your eyes with panoramic Russian River Valley views and your glass with cool-climate chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and rosé at this south-of-Healdsburg winery. Perched on a hillside above the river itself, Copain has a spacious, casual patio where you can enjoy two distinctive tastings. The Classic Copain Experience ($30) includes four wines representing the regions and grape varieties that comprise the winery’s Single Vineyard portfolio. The Reserve Copain Experience ($50) is a flight of five limited-release wines from past vintages, giving guests the opportunity to see how wines evolve in the bottle. For an additional $15 per person, guests receive a selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, fruits and crostini. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Monday, with seatings on the half-hour.

7800 Eastside Road, Healdsburg, 707-836-8822, copainwines.com

Chalk Hill Estate

William Foley’s Sonoma winery empire shines most brightly for visitors at this 1,300-acre property in the Chalk Hill AVA, adjacent to Alexander Valley. Foley’s daughter, Courtney Foley, is the winemaker, producing high-end chardonnays, sauvignon blancs and Bordeaux red varietals from 300 vineyard acres. The patio is the place to enjoy tasting flights of four wines ($30) as well as various pairings, including Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay with fried chicken and caviar ($115 for two people). Starting June 26, cheese and charcuterie platters with pickled estate vegetables are offered ($25). Appointments are available 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

10300 Chalk Hill Road, Healdsburg, 707-657-1809, chalkhill.com

Davis Family Vineyards

Go wine tasting down by the riverside with Guy Davis and his family. Their large patio, bocce court and organic garden area hug the Russian River, just north of Healdsburg’s Memorial Bridge. Guests sit at safely spaced picnic tables or in the garden lounge to enjoy tastings of five wines (various flights are available) and bites from chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart and their Black Piglet food truck.

Pinot noir, both still and sparkling, and Rhone Valley varietals are the strong suits of this friendly, fun-loving winery. Open by appointment only, with seatings at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. $20 per person

2 Front St, Healdsburg, 707-433-3858, davisfamilyvineyards.com

Dry Creek Vineyard

Forty-eight years young and getting stronger by the day, this pioneering Dry Creek Valley winery was founded in 1972 by Dave Stare, whose passion for the white wines of France’s Loire Valley prompted him to plant and produce sauvignon blanc between Dry Creek and West Dry Creek roads.

Today, Stare’s daughter, Kim Stare Wallace, and winemaker Tim Bell turn out a wide range of well-priced varietals, among them chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, although sauvignon and zinfandel are the longstanding stars. The vast lawn outside the tasting room door has long been outfitted with picnic tables for casual tastings, and the custom continues, albeit at 6 or more feet apart. Mature trees and other landscaping make for a cool, welcoming environment. $25. Open by appointment, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-1000, drycreekvineyard.com

Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery

For a real get-out-of-Dodge day, venture to this strikingly beautiful winery setting in Jenner. The outdoor deck offers jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean, coastal redwoods and lush meadows. Here, owners Linda and Lester Schwartz planted chardonnay, pinot noir and pinotage on fog-shrouded ridges, going against viticultural advice that the spot was too cold to ripen wine grapes. The South Africa-native couple proved the pros wrong, achieving a bracing, high-acid style of wine currently made by Jeff Pisoni. Wine tastings ($45) include four estate-grown wines accompanied by a sit-down meal of locally sourced charcuterie and artisanal cheeses; a vegetarian option is available. Reservations are available 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Monday.

5725 Meyers Grade Road, Jenner, 707-847-3460, fortrossvineyard.com

Hamel Family Wines

Since opening in 2014, Hamel Family Wines has set a high bar for customer service, wine and food experiences and Bordeaux-style red varietals and blends. The coronavirus shutdowns and slow reemergence hasn’t stopped this Glen Ellen winery from offering a most-of-the-frills Reserve Experience.

Start with a glass of rosé during a private guided tour through the Hamel Family Ranch vineyard, winery and adjacent cave. In the cave, taste a yet-to-be-released cabernet sauvignon from the barrel, then move to the patio for a four-course menu prepared by the estate chef and paired with Reserve Series Cabernet Sauvignon blends. $150.

15401 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-996-5800, hamelfamilywines.com

J. Rickards Winery

The motto for this Cloverdale winery is “Darn Fine Barn Wine,” and a visit here is a throwback to the days when winegrowers preferred to be called farmers and tasting rooms were humble and homey. Proprietor/grower Jim Rickards now schedules appointments in the tasting room Wednesday through Saturday, at the modest price of $15 for five wines.

Yet the best way to go is to order Big John’s Market box lunches from the winery online (prices vary) and reserve a shady spot to picnic outside and taste the wines among the vines … or order a glass or bottle (sauvignon blanc, viognier, rosé and zinfandel are personal favorites). The barn is real and the experience is a reminder that farming forms the foundation of winemaking.

24545 Chianti Road, Cloverdale, 707-367-77, jrwinery.com

J Vineyards & Winery

This Healdsburg winery (it’s just as close to Windsor) is known for its wine and food pairings, some of which constitute full meals. The recent “soft” reopening offers the Legacy on the Terrace tasting, with five small-production chardonnays, pinot noirs and sparkling wines served with complimentary cheeses.

J’s terrace is a quiet oasis, tucked into the vineyards with plenty of umbrellas for shade. $55.

J Vineyards & Winery, 11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-5430, jwine.com

Kunde Family Winery

The generous patio between the parking lot and indoor tasting room is conducive to hosting tastings with plenty of physical distancing. A pre-set group of wines from an amazingly broad lineup is served, along with a food component.

Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, old-zinfandel and merlot are fan favorites, made by Zach Long, who has his choice of grapes grown on the 1,850-acre estate. For now, Kunde’s estate hikes and cave tours are not available. $40.

9825 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5501, kunde.com

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

St. Francis is known in these parts not only as a producer of top-notch wines spanning a broad price spectrum, but also for its restaurant-level wine and pairing program. Since reopening, this eastern Santa Rosa winery offers its acclaimed Wine & Food Pairing experience in its dining room ($85 per person).

For an entirely open-air tasting, go for the Estate Pairings ($50) of wines matched with light bites on the Vineyard Portico. The views of vineyards and the Mayacamas mountain range are an added bonus.

100 Pythian Road at Highway 12, Santa Rosa, 888-675-9463, stfranciswinery.com

Grossman’s Leads the Deli Renaissance in Sonoma County

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

Turkey “moistmaker” sandwich at Grossman’s in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)

Holy knishes! Grossman’s Noshery and Bar, Mark and Terri Stark’s newish “Jew-ish” delicatessen, has finally opened with the full menu we’ve all be kvetching for. With everything from egg creams, latkes and smoked fish to chopped liver, matzoh ball soup and pelmeni, it’s a nosh-mitzvah!

One of the first victims of the shelter-in-place mandate, Grossman’s was slated for a grand opening in late March, ironically the day after the order went into effect. Though the Starks offered takeout on and off with a limited menu, it wasn’t until the first week of June that they could serve their homey, Eastern European-inspired deli menu for both dine-in and takeout.

Over the years, only a handful Jewish delis — Kosher or not — have been part of Sonoma County’s culinary scene. In the 1950s, they included Eisenhood’s, Mac’s Kosher Style and Ben’s Kosher. Only Mac’s stood the test of time, continuing to satisfy our love of pastrami, corned beef sandwiches and hearty rye bread.*

And though a good Reuben has never gone out of fashion, Old World deli staples like beef tongue, chicken liver, whitefish and even matzoh ball soup fell out of favor for healthier, more modern cuisine. In 2015, fewer than 150 Jewish delis remained in the entire country.

Fortunately, a nationwide delicatessen renaissance has sparked renewed interest in comforting, bubbe-style cooking. Grossman’s is all that and a bag of matzoh chips.

Pickled beet salad at Grossman’s in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine) — Pickled beet salad at Grossman’s in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD

Turkey “moistmaker” sandwich at Grossman’s in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD

Best Bets

Don’t worry if you’re not habituated to dishes like smoked whitefish salad, chopped liver and pickled herring.

There’s plenty of familiar food like hummus, latkes, falafel, egg salad, pastrami sandwiches and a ridiculously good patty melt to love. Break out of your comfort zone and try something new, even if it’s a tasty egg cream (which includes neither egg nor cream) with vodka.

Potato Leek Latkes, $8: These are exactly like my family’s version, minus being limp and greasy. Super-duper crispy cakes, without puddles of oil and with the required sour cream and applesauce. Divine and necessary.

Chopped Liver and Onions, $9: You can’t have a real deli without a lot of chicken, and with a lot of chicken comes a lot of schmaltz and gribenes — chicken fat and skin rendered into golden goodness.

That’s the beauty of beak-to-tail cooking, which also includes chicken livers. Chopped and mixed with caramelized onions and a topping of hard boiled egg and crispy chicken skin, it’s the most heymish dish on the menu.

Veal and Shitake Pelmeni, $11: Can a dumpling be life-changing? Turns out, yes. Pelmeni and tortellini are second cousins, but these little pouches are flavor-filled with seasoned veal and earthy shitakes with a topping of sour cream and fresh dill.

The Sandwiches: It goes without saying that Grossman’s house-made pastrami and corned beef are signatures, served with fresh rye (Grossman’s features its own bakery) and deli mustard. Hence, the Reuben is also insanely good. Here are a few other must-trys.

Egg Salad, $12: Just like grandma’s. A big fat sandwich of creamy egg salad without any weird stuff (like pickle relish or celery), served on fresh house-made challah.

The Weinberger Patty Melt, $14: I’ve never understood why anyone would eat a cheeseburger when you could have a griddled burger with caramelized onions on good rye bread.

This is the father of all patty melts, with the addition of pastrami, Gruyere cheese (the matured sibling of Swiss) and special sauce. Chef Matt Weinberger, executive chef de cuisine for Grossman’s, has our compliments on this beast of a sando.

Sabich Platter, $21: If you want a sampling of items, the platters — smoked meats, smoked fish or the sabich — are the way to go.

We loved the vegetarian(ish) board of eggplant, crisp and flavorful falafel, pickled cabbage, tahina (crushed sesame seeds, garlic and lemons), Israeli salad, 8-minute egg and amba (a vinegary pickled mango sauce) with pita bread.

And the rest: We haven’t mentioned the fresh-made bagels, schmears, matzoh ball soup and a laundry list of other tasty treats as well as family-style meals for takeout.

There are also a great cocktail list and full bar and tasty deli pantry items for purchase.

Like any good deli, Grossman’s menu is something you explore over time, not at one sitting. Once the outdoor patio opens in a few weeks, we’ll have even more reason to sit, schmooze and feast.

308 1/2 Wilson St., Santa Rosa (at the Hotel La Rose). Open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com

* Thanks to my Facebook friends, including Gabe Meline, for sussing out some of the history of Jewish delis in Sonoma County. L’chaim!

‘Right Fist in the Air, Strong and Confident’: Black Women in Sonoma County Speak Out

June 2020

By Susan Minichiello

Seventeen Black women wearing vibrant, cheerful colors posed on the steps of the Museum of Sonoma County last Sunday, proud and unapologetic.

“Right fist in the air, strong and confident,” said Malia Anderson, a 43-year-old Santa Rosa wardrobe stylist, as a photographer clicked away. Cars drove by and honked in support, and the women cheered through facial masks.

Anderson had organized the photoshoot for the local Black women as a way to elevate their voices and connect them during a momentous, historic shift in the Black Lives Matter movement in Sonoma County and across the U.S.

“Obviously our world is kind of upside down and sideways right now and there are so many things going on, and I was trying to figure out what my place in the whole thing was,” said Anderson, CEO of Style by Malia. “I realized that part of the reason, as a Black woman, I couldn’t really figure out where my story fit was because nobody was telling my story.”

Anderson had been thinking recently about Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Dominique Rem’mie Fells and Riah Milton — Black women and and trans women whose deaths, including at the hands of police in Taylor’s case, often have been overshadowed.

“Why are Black women not at the forefront of this movement?” Anderson said.

While the photoshoot was fun and uplifting for the participants, for many, it also was a political act to raise the visibility of Black women in public discussion and media representation. Several of them pointed to coverage of Taylor’s death compared with the more prominent coverage of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, which has sparked weeks of protests across the country.

Gayle Whitlock, a 62-year-old licensed marriage family therapist, called the photoshoot “a radical act of self-care.”

“I wanted to not only come out and support Malia’s mission but also have my voice heard as a Black woman in this town that’s not the most affirming place to live if you are a person of color,” said Whitlock, who specializes in helping women through racism, anxiety, depression and trauma at New Leaf Counseling Services in Santa Rosa.

“I felt hopeful and I felt empowered and I felt strong. I felt the strength of other Black women, other beautiful women who are deciding to be heard,” she said.

Letitia Hanke, 44, has an autoimmune disease and couldn’t risk exposure to the novel coronavirus in large crowds of protestors, but she supports the Black Lives Matter movement. She credits this year’s wave of activism to young people and to the pandemic.

“This is my protest. This is my way of showing my strength in this community,” said Hanke, president and CEO of Alternative Roofing Solutions.

“I think COVID has actually helped this situation in many ways because people have the time to protest, to research, watch the videos, watch the documentaries. That’s what’s happening right now.”

Anderson chose the Museum of Sonoma County as the site for the photoshoot because the movement and the moment felt historic, and because it’s in downtown Santa Rosa, near the site of weeks of Black Lives Matter marches.

“Putting women together who look like each other, who live in one special world and who get it — you’re like, ‘Oh this is what power feels like,’” Anderson said. “It carries me through to know that I’m a part of something, and I hope it carries these women through.”

Whitlock said the deaths of Taylor, Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed Black man in Georgia fatally shot while on a run, propelled her to protest in the crowds while wearing a facial mask.

“I stepped back and felt the pandemic that has been affecting my life, my son, the people I care about and love, has been going on for 401 years, and I have to say something. I have to speak out. I have to be engaged,” she said.

Shawntel Reece with her two daughters, ages 15 and 11. (Loren Hansen)

Shawntel Reece, a 40-year-old Santa Rosa social worker, came to the photoshoot with her two daughters, ages 15 and 11. A member of the NAACP, Reece said she appreciates the momentum of the movement and seeing white people bring their kids to protests in recent weeks, but more systemic changes need to be made.

“I get pulled over for nothing,” said Reece, who estimated that she gets pulled over by the police once every three months.

Reece said she’s bolder with police now. She always asks, “Are you going to shoot me?” and mentions that her daughters are in the car.

At a recent rally, her daughters each held a sign indicating what they want for their futures: one wants to be a physical therapist, the other, an engineer. Reece’s sign read, “I want my kids to be alive.”

Blatant racism and racist microaggressions are a part of everyday existence as a Black woman in the U.S., including Sonoma County, said several women at the photoshoot.

“I’ve been called the N-word more times than I care to think about, and that hurts every time I hear it,” Anderson said. “I’ve been called the N-word just walking down the street minding my own business.”

Recently, Anderson was walking in downtown Petaluma with her white family members when a stranger in a passing car shouted, “All lives matter!”

Whitlock recalled being asked by a former coworker if she was going to bring fried chicken to a work potluck. Hanke recalled swastikas on her car.

When Amber Lucas was a preteen, girls at her school would exchange locks of each other’s hair tied in a bow as a friendship keepsake. She remembered being laughed at by a classmate when it was her turn to cut a lock of hair.

“Ew, what’s that? That looks like a bunch of pubes,” her classmate said.

Lucas went home that day and cried. She was so embarrassed, she said, that she wore her hair in a slick bun for the rest of the school year, so no curls would show. As a college student, she worked a parttime job to save money for an expensive hair straightener.

Today Lucas is a 34-year-old marketing manager in Santa Rosa and lifestyle blogger. She said for the Black Lives Matter movement to be effective, change needs to go beyond voting or sharing a black box on social media to bring attention to black victims of police violence.

“It has to be stepping into this really uncomfortable zone and calling these racist acts out,” she said. “This is something that must be addressed every single day. It has to be addressed in our homes. It has to be addressed amongst our friends. It has to be addressed at work.”

For Lucas, who is multiracial with a Haitian and Danish ancestry, being Black is something she said she’s still learning about every day.

Whitlock, the therapist, said for her Blackness is living in a way that honors her mother who died when she was six and lived through Jim Crow laws in Alabama. Her mother instilled in her a hopeful message to her to live a full life and pursue her goals.

“That message lives in me, and I feel it every day,” Whitlock said. “My unapologetic Blackness is all of the women who came before me, the Maya Angelous, the Ida B. Wells, the Harriet Tubmans. How in the world did they have the strength to do what they did?”

Seventeen Black women stand together on the steps of the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa. (Loren Hansen)

The group photos and individual portraits will be posted online on the women’s websites and social media accounts using three hashtags: #sonomablackwomen, #shareblackwomenstories and #winecountryblackwomen. Anderson will have her story posted on her website maliaanderson.com.

The posts will be shared on Juneteenth, the June 19 holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S.

“These photos, for me, are an opportunity to see what Black women go through just to get to where we are now,” Anderson said.

Susan Minichiello is a freelance writer based in Santa Rosa. More at susanmini.com.

How to Camp Away From the Crowds in Sonoma County

June 2020

By Jess Lander

Looking for a way to escape your house without having to closely interact with anyone? Online marketplace HipCamp, “the Airbnb of camping,” rents out pieces of private land where travelers can pitch a tent or park their RV. There’s also a glamping section of the website where you can book cabins, barns, and other rustic-chic retreats that take the “roughing it” out of camping. Each listing offers either a completely private experience or one that’s semi-private, which seems suitable during the pandemic. You definitely won’t be sharing bathroom facilities with dozens of other campers, which is the greatest risk when it comes to camping right now.

Click through the above gallery to see a few HipCamp glamping sites in Sonoma County.

A New York Tradition Carries On At Mombo’s

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

Feb, 29, 2020 in Mombo’s Sebastopol. Marianna, myself and Giovanna having our final meal as the owners. (Fred Poulos)

Pizzeria Owner Loved Bringing People Together

Fred Poulos, the founder of Mombo’s Pizza who popularized New York-style pizza in Sonoma County and trained a generation of pizzaiolos, died Sunday, June 14 after a battle with cancer. He was 67.

In a food culture where novelty is always a headline, Poulos’ simple, family-friendly pizzerias rarely got the press they deserved despite being one of Santa Rosa and Sebastopol’s most popular Friday night traditions.

Like most restaurateurs, hospitality was a calling, and the Massachusetts-native spent a lifetime learning his craft and opening popular eateries. But what Poulos most loved was sharing those experiences and hard-won lessons with thousands of staff members he mentored over the years.

In a recent interview before his death, Poulos said that one of his greatest joys throughout his life were frequent calls from former staff members scattered around the world.

“They remember the time we spent together. It’s very fulfilling,” he said. “I’m moving on, but it just lights me up to be thought of as a person who helped people with their futures,” he said.

That mentorship included longtime Mombo’s manager Drew Peletz, who purchased Poulos’ Santa Rosa and Sebastopol stores in February. The Santa Rosa location has been closed since March 1, with a planned remodel grinding to a halt during shelter-in-place orders, but is expected to reopen this summer. Sebastopol remains open.

“From the day I started, he would tell me, ‘This could all be yours someday’,” said Peletz. “He taught me a lot about the pizza business, the East Coast style, the dough, the recipes, the sauce, and his desire to have the highest quality. We’re carrying on his legacy.”

“I think what sticks out most to me was his passion for food. He was so happy to see people excited and to get together to eat something. He wanted his restaurants to bring people together,” he said.

A lively storyteller who grew up outside Boston, Poulos’ got his start at pizzerias and delis on near his home. He returned to those roots many times over the years, including a stint at Fellini’s in Rhode Island where he worked with legendary pizzaiolo Paul Schneider — a man now immortalized as the pork-pie hat-wearing cartoon character that has become an iconic part of the Mombo’s brand.

Poulos was also a founder of the iconic Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz with Keith Holtaway in the 1980s, bringing New York slices to California beach-goers. Many Northern California pizza operators can trace their lineage back to that spot, including champion pizzaiolo Leah Scurto who recently opened PizzaLeah in Windsor.

After his departure in 1990, Poulos operated several restaurants in New Mexico but ultimately wanted to return to California to raise a family with his wife, Marianna.

On a day trip to Sonoma County, the couple immediately knew they’d found a home with their then-infant daughter, Giovanna. In fact, it was the now-20-year-old Giovanna who, as a young child, babbled the name “Mombo” that ended up becoming the moniker for Poulos’ restaurants.

In 2002, after a false start with a restaurant in Occidental, Poulos found the Santa Rosa space Mombo’s still occupies in the Junior College neighborhood. Almost immediately he found an audience for his authentic New York style pizza — still rare in Northern California at that time.

Poulos described those heady days, saying, “It was so perfect. There were so many people there and nothing like it. We wanted to make it affordable, and have people love it,” said Poulos. “So many people recognized our pizza from Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz. It built up a huge buzz and I needed to do another one near where we live in Sebastopol.” That outpost opened in 2005.

Through the years, the Poulos and his family spent time traveling to far off locations, but always returned home to the restaurants — and staff — he loved.

“ I just like to be thought of as a person who is helping people with their futures,” the pizzeria owner said recently.

Recalling a recent afternoon her husband spent with Peletz and a few favorite staff members on his porch, Marianna said, “He was beaming, he was so proud and excited about their future. That filled his heart.”

The family has not announced any public services.

Shopping for Rainbows in Sonoma County Stores

June 2020

By Karen Kizer

Maybe Kermit the Frog captured our love of rainbows best when he sang, “Why are there so many songs about rainbows?” Then again, the answer is pretty obvious, isn’t it? They’re fascinating, beautiful and they symbolize the passing of a storm. They offer a lesson in the science of light, and, for decades now, the rainbow has become a symbol of Pride and inclusion.

Back from the 70s and 80s along with unicorns, rainbows are all over the style scene right and there are lots of options in Sonoma County stores to decorate your home, outfit and even your mind—by that we mean there are some great books on or inspired by rainbows. Here are just a few of our favorites. Click through the above gallery for more details.

Things to Do When You’re Stuck at Home, 10 Tips from Local College Students

June 2020

By Cash Martinez & Grace Yarrow

It’s not easy experiencing what we’re told are the “best years of our lives” from our childhood bedrooms.

As two college students sent home in the middle of our spring semester, it’s been a strange couple of months.

Suddenly, we couldn’t see our friends every day and our classes were conducted on Zoom. Basically, we had to do all the work of a normal semester with none of the aspects that make college memorable and fun.

But we’ve adjusted. It’s fair to say that scheduling FaceTime dates, reconnecting with old friends and getting creative in our hobbies (banana bread, anyone?) has kept a lot of us going.

And now that it’s summertime and we have no responsibility to watch a constant stream of virtual lectures, finding a summer job is difficult and we can’t do all the things we’d normally do, we’re having to get even more creative.

Click through the above gallery to learn how we’ve been keeping ourselves busy (and sane).

From Pandemic to Protest: What We’re Wearing Right Now

June 2020

By Karen Kizer

At a time when our minds are on the pandemic and the economy, racism and marching in the streets, it’s hard to think about fashion and style. Yet we still have to get dressed every day—even if that means skipping the bra—and our current outfits are making many of us feel less than dazzling. Sonoma County stylist Malia Anderson shares tips on how to transcend the “athleisure” wear of COVID-19, gives us her fashion forecast and talks about how the protests are influencing style.

As shelter in place directives have delivered another blow to already-ailing brick-and-mortar retail, Anderson has had to pivot her personal styling business to focus on dressing clients for virtual meetings and days spent at home.

“I’m building outfits from the waist up,” Anderson says, describing how she now preps her clients for their Zoom meetings. Jewelry and pretty tops are the focus. “(Onscreen) you can’t hide. In the conference room, you can schlep in and hide in the corner,” she adds. The personal stylist has also been shopping for leggings, sweatshirts and t-shirts for her clients, and for herself, to have more everyday options.

To combat drab stay-at-home style, Anderson will dress in work clothes just to feel good and then head out to the grocery store. She’s turning to jewelry to add style: ”There’s nothing wrong with a good pair of earrings.” As for really dressing up, she says that, until weddings, parties and events resume, it will be mostly casual wear for everyone.

Anderson believes style is a form of empowerment and she works hard to get clients out of a fashion rut. Despite there being no reason to dress up at the moment, she thinks now is a good time to re-evaluate personal style.

“You know what you don’t want,” she says. “So many people are purging their closets. We can put back in what we do want. Love it or hate it, everything’s going to be on sale for the rest of the year.”

On the topic of fashion as empowerment, Anderson adds that “the revolution (challenging racism) will have a uniform,” and she mentions work boots, dark clothing and protective wear as examples. “It’s an old uniform,” she says. Layered masks, of course, are an addition courtesy of the coronavirus.

Anderson believes the revolutionary spirit will endure and will be expressed in clothing with a more militant look. Statement tees will be very popular, she says. She also predicts that there will be more people who “shop black and indigenous (businesses),” making spending more of a political statement. “There are retailers that made (positive) statements (about Black Lives Matter) that didn’t have to,” she says and adds that she will be frequenting these businesses.

She cautions, however, against dressing or protesting in a way that appropriates culture. “It’s one thing to be an ally and a partner. It’s another thing to be a trend.”

Anderson believes protests will continue and soon be “taken indoors to the legislature.” As people stump for candidates at the state and local level, she says, “you’ll still see the revolutionary fashion, slightly polished or dressed up.”

Anderson likes to style statement tees with blazer and heels—but she also likes to dress her advocacy in a less literal way. “If I’m dressed from head to toe in yellow, you can’t ignore me,” she says. Even outside of a climate of pandemic and protest, Anderson offers similar advice to her clients.

“When people see you, they will listen to you. They will hear you.”

stylebymalia.com, instagram.com/stylebymalia

New Secret Menu at The Flamingo Hotel Is Nom-Tastic

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

Fried chicken sandwich and umami fries from Wild Bird at The Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)

Mysterious restaurant pop-ups are so my jam, and I’ve got a fun one for you. Wednesday through Sunday, you can get some “clucking good chicken” from Chef Annie Hongkham, the newish chef at the Flamingo hotel. The secret menu is poultry-focused with pan-Asian influences, like their signature sandwich made with a moist and meaty fried chicken breast, yuzu aioli, pink peppercorn pickles and cabbage slaw on a Hawaiian roll. Nom-tastic. They’ve also got chicken wings with gochujang sauce; a chop salad with kale, shaved veggies, roasted beets, goat cheese, farro and macadamia nuts with a lilikoi vinaigrette and family buckets of fried chicken.

Don’t overlook the sides, however. We loved the yam fries with roasted pineapple ketchup and pole beans with Thai chili sauce. Several vegan options are available. Ordering is only through Tock, and once you get a time slot, you’ll have to go around the back of the hotel and do a little hunting for a small door in the fence. Head to the tiki hut by the pool, and you’re there. Boozy batched slushies, beer and wine also available.

Check it out at exploretock.com/wildbird

These Wine Country Hotels Offer Special Deals

June 2020

By Dana Rebmann

Businesses throughout Wine Country have been forced to pivot to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. From restaurants selling groceries to wineries doing virtual tastings to a flower shop creating an online farm stand with veggies, wine, and jewelry, their ways of dealing with this crisis have been innovative and inspiring.

Local hotels have also had to reinvent how they operate and are now moving forward with special deals and promotions that offer incentives to book hotel stays while also giving back to the community. Click through the above gallery to see what some hotels in Sonoma and Napa are currently offering.