The Bunny Foo-Foo sculpture at Hall Wines in St. Helena. (Hall Wines)
Despite our best intentions, making eco-friendly choices can sometimes be difficult, especially while traveling. To make it a little easier to enjoy the good life without guilt, many Wine Country businesses — wineries, restaurants and hotels — are implementing sustainable practices that take into consideration the local and global environment. Among them is Hall Wines in Napa Valley.
Although it may be most famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon and the giant stainless steel bunny that leaps into its vineyard, Hall Wines in St. Helena is also the first California winery to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for its fully sustainable production facility (the winery has also been awarded LEED Gold certification for its tasting room).
“If our business isn’t sustainable, then it won’t survive,” says Hall Wines viticulturist Domenick Bianco. “But looking at the movement more holistically, the real reason sustainability is important to us is that it pushes us to look at how we impact the environment both in terms of our business practices and in terms of our relationships within the community.”
In the hospitality industry, a business’ commitment to sustainability isn’t always easy for the consumer to see. For example, 11 percent of building materials used in the construction of Hall Wines’ St. Helena property came from recycled materials. The winery’s vineyards and landscaping are irrigated with recycled wastewater and, throughout the property, drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption.
To further improve water efficiency and conservation, Hall Wines uses high-tech solutions such as weather stations that supply data, which helps estimate vine water usage, and neutron probes that provide soil moisture readings. Additionally, rooftop solar panels on the barrel cellar and fermentation building provide more than 35 percent of the power at Hall Wines’s St. Helena property.
“Sustainability is not a singularly focused initiative,” says Bianco. “It takes into account many different elements spread across a broad spectrum of ideals. It pushes us to continually invest in bettering our community, our employees, our farming practices, and our philanthropic causes.”
Click through the above gallery to discover other ways HALL St. Helena makes sustainability a top priority.
Gerard’s Paella y Tapas in downtown Santa Rosa. (John Burgess)
Chef Gerard Nebesky of Gerard’s Paella y Tapas in downtown Santa Rosa is second-guessing his second-guessing.
After announcing in November his plans to close his 18-month-old restaurant on Fourth Street, a flood of paella fans poured in, prompting Nebesky to say the restaurant would remain open. Continued business challenges, however, have Nebesky once again announcing the restaurant’s official closure on Feb. 3.
“I just don’t have the staying power,” said Nebesky, who has been featured on Food Network and is a popular caterer at large festivals like BottleRock, Maker Faire and Ironman competitions.
He does plan to reopen for Sonoma County Restaurant Week (Feb. 21-March 1) and host pop-up events in the current space, the former location of Arrigoni’s Deli. Nebesky has a three-year lease on the space which ends in 2021.
Gerard’s Paella y Tapas founder/owner Gerard Nebesky. (John Burgess)
In November, Nebesky cited the city’s homelessness and concerns about parking as major hurdles to the success of his business. He wasn’t alone, as several downtown restaurants — Mercato, Stout Brothers, Jade Room, Tex Wasabi’s and La Vera Pizza among them — slogged through a long period of disruption from the reunification of Old Courthouse Square only to close in 2019 after the much-hoped-for downtown revitalization failed to materialize. Fires, power outages and still-lackluster tourism also have contributed to lasting pressures for many Sonoma County businesses.
“I walk around downtown at night, and nobody is full,” Nebesky said of downtown businesses. Though the city did ease parking fees during the holidays, Nebesky said much of the concern about parking is stigma rather than fact.
“People just choose the path of least resistance,” he said.
More concerning, Nebesky said, is a lack of downtown vibrancy in the evening as retail stores close for the day and family-friendly options dwindle and the bar scene takes over. That, with the ebb and flow of the homeless population downtown, have been challenging.
“I love the five-year plan for improving Santa Rosa, but I can’t wait. I’ve learned Santa Rosa is more of a breakfast, lunch and bar town. It’s just not an upscale dinner kind of place,” he said. “No one walks around before or after. They just go home.”
Closing the doors to his restaurant, however, isn’t simple. Nebesky said his three-year lease means he must come up with at least $7,500 in rent each month unless another business takes over. To help defray that cost, he plans to host pop-up dinners in the restaurant space and look at other creative ideas.
“We could do a dining club. It could be a commissary kitchen space. I think it could work as a great breakfast space,” Nebesky said. “The space was such a passionate build-out, and a lot of people really love it.”
For now, he’ll focus on several days of “blow out” paella specials and a final party on Feb. 3., his catering business and figuring out next steps.
“I’ve met such a great group of people, and that’s what I’ll miss more than anything. The restaurant may not have been a financial success, but socially, it’s succeeded 100 percent.”
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to visit more tasting rooms in 2020? Here’s a selection throughout the county to give you inspiration. The mid-winter months — typically minus crowds — are ideal for finding a new favorite place to sip and swirl.
Featured Winery — Amista Vineyards
New Year’s Eve celebrations may be over, but that’s no excuse to stop enjoying bubbly. Amista produces several types of sparklers, including the popular Blanc de Blanc, made from Chardonnay grapes from the estate vineyard, and a Syrah sparkler. Amista is also known for its still Rhône wines, such as Grenache and Syrah, along with Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Owners Mike and Vicky Farrow made their first Syrah in 2002. By 2005, the Amista label was born. (Amista roughly translates to “making friends.”) The dog-friendly tasting room opened in 2007, and the following year the Farrows introduced their first sparkler.
Three tastings are offered: the “Classic Flight” is $20; the “Signature Flight” consists of two sparklers and two estate-grown still wines for $25 (both available without reservations). Reserve ahead for a wine and food pairing ($50 for five wines), which might include such bites as a strawberry topped with fresh chèvre and lemon curd, eggplant caponata, and marinated mushroom caps.
Weather permitting, a free vineyard adventure walk is offered daily, or reserve the estate vineyard tour and tasting, a 90-minute excursion through vineyards and the fish habitat restoration project along Dry Creek. The $45 tour concludes with a flight of single-vineyard wines.
On Valentine’s Day weekend, Amista will be serving sparkling wine with chocolate-dipped strawberries. And Local’s Day, when food purveyors pair their goodies with Amista wines, resumes on February 21.
3320 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9200, amistavineyards.com. Open daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For Melissa and Seth Hanley, co-founders of Blitz, a San Francisco architecture and design firm, buying a house in Sonoma wasn’t in the plan. But after getting outbid by crazy amounts on properties in the city, the couple found their Sebastopol home almost by accident. “I had to persuade Melissa to go to the open house,” Seth explains. “A quick pit stop, I promised. Then we walked in and instantly looked at each other: ‘This is ours.’”
The house had the space and light they were looking for, but it was the backyard that really sold them. It was an oasis of green with two giant oak trees, redwoods, ferns, and rhododendrons, and had the space they craved for entertaining and gardening projects. Two days later, they were in escrow. And they were married and closed on the property in the same week.
A variety of succulents set against a bold green door hint at the eclectic design aesthetic on display inside Melissa and Seth Hanley’s Sebastopol home. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Homeowners Melissa and Seth Hanley are the co-founders of Blitz, a San Francisco architecture and design firm. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
For Melissa, their decision was about place. A sixth-generation native of Sonoma, Melissa grew up on a family farm in Sebastopol that her grandparents bought in 1952. Her grandparents raised cattle; later her parents planted Christmas trees and started WallinFarm. Buying here was a way for Melissa to connect to her west county roots and to share that connection with Seth, who is British by birth. “You spend a lot of your life trying to get away from where you grew up. Then, at some point, you miss it — that community and connection. Earlier that year, we lost my mom. And I felt a real heart connection to coming back here, wanting to be closer to family and our people.”
Melissa and Seth Hanley opened up the house and added these full length windows to let the outside in. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Dining room. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
Part of the original Swain Woods development, the house was built in 1979. “A solid year for tract housing,” jokes Melissa. “This area used to be owned by the Swain family and was actually just woods. My dad remembers riding his bike through here on his way to Analy High School.”
Now a weekend retreat for the couple and their two French bulldogs, Bardot and Beau, their house has become a natural way to bring people together. Melissa and Seth are known for hosting big parties with a mix of old and new friends. The home is a sanctuary, a place to recharge and refresh, but it’s definitely not a work-free zone. Both do a lot of designing — or “scheming” as they like to call the creative process — experimenting with new ideas, testing materials, and ways of living. One prized design project is the small shed they rebuilt in a far corner of the backyard, nicknamed the “shudio” if Melissa is painting there, or the “brewdio” when Seth is brewing beer. And during parties, it’s always the bar.
Large windows in the rebuilt shed give Melissa plenty of natural light for painting. (Rebecca Chotkowski)The backyard shed is a creative space for painting and brewing beer as well as a focal point for gatherings. Its design was an experiment in bringing modern flair to a traditional roof and trellis. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Entertainment area in the backyard. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
The kitchen had been beautifully remodeled by previous owners, so the two architects focused on other areas that needed attention, including the bathrooms and master bedroom. Their intention was to elevate standard materials with inventive design while upgrading the energy performance of the house. “We inherited a master bathroom with mustard yellow, brown, and 1970s terribleness,” says Melissa. “And it was open to the bedroom, just one big room,” Seth adds. They subdivided the space, doing some of the work themselves, and made the bedroom smaller to add a walk-in closet to enlarge the bathroom.
A chair in the living room. (Rebecca Chotkowski)A chair in the living room. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
They also focused on improving the flow and increasing the light on the ground level, changing the dining room windows to sliding doors and replacing the tiny windows in the breakfast nook with floor-to-ceiling picture windows. To Seth, the tiny windows were a design crime. “There’s a beautiful tree outside, and you could barely see it. We wanted to create the view. Now, when you walk down the hall into the kitchen, you see the full extent of the yard, the tree and everything.”
The “Jungle Room.” (Rebecca Chotkowski)
A mutual love of typography and cartography inspires much of what hangs on the walls: transit maps, old signs, and ham radio cards dating back to the 1930s. And nearly every piece of art and decor has a story. Many of the vintage collectibles belonged to Melissa’s mother, while the branch wood sculptures were dumpster-dive finds and the piano was rescued from a neighbor who was about to take a chainsaw to it.
In winter, Melissa, Seth, and their two Frenchies love to cozy up by the fire in the den, which they call their “snug,” a term acquired from a British architectural show. And now that their own home is mostly done, they’re likely to be at the Wallin family farm, working on plans for their next big project — growing hops. “We wanted something where we could play in the dirt. Good for the soul,” Melissa says, which is what weird and wonderful Sebastopol is all about.
The Super Bowl of love is just around the corner. Cue all the arrangements for heart-shaped boxes of candy, flower bouquets, and romantic dinner dates. Here are a few other lovable suggestions that are variations on classic Valentine’s Day gift themes, and all are available in Sonoma County. Click through the above gallery for details.
When much-needed rain is pouring down, answer back in style with rainwear and other tools to help you enjoy (or endure) those splashes. Here are a few bright finds to keep you dry and moving cheerily toward spring. Click through the above gallery for details.
Just weeks after Buttigieg drew criticism for hosting a fancy fundraiser at an exclusive Napa Valley winery, the Canadian prime minister is under attack for buying $4 gourmet doughnuts (and posting evidence of this on Twitter).
To add to the doughnut drama: Trudeau got his pastries from the Winnipeg gourmet doughnut shop, Oh Doughnuts, and not from Canada’s immensely popular doughnut chain, Tim Hortons.
“Elitist,” said Canadians outraged by the price of the pastries and Trudeau’s destination for doughnut shopping. “It all depends on the doughnuts,” said the staff at Sonoma Magazine. (One person, who will remain unnamed, added: “what could be sweeter than the words ‘Justin Trudeau’ and ‘doughnuts’ in the same headline?”)
Now, we’ve never tried Oh Doughnuts’ take on the popular pastry, but we have paid $4 (and more) for Sonoma County doughnuts and we did not regret it one (fried) bit — as a matter of fact, if Justin Trudeau would like to come here and buy a few fancy doughnuts for our next staff meeting, we can only say: Mais Oui!
And so, Mr. Trudeau, if you are reading this, click through the above gallery for a few places where you can buy us doughnuts — sans controversy and regrets.
January and February are citrus season in Sonoma, which is easy to forget because supermarkets are filled with it year-round and most of it is pretty good. Citrus keeps well and can be shipped long distances without a compromise in quality. But it’s best in winter, when we most need its dose of bright color and lift-me-up flavor.
Meyer lemons are a thin-skinned, sweeter-flavored cousin to the more common Eureka lemons and can be found in supermarkets, farmers markets, and, often enough, your neighbor’s garden. This tangy seasonal relish is adapted from a recipe in A. Cort Sinnes’ book “Mad About Meyer Lemons.”
Lemon and Herb Relish
Makes about 1 cup
1 large Meyer lemon, very thinly sliced
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon Vinaigre de Banyuls or sherry vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup snipped fresh chives
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
Remove the seeds from the lemon slices; cut the slices into small dice.
Put the lemons into a medium bowl, add the shallots, vinegar, parsley, and chives and toss together gently. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and correct as needed.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes so that the flavors will blossom and mingle.
Leftover relish will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to five days.
Enjoy this fresh-flavored hit of salty tang in nearly endless ways
• Tossed with hot pasta and a generous splash of olive oil
• Alongside roasted vegetables, meats, or poultry
• Drizzled over summer tomatoes or zucchini
• Spread on top of a cream-cheese bagel
• As a garnish for steamed rice, quinoa, farro, or barley
• Spooned over halved avocados or drizzled over avocado toast
Sonoma-based artist Kathryn Clark surveys a wall of her studio where a hand-stitched assemblage of pale-gray fabric swatches is affixed to a board with pearl-headed push pins. “Homage to Democracy,” as the work is called, is splashed in the light, and Clark, a self-described activist, is contemplating her next move.
The piece will become a 7×7-foot translucent tapestry representing both a map of Washington, D.C., and what Clark sees as the disintegration of government by the people, one cotton-organdy city block at a time. Clark arms herself with densely detailed city plans tattooed with colorful legends, bolts of cloth from one of San Francisco’s few remaining fabric stores, and a list of heady books that illuminate the smoldering social and political fires of the 21st century — predatory lending, demagoguery, money laundering, war-time refugees. From these sources, she produces large-format fabric works that express with quiet urgency the corrosive effects of the world’s most insidious threats, both visible and clandestine.
Kathryn Clark at work in her Sonoma studio. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Clark creates her art at a large blue work table bathed in natural light. Books, maps, and tools hang nearby. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
“There is this chipping away at our Constitution that happens daily now,” she says, gesturing toward what is the first in a series of quilt works that will include cities like Kyiv, Caracas, Hong Kong, Budapest, and London. “I offer a geopolitical perspective on politics through maps of cities where democracy is flailing.”
Clark moved to the town of Sonoma full time in July 2019 with her family after first purchasing her house, just a 15-minute walk from the Plaza, in 2011 as a getaway from San Francisco. “I love Sonoma all year, but fall and winter are really why I love it here,” she says. “The weekend crowds have mostly disappeared, the Plaza lighting ceremony kicks off the holiday season, and the restaurants shift their menus to reflect what’s growing around us.”
In the main home, a beloved abstract print by Robert Motherwell dominates the space above the living room fireplace. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Hand-knit laces and other bits of inspiration hang on a gallery wall opposite the couch in the main house’s living room. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Cheery red chairs anchor the dining area in the main house. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, Clark is the product of a Bauhaus marriage: her father was an architect, her mother a textile artist who died of leukemia when Clark was only 17. She studied art and architecture and ultimately found her way to urban planning, where she worked under New Urbanism visionary Peter Calthorpe.
While her interest in architecture followed her father’s career, she did not associate her textile talent with her mother until she married, had a child, and began experimenting with painting and photography as a stay-at-home mom. “I remembered my mom’s huge loom,” she says. “And then I had an epiphany: No wonder I wanted to work in textiles.”
In 2011, as she was turning 40, the artist stumbled upon her calling, creating large-scale works that bring light to issues of social justice. “The goal of my work is to provoke a conversation,” she says. “But I’m an introvert, so this is my way of speaking out.”
These donut-shaped objects are weights Clark uses to hold down maps and fabrics as she works. Made of hardware-store washers stacked and wrapped in scraps of cotton, they were given to Clark by her mentor, San Francisco artist Myrna Tatar. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Meticulous in her craft, Clark keeps tools and thread within easy reach of her studio’s work table. (Rebecca Chotkowksi)A portion of a recent work by Kathryn Clark, which depicts the layout of Syrian refugee camps and the path of Syrian refugees. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
Clark synthesizes the information she gathers from books, articles, podcasts, and Instagram feeds for months or even years before beginning to execute, vetting ideas and designs with organized peer reviews.
Public institutions, not private collections, are where she strives to have her work shown.
Her “Washington, D.C. Foreclosure Quilt,” was purchased by the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery. The quilt-and-embroidery piece, rendered in linen, cotton, and recycled thread, documents the effects of the 2007 recession and the economic distress of the subprime mortgage crisis that lingered long after disappearing from the headlines. Comparable maps for Detroit, Cleveland, Miami, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and other municipalities followed.
In 2018 she completed “Paul Manafort Money Laundering Blanket,” which depicts the glittering zig-zagging of transcontinental bling from the U.S. to Belgium, Ukraine, Russia, Cyprus, and the Grenadines, in hand-embroidery and beading on cotton organdy and gold silk. Her “Refugee Stories,” shown at the Riverside Art Museum in Riverside, California, uses embroidered panels to illustrate the path of Syrian refugees into Western Europe.
Clark inherited the raised beds in the courtyard from the previous owner. She and her husband have planted a variety of hardy winter vegetables including arugula and kale. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Clark with her husband, Dave, outside the studio. (Rebecca Chotkowski)Outdoor dining. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
Clark, her husband, Dave, and their daughter had lived in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood for 13 years before they bought the home in Sonoma. In the house, she discovered an original hand-colored drawing as well as a photocopy of a magazine feature about the home from April 1948.
The home had come in a kit designed by draftsman Alpha Sehlin, known for marketing “Affordable Swank for the WWII Generation.” Clark’s own take: “Mid-century for the working class.”
Also appealing was the compact, 950-square-foot floor plan, the third-of-an-acre lot crammed with raised garden beds, and a slower pace of life (locals are “more relaxed and less cutthroat” than in the city, she says). Among other improvements, Clark and her husband refurbished the kitchen and planted a dwarf olive tree in an established mini orchard of lemon, plum, apricot, pear, nectarine, and cherry trees.
She also decorated the walls with paintings, prints, drawings, and textural pieces by artists she finds inspiring, including Robert Motherwell, Kiki Smith, Sonya Philip, ReCheng Tsang, and her 83-year-old mentor, San Francisco artist Myrna Tatar.
Black and white nude with candle is by Kiki Smith, called “Silent Work, 1992Ó. White ceramic piece is by ReCheng Tsang, called “Ovals: gold.” (Rebecca Chotkowski)A Japanese cotton sakaburkuo sake bag. (Rebecca Chotkowski)
Then she turned her attention to the yellow tumbledown shed in the backyard. After it was determined to be beyond rehabilitation, she tore it down and designed a gleaming-white, board-and-batten box to her own exacting specifications.
Measuring 640 square feet with a ceiling that soars to 16 feet at its peak, and large windows in loadbearing places that made Clark’s contractor squawk, the studio is a spry younger sibling to the main house across the courtyard. It features a storage loft, a guest bedroom, a small library-lounge, and a large trussed work table.
It’s here in her self-designed and purpose-built studio that Clark’s maps, fabrics, tracing paper, sewing machine, iron, rotary cutters, and spools of thread are scattered about like decorative objects: the tools of an artist whose work is anything but decorative.
We’ve updated this 2020 story to include some new oyster spots in Sonoma and Marin counties.
It’s oyster season. At least technically, since January, February, March and April have an “r” in them, which makes them safe, according to popular lore. Though a true oyster lover’s passion for the briny little creatures is bound by no calendar, the cold waters of winter truly make it the best time to shuck, slurp, and savor our favorite bivalves.
Here’s the twist: As close as Sonoma residents are to oyster nirvana (aka Tomales Bay), I’ve always held to the idea that an oyster is an oyster no matter where you eat it, coast or no coast.
Sure, there is that whole sea-air thing, and the winter months are a lovely time to visit the North Coast — so I’ve decided to split the difference, heading from Petaluma to the tiny towns of Tomales and Bodega Bay then winding back a few miles to Valley Ford. It’s my take on an adventure-filled, slightly-off-the-beaten-path loop to uncover the ultimate oyster-eating spots.
Ready to go? Shell yeah!
Zoe Kimberly shucks oysters at The Shuckery in Petaluma. (John Burgess)Oysters on the half-shell at The Shuckery in Petaluma. (Photo courtesy of The Shuckery)
11:30 a.m., The Shuckery, Petaluma
THE ORDER: Half-dozen raw oysters, two baked Bingos, and a 2018 Pinot Gris-Chenin Blanc blend, because that’s how I roll.
THE SCENE: The restaurant is barely open for the day, but I’ve got to get an early start. Two dozen oysters aren’t gonna get in my belly on their own. Behind the counter, restaurant owner Jazmine Lalicker is tackling a pile of unshucked oysters with a quick flick of the wrist. The sunny bench seats by the window (with pillows) haven’t yet been snapped up.
I always forget how much I love the small, unassuming Kumamotos. If you’re a beginner, start with these sweeter petite half-shells and work your way up to larger, chewier oysters. The Bingos, however, I’ll dream about all day. A mixture of Cognac, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and garlic makes a crispy and browned crust. Bonus points for the oyster liquor that pools inside the shell, perfumed with garlic. I’m not afraid to admit I licked the shells — even though a small child looked at me with utter disdain.
REGRETS: Not taking a flying leap into the day with an oyster shooter.
Local friends enjoy a a drink and appetizers at the bar at the William Tell House in Tomales. (John Burgess)Oysters on the half-shell at William Tell House in Tomales (Photo courtesy of William Tell House)
(Temporarily Closed) 1:30 p.m., William Tell House, Tomales
THE ORDER: Half-dozen raw oysters on the half-shell and seafood chowder with a crisp and minerally white wine. You don’t sit at a bar and order a Shirley Temple. Nor does it really go with oysters.
THE SCENE: Belly up to Marin’s oldest saloon, just across the county line. Though the dining room and outdoor patio are delightful, the antique wood bar is much more convivial. Take a peek at the to-and-from chalkboard where you can see which locals have bought a round or two for a fellow drinker. The full menu is available at the bar, from oyster po’boys to chowder, fish tacos, and smoked trout salad. To make dining easier, you get a wooden tray that extends the eating surface — convenient to oyster-liquor sippers. Raw oysters are served on ice, which is so much nicer than piles of salt. Ice-cold oysters with a touch of mignonette, sip of wine, spoon of hot chowder. Repeat. Everything is so right with the world.
Digestion is about the most exciting part of this leg of the trip. Not that the drive to Bodega Bay isn’t lovely, but a combination of rogue farm implements, bicycle riders, and winding roads along these windswept hills requires attentive driving rather than rubbernecking.
Chef Brandon Guenther from Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford. (John Burgess)From left, grilled oysters with pesto butter, Louisiana hots, and garlic butter from Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford. (John Burgess)
3 p.m., Rocker Oysterfeller’s, Valley Ford
THE ORDER: Half-dozen raw oysters, five cooked. Margarita, rocks.
THE SCENE: Like walking into your super-cool grandma’s house. Everything here is warm and cozy, brightly colored, with a slightly Southern drawl. It’s easier to plop down at the bar than sit alone in the dining room. Plus, it’s a lot funnier to listen in to someone else’s conversation than the one in your head saying, “God, I don’t know if I can eat another oyster.” I pray over the margarita a little. The Tomales oysters are a little bigger than I’m hoping, but the jalapeño-honey mignonette adds just the right sweetness to the briny raw oysters. I’m more excited about the baked oysters. Their signature Rocker Oysterfeller is a cheeky take on the old school Oyster Rockefeller, made with arugula, bacon, cream cheese, and a cornbread crust. That and the Estero Gold cheese-blanketed oysters are delish, but I fall in love with the Louisiana Hots, an oyster bathed in hot sauce and garlic butter. My resolve is renewed, I can eat at least one more oyster. With a little more garlic butter this time.
REGRET: Being afraid of the Hangtown Fry. Not hanging out with my bar mates just a little longer.
The Bodega Bay fishing fleet is reflected in the windows of Fishermna’s Cove in Bodega Bay. (Kent Porter)Inside Fishermna’s Cove in Bodega Bay. (Kent Porter)
4:30 p.m., Fisherman’s Cove, Bodega Bay
THE ORDER: Half-dozen barbecued oysters, coffee.
THE SCENE: Fishing boats and crab pots along Bay Flat Road are within oyster-shell-throwing distance. I’m headed for what looks like a bait and tackle shop because, well, it is. That is not mutually exclusive to also selling some dang good barbecued oysters with garlic butter. These aren’t the tiny sweet ones, but hearty, palm-sized oysters that can put up a fight with the shuckers. Overly optimistic tourists huddle outside on picnic tables. Locals gather at the tiny tables and bar stools inside, gingerly slurping the hot oysters served on the half-shell and laughing at the shivering tourists. Slivers of extra-garlicky garlic bread are ideal for sopping up any remaining juices. I could now safely repel a vampire, should it come to that.
As the sun drops in my rearview mirror and the oyster shells cease crunching under my tires, I take a deep breath — or at least as much as one can with two dozens oysters in tow. What’s become obvious is that oysters are delicious no matter where you eat them, so long as they’re freshly shucked, the wine is cold, and the company is good.
