In honor of its 30th birthday, the Napa Valley Wine Train is throwing a party, and you’re invited.
It seems like everyone in Wine Country has an opinion about the wine train and its tenure in the valley — some good, some not so good — but there’s no denying the giant tourism magnet it has become since its inaugural passenger trip on Sept. 16, 1989.
Each year, the train ferries some 100,000 passengers through Napa Valley in its restored Pullman rail cars, with special events like the Hop Train, the Tequila Train and the annual holiday Santa Train.
If nothing else, surely that’s a feat worth applauding. All the more reason to celebrate: proceeds from the 30th anniversary event will go toward the Children’s Museum of Napa Valley.
To kick the party off, the Wine Train is hosting a reception on Sept. 16 at the Downtown Napa station. For $25, attendees can take in music, a tour of the train and hors d’oeuvres.
For those interested in celebrating in a more extravagant way, $250 tickets to the Wine Train’s 1980s-themed murder mystery party on Sept. 26 are now on sale.
The evening trip aboard the train will feature a four-course meal and a mystery for the guests onboard to solve: Who murdered singer Poison Ratenstein before he could perform for his fans?
A new tasting experience at a winery on the northwest shoulder of Sonoma Mountain has something for grown-ups and kiddos alike.
The winery, Belden Barns, recently unveiled special scavenger hunt backpacks for kids who accompany their parents for tastings. While mom and dad taste through the latest releases, kids can borrow the packs and wander the 55-acre property in search of flora, fauna, and other random or whimsical items.
There are eight backpacks in all, and they’re free for families on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each of the red or blue backpacks contain binoculars, a compass, a magnifying glass, a set of crayons, a journal and a guide to local birds or insects.
Of course, they also contain a checklist of things to find; participants are encouraged to explore with purpose and check off as many items as possible. Among those items on the list: An acorn, an owl pellet, a feather, something heart-shaped, a piece of trash.
Belden Barns co-owner Lauren Hirshfield Belden came up with the idea after being inspired by a similar program at an arboretum in Martha’s Vineyard. Belden, who has two young children with her husband, Nate, described the original experience as a perfect combination of education and fun, and wanted to replicate the mix back home in Sonoma County.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to make this entire experience more family friendly,” she said. “The scavenger hunt keeps kids busy but also gets them out and about, exploring the property so they can see where this wine comes from.”
Kids who find all the items on their lists receive a tiny trinket; lately it’s been a magnifying glass the size of a grown-up’s thumb.
Rules of the Belden Barns scavenger hunts are simple: cooperation is good, fighting is bad, don’t wander off-property, stay out of irrigation ponds. Kids also are reminded not to eat too many grapes off the vines (20 acres are planted) and not to pull handwritten wishes off the “Wishing Tree,” an old oak to which visitors tie tags with handwritten hopes for the future.
Lauren Hirshfield Belden adds that the “golden rule” for all who participate in the hunt is to have fun.
“As parents who love wine and spending time with our kids, we really wanted to make sure we were able to create something here that was legitimately enjoyable for everyone—parents and kids alike,” she said. “Elsewhere in the industry the bar was so low. Some places had cornhole. Some had coloring. We asked, ‘What if we could make wine tasting as great for kids as it is for adults?’ I’d like to think this answers that question.”
Belden Barns is still small—the winery produces no more than 2,500 cases per year. Tastings, held in an old barn near the family’s home, are by appointment only, include six wines, and usually last about an hour. The backpacks are a test run for when the Beldens have a full-time tasting room for which they broke ground this summer.
Belden Barns also is a working farm and sells produce and several farm goods such as cornmeal and beans in a makeshift store.
5561 Sonoma Mountain Rd, Santa Rosa, 415-577-8552, beldenbarns.com. Tastings by appointment.
Petaluma is an incredibly photogenic place. The historic downtown, the cute shops, the perfectly preserved Victorian homes, the sun-kissed hills, the glistening waterways – it’s no wonder the town continues to attract Hollywood filmmakers. But you don’t have to be a pro to capture Petaluma’s charm on film – or smartphone, you just need to figure out the best photoshoot locales, which, of course, we already have. So put on your best outfit, grab your camera, and head to the most Instagram-worthy spot in Sonoma County. Click through the gallery for details and don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos @sonomamag.
Bebimbap at Han Bul Korean BBQ in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin)
Tasting an entirely new flavor is like discovering a color you’ve never seen. Consider that mindbender while I explain ssamjohng — a Korean chili sauce that’s become the new ultraviolet.
Sitting at a 5-foot-long hibachi table at the newly opened Han Bul Korean Barbecue with owner Han Soh, he points to a vaguely tan mixture with the kind of reverence reserved for church.
“That’s required,” he says as we sit among a forest of stainless steel bowls. Amid the mayhem of kimchi, pickled radishes, slivers of garlic and sesame oil studded with sea salt, his thin metal chopsticks wave around the sauce made with miso, chili pepper paste, green onions, garlic, honey, sesame seeds and sesame oil.
Han Soh demonstrating bbq cooking at Han Bul Korean BBQ in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
“A lot of this is nice to have, but ssamjohng is required,” he says.
Slightly sweet, savory, salty and mildly spicy, it’s almost impossible to describe other than to say, delicious.
Located on Seventh Street in Santa Rosa, Soh’s namesake Korean barbecue has been in various stages of “opening soon” for 28 months. But Soh, who is a second-generation Korean, was set on creating the kind of restaurant that he would love in Sonoma County.
From its high-tech imported electric grill tables to its Asteroids video machine and from-scratch sauces, Soh says he wanted a gathering place for families and friends to hang out around the table and eat together, Korean-style.
“We don’t have a word for ‘family-style dining’ in Korean,” says Soh, who also owns Haku Sushi next door. “It’s just called eating.”
Banchan at Han Bul Korean BBQ in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
But most of the foods on the table, even for a professional eater, lie deep beyond the realm of recognition. Soh says that even for him, many of the banchan (little side dishes) that line our table are unknowns.
“In Korea you just shut up and eat what your mom made you,” he said.
Best bets
BBQ Set: This is the family-style barbecue “set” that comes with three or four kinds of meat, the banchan omakase, soup, vegetable crepe, steamed egg and rice. If you’re not really sure what to order for a group, go this route.
You can do beef, pork and beef, pork or order a la carte for seafood (squid, lobster tail, shrimp) or single kinds of meat. Prices range from $85 to $155.
Tofu Soup (Soondubu, $16): Beef and seafood are added to a mild, medium or spicy broth with silken tofu. A raw egg is broken over the bubbling cauldron and cooks itself while you watch. You can also have just beef, pork, kimchi or veggies.
Bebimbap at Han Bul Korean BBQ in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD.
Dol Sot Bibimbap ($21): A pile of vegetables and fried egg are placed atop rice that’s sizzling on a scalding hot stone bowl. Think of it as the Korean version of fajitas.
Soh says it’s best to mix it up quickly so the rice gets crunchy but doesn’t burn. Douse with gochujang. Available with beef or chicken or vegetarian.
Jap Chae ($18): Warm glass noodles with vegetables and minced beef in a sesame oil sauce. “It’s the pad thai of Korea,” says Soh.
If you go: Han Bul has been in reservation-only soft opening for several months. Lunch is slated to start in September with dishes better suited for single eaters — like soups, rice bowls and noodles. Beer, wine and Korean sake available.
Tofu soup at Han Bul Korean BBQ in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
There are only seven grills in the restaurant, which are reserved for large groups or communal seating. Don’t expect to get a six-person grill to yourself. The restaurant is also not all-you-can-eat.
Also note that there have been discussions about the high prices from my readers and on the Han Bul Yelp reviews. Soh says that he wants to keep the quality really high (he uses local farms, including his own) and not skimp on ingredients.
He also says that he’ll be looking at pricing as the restaurant gets more settled. The restaurant offers a happy hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with steep cuts on a la carte barbecue, soup, rice and beverages.
Han Bul Korean BBQ is at 522 Seventh St. in Santa Rosa. For information, call 510-206-3947.
For those of us who live in Wine Country, every month is cause to celebrate — but the rest of the state isn’t so lucky. Enter: California Wine Month. This September marks the 15th annual celebration of the harvest season, with events celebrating California vintners throughout the state. From harvest balls to outdoor yoga to The Beach Boys, we’ve pulled together the best ways to celebrate the season in Wine Country this month.
For many expecting parents, the last few months before the baby is born are usually devoted to planning and a variety of obligations: doctor’s appointments, parenting classes and baby showers – not to mention getting everything ready at home while dealing with the last stages of pregnancy.
Many couples might feel a little overwhelmed during this busy period, and this is when a babymoon – the latest “trend” for moms and dads to be – can come in handy. Like a honeymoon, this type of vacation offers couples a chance to relax, spend quality time together and have some fun – and Sonoma County makes for a great babymoon destination (and is very kid-friendly, too!)
We talked to local babymoon expert Cindy Scott-Fuchs, founder of Mellow Mommy (a company dedicated to babymoon retreats and other wellness-related getaways in Sonoma County). Click through the gallery for some of Cindy’s top suggestions, as well as a few of our own, and have a happy and relaxing babymoon!
We love white walls and subtle-toned accents for creating peaceful spaces, but there’s a lot happening in pattern and color right now, and minimalism is giving way to the aesthetic of “more.” Even if color on color isn’t your thing, touches of rich-hued pattern create nice surprise elements in white spaces, too. A new look can be easily achieved using just fabric or paper. Sonoma stores have lots of offerings to give a home a quick change of attitude—click through the above gallery for details.
Life with smart phones and computers galore might have pushed away the need for a clock in every room. In fact, it’s reached the point where no one knows what time it is when there’s no phone around. But with people looking to unplug more and more, it’s time to reintroduce a familiar face: the analog clock. Sonoma has lots of good-looking timepieces to keep you stylishly on track—click through the above gallery for details.
A chicken sandwich is seen at a Popeyes, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Kyle, Texas. After Popeyes added a crispy chicken sandwich to their fast-fast menu, the hierarchy of chicken sandwiches in America was rattled, and the supremacy of Chick-fil-A and others was threatened. It’s been a trending topic on social media, fans have weighed in with YouTube analyses and memes, and some have reported long lines just to get a taste of the new sandwich. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Popeyes introduced their fried chicken sando with a brioche bun, pickles, mayo and tolerance this week. Chik-fil-a promptly asserted it’s rank as America’s number one chicken sandwich. War ensued.
Of course, food media can’t resist a snackdown, so many of us ditched whatever deadlines we had and headed out to do a taste-test. The results were pretty resounding, but I’ll let you watch the video to actually see where I landed:
The catnip to all of this argument, of course, is the well-known anti-LGBTQ agenda of Chick-fil-A — which made every chicken sandwich purchase a political statement. Plus, they’re closed on Sunday, which is super irritating when you want a freaking chicken sandwich with waffle fries.
Popeyes, according to reports, isn’t especially political, but apparently tends to lean left.
Will the country be further torn apart by the great chicken sandwich debate? Probably not, but if only we could all come to the table together and solve our differences so deliciously.
