Chateau St. Jean Patio (Photo courtesy of Treasury Wine Estates)
Winery preferences get personal in Sonoma County.
Do you want a place with a modern tasting room? Prefer something more rustic? Casual and off-the-beaten path or luxe with every need catered to? In Wine Country, it all depends on the weather, your mood and who’s joining you.
Locals all have their favorites, but when out-of-towners drop in for a visit, with little advance research to guide them, their first stop is likely customer review website Yelp. So where is it sending them? Click through our gallery to find out.
*We’ve only included wineries with 4.5 or 4-star ratings, and more than 200 reviews.
Ayawaska Opens: Named for the mystical spirit plant native to the Amazon rainforests, Ayawaska RestoBar is bringing a bit of magic to Petaluma. Since opening in late May, the riverfront restaurant (formerly Red Brick) has been serving up modern Peruvian cuisine. Along with plenty of Pisco Sours, the South American spot offers up several ceviche dishes, lomo saltado, quinoa salads, purple corn pudding and a lengthy list of cocktails. It’s the second Peruvian restaurant in Petaluma. Quinua Restaurant Cocina Peruana opened in 2016. 101 2nd St., ayawaskasf.com
Chocolates from Eye Candy chocolatier in Sebastopol on 2/9/16. (Heather Irwin, Press Democrat)
Eye Candy Chocolatier Pop-Up: San Francisco’s Bloomingdale’s department store is currently featuring a local Sebastopol Chocolatier (6761 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol) in a pop-up store June 17-23 from 11 A.M.-6 P.M. Eye Candy Chocolatier is based in Sonoma County on Sebastopol Avenue and specializes in artisan chocolate truffles. These are hand-crafted daily at their Gravenstein Station location, made with all natural ingredients. Jill McLewis, co-owner of Eye Candy, says, “We’re so excited for the opportunity to share our European style truffles beyond Sonoma County.” Eye Candy is located on Level 1 at the Mission Street entrance of Bloomingdales.
Mountain Mikes Reopening: One of several restaurants lost in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the Cleveland Ave. Mountain Mike’s pizzeria is finally reopening, bigger and better than ever. Though several other locations of the pizza chain remained open, locals are cheering the return of an expanded restaurant with a full bar, 24 beers on tap, updated decor and a large patio with live music. An opening preview takes place next week, followed by the grand opening in early July.
Boozy Shakes: Throughout the month of July, Sonoma Portworks in Petaluma will be celebrating Boozy Milkshake Month, featuring its DECO port and DUET sherry milkshakes. The drinks will be made with local Three Twins Madagascar Vanilla and Mexican Chocolate ice creams. In August they’ll feature the chilled ‘Ginger Snap’, a blend of DUET and ginger beer with a twist of lemon. Sonoma Portworks is a local winery that specializes in ports and after-dinner wines. They’re also the makers of Sonomic, sweet-sour balsamic-style vinegar that’s perfect for sipping or drizzling.
Zazu chef Duskie Estes puts the final touches on a Liberty Duck appetizer with star anise, bing cherry on a sesame rice cake at the North Coast Food and Wine Festival at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park on Saturday. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Zazu’s On the Road: There’s been no rest for former Zazu restaurant owners John Stewart and Duskie Estes after closing their popular Barlow restaurant last spring. They’ve taken the show on the road with their food truck, the Black Piglet, showing up at Bottle Rock, Ferrari-Carano (June 22), the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, North Coast Food and Wine Festival and dozens of others. Here’s a lineup of a few more places to catch them this summer…
Holy Sheboygan, Bratman! The Wurst restaurant in Healdsburg has opened, and boy is it a sausage fest.
Featuring eight kinds of Wisconsin-made wursts, $5 brewskies and cream puffs topped with warm chocolate sauce, The Wurst is one of Wine Country’s best summer restaurant openings.
A Detroit native, owner Charles Bell knows his sausage, offering up “real deal” sausages with caramelized onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers and sauerkraut. Giving a major assist with the opening menu and working in the kitchen, local chef (and new mom) Tracey Shepos formerly of Stark’s.
Recounting the brats of his Midwestern childhood, Bell, who is also a former MC5 bassist and finance guy, said creating the space on paper was good therapy during cancer treatment several years ago. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
What to try: Grab a traditional “Wurst” made with pork, fennel, parsley and smoked paprika, savory Sheboygan Brats, Detroit Polish (a mix of beef, pork, beers and onions) and the Harissa Hottie with pork beef, apricot, harissa, habanero and coriander. All are $7.25, with some fancier concoctions running $8.75. The lineup also includes two chicken sausages, a Nathan’s Famous hot dog for kids and a third-pound locally-sourced beef hamburger called the Smash burger ($8.75) served on a pretzel bun.
When you’re the Wurst, the details that make all the difference. Fresh buns from nearby Costeaux Bakery, five different types of dipping sauces for hand-cut fries (truffle aioli, Liar’s Dice BBQ sauce, peppercorn ranch) and a stellar lineup of condiments including curry ketchup, sweet mustard and several types of pickle relish delight. Somehow we missed out on the Beer Cheddar sauce, but hopefully it will return to the menu shortly.
Endings are sweet, with simple homemade milkshakes and an ice cream puff filled with vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate fudge from Detroit-based confectionary Sanders, and crushed peanuts.
It’s the best of the Wurst in Healdsburg.
The Wurst, 22 Matheson St., Healdsburg. Open daily at 11am for lunch an dinner.
Sonoma summer leisure isn’t all sipping wine and sniffing lavender. There’s also crafting to be done! And all those creative ideas aren’t going to get whipped into gorgeous creations by themselves. Here are three events in Sonoma County to help draw out or further enchant your inner maker. DIY is dreamy—click through the above gallery for details.
The Negroni is a seductive cocktail. Its ruby red color looks beautiful backlit on a bar, it glistens over a large ice cube and tastes like no other drink. “The balance of herbal, bitter, and sweet in a Negroni just feels complete in my palate,” says Ashby Marshall, co-owner of Sonoma County’s Sprit Works Distillery.
And now is the perfect time to enjoy the classic Italian aperitif. The seventh annual Negroni Week, an international celebration and fundraiser, kicks off June 24. (This year is extra special as it marks the drink’s 100th anniversary.)
Sonoma, always balancing tradition with rebellion, has turned Negroni-making into an art form. We talked to five local masters, who shared their Negroni Week plans, recipes, and cocktail-making tips. Click through the gallery for some quick details.
The Lodge Negroni. (Photo courtesy of Imbibe Magazine)
What’s in a Negroni?
The classic Negroni recipe is simple, sweet, and a little bitter with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, the most famous in the amaro category of liqueurs. “The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other,” said Orson Welles in a 1947 correspondence with the Coshocton Tribune while working in Rome.
Modern-day mixologists have breathed new life into the drink. Contemporary recipes, such as this Lodge Negroni, layer on other spirits and replace Campari with other bitters. Barrel aging supplements shaken or stirred preparations. In some cases, the drink isn’t even red.
What is Negroni Week?
This annual celebration, sponsored by Campari and Imbibe Magazine, invites bars and restaurants around the world to serve up the Italian cocktail and donate the proceeds to charity.
Negroni Week is now in its seventh year, and 10,000 venues around the world officially participate. To date, the event has raised $2 million for a diverse range of charities. All you need to do is visit a participating venue and order a Negroni. More on that below.
The Patagonian Negroni at Whispers Sisters in Petaluma. (Photo courtesy of Danielle Peters/Whisper Sisters Cocktails & Provisions)
Sample a Negroni with a South American Twist at Whisper Sisters Cocktails & Provisions in Petaluma
Whisper Sisters’ cocktail menu features ingredients as diverse as lapsang souchong and pink peppercorn. Evocative drink names like “The Dutch Trader” and “Salt of the Earth” inspire explorations of the near and far. It has a drink for every palette and a few cocktails that follow the structure of an amaro, gin and vermouth trifecta.
“Having the foundation of a classic cocktail really gives you the framework to create some really playful riffs,” says co-owner and manager Danielle Peters.
Whisper Sisters is an official Negroni Week participant and will donate proceeds from the drink to No Kid Hungry. The bar is still conjuring up Negroni Week’s specialty cocktail—in the meantime, try their Patagonian Negroni. It contains a spirit called Trakal that is derived from ingredients grown in the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina. It’s slightly sweet and herbal with a hint of berries. Some say it tastes somewhere in between a gin and a brandy. Suffice to say that it’s hard to describe.
“It had such a unique flavor profile so I wanted the spirit to shine but needed to lift it with bitterness and a floral aspect,” says co-owner and manager Danielle Peters.
A Negroni cocktail at Starling Bar in Sonoma. (Courtesy photo)
Make it Traditional – or Cannabis-Infused – at Starling Bar in Sonoma
Starling Bar on Highway 12 bills itself as a casual neighborhood cocktail joint, but with over 30 cocktails on the menu, some creations are anything but casual. To sample the traditional all the way to the unconventional, make your way here.
Starling’s House Negroni is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, served on a large ice sphere, with a lemon twist. It is aged in barrels previously used for nocino, an old European digestive made from walnuts. The nocino barrel picks up the walnut and gives the Negroni a rich flavor. “The barrel takes some of the edge off the cocktail so it is going to taste smoother,” says Fred Johnson, who co-owns Starling with Elizabeth Takeuchi-Krist. This is the perfect gateway Negroni for the uninitiated.
At Starling, those in the know (which now includes you) ask for “The Secret Menu,” on which there are eight cocktails with cannabis-infused liquors, including the Stony Negroni, which contains cannabis gin, Campari and sweet vermouth served on an ice sphere.
“You can literally taste the cannabis in the Negroni,” says Johnson.
But why so secret? Cannabis is now legal in California. “It is a little bit cutting edge,” says Johnson. “Not everyone believes that cannabis should be accessible.”
Starling Bar is an unofficial participant of Negroni Week, without a charitable donation tied directly to Negroni sales. But Starling’s shop donates proceeds to various charities, including victims of the Sonoma fires.
A classic Negroni at Fern Bar in Sebastopol. (Courtesy photo)
Try a White Version at Fern Bar in Sebastopol
General manager and co-owner Sam Levy, former bar manager of Napa’s three Michelin-star restaurant Meadowood, directs the fruit-, vegetable- and herbal-infused cocktail menu at The Barlow’s Fern Bar. During Negroni Week, they will serve a classic Negroni with a twist as well as a white Negroni, with a portion of proceeds going toward Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.
Fern Bar’s classic Negroni stays close to original proportions, using just a touch more gin than Campari or Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth. But for Negroni Week, Fern Bar will put a spin on it.
“We bump up the gin, then add a little amaro in place of some of the Carpano Antica, and sub out most of the Campari for Aperol and Gran Classico,” says Levy. (Gran Classico is a bitter liqueur formulated from the old Italian recipe by Petaluma’s Tempis Fugit.) “It softens the bitter edge of the classic Negroni and makes it a more spirit-forward, richer, and brighter cocktail.”
A white Negroni at Fern Bar in Sebastopol. (Courtesy photo)
If a classic Negroni is too intense in taste and color, Fern Bar’s white version is a good alternative. While there seems to be no standard recipe for a white Negroni, bartenders generally swap out the sweet vermouth and Campari for dry vermouth and a different bitters. The result is a less sweet and more naturally-colored drink. At Fern Bar, it is made with Benham’s Gin, Lo-Fi Sweet Vermouth, and Luxardo Bitter Bianco.
6780 Depot St. #120 (in The Barlow) Sebastopol, 707-861-9603, fernbar.com.
Fern Bar Classic Negroni Recipe
4 parts Sipsong Indira Gin
1 part Amaro Averna
1 part Carpano Antica
1 part Aperol
1/2 part Campari
1/2 part Gran Classico
(Tip for home: Use good ice, such as large cubes or spheres, to slow the rate of dilution.)
Head bartender Neil Espinosa mixing cocktails at Stark’s in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)
Put a Barrel-Aged Spin On It at Stark’s Steak and Seafood in Santa Rosa
Stark’s Steak and Seafood in Santa Rosa is one of our favorite happy hour destinations, but their cocktails stand on their own at any hour of the day.
During Negroni Week, head bartender Neil Espinosa will serve up two negronis. The barrel-aged Negroni follows the classic ratios but with a couple of twists: Espinosa uses San Francisco’s Hotaling & Co (formerly Anchor Distilling Company) Junipero Gin, Campari and a house vermouth blend that’s a mixture of Carpano Antica, Punt e Mes and Alessio Torino. He also uses toasted French oak chips, which he leaves in the mixture for about two weeks to give the cocktail enough time to meld together and take on some of the oak flavor.
While Stark’s Steak and Seafood is not serving a Negroni Week special, you might use the opportunity to order Espinosa’s favorite Negroni, which is an interpretation of the Semi-White. It contains Gin, Lillet Blanc, Quina L’ero and Aperol.
Tip for home: Espinosa says that when making a Negroni, it is essential to measure the ingredients to get the perfect balance of flavors. “A common mistake that I’ve come across is being too heavy with the vermouth,” says Espinosa.
A Negroni with gin from Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastopol. (Courtesy photo)
Make Your Own With Local Booze from Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastopol
Extend the Negroni Week celebrations by making your own—Spirit Works Distillery in Sebastopol supplies the gin. You can sample their three gins—Gin, Barrel Gin and Sloe Gin—at the distillery’s tasting room or buy them at local retailers like Bottle Barn and Oliver’s Market.
Negroni recipes can be found on Spirit Works’ website. Co-owner Ashby Marshall also recommends two variations on the classic. The first features one part Campari, one part Spirit Works Gin and one part Spirit Works Sloe Gin – substituting Sloe Gin for the vermouth. The second, a staff favorite, is a Negroni made with Spirit Works Barrel Gin. “The candied lemon and orange that comes through with the barrel aging process blends incredibly well with Campari,” says Marshall.
Spirit Works is celebrating Negroni Week with two Bay Area events, one at the Agave Uptown bar in Oakland and another at Viognier Restaurant at Draeger’s Market in San Mateo. They will also post cocktail recipes on Instagram at @spiritworksdistillery.
Chef Kyle Connaughton uses a Japanese donabe from his collection, at back on the wall, to cook his Tilefish, Blue Foot, and Chantrelle “Fukkura-San” with Leeks, Brassicas From the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Broth at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Healdsburg’s Single Thread Restaurant has once again been named one of the best restaurants in the world. This week, the three Michelin starred destination leapfrogged 20 spots to #71 on an extended version of The World’s 50 Best Restaurant list. It debuted at #91 last year and was also called at out as the 2018 “One to Watch”, recognizing “rising star” restaurants on the international dining scene
The annual gastronomic roundup includes 120 restaurants in its annual guide, noting restaurants from Europe, India, Asia, South America, North America and Africa. More than 1,000 food industry experts cast their votes each year, providing a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences. It is also considered a barometer for global gastronomic trends and can make or break a chef.
Restaurants rated #51 through #120 were announced in advance of the June 25 awards in Singapore where the remaining 50 will be announced.
“Being included on the list is such a huge accomplishment for our team. We are humbled and energized by this wonderful news!” said Chef Kyle Connaughton, whose team operates both the luxury restaurant and inn off the Healdsburg Square as well as a nearby 5-acre farm.
Last year’s notoriety catapulted the Connaughton’s to worldwide fame for their elaborate Japanese-inspired kaiseki tasting menu and gracious hospitality. The 52-seat dining room has an open kitchen that’s nearly silent during service, with at least 11 courses that are both culinary and artistic masterpieces.
Also on the extended list from the USA are Atomix (NYC, #119), Thomas Keller’s Per Se (NYC, #115), Estela (NYC, #80), Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (NYC, #77), Momofuku Ko (NYC, #76), San Francisco’s Saison (#70).
In a new policy, several restaurants around the world will ascend to “Best of the Best” status, taking them out of future contention. Napa’s French Laundry has been given that honor along with the now-closed el Bulli, The Fat Duck, El Celler de Can Roca, Eleven Madison Park, current No. 1 winner Osteria Francescana and the original Noma.
Three Santa Rosa brothers compete on Family Food Fight on ABC with Ayesha Curry. Courtesy of Disney.
UPDATED: Santa Rosa’s Graves Brothers will be moving forward after the first episode Ayesha Curry’s “Family Food Fight!” which debuted on ABC June 20.
It was a nail-biter as twin brothers Kris and Mike Graves and little brother DJ competed, first making “Sunday dinner for mom” with Bearnaise sauced steaks, cheeseburger egg rolls, and Kahlua chocolate chip cake. Narrowly avoiding a cakepocalypse when the center of the cake crumbled, they made it a second elimination round serving up Cajun eggs Benedict with fried chicken, french toast sticks and SOS (S**t on a Shingle in military lingo) comprised of a simple, but comforting gravy on toast.
SOS from the Graves Brothers on Family Food Fight on ABC.French Toast Sticks from the Graves Brothers on Family Food Fight on ABC.Cajun Eggs Benedict from the Graves Brothers on Family Food Fight on ABC.
“This week we had a few missteps in the competition,” said Kris, “but that’s not going to be how it’s going to go in the competitions coming up.”
In the final judging, Curry said the brothers were a perfect example of a team working as a family.
The Graves brothers are hoping to raise money for the Mama Bear Foundation, a grassroots organization that serves local cancer victims in need of financial or physical assistance. The non-profit was founded in remembrance of their mother, Patti, who passed away from uterine cancer in 2005.
“We started cooking when mom was diagnosed,” said Mike Graves, “Sunday night dinner with all of us was the only thing she wanted.” But soon the twins’ competitive nature kicked in and, instead of just hot dogs and burgers, they were preparing dishes like halibut beurre blanc.
Three Santa Rosa brothers (pictured here DJ and Mike Graves) compete on Family Food Fight on ABC with Ayesha Curry. Courtesy of Disney.
Family Food Fight, which will show throughout the summer on Thursday nights, pits eight families from different parts of the country against each other as they create multi-course meals for— you guessed it—families. Television personality and cookbook author Ayesha Curry, who also happens to be married to basketball phenom Steph Curry, hosts the show with celebrity chef judges Cat Cora and Graham Elliot. The winning family will take home $100,000.
“Cat Cora wanted to adopt the three of us,” said Kris Graves. “We reminded her of her boys.”
The new ABC series—a take-off of an Australian game show—is unabashedly frothy summer television, sandwiched between a putt-putt golf-themed game show called Holey Moley (produced by Steph Curry) and a sexy, action-packed Pacific Island drama called “Reef Break.” The reason behind the brothers’ appearance on the show, however, is anything but funny.
For the Graves brothers, cooking is “all about family.” On the ABC show, they’ll be making “comfort food with class,” inspired by their own family dinners.
“The three of us in one kitchen made it a dangerous setting for the whole show,” said Kris, laughing. “We were like an equilateral triangle, but Mike’s the short side,” he said, referring to the seven-inch height difference between the two twins.
While the brothers are veterans of television game show classic Family Feud as well as a long-forgotten Food Network cooking challenge, firefighter Kris is the one with the acting bug and impetus for appearing on television. After a month of filming Family Food Fight, he’s now moving to Southern California to pursue that dream. “Kris just loves attention,” said Mike.
DJ, who is in commercial lending, and Mike, who works as a sales manager, aren’t planning to make any life changes after their TV stint but said that they’ve created relationships with some of the families on the show that will last a lifetime.
“Families were from all across the country. They all had different stories to tell, came from different backgrounds,” said DJ. Some, the Graves said, they really clicked with. Others, well, not as much. They weren’t there to make friends, after all, just sear some darn good steak.
“We’re trying to win our own Triple Crown,” said Kris of the $20,000-plus wins on the previous two game shows.
A Wine Country getaway doesn’t often come cheap, but these six Sonoma County hotels—which can all be booked for less than $200 a night—offer a chic retreat that goes far beyond your average Motel 6. The best part: you’ll have extra spending money to bring home all the wine.
Long summer days and warm nights are here – cue the urge to escape the office! Here are some unique Sonoma-made or Sonoma-based items to keep you feeling comfortable and stylish during your summer travels. Click through the gallery for details.
Interior designer and Olive + Rose proprietress Chelsea Miller takes a holistic approach to home design. Miller, who grew up in Petaluma and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in San Francisco, believes a home’s decor should be focused on individuality and comfort, reflect the history of the building, and create a welcoming spot for guests to gather.
Her most recent home design project involved a challenging structure: a rundown fixer upper she and her husband, Andrew Miller, purchased in the Montgomery Village area of Santa Rosa.
“We couldn’t believe that nobody wanted this house. It was the summer of 2016 and everything was flying off the market,” says Miller of the 1950’s ranch home. The renovation process revealed a worse-than-expected condition, but the couple was able to unearth and accentuate the home’s unique attributes.
The yard was full of treasures planted long ago that had become obscured by a mass of overgrown ivy. The Millers removed the ivy to reveal roses, jasmine, tulip magnolias and an olive tree. The home’s interior redwood siding, painted white, really beckoned during the house-hunting process, and Miller’s design (mostly modern and natural elements) played off the ordered look of the horizontally-lined backdrop. Pine vaulted ceilings were kept as they were, striking a warm and pleasing contrast to the white walls.
Miller says her husband felt an obligation to be “good stewards of the house,” which they estimate fell into disrepair in the mid ’80s. Miller said she wanted to “listen to the house,” and design to honor its original character.
Miller’s use of white makes for a crisp and quiet canvas for surprise spots of pattern and color from carefully chosen elements: ceramics, original artwork, blankets and more.
“Instant gratification and emotional buys are my jam. I love buying things I’m not supposed to. I’ll always find art, pottery and textiles,” says Miller who opened her own retail space—Olive + Rose on Fourth Street in Santa Rosa and online—to offer unique finds to enhance a home or to give as gifts.
Miller believes individual expression is essential in design, and she recommends her clients fill their places with meaningful pieces like original art and well-made objects. She encourages clients to buy the best pieces they can afford, even if they have to go slowly.
Decorating slowly is the key, which is the inverse of Miller’s biggest design dislike: the fast design and “homogenized look of real estate flippers.” Miller says designing a house for profit results in “the cleanest aesthetic at the lowest price point,” a look that’s “so thoughtless.”
Miller’s design sense was also informed by her years in retail, some of which were spent working in Tennessee and North Carolina, a major buying and manufacturing hub for the home decor industry.
In addition to the home decor scene, Southern hospitality made a big impact on Miller, and she sees it as an important dimension of a well-designed home. Even for a gathering to watch a football game, southerners freshen their homes and hosting is done “with intention,” Miller says. “No one eats on paper plates. Something is always made from scratch.”
Miller likes to “freshen” her house naturally by opening windows and then adding handmade soaps and candles. Her criteria in choosing these items is, again, scrutinizing. Smells must be subtle and natural and ingredients must be biodegradable. The packaging of the candle matters, too, as the look impacts the visual space.
Miller says these additional efforts make guests feel important. She adds that it’s great to give a thoughtful gift when visiting someone. “Practicing thoughtfulness, which impacts others, is good for you, too.”
Miller paraphrases a popular quote that further illustrates her approach to design and living, “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. If you’re generous in one way, you’re generous in all ways.”
