Eva D’Luscious, of Cabaret de Caliente, performs with the Sonoma Show Girls during the Whole Lotta Love Burlesque show (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)
Cupids float across storefront windows, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates line the candy shelves, and a sea of pink and red awaits in the greeting card aisle. Yes, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and it’s time to dream up a great date night that isn’t too cliche.
If you’re looking for a memorable experience with some Sonoma County flair, make picturesque Petaluma the destination for your date. This charming city has starred in several movies and has no shortage of fine dining establishments, fun venues and pretty views. Click through the gallery for five Petaluma date ideas that offer a little something for every kind of lovebird.
Oh, Mint and Liberty Diner, we barely knew you. Open just 13 weeks, the Sonoma newcomer is shuttering on Feb. 10.
So what exactly happened? Stepping into big shoes can be deadly in a small town.
Longtime Sunflower Caffe owners James Hahn and Mila Chaname, along with Aaron Mills and Melissa Cameron, took over the iconic Breakaway Cafe in 2016 after longtime owner Bob Rice retired. They kept with the Cafe’s general formula, though grumbling about menu changes and corkage began almost immediately.
Wanting a fresh concept, the team reopened the cafe after a brief renovation in Nov. 2018. Mint & Liberty, a bright, cheery diner with an ambitious menu from former SF Chef Michael Stein, also got grumbles early on about the name, the mint green color, the new menu, and the service.
Yelpers were especially rough on Mint & Liberty.
“We had a good first month, but we got a lot of pushback from the community,” said Thomas Painter, GM for Mint & Liberty.
Which is unfortunate, because, in my First Look, I found the menu — which admittedly was immense — pretty charming. I loved the Jewish dishes that Stein brought from his time at Shorty’s in SF. The enchiladas were exquisite.
Painter explained the menu, saying, “We purposely made it big and broad and diner-esque with local food done well.”Most of us figured the menu would settle after a few months, leaving the most popular dishes behind.
Thirteen weeks hardly seems like enough time to do that.
In a press release, Hahn acknowledged criticism and their desire to make changes, saying, “Upon opening, we received some excellent response and many fans of what we were doing, as well as some heartfelt criticism. We listened to the feedback and tried to make changes as quickly as possible to appease our guests. Some ideas were quick and easy to make, other ideas would take longer and require greater expense,” he added in a press release.
That, along with a rough winter season sounded the death knell.
But in the end, sometimes change is difficult in Wine Country.
“Change is difficult and people that are comfortable with something for a long time that needs change…it’s difficult,” said Painter. “We were continually treated like outsiders,” he added, saying that the ownership and staff were primarily locals. Chef Stein recently relocated to Sonoma with his family.
The good news: Chef Michael Stein and several longtime staff will be absorbed into Sunflower staff, according to GM Thomas Painter. “We love him and his food,” said Hahn.
The medium news: The future of Honey & The Moon Bakery is temporarily uncertain as owners look for a new commissary kitchen. The bakery had been operating from Mint & Liberty. Also, gift cards from Mint & Liberty will be honored at the Sunflower Caffe.
The bad news: The restaurant is on the market for just under $600,000. Hopefully, someone else will have better luck.
Get ready for a festive February as Sonoma rounds up its best booze, bites and bands to celebrate what makes this county great. A variety of festivals will honor local wildlife and the community in ways that are educational as well as entertaining. With a month full of feasts, contests and parades, there’s an event for all ages and tastes. Click through the gallery for details.
Updated February 6, 2020. Find 2020 locations here.
A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery poultry kind of chick but a big hoppy one, and now is your chance to catch it.
This Thursday, February 6, marks the eighth annual release of HenHouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA and, as we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.
Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike Younger, which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available one to three days per year. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.
“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said HenHouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne, “beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize – hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”
HenHouse Brewing’s Big Chicken double IPA is released on Thursday, Feb 6. (Courtesy photos)
The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and HenHouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.
This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6 – Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day).
Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations:
Molcajete Mixto at Taqueria Molcajete in Santa Rosa.
Taqueria Molcajetes, Santa Rosa: For the uninitiated, molcajete typically refers to a large volcanic stone bowl that is heated to approximately the temperature of the sun. Meats, fresh cheese, cactus paddles, green onions, and seafood are mixed with a spicy chile stew and the whole steaming, sizzling, bubbling, furious thing is brought to your table. It will remain steaming, molten and bubbling for nearly a half-hour as you are enveloped by a refreshing meat and vegetable-scented steam. You will be very tempted to touch the bowl with an adorable pig face just to see how hot it is. Do not do this. It is very hot. I have a blister on my pointer finger to prove that very point.
In 2019, Taqueria Molcajetes was featured by local celebrity chef Guy Fieri on Diners, Drives Ins and Dives.
The Russian River Brewing Company was voted the Best Brew Pub in The Best of Sonoma contest. (r to l) Southern California residents Daniel and Erin Anne Wegman planned their vacation around their trip to the Russian River Brewing Company.
As thousands of beer-lovers from around the world descend on Sonoma County for the annual release of Pliny the Younger, there’s yet another reason to brag about our booming beer scene. Local breweries Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa and Windsor) and Lagunitas (Petaluma) were just named among the top 100 breweries in the world by beer review website RateBeer, coming in at number two and 100 respectively.
The brewery ranking, released since 2001, is based on aggregated online reviews by thousands of beer enthusiasts (RateBeer receives over one million reviews annually). This marks the 12th year that Russian River Brewing Company’s (RRBC) made the top-100 list, and it’s the highest ranking yet for the brewery, beating out their number four position in 2013. Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont, took the first spot this year.
“It is a huge honor to be recognized as one of the best breweries in the world after all these years,” shares Natalie Cilzuro, Russian River Brewing Company owner and co-president.
Best known for super hoppy brews, Russian River Brewing Company is considered one of the most trendsetting and cutting edge breweries in the country. Brewmaster and co-owner Vinnie Cilzuro created one of the first commercially brewed Double and Imperial IPAs in the country, including Pliny the Elder, which was named one of the top 100 beers in the world this year by RateBeer alongside the brewery’s Consecration and Supplication ales.
Russian River Brewing Company has been the only Sonoma County brewery to come in almost annually within the top 10 on the list, amid growing competition from an ever-expanding number of Sonoma County breweries. When the brewery was founded in 1997, there were less than a handful in the area.
“With so many young, popular breweries around,” says Cilzuro, “it is nice to know that we are still relevant to hard-core beer enthusiasts.”
Lagunitas Brewing Company, based in Petaluma and now owned by Heineken, squeezed into the list this year at number 100.
Best known for easy drinking IPA-centric session beers, Lagunitas has ranked in the top 100 every year since the RateBeer awards launched in 2001. The brewery’s highest ranking was in 2003 when they came in on number 39 and 19 in the Best North American Brewers category (now long gone due to the rise of craft beer in the United States).
This year’s Pliny the Younger logo printed on a work shirt. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Pliny the Younger, the famed beer from Russian River Brewing Company, returns to Sonoma County this Friday, February 1, 2019. Now in its 15th year, the super-hoppy triple India pale ale continues to draw a crowd: thousands of beer enthusiasts are expected to descend on Sonoma County from all over the world to taste the beer during its limited annual release.
This year, lines of Pliny pilgrims will form both at Russian River’s downtown Santa Rosa brewpub and new Windsor brewery. But, what most people might not know – and Russian River Brewing likes to keep hush-hush – is the fact that the coveted brew is also available at a limited amount of local establishments. The beer is usually released at these spots by the beginning of the week following the release date (February 1).
We tuned into the “beervine” to find out where a beer-lover might find “Younger” outside of Russian River Brewing. Click through the gallery for details. Happy Pliny hunting!
Please note: the information listed here is preliminary and object to change. Know of any more Sonoma County spots that will get Pliny? Send us an email.
When you live in Sonoma County, you don’t have to travel far for an extraordinary vacation. People come from all over the world to enjoy the place we’re lucky to call home. But it’s sometimes easy to forget about the gems in our own backyard — a staycation is a great way to rediscover the magic of this area. From unique winery experiences to splashing in the Russian River to splurge-worthy hotels, don’t let the out-of-towners keep all the fun for themselves. Click through the gallery above for some of our favorite Sonoma County staycation spots.
A rendering of the rooftop restaurant at The Matheson in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of The Matheson)
Details are finally emerging about The Matheson, an ambitious two-restaurant project on the Healdsburg Plaza from Chef Dustin Valette. The 231-seat restaurant and retail space will be co-developed by Valette’s business partner and brother Aaron Garzini and tech executive Craig Ramsey.
A rendering of the parking lot and rear of the Matheson building
The project has been hush-hush for more than a year after Ramsey purchased the property from longtime owner John Holt. That, of course, led to plenty of speculation.
Here’s what we know:
Copperfield’s book store and Plaza Gourmet kitchen shop, which are currently housed in the building, will remain. A fabric store has gone out of business and Valette has offered $25,000 to help another business relocate.
The coveted 43-space parking lot behind 106 Matheson will be for the exclusive use of the restaurant and retail patrons not, as was rumored, for another hotel project.
Renderings for the historic building include a mixed commercial space with a 98-seat restaurant called ‘The Matheson’ on the main floor and an al fresco dining experience on the rooftop called Roof 106. A mezzanine level will have overflow seating during busy summer and fall seasons.
Historic photos of the location.
The Matheson will be a family-friendly affair with a price point to match according to Valette. Explaining his vision, Valette says: “The Matheson will be a social gathering place for everyone in Healdsburg, locals and visitors alike, to share the beauty that we call home. There will be a focus on the art of the craft, the doers and makers of Healdsburg and Sonoma County.”
Historic photo of downtown Healdsburg
The ground floor restaurant will have a dining room, bar area, and private back room. Roof 106 will have quick bites and European-inspired cuisine cooked in a Mugnaini Wood Fired Oven.
Extensive landscaping around the building and parking lot, new bike racks in the parking area, drainage improvements, repaving, updated trash enclosures, new lighting and the creation of a fire lane are planned.
Not everyone is excited, however. After years of construction, most notably the delay-stricken roundabout and several large hotel projects, some local residents are concerned about yet another large construction project. At a Planning Commission meeting in December, some expressed ire about the size, scope and price point of the restaurant. The Matheson’s lead architects, according to a report in Sonoma West, submitted several alternative designs to appease critics.
“Some ask why this isn’t located somewhere else in Healdsburg. It is intended and designed as a casual restaurant that will add to the beauty and charm of our Plaza,” said Valette. “People will walk to other establishments, maintaining the European standard of walking and creating a sense of community. The economic model is to be casual and affordable, designed to be a natural extension of the Healdsburg Plaza.”
Front of Copperfields where the Matheson is slated to be built.
The address has special meaning for Valette whose great-grandfather Honore operated a bakery in the space 100 years ago. The family relocated the bakery to 344 Center St. in subsequent years, where Valette opened his eponymous restaurant in 2015.
“There will be no change to the Plaza, other than the restoration and refurbishment of the facade, there will be no change to the Matheson street side of the building and no change in how a pedestrian would experience walking on this block of Matheson. The new restaurant respects the Plaza and the community by setting the new addition to the building back from the street level. The new addition is designed with a fresh and unifying theme that blends well with the adjacent architecture,” said Valette.
If you’re wondering about the name, it’s an ode to General Colonel Roderick Matheson, a Civil War hero, activist, close friend and confidante of President Abraham Lincoln, commissioner to Mexico and Healdsburg schoolteacher. The restaurant will pay homage to this founding father.
Full details about the project, including renderings, are available at thematheson.com and Valette hopes to gain support for the project before the next public hearing is Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Healdsburg’s City Hall.
Papas Fritas with Thistle Meats Argentine-style chorizo, handcut Kennebec potatoes, cilantro aioli, roasted poblano salsa, cheddar and jack cheese at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
The last thing the world needs is another chef re-interpreting mac and cheese.
Thankfully, as Butcher Crown Roadhouse’sChristofer Gutierrez was pondering how to present pasta in a cheesy Béchamel sauce, a very different inspiration struck. An ode to his mom’s affection for butternut squash became the restaurant’s ember-roasted plug of a gourd stuffed with goat cheese and spiced pepitas in a pool of sweet carrot puree.
Calabaza rellena: Ember-roasted butternut squash, carrot puree, poblano peppers, goat cheese, honey glaze, chili oil, spiced pepitas at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Whether it’s your thing or not, Calabaza Rellena ($12.50) knows what it is. With sweet, earthy, spicy, creamy, spicy flavors packed into a single plate, it’s an adventure in every forkful. After struggling through the menus of several new restaurants still looking for their lodestar, it was the much-needed inspiration I’d been seeking.
Let’s just say this review may have started very differently were it not for that butternut squash, because it set the stage for a seriously impressive meal at the fledgling eatery. Focused on burgers, tacos, and Latin-inspired barbecue, Butcher Crown Roadhouse is a collaboration between owner Pete Schnell and Gutierrez that has barbecued meat and vegetables at its core but takes flavor cues from Mexico, Cuba, South America, Latin America and traditional barbecue joints closer to home.
Papas Fritas with Thistle Meats Argentine-style chorizo, handcut Kennebec potatoes, cilantro aioli, roasted poblano salsa, cheddar and jack cheese at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
At the back of the remodeled Nopalito restaurant on Bodega Avenue is a smoker that Gutierrez uses to add flavor to more than just his squash. Standing on the patio, the young chef who cut his teeth at Brewsters in Petaluma checks the apples that have gone into the smoker earlier. They turn soft, pliable and a bit wrinkled in preparation for one of the most comforting desserts I’ve ever had, brown butter caramel, a fresh funnel cake and vanilla whipped cream with the smoky, soft apple as the star.
The menu changes up, and the much-talked-about Piri Piri chicken has already left the menu (sadly), but Cochinita Pibil Tacos ($11.50), a brisket burger-and-fries dish smothered in cheese and roasted chili salsa are standards. Most of the meats are smoked for 16 to 18 hours concentrating maximum flavor into the fall-off-the-bone meat.
Outdoor patio at Butcher Crown Roadhouse. Courtesy photo.
The kitchen uses plenty of local ingredients, smokes in-house and makes fresh tortillas with a combination of flour and corn that bring the best to their slightly irregular shape and perfect thickness.
The restaurant has been transformed into a charming roadhouse with a small beer garden in back for warmer days and nights.
Expect to see new dishes as the seasons and ingredients change, but know that I will never support mac and cheese on the menu because there are too many other dishes for Gutierrez to explore. The kitchen is taking chances on flavors that pay homage to familiar dishes but push past the expected into something utterly delightful. Not every dish perfectly hits the mark — the rice and beans seem a bit of an afterthought — but we’re willing to overlook a few missteps for the joy of tasting dishes with a clear point of view.
And for that, I am even more grateful, because honestly, I can’t take any more fancy mac and cheese.
Best Bets
Brisket enchiladas with mole sauce at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Papas Fritas, $11.50: It’s literally a hot mess of crispy Kennebec fries, Thistle Meats chorizo, roasted poblano salsa, a truckload of cheddar and jack cheese and cilantro aioli. Think nachos, but with french fries instead as the flavor delivery method instead of chips. There’s a sweet tingle from the chorizo and salsa, but creamy aioli and gooey cheese keep anyone with a mouth from being able to stop cramming these into their face until the dish is licked clean.
Beer at Butcher Crown Roadhouse. Courtesy photo.
Calabaza Rellena, $12.50: One of the biggest rages of the past two years was the Rainbow Explosion cake. When cut, it revealed a hollow center filled with rainbow-colored hard candy that rolled out on the floor in handfuls, yay! Cutting into a hollowed out roasted butternut squash (calabeza) gives the same awe-inspiring effect, with warm goat cheese, poblano peppers and spiced pumpkin seeds tumbling from the inside onto a pool of sweet carrot puree and chili oil. Sweet, nutty squash collapses into tart cheese and earthy peppers creating a dish that’s a surprise from start to finish. Game changer.
Remolacha, $12: The Steven Tyler of vegetable dishes isn’t a looker, but leaves you breathless in its presence. Smoked beets meet sweet chili cream, a splash of chili oil, and tart navel oranges. Hidden in the depths of the bowl are Marcona almonds and roasted poblanos. It hits all the notes, from bright citrus to a smoky bass line.
Ember roasted apple with brown butter caramel, funel cake, powdered sugar, vanilla whipped cream at Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Brisket Enchiladas with Molé, $16: A weekend-only dish with a history. Slow-braised brisket is rolled into handmade corn and flour tortillas topped with cheese and Gutierrez’s pumpkin mole. He’s been brewing up this batch, much like a sourdough starter since opening in October. Each week as he uses it up he adds more, giving it an increasingly complex flavor. Our only gripe — we wish there was more. Sauces are clearly a strength on all of the dishes, but this is especially good.
Ember-Roasted Apple, $7.50: Save plenty of room for dessert, because the taste of a smoked apple isn’t soon forgotten. A base of brown butter caramel supports a fresh funnel cake, chunks of sweet ember-roasted apple, more caramel and a dollop of sweet vanilla whipped cream. Ever so much better than chocolate lava cakes.
Details: Butcher Crown Roadhouse, 1905 Bodega Ave., Petaluma, 707-559-3735, butchercrown.com. Open Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
