Have no fear of the hard-to-shop-for ones on your holiday list. Sonoma stores have got you covered with these unique and useful finds, many of which are locally made. With all prices under $40, checking off that shopping list should involve a good amount of comfort and joy—click though the above gallery for details.
The winner of Sonoma Magazine’s 2018 Cutest Dog Contest is…. Rockwell! A panel of independent judges from Sonoma Magazine and our beneficiary Pets Lifeline selected Rockwell from the top 10 vote-getters in the contest.
Rockwell isn’t just adorable on the outside:
“For Rockwell, it’s not all about the cuteness on the outside but all the cuteness on the inside as well. He’ll give you love and comfort, and will make you feel like you have a new best friend,” says Rockwell’s owner Elizabeth Rouse.
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and voted. And congratulations to Rockwell!
For most Sonoma County residents, gifts are an integral part of the holiday season. Wish lists are carefully composed months before Christmas, and crossed off by parents and relatives in shopping malls and local stores.
But for some—particularly those who lack reliable housing and a steady income—the act of giving and receiving presents on Christmas Day is not something that can be taken for granted.
A program in the Healdsburg area aims to spread the holiday spirit to all by inviting local residents and organizations to “adopt” families in need. The program, locally known as the “Presents Project,” has operated under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Healdsburg for the past 19 years. Participating residents or organizations—”sponsors”—buy gifts for enrolled families. This year, the program will connect 83 sponsors with 87 families; a total of about 400 people.
“Most of the recipients in our program wouldn’t have Christmas if it weren’t for the people who adopt them,” said Beth DeCoss, one of two program co-coordinators. “It’s a great way for those in the community who want to give back to have a direct and immediate impact on those in the community who need help.”
“Presents Project” volunteers work with a number of community organizations, including the Alliance Medical Center, the Healdsburg Boys and Girls Club and local public schools, to identify families in need. Participating families present the volunteers with information concerning each family member—age, sex and clothing size—and submit a short list of presents each person would like.
The wish lists, stripped of identifying information, are then turned over to eager sponsors just after Thanksgiving. Sponsors are asked to deliver wrapped gifts to the Healdsburg Boys and Girls Club gymnasium on the morning of December 15. Families enrolled in the program later pick up their presents at the same location. (In order to protect the privacy of the families, sponsors are not allowed to attend).
“It’s incredibly emotional to be here when the families arrive,” said DeCoss. “Many of the kids don’t expect presents at Christmas, and they get so excited to see that they’re actually getting some.”
Other than keeping it anonymous, there are few rules to the program. Organizers put no limit on the amount sponsors should spend, and they are welcome to purchase additional gifts that aren’t cited on the lists. Every child who asks for a bike receives one from Rotary—all come with helmets donated by the Healdsburg Police Officers’ Association. A local Cub Scout pack sponsors a few families, and the City of Healdsburg and the Healdsburg Police Department get involved, too.
Healdsburg residents Mike and Gail Fairchild have participated in the “Presents Project” every year since 2014. This year, they purchased gifts for a family of three. Items on their shopping list included clothes, comforters, toiletries, and toys.
Mike says the act of shopping for their “adopted” family gets him and his wife into the holiday spirit. Gail agrees, noting that the couple likes to involve their granddaughter in the process.
“Even though our granddaughter doesn’t know the people who ultimately receive the presents, she loves the whole experience of getting presents and knowing that somebody, somewhere is going to open them and be pleased,” said Gail. “More than anything else, that’s what the holiday spirit is all about.”
If you would like to donate to the program or sign up as a sponsor next year, please contact Beth DeCoss at 707-433-2721.
You may not find snow-covered trees in Sonoma County, but there are still plenty of holiday events and activities to get you in the festive mood. From Christmas concerts and sing-alongs to Santa fly-ins and synthetic snowmen – our list of things to do this holiday season will help make Sonoma County a winter wonderland all month long. Click through the above gallery for all the details. Did we miss one of your favorite holiday events? Let us know in the comments!
Healdsburg’s Single Thread has been awarded an astounding three Michelin stars in its second year of operation. The restaurant, which is likely shortlisted as one of the world’s top 50 restaurants for 2019, is one of 57 Bay Area restaurants tapped on Nov. 29. It is the first Sonoma County restaurant ever to receive three stars.
“We are so incredibly proud of our hard-working team of farmers, chefs and service professionals. Everyone has dedicated so much these past two years to create an environment of warm hospitality. It’s such an honor to be here in Sonoma County amongst talented farmers, winemakers, and artisans. We are very proud to share this with all of them,” said chef/owner Kyle Connaughton.
According to Michelin: “SingleThread has risen to the top of Sonoma County’s dining scene since its opening in 2016. The talented couple behind this powerhouse project has shown consistent commitment to the highest standards of ingredient quality and exceptionally refined cuisine.” Three stars are considered the highest honor a restaurant can receive. The guides started in 1900 as a way for motorists to find good hotels and restaurants. (And a good marketing ploy for Michelin tires). Three stars is “worth a special journey” according to the guide.
Also receiving three stars is Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, up from two last year.
Keeping their three stars in Wine Country is The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, the French Laundry in Yountville, and, in San Francisco and the Peninsula, Quince, Benu, Saison and Manresa.
Coi in San Francisco gets bumped down to two stars, with the rest of the category remaining much the same. There are no North Bay two-star restaurants.
Finally, with one star, Madrona Manor in Healdsburg and the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville keep their winning streaks going — both with more than a decade on the list. Bodega Bay’s Terrapin Creek fell off the list this year.
I just received the call from @MichelinGuideSF one star ⭐️ for 2019. Thanks to my crew for all of the hard work.
— Jesse Mallgren (@madronachef) November 29, 2018
“The dining scene in San Francisco is booming at the moment and our inspectors were especially impressed with the choice of cuisine styles, the levels of consistency and the overall high quality of the food they found in the city,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.
“In particular, the teams at Atelier Crenn and SingleThread should be extremely proud, as our inspectors were very impressed by the quality of the produce used in the preparation of the dishes. This, along with their meticulous attention to detail, creativity, and dedication to delighting their customers, means they always offer diners a memorable and very enjoyable gastronomic experience. Without a doubt, they are definitely worth a special journey!”
The “famously anonymous” inspectors for the restaurant guide have upped their game in recent years after being on cruise control for what seemed like years. The list, however, is a pretty hard code to crack and has, from time to time, been considered a curse for small restaurants that get overwhelmed by the publicity.
Restaurants chosen for the annual Michelin guide are judged on five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; preparation and flavors; the chef’s personality as revealed through his or her cuisine; value for money; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. The official 2019 San Francisco Michelin Guide will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 4, and will include the Bib Gourmand restaurants awarded last week.
If you want a taste of Michelin star chefs, Single Thread will host an event on Dec. 4 at the Healdsburg restaurant with Dominique Crenn from Atelier Crenn. The event will feature eleven courses showcases each of the chefs. Tickets are $325 per person.
Here’s the full list of Bay Area Michelin-star restaurants…
Atelier Crenn
Single Thread
Benu
The French Laundry
Manresa
Quince
The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena)
Saison
Acquerello
Baumé
Californios
Coi
Commis
Lazy Bear
Al’s Place
Aster
Auberge du Soleil (Napa)
Bouchon (Yountville)
Bar Crenn (NEW)
Birdsong (NEW)
Bouchon
Campton Place
Chez TJ
Commonwealth
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant (Forestville)
Gary Danko
Hashiri
In Situ
jū-ni
Keiko à Nob Hill
Kenzo
Kin Khao
Kinjo (New)
La Toque (Napa)
Lord Stanley
Luce
Madcap (NEW)
Madera
Madrona Manor (Healdsburg)
Michael Mina
Mister Jiu’s
Mourad
Nico (NEW)
Octavia
Omakase
Plumed Horse
Progress (The)
Protege (NEW)
Rasa
Rich Table (New)
Sons & Daughters
SPQR
Spruce
State Bird Provisions
Sushi Yoshizumi
The Village Pub
Wako
Wakuriya
Tyra Benoit never expected to become an expert in homeowners insurance.
But last October, after the Tubbs Fire reduced her Wikiup home to ashes, the lifelong educator was forced to learn the ins and outs of the insurance industry in order to get going on her claim. She read up on coverages. She asked a lawyer friend to help her understand jargon. She taught herself how to decipher the fine print of riders.
Now, in the aftermath of the Camp Fire in Butte County, Benoit – a former resident of Paradise – is sharing her newfound knowledge with those who need it most: survivors.
Starting this week, Benoit, 69, will offer free lectures and workshops for Camp Fire survivors about navigating their “insurance journey.” The classes will take place at Butte College, where Benoit taught for more than 20 years before moving to Santa Rosa in 2007 to become a dean and adjunct instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College.
“Like everybody else, I saw images and read stories about what the people of Paradise have been going through and just felt so terrible,” said Benoit, who also taught for 10 years at Paradise Intermediate School, which was badly damaged in the fire. “We got so much help from so many people after the [Tubbs] fire, so I thought to myself, ‘How can I pay it forward?’”
After discussing the question with friends, Benoit decided to focus on helping with insurance, since she and her husband Bob are still ironing out formalities on their claim for the house they lost.
“Even if you’ve got advanced degrees, the insurance process is all so confusing and complicated,” she said. “At the same time you’re trying to sort out this complicated legal document. You’re in total grief, devastated, and waking up in the middle of the night, sobbing. It can be very overwhelming.”
Benoit’s special classes began this morning with a large-group presentation about her personal experiences in the aftermath of the Tubbs Fire.
She will follow this talk with one-on-one appointments in the campus academic senate office, during which she will review individual policies and discuss any questions survivors might have. Benoit expected to repeat the program tomorrow, Friday, and again next week.
She added she likely will offer a version of the workshop online, too.
Going into Thursday morning, Benoit wasn’t sure how many survivors would attend her first talk. The room she had reserved seats 60, and she added that she “wouldn’t be surprised if it was packed.”
Independent of the lectures, Benoit expected her return to Butte County would be emotional. She and her husband got married in Paradise, bought their first house there, and lived there for years before moving to Chico. The two still have dozens of friends in the area, many of whom were displaced or directly impacted by the fire, and she said she hopes to be able to help them in whatever way she can.
“Our experiences [with the Tubbs fire] taught us how important community is,” she said. “It’s important to keep on giving. That’s what makes life worth living. When you look back on your time here, you want to be able to make sure you’ve done everything you can to help others. Really, nothing else matters.”
Sweet Pea opening in Sonoma: Churro and pretzel croissants…what? Napa-based Sweet Pea Bakeshop is expanding to Sonoma, anticipating a Dec. 1 opening with mini churro croissants for the first 50 customers.
Imagine the lush butteriness of a croissant crusted with cinnamon sugar and chocolate drizzle. And that’s just the start. They’ve also got plenty of other sweet goodies like seasonal scones, sticky buns, English muffins, blondies, cakes, French macarons, caneles, hand pies, fresh bread, and cakes. New mamas take note: There’s even “lactation cookies” with nutrients like flax and brewer’s yeast. Look for them at 720 E. Napa St., Sonoma, sweetpeanapa.com.
Frenchie has opened on the square, featuring pick-up and picnic provisions for the tasteful. Weekly dinner menus include dishes like carnitas tostadas, lemon-roasted salmon, beef curry with jasmine rice that are ready to heat and serve. They’ll also have soups, sandwiches, wine and beer to go, tasty condiments and local cheeses. We love the idea of stopping by for a quick hostess gift as well. 521 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-343-7559, frenchiesonoma.com.
Dining editor Heather Irwin hoists a fork each week at the latest restaurant openings throughout Sonoma County for her longtime food column BiteClub. The coming holiday season is a time for sharing a meal with friends and family — or maybe just escaping the madness over a burger and a glass of wine. Here’s Heather’s curated list of newcomers and a few old favorites to make your season delicious. Click through the above gallery for menu highlights. Want to get food and wine news from Heather straight to your inbox? Sign up to our weekly Cork + Fork newsletter.
Swedish Style: Stockhome aims to please your (Nordic) inner child.
You know those home DNA tests where you find out that everything you thought you knew about your heritage is totally wrong? Thanks to Ancestry.com, I’m trashing my “Kiss Me I’m Irish” tee for a set of Viking horns and an IKEA rewards card, because suddenly I’m half-Scandinavian. And further confirmation of this bombshell has arrived in a most-pleasant form: my newly discovered love for schwarma, Plopp! candies, and Tunnbröd Rulle at Petaluma’s recently opened Stockhome Restaurant.
A collaboration between husband-and-wife team Roberth and Andrea Sundell, who own the upscale Swedish restaurant Plaj in San Francisco, Stockhome is an ode to Nordic flavors as well as a mashup of immigrant influences the couple loves.
That means homey classics like Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, and Swedish pancakes with some California influences sharing a menu with Turkish and Mediterranean street food found in the larger cities of Sweden. Consider it the United Nations of local dining.
The interior has the bright, classic Swedish-minimalist look you’d expect, with cornflower-blue paint outside welcoming you into a large open room with clean lines, long group tables, and vintage Josef Frank floral wallpaper — something most Swedes immediately recognize from their childhoods.
Start with celery root gratin with Wrångebäck cheese ($8), which is all about the sharp, herby raw cow’s milk cheese that’s melted in some spots and nicely crisped and caramelized in others. Thin slices of celery root are merely a delivery method for the cheese, butter, and milk that make this so intensely addictive.
If you’re fighting a hangover or just really hungry, consider the Korv Kiosk (hot dog stand) Tunnbrod Rulle ($9). This post-drinking wrap is something no sober person would come up with, made up of smoked German sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup, mustard, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes inside a rolled Swedish flatbread.
An homage to some of Roberth’s favorite street food, the lamb and beef kebab plate ($14) features thin slices of juicy lamb and beef topped with a light tomato sauce and a side of garlic yogurt.
Every Swede has a secret meatball recipe, and Roberth is no exception. His grandmother’s recipe is rich with clove and spices, with tender meat atop fluffy mashed potatoes and a delicate brown gravy, served as a Meatball Mashed Potato Bowl ($18) with lingonberries and pickled cucumbers.
Most Americans make Wiener schnitzel ($24) with pounded pork — nothing like the velvety texture of veal used in this version. Tiny roasted potatoes with English peas, capers, and loads of butter may be one of the best sides I’ve had in recent memory.
For dessert, Swedish pancakes ($7) are the real deal, and way better than French crepes by a long shot. With a scoop of vanilla whipped cream and berries, they’re indulgent, though I love mine with just lemon, butter, and powdered sugar.
Combining the flavors and presentation of a fine dining experience in a casual environment, the Sundells (who live in Petaluma with their kids) have nailed a need that’s long existed in Sonoma County — a place where grownups and children alike can enjoy a solid meal with flavors both exotic and familiar.
The bonus: The Swedish tradition of Lördagsgodis, wherein kids are allowed candy only on Saturday, but can then indulge in as much as they want, is alive and well here, with tempting jars filled with chocolates, gummy fish, and (be warned) spicy, salted licorice candy that only a Swede could love.
Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com
Down To Earth Cafe, Cotati
For the last 18 months, Down to Earth Cafe has been a cheerful neighborhood place with a fairly straightforward menu of sandwiches, salads, and entrées. It doesn’t scream for attention by fussing over how their house-cured pastrami takes 16 days to make, or how their butterscotch pudding is made with cream and butter and not butterscotch chips. There’s no indication that chef and owner Chris Ball has worked in some of the best restaurants in Europe, and has worked for years to perfect his shatteringly good fish and chips. Which is exactly why it’s escaped the radar for this long. Down to Earth is housed in the former Nicolino’s (and briefly, Staxx) in downtown Cotati, revamped from kitschy Italian to a cozy walk-up cafe where service and the menu are casual, but the technique behind the food is anything but.
Take the fish and chips — something I rarely order after years of flabby, greasy disappointments. “Most of them are like sad pancakes on bad fish,” Ball says, sensing my trepidation. Here, fresh North Coast rock cod is dipped in a light beer batter (and plenty of cornstarch), giving it a lacy, fizzled crispness that crackles in your mouth rather than lying like a sodden blanket. The fish is clean and whisper-light rather than a rubbery mess smelling of low tide. It’s a revelation served with hand-cut fries (pretty much no one goes to the trouble of making fries by hand anymore), spicy remoulade, a wedge of grilled lemon, and coleslaw.
“This is Cotati, I’m trying to feed people here. I want to make really good food. I want everything to be what it is, with just a few components that go together, and you have to put love into food,” says Ball.
8204 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, 707-753-4925, dtecafe.com
YiaYia’s The Grateful Greek, Penngrove
The former Yanni’s Sausage Grill, which has always been little more than a counter and a compact kitchen, has become one of Sonoma County’s best Greek restaurants. (It’s possibly the county’s only Greek restaurant at this moment — but that’s beside the point.) Owners Tom Adams and Thea Rabb have converted the onetime sausage factory into a takeout-only gyro spot with a Sonoma County spin.
It’s the gyro, however, that really puts the restaurant on the map. Made with a combination of beef and lamb, chef Chris Adams-Albrecht cooks it sous vide (basically a Cryovac-sealed meatloaf that’s cooked by circulating water). A technique often used by high-end chefs, it creates tender meat that’s given a crisping on the grill before slipping into a pita with its best friend, tzatziki (a cucumber yogurt sauce). This isn’t that rotating loaf of mystery meat imported from the far-off land of Chicago, where most pressed gyro is made. Instead, it’s real-deal gyro made one loaf at a time in a tiny Penngrove kitchen.
Our other favorite: Popi’s Flaming Cheese ($8.25) made with buttered Italian bread and salty, tart, crispy, melted, formerly flaming cheese. Eat it immediately, because the ooeygooey goodness is fleeting.
The restaurant serves the nearby Penngrove Pub, and you can grab a pint and sit outside on the patio or have it delivered inside. Serious drinking food by the people that pretty much invented drinking.
10007 Main St., Penngrove, 707-664-5442.
Picazo Cafe, Sonoma
This locals’ favorite isn’t easy to find, but if you ask anyone in town, they can give you directions to the low-slung 1934 roadhouse that meanders for nearly half a block in just about every direction. It’s nothing fancy, but the Chavez family has one of the best burgers in Wine Country — the epic “Don Chava,” a grass-fed beef patty with pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño, pickled red onion, and spicy Picazo sauce. It’s a burger that isn’t soon finished, or forgotten.
Sal Chavez Sr. begins his days at 3:30 a.m., making breakfast pastries from scratch, including everything from his famous cinnamon apple sticks to raspberry twists and cherry turnovers. On the lighter side, the menu also includes avocado toast, organic veggie bowls, and açaì breakfast bowls, along with more rib-sticking fish and chips and baby back ribs. All signature sauces are made in-house, and the bottomless brunch mimosas are a solid reason to get out of bed on the weekend.
19100 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-931-4377, picazocafe.com
The grape harvest has wrapped up and the holidays are approaching. This time of year, many tasting rooms are unique shopping destinations for selecting wine and wine-themed gifts for the vino aficionados on your holiday list. Click through the above gallery for new and tried-and-true places to visit. A few wineries are planning holiday open houses — check websites for the most up-to-date information.
What began 15 years ago as a smalltime harvest party for Northern California cannabis growers has become the largest weed fest in the West. The Emerald Cup rolls into town on December 14 and 15 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, where lifestyle, music, and plenty of toking commingle with the more serious post-legalization issues of permitting, compliance, and education.
Attendance is expected to top 50,000 this year, and with the swelling crowd comes a more music-festival-like experience rather than the very homegrown atmosphere of its early years. Since 2017, founder and producer Tim Blake has involved professional event organizers to boost the musical lineup and event layout. And it’s worked.
This year, headlining bands will include internationally known acts Gogol Bordello and Big Gigantic. Comedian, marijuana activist, and “Super High Me” film subject Doug Benson will host the celebration.
“The Cup brings together a passionate group of cannabis lovers — not only to celebrate, but to learn from each other and engage in an important conversation about the industry as a whole,” says Blake.
A primary focus of the Emerald Cup remains a cannabis competition that includes sun-grown flowers, concentrates, edibles, cartridges, topicals, and oils made from the cannabis compound CBD. Winners of the competition often see sales at local dispensaries skyrocket, though in the past, a handful of winners have later been disqualified after rigorous laboratory testing for pesticides and herbicides.
It’s all part of the maturing process for an industry just beginning to come out of the shadows. Cannabis became legal for adult users in California in 2018. Prior to that, use was limited to medical patients with a doctor’s recommendation. That means a whole new market has been opened since the last Emerald Cup, which will make it even less of the die-hards-only event it once was.
Additional lineups for educators, industry experts, artists, and growers will be announced on the Emerald Cup website.
Want to partake? Cannabis use during the event will be allowed. State and local regulatory agencies have already given the Cup permits for both sales and consumption.
The Emerald Cup is a 21-and-over event, with weekend passes start at $120. VIP passes, $499, include private hang-out spaces, exclusive discussions, early admission, and other perks. Tickets usually sell out. Details at theemeraldcup.com
