Page 290 – Sonoma Magazine

Cocina Mana Mexican Spices Up Windsor Food Scene

February 2019

By biteclub

Chicken tinga at Cocina Mana in Windsor. Heather Irwin/PD

Manny Morales looks slightly uncomfortable in the starched black chef jacket with shiny orange buttons he’s wearing at his Windsor restaurant, Cocina Mana.

Usually, he’s more of a free-range kind of guy who spends his days in a fleece jacket behind his Tamales Mana cart in Roseland and around Santa Rosa. From early in the morning until after lunch, he’s a constant peddler of corn husk-wrapped tamales filled with pork, chicken or beans. Made in a small Santa Rosa commercial kitchen off Petaluma Hill Road with his wife, he’s a regular for hungry workers who pay just a few dollars for the hearty masa packets topped with stripes of crema and roja sauce.

Now, he’s standing in a shiny new kitchen in a chef’s jacket with a menu that includes not just tamales, but homestyle chile verde, chilaquiles with spicy red sauce, tacos with smoky cochinita pibil or chicken tinga and hearty steak burritos. It’s not so much a taqueria, but as an invitation into his home to eat what he and his family eat every day.

“This is what we eat every day. This is what we eat at home,” he says sitting down at the table. Though I’ve tried to huddle in a corner inconspicuously, the jig is pretty much up when his business partner, Bill Cordell of Super Burger, spots me with four plates on the table, taking pictures.

Exactly three seconds later, Manny comes out from the kitchen with a giant hug, looks at the table, raises his eyebrow, then brings out two more dishes — the chile verde and chicken tinga that I didn’t order off the menu.

In Morales’ kitchen, there are no giant cans of premade sauce or piles of packaged tortillas. He makes everything from scratch as a matter of pride. Here, tacos aren’t mix-and-match discs of tiny tortillas with nibbles of carnitas, but Tacos Giusados — platters of braised meat with beans and Mexican rice with homemade steamed tortillas on the side.

Guisados typically refers to a comforting, stewed dish, the type of thing Grandma would make for Sunday dinner. You don’t gobble it in two bites, but savor it. Here, the fall-apart pork and smoky shredded chicken invite a slower approach, a Sunday dinner sort of approach. “My people aren’t coming yet,” he says, referring to native Mexicans who understand this kind of food. But he’s also happy that an appreciative audience seems to be warming up to his lovingly created dishes.

Though a handful of taquerias are clustered on the east side of Old Redwood Highway, Cocina Mana stands out in the Oliver’s shopping center, just a block or so from the Windsor Town Green, as an affordable eatery and a taste of home — no matter where you’re from.

Best Bets

Tamales: Served from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., this is a signature for Cocina Mana. Choose from red chili pork, jalapeño, molé chicken and other flavors, served a la carte with red or green tomatillo salsa and crema for $3.50. Morales doesn’t use lard, instead using soybean oil for lighter tamales. Tamales plates with rice and beans range from $6.95 to $10.95 (for three tamales).

Tamal Bowls: Not too big, not too small. Morales’ tamales sit on a bed of rice with beans and braised sauces. Our favorite, Braised Yucatan pork (cochinita pibil) over a red chili pork tamal ($9.95).

Tacos Guisados: A pile of shredded chicken in a smoky tomato chipotle sauce with homemade tortillas, rice and beans is especially good, though zucchini squash with queso fresco is a nice vegetarian option ($9.95).

Chilaquiles: Served for breakfast or lunch, this classic is one of the best things on the menu. Crisp tortillas are simmered in medium spicy red salsa (milder green or insanely spicy Salsa Diablanero are also available), with black beans, queso fresco, pickled onions and crema. A perfect hangover remedy or hearty lunch. Served at lunch with charbroiled steak asada, chicken asado, pan-seared shrimp or eggs with a side of bread. ($9.95 to $11.95)

Also: Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m., with breakfast burritos and quesadillas. Daily mimosas are $5 and the restaurant also has homemade horchata ($2) or Jamaica along with beer and low-proof margaritas.

Cocina Mana, 9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128, Windsor, 707-657-7701. Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday for dinner until 8 p.m. Closed Sunday, cocinamana.com.

Weekend Getaway: 15 Things to Do in Sonoma

February 2019

By Shana Bull

February, 2019

Sonoma pairs small town charm with world-class wineries, restaurants and outdoor adventures. Spend a weekend wine tasting, farm-to-table feasting and town square shopping with some live music and off-the-beaten-path fun thrown into the mix – click through the gallery for 15 things to do in the town of Sonoma.

Two New Restaurants Opening on the Coast

February 2019

By biteclub

Interior of Dillon Beach Coast Kitchen. Houston Porter

Fans of chef Matt Elias’ and Laine Ayre’s The Bodega food truck will be stoked to learn they’re now heading up one of the coast’s most destination-worthy cafes — Dillon Beach Coastal Kitchen.

The duo quietly took over at the historic Dillon Beach Resort earlier this year, transitioning from their mobile kitchen to a roomier brick-and-mortar spot. The 55-acre resort with a private beach has been a family-friendly destination for more than 130 years. In April 2018, a handful of native Marin County families, including Petaluma restaurateur Mike Goebel (locally of Brewsters Beer Garden), purchased the property. Ongoing renovations will continue into the summer under Goebel and operations director Brooke Gray (formerly of Nick’s Cove).

The resort cafe is already getting weekend warrior buzz. Inspired by farm and sea, Elias’ seasonal menu is a simple, family-friendly lineup of dishes like smoked McFarland trout dip with cucumber, dill, creme fraiche and crackers ($13), Bellwether Farms Ricotta Toast ($13) with marinated vegetables, clam chowder with fennel cream, bacon, potatoes and grilled focaccia ($15), Stemple Creek burger with Grazin’ Girl gorgonzola ($18), and their well-loved “Bodega Sandwich,” a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with smoky aioli, slaw, house pickles and a salad ($17). A vegetarian wrap with sheep milk yogurt and lentil hummus can get a pescatarian upgrade with crispy harissa shrimp. There are, natch, Hog Island oysters as well as Baked oysters; wine and beer on tap and less spirited drinks like an Arnold Palmer, local kombucha and coffee. Soft serve ice cream from Double 8 Dairy is a favorite.

So what about the Bodega food truck? Elias says they’ll be bringing their rig to the beach this spring, and the mobile kitchen will live on.

If you want to head out, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dillon Beach Resort is about 30 minutes from Petaluma. 1 Beach Avenue, Dillon Beach. The resort’s general store and surf shop are also open for business.

Further south, Tony’s Seafood in Marshall is getting ready for their grand opening later this month. The 70 year-old restaurant is being resurrected by Hog Island Oyster owners John Finger and Terry Sawyer, who purchased it in 2017.

Chef Matt Shapiro (Marlow & Sons, Wise Sons, Walzwerk, Schmidt’s, Hog Island) will helm the kitchen. The 96-seat restaurant will face onto Tomales Bay and feature an open kitchen.

The menu will include classics—fish and chips (AK True Cod), an oyster po’ boy, a seasonal Dungeness crab roll (in season), oysters on the half shell and BBQ-ed, a crudo, linguine with clams—as well as personal touches, a daily “heads and tails” dish, a catch of the day, and land-based dishes like a Stemple Creek hamburger with tartar sauce. Local produce, much of it from the Marin Farmers Market, will inform accompaniments and specials.

The restaurant’s first Chef Dinner on Feb. 21 will feature a five-course menu highlighting McEvoy Ranch’s wines and olive oils. On March 7, Chef Shapiro pairs up with Far West Fungi to create a special mushroom dinner. Details at tonysseafoodrestaurant.com.

Sonoma County Motel Named Among 10 Best in the US

February 2019

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

A room furnished with 1960’s era decor at the Astro Motel, in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Motels, the iconic roadside inns of the mid 20th century, are making a comeback in the United States. After decades of steady decline following the arrival of the Interstate Highway in the 1970s, the once endangered lodging species has recently been brought out of its state of disrepair by design-savvy hoteliers. Renovated, reimagined, revived and retro (and a little pricier than their predecessors), modern motels are now popping up all over the country.

British daily newspaper The Guardian has tapped into the motor lodge trend with a travel reportage that lists 10 of the best motels in the U.S. Thanks to the revamped Astro Motel in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County is represented on this list. The mid-century modern motor lodge was named among the chicest motels in America in January and has also been featured in Vogue, Goop and Sunset. Click through the gallery to see what The Guardian had to say about the Astro, and a few other trendy motels in the United States – including in Napa Valley.

Sweet T’s Sets Opening Date, Matheson Moves Closer

February 2019

By biteclub

Two tasty riblets of restaurant news for this weekend:

Sweet T’s Sets Opening Date

It’s been a long, long wait for the grand opening of Sweet T’s 2.0 in Windsor, but the date has been set: March 7.

The original restaurant location in Fountaingrove burned to the ground in the 2017 wildfires. Owners have been slowly rebuilding their dream space in Windsor for more than a year, but hiring has begun and the doors are set to swing open to barbecue and other delicious Southern treats soon.

The Best Sonoma Brunch Spots for Bottomless Mimosas

February 2019

By Shana Bull

Breakfast salad of local lettuces, soft poached egg, crispy bacon, sauteed mushrooms, poached potatoes, fresh red onion, avocado, Pugs Leap chevre, and apple cider vinaigrette dressing and a mimosa at Estero Cafe in Valley Ford, California on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

Sonoma County loves its wine, and thanks to brunch, we have the perfect excuse to sip sparkling before noon. We’ve compiled a list of the best local brunch spots for bottomless mimosas. We also threw in a few places that, while they may not go full bottomless, have unique cocktails for those heading out to weekend brunch. Click through the gallery for details. Did we miss one of your favorite spots for bottomless mimosas? Let us know in the comments.

We know “Sunday Funday” can be a great time to let your hair down, but remember to be respectful of fellow brunch guests and restaurant staff (go easy on those mimosas) and make sure that you have a designated driver or take advantage of your local taxi or Uber/Lyft service. Even better, take a ride on the SMART train to and from brunch (here are some other fun things to do close to SMART train stations).

DIY Days: 5 Things to Get You Crafting in Sonoma County

February 2019

By Karen Kizer

Are you pining to craft something besides an Instagram story or status update? Working with your hands to create a thing of beauty can be such a satisfying undertaking. Sonoma’s rich artisan culture offers plenty of inspiration. Here are some great items that might help you make good on your “I want to do that!” list—click through the above gallery for details.

Lagunitas, HenHouse and More: The Best Breweries and Taprooms in Petaluma

February 2019

By Tina Caputo

At Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

There’s no denying it: Petaluma is a beer town. True, Santa Rosa has Russian River Brewing Co., but we’ve got Lagunitas, HenHouse and more. Even better, many of the town’s beer-drinking destinations are within walking distance of each other. From nationally known breweries to downtown taprooms, hops- and barley-fueled bliss is just around the corner.

In-N-Out Named Worst Fries by LA Times

February 2019

By biteclub

The ketchup is hitting the fan after the L.A. Times ranked In-N-Out’s fries dead last among 19 fast food restaurants.

(Looking for the best places for fries in Sonoma County? Here’s our list)

According to their Power Ranking of fries, here’s how the SoCal classic stacked up: “And bringing up the rear is In-N-Out. Before you tell me there’s a way to “hack” these fries, or somehow make them better, either by loading them with American cheese and secret sauce, or by ordering them well-done, I will grant this: It certainly doesn’t make the fries any worse. Just as dumping the fries into a dirt pile on the shoulder of a highway access road and running over that pile with my car would also probably not make the fries any worse.”

Fast food French fries, ranked. (Lucas Kwan Peterson / Stephen Lurvey)

Cue the freakout.

Starting with the Times’ food section social media intern, dissension ensued: “Hello I am the social media intern and have to share this but I totally don’t agree with it. here are @lucaspeterson’s fast food french fry power rankings.”

Not that we haven’t all thought it from time to time, because we have. They’re sort of meh when compared to the salt and grease bombs of, say, McDonald’s or Carl’s Junior, but worse than, say, Carl’s Junior? I think not.

Furor continued with angry Tweets about the wonders of the hand-cut, freshly made fries some see as heaven’s gift to creation. Granted, if you’ve ever been through a drive-thru watching some beefy kid hammering down the fry-cutter in the kitchen, you can appreciate the work involved and the simplicity of their fries.

But does it make them taste better? It’s a divisive issue for all In-N-Out lovers, and a spirited debate was inevitable.

“Anyone who says there’s no room for ethics and accountability in modern-day mass media kindly check today’s Los Angeles Times bravely yet truthfully stating that their most popular and beloved regional fast food restaurant’s fries are absolute ass,” said @llamsoyd in return. Smell that burn.

So who ranked number one? Five Guys.

Possibly a generous #3 on my list, Five Guys’ fries always tend to be a little limp and oily, especially after steaming in a bag for a few minutes. According to the Times, Arby’s comes in at #5, with the Midwest’s Steak ’n Shake #4 (well deserved), Del Taco at #3. McDonald’s is at #2. Carl’s Junior ranks #6 and Burger King #10, both of which I find incredibly unpleasant to eat due to their odd coating.

As you can see, finding consensus isn’t easy and everyone has an opinion, no matter how wrong they are.

Here’s the thing, though. What exactly do we expect a fry to be? If it’s an actual unadulterated potato fried in oil, then most fast-food restaurants would fail miserably, adding up to 20 other ingredients to their fries. That includes things like beef flavoring, rice flour, corn syrup and hydrolyzed milk, along with a number of preservatives and stabilizers.

Five Guys and In-N-Out don’t use any of that stuff, listing only potatoes, oil (peanut for Five Guys, sunflower for In-N-Out) and salt. That’s it. So how is one #1 and the other dead last?

The debate rages on. And on. And on.

The Best Places for French Fries in Sonoma County

February 2019

By biteclub

A Harvard professor said recently that the ideal serving size of french fries is six. With a side salad. That might be fine if you’re an elf, but for serious pommes frites fanatics, it’s all or nothing. Sonoma County has no end of great fries, best served with aioli, but we won’t pass up some homemade ketchup — or even a little Heinz 57. Whether they’re thick or thin, peel on or peel off, fried in duck fat or canola, we’ve found some of the region’s best. Click through the gallery for details. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments. And check out the L.A. Times ranking of fast food fries – it fired up quite a few In-N-Out fans…