Sonoma Restaurants: 5 Hot Places to Eat and Drink Right Now

By Heather Irwin
Sonoma Magazine-Eat Here Now. The Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Small but Mighty: Perch + Plow, Santa Rosa

Out of Chef Mike Mullins’ diminutive galley kitchen comes a lineup of stunning dishes, from coconut-curried cauliflower with harissa to his grandmother’s fried chicken sandwich, yellowtail ceviche, and a frisée salad with pork belly and a soft egg. There’s also an unforgettable burger that’s just become our new favorite.

Mullins starts all of his dishes at Perch+Plow with fresh, local produce and meats, which give him a head start on deliciousness. Having come up through top-notch restaurants including Michelin-starred Cavallo Point, Petite Syrah, and the Kenwood Restaurant — along with stints in the canteens of Silicon Valley (Apple, Google) — he’s got plenty of culinary chops.

Sonoma Magazine-Eat Here Now. Beef Carpaccio with aged balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, crispy shallots, arugula, capers and aioli from the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Beef Carpaccio with aged balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, crispy shallots, arugula, capers and aioli at the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)
Sonoma Magazine-Eat Here Now. Grilled octopus with chickpea puree, fennel pesto, and onion flower from the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Grilled octopus with chickpea puree, fennel pesto, and onion flower at the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)

And by “diminutive kitchen,” we mean that the mise en place could fit on a postage stamp and staff is packed in like Tokyo subway riders. A stray elbow or knife blade could have serious consequences. But Mullins takes it all in stride, equating the staff’s movement more to a graceful dance they’re perfecting. A few stepped-on toes are the price of entry. Plus, Mullins says, everything’s easy to reach.

Expect a mix of small plates, snacks, salads, several raw fish dishes and just a handful of larger plates. With prices ranging from $8 to $22, it’s an affordable luxury for most. Cocktails are equally impressive under Alec Vlastnic (formerly of Spoonbar), who whips up boozy magic with fresh produce, artisan spirits, and exotic infusions (bacon fatwashed bourbon, dill foam, strawberry balsamic shrub). A $12 cocktail is worth every penny. A brief beer and wine list seems a little bit tackedon but will likely expand. Non-alcoholic choices should be expanded.

Sonoma Magazine-Eat Here Now. The laughing bartender Bri Hall serves up cocktails at the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The laughing bartender Bri Hall serves up cocktails at the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)

The former Christy’s on the Square, an upstairs space overlooking the new Courthouse Square, has always had the potential for greatness. It finally seems to have a team up to the challenge. The interior has been transformed into a sleek, modern design with a grand Bud Snow octopus mural as an eyecatching centerpiece.

Large windows open onto the square and skylights fill the restaurant with a soft glow. The handful of bar tables and stools with front-row views of the action and warm breezes below are among the most coveted.

As downtown Santa Rosa continues its transformation from quiet county seat to a Wine Country destination, restaurants like Perch+Plow lead the way.

Click through the above gallery for more Sonoma County restaurants to check out right now. 

Sonoma Magazine-Eat Here Now. House burger with aged cheddar, frisee, pickled onion, aioli and house fries from the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
House burger with aged cheddar, frisee, pickled onion, aioli and house fries at the Perch and Plow on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)

After Wine Country Fires, Signorello Estate Opens Temporary Tasting Room

By Dana Rebmann
Set table, Signorello Estate Room
(Courtesy Bryan Gray Photography)

When the Atlas Fire reduced Signorello Estate to ruins last October, Ray Signorello vowed to rebuild his namesake winery. It’s a complicated process that’s expected to take years. But just nine months after flames raced across the family-owned Napa Valley winery, Signorello is welcoming visitors again thanks to a temporary modular tasting space that will serve as home while the winery is being rebuilt.

“We were really fortunate no one got hurt. We didn’t lose any vines,” said Ray Signorello Jr. “It’s exciting what’s going to unfold here over the next two to three years.”

The new tasting space, located next to where the winery once was, opened to guests on July 13 – just four busy days after the modular unit its housed in arrived at the Silverado Trail estate. But don’t let the whirlwind timeline fool you. Though temporary, the Estate Room tasting area is modern and comfortable, offering vineyard views that include Signorello’s 39-year-old Chardonnay vines. On the walls, framed artwork pay tribute to what Signorello Estate once was, the devastation it endured, and its plans for the future.

Guests can now take part in what’s called the Estate Experience. It begins with a 20-minute golf cart driving tour of the property and a short walk in the vineyard, before returning to the Estate Room for a seated tasting.

Four wines are paired with bites such as Smoked Scottish Salmon with caviar and crème fraiche on a potato crisp, Comté cheese, Mushroom Duxelles, and Grilled New York steak with Padrone glaze. (St. Helena’s Tre Posti is catering the custom menu.) Featured wines include Signorello’s proprietary white Seta, Hope’s Cuvée Chardonnay, its Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and Padrone, its proprietary red wine. The semi-private tastings focus on wine education, with particular attention given to low-yield, old vines.

In an effort to rebuild the winery as fireproof as possible, construction plans call for steel bones, lots of glass and rock, with minimal wood. In addition to the new winery, caves will be dug into the hillside, adding 11,000 square feet of underground space. Once finished, Signorello Estate will boast the unique combination of being a new winery paired with what’s believed to be some of Napa Valley’s oldest vines.

“We get to really do it right. That’s the silver lining,” said Signorello Jr.

Estate Experience tastings are available Thursday through Monday at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm, by appointment only. Cost is $100 per person, with a maximum of eight people. Plan on 90 minutes to enjoy the Estate Experience. Reservations are only accepted by phone. Signorello Estate, 4500 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707-255-5990, signorelloestate.com

In Sonoma and Napa, Getting Artsy Is Easier Than Ever

By Dana Rebmann

Wine Country is home to a thriving art community. From sculpture gardens ideal for wandering on summer days, to street art, and wineries with meticulously curated exhibits, Wine Country isn’t shy about showing off its artsy side. Click through the gallery above for some new colorful additions, along with the return of an old favorite you’ll want to visit asap.

2 Sonoma County Spots Named Among ’38 Essential California Restaurants’

By biteclub

Recently, two Sonoma County restaurants, El Molino Central and SHED, made the very legit list of Eater’s 38 Essential California Restaurants. 

Now, I usually balk at “reporting” on the cringeworthy “Best Of” superlatives being tossed out like chicken feed to every restaurant in the Bay Area. At best, they’re usually just misleading; at worst, they’re thinly veiled advertising clickbait.

But occasionally, a food writer I respect spends some real time putting together a list of really great, destination-worthy restaurants. That’s what’s recently happened with Eater National’s 38 Essential California Restaurants, curated by dining editor, Bill Addison. 

After spending several months eating his way through the Golden State, Addison tagged “the most important and defining restaurants right this minute”. In fact, Addison made the additional stance of saying that California has surpassed New York as “setting the pace” for how we eat now.  Snap!

Of course, I could name many more amazing pace-setting spots in Sonoma County, but it came down to just two in the Eater list. First up, El Molino Central (11 Central Ave., Sonoma) gets a nod for its corn tortillas, which are hand-milled onsite and authentic tamales and seafood dishes.

“The masa wonderland has that unique quality of feeling simultaneously like a secret, but also like an essential destination — so charming that those in the know can’t bear to keep it to themselves, ” says the write up.

SHED (25 North St., Healdsburg) is “where all your “wouldn’t it be nice to live in Sonoma” fantasies come to life, better than you even imagined, if only for a couple hours,” according to the guide.

We agree wholeheartedly.

Nearby Hog Island Oyster Co. (Marshall), and The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena) also represented the North Bay. Other Bay Area restaurants included Atelier Crenn, Cala, Benu, Cotagna, Swan Oyster Depot, Tartine Manufactory, Zuni Cafe, The Cafe at Chez Panisse (Berkeley), Commis (Oakland), Manresa, Koi Palace in Daly City and Brown Sugar Kitchen (Oakland) among others.  

Sacramento’s Localis is noted for its farm to table philosophy, while Los Angeles gets a wild variety of thumbs-ups from simple strip mall Thai to the trendy Sqirl. 

Get the full list from Eater National.

Vive La France! 10 Ways to Celebrate Bastille Day in Sonoma County

By Sarah Stierch

Bastille Day, the French national day which commemorates the 1789 storming of the fortress Bastille Saint-Antoine as a turning point in the French revolution, is this Saturday, July 14. In Paris, French folks and tourists alike will line river, rues and boulevards. They’ll picnic to the sound of symphonic music on the Champs de Mars, see firework displays from the Eiffel Tower, and then dance the night away with firemen at the Bals des Pompiers. This year, on the following day, they’ll also watch the World Cup final between Croatia and France.

In Sonoma County, there may not be an Eiffel Tower or a fireman’s ball (or a lot of soccer, for that matter) but that won’t stop Francophiles from celebrating La Fête Nationale. After all, we share a passion for fine food and wines – so the more reason to say a resounding Vive la France! If you’d like to celebrate all things French, click through the above gallery for local Bastille Day events.

Vote Now in Sonoma Magazine’s Cutest Cat Contest

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
Michelle Miles holds her cat Eros during the cat show at the Grace Pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, on Sunday, February 19, 2017. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

Ready for cuteness overload? We present 60+ adorable cats, waiting for you to cast your vote. Vote in Sonoma Magazine’s Cutest Cat Contest here. 

Local Author Writes Book About The Wonderful World of Disney Food

By Jill Koenigsdorf
Author Marcy Smothers has a coffee table with a model of the entrance and Main St. Disneyland in her Santa Rosa home. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Local radio host and author Marcy Carriker Smothers quickly switches to superlatives when speaking about Disneyland. “It’s a magical place where kids young and old get to step away from reality. As a child, going to Disneyland was always my favorite day of the year.” She also swears that food tastes better there, and her new book, Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food, sets out to illustrate why.

“Walt was most definitely not a foodie; however, he cared deeply about the guest experience at Disneyland and wanted to make the food immersive and entertaining, just like the rides,” Smothers explains. Walt’s Imagineers were very involved in the design of all the restaurants’ interiors and exteriors, she adds, and food offerings matched the themes of the rides as closely as possible.

There are even accounts that Walt cared so deeply about Disneyland cuisine that he would sit by himself at the various venues to observe visitors’ reactions to their meals.

Smothers spent two years meticulously researching and writing the book, in which she shares never-before-seen photographs, as well as tips that only a true insider could know — like where to find the best corndogs, or fun facts about Walt’s Club 33.

There are many classic recipes as well, including the Monte Cristo sandwich from the Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square. The result is a resplendent thing, part history book, part cookbook, part coffee table book, part time capsule of Walt’s life. It’s a tribute filled with old menus, recipes, family stories, and certainly, more than a little pixie dust.

eatlikewalt.com

The Russian River in 40 Photographs

By Blair Campbell

Photography by Ron Koeberer

To some it’s a source of artistic inspiration. To others it’s an endangered natural wonder in grave need of protection. But to most who make an annual summer pilgrimage to the Russian River — whether for an afternoon’s respite or a week’s true escape — it’s a place to shed worldly concerns and embrace the season’s mandate: relax.

Nature’s tranquility sets the pace (leisurely) and the mood (dreamy), as vacationers submerge in the river’s depths or float on its surface, relinquishing control and letting the gentle current chart their course for a time.

It was the sight of several such summer revelers that literally stopped Windsor-based photographer Ron Koeberer in his tracks one July day a few years back.

Koeberer and his wife were returning home from a hike in Occidental, and as they drove across the bridge that spans the river into Monte Rio, Koeberer was struck by the vision of “a sea of people” in the water and on the beach. He asked his wife to stop and let him out, and he spent that afternoon capturing the first images in what became a creative project that still brings him to that bridge every warm summer weekend.

From that perfect vantage point, he finds a different vista every time — with a cast of characters that changes as endlessly as the river itself. Click through the above gallery to see for yourself. 

Traveling Sonoma Style: 7 Buys for Your Next Vacation

By Karen Kizer

Traveling long distances in cramped quarters makes most of us feel sleepy, unkempt and not extremely fashionable. A cute and well-built suitcase or handbag upgrade could enliven your tired look though. Here are a few basics that are both quality and stylish. While they can’t reduce travel time or expand the space in your car or Economy class, they could help you feel a little more chic about lugging your things around the planet —Click through the above gallery for details.