Summer is here (soon). Flowers are in full bloom, pollinators are doing what they do best, and the squash is slowly taking over your raised bed. To encourage summer gardening, Sonoma County serves up a series of colorful events June through July. Click through the above gallery for details.
Feed your hunger for fresh locally grown foods with this guide to Sonoma County farmers markets. And don’t forget – our local markets accept CalFresh. Click through the above gallery for details.
Kendall-Jackson may be best known for their well-priced, easy to drink, sustainably grown wines, but the winery has also earned a reputation for their culinary program.
To showcase this program, and the expansive, onsite organic vegetable garden from which they source their produce, Kendall-Jackson hosts a monthly, open-air farm-to-table dinner June through October.
Each event features a local food purveyor and creamery, who work with Kendall-Jackson’s culinary team to create a multi-course meal set in the winery gardens. The evening begins with Hog Island Oysters, crudités from the farm, and a seasonal small bite, such as fava bean bruschetta. Rosé and riesling wine is poured as guests mingle in the garden and watch the culinary team prepare the meal in an outdoor kitchen.
Dinner is then served at an expansive outdoor table, set between plots of carrots and leeks. The first course is a salad, which combines the featured food purveyor’s offerings and the winery’s seasonal produce. In June, for example, the winery teams up with sustainable seafood company Costarella Seafoods. Costarella’s cured salmon will be paired with trout caviar, and beets, dill, and ice lettuce from the winery gardens.
Next up is a family-style, veggie-centric dinner. June’s meal will star Costarella’s slow roasted salmon with baby leeks and onions and sorrel aioli, as well as four additional vegetable dishes, including a summer squash, herbs and lemon salad with featured creamery Marin French’s Petite Breakfast Cheese. And there’ll be plenty of wine, of course; often four to five white and red wines, including single vineyard designate pinot noir.
Kendall-Jackson’s Farm-To-Table Dinner Series continues now through October:
Wine Club members: $125 per person, limit four reservations.
Winery Guests: $175 per person.
Learn more at kj.com.
Every year, Jelly Belly Candy Company comes out with new flavors for their horrifyingly awful BeanBoozled game.
Disgusting flavors like boogers, spoiled milk, barf and dead fish are paired with more delicious flavors that, from the outside, look identical. For instance, rotten egg has the exact same yellow and white shell as buttered popcorn; tutti-fruitti’s evil doppelganger is stinky socks.
The fun, for 14-year-old boys and adults with a masochistic streak, is daring someone to eat the beans not knowing if they’ll get a mouthful of delicious peach flavor or wretch-inducing barf flavor.
This year’s nasty additions: Stink bug/toasted marshmallow and dirty dishwater/birthday cake.
Previous flavors have included baby wipes, moldy cheese, skunk spray, lawn clippings, pencil shavings and Minion fart.
All we can think of is who the poor testers are who have to figure out of the canned dog food flavor is really dog-food flavored enough, or if, you know, it needs more liver and chicken necks to really live up to the name.
The beans will hit shelves this summer, so be prepared if your kids try to pawn off a yummy peach jelly bean on you.
One of my favorite things to do when Swedish family and friends visit Sonoma County is to take them to Costco. While other locals proudly showcase world-class wineries, craft breweries and farm-to-fork eateries, I can’t wait to treat my Swedish guests to the big box store experience. I think of it as a modern day initiation rite — an introduction to today’s America. Swedes once came by slow steamer and were greeted by the Statue of Liberty; now they come by plane and experience the Monument to Everything.
When I moved here from Sweden four years ago and first encountered the store shelves of America, I sometimes imagined myself as an East German after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The excess was exhilarating, but the result was exhausting. A trip to the drugstore to pick up deodorant would turn into an hour in front of a towering wall of Dove, Secret, Mitchum and Tom’s. I’d walk out empty-handed, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options.
It wasn’t that my pre-American existence was devoid of options. (Contrary to what some U.S. politicians would like Americans to believe, Sweden is not a communist country.) But, where in Sweden I would have to pick between a couple of regular antiperspirants, one or two for sensitive skin, and one for really sweaty people, here in the land of plenty there were at least ten deodorants to choose from in each category.
My deodorant experience is one example of an element that seems to encapsulate American existence: the too-muchness of everyday life. People work too much, drive too much, shop too much; there’s too much on the plate, too much in the house, too much in the garage. Yet everywhere you’re surrounded by the imperative that you don’t have enough and need more: a bigger house, a bigger car, a bigger tastier meal — you just need more stuff.
Recently, alternatives to living life in the excess lane have begun to surface. They come in the form of lifestyle trends that promote minimalism, simplicity and balance. From feng shui in the ’90s, to Marie Kondo’s decluttering mission, to difficult-to-pronounce Scandinavian lifestyle concepts, it appears Americans can’t get enough of the idea of having less. (Ironically, there are so many of these trends by now it’s hard to choose which one to follow.)
The most recent in this long line of lifestyle trends is the Swedish concept of “lagom.”
While easier to pronounce than “hygge” (the Danish art of getting cozy), lagom (pronounced “lah-gom”) is difficult to define. Meaning something along the lines of “just the right amount” or “not too much and not too little,” this five-letter word defies direct translation into English.
In Sweden, few people think of lagom as a lifestyle concept (my family looked at me in bewilderment when I mentioned that “living lagom” was becoming a trend in the US). But, to some degree, lagom encapsulates Swedish culture — or, at the very least, an overarching norm. The word derives from the proverb “lagom är bäst” (“the right amount is best”) and this principle guides much of Swedish existence (perhaps not our drinking habits, but that’s another topic).
Understood in this way, the Swedish concept of “lagom” appears to be almost the direct opposite of “American excess.” And herein lies the appeal to those of us exhausted by “the too much.”
So how does one go about living the lagom life? According to the experts (there are several books on the topic), you can apply the concept of lagom to pretty much all aspects of life, from work to diet to home decoration. To keep things simple, I’ve listed below just the right amount of suggestions — not too many and not too few — on how to live like a Swede in Sonoma County. Lycka till! (“good luck!”)
According to the UN’s “World Happiness Report,” Swedes are among the happiest people in the world. The secret to their gleeful existence? Among other reasons: a healthy work-life balance. Swedes are entitled to at least five weeks paid vacation each year; new parents get 480 days of paid parental leave; and some Swedish companies are now experimenting with six-hour workdays.
At work, Swedes like to take plenty of coffee breaks — or, as they like to call it, “fika” (fee-ka). Unlike the American-style caffeine jolt en route to work or at the desk, the Swedish coffee break is not a strategy for multi-tasking or enhancing your work performance. Instead, fika allows workers to relax in the company of colleagues.
Endorsed by employers, fika breaks usually take place in a common “fika room” at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Swedes love routines, almost as much as they love coffee), and are often accompanied with home-baked pastries, like cinnamon buns, and conversations about the weather and other non-controversial topics.
Tip from the Swede: If you’re feeling a bit burned out, pick up some cinnamon buns (Red Bird Bakery in Santa Rosa has Swede-approved ones) or open-faced Swedish sandwiches from Mak’s Deli in Cotati. Enjoy these with a cup of strong brewed coffee (sans sweetener) paired with some non work-related conversation with colleagues.
Before moving to America, I had never been in a situation where I felt I needed a car. Like most Swedes, I walked, biked and relied on frequent, clean and relatively cheap public transportation to get around (come rain or snow). Owning a car was an unnecessary expense; an inconvenience. I still don’t have a driver’s license (Americans look at me with horror when I reveal this), although California’s car-centric culture is finally forcing me to get one.
Driver’s license or not, I remain skeptical about the dependence on cars in America. Yes, many times you simply cannot get to a place without driving. But sometimes, if you plan ahead, it is possible to walk, bike or take the bus. Now, with the SMART train rolling through Sonoma County, you can make your non-car days into an adventure. SMART may not run as frequently as Swedish trains, or take you all the way to San Francisco, but at least it looks sleek in a Scandinavian way.
Tip from the Swede: Worried that all those “fika breaks” and cinnamon buns might end up on your hips? Get a Regional Parks Pass and enjoy the Sonoma County version of the Swedish “freedom to roam” (a right that affords all Swedes access to certain public or privately owned land for recreation and exercise).
Right on trend, we have the opening of a new Swedish restaurant, Stockhome, run by Roberth and Andrea Sundell, coming soon to downtown Petaluma.
The Sundells are also the owners of San Francisco’s PLÄJ (pronounced “play”), where they offer seasonal dishes with a traditional Nordic touch. At their Petaluma restaurant, they will serve Swedish street food favorites, which, thanks to the immigrant population in Sweden, include flavors from all over the world and especially the Middle East. Kebab plates with saffron rice, shawarma, falafel and levantine salads are some of the dishes that will be on the menu. On Mondays, however, there will be traditional Swedish meatballs with potato puree, pan gravy, lingonberry, and pickled cucumber.
Tip from the Swede: While I love meatballs and Middle Eastern food, the real treat at Stockhome will be the Lördagsgodis (“Saturday Candy”) for sale in bulk. Lördagsgodis offers a great lesson in lagom: in Sweden, kids are only supposed to have candy once per week — on Saturdays (again, Swedes love rules and routines). And this leads us to our last thing to think about if you’re contemplating the Lagom life.
Picking Saturday Candy is a practice in moderation. Leading up to the weekend, Swedish parents bring their kids to the grocery store and leave them in front of a wall of colorful candy, equipped with an aluminum scoop in one hand, a paper bag in the other. It is then up to the child to carefully select which treats to get and how many of each, while being well aware that when the bag is weighed, Mom or Dad won’t be happy if it’s too heavy.
In this way, lagom is observed and the kids won’t get too little or too much of the good stuff. But by scheduling the indulgence time, it’s something to look forward to. So whatever your own treat is, limiting it to a specific day might be just the way to bring a little lagom into your life.
Things are very much boho chic in the clothing world these days, but creating a Bohemian vibe doesn’t stop at floppy hats and floral dresses. Boho home decor makes for beautiful, highly textured spaces that are both invigorating and easy going.
At the BOHO Bungalow boutique in Sebastopol, proprietress Faith Parker has created exactly that design vibe, plus an element of playfulness that keeps the scheme feeling freshly original and not too serious. BOHO Bungalow’s Main Street location, which opened in early May, is an expansion from Parker’s original store of the same name, which opened four years ago, a ways down the Bohemian Highway in Occidental.
Parker exudes a warmth and excitement about the work she does, and says, “we are really happy and positive” of her staff. According to her Instagram, “happy is (her) brand.” This sunniness is reflected in the style of items she curates, like nubby blankets and pillows, brightly patterned handbags, mini modern planters and silly signage.
Parker backs the sunny vibe with some serious design and maker chops (check out her Instagram). With a formal background in architectural drafting, paired with a love of interior design, Parker says she applies all her skills at BOHO Bungalow. She makes candles scented from the “notes” of different strains of marijuana, original graphic tees or “merch” celebrating the local vibe, and her own line of modern jewelry.
Even better, Parker will share her design know-how with customers. When someone comes to the store with a photo, seeking help with why a space “isn’t working,” Parker says she will make recommendations along the lines of “the area rug is too small” or the chairs don’t create “enough visual weight.”
Parker says she’s “obsessed with furniture” and has just a few pieces for sale in her store, like a gray, tufted couch, which sits in the center of the store, creating a low-profile, visual anchor.
Local makers also have their space at BOHO Bungalow from jewelry designs, fragrances and even candles poured into halved wine or beer bottle, all local favorites, like Pliny the Elder.
BOHO Bungalow’s selections are sourced diversely, however. Parker doesn’t follow the more austere, but growing, retail model of using only local and small batch products. While she embraces elements of the movement, she doesn’t miss out on widely produced tchotchkes to up the fun factor or a beautiful item from her travels abroad. Again, happy is her brand.
BOHO Bungalow, 3692 Bohemian Highway, 707-874-6030, 125 N Main St., Sebastopol, 707-861-9241, thebohobungalow.com
Merlot is back, baby. The delicious, easy drinking varietal of red wine, rich with silky, savory goodness, suffered a blow when the movie Sideways declared pinot noir king in California and merlot the not-so-cute stepchild of the wine world. Sales plummeted due to the “Sideways effect,” but things are on the up and up around here.
Merlot sales are on the rise and, I admit, after years of being a pinotphile, I’ve become a merlot maniac. Whether you’re looking to branch out, find yourself bored of the regular pinot and cab, or just want to reconnect with the easy-drinking, affordable wine of your youth, click through the gallery above to discover five of my favorite Sonoma and Napa wineries for sipping the day away with a hearty glass of merlot.
Summertime in Sonoma County means wine sipping on the patio, air that smells like a never-ending barbecue, plazas and parks filled with live music, and fairs popping up like perennial flowers. In other words, it’s time to get outside. For this select list of the region’s summer fairs, we’ve chosen a mix of events to please every palate. We’ve also inched into early fall, because one of the great joys of living here is soaking up summer’s extended stay. Click through the above gallery for fun photos from Sonoma County fairs, more details in the below article.
June 20-24, Sonoma-Marin Fair, Petaluma: This 5-day event does eclectic like no one else: livestock shows and chef demos, carnival rides and funnel cake championships, wine tastings and pig scrambles — and, of course, the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. This year, to make things even more interesting, ‘90s favorites En Vogue will headline the fair’s concert series. The theme of the fair should be “Free Your Mind and the Rest Will Follow,” but it’s not, instead it is “Beyond the Milky Way.” Oh, well. Admission $12-$18, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, 707-283-3247, sonoma-marinfair.org
June 30-July 4, Marin County Fair, San Rafael: The best thing about fairs? Nostalgia music and cover bands. Before you can say “cotton candy,” you’ve been transported to the lazy days of your adolescent summers. With performances by Leann Rimes, Los Lobos, Eddie Money and a Beach Boys (cover band), there’s time travel to all decades and for all ages. There are additional trips available in the form of carnival rides, firework displays, and more flower/arts/crafts/baked goods exhibits than you can shake a stick at. Admission: $12-$20, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, 415-473-6800, marinfair.org/2018
July 4, Napa County Fair & Fireworks, Calistoga: For the ultimate all-American experience, pair your fair with 4th of July fireworks and a classic hometown parade. In Calistoga, the star-spangled event takes on sepia shades with vintage contests, antique tractors, and old-school games. Kids can be farmers for a day and everyone can get crafty at the “Make & Take Center”— all to the sound of some sweet Americana music. The parade begins at 11 a.m., followed by fair fun, carnival rides from noon, and after sunset fireworks, choreographed to music. Downtown Calistoga, 707-942-5111, celebratenapavalley.org.
August 2-12, Sonoma County Fair, Santa Rosa: The big kahuna of North Bay fairs adds horse racing, free concerts, a hall of flowers and even a butterfly room to the usual mix of rides, crafts and food that sticks to your ribs for days. Last year’s fair introduced the NorCal Brew Fest, which returns this year on August 4. Don’t forget to check when the Clover booth hands out free ice cream and, for teens who love rides, make use of those discount wristband days. This year’s theme is “Salute to Heroes.” Gates open at 11 a.m. daily; $7-$13. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200, sonomacountyfair.com.
August 8-12, Napa Town & Country Fair, Napa: There’s more to Napa Valley entertainment than BottleRock and winery tours. This year’s Town & Country Fair at the Napa Valley Expo, billed as the “Peace, Love and Livestock” festival, promises some down-home fun for the whole family, including a junior livestock auction, competitive exhibits, carnival rides and live music on the Plaza Stage. While this year’s entertainment is yet to be confirmed, we’re suspecting the return of last year’s popular outdoor dance floor and karaoke competition — a mind-altering experience to go with the fair theme. 575 Third Street, Napa, 707-253-4900, napavalleyexpo.com/town-and-country-fair
August 11-12, Gravenstein Apple Fair, Sebastopol: It may take place in a growing city, but Sebastopol’s celebration of all things apple remains “the sweetest little fair in Sonoma County.” The music lineup is a who’s who of local talent, and the culinary offerings are always excellent. Get a piece of the apple pie and sip some cider, wine and microbrews; then head over to the DIY Arena for some cheesemaking and sheep shearing. 500 Ragle Rd, Sebastopol, 707-837-8896, gravensteinapplefair.com
August 30 – September 1, Lake County Fair, Lakeport: Lake County hosted its first fair in 1880, in the town of Grantsville (what is now Lower Lake). The popular summertime event is now held on the shores of Clear Lake at the Martin Street fairgrounds in Lakeport, and takes place over Labor Day weekend. Some 35,000 people attend the fair each year and just about anything you can breed, make or grow at home is eligible for entry into the contest: lightweight rabbits, window box herbs, frosted cakes, fishing lures, fine lady’s sweaters — they all have a division at the Best of Show. For less competitive kinds, there are carnival rides, live music and fair food. 401 Martin St, Lakeport, 707-263-6181, lakecountyfair.com
Sept 14 -16, Mendocino County Fair & Apple Show, Boonville: For those inclined to forget that Wine Country stretches beyond Napa and Sonoma, the Mendocino County Fair serves up Alexander Valley wines as a reminder. Held in the metropolis of Boonville (population 1000), the fair also celebrates “the harvest, farm critters, good food, beer and just plain having a good time.” And good times can be had at the fair’s highlight event — The Sheepdog Trials — and at the Grand Tasting of apples and award winning ciders. 14400 Highway 128, Boonville, 707-895-3011, mendocountyfair.com
October 5-7, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Santa Rosa: Celebrate the harvest with Sonoma County wines, beer, cider and the legendary World Championship Grape Stomp. This year marks the 44th anniversary of the fair and over 100 wineries will pour wine to thirsty fairgoers at the Grand Tasting Pavilion. The Grand Harvest Tasting ticket lets you sample all of the award-winning wine and food from this year’s Professional Wine and Food Competitions. Each day will offer a slightly new food pairing. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4203, harvestfair.org
June is almost here, which means it’s time to pop open that bottle of rosé. But did you know that, in addition to sipping your favorite warm weather wine on the patio, there are many more ways to embrace the pink season? From cocktails to cupcakes to frosés to manicures to sundresses – add a splash (or fifty shades) of pink to your life this summer. Click through the above gallery for details.
Wineries and tasting rooms may rule the tourism beat in Sonoma Wine Country, but a growing number of wine bars are arriving on the scene. From glittery sparkling wine lounges to casual seaside patios where the ocean air complements the pinot noir, there’s no time like the present to belly up to the bar. Click through the gallery above to check out five wine bars to visit in Sonoma County right now.
