Sonoma County Breweries Join Camp Fire Relief Efforts

By Sarah Stierch
Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, of Russian River Brewing at their brew pub in Santa Rosa with Sonoma Pride beer they are brewing to help fire victims

Since its start on November 8, the Camp Fire in Butte County has killed 77 people and destroyed over 11,000 homes, the majority in the town of Paradise.

In nearby Chico, the team at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company closed their brewery for health and safety reasons shortly after the fire started. Within days, they learned that many employees, friends and family members had been severely affected by the fire. They decided to do what they could to support their community.

As a first measure, Sierra Nevada opened their brewpub to serve first responders and evacuees, and donated clothing to those in need. As of Monday, the brewery had provided nearly 10,000 complimentary meals and donated over $200,000 in clothing.

On November 12, they launched a Camp Fire Relief Fund through the Golden Valley Bank Community Foundation. The brewery donated $100,000 to kick off the fundraising efforts. According to the Grossman family, who founded the brewery in 1980, “once the fire is out, we will distribute all donated money to partner organizations that are dedicated to rebuilding and supporting the communities that have been affected.”

A few days later, Sierra Nevada announced that they will brew a Resilience IPA, which will be available in January of next year with limited distribution in cans and on draught. 100 percent of the proceeds from the beer will benefit the brewery’s Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Now, Sonoma County brewers are joining the fundraising efforts, just as they did in the immediate aftermath of last year’s North Bay fires.

“Sierra Nevada helped us in our time of need…We are honored to do what little we can to help people in their community,” shared Russian River Brewing Company on Facebook last week.

Russian River is brewing twenty barrels of their own Resilience IPA to be served on tap at both their Santa Rosa (725 4th St.) and Windsor (700 Mitchell Ln.) locations, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the Camp Fire Relief Fund. (During last year’s fires, Russian River Brewery launched the charitable endeavor Sonoma Pride. The campaign has raised $1,122,116 for fire relief efforts.)

HenHouse Brewing Co. is also joining the relief efforts. “With the memory of last year’s fires in our backyard fresh in our minds, we knew we needed to help,” shared the brewery on Instagram. HenHouse is brewing their own batch of Resilience IPA to be served at their Petaluma (1333 N McDowell Blvd) and Santa Rosa (322 Bellevue Ave) locations, with 100 percent of proceeds also going to the Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Santa Rosa’s Cooperage Brewing Company (981 Airway Ct.) is also offering a Resilience IPA starting mid-December with all proceeds benefiting Sierra Nevada’s Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Bear Republic Brewing Co. has joined the relief efforts, too. They’ll be brewing Resilience IPA, and serving it at both their Healdsburg (345 Healdsburg Avenue) and Rohnert Park (5000 Roberts Lake Road) brewpubs will be serving the brew with proceeds benefiting the Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Windsor’s St. Florian’s Brewery, named after the patron saint of firefighters, continues to donate five percent of all beer sales to fire-related causes and right now they are collecting gift cards which will be donated to Camp Fire survivors. (Cards can be dropped off or mailed to St. Florian’s Brewery 7704A Bell Road Windsor CA 95492)

We’ll continue to update this list with other beer-focused opportunities to support fire relief efforts in Butte County. Stay tuned.

Is your restaurant, brewery, winery or distillery supporting Camp Fire relief efforts? Tell us about it in an email.

Design Trend Alert: Moroccan-Style Furniture and Decor Comes to Petaluma

By Karen Kizer

Bay-ti Home, a new addition to Petaluma’s celebrated retail scene, is the kind of space that draws you in. Vibrantly-patterned poufs made from antique Moroccan rugs surround a low-rise rustic table made by store owner Rachid Hassani using upcycled elements. (Hassani has constructed one table base from segments of plumbing pipe, another from the guts of an exercise bike.)

A graphic designer for 25 years, Hassani is brand new to retail, but seems to have successfully translated his artistry from computer to showroom floor.

Bay-ti, which is Arabic for “my home,”  will feature imported crafts and artifacts from Morocco and original furniture from salvaged pieces, providing an old world, across-the-globe riff to the antique-rich Petaluma shopping experience. 

A group of Moroccan-made storage baskets sit in colorful graphic unity on shelves. There are piles of rugs, each with a story to tell. One is a traditional bride’s cloak and blanket, another is a rug woven from upcycled jeans. As for artifacts, you can find a vintage African Mali walking stick. Or a massive wooden carved antique door, with a smaller passage door within, dating back hundreds of years.

From the ceiling hang a variety of unique chandeliers like a wooden clothespin creation by Hassani, a salvaged Italian designer piece made from glass plates, and others pendants with grass woven shades.

Hassani’s artistic inspiration is a unique blend of time, place and mindset: his childhood spent in artisan-rich Fez, Morocco; his discoveries of pieces in Petaluma salvage and antique stores; and his guilt over having contributed to the landfill over the years in his work as a graphic designer.

“Every street in Fez is dedicated to a specific craft,” say Hassani, who says that traveling to his native Fez is “getting a breath of fresh air.” In a culture that’s completely steeped in crafting, every street is dedicated to a certain type of trade, leather-making in one neighborhood, steel working in another, Hassani says.

As a succesful graphic designer, having worked in Germany, Oakland and Petaluma, Hassani says his creations for businesses have contributed a lot to the landfill. Now Hassani wants to “take the old and make something new out of it.”

Hassani built a table for Numi teas, where his wife, Reem Hassani, is co-owner. The table received so many compliments, he was inspired to create more works.

Hassani credits the encouragement of his wife in making his storefront business dream a reality. Hassani says he’s loving his new life away from the computer where he can meet people and hear their stories. That, and the fact that he gets to work in 3-dimensions with “the whole space” as his work board.

Bay-ti, 1 Fourth St., Petaluma, 707-774-6561, baytihome.com. Bay-ti is open Wednesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Pop-Up Market With Modern Fashion, Jewelry and Home Goods Comes to The Barlow

By Karen Kizer

What kind of shopper are you? Are you the devout local-only shopper, scouring pop-up sales and stores to find the latest artisan-made marvel? Or do you prefer to click the evening away at your computer, making purchases for your home and wardrobe while in your sweats and fuzzy socks?

According to Ferron Salniker of Bay Area Made, you don’t have to choose -you can be both! Salniker and her collaborator, furniture-maker Jason Lees, have created an internet hub for shoppers to find Bay Area artisans. It’s called bayareamade.us and is (according to this shopping writer) a feast for eyes wandering the internet looking for local style.

On Saturday, December 1, Bay Area Made will host a pop-up holiday market in Sonoma County’s own retail-slash-maker heaven, The Barlow in Sebastopol. The sale will feature numerous creations along with a chance for a little face-time with the artisans.

Salniker, who began this type of work as the first employee of San Francisco Made, says she’s always been drawn to products that “have a story behind them.” Such finds, she says, “fill the room in a different way for me.”

Fortunately for Salniker and those with a similar yearning for well-made products, locally made is trending in a serious way.

Salniker says we’re lucky to have so many artists in the Bay Area, but adds that in order for makers to sustain themselves, they need “a lot of resources and they need shoppers to find the value in shopping locally.”

“We have a skewed perspective of what things cost,” says Salniker, “because of fast fashion and fast food.” The $5 t-shirt, she says, has an impact on the laborer or the environment. She adds that our dollars go farther when they contribute to the local economy, especially in manufacturing, which often pays more than retail or food service.

Salniker praises the passion the Bay Area Made artists put into their work. “They’re changing our culture,” she says, “And we are, too, every time we shop locally made or buy from a local artist—we’re making a decision about what we value.”

The Bay Area Made Holiday Market at The Barlow on December 1 will feature some 40+ vendors, including  fashion designers Ginger and Eight + Sand, jewelry by Zelma Rose and MGG Studio, home goods from Alice Tacheny Design and Woven Grey, culinary totes from Aplat and Millie Lottie and drinks from Spirit Works Distillery, Pax Wines, Woodfour Brewing and Golden State Cider.

Bay Area Made Holiday Sale, Saturday, December 1, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Barlow Event Venue, 6770 McKinley St., Suite 100, Sebastopol. For more information, visit bayareamade.us

26 Best Pasta Destinations in Sonoma County

By biteclub
Spaghetti alla Bolognese is served at Baci Cafe & Wine Bar in Healdsburg on Wednesday, November 27, 2013. (Conner Jay/The Press Democrat)

Pasta naysayers be damned, because a steaming bowl of ravioli with Bolognese sauce will never meet its match in a kale salad. Embracing the centuries old tradition of hearty pasta to warm the heart and soul, we’ve rounded up some of Sonoma County’s top spots for twisting and twirling spaghetti and fettuccine; for diving into chestnut gnocchi or duck ravioli; for hovering over a simple Carbonara and letting a few carbohydrates pass your lips without guilt.

Healdsburg’s Bergamot Alley Returns As Bespoke Wine Club

By Sarah Stierch
Bergamot Alley Bar & Wine Merchants in Healdsburg which offers Old World wines, draft beer and a free movie night every Monday. February 24, 2014. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

When Bergamot Alley closed in March, local oenophiles were crushed. In its 6.5-year-old existence, the Healdsburg wine bar had turned into an afterwork hangout for people in the industry as well as those seeking rare wines from Europe. The non-American wine list may have seemed a bold move in this particular part of the world but, while many of us love to drink local, we also like to taste new and interesting wines from around the globe—and there’s was not better place for that than Bergamot.

Some eight months after the brick-and-mortar bar shuttered, Bergamot Alley has now returned in the form of Bergamot Wine Company, an online wine club and shop curated by owners Sarah and Kevin Wardell.

As he did at the wine bar, Kevin Wardell uses his sommelier skills to create a handpicked selection of wines from small, family-owned producers in Europe, now available online. Let’s just say you won’t see these on the wine list at your favorite Italian restaurant in Sonoma County. (Bonus: the wines average between $22 and $30.)

The breakout star of the new Bergamot Wine Company is the Italian Wine Club. A passion project for the Wardells, club membership includes four wines focused on varietal and regional themes sent out monthly ($105 per month). A recent shipment featured wines from the “four corners” of Italy: a rosé from Sicily, a white Petite Arvine from Valle D’Aosta, a red Schioppettino (say that ten times fast) from Friuli, and a Negro Amaro from Puglia.

With over 300 distinct Italian grape varietals and over 20 regions to choose from, this is just the beginning of the journey, says Kevin Wardell: “When it comes to diversity and opportunity to expand your wine horizons and educate your palate, Italy is a treasure trove. There is no greater collection of flavors and textures in the world than that of Italian wine.”

Each shipment also includes an unpretentious guide to each wine created by Sarah Wardell, who serves as the company’s Creative Director. Stylized maps complement illustrations of each wine with details on the grape, winemaker/grower and the scent and tastes of each wine. However, our favorite fun fact comes on the bottle label descriptions—your team will win the trivia subject “Italian wines” when the time comes.

Aside from building appreciation for Italian wine, the Wardells hope that wine club members will become more knowledgeable, and thus more confident, when it comes to Italian wines. Their “Wine Smarts” series, which includes an online guide to Italian wine, informative and entertaining videos, aims to do just that. And for those who would really like to get a taste of la dolca vita, Bergamot Wine Company will also organize trips to Italy (3-4 times per year), during which participants will visit small wine producers and stay in local farmhouses, or “agriturismo” type lodging.

If you’d like to jump on board the Italian bandwagon, visit bergamotwine.com. Saluti! 

Sonoma Mountain Winery Offers Back-To-The-Land Tasting Experience and Stunning Views

By Dana Rebmann

Keeping tabs on the hundreds of wineries that call Sonoma County home is next to impossible, even for the wine-loving local. To attract visitors from near and far, unique winery experiences abound—they now include everything from swimming pools to Tuscan-style castles. But sometimes a wine tasting experience doesn’t need bells and whistles to stand out. At family-owned Belden Barns, a back-to-the-land approach offers something a little different.

The history of the Sonoma Mountain property dates back to the late 1800s; the hand painted wood sign is anything but flashy. A driveway lined with 100-year-old Cypress trees leads the way to an estate that’s been home to dairy cows and was once a rural retreat— complete with a still-standing dance hall—for nature-seeking San Franciscans. Grapes were first planted here in the 1970s.

When Nate and Lauren Belden acquired the property in 2005, they began the long process of replanting the vineyard. Only 20 acres of the 55-acre estate is planted to grapes; included in those numbers is what’s believed to be the only Grüner Veltliner planted in Sonoma County. Though the acreage may seem small, the lineup of wines is diverse: Belden Barns produces ten estate wines including Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier.

“We’re very serious about the wine we’re making,” says Nate Belden. “But we also want to highlight the rest of Sonoma County’s bounty.”

In other words, Belden Barns isn’t just about wine, it’s about celebrating Sonoma County’s agricultural roots and its spirit.

In partnership with Jenny and Vince Trotter of Kibo Farm, the Beldens have dedicated three acres of the property to crops other than wine grapes, including citrus fruits and apples. Depending on the season, field crops can range from corn and tomatoes to plants you may never have heard of before— like Physalis, an orange berry, or Celtuce, a Chinese stem lettuce. Produce is sold to local restaurants and through F.E.E.D. Sonoma. Storage crops like popcorn and dried beans are also available at Belden Barns. While the property remains rough around the edges, the Beldens have ambitious plans for the future—including milk animals and a small creamery, so that cheesemaking can become part of their venture.

Wine tastings are by appointment only and take place in a rustic century-old dairy barn. Before the tasting, guests are encouraged to roam the property and take in views of farm fields, vineyards and fruit trees. The parents of two young children, the Beldens welcome families; a backpack loaded with a scavenger hunt and other kid-friendly activities hangs at the ready for young explorers. Regardless of age, visitors should drop by the inspiration for the Belden Barns wine label—the property’s wishing tree. Add your own wish to the many already blowing in the breeze.

5561 Sonoma Mountain Rd, Santa Rosa, 415-577-8552, beldenbarns.com

Where to Do Thanksgiving Dinner in Sonoma County 2018

By biteclub

There’s so much to give thanks for this year, especially here in Sonoma County. We say keep the focus on family and let someone else do the cooking (hint, we are). Then you can spend all your time thinking up ways to give gratitude to those you love.

By the way, Sonoma County celebrates Thanksgiving on Nov. 22, so time is running short. Click through the above gallery for some favorites to check out. (Remember that most require reservations/pre-order, so act now.)

Biteclub Pick-Franchetti’s Thanksgiving Buffet: If for no other reason than the Mashed Potato Station, I’m picking this as my top choice for eating out this holiday. Breaking all the rules, they’ll have not only mashed potatoes but cauliflower and sweet potatoes with toppings of cheese, gravy, chives, bacon, gravy, green onions and marshmallows (natch). Restaurant carving station includes coffee crusted tri-tip and herb-roasted turkey with cranberry persimmon agrodolce and mushroom thyme gravy. Other sides include sausage stuffing, green bean casserole (with a modern twist), braised red cabbage and apples, roasted veggies with cinnamon, cranberry, and nuts, apple salad with apple vinaigrette. Dessert choices are as simple as, well, pie — pumpkin and apple. $59 for adults, $20 for kids 6-12. Seatings at 3, 3:30, 4:40, 5 and 6p.m. Reservations by calling 707-526-1229, franchettis.com.

Bay View Restaurant & Lounge in Bodega Bay is offering an a la carte menu including traditional roasted turkey, pumpkin ravioli, butternut squash soup, braised lamb shank and lobster fettuccine. Traditional desserts including pumpkin pie are offered, too. 1pm-8pm, 707-875-2751, 800 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, innatthetides.com. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)

Central Market in Petaluma is offering a three-course meal with numerous options, including a wine pairing, Dungeness crab pumpkin chowder, House Smoked McFarland Springs Steelhead Trout, Local Heritage Breed Turkey and wild mushroom pot pie along with boiled Virginia goobers, rosemary onion bread and plenty of desserts. $70 for adults, $105 with wine, $25 for children. 707-778-9900, 42 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma, centralmarketpetaluma.com. (Photo by Christa Jeremiason)

Coast Kitchen in Jenner offers a 3-course menu with ocean views guaranteed. Appetizers include shrimp bisque, squash salad and roasted oysters. Entrees have the ever-popular turkey done “Roulade” style along with white bass, tagliatelle and braised beef short ribs. Sides for the table: Brussels sprouts, parmesan mashed potatoes and brown butter sweet potatoes. For dessert try spiced creme brulee, pumpkin cheesecake in a jar or chocolate hazelnut mousse bar. $65 per person. 707-847-3231, inside Timber Cove Inn, 21780 Highway 1, Jenner, coastkitchensonoma.com. (Photo by John Burgess)

Depot Hotel in Sonoma is offering a 4-course menu starting with corn chowder and a salad. Entrees include slow-roasted Mary’s Free Range Turkey, poached filet of salmon, spinach and ricotta ravioli (vegetarian), or boneless beef short ribs. For dessert, select cheesecake from Scandia bakery, pumpkin pie, or a chocolate torte. $58 for adults, $25 for children. Seatings from noon to 7p.m., 707-938-2980, 241 1st St. W., Sonoma, depotsonoma.com. (Courtesy photo)

Dry Creek Kitchen’s Chef Scott Romano will once again serve a stunning three-course menu. Starters include King salmon tartare, Davero Farm raviolo, ancient grain salad.  Main courses include Classic B&N Ranch Turkey, caramelized diver scallops, hazelnut crusted Opah, Laura Chenel Goat Cheese Agnolotti, 48-hour amaretto and orange-glazed veal. Three dessert options are available alongside local cheese, sorbet and ice creams. $72 for adults, $35 for children. 707-431-0330, 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, drycreekkitchen.com. (Courtesy photo)

El Dorado Kitchen Chef Armando Navarro’s three-course Thanksgiving includes starts of burrata and huckleberry sauce, roasted chestnut soup, crab cakes. Mains are roasted free-range turkey breast, Petrale sole, pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sauce, and braised beef short rib. Desserts are lemon pudding cake, season pie, molten chocolate cake. $65 for adults, $35 for children. 1pm-7pm, 707-996-3030, 405 1st St. W., Sonoma, eldoradosonoma.com. (Courtesy photo)

The fig café in Glen Ellen is offering a 3-course prix fixe menu for $45 ($20 for kids). Starters include their signature fig & arugula salad, fried Brussels sprout salad, and cream of cauliflower soup. Main course options are roasted turkey breast, pot roast, pan-seared flounder, and mushroom risotto. Dessert options are profiteroles or chocolate budino. 707-933-3000 x 13, 13690 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, thefigcafe.com. (Photo by Chris Hardy)

The girl & the fig in Sonoma is serving a four-course Thanksgiving meal featuring roasted apple and celery root bisque, pear salad, roast turkey breast, sautéed flounder, smoked short ribs and glazed cauliflower with truffle pesto. There are three dessert options: Chocolate pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake crisp and brown sugar braised apples. $60 for adults with a $18 wine pairing option and $20 for children. 707-938-3634, 110 W Spain St., Sonoma, thegirlandthefig.com. (Photo by Christopher Chung)

Gravenstein Grill is serving a 3-course feast with butternut squash soup, salad, Willie Bird turkey, or vegan pumpkin stew. Classic sides of herbed focaccia stuffing, green beans alandine, Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Bob’s Famous Rum Cake and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. $55 for adults. 707-634-6142, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, gravensteingrill.com. (Courtesy photo)

John Ash & Co. Executive Chef Tom Schmidt’s three-course menu includes several vegan and gluten-free options for families with special dining needs. The first course includes vegan wild mushroom soup with thyme cashew cream, French onion soup, squab terrine, spicy ahi tuna tartare, and salads. For the main course, guests can select butternut squash penne, diver scallops with gulf prawns, oven roasted turkey, sea bass, Devil’s Gulch Langley Pork Chop, and a grilled filet mignon. Pastry Chef Casey Stone will serve chocolate cremeux with brown butter granola, spiced pumpkin creme brulee, pear cranberry crumble. $75 for adults, $38 for children. 800-421-2584, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa, vintnersinn.com. 

Step it way up with Madrona Manor’s six-course meal of Osetra caviar and egg, Dungeness crab soup, truffle risotto, roasted white turkey meat with cippolini onions, black truffles, celery root, chevril and pain perdu, a confit dark meat of turkey with juniper, potato puree, sage and turkey bordelaise, and a “Flavors of Thanksgiving” dessert. $150 for adults with optional $80 wine pairing. 707-433-4231, 1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, madronamanor.com. (Courtesy photo)

Santé at Fairmont Sonoma will host their decadent, annual Thanksgiving grand buffet, complete with ice sculptures and live music. The sampling of the buffet: Foie gras parfaits, housemade pickled veggies, charcuterie, antipasti, local and imported cheeses, a NY Bagel and smoked fish station (!), chilled seafood and oyster station, a carving station with Diestel turkey, suckling pig and salt-crusted halibut, pumpkin risotto, stuffed clams, shrimp and grits, candied yams with housemade marshmallows, truffle mac and cheese grain, organic wood fire breads…breath… pine nut gingerbread tosca, petits fours, orange curd tartlets, apple charlotte, pumkin custard tart, cinnamon rice pudding and a whole lot more. $135 for adults, $50 for children, free for children 5 and under. 707-939-2407, Inside the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, santediningroom.com.

Spoonbar in Healdsburg offers a 3-course meal with creamy cauliflower soup, roasted chestnut and pear ravioli, country fried turkey with smoked Gouda mac and cheese or roasted turkey breast for the more traditional eaters. Cinnamon sugar beignets and pumpkin Panna Cotta for dessert. $65 for adults, $35 for children. 707-433-7222, 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, spoonbar.com.

MARKETS

Lucky’s: A la carte options including every turkey option available (Mary’s, Diestel, Butterball, Jennie O etc.), rib roast and hams and turkey and ham meals, with dessert, to serve 6-8 people starting at an astoundingly low price of $49.99. luckysupermarkets.com

Oliver’s Market: A la carte protein and a full meal option for 6-8 ($129.99), which includes a California-raised Diestel turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, rolls, pie and more. oliversmarket.com

Raley’s: Offer’s a complete Diestel turkey dinner for 6-8 for $109.99 including stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato gratin, baby broccoli, cranberry sauce, raleys.com

Whole Foods: Offers à la carte (pick up a pre-cooked or raw turkey or freshly made lump-free mashed potatoes) or order a full meal to feed 4-12, including Diestel turkeys (raised in Sonora near Yosemite), ham and prime rib options. Though not cheap (an organic turkey meal for 8 can cost $159), they serve up humanely raised proteins and organic veggies. Also great choices for a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving meal.  wholefoodsmarket.com

3 Big Restaurant Openings in Sonoma County

By biteclub
Burger with kimchi at Mint and Liberty in Sonoma. Courtesy photo.
Burger with kimchi at Mint and Liberty in Sonoma. Courtesy photo.

Mint & Liberty Open: Exploring regional favorites from across the country, Mint & Liberty Modern Diner is already gathering buzz. On the extensive menu, Executive Chef Michael Siegel (Bix, Betelnut, Shorty Goldstein’s) brings together pierogi and baked beans (North) with enchiladas (Southwest), sprouted lentil salad (West), Shrimp Gumbo (South), matzoh ball soup and egg salad on Challah (East). There’s also an all-day breakfast menu, burgers (we’ll take the one with pork belly and kim chi slaw immediately) and family-style entrees (whole roasted chicken, clambake, SF-style cioppino) after 5p.m. Owners James Hahn and Mila Chaname also own Sunflower Caffe, Honey & The Moon Bakery and Chename wines in Sonoma. 19101 Hwy. 12, Sonoma, mintandliberty.com. Open daily from 8a.m. to 9p.m.

Bibi’s Becomes Mercato: Bye, bye Bibi’s Burger Bar; hello Mercato Pasta and Produce. Pivoting away from their downtown Santa Rosa burger concept, Chandi Hospitality Group has hired Chef Nevin Patel (who a couple weeks ago opened Indian concept restaurant, Bollywood, in downtown Santa Rosa) to spin up a sort of Eataly-light. Based around freshly-made pastas and sauce, along with a market selling local produce and other goodies, Mercato soft-opened on Nov. 9. Also on the menu, vanilla gelato, garlic bread, salads and arancini. We’ll have more details next week. 630 Third St., Santa Rosa, mercatopastaandproduce.com.

Also on the radar, The Farmer’s Wife (6760 McKinley St., Sebastopol) which opened in early October and serves up owner Kendra Kolling’s gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches along with soup and pastries. Kolling, who has been a farm-market and festival staple for years, lost her Kenwood home in last year’s wildfires, but bounced back with the new cafe. She’s also eyeing some bigger projects in the future, but for now her little spot in the sunlight of the Barlow seems just about right for a farm-fresh sandwich melt and warming tomato soup.

Enter Sonoma Magazine’s Cutest Dog Contest

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Chances are, if you’re a dog-owner, you’re taking hundreds of photos of your furry friend (trust us, we do the same). Now, in addition to posting those photos all over Instagram, you can submit your favorite shots of your pup to Sonoma Magazine’s Cutest Dog Contest!

This year, attend Pets Lifeline’s event Santa Paws and get your pooch’s picture taken professionally to submit into the contest. How cute is that?!

ENTER THE CUTEST DOG CONTEST HERE
Deadline to enter is December 5, 2018 at 11:59pm.

The winning dog will get:

A full-page photo in Sonoma Magazine with dog’s name and bio.

A professional Sonoma Magazine photo shoot (and you will get to keep the photos!).

All applicants will get:

A digital faux Sonoma Magazine “Cutest Dog” cover with their dog’s image and name.

A photo in the “Cutest Dog” gallery on the contest page on sonomamag.com.

A complimentary 1 year (6 issue) subscription to Sonoma Magazine valued at $14.99. (If you are already a subscriber, your subscription will renew at the term of 1 year at the end of your current subscription.)

The top 10 cutest dogs will be voted on by the public during the voting period (Dec. 7 – 17). A winner will be chosen from among the top 10 vote earners by a panel of judges from Sonoma Magazine and our beneficiary, Pets Lifeline.

Deadline to enter the Cutest Dog Contest is December 5 at 11:59pm.

The fee for each submission is $30, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Pets Lifeline.

Voting for the top 10 entries will be open December 7 – December 17.

Celebrate the Holidays Along Sonoma County’s Farm Trails

By Sarah Stierch
Garlock Tree Farm in Sebastopol. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

For those of us who dread the mid-December mall experience, Holidays Along the Farm Trails seems the perfect antidote to seasonal panic attacks. Starting on November 14, this utterly wholesome old-school event allows Sonoma County residents and visitors to get into the holiday spirit by visiting local farms, creameries, and cideries. Special holiday activities, taking place on weekends through January 1, 2019, include DIY workshops, artisan cheese, cider and honey tastings, as well as plenty of farm animals to pet. Visitors are also able to buy local gifts (often in the form of delicious artisan foods) or try their hand at making their own. Click through the above gallery for some of the highlights at this year’s Holidays Along the Farm Trails. 

Holiday Along the Farm Trails is November 14 to January 1 and is free. Guests must RSVP to receive an interactive online map of participating destinations with all the details. Learn more and RSVP at farmtrails.org.