In wine country, there’s certainly no shortage of extraordinary places to rest your head. From local hotels and inns with perks like Japanese-inspired rooms with deep soaking tubs to luxury resorts with lawn butlers that put together the perfect picnic, choosing where to make your home away from home can sometimes be a tough decision. But if you dream of snoozing in the very thick of wine country hospitality, there’s no better place to wake up than at a winery. An added perk: you can sample wines, even take a nap afterwards, sans worries about who will be the designated driver. If this sounds like a dream come true, click through the above gallery for eight local wineries where you can spend the night.
Sipping vodka cocktails in the Hanson Distillery tasting room in Sonoma, one thing is clear: Wine tasting rooms have never been this fun. Don’t get us wrong, because the hundreds of wineries from Petaluma to Cloverdale have a good thing going, and this is, after all, Wine Country. But a handful of enthusiastic local spirt-makers are creating artisan vodka, gin, whiskey and liqueurs that are putting something other than wine on the local tourist maps. And my tasty cucumber vodka gimlet with edible flowers is (literally) proof of that.
Walking past huge copper stills at the heart of the family-run distillery, it’s hard to figure out where the myriad pots, towering condenser columns and spiraling metal pipes start and end. Inside one kettle, patriarch Scott Hanson points to a half-way point where wine is slowly heated and sent into columns as steam. In fact, Hanson’s vodka is — appropriately — made of grapes, giving it a different flavor profile than traditional potatoes or wheat. It also makes the finished vodka gluten-free (though there’s some debate as to the fact that all distilled spirits undergo a process that makes them gluten-free).
Inside two blue barrels, Scott’s son, Brandon shows how they naturally flavor their lineup of mandarin, ginger, cucumber and yes, habanero vodkas with actual fruit and produce. Permeable bags of fragrant Hawaiian ginger are pulled out of one barrel, trailing the unmistakably peppery sweet smell. It’s hard not to just dive in and swim around inside for a little while.
It’s all in the family, with brothers Chris, Darren and sister Alanna all taking a role in the production. “The boys got me into it,” says Scott Hanson. “The vodka space is dominated by ’nightclub’ vodkas. We wanted to do the opposite of that. We were looking for something more creative.” The Hansons also share space with the multi-generational Ceja family, who help them with the winemaking process that precedes the distilling.
“We cater more to the culinary world, to chefs and mixologists,” said the senior Hanson. Each of the flavors, including limited seasonal releases like boysenberry and espresso, are designed to complement cocktails. The habanero vodka, for instance, adds a spicy-but-not-too-spicy kick to bloody Marys, featured at Disney resorts and a reputed favorite of Walt himself.
In the tasting room, visitors can choose from a tasting of the complete Hanson vodka line in addition to craft cocktails like a Moscow Mule with a kick, spinning the traditional ginger beer and lime drink on its head with the aforementioned habanero vodka; dirty martini or strawberry lemonade infused with their original vodka. Cheers to that.
Want to visit? The tasting room is at 22985 Burndale Rd., Sonoma, tours and tastings available daily by reservation at hansonofsonoma.com. Prices range from $15 for a sample of their organic vodkas, $20 for tasting and a craft cocktail, and $35 for a VIP tour and tasting. A caviar and vodka tasting is in the works.
In addition to Hanson, here are some other great distilleries with tasting rooms you’ll want to check out.
HEALDSBURG
Alley 6 in Healdsburg. Courtesy Photo.
Alley 6 Craft Distillery: This tiny tasting room is worth seeking out if you’re a whiskey fan. Their Rye Whiskey is gaining serious traction on the awards-circuit, made with malted barley from Germany, and makes for a pretty spectacular Old Fashioned. We’re also pretty taken with their single malt whiskey, made in traditional copper alembic pots, aged in American White Oak barrels and available in the tasting room only. Their Harvest Gin, made with viognier wine pomace from local wineries results in a complex and tasty gin. Want something a little different? Owners Krystle and Jason Jorgensen (a longtime Stark’s bartender) love foraging around Healdsburg, and make a distinctive and delish candy cap mushroom bitters as well as a spiced peach liqueur made with peaches from Dry Creek Peach farm. Walk-ins welcome Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment Monday through Friday. 1401 Grove St., Unit D, Healdsburg, 707-484-3593, alley6.com.
Young and Yonder Tasting Room.
Young & Yonder Spirits: One of the sleekest tasting rooms, Young and Yonder recently moved their operations to tony Healdsburg, offering an alternative to wine tasting rooms around the square. Run by Josh and Sarah Opatz, their H.O.B.S Gin is a seriously hot commodity at local craft cocktail spots, made with Russian River water and a number of local botanicals. Fans of foraging, they’ve also released Fellows & Foragers Absinthe, made with classic herbs like anise and wormwood, ginger and tarragon. You can also taste their small-batch Stave Robber Bourbon, aged in oak for less than a year, and Persian lime vodka. Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., 449 Allan Court, Healdsburg, 707-483-8077, youngandyonder.com.
PETALUMA Sonoma Coast Spirits: Citrus Basil and Jalapeno Lime flavored vodkas were named Oprah’s “Favorite Things” for July 2018. Based in Petaluma, Jill Olsen teams with her husband, Doug, to recreated family recipes for tasty infused vodkas, which also include sweet ginger and espresso, along with ready-to-drink craft cocktails and Zinfandel grappa from Howell Mountain. Tasting room open by appointment,1333 N. McDowell Blvd., F, Petaluma. sonomacoastspirits.com, 707-331-0718.
Griffo Gin
Griffo Distillery: Master Distiller (and Physics Ph.D.) Michael Griffo doesn’t leave anything to chance when he crafts his small-batch gins and whiskeys. According to Griffo, he uses “formal analysis and fabrication of innovative still-controls” for his distilling process, which means this ain’t moonshine, but balanced spirits. Michael and wife Jenny run the Petaluma distillery with “Betty” the 250-gallon copper pot still. The tasting bar is open Thursday and Friday from 4-8p.m. and Saturday, Sunday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Tours are also available. 1320 Scott St., Suite A, Petaluma, 707-879-8755, griffodistillery.com.
SONOMA
Prohibition Spirits. Press Democrat
HelloCello/Prohibition Spirits: The first of a wave of bonded distilleries in Sonoma County, Prohibition Spirits’ Fred and Amy Groth paved the way with the most unlikely of spirits — Hello Cello Limoncello di Sonoma. Their sunny citrus liqueur is made with thousands of lemons at community “peeling parties” each year, an ode to the summery Italian spirit. They’ve expanded their repertoire to include Hooker’s House whiskey, Sugar Daddy Rum, Jack’s Gin, Chauvet Brandy and a handful of specialty bottles including Nocino Black Walnut Liqueur and Grappa. The tasting room is open daily at Cornerstone Sonoma daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 3 tastes for $10. 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-933-7507, prohibition-spirits.com.
SEBASTOPOL
Spirit Works
SpiritWorks: It’s all about going sloe at this Sebastopol distillery. Made with owner Timo Ashby’s family recipe their signature Sloe Gin has a stunning ruby color, infused with a relative of the plum (sloe berries) that adds just a hint of sweetness. SpiritWorks barrel-aged Sloe Gin gets a rest in white oak barrels, adding depth and layers to the liqueur, available in limited quantities. Tours include plenty of licks from their Boston Terrier, Bandit. Tasting room open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., no reservation required, $18 for six tastes. Tours are Friday through Sunday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., $20 per person and require a reservation at spiritworksdistillery.com, or 707-634-4793. 6790 McKinley St. No. 100, Sebastopol (at the Barlow).
WINDSOR
Sonoma Brothers
Sonoma Brothers: First-responder twin brothers Christopher (a firefighter and paramedic) and Brandon Matthies (a police officer) have created some of the county’s most-loved small-batch bourbon as a side-hustle. You’ll see their distinctive bottles at better bars, including gin, vodka rye whiskey, and apple brandy, all made at their small Windsor distillery. Located in the aptly-named Artisan Alley, you can do double or triple duty by visiting the tasting rooms of several breweries and cideries nearby. Tasting room hours are daily by appointment, 7759 Bell Road, Windsor, 707-888-2120 or sonomabrothersdistilling.com.
Condra Easley of Patisserie Angelica makes salted caramel macarons in her bakery in Sebastopol, on Thursday, May 1, 2014. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
Patisserie Angelica, the iconic Sebastopol bakery headed by sisters Condra Easley and Debbie Morris has been sold. Chief Baker Condra said last spring she was ready to retire and will be heading abroad. Whispers of the sale were rampant at the recent Heirloom Turkey Sunday Supper where Easley was featured as the dessert chef.
The great news: Sonoma County’s Jennifer Bice (formerly of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery) and Gergana Karabelov of Mommy’s Yummy’s will be taking over.
It’s a win-win for the 24-year old bakery that was founded in Santa Rosa and moved to Sebastopol more than a decade ago. With a focus on local, sustainable and organic ingredients, it’s been a go-to for wedding cakes and pastries for years.
Jennifer Bice sold Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery in Dec. 2015 to Swiss company Emmi. More details to come.
Warning to drivers on Highway 101 near Rohnert Park — you may be severely distracted on Nov. 6 as the scent of freshly baked glazed Krispy Kreme donuts fills the air once more. That, or trying to figure out why hundreds of people are wrapped around the former El Torito on Election Day. Hint: They’re waiting for a chance to win a year of free donuts.
At precisely 6 a.m., Sonoma County’s newest donut shop throws open the doors. The first 25 guests in line get 365 days of glazed, chocolate-covered, strawberry-filled goodness gratis. The next 75 get a mug. Past that, you’ll have to settle for the satisfaction of buying fresh donuts for your grateful co-workers.
A former Krispy Kreme on Santa Rosa Ave. closed several years ago without much explanation, dimming its “Hot Now” sign to the consternation of fans. Replaced by a Starbucks, most were mollified, if not thrilled. Krispy Kreme has been satisfying the national sweet tooth since 1937, and fans know that when the red neon sign is on, that means warm donuts are ready for eating.
If you’re headed over on Tuesday, the location is 5090 Redwood Dr., Rohnert Park.
Election Day is right around the corner, and a handful of Sonoma and Mendocino county hotels are offering registered voters the incentive of deep discounts to drive traffic to area ballot boxes and, subsequently, to their premises.
Specifically, voters in the midterm elections can piece together a multi-night Mendocino vacation at various hotels for an average of 20 percent off regular rates.
Hoteliers aren’t tying discounts to how people vote; they just want to encourage voting.
“My eighth-grade government teacher had a poster on her wall that read, ‘Bad politicians are elected by good citizens that do not vote,’” says Cally Dym, owner of Little River Inn, a 66-room hotel on the Mendocino County coast. “That has always stuck with me and I don’t think any of us has a right to complain if we don’t take action ourselves.”
Dym and her husband Marc are leading the discount charge, offering 25 percent off new reservations at the highest rack rates through the end of the year.
To obtain this rate, guests must book online at the inn’s website directly (and not through an online travel agent), they must type “IVOTED” into the notes section at the end of the booking process, and they must show proof of voting at the time of check-in.
Further up the coast, in Mendocino proper, the 11-room Brewery Gulch Inn is offering a discount of 15 percent on new bookings through Feb. 28 if guests show a voting stub at check-in.
Owner Guy Pacurar says “anything to get people more involved in democracy” is a good idea.
“When you look at numbers for voter turnout, it’s pretty embarrassing,” he says, referring to the 20-year low in nationwide voter turnout during the 2016 election. “If the promise of saving some money on a room at our inn for the weekend will inspire someone to get out and take 30 minutes to vote, we’ll gladly extend the offer to anyone and everyone who goes and makes it happen.”
Hotels in Sonoma County are getting in on the voting discount game, too.
The Astro Motel in Santa Rosa is offering 15 percent off reservations between Election Day and April 30, 2019, for guests who post selfies to Instagram with their “I voted” stickers and tag the Astro’s Instagram handle, @theastromotel. Guests seeking the discounted rate must also book on the hotel’s website, use the promo code VOTED2018, and show their selfies at check-in.
At the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, voters will get 10 percent off bookings through the end of the year, as well as 10 percent off meals at the inn’s Michelin-starred restaurant.
“Now more than ever it’s critically important to vote,” says Managing Partner Joe Bartolomei, who notes that the restaurant discounts apply to food only and are valid on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights. “We can’t be complacent. We have to stand up for what we believe in.”
Bartolomei noted that the discounts also apply to snacks and meals from FARMSTAND, a more casual, farm-to-fork dining option that opened at the inn this summer and rolled out a new winter menu this week.
Back on the coast, John Dixon, owner of the Glendeven Inn and Inn at Cobblers Walk in Mendocino, says he believes in the “power of participation.”
“Midterm elections often have a low turnout, and our current political discourse has done nothing if not raise the awareness of our civic responsibilities,” he says. “This little discount will hopefully be a small carrot to someone who may not otherwise vote. Voting is our best way to get involved, and I support anyone who takes the time to get involved.”
Dixon is offering voters 20 percent off the highest rack rates at both properties through the end of 2018.
For a former New Yorker, it’s always easy to identify a recent Big Apple transplant still adapting to life in the Golden State.
First off, they tend to pepper conversations with phrases like “when I summered in the Hamptons” with alarming regularity. They shudder at the idea that Vans and jeans are perfectly acceptable upscale dining attire, as is eating before 8 p.m., and they believe that Brooklynites invented the farm-to-table dining concept.
Perhaps most ubiquitous, however, is the incessant complaining about the fact that it’s impossible to find a decent deli west of Philadelphia.
On that count, they have a solid point.
Enter the Manhattan Pickle from Sonoma Brinery, which more than a few of our Manhattan friends say takes them right back to Katz’s Deli. New Yorkers, suffice it to say, know their brined cucumbers, and don’t suffer California’s penchant for screwing them up with stuff like onions, lemon verbena, or god forbid, sugar.
Alexander Valley Gourmet owner David Ehreth says his Sonoma Brinery Manhattans were inspired by his dad, a native New Yorker.
“My passion for kosher pickles began as a kid when my father introduced me to real, barrel-fermented kosher pickles, the kind he remembered from his childhood,” says Ehreth, noting that the brinery’s Manhattan-Style Whole Koshers are made with fresh cucumbers, premium spices, and the same traditional barrel fermenting process that made this New York specialty so delicious.
That means whole spears (not pickle chips) that Ehreth refers to as “The King of Pickles.” They are salt-brined and barrel-fermented with nine different spices, fresh garlic, and sea salt — and without a trace of vinegar, a typical short-cut to pickling verboten to these koshers.
“For years after my initial introduction, I made kosher pickles as a hobby from my summer garden because you couldn’t find a real kosher half-sour pickle in stores west of the Hudson River,” adds Ehreth, who compares his pickles to those grabbed out of a New York deli barrel.
So, he started his own Sonoma County-based pickle company in 2004, now featuring everything from tangy bread and butter pickles to probiotic curtido, escabeche, sauerkraut, and of course the whole koshers — which are a best-seller.
Consider these garlic- and dill-spiced spears a taste of home for East Coasters, and a taste of the Lower East Side for us Left Coasters. Ess Gezunt (eat in good health)!
Sonoma Brinery products are available at Sonoma County stores, including Oliver’s Market, Whole Foods Market, Lazzini’s Market and Raley’s. More information here. sonomabrinery.com
Five piece nigiri at Sake 107 in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Sushi is the one food I think I could eat every single day and never get tired of. Raw fish atop vinegared rice is the pinnacle of simplicity, but one of the most difficult things to make well. I tend to be fairly forgiving, however. Click through the above gallery for 10 of my favorite sushi haunts — some upscale, some moderate, some very affordable. Because you never know when a sushi craving will hit! (Click here for zen gardens and places to stay in Sonoma County).
What are some of your favorite sushi spots? Let me know in the comments below.
Tyler Florence at a neighborhood gathering after the fires. Still from ‘Uncrushable’ by Tyler Florence.
Capturing the most intimate moments of despair and heroism during the 2017 wildfires, celebrity chef Tyler Florence’s ‘Uncrushable’ looks unflinchingly at a cross-section of Sonoma and Napa disaster survivors bonded by loss.
Shot over three weeks as Wine Country still smoldered, it’s a time capsule of the shock and grief that was just beginning for so many. It’s a movie we all wish never had to be made, but a year later, it’s a poignant memoir of survival that Wine Country, and specifically Sonoma County, can be proud of.
Grateful Table setup Still from ‘Uncrushable’ by Tyler Florence.
Though most of us are more familiar with Florence’s upbeat persona on Food Network shows like “The Great Food Truck Race” and “How to Boil Water, the one-time “sexiest chef alive” was able to pull off a film with gravitas, courage and hope.
Financially backed by Visit California, the state’s tourism publicity machine, Florence was tapped to direct and shoot the entire documentary in late October and early November while simultaneously coordinating a fundraiser dinner for 300 on the Napa-Sonoma county line. No sweat.
“I wanted to tell the story about what was happening while it was still going on,” said Florence, who screened the film for several hundred Sonoma County residents Oct. 19.
Tyler Florence at a neighborhood gathering after the fires. Still from ‘Uncrushable’ by Tyler Florence.
A Marin resident for the past decade, Florence was deeply moved at the situation affecting so many of his neighbors. The movie culminates in Florence’s Grateful Table dinner.
“I made this movie for our neighbors here in California. I wanted to tell a story about the community, about hope, and those that rose above it and pulled themselves up from the ashes,” Florence said.
“Everyone loves Sonoma. Everyone loves Napa. I wanted to tell a beautiful story.”
At the screening earlier this month, muffled sniffles and sobs from the audience spoke to the rawness still felt by so many.
“Uncrushable” is being screened in various cities, and has already shown in New York and Toronto to sold-out audiences according to Florence. The documentary will be shown twice during the Napa Valley Film Festival (Nov. 7-12), and Florence will host a VIP dinner and screening at Robert Mondavi Winery on Nov. 9 with proceeds going to ongoing rebuilding charities.
Still from ‘Uncrushable’ by Tyler Florence.
“As someone who talks for a living, I got a chance to just listen. It was harrowing and breathtaking at the same time. Now, 365 of days of putting that disaster in the rearview mirror, hopefully, we’re in the position where we’re healing,” he said.
Among those Florence interviewed for the movie was Peter Lang, owner of Safari West. Lang is credited with saving more than a thousand animals at the preserve with little more than garden hoses.
With flames encircling him, and his own home burning, Lang, 76, is a natural storyteller and steals the show with his unbelievable tale.
“Bravery was the biggest takeaway. You realize how difficult it is, what’s important when you have nothing left. I just wish we could have interviewed more people,” said Florence.
Note: The trailer to ‘Uncrushable’ may be extremely triggering. California Hope and many other agencies provide free counseling to anyone affected by the wildfires.
Fancy Fast Food story Gerard’s Paella Senorita Rosa, El Pescador,
Fine dining goes fast-casual at Sonoma County’s best order-at-the-counter joints. Click through the above gallery for the (drool-inducing) details.
You’ve been dreaming of your sophisticated supper all day. And now, it’s before you, in all its locally sourced, handcrafted glory. First is a platter laden with Sonoma Rosso Old World-style dry salame flecked with red wine, pepper, and fennel; black and white truffle salame; and heritage breed pork sausage laced with creamy ribbons of Sonoma County cheeses. The polished wood board is finished with assorted homemade pickles, boutique cheeses, and a just-picked rosemary sprig from the eatery’s own bushes.
Next up is a wood-fired, bubbly crust pizza smothered in roasted leeks, handcrafted honey-chile bacon, and farm egg. That’s followed by a juicy steak presented on a fancy wood plate with peppery arugula, Parmigano-Reggiano, grilled bread, and oven-roasted organic vegetables plucked from the garden that morning. The estate Angus beef, the menu explains, was open-pasture-raised on a Sonoma County family farm.
Wow, wonderful, you tell the cashier. Then you hand over your credit card and take your food to a low-slung, stone and metal table — because you’re dining at Journeyman Meat Company, a tiny meat shop, cafe, and wine tasting bar in downtown Healdsburg.
It may seem surprising, but increasingly in Wine Country, fine dining is no longer restricted to white-tablecloth, posh-service restaurants. Instead, we’re flocking to order-at-the-counter destinations like Journeyman where every ingredient is meticulously sourced and the decor is chic — with rich wood walls, white marble counters, and just a handful of tables in the charcoal-paint and animal-print-accented lounge.
And why not? Most of us know the difference between artisanal and mass-produced foods, and we expect the best whenever we eat out. Yet time-pressed, especially during the holiday season, we’re not able — or willing — to spend three hours on a meal. For that, we’ve become happy giving up luxuries like table service.
The trend first sprouted in 2010, when Karen Taylor Waikiki opened her El Molino Central in Boyes Hot Springs near downtown Sonoma. We immediately converged on the teal-tin-and-red-tile-trimmed taqueria, for top chef-caliber signatures like tortillas made from hand-ground organic heirloom corn masa, local halibut ceviche, and Mary’s chicken enchiladas with homemade Oaxacan red mole and Rancho Gordo heritage beans. We happily marched our plates through the kitchen to the parking lot picnic tables, grabbing beer or wine from the fridge on the way.
The same year welcomed the French-themed and still enormously popular fine-casual Water Street Bistro in Petaluma, followed the next year by Healdsburg’s The Wurst artisanal sausage bar. The Italian-themed counter-service Pizzando debuted in Hotel Healdsburg in 2012, and then we welcomed the Cal-Med-themed Franchetti’s in Santa Rosa in 2016, from classically European trained chefs John and Gesine Franchetti.
The list has boomed over the past year or so, as talented chefs look for greater simplicity in their operations. The common thread among all the successes are top-notch ingredients, chef-driven menus with seasonal salutes, food-savvy staff behind the counter, striking decor, and, in most cases, boutique wine and beer offerings.
Affordable prices make the equation even more attractive. So let’s dig in.
Mt. Lassen trout, cucumber, garlic aioli, arugula, radish,
pickled onion, Revolution country bread at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
When Peter Lowell’s opened 11 years ago it was something of a novelty. Chef Daniel Kedan (of Backyard) and owner Lowell Sheldon brought a farm-to-plate ethic to Sebastopol that far surpassed the lip service of many restaurants and took seriously its vegan and vegetarian menu … and it was excellent.
Over the years, several chefs came and went, putting their own stamps on the menu. Some good, some not as good, but the restaurant (now simply named Lowell’s) settled in as a solid neighborhood spot.
Baked cheese with Revolution Bread at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
As a destination, however, the restaurant has recently been overshadowed by Sheldon’s newer project, Handline, which opened in 2016. With a budget-friendly price point, quick walk-up service, soft-serve ice cream and one of the best restaurant patios in Wine Country, there’s a lot to love.
So, on the cusp of Sheldon’s opening of a third Sebastopol business, Fernbar, in the Barlow, it seemed like a good time to get back to basics and see exactly where Lowell’s stands today. The answer: It’s better than ever.
Cauliflower with raisins at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Ten years is a magical number for restaurants and one that few ever see. The fact that it’s impossible to even find accurate figures for the percentage of restaurants that survive a decade is proof enough. Roughly 30 percent of restaurants fail in a year (not the much-quoted 90 percent). Of those, about 60 percent will fail within five years, and 70 percent will be gone by 10 years, according to a joint study from Cornell and Michigan State University. That’s some pretty rarified air.
Eggs Benedict with roasted potatoes at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Sheldon and his collaborators, however, have bucked trends seen as impervious to success — like buying higher-cost, farm-driven local ingredients and charging customers what they feel is a fair amount for their food costs. They work tirelessly on the restaurant’s farm, Two Belly Acres, which provides unparalleled seasonal ingredients to the restaurant.
King salmon with ‘Farrotto’, beet, fennel, cucumber, herbed yogurt at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Perhaps most controversially, Sheldon has instituted a 20 percent automatic gratuity policy, something that has failed miserably for some restaurateurs, but helps pay staff a higher wage and offer health care.
“We enter our second decade with a more subtle understanding of our purpose,” says Sheldon. Sitting at the bar of Lowell’s on a Monday morning, he’s clearly proud of what the little Sebastopol space has accomplished and looking forward to what comes next. With a bit of gray now showing in his beard, Sheldon has weathered many storms over the last 10 years, now looking at life through the lens of a father and partner to Handline (and life) collaborator Natalie Goble. With Fernbar just months from opening, a collaboration between Sheldon and Chef Joe Zobel and Sam Levy of The Restaurant at Meadowood, he’s also become reflective of the restaurant that started the whole adventure.
Lowell Sheldon with partner Natalie Goble.
“We at Lowell’s have always been forward-looking. As change becomes the norm in our town, we look to embrace and influence that change by keeping true to our agrarian roots,” said Sheldon. “We are a farming town. We dedicate ourselves to an awareness of the value that farms bring and to a continued commitment to support their existence. We are humbled by our history and inspired by our future.”
Best Bets
Lowell’s is a laboratory of seasonality, so things change frequently. What remains are the staples — a mushroom pasta may become a butternut squash pasta. Braised greens may get the addition of squash, and tomatoes may all but disappear as winter advances.
Also, Lowell’s has recently moved to an all-day brunch menu with favorites from breakfast and lunch along with a few newcomers, like a scone plate and ricotta pancakes.
Currently, chef Tim Payne and sous chef Jillian Druzgala head the kitchen at Lowell’s, and we’ll be seeing some additional menu changes coming soon.
Antipasti platter at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Antipasti Platter, $18: Yep, we almost choked, too, at the price for some seasonal veggies and cheese. Until a heavily laden board of roasted corn, spicy greens, a whole roasted garlic, potatoes, farro salad, farm cheese, beets and goat cheese, a slice of frittata, Revolution bread and lush bean dip was placed in front of us. Oh. Yeah, worth every penny. Easily a small meal or large appetizer for two or three.
Smoked Trout Tartine, $16: If you’re not a . Mt. Lassen trout fan, you will be. Mild pink fish atop an open-faced sandwich with cucumber, garlic aioli, arugula, radish and pickled onion on Revolution country bread. Fork and knife required, but its a fresh, light luncheon dish that’s not easily forgotten.
Pizza Mela, $18: Woodfired pizzas are a signature, lacking the bitter carbonization of other crusts. Chewy and light, we love the apple, bacon, caramelized onion pie with pungent Gruyere, prickly arugula and Parmesan.
Mt. Lassen trout, cucumber, garlic aioli, arugula, radish, pickled onion, Revolution country bread at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Bruschetta Uovo, $16: Lemony Hollandaise, Revolution toast, poached organic eggs and roasted tomato. Getting hungry thinking about this bad boy, with roasted potatoes and homemade ketchup.
Macrobowl, $17: Since opening, this vegan(ish) bowl has been on the menu. For what it is — red rice, heirloom beans, braised greens, root and fermented veggies — it’s good.
You can top it with an egg or short ribs, along with miso ginger sauce. Frankly, there are so many things I like better on the menu, but the rippingly hot stone bowl filled with such healthy goodies is pretty persuasive.
Scone plate at Lowell’s in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Tagliatelle, $20: Depending on the night, you’ll get a variety of ingredients, but diving into little “boats” of pasta with roasted tomatoes, duck confit, herbs and breadcrumbs is intensely satisfying.
King Salmon, $32: Farrotto with beet, fennel, cucumber and herbed yogurt.
Overall: This longtime Sebastopol favorite is worth a return, having spent a decade perfecting their farm-to-plate classics that rarely fail to impress.
Lowell’s is located at 7385 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707-829-1077, lowellssebastopol.com.
