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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you’re trying to beat the summer heat, and you’re focusing on fixing cooler foods for hot days, here are a few items and ingredients for your kitchen to help keep things cool – Click through the above gallery for details.
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.
It’s always the perfect season to feel good in your own skin. Summer with all its adventures like time in the sun and water (and all that use of sunscreen) is a good time to focus on cleansing and hydration. Here are some Sonoma-based finds that tend to skin matters from head to toe – click through the above gallery for details.
Chick N’ Waffles with buttermilk fried chicken, cornmeal waffles, maple syrup and mascarpone butter from Chicken Pharm, a Public House in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Hungry for something new? You’ve come to the right place. Click through the above gallery for a collection of restaurants that define Sonoma County’s dining scene right now. These restaurant picks will satisfy locals and visitors alike: some are classics and some are new twists; there are a range of styles, price points, and cuisines. With every new issue of Sonoma Magazine, a few restaurants drop out of the list to make room for new places that have stepped up their game or have increasing relevance. (You can view the previous roundup here).
El Pescador paella with sea clams, mussels, prawns, squid, sweet peas, arroz negro, peppers and aioli at Gerards Paella Y Tapas in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
A few weeks before the opening of Gerard Nebesky’s new Santa Rosa restaurant, the king of Wine Country paella invited a few industry folks to his Occidental home for a preview of the new menu. Not surprisingly, it included mostly discussions about paella, demonstrations of paella and eating paella. That’s a lot of talk about a traditional Spanish rice dish.
And while that was all fascinating and delicious, the true entertainment of the afternoon — and of his now-opened restaurant, Gerard’s Paella y Tapas — was Nebesky himself.
Gerard Nebesky of Gerard’s Paella Y Tapas. Photo Shana Bull, shanabull.com
With a mop top of curly white hair and a grin that rarely leaves his face, Nebesky is the kind of guy who invites you to his longtime camp at Burning Man after knowing you for 15 minutes — and really means it. He routinely dives for abalone and other local seafood for his paella, learned to make paella on a backcountry ski trip and, in 2008, bested Iron Chef Bobby Flay in a paella smackdown in San Francisco. If you’ve ever been to a big Wine Country event, you’ve probably seen him hovered over 4-foot pans of cooking rice and vegetables and shaking hands with pretty much everyone who stops by to say hello.
Interior at Gerard’s Paella Y Tapas in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
To say he’s something of a celebrity is putting it mildly, even before he reveals that he’s also tight with former Saturday Night Live cast member Rachel Dratch (he catered her birthday party) and, with more glee than ego, he reveals that actor Jason Schwartzman will portray him in the upcoming Netflix movie ‘Wine Country.’ The Napa-based “dark comedy” directed by Amy Poehler recently wrapped in Napa Valley and stars Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and a host of other SNL folks.
“I’m the ‘Annoying Paella Guy,’” he says, holding up a caricature drawing of the cast — with himself in the corner as the Paella Guy. Meanwhile, pans of paella bubble away on his home burners, getting the perfect crispy crunch on the bottom of the pan. Those small paella pans, however, are pipsqueaks compared to the 10-foot pans he’s used at major events like the Maker Faire in New York City.
A large pan of paella from Gerard’s Paella catering at Wednesday Night Market in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
“I can serve 1,200 with one of those,” he said.
With the restaurant now open, Nebesky is finding a new audience for his charm and his paella.
Having redesigned the former Persona Pizza in downtown Santa Rosa (also the longtime Arrigoni’s) into a welcoming spot with a cool sunroom, bright and open dining area and open kitchen, the made-to-order paella is as much spectacle as dining.
Just look for Nebesky as both ringleader and greeter behind the giant paella pan, and you’ll know you’ve arrived at the right spot.
Best Bets
The menu is divided into “pintxo” (little bites often eaten with long wooden picks) and tapas (heartier small bites) along with paella, salads, “bocadillos” (baguette sandwiches) and desserts. Lunch and dinner have the same menu. Beverages include several beers and wines on tap (Camlow Cellars rosé of pinot noir is tops) as well as by-the-glass and bottles.
Don’t miss the special cocktails, like the housemade sangria, a lemon and lager shandy and our favorite, white port, tonic and lime, which is the essence of summer in a glass.
Marinated mushrooms at Gerard’s Paella Y Tapas in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Pintxo (all $5)
Paella Croquettes: Rice and Manchego cheese are mashed into a ball, fried and doused with aioli. What could be better?
Stuffed Piquillo Peppers: Roasted red peppers stuffed with tart goat cheese and topped with dry cured olives and espelette chile, a mild pepper. Sweet, slightly spicy, creamy — it’s the whole package.
Pickled Mushrooms: Not for every palate, but if you like mushrooms and vinegar, these giant pickled fungus are so worth stabbing with a toothpick and savoring again and again.
Tapas
Papas Bravas ($8): Any tapas spot worth its weight features these fried potatoes. The “Angry Sauce” isn’t so mean as to burn but has a stern bit of pimenton to get your attention. Aioli isn’t just mayo, but a true egg yolk and oil version that tastes like the summer sun of Seville.
Paella
Our only critique is the lack of crust on the individual servings. It’s truly our favorite thing about paella, and the quick fires just don’t seem to get the same char. We’ve tried it five times now, and though it’s improving, we want more crunch!
El Pescador ($14): If you get one thing at Gerard’s, get this (assuming you dig shellfish). Filled with clams, mussels, prawns and squid, the beauty of this dish is the “arroz negro”, or black rice, created with cuttlefish ink. It’s a classic, and the ink gives a slightly briny taste to the rice, complementing the fresh seafood.
A few dabs of aioli add richness and a hint of sweet, along with green peas for color and additional sweetness. We kind of can’t get enough of this dish.
El Pescador paella with sea clams, mussels, prawns, squid, sweet peas, arroz negro, peppers and aioli at Gerards Paella Y Tapas in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Senorita Rosa ($13): The star of this paella is the chorizo Bilbao, made with smoked paprika, garlic and pepper. The chorizo grounds this lighter chicken, arugula and fennel paella, giving it some real muscle.
El Valedon ($15): The #flayslayer, this paella is a mix of seafood and marinated chicken with sweet peppers and garbanzo beans. Think of it as more of a crowd-pleaser with a variety of ingredients rather than a single point of view.
Overall: Half the fun of Gerard’s is the showmanship and stories from Nebesky, well-known to Wine Country for his award-winning paella catering business. But his casual, Spanish cuisine without the fuss is what keeps us coming back again and again.
Gerard’s Paella Y Tapas, 701 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-708-8686, gerardspaella.com.
