Counting Crows to Headline Sonoma Fire Relief Concert

By Sarah Stierch

Bay Area natives and platinum record selling band Counting Crows will headline a fundraiser to benefit fire relief efforts in the North Bay and Sonoma County on Saturday, November 18 at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. 

The concert, titled For the Love of Sonoma, stars Counting Crows, known for their hits “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here,” and Brett Dennen, a singer-songwriter from the San Joaquin Valley. The Family Coppola, owners of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Virginia Dare Winery, and Inglenook, are partnering with BottleRock Presents to produce the concert.

“Nearly all of us who work with BottleRock Napa Valley and BottleRock Presents events live in the North Bay and have been affected by these devastating fires in one way or another,” says Dave Graham, CEO of BottleRock, “We felt it was important to also bring music directly to the North Bay to raise both money and the spirits of our friends and neighbors in wine country.”

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the North Bay Fire Relief Fund, which benefits fire relief efforts throughout the North Bay, and Noma Gives, which benefits Sonoma State University students, staff and faculty displaced and impacted by the wildfires.

Tickets start at $50 and go on sale Thursday, November 2 at 10AM.

Farmers Market Vendors Bounce Back After Santa Rosa Fire

By Tiffany Camhi for KQED

This article was originally published by KQED.

It’s a typical Saturday morning at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market. The air is crisp and clean, the sky is sunny, and several vendors are welcoming shoppers to their stands. There is almost no sign that devastating wildfires tore through the area almost two weeks ago.

As thousands of residents return to Santa Rosa, signs of normalcy, like this farmers market, are beginning to emerge.

“It’s a familiar thing for the community to do, that I believe is a real comfort for them in the middle of such unrest and tension,” said Pegi Ball, market manager.

The market, which is among the oldest and largest in Sonoma County, is open year-round, rain or shine, Ball said. But last week, it was forced to close down because its home, the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, was damaged in the Tubbs Fire.

During the week of the fires, several of Ball’s regular customers reached out, wanting to check on the safety of the market’s farmers and vendors.

“It was heartwarming to hear from them,” Ball said. “Our customers are so supportive.”

Lazaro Calderon is a farmer and the owner of The Patch, a small farm in the city of Sonoma. This weekend he’s selling tomatoes, peppers and winter squash. But Calderon said there would have been a lot more if the wildfires had not come within several hundred feet of his farm. Hundreds of pounds of lettuces, basil and green beans rotted, Calderon said.

“Everything was full of ashes,” Calderon said. “There was no water to turn on the sprinkler to try to wash it off.”

Calderon said his and several other produce farms in Sonoma County were hit hard by the fires. But the reopening of the farmers market is a good sign. Calderon said sales from markets make up about 60 percent of his yearly income. Although he expects that he’ll have to cut some expenses to be able to pay the lease on his farm, he is optimistic about the future.

“We will recover,” Calderon said. “It’s just a little bump in the road.”

Another vendor suffering losses from the wildfires is Santa Rosa resident Sia Yambire. The apartment building Yambire lived in with his 7-year-old daughter was one of several thousand structures that were destroyed. He and his daughter were able to escape but all of their belongings, his van and several of the woven baskets he sells burned.

Luckily, Yambire kept more of his baskets in a storage unit, and he can still run his business.

“When these things happen, it gives us more strength to keep going,” Yambire said. “There’s more life and there’s more happiness.”

Fellow Santa Rosans George Irving and Theodora Jacobson are at the market to buy eggs, tomatoes and grapes. Irving says they are regulars at the market and they are doing their part to support and reconnect with the community.

“The fires caused a lot of dislocation, a lot of harm and a lot of hurt,” Irving said. “This is a small part of the healing process that’s going to take years.”

Pegi Ball said the community and people like Irving are a key part of keeping local farmers and vendors resilient during this time of recovery.

“We need to rebuild and we will rebuild, and it is with the support of people still coming into the community and supporting the local farmers and businesses that will help us to do it quicker,” Ball said.

The temporary home of the Saturday morning Santa Rosa Farmers Market is located at the Santa Rosa Alliance Church.

Global Flavors at Kitchen 335 in Healdsburg

By biteclub
Fried calamari with citrus soy glaze ($14): Though a Persimmon favorite, they seem out of place now, and the preparation reflects that. Not bad, but not amazing. (Heather Irwin)

Three words: Pork chop mole.

Though Kitchen 335 in Healdsburg is a restaurant that’s still finding itself, there are a handful of dishes that make the restaurant worth a try. Pork chop mole, which prominently features restaurant-owner Octavio Diaz’ authentic Mexican black mole, obviously resides firmly at the top of the list.Describing itself as farm-to-table seems like a disservice to the ever-evolving lineup of appetizers, salads and entrées that range from citrus-soy glazed calamari to a savory French tart, and chicken breast with lemon cream to the aforementioned mole.

What most folks don’t know is that the mash-up of global flavors are favorite dishes from the restaurant’s former and current chefs, Danny Mai (as executive chef of Persimmon, the restaurant’s last moniker), opening chef Rodrigo Mendoza (of Willi’s Seafood) along with newer French-inspired dishes from chef Patrick Martin. Martin is best-known as the last chef at Restaurant Charcuterie, which closed in 2015, before Mai’s Persimmon opened in 2016.

If you didn’t follow the bouncing toques, that means the owner of the original restaurant at 335 Healdsburg Avenue is now a chef at the restaurant. And there are a whole lot of folks excited to see Martin’s return.

Overhearing an excited French conversation between a local couple and Martin at a recent dinner, it was easy to discern the enthusiasm of both the diners and Chef Martin. Or, at least as much as I could understand in my B-minus worthy high school French. Because it would be rude to eavesdrop and not introduce oneselves, introductions were made, and their deep love of Martin’s cuisine (“He catered our daughter’s wedding,” they said) as well as his long-standing roots in the community.

That kind of cozy companionship is what Kitchen 335 can excel at, with just a handful of tables and impressive service. Owned by the Diaz family, the restaurant has the potential to become a weeknight local hotspot. Especially if they keep serving that pork chop mole.

Best Bets
Mushroom Tart ($13): French pastry dough with feathery goat cheese cream, wild mushrooms, shallots and herbs. Order two unless you have incredible willpower, because it’s that good.

Sautéed Chicken Livers ($13): Since Ralph’s Bistro closed, these old school gems have been scarce. Mixed with smoked bacon, mushrooms, Marsala and herbs, they’re an offal treat.

Shellfish Saffron Risotto ($26): Risotto was a little soupy, but deeply fragrant stock and saffron made this exotic dish with shrimp, mussels and calamari sing.

Needs Improvement

Fried calamari with citrus soy glaze ($14): Though a Persimmon favorite, they seem out of place now, and the preparation reflects that. Not bad, but not amazing.

Poached Beets ($14): Tastes incredible, but the presentation was uninspired for a $14 salad.

Prices seem a little high ($18 for a burger) but if the restaurant can dial in a few classic crowd-pleasers with Martin’s tried-and-true lineup from Charcuterie along with some other outside-the-box dishes like the pork chop mole, Kitchen 335 has potential to be a neighborhood favorite and more.

 

New Boho Chic Shop Opens in Healdsburg, With Bachelorette Endorsement

By Karen Kizer

Sonoma County fashionistas Cristina Wilson Hudlin and Michelle Wilson Bien, twin sisters and owners of boho-chic shops Ooh La Luxe , are big fans of ABC’s reality program “The Bachelorette.” When the sisters saw former bachelorette JoJo Fletcher on the show, they immediately thought, “This is an Ooh La Luxe girl” 

In a move typical of a market driven by “social media influencers,” the entrepreneurial duo sent samples of their clothing collection to Fletcher. Fletcher loved the pieces, “and the relationship took off from there,” says Wilson Bien. Now Fletcher shares some of her favorite picks on Ooh La Luxe’s website, and attended the October 6 grand opening of Ooh La Luxe’s Healdsburg store.  

Ooh La Luxe’s new location in “the heart of the wine country” has been a longtime goal of the sisters, who are lifelong residents of Sonoma County. The Healdsburg Avenue store is housed in a brick building – its walls provide a vibrant gridded backdrop to the store’s displays, which are rustic and feminine with an international influence. Wilson Hudlin and Wilson Bien curate items for their displays while antiquing in Sonoma County and abroad; sections of the store are staged to showcase what Wilson Bien calls, the “classic (and) effortless” style of Ooh La Luxe’s pieces.

In addition to running a successful business, Wilson Hudlin and Wilson Bien also design some of the items found in their stores, in collaboration with LA fashion designers. “Our designs are inspired by places we travel and different styles that are on trend,” according to Wilson Bien who says they design in cuts that “complement a woman’s body.”

Each concept begins with a sketch and a piece of fabric, which are then sent to the manufacturer for sample creation – a process that can take months.

“We made the decision to have our pieces manufactured in LA, supporting the local California clothing industry,” says Wilson Hudlin, explaining their choice to have their line created in Los Angeles instead of overseas, despite the greater cost. 

“Being a small business,” says Wilson Bien, “we recognize the importance, and the power, of small, local economies.”

Describing the style of their fashion line, Wilson Hudlin says “Lots of denim, boots and soft neutrals reflect a Northern California aesthetic, but through the use of bolder, trendier pieces, [Ooh La Luxe is] able to appeal to customers outside of wine country.” Including customers like reality star JoJo Fletcher, apparently. And perhaps some of her 2.2 million Instagram followers that get a view of the #oohlaluxe looks that Fletcher models and posts.

“We like to think no matter where you live, or where you’re going, you can find your new favorite piece in our stores,” says Wilson Hudlin.

Ooh La Luxe can be found in its new location at 326 Healdsburg Avenue in
Healdsburg, and at 109 Petaluma Blvd. North in Petaluma, 1019 Santa Rosa Plaza in Santa Rosa, and on the web: oohlaluxe.com.

 

Wine Country Fires: 7 Sonoma Wines to Buy Right Now to Support Fire Relief

By Sarah Stierch
Iron Horse Vineyards - Gratitude Wine

“Buy our wine!” has become the rallying cry of Sonoma County winemakers and vintners since wildfires ravaged the wine producing region. While several Sonoma wineries were damaged or destroyed by the ferocious flames, others remain deeply affected by the catastrophe – many winery owners and workers lost their homes and/or jobs during the fires. These wineries are now taking resolute steps toward recovery, but their success relies on the support of locals and visitors alike.

Buying wine directly from local wineries is one way to help those affected by the fires – directly, by helping winery employees pay their bills and feed their families, and indirectly by boosting the local economy and, in turn, investments in initiatives serving the local community and those impacted by the fires. For every $100 you spend purchasing wine directly from a Sonoma County winery, 48% of that purchase goes back into the local economy (if you purchase wine from a chain, only 14% is returned to the local economy).

A number of Sonoma County wineries are now also supporting fire relief efforts by donating part of the proceeds to local non-profits. If you’d like to help Sonoma wineries and support the local economy, we have picked out a selection of wines to buy that not only taste great, but also benefit a good cause – a win win (or should that be “wine-wine”?) for everyone. Click through the gallery above for all the details.

Looking for more wines to buy to support fire relief efforts? Check out additional wineries throughout California supporting fire efforts here.

 

Wine Country Fires: Artists and Designers Create Artwork, Decals, Prints for Fire Relief

By Karen Kizer

Following the devastating North Bay Fires, volunteers continue to mobilize in great numbers, taking on various roles to care for affected community members. Among those eager to help are local artists and designers who, after the fires broke out, immediately went to work within their realm of expertise – creating images of hope and solidarity.

Click through the gallery above for a selection of artwork and designs inspired by the North Bay Fires. The sales from the items featured here will benefit those affected by the fires. We will continue to add to this gallery in the coming weeks. The Sonoma Strong sentiment evident in this work is now so sought after that some of these local artists are having trouble keeping up with demand while running their regular businesses. Please check back for notices of replenished stock.

 

Where to Find Unique Halloween Outfits in Sonoma County

By Karen Kizer

With Halloween around the corner, you might be needing a costume for yourself or your child. For some, this means a true retail adventure, while others feel burdened by the task. Sonoma County stores can answer the call in either scenario, and that doesn’t mean you’re limited to the “big box” offerings. Here are some finds to help you achieve maximum or minimum levels of disguise. Click through the slide show above for details.

Russian River Brewing Launches “Sonoma Pride” Campaign to Support Sonoma County Fire Victims

By Jess Poshepny Vallery

North Bay residents have spent the days since Monday morning, October 9, experiencing terror, loss, and heartbreak. They’ve been fighting fires with garden hoses, preparing their homes against the onslaught of raging flames, and waiting in evacuation centers for news of loved ones and updates regarding the survival of their homes. In the past few days, firefighters battling blazes in Napa and Sonoma counties have continued to make gains, with containment numbers increasing. When the fires are quenched begins the road toward recovery.

In an effort to help rebuild their local community, Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, owners of Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company, have partnered with former professional cyclist Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge Foundation to launch the charitable endeavor Sonoma Pride. The campaign will raise funds through direct donations to the King Ridge Foundation, sales of Sonoma Pride beer (to be released on October 31) and $25 donations for a chance to win Pliny the Younger line-cutting privileges in 2018.

The Sonoma Pride donation site, which has already realized over $162,959 in charitable contributions, will continue to collect and distribute funds through December; 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to victims of the Sonoma County wildfires.

Commenting on the Sonoma Pride campaign, Natalie Cilurzo says, “It was important to Vinnie and me to partner with a local non-profit that would ensure the money raised stays in Sonoma County…one with no overhead or administrative fees so all of the money goes directly to the wildfire victims.”

As part of this fundraising effort, Russian River Brewing Company has invited breweries from across Sonoma County and around the world to create beers under the Sonoma Pride label. Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg was the first to sign on for the collaboration.

“Being a retired firefighter myself” says Richard Norgrove Jr., Bear Republic owner and master brewer, “it was important for us to be a part of this.”

As part of the Sonoma Pride campaign, Bear Republic has partnered with St. Florian’s Brewery in Windsor to make a collaborative beer called “Mutual Aid.” Firetrucks from Healdsburg and Windsor will be pictured on the label. Aron Levin, owner and master brewer at St. Florian’s Brewery (St. Florian is patron saint of firefighters), is a fire captain and has been fighting on the front line since the North Bay wildfires broke out.

Bear Republic is planning a similar collaboration with Petaluma’s 101 North Brewing with a label representing Richard Norgrove’s and 101 North master brewer Joel Johnson’s alma mater Cardinal Newman. The proceeds from this collaborative brew will go directly toward rebuilding Cardinal Newman High School, which was damaged in the Tubbs Fire. Bear Republic Brewing is also donating 50 cents on ever case sold to help fire victims; the brewery estimates this will net $70,000 for the charitable endeavor.

Meanwhile, Sonoma Springs Brewing in Sonoma Valley plan to brew a juicy-style IPA under the Sonoma Pride label, which will be released on draft in November. On November 11th, the brewery will honor the Sonoma Valley Volunteer Fire Department at their annual Sottile Red Party fundraiser.

In addition to Russian River Brewing, Bear Republic, St. Florian’s, 101 North and Sonoma Springs, Santa Rosa breweries HenHouse and Cooperage are brewing a collaborative beer under the Sonoma Pride label and local breweries Plow, Third Street Aleworks, Seismic, Moonlight, Crooked Goat, Fogbelt, Barrel Brothers and 3 Disciples are also joining the fundraising effort.

All Sonoma Pride beers will be available on draft from October 31. Russian River Brewery and Bear Republic will be producing 10,000 barrels; they will bottle some Sonoma Pride for national distribution. Russian River Brewing Company’s Sonoma Pride release party is scheduled on October 31st, more details can be found on the brewery’s Facebook page.

Locals and families affected by the fires can apply for funds online through the King Ridge Foundation; families with children are given preference. The Sonoma Pride campaign has also secured donations from Trek and Specialized of 1,000 new bicycles; families with children who lost bikes in the fires or children who don’t own a bike may apply for one here. North Bay residents who are in need of basic necessities like toiletries, shoes, and clothing may apply for assistance in obtaining those items here.

More information about Sonoma Pride, and how to make a donation, here.

National breweries planning to brew beers under the Sonoma Pride label include: 
Alvarado Street (Monterey, CA), New Bohemian (Santa Cruz, CA), Eight Bridges (Livermore, CA), Morgan Territory (Tracy, CA), The Bell Marker (San Diego, CA), Crux Fermentation Project (Bend, OR), Boneyard (Bend, OR), Creature Comforts (Athens, GA), Scarlet Lane (McCordsville, IN), Cigar City (Tampa, FL), Ballast Point (San Diego, CA), and Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA), Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (Capitola, CA), Bagby Beer Company (Oceanside, CA), Three Weavers (Inglewood, CA), St. Archer (San Diego, CA), J Dubs Brewing (Sarasota, FL), Allegory Brewing (McMinnville, OR), and Revision Brewing (Sparks, NV) — more are expected to join.