Chef Stephanie Izard will appear Sept. 25 at Women In Conversation in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)
When chef Stephanie Izard won Top Chef in 2008, she was the first woman to hold the title. In the 17 years since her trailblazing appearance, she remains one of only six women to cook their way to the top of the culinary competition.
Being a female chef has never been an easy road in the male-dominated industry, but Izard sees hope on the horizon as more women embark on culinary careers.
“You can be a chef. You can do all of these things. We see our industry is starting to become a little bit more diverse and have a lot more women that are running kitchens,” Izard said in a 2023 interview with OK! Magazine. “It’s fun to just feel like there’s a little bit of impact from that and ongoing love of being a woman in the industry.”
Since the Top Chef win, she’s been an Iron Chef winner, received several James Beard awards, authored two books and become a mother to her now 8-year-old son, Ernie. Izard owns six restaurants: Cabra, Girl & The Goat (with locations in Chicago and Los Angeles), Little Goat and Duck Duck Goat in Chicago. Acclaimed for her global flavors and locally sourced ingredients, Izard advocates nose-to-tail cooking (roasted pig face is a fan favorite) and has made goat a signature menu item.
Chef Stephanie Izard will appear Sept. 25 at Women In Conversation. (Courtesy photo)
Despite her full plate, Izard continues to be one of America’s most recognized women chefs, launching a line of globally-inspired sauces and spices, recently competing in chef Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions (filmed in Santa Rosa), and filming a cameo for season three of The Bear.
Izard spoke to The Press Democrat before her Sept. 25 appearance at Women in Conversation in Santa Rosa.
What would you be if you weren’t a chef?
A scuba diving instructor!
What has changed most in your life since winning Top Chef?
That was about 17 years ago; so crazy to think about! So much has happened and so many opportunities. It has been a wild ride ever since. While I get to do really cool events and travel and other TV opportunities, I am still just a chef who works at my restaurants and works with my team, which hasn’t changed at all.
What advice would you give a woman starting in the restaurant industry?
It is a very supportive industry, especially with other women. Find people you trust to talk to and go along the journey together. Be mindful of the places you choose to work. Make sure they are as excited to work with you as you are them! And that you are excited about what chef you will be working alongside.
Do you cook differently at home after becoming a mother?
I really don’t, although I strive to be more like my mom who was an amazing home cook and made us really great meals from all over the world every night of the week.
You’re known for your nose-to-tail cooking; why is it so important for people to understand eating the whole animal?
I think at this point, most chefs do the same. There are a multitude of reasons: food cost is great, there are a lot of bits of the animal that are tastier than the cuts you find at the grocery store, and it is more respectful of the animals we raise for food.
What’s an ingredient you can’t live without?
Red Boat fish sauce!
What’s your secret food obsession?
Kewpie mayo (though I don’t think it’s a very big secret!)
What inspires you most about Sonoma County?
I travel to the area often for work and just always feel at peace. Such a beautiful landscape! There are also some really great restaurants and, of course, wine all around. Everyone that lives up in Sonoma County seems really happy and let me know that it is a great place to be.
BikeHealdsburgBike Healdsburg, the first party bike in Sonoma County, offers several different tours: a morning exercise tour, a daily history and architecture immersion, a wine-tasting and nibbles excursion and a bar crawl. Click through the gallery for a taste of the experience.
It seems like ages since Sonoma County pivoted to appointment-only experiences in the wake of the pandemic. If you long for the days where you could escape to Wine Country on a whim, we have good news.
“As long as you are willing to be flexible and have a sense of adventure — spontaneity is back,” said Tim Zahner, Sonoma Valley Tourism executive director. “Planning is for when you absolutely need to have it right: anniversary or special trip. But if you want to take off for a few days, come on up.”
While an impressive roster of elaborate, sit-down Wine Country experiences require reservations to assure attentive service, there are arguably just as many that embrace spur-of-the-moment options.
Walk-in Wine Experiences
Ram’s Gate welcomes guests to its Sonoma estate without reservations for a variety of experiences, ranging from a guided five-wine seated tasting to The Caviar Experience, which pairs Ram’s Gate wines with caviar from Tsar Nicoulai.
In Healdsburg, J Vineyards & Winery welcomes walk-ins daily for its Signature Tasting of five Russian River Valley wines. And it never hurts to ask about availability in the Legacy Lounge.
Tasting area at Dutcher Crossing winery in Geyserville. (Courtesy of Dutcher Crossing)
For $20, spontaneous tasters can sip and swirl their way through current release wines at Dutcher Crossing in Dry Creek Valley.
“Guests can also bring their own picnic and enjoy views of Dry Creek Valley from our dog-friendly back lawn,” said proprietor Debra Mathy.
Winery dog Lady is known to stop by the tasting room to say hello and check if visitors brought extra snacks.
Though vino may be the main draw, there’s more to Sonoma County than just wine. Enjoying the great outdoors is a year-round perk in these parts. From waterfalls to whale sightings, spontaneous hiking opportunities are seemingly endless. Stroll in the shadow of towering redwoods at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve; enjoy breezes from the Pacific Ocean while exploring Jenner Headlands Preserve; or picnic amid native and Asian flora at Glen Ellen’s Sonoma Botanical Garden, all without having to plan ahead to secure reservations.
Bike Healdsburg offers both wine tours and a bar crawl. (Courtesy of Bike Healdsburg)
Don’t discount guided tours when considering a last-minute getaway. Family-owned and operated Bike Healdsburg, the first party bike in Sonoma County, welcomes visitors who roll into town at the last minute. Bar crawl tours remain available on the website until the hour before the tour, and right up to the start time if there’s a tour already booked that still has space. The Bike Healdsburg website is the best way to snag a spot. If you don’t see availability online, don’t hesitate to call or text.
“It never hurts to ask,” said co-owner Jessica Pilling. “Because we are a small operation, we have flexibility. We have some groups that want to deviate from our set tour times because of their travel schedules or what not, and we are often able to accommodate them if they call.”
There are countless opportunities to eat well in Wine Country without a dinner reservation. Here’s a list of our favorite local restaurants that we love to revisit, but it just scratches the surface. Bringing your dog along? Spread Kitchen boasts a dog-friendly patio. Want to check out some food trucks? Santa Rosa’s Mitote Food Park serves up tasty Mexican eats. About two miles away, Shokakko offers Asian-inspired street food, and Gabacool Provisions pops up all around with New York-style pizza.
Stay the Night
No hotel wants to leave a room empty. Checking a property’s website or even calling the front desk can help when hunting for the best last-minute room booking. Select hotels even offer perks, like easy access to sought-after Wine Country experiences.
“We’re delighted that in our first couple of years, we’ve already established a great number of winery partners,” said Emily Glick, co-owner and general manager of The Stavrand in Guerneville. “Most notably with Marimar Estate, which provides a complimentary Classic Tasting, small charcuterie plate and preferred availability to all of our guests.”
Vida Cultural Arts hosted a Hispanic Heritage Festival on the Sonoma Plaza on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (Aimee Chavez Aimee’s Gallery/ for the Index-Tribune)
National Hispanic Heritage Month, officially celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, pays tribute to the historical, cultural influences and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
The nationally observed month was originally established as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and was expanded to a 30-day period in 1988.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino provides a wealth of information on the month, including background on key Latin Independence Days, important figures in Latino communities through history, and explorations into Latin food, art and culture.
According to Data USA, Hispanic people make up the second largest ethnic group in Sonoma County, after non-Hispanic white people, accounting for 28% of the population, as of 2022.
To honor the county’s rich Hispanic and Latino culture and community, local museums and organizations have planned a number of events for people to participate in. Scroll on below to learn about Sonoma County’s Hispanic Heritage Month happenings.
One of the Hispanic Heritage Month events at the Sonoma County Library this year with be a series of workshops for children (from kindergarten to sixth grade) to decorate sugar skulls in celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), led by local instructor Elsa Tapia. The series of workshops will be held at various times and dates in different regional libraries from Sept. 7 to Oct. 30. (The Press Democrat file)
Sonoma County Library events
The Sonoma County Library system will host a number of Hispanic Heritage Month events for people of all ages from September through October at all regional libraries. Events and workshops are free to attend, but some select events require registration.
The library’s Hispanic Heritage events include, but are not limited to: author talks, Spanish music singalongs, cultural painting parties, cooking demonstrations and sugar skull making workshops for kids. To learn more about select events and register for workshops, click here.
Other Sonoma County Events
Celebrating the Huipil at SRJC’s Multicultural Museum, Sept. 3 – Oct. 3
Santa Rosa Junior College’s Multicultural Museum is observing Latinx Heritage Month with a month-long exhibit entitled “Celebrating the Huipil,” on display now through Oct. 3. The exhibit features a collection of colorful huipils: traditional, hand-woven garments worn by Indigenous women from Mexico to Central America. Fall museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The museum and its exhibits are free to attend, but donations are welcome.
Before Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicks off, Rohnert Park will be host to its first lowrider festival, organized by Rudy Campos and Taqueria Sol Azteca owner Frankie Lemus. The festival and car show, held 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7, will include live music, food vendors, merchant booths and a car hop competition. There will be performances by Los Del 7, Q-Vo Band and Danza Xantotl de Santa Rosa, among others. The event is free to attend and there will be over 100 trophies awaiting winners in the car show. Register your car for the show here.
6400 State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park
Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making, Sept. 12-Nov. 3
An upcoming exhibition at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum will explore true stories from California’s Mexican Period, from 1822 to 1846, contrasted with fantasy narratives from early settlers that created an enduring California mythos. The “Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making” exhibit, running from Sept. 12 through Nov. 3, will highlight California’s history before statehood, the oft-ignored stories of indigenous peoples and the fictionalized lore that persists today. A free opening reception will take place from 5–7 p.m. on Sept. 7. The California Historical Society and nonprofit Exhibit Envoy developed and organized the exhibit for the Petaluma Museum.
Vida Cultural Arts hosted a Hispanic Heritage Festival on the Sonoma Plaza on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (Aimee Chavez Aimee’s Gallery/ for the Index-Tribune)
VIDA Cultural Arts Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, Sept. 13 and Sept. 15
Local nonprofit VIDA Cultural Arts will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at its forthcoming Sueños Market, themed “Viva Mexico,” from 5-9 p.m., Sept. 13, at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa. The free event will include local artisan crafts and food vendors as well as live music and cultural performances, such as a Ballet Folklórico and Baile con la Banda. Learn more at Eventeny. 50 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa.
VIDA will also host its lively Mexican Independence Day festival from 1-7 p.m., Sept. 15, on the Sonoma Plaza. The celebration is free to attend and will include live performances as well as an artisan market showcasing local goods and food vendors. A special moment of the day will see the San Francisco Mexican Consulate leading the community in El Grito, referring to “the shout” for Mexican Independence.
The Barrel Proof Lounge will celebrate Mexican and Central American heritage and independence with a night of live music and dancing from 10 p.m. Sept. 13 to 1 a.m. Sept. 14. There will be musical performances by Jasid Guerrero (salsa, merengue and other stylings) and DJ Mambo (banda and reguetón). The 21 and over event will have drinks available for purchase. General admission is $15 on Eventbrite, $20 at the door.
Nonprofit Somos Windsor will observe the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration of Mexico’s Day of Independence, from 4–8 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Windsor Town Green. The fiesta will include free activities and live music, including performances from Rocío la Dama de Cumbia and Cali Calmécac’s Ballet Folklórico. Attendees are welcome to bring low-backed beach or camp chairs to lounge and enjoy the festivities. There will be food trucks selling food and drink as well as a Latino arts and crafts market with artisan goods for sale.
Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland Drive, Windsor, somoswindsor.org
Mitote Food Park, on Sebastopol Road in the Roseland neighborhood of Santa Rosa, will host Vinos del Valle, a grand food and wine tasting event highlighting local Latino vintners, from 5-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 14. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Vinos del Valle, Sept. 14
Santa Rosa’s Mitote Food Park will host Vinos del Valle, a grand food and wine tasting event highlighting local Latino vintners, from 5-8:30 p.m. Sept. 14. The community event will feature wines and winemakers from Suspiro Wines, 1467 Cellars, Ludor Wines, Surcos Wines and Reclamación Wines. General admission is $35. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite.
Local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg and Healdsburg Community Services will host an arts and culture community celebration to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, starting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Healdsburg Plaza. The free event will include a showcase of artwork from Diversity in Arts grant recipients, children’s activities, local food vendors, and music and dance performances. A bike valet will be available.
Healdsburg Plaza, off Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, 707-615-4567, corazonhealdsburg.org
Scarlett Velie, 8, left, of Santa Rosa chooses a bead necklace with help from her mother Alexandra Velie, during Fiesta de Independencia at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Fiesta de Independencia, Sept. 15
Presented by Redwood Credit Union, the 15th annual Fiesta de Independencia at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will include various family-friendly activities, music and food from 1-7 p.m. on Sept. 15. The Center’s Latino Advisory Council organized the free festival, which aims to honor Latin American countries and their independence. The event will include cultural exhibits, a lowrider car show, mariachi and Ballet Folklórico performances, and headliners Arpeños (at 4 p.m.) and El Tributo a La Sonora Santanera (at 6 p.m.). In partnership with Los Cien Sonoma County, the Center will also present its annual Community Leadership Awards to recognize an individual and an organization that has shown outstanding commitment to the local Latino community through activism, education and mentorship.
“Celebrando Culturas Juntos/Cultures Celebrating Together” event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a performance by Ireri Ballet Folklorico Petaluma (pictured) at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Children’s Museum of Sonoma County)
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, sponsored by Redwood Credit Union, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 21. The day of children’s programs and art activities will include maraca making, live dance performances, interactive gardening with traditional Hispanic crops, collaborative arts from local artist and teacher Martín Zúñiga, Frida Kahlo-inspired self-portraits, creating paper mâché alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk sculptures) and much more. There will also be treats available from Fruta Ice Cream and Mama Zara Empanadas, as well as a lesson on corn tortillas from Los Tres Chiles restaurant with free samples. All events are included in the $16 general admission, and free for museum members and infants.
1835 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-546-4069, cmosc.org
Hispanic Heritage Month Brunch in the Vineyard, Sept. 21
Enriquez Estate Wines will close out its popular “Brunch in the Vineyard” series this year with a Hispanic Heritage Month-themed brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 21. Chef Robert of SoCo Paella will be on site preparing seafood and meat paella with seasonal vegetables. The brunch menu will also include Spanish albondigas (meatballs) in a smoky tomato sauce and conchita pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), paired with award-winning estate wines. Brazilian indie band Complicated Animals will provide live music entertainment. Tickets are $75 per person; purchase on the website or Tock.
Children’s music started the day at the Global Roots World Music Festival with Mexican dance-along tunes by Tia Leah’s Neighborhood at the Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus in Rohnert Park, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Global Roots Sonoma, Sept. 21
Sonoma County’s world music festival Global Roots Sonoma will be held from noon to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center. The lineup for the one-day festival includes Lila Downs, Caña Dulce y Caña Brava, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, AR Flamenco Trio and more. Food trucks will be available on site. Tickets are $54. Purchase tickets online.
1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 707-664-4246, gmc.sonoma.edu
11th State of the Latine Community Address, Sept. 26
Local nonprofit Los Cien will host its 11th annual State of the Latine Community Address from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 in SSU’s ballroom. Hundreds of attendees gather at the annual event to hear insightful keynotes and engage in thought-provoking dialogue that addresses disparities within local Latine communities as well as actionable steps to inspire positive change. A highlight of the gathering will include an unveiling and discussion of Health Action Together’s Agenda for Action report in response to the county’s Portrait of Sonoma County 2021 Update, showing human stories behind the data. General admission is $45 for members and $65 for non-members. Purchase tickets online.
Sonoma State University Ballroom, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 415-320-4559, loscien.org
Charles M. Schulz Museum Jazz Connections, Oct. 5
Healdsburg Jazz will present its Family Matinee Concert Series at the Charles Schulz Museum, with a live performance by percussionist and educator Ami Molinelli and her San Francisco-based Brazilian quartet Grupo Falso Baiano to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The free event, which will start with an author talk, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 5. The concert series starts at noon.
Thai BBQ Chicken at Thai House Noodle Soup in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Santa Rosa’s Thai restaurant lineup is expanding with the addition of Thai House Noodle Soup (1899 Mendocino Ave.) and the soon-to-open Khao Soi Thai Zen (1169 Yulupa Ave.).
Red curry at Thai House Noodle Soup in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Thai House replaces Cozy Plum Bistro and offers standard Thai dishes — Pad Thai, green papaya salad, curry — along with standout soups served hotpot-style with a portable burner, keeping the soup bubbling away at the table. Don’t miss the pho-esque Thai Boat Noodle Soup with beef; Tom Yum Noodle Soup with ground chicken, peanuts, wontons and garlic oil; or the comforting Racha Noodle Soup made with instant noodles, prawns, ground pork, galanga, lemongrass and condensed milk.
Khao Soi has not yet opened, but the menu posted in the window and online includes hot pot soups, whole fried fish with garlic sauce, and Khao Soi, a Northern Thai curry with steamed egg noodles.
The Hog Island Oyster Co. pickup window in Petaluma. (Courtesy of Remy Anthes)
Hog Island Oyster Co., a popular seafood establishment on the Sonoma-Marin Coast, has opened a Petaluma pickup window on First Street. The menu features oysters, shellfish (clams, mussels, prawns) and other local catches, including squid, abalone and geoduck clams.
Customers will also be able to pick up kitchen staples, including Hogwash mignonette, cocktail sauce and miso nori butter, as well as Hog Island merch.
Oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co. are now available at a pickup window in Petaluma. (Courtesy of Remy Anthes)
Orders must be placed online or over the phone for pickup from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays.
Parish Cafe in Healdsburg. (Photo courtesy of siponthisjuice.com)
Chef Ari Rosen of Healdsburg’s much-missed Campo Fina and Scopa restaurants will host a one-night-only dinner at The Parish Cafe (60 Mill St., Healdsburg) on Sept. 27.
The menu includes arancini, meatballs, cotoletta (an Italian-style schnitzel), salad and beignets. Kids get their own dinner seating from 5 to 6 p.m. (parents can stick around inside, but the meal is focused on peer-to-peer noshing). Tickets on OpenTable are $25 for children and $65 for adults. Reservations required.
Beignets at Parish Cafe in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Throughout the fall, the Healdsburg restaurant will offer other specialty dinners, including Parish Nights (Oct. 24 and 25) with an a la carte menu featuring Parish favorites and new Cajun dishes, including crawfish etouffee, Yaka Mein (Louisiana-style ramen), Louisiana blue crab cakes and fried chicken frisée salad.
Chef Ralph Tingle (of Bistro Ralph) will continue his evening appearances featuring his signature Chicken Paillard from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 14 and 15, and Dec. 12 and 13. $75 per person.
The Sausage Emporium, just opposite the Plaza on Napa Street in Sonoma, serves a variety of sausage sandwiches and salads to tourists and locals alike on Wednesday July 14, 2021. (Photo by Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)
Sausages are out, global cuisine is in at Mozaik, the forthcoming restaurant from the owners of the Sausage Emporium in Sonoma. Owner Miranda Ives is sunsetting the sausage-centric focus of her Sonoma Plaza cafe (31 East Napa St.) for a more expansive menu that will include dishes like Kashmiri short rib tacos, pork belly naan flatbread and Ethiopian Berbere-spiced chicken.
Ives, who is also the founder of Hare and Hatter Café, Emporium Wines and Beanwrks, hopes to create a convivial communal space for lunch and dinner at Mozaik, as well as weekend brunch and social hours from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Miranda Ives, co-owner of the Sausage Emporium on Napa Street in Sonoma, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (Photo by Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)Charcuterie board from Sausage Emporium in Sonoma. (Courtesy Sausage Emporium)
“We are evolving from Sausage Emporium to Mozaik to better reflect our growing vision and the diverse culinary experiences we want to offer our guests. While Sausage Emporium has been a beloved local favorite, we’re excited to introduce Mozaik, which allows us to expand our menu and bring a wider variety of global flavors to the table,” Ives said.
The Sausage Emporium on the Plaza opened in 2021 after long construction delays during the pandemic. Before that, Ives and her mother, Linda Welch, operated Hare and Hatter at the El Paseo Alley from 2017 to 2019.
Mozaik’s opening, according to Ives, is a moving target but is slated for late September or early October.
This Sonoma home is a transformed and renovated school house originally built in 1910. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
A restored 1910 schoolhouse that has transformed into a modern home has hit Sonoma’s real estate market. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom dwelling has 4,500 square feet of living space on one grassy, tree-lined acre. It’s currently listed for $6,495,000.
Modern interior elements — new tile and stonework, wood cabinets, glass chandeliers — sparkle alongside the home’s traditional bones.
Kitchen. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)Living room. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
The schoolhouse’s history remains through the belfry at the entrance, original wood floors, double-hung windows and some built-in cabinets.
Amenities include a chef’s kitchen with a Wolf range, a pool with water features and a two-car garage with an adjacent wine room.
For more information on 1250 Lovall Valley Road in Sonoma, contact listing agents Caroline Sebastiani, 415-290-3123, 707-935-2277, or Kristie Eddy, 949-577-1717, 707-935-2288, Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage,793 Broadway, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com
Exterior view. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)
A modern Glen Ellen estate on 156 acres bordering Jack London State Historic Park is currently on the market. The main residence, guest house and barn —containing seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and four half bathrooms — has a list price of $32.5 million.
The angular stone and glass dwelling includes 14,000 square feet of living space. Its large windows, clean lines and natural hues yield to the beauty of the natural setting.
The property includes a forested area and 42 acres of vineyard producing Cabernet and Merlot as well as smaller yields of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Sauvingon Blanc.
Exterior view. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)Reflection pool. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)
Verandas, courtyards and a reflection pool provide a pleasing transition from the indoors to outdoors.
Interiors enjoy rich texture from stone walls and wood accents. Two-story, floor-to-ceiling glass doors provide spectacular immersion in the prime Wine Country setting. Impressively-sized curtains soften the look. Stonework adds grounded drama to the kitchen, bathrooms and fireplaces.
The home is the collaborative work of Aidlin Darling Design, Cello & Maudru Construction and Marta Fry Landscape Associates.
For more information on this property at 7596 Sonoma Mountain Road, Glen Ellen, contact listing agent Daniel Casabonne, 707-494-3130, 707-939-2222, Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage,428 First St. East, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com
A cold beer with the Captain’s Platter served with Dungeness crab, fried calamari, beer battered shrimp and rock cod with a side of Dipper fries at Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
With stunning views of Bodega Bay, a convenient location and ample parking, Lucas Wharf Restaurant has been a popular stop on the Sonoma Coast since it opened in the early 1980s. The food, was another story. Let’s just say it never made my annual “Best Restaurants” list. This year, it probably will.
(Side note: Fishetarian, the restaurant’s fast-casual seafood sibling, is spectacular.)
The coastal restaurant, which closed abruptly last March, reopened as Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in mid-August. Within days, new owners and longtime restaurateurs Brandon Guenther and Shona Campbell had a runaway hit on their hands. And the excitement is only growing.
Locally sourced seafood, rock star chef Jamilah Nixon (of Jam’s Joy Bungalow) and a full bar have made the restaurant a new destination dining spot for visitors and locals seeking the kind of experience coastal restaurants often promise but rarely deliver.
The dining area at Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
But Lucas Wharf has always been more than just another seaside restaurant to Guenther and Campbell. The couple, who also own Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford, loved its historic mahogany charm and rough-around-the-edges aura, and frequented the restaurant on days off. It was a no-brainer to save it after it closed last year.
Once known as Lazio Dock, the restaurant has been a centerpiece of the local seafood industry, where salmon, shrimp, rockfish, crabs and all other kinds of seafood caught in and around the Bay were processed.
“Lucas Wharf was important to the community. Watching it sit there for so long empty drove me crazy, so we jumped on it and threw ourselves to the wolves to get it opened back up,” said Guenther. “We wanted it for the community, even though I didn’t want to give up our favorite bar seats.”
The eats
The menu, developed by Guenther and chef Nixon, is classic wharf-side dining with some Southern twists — not surprising since the original Rocker Oysterfeller’s restaurant in Valley Ford focuses on dishes like shrimp and grits and fried chicken (as well as oysters). The two restaurants, however, are literally and figuratively miles apart.
A cold beer with the Captain’s Platter, served with Dungeness crab, fried calamari, beer battered shrimp and rock cod with a side of Dipper fries. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
While Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf focuses on “surf” dishes like fat Captain’s Platters loaded with fried fish, calamari and fries, peel-and-eat shrimp, blackened rockfish and chowder, Rocker Oysterfeller’s Roadhouse (the new name), will evolve its menu around “turf,” with fried chicken, pasta and burgers (though its fish tacos and oysters will remain). (The daily happy hour is a Valley Ford tradition and is highly recommended.)
Guenther said the couple closed their third Rocker’s location in Placerville recently so they could focus on the new restaurant in Bodega Bay.
The vibe
Lucas Wharf’s brick-red exterior and old-school interior are mostly the same, purposefully.
Things have been refreshed, though, and artist Joe Szuecs has created a metal kelp garden with moving lights above the dining room, echoing the Bay’s aquatic life.
The bar is still a focus, with seats and window views always at a premium. There are no reservations, so you’ll likely be in for a wait if you visit at peak times.
“This place already has a built-in audience, so you’re constantly getting people coming by who came here for years. They’re excited to have it back,” said Guenther. “We’re definitely going to have some fun out there.”
Remoulade Louis Salad offered with your choice of poached wild gulf shrimp or fresh Dungeness crab. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Best bets
Butterball Potato and Manila Clam Chowder, $9.95: Not your average pasty chowdah. Rocker’s version has a New Orleans-style roux base, giving it a light caramel color and loads of flavor. Not too thick or too thin, but something perfectly in between. Served with applewood-smoked bacon and garlic toast to sop up all the goodness.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, $19.95: Shell-on wild Gulf shrimp in Worcestershire butter sauce. Worth the mess.
Pan Roasted Local Fish Fillet, $29.95: Rockfish (aka rock cod or Pacific red snapper) is a local favorite and a workhorse of this menu. The styles will change seasonally — we had it with blackened spice, basmati rice, corn and summer squash, black-eyed peas and green tomato chowchow. You’ll be a fan even if you’re not a fan. If the charbroiled whole rockfish with garlic butter and fennel (with jambalaya fried rice) is available, it’s also spectacular.
Captain’s Platter, $38.95: This is the holy grail of fried seafood pilgrims. A ridiculous amount of saltine-fried shrimp, beer-battered rock cod, salt and pepper calamari, a Dungeness crab cake and Kennebec fries served with tartar, rémoulade and cocktail sauce for your dipping pleasure. Easily enough for two. I’ve looked for something as impressive as this on the coast for decades and never before found it — a tip of the captain’s hat to the kitchen.
Banana pudding with Nilla wafers soaked in dark rum and coffee. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Rémoulade Louis Salad with Dungeness Crab, $29.95: Soft butter lettuce, toy box tomatoes, pickled onions and a jammy-yolked egg set the scene. A pile of fresh crab gets dressed with a Cajun-spice riff on the classic Crab Louie dressing.
Smoked Salmon Dip, $14.95: Just what it says. Creamy smoked salmon with salty capers, salmon roe, fresh herbs and plenty of cream cheese — another tasty dipper.
Banana Pudding, $11.95: Tiramisu meets English trifle meets maw-maw’s home cooking. Though it was first introduced in the North, this simple banana pudding recipe is layered with ‘Nilla wafers soaked in Saint George NOLA coffee liqueur. Your inner child will squeal while your adult self contemplatively savors the deep coffee and banana flavors.
Also great: The Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf menu is expansive and the portions are generous. We barely got through a handful of dishes before tapping out. Guenther said the PEI Mussels in a Creole tomato beer broth with Andouille sausage ($23.95) is a personal favorite, along with the ever-evolving Chilled Seafood Tower ($49.95), with raw oysters, mussels, shrimp, smoked fish dip and pickled corn. If you’re not a huge seafood fan, steak and pasta are also available.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf is open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com
