Giving Thanks: Free Thanksgiving Meals in Sonoma County

By biteclub
Thanksgiving turkey dinner
Thanksgiving turkey dinner

Thanksgiving has never been more important than this year in Sonoma County and there is no shortage of organizations, restaurants, volunteers and chefs who are giving back to the community by serving up hearty, heartfelt bowls of turkey (or tofurkey) and gravy.

Here is an ever-growing list of organizations and restaurants serving free Thanksgiving meals this year.

GUERNEVILLE

The annual Guerneville Community Thanksgiving Dinner will take place at the Guerneville Veterans Hall. 12PM-4PM, (707) 326-1257, 16225 1st St., Guerneville. 

SANTA ROSA

Franchettis’ is serving a “top-notch, traditional Thanksgiving buffet” for victims of the fires, first responders and extended family. They will also be offering to go meals. Reservations recommended. 11AM-6PM, 1229 N. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, franchettis.com.

Redwood Gospel Mission hosts their annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet on Thanksgiving eve (Nov. 22). Everyone receives a hot turkey dinner, food boxes to take home. They will also be offering haircuts, free warm coats, a bounce house for the kids, and informational booths will be on hand, too. 11AM-7PM, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, srmission.org, .

Sprenger’s Tap Room is hosting a Thanksgiving Brunch Community Feed. Food provided. Beer is optional at a mere $5. 9AM-1PM, 446 B St., Santa Rosa.

SEBASTOPOL

The Community Church of Sebastopol will host their 17th annual Thanksgiving Dinner 1p – 5 pm November 23 which is open to the public. Meal delivery is available and they are also offering transportation to the dinner (reserve by November 20). 1PM-5PM, (707) 823-2484, 1000 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, uccseb.org.

SONOMA

The Sonoma Community Center will host its annual Thanksgiving dinner. Rotary of Sonoma Valley, cheesemaker Gary Edwards, and chef Daniel Quijada source and prepare the locally sourced meal. 3PM, November 23.  126 1st St. W., Sonoma, sonomacommunitycenter.org.

Seniors can enjoy a free Thanksgiving dinner at Vintage House. 3PM-6PM, (707) 996-0311, 264 1st St. E., Sonoma, vintagehouse.org.

WINDSOR

Windsor United Methodist Church will host a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday, November 18. They’ll serve up Thanksgiving dinner and there will be live music and activities for kids. (707) 838-6898, 9451 Brooks Rd. South, Windsor, windsorumc.com.

Sonoma County’s Seven Slowest Restaurants

By biteclub
Best burger winner 2017 was Backyard Restaurant's Tim Burger
Best burger winner 2017 was Backyard Restaurant’s Tim Burger

Sometimes being Slow is a very good thing.

This week, seven restaurants — from Geyserville to Valley Ford — received the Slow Food Sonoma County Snail of Approval for offering sustainable and ethically-raised food.

Click through the gallery above to find out which Sonoma County restaurants were awarded the Snail of Approval. 

The collaboration between the Slow Food Russian River and Slow Food Sonoma County North chapters of the international Slow Food movement judged the restaurants on criteria including seasonal ingredients and menus; sustainable ingredients sourced from local producers; humane treatment of people and animals; investment in fair labor practices; and green business practices like composting and recycling.

This was no cakewalk, however. According to organizers, each restaurant went through an approval process that included a detailed questionnaire, rigorous interview and on-site review conducted by a team of three Slow Food volunteers. Each evaluator independently rated the restaurant, before arriving at a collective score.

Biteclub is a huge fan of all the restaurants because of their very public support of local farmers and the community. 

After the Fires: 19 Ways to Support Sonoma County

By Sarah Stierch & Sofia Englund

In October, Sonoma County residents battled the most destructive wildfires in California history. By the time the blazes were fully contained, some three weeks after they broke out on October 8, they had burned more than 114,000 acres, destroyed 5,300 homes and killed 23 people in Sonoma County alone. The damage is estimated at $3 billion. The road to recovery has just begun – the impact of the fires will linger for months and years to come – and any measure of “success” will depend on the ongoing support of locals as well as visitors.

If you’d like to support Sonoma County in its efforts to rebuild and recover, we have listed a few ways to do so in the gallery above. In addition to helping those immediately affected by the fires through donations and volunteer efforts, we have also included ways in which you can support the local economy, and the tourism industry that Sonoma County depends on. (Despite the fact that large areas of the region were left untouched by the fires, many visitors have canceled upcoming reservations at local hotels, wineries and restaurants).

Glen Ellen’s Aventine Reopens In Wake of Sonoma County Fires

By biteclub
The Pizza Margherita is served at Aventine Glen Ellen (Conner Jay/The Press Democrat)

Another Glen Ellen restaurant is reopening in the wake of the fires: Aventine.

The Italian restaurant, located in the historic grist mill building at Jack London Village, closed during the fires due to mandatory evacuation orders in Glen Ellen.

Chef and owner Adolfo Veronese was the first to return to the restaurant when evacuation orders were lifted, says manager Toni Veronese. “He came in the back door of the restaurant and the smoke was so strong he stayed only long enough to ensure everything was still there,” she says.

The entire second floor dining area was covered in soot and ash due to an open window, requiring a deep cleaning. Additionally, all of the ceiling insulation had to be replaced, according to Veronese.

As for the food and alcohol: all the food had to be thrown away due to spoilage and all open liquor and wine was thrown away due to contamination.

However, even before returning to the property for inspection and clean up, Aventine suffered economic loss: all events were canceled in October and December. Veronese is feeling positive though about the future, “this past week I just started receiving requests for event information for next summer,” she shares.

In anticipation of reopening, staff returned Thursday to get Aventine in working order. “We all greeted each other with long hugs,” says Veronese, “Knowing that we’ve all made it through this past month and all have our own stories to share.”

Most importantly, they are excited to see customers return. “We’ve already heard from some of our regulars,” says Veronese, “I can’t wait to give them all a hug and hear their story when they walk through that door again.”

Aventine is currently open Friday-Sunday with service beginning at 5PM. (707) 934-8911, 14301 Arnold Dr., #32, Glen Ellen, aventinehospitality.com.

Thanksgiving Tips and Treats from a Sonoma Pastry Chef

By Adrienne Shubin

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving dinner without fresh baked sweet treats on the menu. Don’t we all look forward to the moment when we can dig our fork into a slice of pumpkin pie, topped with whipped cream? Or savoring the flaky crust and tartness of the apples in Mom’s homemade pie? Sonoma Pastry Chef and proprietor of Crisp Bake Shop, Andrea Koweek, shares her holiday baking tips, along with photos of her delicious Thanksgiving desserts, taken by Sonoma photographer Sarah Deragon. Click through the gallery above for all the decadent details.

If baking isn’t your thing or you don’t have time, you can order your sweet treats from Andrea at Crisp Bake Shop in Sonoma (707-933-9999).

Eat for the Farmers Feeding Sonoma County

By biteclub

“During the first week of the North Bay fires, our local farmers rallied to provide donations of fresh ingredients to a host of emergency kitchens and shelters. Now it’s time for us to pitch in,” said Evan Wiig of the Farmer’s Guild.

To support our local producers, Lowell’s (formerly Peter Lowell’s) is hosting the last of a series of  “Zero Kilometro”dinners featuring a three-course tasting menu on Nov. 16. Red Car winery will be partnering with the restaurant to offer wine pairings.

The idea of zero kilometro is based on an Italian tradition of featuring hyper-local ingredients (zero kilometers away) around a communal table. Literally from the farm to the kitchen, to the table — something that Lowell’s has long advocated, getting much of their produce from their own Two Belly Acres farm.

Dishes have included pickled New Family Farm cauliflower, masa dumplings with Bellwether Crescenza cheese, crispy pork with Two Belly Acres tomatoes, Mycopia mushrooms, McFarland Springs trout with smoked persimmons, braised beef with Little Organic Farm sunchokes, and caramel pot de creme with rhubarb. 

 Half of all food and wine sales — plus matching donations from Circle of Hands—goes to farmers.

A la carte and wine options available.  Details at facebook.com/lowellssebastopol.

 

Thanksgiving in Sonoma County 2017: Eat Out, Pick Up or Make it Yourself

By biteclub
Chef John Ash’s brined and roasted turkey is a traditional, yet tasty way to make your Thanksgiving memorable. (Shutterstock)

Thanksgiving is around the corner and you have a decision to make: are you going to cook or let someone else do the work?

If the latter is your choice, you have plenty of options whether you decide to celebrate your gratitude with your family at home (with a hearty meal you picked up for take away) or at a favorite restaurant. Here are some great local picks for Thanksgiving in Sonoma County.

Remember: most require reservations, so act now to reserve your meal or seat.

PICK UP

Sauced: Get sauced with a Southern-style meal to feed 6-8 people ($199). The meal includes smoke turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cornbread stuffing, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Order by November 20. (707) 410-4400, 151 Petaluma Blvd. #129, Petaluma, saucedbbqandspirits.com.

SHED: Build your own Thanksgiving meal from the Larder at SHED. The one caveat – you need to cook your own turkey. Options include BN Heritage Turkey, potato gratin, stuffing, smoked sweet potatoes, wild mushrooms, fairytale pumpkin gratin, Roman baked gnocchi, leaf lard tart, Sibley squash pie, roasted pumpkin soup, cranberry sauce, pomegranate salsa and a large selection of biscuits, rolls, cheese, appetizers, and desserts. You can also pick up poultry stock and a turkey brining kit. Order by November 19. (707) 431-7433, 25 North St., Healdsburg, healdsburgshed.com.

RESTAURANTS

Bay View Restaurant & Lounge in Bodega Bay is offering an a la carte menu including Dungeness crab cakes, pumpkin ravioli, clam chowder, seafood lasagna, branzino, pork osso bucco, filet mignon, roasted turkey and a the restaurant’s signature grilled filet Hitchcock (named after the filmmaker) – a filet mignon stuffed with Dungeness crab, demi-glace and béarnaise sauce. Traditional desserts are offered, too. 1PM-8PM, (707) 875-2751, 800 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, innatthetides.com.

Black Point Grill at Sea Ranch offers a 4-course Thanksgiving meal with ocean views. First course offers wild mushroom spring rolls or clams & mussels steamers. Second course offers Moroccan roasted butternut squash soup or winter organic baby greens. Entrees include roasted heritage turkey, pan seared salmon, seared day boat scallops, roasted yam ricotta strudel (vegetarian), and a braised pork shank. Desserts served include pumpkin pie, a chocolate espresso torte, and almond ricotta cheesecake. $55 for adults, $30 for children. 1PM-8PM, (707) 785-4811, inside Sea Ranch Lodge, 60 Sea Walk Dr., Sea Ranch, searanchlodge.com.

Central Market is offering a four-course meal with numerous options, including a wine pairing, including Dungeness Crab Chowder, House Smoked McFarland Springs Steelhead Trout, Local Heritage Breed Turkey, Suckling Guinea Hog Porchetta, and plenty of desserts. $65 for adults, $100 with wine, $20 for children. (707) 778-9900, 42 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma, centralmarketpetaluma.com.

Coast Kitchen offers a 3-course menu with ocean views guaranteed. Appetizers include butternut squash ravioli, beet salad and pumpkin soup. Second course offers roasted turkey dinner, grilled bone-in Kurobuta pork chop and pan seared salmon. Last course offers up pumpkin pie, chocolate crème brûlee, and apple fritters. $79 for adults, $30 for children. (707) 847-3231, inside Timber Cove Inn, 21780 Highway 1, Jenner, coastkitchensonoma.com.

Depot Hotel is offering a 4-course menu starting with corn chowder and a salad. Entrees include slow-roasted Mary’s Free Range Turkey, poached filet of salmon, spinach and ricotta ravioli (vegetarian), or boneless beef short ribs. For dessert, select cheesecake from Scandia bakery, pumpkin pie, or a chocolate torte. $50 for adults, $25 for children. 12PM-7PM, (707) 938-2980, 241 1st St. W., Sonoma, depotsonoma.com.

Dry Creek Kitchen‘s Chef Scott Romano will serve a 3-course menu. Starters include Chef Gerry Hayden’s Fluke Crudo, Hidden Pond Farm Beet Salad, cavatelli & braised veal, lentil soup, and a butterhead lettuce salad. Main courses include Classic B&N Ranch Turkey, caramelized diver scallops, sauteed arctic char, roasted lamb leg with Bellwether Ricotta Gnudi, and 48-hour pork short ribs. Three dessert options are available alongside local cheese, sorbet and ice creams. $72 for adults, $35 for children. (707) 431-0330, 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, drycreekkitchen.com.

El Dorado Kitchen offers their annual 3-course Thanksgiving menu. Many options are available, including vegetarian and vegan options. Starters include octopus carpaccio, gulf prawn cocktail, ginger carrot soup, beet terrine, salmon rillet, salads and cheese. Entrees include roasted free-range turkey breast, seared scallops, butternut squash risotto (vegan), and braised beef short rib. Desserts are lemon pudding cake and profiteroles. $65 for adults, $35 for children. 1PM-7PM, (707) 996-3030, 405 1st St. W., Sonoma, eldoradosonoma.com.

Farmhouse Inn‘s Chef Steve Litke keeps the new tradition of an annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Farmhouse Inn featuring turkeys raised by co-owner Joe Bartolomei. The 3-course, sample menu includes starters of Kombu cured hamachi, Fuyu persimmon salad, Dungeness crab causa rellena, butternut squash shellfish soup, and Swiss chard ricotta tortellini. The main course offers two options: Oz Family Farms Heritage Turkey and Wild Pacific corvina. Pumpkin pie, ice cream, and soufflés are offered for dessert. $119 with optional wine pairing. 4PM-8PM, (707) 887-3300, 7871 River Rd., Forestville. farmhouseinn.com.

the fig café is offering a 3-course prix fixe menu. Starters include fried Brussels sprout salad, pumpkin soup and fig & arugula salad (a standard at the fig). Main course options are roasted turkey breast, prime rib, pan-seared flounder, and roasted cauliflower with braised leek & brioche bread pudding and mushroom gravy (vegetarian). Dessert options are profiteroles or butterscotch pot de creme. Bring your own wine because there is no corkage. $45 for adults, $20 for children. 707-933-3000 x 13, 13690 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, thefigcafe.com.

the girl & the fig is serving a multi-course Thanksgiving meal, including an amuse bouche. Starters include cheese & charcuterie, pumpkin soup, and salads. Entrees include roast turkey breast, sauteed flounder, braised short ribs and mushroom risotto (vegetarian). There are four dessert options: a nut tart, chocolate budino, profiteroles and pumpkin pie. $57 for adults with a $18 wine pairing option and $20 for children. (707) 938-3634, 110 W Spain St., Sonoma, thegirlandthefig.com.

Gravenstein Grill is serving a 3-course feast with butternut squash, salad, Willie Bird turkey, classic sides, pumpkin pie and Bob’s Famous Rum Cake. $55 for adults. (707) 634-6142, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, gravensteingrill.com.

John Ash & Co. Executive Chef Tom Schmidt has created a 3-course menu with a plethora of options, including for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free eaters. First course includes carrot and parsnip soup, Tom’s French onion soup, Liberty Duck terrine, spicy ahi tuna tartare, and salads. For the main course, guests can select butternut squash risotto, grilled marinated portobello mushroom, diver scallops with gulf prawns, oven roasted BN Ranch heritage turkey, sea bass, Devil’s Gulch Langley Pork Chop, and a grilled filet mignon. Pastry Chef Casey Stone will serve his mom’s chocolate cake, pumpkin tarts, and apple crumble. $68 for adults, $34 for children. 800-421-2584, 4350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa, vintnersinn.com.

Madrona Manor‘s restaurant is offering a hyper-fall focused 6-course meal with Dungeness crab soup, truffle risotto, roasted white turkey meat with cippolini onions, black truffles, celery root, chevril and pain perdu, a confit dark meat of turkey with juniper, potato puree, sage and turkey bordelaise, and a “Flavors of Thanksgiving” dessert. $150 for adults with optional $80 wine pairing. (707) 433-4231, 1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, madronamanor.com.

Oakmont Golf Club will serve a Thanksgiving Day Buffet with salads, crab stuffed deviled eggs, peel & eat shrimp, crab cakes, turkey, ham, rib roast, and all the sides and desserts. Guests also receive a complimentary glass of champagne upon arrival. $35 for adults, $18 for children. 11 AM, (707) 537-3671, 7035 Oakmont Dr., Santa Rosa, oakmontgc.com.

Quail Run Buffet at River Rock Casino will serve a special Thanksgiving buffet. The menu includes roast turkey, prime rib, herbed stuffing, pies, cakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and more. $24.99 for adults, $12.99 for children. 11AM-9PM, 3250 Highway 128, Geyserville, riverrockcasino.com.

Saddles Steakhouse is hosting a 3-course Thanksgiving meal, including an amuse bouche starter (Panna cotta and oysters). First course is squash bisque and the second course is bitter greens with pear and Point Reyes blue. For entrées, options include pan seared turkey tenderloin, Black Angus filet mignon, a vegetarian sweet potato gnocchi with Swiss chard, or diver scallops. Desserts include praline and pumpkin creme brulee, maple bombe, and gelato. $80 for adults, $40 for children. 2PM-7PM, (707) 933-3191, inside MacArthur Place, 29 E. MacArthur Pl., Sonoma, macarthurplace.com.

Santé will host their decadent, annual Thanksgiving buffet, complete with ice sculptures and live music. The buffet includes shrimp cocktail, “foie gras,” vegetarian tartlets, Ahi tuna tartare, charcuterie, antipasti, caviar, a carving station with Diestel turkey and Mishima Ranch American Wagyu sirloin, pumpkin ravioli, Ora King salmon, Niman Ranch pork belly, and Oysters Rockefeller. Oh, and ton of sides and desserts. $135 for adults, $67.50 for children, free for children 4 and under. (707) 939-2407, Inside the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, santediningroom.com.

Spoonbar offers a 4-course meal will be served, including sweet corn chowder, butternut squash risotto, turkey and pecan pie. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. $65 for adults, $35 for children. (707) 433-7222, 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, spoonbar.com.

Sonoma Grille will be open with their regular menu on Thanksgiving day with an additional, extended prix fixe menu with Thanksgiving favorites. A nice option for those seeking to dine out while skipping the turkey. 11:30AM-9:00PM, (707) 938-7542, 165 W. Napa St., Sonoma, sonomagrilleandbar.com.

MARKETS

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

Oliver’s Market: Offers à la carte protein and a full meal option for 6-8 ($129.99), which includes a California-raised Diestel turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, rolls, pie and more. À la carte options include Diestel turkey, Boar’s Head ham, USDA prime rib, and a vegan roast, with sides available, too. oliversmarket.com

Raley’s: Offer’s à la carte (pick up cooked turkeys and ham or sides) and full meals to serve 6-8 (starting at $69.99). They offer Sonora-raised Diestel and Butterball turkeys and hams. Meals come with protein, gravy, cranberry sauce and your choice of three sides.  raleys.com

Sonoma Market & Glen Ellen Village Market: Offer traditional Thanksgiving meals to serve from 4-10 people (starting at $99.99) served with your choice of Diestel turkey or Llano Seco ham with sides. They also offer a “contemporary” holiday meal for 4-10 people (starting at $119.99) where you can select herb crusted beef filet option served with bread pudding, scalloped potatoes, cider-glazed carrots and brussels sprouts, and more. sonomamarket.net

Whole Foods: Offers à la carte (pick up a pre-cooked or raw turkey or freshly made lump-free mashed potatoes) or order a full meal to feed 4-12, including Diestel turkeys (raised in Sonora near Yosemite), ham and prime rib options. Though not cheap (an organic turkey meal for 8 can cost $160), they serve up humanely raised proteins and organic veggies.  wholefoodsmarket.com

Tyler Florence & Grateful Table to Host Thanksgiving Fire Fundraiser

By biteclub

Celebrity chef, and Bay Area resident, Tyler Florence joins Outstanding in the Field for an al fresco Thanksgiving fundraiser for fire relief efforts. 

The fundraiser, which takes place Tuesday, November 21, starts at $500 a pop and a group of eight can share a table for $4,000. Can’t attend? You can buy a ticket for a first responder or a resident affected by the fires for $250.

100% of ticket sales benefit the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, Mendocino County Disaster Fund, and the California Restaurant Association Foundation.

Named the Grateful Table, the Thanksgiving-themed fundraiser takes place in a vineyard in Carneros, on the Napa/Sonoma County line. Guests are told the exact location after procuring their tickets.

Upon arrival, guests take their seats at a really long table and the food and wine flows.

Menu details haven’t been announced, but with a Thanksgiving theme, the locally sourced menu could include recipes from Tyler Florence’s own Thanksgiving cookbook, such as spatchcocked free-range turkey, sausage stuffing, green bean poutine, and chocolate pecan pie.

The event is the brainchild of Outstanding in the Field founder, Jim Denevan. “Outstanding in the Field is about setting our long table in celebration of community and connection, where we hear and taste the story of the people and places that nourish and sustain us,” says Denevan. He describes the upcoming event as being a “scene of celebration, and…also a portrait of resilience.”

Tuesday, November 21, 1 PM. Tickets on sale now, outstandinginthefield.com.

 

Despite Heavy Losses From Fires, Sonoma Beekeepers Focus on Regeneration

By Leilani Clark, KQED

Some North Bay beekeepers lost multiple hives to the North Bay fires, while others saw only behavioral changes in their bees. In the end, everyone was impacted.

On a Monday morning, just a few hours after the most devastating wildfire in California history bore down from Calistoga into the northern edges of Santa Rosa, local apiarist Dewitt Barker received a text from his friend Susy Finzell. She’d had to flee her house in the middle of the night. The house was gone. Most likely, his 25 bee colonies had perished too.

Finzell lives on 27 acres of land on the backside of Fountaingrove with views of the Sonoma Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains. For eight years, Barker, the founder of Kiss the Flower Honey Company, had kept his main apiary there, on “pirate bee ships,” his name for large moveable trailers filled with living and empty bee hives.

A few days later, Barker saw the destruction with his own eyes. The entire bee-yard had been reduced to ash. Not a single bee had survived. Nothing remained but cinder blocks and five scorched bee boxes. He cried—a big, chest-heaving cry.

“I felt such despair because I didn’t have an opportunity to run over there and try to move them,” he says. “There was no warning by the time the fire swept through. They were gone. It’s like your children; you want to protect these vulnerable creatures.”

The bees, he says, never had a chance in the face of the ferocious and fast-moving fire, which was propelled by hurricane force winds and reached temperatures high enough to melt glass and hubcaps. Plus, bees communicate through smell. With no warning, and a reluctance to fly out in the middle of the night, the bees were overwhelmed by the smoke, which impeded their usually strong ability to communicate and initiate an emergency response.

It wasn’t an easy thing to take in for someone who calls beekeeping his “spiritual practice.” After leaving a career in the music industry, Barker studied beekeeping and queen bee rearing at UC Davis before launching his company in Sonoma County. He describes himself as a treatment-free beekeeper, which means he doesn’t apply miticides, unlike most commercial beekeepers. He also has a deep interest in breeding and genetics, and mourns the loss of a decade of genetics acclimated to that specific location, calling it “a devastating loss of living colonies.”

“These were very strong bees at the point that the fires took them out,” says Barker.

Over in the Sonoma Valley, Serge Labesque has been practicing natural beekeeping for twenty years. His unconventional approach to keeping honeybees has brought him notoriety in the North Bay where he teaches classes on natural beekeeping at Santa Rosa Junior College. According to Labesque, who is originally from France, most conventional beekeeping “goes against nature” for the benefit of humans.

He handles honeybees like the wild creatures he believes them to be. “I keep the bees in mind,” he says. “Nature knows better than I do as a beekeeper. I try to respect the biology in my approach. I let the bees tell me what to do rather than forcing my intent on them.”

Labesque keeps apiaries in four locations near his home in Glen Ellen. His main apiary is at Oak Hill Farm, a small, diversified, organic and family-owned farm of Highway 12 near the Bouverie Wildflower Preserve. The fires came within a few feet of the hives, but a fire break stopped the flames in their tracks. Everything around them was consumed and turned to ash, but the hives were spared. In what Labesque calls a miracle, the hives have yet to show any physical traces of fire whatsoever, an outcome he attributes to a combination of proximity to fire breaks and plain luck. A “good season” also means that the stores of honey and pollen are abundant.

Nonetheless, the bees’ behavior indicates subtle negative impacts, perhaps stirred up by the fast-moving wildfire. Most notably, even as stores remain in top condition, the bees have shown signs of stress, mainly displayed as increased aggression. Labesque has discovered severed bee parts— legs and wings—torn away from the bees’ bodies when they move too quickly within the hive. He’s also noticed some bees engaged in a behavior called “robbing,” when a strong colony attacks a weaker colony to settle honey.

“They are extremely agitated and very defensive much more than normal,” says Labesque. “I attribute that to the density of the smoke.” Despite these worrisome behaviors, he’s optimistic that once the smoke and the odor from burned vegetation and structures subside, the bees will return to normal pre-winter behaviors. They have plenty of food and forage from stands of eucalyptus and coyote brush that survived the fire. He’s not too worried about the bees’ stores for the winter. They should have enough.

Labesque is encouraging fellow beekeepers to multiply and propagate those bees that make it through the coming winter.

“We should multiply the bees that survived the fire and make them available to all the beekeepers who had lost their hives,” he says. “If we don’t do that, we’re going to be opening the door to the introduction bees that aren’t adapted to our local conditions. As we import bees, we import not only genetic material that is unfit to our area, but also new pests and pathogens that harm our bee population.”

One animal population that doesn’t get as much attention are local feral bees. Unlike their domesticated cousins, these native pollinators don’t typically keep stores and they live a solitary lifestyle, nesting in holes and leaves on the ground. According to Jon Sevigny, a beekeeper in Napa Valley, the recovery for these bees will be slow.

“These colonies that have survived will be in competition for food,” Sevigny said in a statement posted on the Napa Valley Beekeepers Facebook page. “A lot of what they’re foraging will be concentrated where there are available food sources, like homes, gardens, and farmland.”

Vineyards offer little sustenance to the bees, which means that until replacement plants like lupine spring up, the resources will be slim. But there are ways that people can help the bees rebound. Sevigny recommends planting a diverse assortment of seasonal and winter blooming flowers as bees can travel up to three miles in search of food sources. Rosemary, lavender, mint, and other flowering herbs are popular choices—just make sure they weren’t treated with pesticides or neonicotoids, which have been tied to Colony Collapse Disorder.

He also suggests a gentle approach to gardening where leaves and underbrush are allowed to remain in place so as to prove nest locations where feral bees can overwinter. “Bees and more so, native pollinators, have been at this game since time began,” writes Sevigny. “They are resilient and resourceful. They will rebound.”

DeWitt Barker, despite the loss of 25 living colonies, shares this positive attitude. With over 60 hives spread throughout Sonoma County, he still has dozens of hives stationed on organic farms and other open spaces in Sebastopol, Graton, and parts of Santa Rosa that were unscathed by the fire.

“The bees are building up as we speak,” says Barker about his hives at Blue Lake Farms in east Santa Rosa.”Will, the farmer there, is cover cropping with buckwheat; I’m lucky to know people like him, who are doing the right thing and feeding bees during a time of the year when there is usually no nectar flow going.”

His bees also have strong, locally acclimated genetics, thanks to years of careful breeding. After refreshing his knowledge of queen bee breeding, Barker will work on building up baby colonies from his remaining hives. Urged on by a client, Good Eggs, the organic grocery delivery service out of San Francisco, Barker is putting together a loan application through Kiva, an online lending platform.

It’ll probably take about two years to build back his hives in the hills above Santa Rosa, but he’s up for the challenge.

“There’s nothing like this kind of firestorm to forge one’s will and determination to succeed,” says Barker. “I’m doubling down on my efforts to do my best with what remains, and I have a lot of confidence in the honeybees ability to generate more abundance. Because nature is regenerative; it heals itself.”

This article was originally published on kqed.org/bayareabites.

Sláinte! Santa Rosa’s Stout Brothers Reopens After Renovations

By biteclub
Updated bar at Stout Brothers in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)

A rare thing in the dining world: pub/restaurant closes for renovations, say they will re-open in a specific time frame [end of October], actually succeeds at opening. 

To be exact, that would be Santa Rosa’s Stout Brothers Irish Pub and Restaurant and they are back open for business.

“New menu! New cocktails! New vibe!” is what the website declares.

The facelift included a deep cleaning and lots of new stuff: a backlit bar with a new cocktail menu, barstools and seating in the dining area, lighting (the old chandeliers were replaced with steampunk-ish light fixtures), flooring, and art.

Stout Brothers also updated their menu, with new appetizers, salads and entrees. While we haven’t seen the new menu in its completion, menu staples like fish and chips and burgers haven’t gone away.

The new cocktail menu was designed by the crew at the Starling Bar in Sonoma, meaning it is bound to be filled with seasonal craft cocktails that go above and beyond the usual set.

They also updated their operating hours: they’re open daily from 3 PM to 12:30 AM, with the kitchen serving until 9:30 PM.

Stout Brothers Irish Pub & Restaurant, (707) 636-0240, 527 4th St., Santa Rosa, stoutbrospub.com.