Due to the devastating wildfires in Sonoma County, some Halloween events have been canceled. This is an updated list of events as of October 20.
Do you have a wee zombie or baby vampire in your family yearning for Halloween? Good news, you don’t have to wait until October 31 to celebrate all things spooky. We ate a bag of candy corn (ok, maybe two), and lined up this list of the scariest, spookiest, silliest Halloween celebrations for your little monsters. Click through the gallery above for all the details.
Due to the devastating wildfires in Sonoma County, some Halloween events have been canceled. This is an updated list of events as of October 20.
Halloween isn’t just for treat or tricking kids anymore! From cocktail costume parties and cult classic stage shows to cemetery tours, Wine Country residents of drinking age aren’t letting the kids have all the freaky fun. Click through the gallery above to discover the scariest, strangest, and downright craziest Halloween events for grown ups this season.
Has the pumpkin spice craze jumped the shark? With everything from pumpkin spice lattes and teas to pumpkin spice Oreos and protein powder now taking over coffeeshops and grocery store shelves, some people are beginning to roll their eyes at America’s obsession with the autumnal spice. But, love it or hate it, pumpkin spice season is in full swing. If you’d like to explore some local alternatives to the Starbucks latte, click through the gallery above. There are plenty of ways to (pumpkin) spice up your life in Sonoma!
The leaves are changing in the vineyards, pumpkin patches have opened, and harvest parties are abundant – fall has finally arrived in Wine Country. Whether celebrating the change of seasons with live music for a good cause, sipping your way through award-winning wines, indulging in the harvest’s best fall foods, or enjoying a play, there is no shortage of fun fall events in Sonoma County. Click through the gallery above to discover 14 things to do in October.
Looking for Halloween events? We’re picking out the spookiest of the lot – so stay tuned!
Chef Douglas Keane at Two Birds One Stone in St. Helena, on Sunday, November 6, 2016. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
(Above: Dishes from Cyrus, Two Birds/One Stone)
Top Chef Masters winner and Michelin-starred restaurateur Douglas Keane is slated to reopen Cyrus restaurant with business partner Nick Peyton in 2019, according to a spokesperson for the restaurant.
“We are very excited to confirm that Cyrus will reopen in 2019 in a new building and location, taking advantage of the breathtaking vineyard views in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County. We look forward to offering a unique and evolved version of our carefully curated service and cuisine. We will have more information in the coming weeks/months,” said the rep.
It’s all a bit hush-hush still, but Keane’s involvement has been confirmed, along with an unnamed location in Alexander Valley location. Keane is not commenting publicly on the news.
The original Cyrus, which received two Michelin stars, closed in 2012 after wine magnate Bill Foley purchased the tony Les Mars Hotel, where Cyrus was located. In 2014, Keane hoped to re-open Cyrus at a property owned by Jackson Family Wines near Jimtown. The concept was for a reservation-only dining experience limited to just a handful of patrons each night. A small group of neighbors expressed concerns about zoning changes in the quiet vineyard area, and the plan for Cyrus 2.0 temporarily faltered. Keane has, for years, stood by his long-term vision to re-open Cyrus when the time was right.
Keane and his business partner Nick Peyton run Healdsburg Bar and Grill in Healdsburg, and Keane is a partner in the Napa restaurant, Two Birds/One Stone. The space currently houses Chalkboard restaurant.
(Photo: Chef Douglas Keane at Two Birds One Stone in St. Helena, BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
Village Bakery bread, pastries and cake. (John Burgess)
Here are 20 of our favorite bakeries throughout Sonoma County. We’ve had to make some tough choices since there are far more bread bakers, pie shops and cookie chefs than we can list here. We’ll follow up with more favorites in select categories, or check out our guides to great local producers and great pies.
Rohnert Pork with fries, bacon, green onion, cheese and pulled pork at Smokin’ Bowls in Rohnert Park. Heather Irwin/PD
I promise not to make any puns about the new Rohnert Park restaurant, Smokin’ Bowls. I’d never be so blunt. Or say what high expectations I had.
Kidding aside, the bowls at this student and family-friendly restaurant have nothing to do with THC, though you may get a serious craving for their ice cream and french fry bowl after an afternoon smoke sesh.
Here, “bowl” is shorthand for piling a whole bunch of tasty comfort food into a portable container wherein you can easily stuff it all into your mouth with nothing more than a spork. The bowls aren’t really bowls either, but compostable rectangular boxes. So I guess it’s more like Smokin’ Rectangular Containers.
The Bowl Named Sue with mashed potatoes, corn, bacon and chicken at Smokin’ Bowls in Rohnert Park. Heather Irwin/PD
With a 17-item menu that includes entrees, salads, dessert and sides, this spanking new strip mall riffs on the common theme of starch, protein, and sauce. Like the Dragon Bowl, with fried rice, chicken and hot sweet sauce or the Rohnert Pork with fries, bbq pulled pork, cheese sauce and bacon. You get the idea.
We should call out something unique: The fries. Hand-cut and fried in beef fat, tossed with their own seasoning. There’s a reason this used to be the standard. So. Beefy. Good. Not for vegetarians or vegans, however.
No bowl is over $8.25, with a selection of items under $5, plus everything on the menu is gluten-free, and there are no peanuts or soy proteins on the menu. Smokin’.
Best Bets:
The S’mores bowl at Smokin’ Bowls in Rohnert Park. Heather Irwin/PD
– Bowl Named Sue, $7.25: A down-home combination of homemade mashed potatoes, corn, bacon, chicken (it would have been better fried) and gravy. The portions are ridiculously huge, but this little bit of southern comfort didn’t last 10 minutes before disappearing.
– Disco Fries, $3.75: Basically poutine, with fries, mozzarella and beef gravy.
– Rohnert Pork, $6.75: Fries, bbq pulled pork, cheese sauce, bacon. We’d say this was the most ridiculously indulgent bowl, but that would be far from the truth.
– S’mores Fries, $5.50: So crazy, even we were gobsmacked. French fries smothered in cinnamon, topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallows and chocolate chips.
– Harvest Bowl, $8.25: For the virtuous eaters among us, brown rice with corn, carrots, peas, coconut curry and cashews. (Vegetarian)
– Buffalo Chicken Salad, $7.25: Romaine lettuce with chicken, spicy buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing and croutons.
Friends enjoy a hike on the bluffs above Goat Rock beach in Jenner on Thursday. (JOHN BURGESS / The Press Democrat)
What happens when the Big Apple discovers Sonoma wine country? The New York Times recently published an article on how to spend 36 hours in Sonoma County as part of the newspaper’s popular travel reportage series, and our North Bay home received glowing reviews. “Sipping wine only scratches the surface of what California’s big-sky country has to offer,” said the article, “from 300-foot tall trees to manicured tea gardens to farm-to-table dining, it’s easy to fall under its spell.”
During a weekend in Sonoma County, Amy Thomas from The Times visited some of our favorite destinations, restaurants and, of course, wineries. Click through the gallery above to see which Sonoma spots the New York Times recommends, and how they suggest you spend a weekend in Sonoma County.
What do you think? Did The Times recommend the right spots? While they picked some of our local favorites, the itinerary includes a lot of driving back and forth between different locations in Sonoma County; on Saturday alone there’s a 90-mile drive to hit all the different spots. Seems a little…exhausting.
Sonoma County is a beer lover’s dream destination. From some of the highest ranked breweries in the world to unassuming yet well-stocked brew pubs, you can find it all here. Generally, local and visiting beer enthusiasts gravitate toward the cities of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma and Healdsburg, but in between these wine country hot spots, just east of Hwy. 101, are two towns worth a visit.
We recently toured Rohnert Park and Cotati and checked out five beer venues you should add to your beer bucket list. From breweries and taprooms to family friendly venues and bottle shops, click through the gallery above for all the details.
Over the last 20 years, Basque Boulangerie has become the town of Sonoma’s gathering spot– where locals meet for coffee and fresh pastries or a sandwich. There’s usually a line of folks waiting to bring home a loaf of their Parisian style breads.
A number of local restaurants and groceries also stock their baguettes. The bakery has grown from three employees to more than 60.
Longtime owners sold the spot in 2012, but much remains the same.
460 First Street EastSonoma, (707) 935-7687
From the owners of Basque Boulangerie
Basque Boulangerie Café opened on the historic square of Sonoma in 1994 with an old-world feeling of an original French bakery. It is a second generation bakery, originally started in Sonoma in 1956 as the Sonoma French Bakery in the Sebastiani Theatre building.
Our founders’ family arrived in the United States from the southwest region of France, specifically the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France from Spain. They settled in the heart of the Valley of the Moon because of opportunity and since it reminded them of the villages in the Basque and Bearn regions of France that they were from. They had a family history of bakers, butchers and restauranteurs. The family learned the baking trade in their French small towns of Saint Etienne de Baigorry, and Oloron Sainte Marie and offers two generations of baking excellence. Our team of talented bakers The family learned the baking trade in their French small towns of Saint Etienne de Baigorry, and Oloron Sainte Marie and offers two generations of baking excellence. Our team of talented bakers start late at night, every night, using the old world European tradition of hand crafted baking artisanship in order to create these crusty, hand made loaves of peasant bread, inspired by our founders’ Basque ancestors.
We have brought traditional stone hearth ovens to Sonoma to assure the same consistent, traditional bread with no preservatives. Our pastries, baked goods and desserts are hand crafted in small batches using European-style techniques with quality ingredients.
“The Basque”, as we are affectionately known by locals and return customers, specializes in lightcrumb, crisp sourdough breads and assorted sweet French or Parisian style breads, Danish, morning rolls, cookies, pastries, desserts and cakes in our lively café, as well as delivering these fresh products daily to our wholesale customers. Our
Our breads have won the Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s Sweepstakes Awards. Our Pastry Chef has been featured on the Food Network for her famous Beehive Cake and has won awards for her Chocolate Truffle Gateau and Frangipane Tartes.
