Get Your Hands Dirty for a Worthy Cause at Santa Rosa Community Farm

By Adrienne Shubin
Bayer Farm is a collaboration between LandPaths and Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks. The urban community farm and park welcomes community members, the public and volunteers. (Photo by Sarah Deragon)

You may be surprised to learn that a 6-acre farm sits just one mile from Downtown Santa Rosa.

Located in a residential Roseland neighborhood, Bayer Farm is a collaboration between LandPaths and Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks. The urban community farm and park welcomes community members, the public and volunteers who want to get their hands dirty for a worthy cause: providing a green space and seasonal healthy food for the community.

The urban farm, named after Edmund and Lillian Bayer who owned and operated the farm until 2007, offers families and the surrounding community the opportunity to cultivate their own land; it has 64 garden plots in which to plant vegetables, herbs, fruit and medicinal plants. The farm also includes a red barn with pens for chickens and goats.

I recently had the opportunity to tour this Santa Rosa gem with Jonathan Bravo, the farm’s Garden Coordinator.

During my visit to Bayer Farm, Bravo showed me the many plants that currently grow on the farm – and even cut a bunch of cilantro for me to take home. He showed me a small section of tropical plants – a test garden of sorts – where he has planted bananas, pineapples, and some less common tropical fruits.

Bravo is excited about the future of the farm as he plants new fruit trees and plants, and continues to interact with the community through events, educational seminars and community work days, which are every 3rd Saturday.

At Bayer Farm, it’s easy to take a breather from Santa Rosa city living and enjoy all that a farm has to offer – the sights, smells, sounds and tastes. It can also be an opportunity to meet neighbors, connect with community members and learn a few new skills. The farm is always changing and developing as it provides seasonal, healthy produce to the community.

The farm celebrated its grand opening in March with a big event, which you can read more about in this Press Democrat article.

To find out more about Bayer Farm and LandPaths, including events and work days, visit their website. Bayer Farm Neighborhood Parks & Gardens, 1550 West Ave, Santa Rosa, (707) 544-7284 x 103. 

From Stock Brokers to Pizza Brokers: Sonoma’s Vineyard Crust Co.

By biteclub

BY KATHLEEN HILL, Sonoma Index-Tribune

I first encountered former stock brokers Jimmy Crompton and Randy Martin outside their Vineyard Crust Company pizza tent at the Sonoma International Film Festival a few weeks ago. In a hurry to fly to Napa on my magic carpet to interview a fabulous gelato maker, I stopped desperately at their stand and wood-burning oven and asked how long it would take to get some pizza.

90 seconds. What? And that’s for extra crispy.

Putting the flat pizza box on the passenger’s seat, I tore out my first piece and chomped into it, stomach growling away. Oh my word! Sensational.

So who are these two guys running a super successful mobile pizza oven around Sonoma County (and coming soon to the Tuesday Night Farmer’s Market in Sonoma)?

The two longtime friends grew up in Philadelphia, with Martin learning to cook at a young age. With a single working mom, Martin made meals for himself and his brother out of what he could find in the fridge and cabinets. Now, that’s called creative cooking.

The two eventually became stockbrokers, eventually working as derivative brokers at the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange.

Having been exposed to Polish, German, and Italian cooking in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Martin liked hanging out at his friend’s grandmother’s, partly because of her pasta and meatballs and wondered how she made her “gravy,” or sauce. He first tried to imitate her “gravy” by opening a can of tomato paste he found in his mother’s kitchen and adding water.

Later in life he needed a peaceful hobby while working in the men-dominated, noisy, and crowded floors of stock exchanges.

Both he and Crompton lusted after the simple life of “making people happy with food.”

So, while still living in Philadelphia, a friend asked the two to cater her wedding inexpensively. Having no clue what to do, they said yes anyway. Overnight Martin produced chicken breasts stuffed with ricotta and spinach with Champagne sauce and roasted baby carrots, to the wedding couple’s delight. They hired a friend to bartend because they figured he drank the most and should know how to mix a solid cocktail and pour wine. And they served pizzas.|

Crompton and Martin figured they had the confidence and could figure out how to do whatever they needed to do, and they did. Married to former Swiss Hotel staffer Danielle Reynolds, Crompton says, “We like to go out on a ledge. We’ll figure it out, and have lots of other concepts and plans.”

“The keystone of Vineyard Crust Company is our custom Mugnaini wood-fired oven imported from Italy, specializing in artisan wood-fired pizza made with great quality local ingredients,” says their website. With 800-plus degrees of heat blasting out, their oven is a serious piece of equipment.

Vineyard Crust Company’s catering menu includes everything from Margherita and Italian sausage with roasted peppers to more adventurous pizzas like fresh mozzarella with salt-cured capers and olives, smoked salmon with fromage blanc and dill, smoked pork belly with pineapple and sweet banana pepper spread or fig preserves with proscuitto, gorgonzola and balsamic. They also do breakfast and brunch pizzas, salads and more.

Martin admits, “We stick to the classic Neapolitan style of pizza, but we do Sonomanize it a little bit.”

The duo have lined up engagements at several winery and entertainment venues around the Valley. “We take our oven to places food trucks can’t get to.”

Portions of this article appeared in the Sonoma Index-Tribune.

28 New Napa Restaurants, Wineries, Breweries, Hotels and Attractions

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Planning a spring getaway to Napa? Napa’s official tourism marketing organization, Visit Napa Valley, has released its spring list of new restaurants, wineries, hotels and attractions to check out. Click through the gallery above for all the details. 

This article was originally published in the North Bay Business Journal.

New Restaurant Opening in Guerneville. Wait Staff Need Not Apply.

By biteclub

Slated for a May 15 opening is Pinoli Cucina Rustica at Guerneville’s Applewood Inn. But don’t expect a wait staff or other front-of-the-house folks. 

Headed by Chef Christian Darcoli, chef/owner of Pinoli Ristorante in Puerto Rico, the plan is to have a chef-driven experience where guests are guided through a personalized food and wine menu by the restaurant’s chef staff.

“I feel that it is very important for our chefs to have the opportunity to interact directly with our guests. Allowing them to run the front-of-house as well as the back, gives them the opportunity to welcome our guests into the restaurant, share their love for and knowledge about food that we create,” said Darcoli, who hopes this kind of restaurant experience will be trend-setting.

The restaurant interior at Applewood Inn
The restaurant interior at Applewood Inn

The menu is still in the works, but will focus on Mediterranean-inspired dishes, as well as including fruit and vegetables grown on the property and locally sourced meats and seafood.

The restaurant will be open to the public for lunch and dinner.

Most recently, the restaurant was re-opened as Revival with restaurateur Crista Luedtke and Chef Ben Spiegel. The high concept restaurant got rave reviews but shuttered in 2016. Prior to that, the restaurant had been home to a number of top-notch chefs including  SF Chef Brian Gerritsen, David Frakes (Lynmar), Brian Anderson (Bistro 29) Bruce Frieseke (most recently of County Bench), Jamil Peden, Ty Taube (forageSF) and Shelly Cerneant (Sonoma Country Day School) .

Picnic With a View of Carneros at Viansa Sonoma Winery

By Tina Salter for KQED

Leslie Sbrocco, host of KQED’s “Taste This,” visits Viansa Sonoma Winery in the Carneros region for some wine tasting and a picnic with a view.

Cool breezes, summer fog and the terroir make Carneros perfect for growing finicky pinot noir and chardonnay. Viansa Sonoma Winery, set atop a small hill at the entrance of the region, offers amazing views of San Pablo Bay and the Mayacamas Mountains. The winery also maintains 97 acres of wetlands making it an exceptional place to visit. And for Leslie, it’s a perfect place for a picnic.

Leslie chose two Viansa Sonoma wines to enjoy with her picnic:

2014 Viansa Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley $30
Excellent structure and integrity of fruit character, with notes of stone fruit and crème brulee. Toasted butterscotch, baked pear, and crème brulee dominate the palate with just the perfect amount of acid to balance the viscosity. The finish is generous with mandarin orange, toasted almonds and baked shortbread. Viansa’s Reserve Chardonnay is wonderful anytime with summer fare such as fresh seafood, and tropical fruit salad, to winter meals like creamy risotto or roasted winter squash. Drink now or cellar through 2018.

2013 Viansa Heritage Red Wine Blend, Sonoma Valley $40
Hugely intense aromas jump from the glass, full of deep dark berry fruit and a thread of herbal spice. The core is tinged with black plum, mulberry backed by gentle tannins and mild acidity. The finish lingers, latent with coco and cedar.

This article was originally published on ww2.kqed.org/food.

Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California. (Beth Schlanker)
Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California. (Beth Schlanker)

24 Best Places for Picnic Provisions in Sonoma County

By biteclub

Picnicking in Sonoma County is not for amateurs. Here, we take our alfresco dining seriously, packing real stemware and exotic cheeses rather than plastic and PB&J. Million-dollar views of redwoods, vineyards and coastal vistas simply deserve more than a stale bag of Doritos and a microwaved burrito.

Locals often know the best spots to grab a wedge of Cambozola and a fresh baguette, a great bottle of wine and a chocolate tart on the way to a favorite retreat. But you might be surprised how many of us get a bit stumped when it comes to more off-the-beaten path picnic provisions or less-traveled viticultural regions around the Empire. No more…

As rains turn to blooms and sunny Sundays demand the dusting off of plastic tablecloths and the setting up of outdoor buffets, it seemed only natural to share some of our favorite spots to load up your basket for a springtime picnic. We also turned to friends, family, social media and readers to find their favorite hidden gems, along with solid standbys that always impress.

Divided up by viticultural region, as well as by town, this handy list includes delis, bakeries, cheese shops, groceries, produce stands and other local shops where you can find solid grub for almost any outing.

Did we miss a favorite? Add your comments below.

A Taste of Europe at Cotati’s MaK’s Deli

By biteclub
Crab salad open-feaced sandwich at MaK’s Deli. Heather Irwin/PD

Remember Tuna Noodle Casserole with Potato Chips, Meatballs with Grape Jelly or some other horrifying 1970s recipe mom got clipped from a newspaper? 

Well, feel smug in the knowledge that the well-heeled Swedes have a national dish so horrifying that it makes bacon-wrapped weenies and beans look downright classy: Flying Jacob. Made with a combination of chicken, bacon, cream and (here’s where it gets weird) chili sauce, roasted peanuts and bananas and pineapple, it’s a comfort dish that reached epic popularity in the mid 1970’s.

You’ll find this dish, along with other European specialties like Swedish meatballs, authentic German potato salad, Hungarian gulasch and more at MaK’s Deli in Cotati. One of our favorites: The Swede, with seafood salad, tomatoes, and cucumbers on an open-faced bun.

They’ve also got plenty of regular deli sandwiches and salads for the less adventurous.

101 E. Cotati Blvd., Cotati, 992-0161, maksdeli.com.

 

 

Find Your Next Job at Sonoma Job Connection in Rohnert Park

By Shannon Brown
Stock photo.
Stock photo.
Stock photo.

Want to know which Sonoma County companies are looking to hire? Sonoma Job Connection, a job fair in Rohnert Park, is where you’ll want to be on May 4.

Held at the Graton Resort and Casino from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the free event offers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with some of the top employers in the county.

While there, get tips on resume writing and take a free professional head shot.

The event is sponsored by The Press Democrat and Sonoma Media Investments, owner of The Press Democrat, Petaluma Argus Courier, The Sonoma Index-Tribune, North Bay Business Journal, Sonoma Magazine and La Prensa Sonoma.

Interested? Visit pressdemocrat.com/sonomajobseekers to register.
Questions about the event can be sent to Melissa Libby: melissa.libby@pressdemocrat.com

Six Seriously Cinco Events in Sonoma and Napa

By Sarah Stierch

The first commemoration of Cinco de Mayo took place in California in 1863, one year after a stunning Mexican victory over a much larger invading French army at the Battle of Puebla. 157 years later, Cinco de Mayo continues to be a cause for celebration — and Wine Country offers a variety of opportunities to enjoy the day, with food, fun and, of course, margaritas, cerveza and vino. Check out the gallery above for six ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo 2017 in Sonoma and Napa. 

6 Mexican-American Wines to Check Out from Sonoma and Napa

By Sarah Stierch
People toast with sparkling wine at Robledo Family Winery in Sonoma, California
Robledo Family Wines.

In Wine County, a growing number of Mexican-Americans are part of a new generation of winemakers and winery owners. Many are the children of migrant workers, or started as grape pickers and farmhands, rising through the ranks to become successful wine producers.

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is an opportunity not only to commemorate Mexico’s triumph against the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, but also to celebrate the amazing contributions that Mexican-Americans have made in the local wine industry – but don’t let it be the only day to celebrate the fruit of their labor. Here are six Mexican-American produced wines to toast with on Cinco de Mayo and beyond.

Vineyard in Napa Valley owned by Frias Family Vineyard
Frias Family’s estate vineyard in the Spring Mountain District AVA of Napa Valley. (Photo courtesy of Frias Family Vineyard)

Robledo Family Winery 2010 Cuveé Brut ($45)
Founded in 2003, Robledo Family Winery was the first winery owned by a Mexican migrant worker. Today, they are one of the largest family-owned wine producers in the region – their wine has even been served at the White House! This award-winning sparkler is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It’s dry and crisp, with delicate flavors of Granny Smith apple and Asian pear. Drink now!

Herencia Del Valle 2014 Chardonnay ($35)
Two long-time wine grape farming families, the Herrera’s and Renteria’s, came together to create Herencia Del Valle (herencia means heritage in Spanish). Their 2014 Chardonnay uses grapes from the Carneros AVA, on the edge of the San Pablo Bay. Fermented in 75% new oak, it’s deceptively balanced, with no overblown malolactic on the mouth. It’s a lively wine, with hints of brioche, peach and dried fruit.

Frias 2016 Rosé Napa Valley ($25)
One of the oldest Latino-owned and operated wineries in Napa Valley, Frias Family Vineyard makes highly sought after red wines, but they also make awesome rosé! A blend of estate grown grapes, which are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Frias’ rosé has a soft, yet fragrant nose of rose petals and a palate of melon and strawberry that is best served poolside.

The Valdez Family
Ulises Valdez went from a vineyard manager to a vineyard and winery owner. (Photo: Christopher Chung for the Press Democrat)

Valdez Family Winery 2013 Valdez Vineyards Pinot Noir ($45)
Ulises Valdez is one of the most recognized names in vineyard management – he started working in Sonoma County vineyards when he was 16. Today, he operates Valdez Family Winery, with a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. This Pinot is made from grapes of three Valdez owned Sonoma Coast vineyards. It’s unfiltered and ripe with red fruit, great acid and age-worthy tannins. Fans of “fruit forward” Russian River Pinots will love this wine.

Ceja Vineyards 2012 Vino de Casa Red Blend ($30)
Founded in 1999 by first generation Mexican-American immigrants, Ceja Vineyards produces award-winning wines from Napa and Carneros. Their Vino de Casa is a Pinot Noir-based red blend that was created to be an everyday table wine. Medium-bodied with a nose of cherry and blackberry and a palate of tobacco and blueberry, this wine goes down easy.

Maldonado Vineyards 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($58)
Founded by Lupe Maldonado, former vineyard manager of Newton Vineyard for over 30 years, Maldonado Vineyards produces primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends from their family owned vineyard in Napa Valley. This is a big, bold Cabernet chock full of black fruit like fig and plum. It’s great now, and will be even better in five more years. Pair with a steak dinner, followed by a nice cigar.