The Art Chapel, which serves as a guesthouse offers a view of the garden.
A creative pair turns an ordinary ranch-style house into a joyful work of art
Carole Watanabe’s drive-by gallery faces Ragle Road in front of her Sebastopol home.
Many travelers on Ragle Road in Sebastopol have done double takes as an unremarkable, 1963 California ranch-style house has been slowly transformed into an astonishing piece of living art.
Called Chez La Vie, it’s the home of Carole and Don Watanabe, who bought the place in 2011. Carole is an artist who specializes in vivid colors in a variety of media. She paints, cuts tile, sculpts, builds, and more, with great energy. Don, an architect, brings sense and precision to her flair.
An ongoing project, Chez La Vie is comprised of multiple structures, including the Watanabe home and an attached apartment where Don’s 94-year-old father, Don Sr., lives.
The Art Chapel, which serves as a guesthouse offers a view of the garden.
An appealing guesthouse, which Carole named the Art Chapel, has a sleeping loft and a garden view through a huge antique window salvaged from an old cathedral.
A shed subtly painted with birds and flora holds Don’s tools. Other structures painted to merge nearly invisibly with the landscape house pumps, firewood and other materials.
A year ago, the Watanabes built an office and woodworking shop on the eastern edge of a new pond. There’s an outdoor pizza oven adjacent to the living room, which was the original home’s garage.
The backyard deck, dubbed “The Eat Your Art Cafe,” is a favorite spot for relaxation and teatime.
The first thing one notices about the main house is the exterior color, a vibrant ultramarine blue trimmed with deep turquoise and brick red. Part of the back of the house is painted red and trimmed with turquoise, a courtesy shown to a neighbor who did not like the vivid blue.
A wide berm borders the front of the property, with several steel frames — think large picture frames on stilts — nestled deep into the soil and crowned with corrugated aluminum roofs. This is Carole’s drive-by gallery. The frames will be filled with paintings on sheet metal, created by local children and to be sold to raise money for school art programs.
An antique Indonesian facade of carved teak makes for a dramatic entrance to the Watanabe home.Don Watanabe’s father, Don Sr., lives in an apartment behind his garden gate.
Two enormous antique Indonesian facades made of elaborately carved teak are installed, one at the entrance to Carole and Don’s house, the other in front of Don Sr.’s apartment.
Tall columns flank the Watanabe entrance and are covered with colorful spirals that glisten in the sun like a cache of jewels.
Carole created their jewel-box look by using a huge, abandoned mirror and broken ceramics that friends and strangers dropped o. There’s a third column inside, on a wall where a desk rests.
The master bedroom with its custom-made headboard and some of Carole Watanabe’s handwriting on the walls.Carole Watanabe in her studio.
“About 75 to 90 percent of all the materials are found,” Carole said, adding that she buys very little. When she does, materials typically come from a Santa Rosa Goodwill store, where “junk” is introduced every few minutes to a waiting crowd. Her typical purchase for a box of treasures: $3.
The Watanabes’ artistic touch is everywhere (from top): their living room; the home’s foyer, which is a shrine to Buddha; and the interior of the Art Chapel.
In Chez La Vie’s backyard, a stream with two short bridges over it circulates water through the Paradiso Pond, which Carole calls her greatest work. She took a class in pond-making at Santa Rosa Junior College from Jim Wilder, who advised her on her project. A yurt was standing where she wanted the pond, and it turned out that Wilder was looking for just such a yurt. He installed the pump that circulates the pond water and the UV system that keeps it clean, taking the yurt as payment.
To make the pond, Watanabe used a backhoe to dig a 4-foot-deep hole, straight down to prevent raccoons from using it as a pool, and lined it with black rubber. For landscaping, she headed to W. Johnson Ornamental and Building Stone in Santa Rosa for truckloads of rock. She added lilies and other water plants, turning the pond into a Monet painting.
On the western edge of the property is an outdoor fireplace surrounded by random chairs. A table sits under a large tree, oering a perfect place for afternoon tea. Painted chairs, tiled tables, carved benches, tiny sculptures, clever mobiles and painted fences are everywhere.
Carole Watanabe built a slithering dragon o random ceramics that weaves its way through the garden.he birds and lowers that decorate a storage shed are painted in subtle colors that blend with nature.One of Watanabe’s chair paintings sits on the back porch.
Elsewhere, Carole created a curving dragon of random ceramics. Brick pathways weave through the garden and intersect the dragon, leading to a double-doored gateway through a fence to the neighbor’s property.
A close-up of Watanabe’s colorful tile work that encircles the guesthouse.
Inside is as whimsical as outside, with furniture crafted from discarded wood and an array of found objects. Walls are accented with writing in Carole’s cursive and hung with paintings, drawings and sculptures. There are recessed altars here and there, and mirrors decorated with colorful tiles. Flooring is different in every room, ranging from area rugs to a floor covered with squares of fabric and old photographs, sealed with Varathane.
Carole Watanabe’s portrait of their home, which they named Chez La Vie.
The Watanabes, who think of Chez La Vie as an elder compound where they can grow old, surrounded by what they love, plan to host art openings in the spacious backyard, with the oven fired up so guests can create their own pizzas. Patios and fences will be hung with banners of art, much of it created by kids.
“Eventually,” Carole said, “the house, yard and gardens will be an interactive gallery for the public.”
Polenta with mushrooms at Franchetti’s Wood Fired Kitchen in Santa Rosa. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Of the thousand-plus dishes I’ve eaten at Wine Country restaurants this year, a small handful are truly, wonderfully, memorable. You know the kind: The pasta dish that you dream of, the simple lentil salad you eat three times a week, the luxe risotto, or the breakfast sandwich worth driving an hour out of the way to find.
I’ve collected the 25 Best Dishes of the Year, ranging from humble to haute and spanning many different culinary traditions. Sadly, a few of my favorites were are restaurants that have since closed (Applewood’s Revival being at the top of the list), have been taken off the menu after a chef change (Persimmon) or were highly seasonal (Dry Creek Kitchen’s Tomato and Peach Heirloom Salad). Most, however, are still available, and I’d love to hear what you think.
Best Thing I Ate in 2016: The 25 Best Wine Country Dishes of the Year
Seared Polenta with Porcini, Franchetti’s Wood Fire Kitchen: Chef John Franchetti and his wife, Gesine, have been revamping their bistro menu with a lineup of small plates, salads and entrees that, frankly, are what we’ve always admired most about Franchetti’s cooking. If you go, try the k(chetti’s) fried chicken as well. Not only one of the best dishes of the year, but also one of the best all-around restaurants this year. 1229 N. Dutton, Santa Rosa, 526-1229, franchettis.com.
Pork Belly Burger at Hey Misstir Bar and Grill in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin)
Pork Belly Burger, Hey Misstir: It’s not just the sheer size of this towering beefscraper, but the carnivorous radicalism of a poultry, pork and beef menage a trois under a single bun. Prepare for a fried egg, bacon, pork-belly stuffed hamburger, requisite vegetables, toasted Franco American bun. 52 Mission Circle, Suite 111, Santa Rosa, facebook.com/heymisstir.
Focaccia with pea shoots, asparagus and cream cheese at The Pharmacy. (Heather Irwin)
Focaccia with pea shoots, The Pharmacy: Homemade bread, fresh pea shoots, ricotta. Simple, but so incredibly good. Pairs perfectly with a turmeric lassi to get your health on. 990 Sonoma Ave. #1, Santa Rosa, 978-2801, thepharmacysonomacounty.com.
Roasted County Line carrots with prosciutto, brown butter egg yolk, toasted walnut vinaigrette at Spoonbar restaurant in Healdsburg, California. Heather Irwin, Press Democrat
Roasted Carrots with Prosciutto, Brown Butter, Egg Yolk and Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette, Spoonbar: Husband and wife chefs have once again transformed the menu at this popular H2Hotel restaurant and bar. Sweet carrots with salty prosciutto, nutty butter and a creamy yolk is one of the most perfectly executed dishes of the year. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 433-7222, spoonbar.com
Pacheco’s Roasted Corn at Santa Rosa’s Wednesday Night Market (heather irwin)
Elote, Pacheco’s Roasted Corn: A Wednesday Night Market fixture with a snaking line for their summer corn slathered with mayo, cojeta cheese and chili powder. This humble street food is suddenly popping up at the fanciest of restaurants, so keep an eye out. facebook.com/pachecoroastedcorn
Mujadara/Shutterstock
Mujadara, Fourth Street Market & Deli: Folks are often curious what a food writer eats in their off time, and trust me, it’s mostly uninspired. After a night of heavy, rich, indulgent food, all I want is something simple, light and healthy. This Lebanese dish of brown lentils, rice, caramelized onions, tomatoes and olive oil is just the ticket, and delicious enough to make a habit of. 300 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 573-9832.
Pork shoulder posole from La Rosa Tequileria in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Pork Posole, La Rosa Tequileria: If nothing else, you’ll ward off vampires and anyone wanting to sneak a smooch with this garlicky soup made with tender pork shoulder, hominy and chiles. Served with lime, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño, you can make it as spicy or tame as your palate can tolerate. 500 Fourth St., Santa Rosa., 523-3663, larosasantarosa.com.
Smoked trout salad at Handline Restaurant in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD
Smoked Trout Salad at Handline: It’s no fish story to say that Handline Restaurant in Sebastopol one of our favorite openings of the year, and our favorite salad: House smoked trout, pickled onion, apple and buttermilk dressing. 935 Gravenstein Ave., Sebastopol, 827-3744, handline.com.
Lobster risotto at Sonoma Grille in Sonoma, California. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Lobster Risotto, Sonoma Grille: Long-simmered arborio rice with Maine lobster and porcini mushrooms. The richness gets a bump with mascarpone cheese and lobster sauce for a dish you won’t want to share (but feel free, because it’s more than one human should eat). 165 W. Napa St., Sonoma, 938-7542, sonomagrilleandbar.com.
Tacos from Juanita Juanita. Heather Irwin/PD
Tacos at Juanita Juanita: There’s no shortage of great taco trucks and taquerias around town but we can’t help but love the locals-only vibe at this offbeat cantina where you can grab a cold one and stuff you face al pastor and carne asada tacos. 19114 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 935-3981.
Pumpkin croquettes at Petaluma French restaurant, Crocodile. Heather Irwin/PD
Pumpkin Croquettes, Crocodile Restaurant: We were blown away by the great French comfort food at this Petaluma newcomer. Our favorite: Bite-sized balls of sweet pumpkin and breadcrumbs sitting in a pool of creme fraiche and chermoula (a pungent Moroccan herb sauce). 140 Second St., Suite 100, Petaluma, 981-8159, crocodilepetaluma.com.
Bird in a nest salad at Persimmon Asian fusion restaurant in Healdsburg, California. (Heather Irwin)
Bird in a Nest Warm Frise Salad, Persimmon: Bitter frise and a small forest of enoki mushrooms get a warm dousing of vinaigrette and lardons (basically thick little pieces of bacon) rendered in sake. A perfectly poached egg perches on top, slathering the whole shebang with creamy yolk. 355 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 395-0318, persimmonhealdsburg.com.
Breakfast sandwich and hash browns at the Estero Cafe. Heather Irwin
Breakfast Sandwich, Estero Cafe: If only more menus had an asterisk at the bottom stating that they deep fry in local pork lard. That alone is worth the cost of admission to the Estero Cafe, though the breakfast sandwich of two fried eggs, grilled Village Bakery sourdough bread, Estero Gold cheese, onion and mayo with bacon from the Sonoma Meat Co. will fill your belly for a long day of hiking along the coast. 14450 Highway 1, Valley Ford. 876-3333, facebook.com/EsteroCafe.
Strozzapreti with slow cooked Baranga Ranch lamb ragu at Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes Station, CA on 6/16/16. Heather Irwin/PD
Lamb Ragu Strozzapreti, Osteria Stellina: Handmade pasta with slow cooked Baranaga Ranch lamb ragu was honestly one of the best bowls of pasta in recent memory, thanks to a recommendation from our server. 11285 CA-1, Point Reyes Station, 415-663-9988, osteriastellina.com.
Cauliflower with oxtail at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Cauliflower, Brown Butter and Oxtail, County Bench: We’ve had some amazing dishes at this downtown sleeper, including this rich winter dish and a summery Farro and Ham Hock salad. Ongoing reports of uneven service is unfortunate, because we want this downtown spot to succeed. 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 535-0700, thecountybench.com.
Duck Egg Custard with uni and crab at Two Birds One Stone in st. helena, a project of Chefs Douglas Keane and Sang Yoon. Heather Irwin/PD
Duck Egg Custard, Two Birds/One Stone: If there’s a patron saint of Wine Country Cuisine, it’s Chef Douglas Keane. Though we’re bummed that he and Sang Yoon (LA’s Father’s Office, Lukshon) chose St. Helena for their California-style izakaya restaurant, we’ll just say it was one of the best openings of the year. With a high/low menu, you get dishes like the creamy duck egg custard with uni, lemon verbena and crab, or silken tofu with chilled shiitake broth, sea grapes and salmon pearls along with equally delicious creamed corn with miso, crispy wings with chili-yuzu glaze and matcha tea soft-serve. 3020 St. Helena Hwy. North, St. Helena, 302-3777, twobirdsonestonenapa.com.
Pineapple whip float at Trader Jim’s at Off the Grid in Santa Rosa on 6/16. Heather Irwin/PD
Pineapple Whip, Trader Jim’s: This little retro camper does only one thing, a little aloha in a cup. It is non-dairy soft-serve that you can get with or without a float of fresh pineapple juice. facebook.com/traderjimsfloats.
Coconut lime ice cream with freeze dried raspberries. Heather Irwin/PD
Coconut Lime Ice Cream, Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar: You’ll find half of Healdsburg lined up during the summer months for ice cream and sorbets inspired by local produce and the seasons. This one, however, with freeze dried raspberries, is one of their most popular flavors. 116 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 529-2162, thenoblefolk.com.
Ceviche at The Shuckery in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Ceviche, Shuckery: The Oyster Girls have created an instant classic with their unique ceviche marinated in orange, lemon and lime, chili, cilantro with piquillo pepper coulis. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, 981-7891, theshuckeryca.com.
Fried anchovies at Revival. Heather Irwin/PD
Fried Anchovies, Revival: One of the most incredible openings of the year, followed by one of the most shocking closings of the year at the Applewood Restaurant in Guerneville. What we’ll remember, however, were Chef Ben Spiegel’s fried anchovies, sweet and crunchy, eaten by the handful.
Dry Creek Peach + Heirloom Tomato Salad with Bellwether Ricotta, Pickled Red Onions and Rustic Toast at Dry Creek Kitchen. Heather Irwin/PD
Dry Creek Peach and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Bellwether Ricotta, Pickled Red Onions and Rustic Toast, Dry Creek Kitchen: New executive chef Scott Romano is an old pal of owner Charlie Palmer, easily channeling Palmer’s new American cooking style. Using ingredients from nearby farms, this summer dish was perfectly of the moment. 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 431-0330, drycreekkitchen.com.
Clam chowder from Gourmet Au Bay in Bodega Bay. Heather Irwin/PD
Clam Chowder, Gourmet Au Bay: One of the best chowders in the Bay, made from scratch, served with great local wines. 1412 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 875-9875, gourmetaubay.com.
Bright Bear Bakery in Petaluma features luxe pastries, cronuts, croissants and morning buns in Petaluma. Photo: Heather Irwin/PD
Twice Baked Croissants, Bright Bear Bakery: Filled with lemon curd and strawberries these doubly delicious croissants are your new kryptonite. 2620 Lakeville Hwy., Suite 350, Petaluma, 291-10181, facebook.com/brightbearbakery.
Bigos at Zosia Cafe and Kitchen in Graton, a California and Eastern European restaurant. Heather Irwin/PD.
Bigos, Zosia: One of my most recent finds, this Graton cafe mashes up Wine Country Cuisine and Eastern European comfort classics into something truly wonderful. We are fans of the Bigos, a winter stew made with sauerkraut, beef, and a mix of spices that a warm hug in a bowl. 9010 Graton Road, Graton, 861-9241, zosiacafe.com.
Poke at the re-opening of Ramen Gaijin after an expansion. (Heather Irwin)
Poke, Ramen Gaijin: An expanded izakaya menu that includes crispy chicken skin yakitori and fresh poke got our attention this spring. Paired with Scott Beattie’s great cocktails, Gaijin is an ever-evolving restaurant worth repeated investigation. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 827-3609, ramengaijin.com.
The crowd dances at HopMonk tavern in Sebastopol. (Estefany Gonzalez)
Frankie Boots and The County Line. (Estefany Gonzalez)
After countless local concerts, playing the first year of Napa’s BottleRock festival and winning the North Bay Bohemian’s award for best Country/Americana band in the Bay Area two years in a row, local band Frankie Boots and The County Line played their last Sonoma County show on December 23 before Boots parts way with the North Bay to move to New Orleans.
Crowd dances at HopMonk tavern in Sebastopol at Frankie Boots and The County Line’s last Sonoma County concert. (Estefany Gonzalez)
Over the years, “Americana” has become an umbrella term for blues, folk, bluegrass and new-wave country music, yet it seems the perfect word to describe Frankie Boots and The County Line, whose diverse sound features a bit of each genre. Soulful yet upbeat songs such “Fooled Em All,” contrast more blues and rock n’ roll inspired tunes such as “Leave the Light On.”
John Courage and The Great Plains play with Frankie Boots and The County Line at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol. (Estefany Gonzalez)
Frankie Boots and The County Line’s sold-out farewell show at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol offered locals a chance to say their goodbyes, dance the night away, and sing along to their favorite tunes. It seemed fitting that the band’s grand finale took place in Sebastopol, where Frankie Boots once lived and attended Analy High School.
Crowd at Frankie Boots and The County Line gig at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol. (Estefany Gonzalez)Timothy O’Neil plays with Frankie Boots and The County Line at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol. (Estefany Gonzalez)
Though the bittersweet night meant the end of an era, it also meant the start of another, as it doubled as the release party of Boots’ new album “Pagan Ranch,” which he recorded at Santa Rosa’s own Gremlintone Studios with local musician John Courage.
Director of the North Bay Hootennany, Josh Windmiller (left) and North Bay musician Kalei Yamanoha) (Estefany Gonzalez)
The night also saw John Courage and the Great Plains, performing the band’s 2012 album Don’t Fail Me Now in its entirety with the band’s original line-up, which meant the return of Kevin Carducci (currently in The Easy Leaves) on bass. The show also featured various collaborations between numerous North Bay artist such as Joshua James Jackson, Kalei Yamanoha and Henry Nagle.
North Bay musician Kevin Carducci. (Estefany Gonzalez)John Courage at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol. (Estefany Gonzalez)Isabelle Garson and Joshua James Jackson before the show. (Estefany Gonzalez)Joshua James Jackson (left), Kalei Yamanoha and Francesco Catina (right). (Estefany Gonzalez)
James Cannard leads Peanut Butter at the Sonoma Plaza. (Kent Porter)
James Cannard is used to being stopped on the street as he takes his daily walks around downtown Sonoma. Dressed as he often is in shortly cropped shorts, or jeans and an ankle-length faux fur coat, plus cowboy boots and hat, he can indeed be a fashion plate.
But it’s his sidekick, Peanut Butter, who commands the real oohs and aahs.
“Her job is to exercise my ass,” Cannard said of the 14-year-old miniature horse, who accompanies him nearly everywhere. “My doctor recommended cardio, and she’s perfect. She leads out, pulls me a little and keeps me usually at a 13-minute mile, three to seven miles a day.”
James Canard leads Peanut Butter along Sonoma streets. (Kent Porter)
A Sonoma Valley resident since 1960, Cannard, 59, keeps Peanut Butter at his Third Street home, in the heart of downtown. The chief of police once suggested Cannard get a livestock permit and he did, plus a red halter to complement his pal’s golden-red coat and flaxen mane. He quickly realized she was too pretty to leave at home.
“She’s a licensed service animal and people have become her herd,” he said. “She appreciates the attention.”
An urban farmer and landscape-soils consultant, Cannard is escorted by Peanut Butter to the bank ATM, the bar at Sonoma Springs Brewing Co., and the grocery store, where she waits outside.
“Folks stop us and we don’t ever mind a visit,” he said. “I guess we’re an unusual event, but really, we’re just how a day turns out in Sonoma.”
ISO Seo, 3, of Sebastopol samples raspberries while picking up a weekly veggie box with his mother at the Laguna Farm CSA in Sebastopol. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2016. We have updated it to reflect current CSA offerings in Sonoma County.
In Sonoma County, the community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are thriving, but in order to keep subscribers coming back, farmers are providing more choices, including box sizes and delivery options.
That’s good news for consumers, who may be afraid of getting too much or wasting veggies they don’t like. Some farms will let you pick up a box every other week, while others let you trade out veggies at the farm.
There are also a growing number of meat and poultry CSAs, with options for folks who don’t have an extra freezer for that half cow share. A fruit farm membership also allows you to “pick your own” throughout the harvest season.
If you’re thinking about joining a CSA, it pays to do a little research to make sure you find one that fits your eating habits, lifestyle, budget and food philosophy.
Sarah Risenoff smells a bunch of basil while picking up her weekly veggie box at the Laguna Farm CSA in Sebastopol. Laguna Farm ended its CSA program in 2021. (John Burgess)Ellen Daly picks up her allotment of produce from Foggy River Farm, west of Windsor. (Christopher Chung)
The whole idea behind a CSA is to create a community of supporters who pay for shares of fresh food in advance. This model allows the farmers to nurture a closer connection to customers and ensure a steady market for their crops. For consumers, it provides peace of mind about food choices and perks such as potlucks and u-pick flowers.
Most of all, the CSA gives subscribers a strong connection to a family farm and the knowledge that they are keeping agriculture alive.
“Agriculture is not going to survive in Sonoma County if we don’t have the support of our residents,” said Jennifer Branham, co-owner of Laguna Farm in Sebastopol. “That’s the bottom line.”
Editor’s note:Laguna Farm ended its CSA program in 2021.
Lisa Schmitt and her daughter Ingrid, 4, weigh their allotment of tomatoes at Foggy River Farm, west of Windsor. (Christopher Chung)
If you want to subscribe to a CSA, first make sure it is local. Some source from farms in the Central Valley or as far away as Mexico. That’s one of the reason Deborah Walton of Petaluma’s Canvas Ranch discontinued her CSA program.
“I tell people to always ask not who grew it, but where did it come out of the ground,” she said.
Most of the local family farms grow more or less the same seasonal produce and provide a weekly newsletter with recipes and tips. Choose a farm that’s close to your flight path. Then ask for a list of what has been provided in the past month. Consider what “add-ons” are available and whether the CSA operates year-round.
Most farms offer delivery to drop-off points, but some charge extra. If you do not have time to pick up a box, choose a farm that does home delivery.
Tierra Vegetables barn in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter)
Here is a list of a dozen CSA programs in the county, and what they offer:
Vegetable CSA Boxes
Open Field Farm, Petaluma: In 2012, Seth and Sarah James bought a former dairy on Spring Hill Road and turned it into a vegetable, berry, grain, egg and grass-fed Corriente beef farm that sells to CSA members only. Members enjoy u-pick flowers, herbs and vegetables on a “pay what you can, take what you need” model. There is a fun, celebratory atmosphere on pick-up days (Tuesday or Friday afternoons). Other membership benefits include monthly farm potlucks, summer barbecue, fall harvest festival and more. 2245 Spring Hill Road, Petaluma, 707-775-4644, openfieldfarm.com
Deep Roots Farm: The Penngrove farm tailors its year-round farm boxes with a diverse selection of hand-harvested produce. Farm boxes range from $35-$75, depending on size, and there are also flower and protein CSA boxes for a well-rounded farm haul. 7000 Petaluma Hill Road, Penngrove, sonomafarmfresh.com
Tierra Vegetables, Santa Rosa: This farm at Airport Boulevard is run by siblings Lee and Wayne James and is known for its giant veggies, dried beans, chiles and cornmeal. The weekly CSA goes year round, with one already cooked product offered during the winter. You can also purchase sauerkraut, pickles and other foods, along with Wise Acre eggs, at the farmstand. Pick up at the farm ($30 a week) to trade out veggies. For an extra fee, pick up at two sites close to downtown Santa Rosa. 651 Airport Blvd., Santa Rosa, 707-544-6141, tierravegetables.com
Singing Frogs Farm, Sebastopol: This farm behind Ragle Ranch is run by Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser, former Peace Corps volunteers who do international outreach about their no-tillage system of farming. The CSA offers a classic box ($32 per week) and family box ($40 per week). Most pick up boxes (no extra fee) at delivery spots in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Graton and can trade items there. Add-ons include eggs, olive oil and brown rice. Boxes available every Wednesday from May through November, and every-other-Wednesday from December through April. 1301 Ferguson Road, Sebastopol, singingfrogsfarm.com
Winter Sister Farm, Sebastopol: The small west county farm specializes in food for the “wet season,” meaning its winter/spring CSA runs from late November through mid-May. There are classic favorites as well as specialty crops, from potatoes and kale to dried beans and peppers. Choose from the free choice or farmer’s choice options for the CSA memberships. 1670 Cooper Road, Sebastopol, wintersisterfarm.com
Red H Farm: This 1.2-acre agroecological vegetable farm in Sebastopol has a Winter Nourishment CSA available from December through February. The winter CSA includes roughly $150 worth of produce, such as onions, garlic, leeks, beets, carrots, broccoli and much more. redhfarm.com
Meat and Poultry CSAs
Sonoma County Meat Co., Santa Rosa: This USDA- and state-inspected butcher shop run by Rian Rinn and Janine Alexander offers a monthly CSA available in 5-, 10- or 15-pound sizes. The meat medley boxes include Oak Ridge Angus beef, Mountain View Farms pork and Blakeman Ranch lamb (from $66.49 for monthly subscription). Other popular meat boxes include bacon, sausages, marinated meats, barbecue cuts and even a pet lovers box with meaty treats crafted for your furry friends. 35 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-521-0121, sonomacountymeatco.com
Tara Firma Farms, Petaluma: Tara Firma Farms, founded in 2009, delivers pasture raised beef, pork, chicken and lamb, as well as extras like organic veggies, fruit, cheese and eggs door to door on a weekly basis. Owned by Mark Squire and his family (of Good Earth Grocery Stores), they are dedicated to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming. For a minimum of $50, CSA subscribers can determine the frequency of delivery and curate their box, whether it’s a selection from one of their optional flat rate shares or à la carte from the abundant list of meats. Membership benefits include a 10% discount on all orders, free access to the farm and VIP access to community events. 3796 I St., Petaluma, 707-765-1202, tarafirmafarms.com
True Grass Farms, Valley Ford: This ranch, run by Guido Frosini and located near the Marin-Sonoma border, raises grass-fed and finished California Kobe beef, pastured lamb and pork. There are two CSA boxes to choose from, small and large ($75-$150), and each includes ground beef, roasts or braising cuts, beef sausage and a bag of bones (perfect for broths and stews). CSAs are available for pickup and delivery around the Bay Area truegrassfarms.com
Flower CSAs
Radical Family Farms: This Sebastopol farm specializes in Asian heritage vegetables and herbs, including Taiwan bok choy, Japanese long eggplant, Chinese long beans and Vietnamese coriander. In addition to the free CSA boxes the farm sends to seniors in San Francisco and Oakland (supported by tax deductible donations), Radical Family Farms has a flower CSA program featuring seasonal blooms such as sunflowers, marigolds, dahlias, zinnias and snapdragons. You can also find the farm at the year-round Sebastopol Farmers Market on Sundays. 707-210-2773, radicalfamilyfarms.com
Whale watching at Bodega Head. For this one, the waiting comes at the mercy of the whales. However, once you see just one pod travel through, the waiting is worthwhile. The peak months for whale watching are January through May. See more info at bodegabay.com (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
The peak months for whale watching are January through May. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Twice each year, some 20,000 gray whales pass along the California coast as they swim south to breeding lagoons on the west coast of Baja California during winter months, then back to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic’s Bering Sea in spring. The round trip for these sea giants is roughly 12,000 mile and is considered one of the longest among mammals.
Whale Watch volunteer Larry Tiller, of Healdsburg, watches the horizon for spouts from Bodega Head. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
The peak months for whale watching are January through May. If the weather is good, whales can be seen within a few hundred yards of coastal headlands, with prime viewing locations including Bodega Bay, Bodega Head and Jenner in Sonoma County, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, Little River and Pomo Bluffs Park in Mendocino County. During spring migration, even little whales are a big deal, as the recently born calves cavort with their mothers on their way back to colder waters.
Louella Pizzuti, right, scans the horizon for migrating whales with Whale Watch volunteers Rod Palmieri, Jeremy Nichols and Larry Tiller at Bodega Head. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
January through Mother’s Day, volunteers from the Whale Watch Public Education Program are at Bodega Head on weekends to answer questions and share their knowledge about whales and migration.
A bench provides rest for hikers and spectacular views of Sonoma from an overlook along the Bartholomew Memorial Park loop. (Conner Jay/The Press Democrat)
For the hiker who wants to work, but not wait too long for that edible reward tucked into the rucksack, make a trek to Sonoma’s Bartholomew Park.
A bench provides rest for hikers and spectacular views of Sonoma from an overlook along the Bartholomew Memorial Park loop. (Conner Jay)
Here you will find several miles of manageable trails that are invigorating but not excruciating, and offer everything a casual hiker packing a picnic craves, from shady glades to upland meadows to a trickling creek and finally, the “buena vista” (good view) that on a clear day extends to the Carneros region and beyond to San Francisco Bay.
A hiker make her way along the trails at Bartholomew Park. (Conner Jay)
And because it is a private park that generally flies under the radar, you’re unlikely to run into heavy foot traffic on your way up to Benicia’s Lake, a pastoral pond that looks like it was lifted out of a 19th-century English landscape. You might want to unpack a portable feast, maybe a small volume of Wordsworth if you’re romantically inclined, and a stay a good long while.
The virtue of what locals call “Bart Park” is that it is somewhat of a secret, even 25 years after it was created by the late Frank and Antonia Bartholomew to preserve one of the most important sites in the history of the California wine industry. It was here that flamboyant Hungarian entrepreneur Agoston Haraszthy purchased a small vineyard he called Buena Vista, in 1857.
Antonia Bartholomew at the gates to Buena Vista Winery. (Photo courtesy of Bartholomew Park)
He built the first gravity-flow winery in the state and was an innovator and visionary, evangelizing for the virtues of California wine and founding the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, dedicated to promoting quality winemaking. He was eventually forced out by his investors and met a murky death in 1869, when he reportedly fell off a tree branch into an alligator-infested stream in Nicaragua, where he had gone in pursuit of new ventures.
The land was later purchased by Robert and Kate Johnson, who built a spectacular mansion in 1886 that came to be dubbed “The Castle” and which gave the road to the park — Castle Road — its name. The state eventually took over the estate with plans for turning the house into a home for “wayward girls.” But the place burned down. The site of the mansion is now marked by a white gazebo within a formal, English-park-like setting ringed by trees, one of many photogenic spots to explore before or after your hike up the steep hillside.
The Bartholomew Park mansion. (Photo courtesy of Bartholomew Park)The Bartholomew Park mansion. (Photo courtesy of Bartholomew Park)
Thank veteran newsman Frank Bartholomew, the retired chief of United Press International, for rescuing Buena Vista. He bought the 614-acre site at auction from the state in 1943 after reading a legal notice in a San Francisco newspaper. He told his wife, Toni, by telegram from Guadalcanal, where he was covering the war, to “draw out whatever we have in the bank” and make a bid. The couple only later learned of the property’s storied past. As the wine business sputtered back to life in the wake of Prohibition and the Great Depression, the couple set about restoring the winery and vineyards.
Picnic table at Bartholomew Park.
They sold Buena Vista winery in 1966, but it remains as a great complement to the 400 acres that now comprise Bartholomew Park. Along the trail, you’ll pass the old stone Press House, built by Haraszthy and visible through the fence. Tastefully restored by Boisset Family Estates, which acquired Buena Vista in 2011, you might want to stop there before you hit the park to pick up a bottle of wine for your picnic.
The Press House tasting room at Buena Vista Winery. (Photo courtesy of Buena Vista Winery)
You can also buy wine in the park. Bartholomew Park Winery produces small lots of single-vineyard wines from grapes grown in what can rightfully be called the cradle of the California wine industry. The winery also has a nice little museum that details the history of the land and grapegrowing in Sonoma Valley.
The jewel of the park is the grand Palladian Villa, which sits on a knoll overlooking the original Haraszthy vineyard. Antonia Bartholomew had it built in memory of her late husband in 1988, two years before her own death. A replica of the original villa built by Haraszthy in 1861, it represents a remarkable feat of detective work, as not even a trace of the original foundation remained. It is open for tours on weekends and can easily be done in a couple of hours, even leaving time for an unhurried picnic.
Small creeks run along the trails in Bartholomew Memorial Park. (Conner Jay)
There are three trails from which to choose, all leading to Benicia’s Lake. Since you’ll be more laden on the way up, start with the shorter Grape Stomp trail through the south gate. This will lead you past the vineyards, now given over to Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Zinfandel, and a pretty duck pond. The trail climbs through oak forests punctuated by madrone, with its striking, smooth red bark. The path crosses Arroyo Seco Creek, which drains down from the lake in winter. One can easily make the mile-long ascent (400 feet) in 30 minutes.
The lake is flanked by trees and offers a shady refuge for a picnic on a sunny day, with branches bending low over the banks. And there are plenty of level spots on shore to spread out a blanket. Listen for bullfrogs and keep your eyes out for tadpoles. This pond, named for Gen. Mariano Vallejo’s wife, is a haven for them.
Nick Lopez, left, and Bridget Laurent hike along the trails of Bartholomew Park in Sonoma. (Conner Jay)
If you prefer a “table” with a view, continue on, picking up the “You-Walk Miwok Trail” and heading down to Szeptaj Lookout Point for vistas of the mountains between Sonoma and Petaluma. A boulder wall offers a feeling of privacy. You can either dip into your pack while seated on a bench under the trees, or find a nearby spot in the sun for your picnic.
It’s a steep, 1.2-mile descent from the lake along the Miwok Trail. If you’re pressed for time or are a less seasoned hiker, choose the quicker Angel’s Flight trail, which is only three-quarters of a mile down.
Hillside and vineyard at Bartholomew Park. (Photo courtesy of Bartholomew Park)
Because the hike is relatively short, you won’t have to worry about your gourmet picnic goods spoiling. Just be sure to pack light, because the hike is steep and you’ll have to bring your trash back with you.
There are also choice picnic tables back on the valley floor, in the gardens, by the villa, outside the winery and around the gazebo. Pop open a bottle of Bartholomew Park wine and offer a toast to Count Haraszthy and the Bartholomews, who left the land as a gift to the public to enjoy for free. You won’t even pay for parking. Groups of more than eight people need to make a reservation, which helps maintain the hushed calm of an outdoor memorial to the history of California wine.
THE FOOD PART
Serious hikers want no-fuss provisions for fortification. But for a picnic hike where the destination is a place to dine, you can’t just settle for trail mix and PowerBars.
For a relaxed day hike in Bartholomew Park, spoil yourself with upscale food befitting the birthplace of California viticulture.
Sonoma’s Bestmarket and deli is a great stop for a full array of picnic provisions. It’s conveniently located at East Napa Street near Old Winery Road, on the way to Bartholomew Park and Buena Vista Winery. Offerings include ready-made meat loaf, pastrami and chicken sandwiches to go, panini big enough to share, and fresh-packed portable salads. You can also get fixings to make your own sandwich, from Della Fattoria bread, sliced dry salami and prosciutto, and even Sonoma Brinery’s Outrageous Bread & Butter Pickles.
Inside Sonoma’s Best, a general store located at 8th Street East and East Napa Street. (Robbi Pengelly)
If you need the accoutrements to polish your picnic scene, pick up an old-fashioned oilcloth tablecloth and plastic long-stemmed wineglasses here. For a simple, no-mess dessert, tuck into your backpack a package of Tortles, tiny confections of roasted almonds, butter cream caramel, dark chocolate and sea salt.
A hot air balloon floats over Windsor vineyards. (Kent Porter)
You know it’s fun to take in the wine country sights. But have you thought about trying the heights? Whether you’re zooming down a zip line or floating through the air (with the greatest of ease) in a hot-air balloon, there are quite a few ways to experience the high life in wine country.
Here are five options ranging from thrill to chill…
UP, UP IN THE AIR
Multicolored hot-air balloons dotting a blue sky are a signature of wine country and you can be part of the picture-postcard scene. Several companies offer balloon flights, including Napa Valley Aloft, which launches from the V Marketplace in Yountville and has two alternate launching places if it’s foggy. Be aware this is a bird’s-eye view for early birds. Flights launch just after dawn when winds are calmest and temperatures lowest. Prices start at $220 for a ride in a gondola that holds up to 14 people followed by an optional $20 Champagne breakfast. Booking in advance recommended, as is the case for most wine country attractions, especially in the high seasons of summer and fall.
A pair of hot air balloons with Napa Valley Aloft fly over vineyards in Napa, CA. Whether you’re hurtling down a zipline or floating through the air in a hot air balloon you have a few options when it comes to flying high in wine country. (Eric Risberg / AP Photo)
ZIP-N-SIP
In Paso Robles, the grape-growing area along California’s Central Coast that was featured in the popular 2004 buddy movie, “Sideways,” Margarita Adventures has zip lines that will have you whizzing over forests, canyons and vineyards. Their latest addition is a 2,800-foot tandem zip line, the Double Barrel, that lets you travel alongside a friend. Set on the Santa Margarita Ranch just outside the town of Santa Margarita, there are six zip lines in all and for a further high-flying thrill, one of the connectors between platforms is a 300-foot suspension footbridge. The tour concludes with optional tastings at neighboring Ancient Peaks Winery.
Tickets are $109 on weekdays, $119 on weekends and holidays, $89 for youth under 18 at all times. Winery tasting fee of $10 is waived if you buy a bottle or more and tour guests get a 15 percent discount on purchases. And, yes, “Sideways” fans, it is OK to order the merlot.
The Pinot Express Zipline – Margarita Adventures’ highest, longest and fastest zipline. Soar over a mountainside forest at 125 feet above ground, then swoop right over a Pinot Noir vineyard, traveling a total of 1,800 feet. (Photo Courtesy of Margarita Adventures)
GLIDE IN A GONDOLA
For a brief but lovely time aloft, ride the aerial tram at Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga. You get a smooth ride up a tree-studded hill and are greeted at the top with a glass of wine as you begin a self-guided tour of galleries and overlooks. Finish with a wine and food pairing on the South Terrace which has sweeping views of the Napa Valley.
Open Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m. -5 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission starts at $29, with additional fees for food pairings.
Sterling Vineyards’ aerial tram offers stunning views as visitors ride up to the winery. (Photo Courtesy of Sterling Vineyards)
HOP ON A CHOPPER
There are several companies offering helicopter rides over wine country including Golden Gate Helicopters, taking off from Silicon Valley and the east San Francisco Bay area, and Wine Country Helicopters based at the Napa airport. For a different type of wine flight, Vin de Luxe in Sonoma County offers rides on a 1926 Travelair biplane in concert with Coastal Air Tours.
Prices vary by season and itinerary, but a Vin de Luxe “Over the Moon” tour including transportation, lunch, biplane ride to a winery for tasting and driver/guide rings up at about $900 per couple.
There are several companies offering helicopter rides over California wine country. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
STORM THE RAMPARTS
Want to be above it all without taking to the air? Try climbing the ramparts of the Castello di Amorosa, a medieval-style Tuscan castle nestled in the hills just below Calistoga. A long-time project of Napa Valley vintner Dario Sattui, the castle was built with 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled stone and took more than a decade to complete. It is probably the only winery that comes complete with a fully equipped torture chamber.
Open daily 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. March-October, closing at 5 p.m. November-February. Admission starts at $25 and includes a complimentary tasting; and reservations are recommended.
Want to be above it all without taking to the air? Try climbing the ramparts of the Castello di Amorosa, a medieval-style Tuscan castle nestled in the hills just below Calistoga. (AP Photo / Eric Risberg)
A 1923 Ford Model-T owned by Art Paul of Graton Ridge Cellars in Sebastopol doesn’t run, but it does amuse tasting room visitors.
When German engineer Karl Benz built the first pickup in 1895, he had no way of knowing all the uses it would have more than a century later. Or that owners would grow so attached, they’d christen their four-wheeled companions with names such as Hilda. And that after a workhorse like Hilda hauled so many tons of grapes, they’d name a bottle of rosé after the old girl. Just ask the folks at Healdsburg’s UPTick Vineyards, who still manage to stack barrels three-deep in her flatbed.
Certainly, Benz would get a chuckle over the value today of these old trucks. After a complete makeover, Hilda, a once-abandoned 1948 Dodge Stake, is now worth more than $90,000.
Chris O’Neill sitting in a 1936 Chevy at his Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards in Forestville.he front panel gages of a 1936 Chevy truck owned by Chris O’ Neill at his Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards in Forestville. (Erik Castro)
Sonoma loves its pickups — jacked up with suspension lift kits, rolling down Santa Rosa Avenue or towering over the annual Monster Truck fairgrounds mud fest. Lowered until they barely hover over the pavement. Parked along the edge of wineries, the 1980s Japanese-import beaters that carry workers to and from the vineyards. On display in miniature as public art in Healdsburg. Or just sitting out in front of a diner, an immovable icon of our agrarian roots.
The hand-crank of a 1923 Ford Model-T owned by Art Paul of Graton Ridge Cellars located in Sebastopol. (Erik Castro)
You can see them lined up in a rusty graveyard on Highway 12 at Melita Road. Put out to pasture along a fence in Rohnert Park. A nostalgic reminder of a bygone era, in front of the Jimtown Store in Alexander Valley. And now, at harvest time, they are the rugged beasts hauling grapes night and day through bustling vineyards.
A 1954 Chevy
Rich Mounts of Mounts Family Winery in Healdsburg with his 1954 Chevrolet and his dog, Scrappy. (Erik Castro)
Every August, Rich Mounts checks the brake fluid and motor oil in his ’54 Chevy as he preps for another harvest at Mounts Family Winery in Healdsburg. Rusted to a sunburnt char against the orange clay of Dry Creek Valley, the truck looks like it came from the soil and weathered over the years to a fried-egg-yolk yellow or dirty saffron.
It was actually blue when his father, Jack Mounts, bought it new for $1,625 at Bell’s Chevrolet in Healdsburg. Back then it was used to haul prunes. Sixty wood boxes fit in the bed, which is why the rear window no longer has any glass. It was punctured by one of the long wooden props used to support sagging prune branches plump with fruit. Why replace it when “it’s fresh air, what amounts to air conditioning now,” Mounts said.
Rich Mounts, 68, of Mounts Family Winery sitting in his 1954 Chevrolet on one of his vineyards in Healdsburg, California. July 1, 2015. (Photo: Erik Castro
The only major upgrade he’s made over the years was changing the battery and alternator from 6 volts to 12. Today, the old ’54 is no longer street legal, but it still toils year-round on the 140-acre ranch. During harvest, it hauls workers from vineyard to vineyard, leaving the fruit bins to larger trucks. There’s always room for sidekick Scrappy, a “walk-on” terrier mix someone abandoned on the property. And hardly a week goes by when Mounts doesn’t get an offer from someone interested in buying the Chevy.
“I think it’s nostalgia,” he said. “Part of the allure of it is we’re now in disposable times. You don’t fix many things anymore. You just replace them with a new one. This truck was made during a time when you repaired things.”
Bengt Akerlind’s compact 1932 Ford flatbed, originally a milk truck at a Petaluma dairy, now works the vineyards at his West Wines in Healdsburg.
Across the valley at West Wines, owner Bengt Akerlind unloads the ceremonial first bins of grapes every fall from his blue 1932 Ford flatbed. In a former life, it was a brand-new milk truck at Borden Dairy in Petaluma. Akerlind bought it for $2,000 in 1999 and spent two years restoring it with a friend. Over the years, he’s spent so much money on his Ford, he won’t cop to a figure. But thanks to a new drivetrain, it can hold eight barrels of juice and hit around 55 mph on trips down to Windsor.
The Ford emblem of the 1932 Ford owned by Bengt Akerlind at West Wines in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)The 1932 Ford owned by Bengt Akerlind and being driven through his vineyards at West Wines in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)
“It’s hard to explain the connection,” he said. “There’s just something magical about these old trucks.”
Chevy Flatbeds, Restored Sterling Trucks & A 1955 Ford Pickup
The front end of the 1950 Chevy owned by Bill Nachbaur and parked on a vineyard at Acorn winery in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)
It’s the same allure at A. Rafanelli Winery, where three beautifully restored green 1947 Chevy flatbeds haul the grapes the family sells to other wineries. And at Acorn Winery, where owner Bill Nachbauer restored a muddy-green 1950 Chevy flatbed to haul juice in barrels. At the Timber Crest Farms wine collective, adjacent to Kokomo Winery, landowner Ron Waltenspiel has spent the past decade restoring a rusty junkyard of Sterling trucks. At Jimtown Store, a dusty-red, 1955 Ford pickup (and former county firetruck) plays parking lot mascot, if it’s not at the Saturday morning farmers market in Healdsburg.
A restored 1927 Sterling truck at Timber Crest Farms in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)An old Camp Bros truck at Timber Crest Farms in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)A 1928 Sterling truck from Wisconsin at Timber Crest Farms in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)Vineyard worker Manuel Apolinar poses on the 1950 Chevy owned by Bill Nachbauer of Acorn Winery in Healdsburg.
A 1964 Dodge
At Cast Wines in Geyserville, owner Jack Seifrick has adopted a 1964 Dodge D-100 Sweptline truck. The Dallas entrepreneur, who purchased the vineyard in 2012, was picking around the Salvation Army one day and bid on a weathered blue pickup (with original aquamarine interior) that had been retired after 50 years on a farm.
A 1964 Dodge D-100 Sweptline owned by Jack Seifrick and parked at Cast winery in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)
“Turns out we were just a bit naïve with that $400 outlay, as we’ve now invested likely 10 times that much getting it in safe running condition,” he said. “Some people rescue dogs, we do Dodges.”
The radio of a 1964 Dodge D-100 Sweptline owned by Jack Seifrick and parked at Cast winery in Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)
Then there are the trucks that don’t roll anymore, left behind as reminders of simpler times, when you could lift the hood and name every engine part you saw. At Robert Rue Vineyard & Winery in Fulton, it’s a ’42 Chevy flatbed that paid its dues hauling grapes in the 1970s and now gets far more attention as a photo prop in front of the winery.
1954 International Harvester R-110
The 1954 International Harvester R-110 long bed pickup truck parked out front of The Fremont Diner in Sonoma. (Erik Castro)
In the parking lot of the Fremont Diner in Sonoma, the official greeter is a 1954 International Harvester R-110 long-bed pickup. Where it’s not faded blue and seaweed green, a beautiful rust has taken root.
The Gallagher Family (from left) Frankie, 11, Delia, 13, with parents Kevin and Suzy, of Napa, just after dinning at The Fremont Diner and posing next to the 1954 International Harvester R-110 long bed pickup truck in Sonoma. (Erik Castro)
Owner Chad Harris bought it from a Pasadena film production company for $1,900 in 2007. They wouldn’t say in which films it had appeared, but Harris thinks he spotted it in the background of a shot in “Brokeback Mountain.”
The rusted front hood of the 1954 International Harvester R-110 long bed pickup truck parked out front of The Fremont Diner in Sonoma. (Erik Castro)
The only restoration he’s done is to “squirt the surface rust with a little Clear Coat to preserve its original patina.” In the beginning Harris used the truck for running errands and “foraging,” but now it mostly sits in the parking lot. He said he would store it off-property every winter to keep it out of the rain, but “people seemed to be kind of bugged by that. So now it’s just become a part of the place.”
Paradise Ridge Winery. (Photo Courtesy of Paradise Ridge Winery)
When we reviewed the readership of our 2016 online articles, one thing became very apparent: our readers like to eat and drink! Without any further ado, here are our most-read stories of 2016:
The patio at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville.
Where to Eat Outside: The 42 Best Patios in Sonoma County
It’s rare to find a restaurant in sunny Sonoma County that doesn’t have an umbrella or two for al fresco dining, but not all patios are created equal. We made a list of al fresco options with shaded patios, prime sidewalk people-watching and sun-dappled gardens worth seeking out. Just remember the sunscreen. Read the full article here.
The Fremont Diner in Sonoma. (Photo by John Burgess)
65 Cheap Eats in Sonoma County
You don’t have to be wealthy to eat well in Sonoma County. Sure, there are high-end restaurants with deep wine lists, $15 cocktails and menu items that include exotic and expensive ingredients. But beyond the gustatory glitz is a smorgasbord of good, honest and affordable eateries and dishes across the region. Read the full article here.
Beet salad and fish and chips from Willi’s in Healdsburg. (Photo by Chris Hardy)
The 18 Best Happy Hours in Sonoma County
Though there are hundreds of great happy hours from Cloverdale to Petaluma, not all are created equal. Here are some favorite places that combine great food, drinks and crowds to make your post-work hours happier, at least for an hour or so. Read the full article here.
Mixologist Paul Ammerman at County Bench in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)
24 Best Late Night Eats in Sonoma County
Sometimes hunger calls after hours. Here in Sonoma County, restaurants aren’t known for their late hours, but we’ve found a heaping helping of spots open after 9:30 p.m. – and some even later. Read the full article here.
Three Pulled Pork Sliders from chef from chef Gray Rollin at Belly Left Coast Kitchen & Taproom in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)
11 Unique Napa and Sonoma Winery Experiences
Weary, somewhat bleary, of the spin-sniff-sip-swallow-or-spit wine tasting experience? These Sonoma and Napa wineries offer a little something extra to pair with your cabernet. Medieval fortresses and parterre gardens, swimming pools and baseball fields, riding horses and trolleys – there’s plenty of reason to venture outside the tasting room on your next wine country trip. Read the full article here.
A one-of-a-kind aerial tram glides on a scenic ride up a tree covered hill to Sterling Vineyards.
Two Sonoma County Towns Listed as Coolest San Francisco “Suburbs”
Thrillist, the online site for all list-worthy things, released a carefully curated selection of “cool San Francisco suburbs you should actually visit” — and two Sonoma County towns made the cut (along with Mill Valley, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Downtown San Jose, Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, Niles, Bolinas and Yountville). Read the full article here.
50 Best Dishes in Sonoma County
Fifty Sonoma County dishes may seem like a lot, but to be honest, it wasn’t easy to whittle down our list from the hundreds of incredible and iconic meals we’ve had from Cloverdale to Cotati. In no particular order, we present Sonoma Magazine’s 50 Favorite Sonoma County Dishes. Read the full article here.
Harissa Fries at Underwood Bar and Bistro, in Graton. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
