Team Cap makes their move in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War.” (Photo Courtesy marvel.com)
Team Cap makes their move in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War.” (Photo Courtesy marvel.com)
Weill Hall at Rohnert Park’s Green Music Center has hosted some famous names since it opened in 2012, from master cellist Yo-Yo Ma to country star Martina McBride, to film actor Johnny Depp and the Hollywood Vampires band.
But a different set of superstars will play the $145 million, world-class music venue this weekend. We’re talking about Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Avengers, the Marvel Comics superheroes who became movie stars in a series of top-grossing live-action films that have broken box office records around the world.
Robert Downey Jr. in the original Iron Man from 2008. (Photo Courtesy IMDB)
Five films will be shown Friday and Saturday during the Marvel Movie Marathon Weekend, on screens inside the concert hall and out on its lawn.
Green Music Center is covering the licensing fees for the films, and is offering the movies to the public for free, said Kathryn Stewart, the center’s associate director of communications. It’s the center’s first experiment with a movie marathon.
“We want to step up our community involvement, and we’re looking to expand our audience,” Stewart said.
“We have this great facility, so why not offer this kind of experience? It’s a great family event. We hope people will bring picnics to have out on the lawn.”
The Marvel marathon replaces a previously planned “Star Wars” marathon this weekend, canceled when Lucasfilm removed the first six films from circulation, Stewart said.
Paul Rudd in “Ant-Man.” (Photo Courtesy IMDB)
The program opens today with the original “Iron Man” film from 2008, starring Robert Downey Jr., followed by last year’s “Ant-Man,” starring Paul Rudd as the insect-sized hero. Saturday’s roster features three hero-packed epics: “The Avengers” from 2012, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” from 2015 and this year’s “Captain America: Civil War.”
Major Marvel Mashup
What: Marvel Movie Marathon Weekend
When: Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26-27
Where: Weill Hall at the Green Music Center, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park.
Admission: Free.
Information: gmc.sonoma.edu, 866-955-6040.
The patio area at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio, California, August 13, 2016. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)
The patio area at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
When chef Ron Siegel popped out of the kitchen to greet some customers at the Western Room in Nicasio, I wanted to applaud. Here, in the unlikely setting of a historic barbecue and dance hall, he has created a modern restaurant with cuisine that would shine in any big city.
No matter that the chef looked like he had just come off the barbecue line. His rumpled gray-blue shirt and wrinkled charcoal gray apron fit with the dining’s room rough, wood-paneled walls and bare wood tables.
Burrata salad with Gravenstein apples, baby greens, cucumbers and aged balsamic at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
The food on the table before me was art, from the chilled corn soup kissed with lemon-nutty coriander spice ($6) to the burrata salad jazzed with thin sliced Gravenstein apple, baby greens, tart pickled huckleberries and a drizzle of aged balsamic ($14).
Nicasio feels like its own little world in west Marin, the tiny, 100-resident town known mostly for its Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and the boutique pork, rabbit, lamb and quail at Devil’s Gulch Ranch. Its community hall is Rancho Nicasio restaurant and bar, built in 1941 and serving burgers, grilled rib-eye and meatloaf in the dining room that doubles as a live music venue.
Chef Ron Siegel preparing tortelloni by hand that he fills with braised rabbit at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
When Siegel joined Rancho Nicasio in February, it was a surprising move for a chef who previously worked with Michael Mina, the French Laundry, Charles Nob Hill and the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton. He was the first American chef to win the Japanese version of “Iron Chef.” Yet Siegel was tired of the commute from his San Anselmo home and the demands of structured dining. Here, he could continue his meticulous cooking, but in more relaxed surroundings.
Laid back it is. We park next to the baseball field, walk past the post office and general store, and enter through the bar, with a taxidermy collection of critters from buffalo to wild boar. One evening, a chalkboard sign read, “Welcome Hogsters,” presumably for the wild group that was tearing up the dance floor and the back lawn set with picnic tables.
The dining room at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
The Western Room sits behind saloon doors, with 48 seats set on a weathered dark wood floor beneath wagon wheel chandeliers. Yet the first plate arrived, and it was magnificent, in a sunburst design of silky shima aji (striped jack fish) crudo on a puddle of stone fruit puree and decorated in cubed, pickled salted plum, whisper thin daikon curls, crispy kombu triangles and rice crackers puffed like chicharrones ($16).
A generous sprinkling of sea salt intensified the smooth, sweet, tart flavors, and each bite brought contrasting textures of velvet and crunch.
It’s already easy to love this roadhouse, built after the 1867 Hotel Nicasio burned down in 1940. Everyone is friendly, and the music is top notch, thanks to owner Bob Brown. Before he bought the place in 1998, he managed Pablo Cruise and Huey Lewis and the News.
Tortellini filled with braised rabbit and served with heirloom tomatoes, pesto and parmesan foam at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant. (Photo by Erik Castro)
But as I admired the tortelloni ($16), my happiness was nearly ridiculous. The six big pasta packets could have made an entrée, expertly al dente and generously stuffed with moist braised rabbit that had a pleasing bit of chew. They rested atop thick swaths of pesto, Parmesan cream and braised tomato, all topped in sautéed greens, with the trick being to get a bit of each sumptuous, savory ingredient on every forkful.
Shima Aji with stone fruit, pickled salted plum, kombu, and rice cracker at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
Perhaps inspired by his Iron Chef win, Siegel likes Japanese accents. Tender local squid is arranged with crispy tofu and ponzu ($7), while grilled aji rolls look like cooked sushi, stained bright green with salsa verde under a crown of diced stone fruit ($7). A slab of crisp skin-roasted Mount Lassen trout ($15) lounges atop shiitake mushrooms and radish in dashi broth. As with everything, the portion size, flavors and presentation make the prices an incredible bargain.
Each dish, too, brings its own creative twist. Tomales Bay halibut is beautiful to look at, the mild fish topped in cubed nectarine, bright red roasted pimentos, tiny bits of braised clam and microgreens ($32). But the lemon spuma and eggplant purée, flooded with the fish’s natural jus, make the whole thing sing.
I wasn’t as excited about a surf and turf plate ($33), however. The seared Bodega Bay king salmon was nice, but the tiny piece of short rib was overly soft, especially compared to the beautiful, meaty maitake mushrooms and firm roast potato alongside. The brown sauce was a bit heavy with vadouvan spices, though the soubise was a perfect, onion-y accent. Good enough, ultimately, paired with a 2014 Wild Thing Rendezvous Rosé (Carignan blend, Mendocino County, $9).
Sweet corn cakes served with hibiscus foam, corn jam and citrus curd at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
With such fine food and small town charm, the slow service here doesn’t bother me. It takes at least 20 minutes between courses, mostly because Siegel is running the kitchen pretty much solo. Yet when dessert finally arrives nearly 40 minutes after our entrée plates are cleared, the server brings an extra goodie, too, an ice cream sandwich.
It was a very good sandwich, with homemade, maple hued candy cap mushroom ice cream stuffed in a baseball-size, pillowy-crunchy macaron ($8). I preferred it to the sweet corn cake, a crumbly olive oil cake liberally studded with whole kernel corn. It was too earthy for dessert, and the tart hibiscus and citrus curds accompanying it were watery.
Sonoma County Poultry duck breast served with blackberry and watermelon salad at Rancho Nicasio Bar and Restaurant in Nicasio. (Photo by Erik Castro)
As I left the restaurant after my first dinner, I was already eager to return. Siegel changes dishes frequently, for the seasons but also for daily best ingredients, so each time we come we can enjoy something new. Sonoma duck breast ($30) may be a staple, but one night it came with black sesame and yellow doll watermelon, while another night it was paired with blackberry and watermelon salad. Subtle differences, perhaps, but making for entirely different flavors.
I just hope that as word gets about the Western Room, it doesn’t overwhelm little Nicasio. But then, the Rancho Nicasio barbecue and live music parties already bring in hundreds of guests each weekend, so what’s another hundred or so more?
What can you get for a $20 bill these days? A great bottle of wine if you do your homework.
You don’t have to lower your standards. Plenty of top-rate winemaking is happening, even at this price point. Check out these great finds, which may inspire you to purchase a bottle the next time you have a spare $20 dollar bill.
Stephen Vincent, 2013 Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 13.5%, $15. This tasty quaffer has notes of cherry, blackberry, toast and pepper. Medium bodied. A smart value.
Guenoc, 2015 Guenoc Valley, Lake County Sauvignon Blanc, 14.1%, $13. This tropical sauvignon blanc reels you in with a trio of flavors — pineapple, guava and passion fruit. Nice structure. Balanced.
Broadside, 2014 Central Coast Wild Ferment Chardonnay, 13.5%, $18. A straight-forward chardonnay with notes of melon, lemon, mineral and a hint of toffee. Nice length. A smart budget pick.
Olema, 2014 Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 14.2%, $20. The Olema is surprisingly supple for the price, but it is set apart by its gorgeous red berry aromas, with a great concentration of bing cherry fruit on the palate. Layered notes of cocoa and spice in the mix. The pinot comes full circle with an impressive, lingering finish.
Cycles Gladiator, 2014 Central Coast Chardonnay, 13.5%, $11. A tasty wine that’s a steal the price. Its stone fruit is a standout, with just the right oak treatment — light. While it’s not complex, it is layered, which makes it an interesting chardonnay. Smart.
Angeline winemaker Bill Batchelor and assistant winemaker Lindsey Haughton.
Angeline winemaker Bill Batchelor and assistant winemaker Lindsey Haughton.
Bill Batchelor was a “beer guy” back in the early 1990s, when there was an explosion of craft brews. Soon he found the same fascination with wine.
Batchelor is behind our wine-of-the-week winner, the Angeline, 2015 Sonoma County Reserve Sauvignon Blanc at $15. This is a refreshing sauvignon blanc with notes of lime, mango, kiwi, mineral and a hint of jalapeño. The Angeline finishes crisp, with a zesty lime quench. It’s a remarkable wine for the price.
Batchelor said there’s a duo behind this wine, and he credits assistant winemaker Lindsey Haughton for being an integral part of the process. Both are responsible for producing the Angeline and Martin Ray brands.
“I see winemaking as a collaborative effort,” Batchelor said. “There really aren’t any egos involved here, and perhaps like a lot of chefs, Lindsey and I would be content if we could anonymously hide in the ‘back of the house’ and just craft great wines all day.”
Batchelor said the uninitiated may not know about the breadth of the sauvignon blanc grape.
“It’s not all lemon tarts and grass and steel (and doesn’t have to smell like cat pee),” he said. “Sauvignon blanc can be made in many styles, depending on the climate and source of fruit as well as winemaker influence. We like ours to be ripe and full, with pleasing aromatics.”
Pinpointing when to pick is the most challenging part of producing sauvignon blanc, Batchelor said.
“If you pick too early, you’re stuck with herbaceousness all year,” he said. “However, if you wait too long, the defining acidity and tropical notes drop out, and you’re left with dull, flabby, shapeless wine.”
The sprint to harvest complicates picking, Batchelor said.
“Critical timing becomes challenging during the heat of harvest, when tanks are full, growers are pressured to pick, and we can’t get it all done in the ideal time frame. When to pick often becomes semi-educated guesswork considering all the variable moving targets. Intuition is key.”
Batchelor, 45, graduated from Sonoma State University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.
“Ditching my initial career ambition of doing film and photography, I dove head first into the Sonoma County wine industry in 1996 and got a cellar rat job at Preston Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley,” he said. “Twenty years on, I’m still here and learning new things every day.”
It’s peak season for restaurant openings, and by “peak” I mean I can’t even keep up with them all. Suffice to say that I’ve been spending more with a fork in my mouth than a pen in my hand. So while I gather my notes and edit my mouth-watering pictures, here’s a sneak preview of where I’ve been, what’s to come and what I’ll be writing about in the next couple months.
Six Brand New Sonoma County Restaurants
Ceviche at The Shuckery in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
The Shuckery: We’re already in love with this small oyster bar and seafood restaurant, just a couple weeks into service. A project of the venerable Oyster Girls (sisters Aluxa and Jazmine Lalicker), oysters obviously get top billing here, each hand-shucked behind the bar, ranging from Humboldt Gold Kumamotos and New Brunswick St. Simons to British Columbia’s Fanny Bay and nearby Tomales Bay Miyagis ($3 each). The menu also includes one of the best dishes of ceviche we’ve had lately, with orange, lemon and lime, chili, cilantro and piquillo pepper coulis ($12). A signature is the Relleno ($25) made with a pounded calamari steak, Dungeness stuffing and creamed corn. If you’re on a budget, Baja Style Tacos ($14) are top notch, and it’s worth saving a little room for the “Dueling Budinos” ($9) that include dark chocolate and salted caramel going head to head with peanut butter, bacon and banana. Meat-free dishes include tempura avocado tacos and cauliflower “hot wings” ($14). Reservations are strongly recommended since the space inside the Hotel Petaluma is cozy. They’re still getting their sea legs, so don’t be surprised by a few wobbles in service, but overall, impressive. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, theshuckeryca.com.
Caesar salad at Steele and hops in Santa ROsa. Heather Irwin/PD
Steele and Hops: We’ve never seen a restaurant get their act together after an opening quite as fast as this new family-friendly Santa Rosa brewpub. After a meh soft opening, the food has stabilized, and after three visits, Steele and Hops is a keeper. Best bets include brisket “cigars” (think egg roll with melted cheese and smoked brisket, $7); chicken fried onion rings with mushroom gravy ($6), and excellent Caesar with bocarone anchovies ($9.5) the S&H Signature burger ($13.5) with onion jam, and the fried chicken sandwich ($11.50). We’re less wowed with the brick-oven pizzas (even a teenager turned her nose up at the burnt crust) and the hangar steak ($17.50) was off-putting. We’ll be back, though, for the fish and chips ($14) and incredible strawberry shortcake. Oh, and they have about 20 beers on tap, along with a decent wine list. 1901 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, steeleandhops.com.
Tapas at Tasca Tasca in Sonoma. Heather Irwin/PD
Tasca Tasca: The third restaurant for Chef Manuel Azavedo (La Salette, Cafe Lucia), this Portuguese tapas bar is by far one of our favorites. Sit at the casual bar, or grab a table, and order from dozens of authentic small plates (each about $5). Our favorites included fried Piri Piri potatoes with saffron aioli; albacore tuna ceviche; goat stew with fingerling potatoes, steak tartare, and Lupini beans. Sadly, we somehow missed out on the Caldo Verde (Portugal’s national soup) that we’ve loved from his other restaurants. Passionfruit and pomegranate sangrias are the perfect pairing. 122 W. Napa St., Sonoma, tascatasca.com.
Tikka tacos at Momo Grill in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Momo Grill: Surprisingly good Nepalese and Indian cuisine in an unlikely Roseland location getting lots of buzz. A quick lunchtime meal included butter chicken, and Indian style tacos (you gotta trust me on this) and a solid palak paneer. Also love that the meat is Halal. More on this after a spin through their momos and entrees. 750 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa, facebook.com/momogrillrestaurant.
Superburger, Windsor: A new Superburger has opened next to Oliver’s, joining its Santa Rosa and Windsor siblings. So now you’re never more than a few minutes from a Montecito Ave. burger and chili dogs anywhere in Sonoma County. 9238 Old Redwood Hwy., Windsor, santarosasuperburger.com.
Duck dish at Revival. Courtesy Revival
Revival: The new-new restaurant at Applewood has quietly opened, with Guerneville hospitality maven Crista Luedtke at the helm and Chef Ben Spiegel in the kitchen. It’s an exciting pairing, with Luedtke’s local experience in the restaurant and hotel business (Boon Eat + Drink, Big Bottom Market, El Barrio, Boon Hotel + Spa) and Spiegel’s experience at NYC Skal, The Willows Inn on Lummi Island. The opening menu includes Liberty duck liver mousse ($11), grilled romano beans with Japanese cucumber and goat cheese cream ($10) and ricotta dumplings with shiitake, lobster mushrooms and arrowhead spinach ($23). Revival is the newest iteration of the luxury inn’s dining program, which received a Michelin star under its former chef, but lost traction in recent years. New ownership by hotelier Ric Pielstick of EpiSoul and Luedeke’s involvement bode well. “The restaurant space was overdue a cosmetic makeover. And it was a great opportunity for me to re-brand the whole look of the interior and create a menu that represents the food and the experience we want to showcase,” said Luedtke. Open for dinner Thursday through Monday, 13555 Hwy. 116, Guerneville, eatatrevival.com.
On the horizon Handline: Seafood-focused restaurant from Peter Lowells’ owner Lowell Sheldon is slated for a late September launch in Sebastopol. Single Thread: The high-profile project in Healdsburg is looking at a late October opening.
I’m past being surprised when the media confuse Sonoma restaurants as being in Napa, or altogether ignore Sonoma in lists of the best Wine Country Restaurants for tired usual suspects. However, this time, at least one of my favorites did get tapped by the Wine Spectator as “World-Class”.
The Healdsburg eatery, which got a meh 2.5 stars by The Chronicle’s Michael Bauer in 2015 is a crowd favorite for its haute dining in a convivial, decidedly unstuffy atmosphere. Not to mention the charm of Chef Dustin and his brother, Aaron Garzini (who’s front of the house) along with their dad, Bob, who is usually a fixture at the bar or roaming from table to table as unofficial host. If you can’t tell, I’m a fan. And not just for their $3,000 kobe beef.
It’s also worth noting that two of Chef Charlie Palmer’s restaurants were named: Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg and the newer Harvest Table in St. Helena.
Chefs Charlie Palmer and Scott Romano at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. Photo: Paige Green.
These Wine Spectator Awards, according to the magazine, represent Wine Country Restaurants that “are a cut above the rest, be it for their vineyard views, their championing of producers both local and global, or their creative renditions of all types of cuisine.”
Barn Diva Studio offers a curated list of cocktails and small bites with no need for reservations
Along with Valette and DCK, the Wine spectator also named Barndiva, and John Ash & Co. as top Sonoma County picks.
La Toque restaurant in Napa courtesy of the Westin.
In Napa, the awards went to La Toque, 1313 Main Restaurant & Wine Bar, Auberge du Soleil Restaurant, Farm, Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon, Carpe Diem Wine Bar and Solbar.
Amanda Mae Blackmore browsing the outfits at a clothing swap at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa.
When Santa Rosa resident Ken James organized a music-infused clothing swap for charity at The Arlene Francis Center earlier this year, it immediately generated calls for an encore. On August 2, it was time for the second round of Clothing Swap Extravaganza.
What inspired James to create a community clothing exchange in the first place was the realization that he had too many clothes. He decided to organize a clothing swap and to donate the proceeds to Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), a local organization he had previously worked with. “I really appreciate what they [SAY] do for kids,” James said, “they did a lot for me when I was younger and this is my way of trying to give back to them. And also, who doesn’t love clothes?”
Ken James, organizer of the Clothing Swap Extravaganza in Santa Rosa.
At the time of the first event, James lived next to the Arlene Francis Center on 6th Street in Santa Rosa. The center encourages members of the community to propose events on their website and then puts on the events if they are in line with the mission of the nonprofit organization.
Some of the proceeds from James’s second clothing swap were donated to the center in order to keep its service to the community running. Excess clothing was given to Social Advocates for Youth. Again, the event had a large turnout and a nice community vibe.
Jamie Batt, one of the clothing swap attendees, had been looking forward to this event ever since attending the first clothing swap extravaganza. “I’ve had it on my radar,” Batt said. “This one is probably twice as big as the first one. I think more people told their friends, so that’s pretty awesome.”
Batt has found a variety of new outfits through these clothing swaps; one of her recent favorites being an “awesome patchwork leather vest.”
Niko Green came to the event carrying four gallon sized bags full of clothing on a mission to declutter her closet. Green had not planned to pick up any clothes but in the end she purchased a few irresistible items. “I had a lot of things to get rid of, but then I stuck around because people keep bringing more and more cool things,” Green said. “I’m down to two [bags] — so that’s an improvement!”
And the sight of all those clothes wasn’t the only reason Green lingered, “interacting with the community is super cool too,” she said.
Kiya Polo-Schlosberg at Clothing Swap Extravaganza in Santa Rosa.
Kiya Polo-Schlosberg also enjoyed the community atmosphere at the Arlene Francis Center. “I’ve actually been meaning to do a closet clean out and this seemed like a very positive way to do that,” Polo-Schlosberg said. “I heard about it on Facebook and decided I’d swing by. Me and my girlfriends are here. I love events like this.”
The easy-going atmosphere at the clothing event was accompanied by some great live music. The lineup included performances by DJ Gloomy Beach, Mama Sat and The Wax Factory and Dillon O’Bannon. “I think it is a nice touch,” O’Bannon said and added, “It really adds that communal sense — where it’s not just a bunch of people silently browsing clothes.”
Although this clothing swap has come and passed, it won’t be the last. According to James, the public can expect another event with tunes soon, “I’m making things happen slowly but surely,” he said. “You can expect to see another one of these in a few months — once I get more clothes that need donating.”
Peggy Fransen prepared to toss her bocce ball into a crowded field of red and green spheres, all huddled around a little white pallino.
She had a strategic conundrum. Should she try to knock out an opponent’s red ball or try to land her green one closest to the pallino, a small white ball? Or, take the safe route and throw it outside the scrum so as not to inadvertently bump a teammate’s ball and hurt their chances?
Gently but deliberately, Fransen rolled her ball into the fray, down the red dirt court at Juilliard Park, home to Santa Rosa’s city bocce league.
It made its way between two balls and almost miraculously curled around another, coming to rest closest to the pallino — the target.
Squeals of delight erupted from her Balls of Fire teammates, and congratulations came from her Rock N Rollers opponents.
“No skill involved,” Fransen declared. “It was luck! Just luck. I was thinking about just throwing it away.”
Bocce players react to a close call during bocce league play at Campo Fina restaurant in Healdsburg.(Photo by Alvin Jornada)
Bocce, an ancient game that is both simple and complex, has bloomed in popularity throughout Sonoma County in the past few years, and leagues are now offered nearly every day of the week.
Dozens of wineries, parks and even restaurants offer the casual game for customers to indulge in while they enjoy a little Wine Country lifestyle.
It’s one of the few sports you can compete in while holding your wine glass, and some players claim they actually play better after a tipple or two.
Bocce balls on the court at Campo Fina restaurant in Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)
At Campo Fino restaurant in Healdsburg, the Thursday night bocce league can get pretty competitive. Owner Ari Rosen installed the courts a couple of years ago as an homage to the game he played with his grandfather during summers in upstate New York.
Several teams now compete in the league, which includes players of all ages and abilities. Gen Xers and millennials toss alongside baby boomers and octogenarians.
At Juilliard Park just a few years ago, the sport was offered only one night a week. Now, between six and eight teams compete every weeknight on the six city courts.
Mondays are fairly laid back as the friendly competition melds with a potluck of cheese, crackers, homemade brownies and garden bounty brought to share.
Bocce Amici team member Ginger Kelly of Santa Rosa said her team began as friends first, then bocce players.
“We got together because we were all amici — friends — to begin with and all Italian,” she said.
“We have a lot of fun. I’m not sure we play well, but we have fun.”
The court is reset for a new game during bocce league play at Campo Fina restaurant in Healdsburg. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)
For many Italian Americans, bocce is a nostalgic reminder of the Old Country and a way to continue celebrating their heritage.
Bocce, pronounced boh-che or more casually bot-chi, can be traced to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. It is related to British bowls and French petanque.
The word “bocce” is the plural of the Italian word boccia, which means “bowl” in the sporting sense.
It is played throughout the world, particularly where Italian immigrants have moved. In South America, the sport is called bochas or bolas criollas.
Bocce migrated to the U.S. in the 19th century, and immigrants played the game in homemade courts or fields.
It has made a splash more recently as younger people have found the game at wineries throughout Sonoma County or at public places, such as a park along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. In 2010, private funds and donated union labor helped build those ferry bocce courts.
Janet Kirk explains the allure of bocce: “It’s a very simple game. It takes five minutes to learn, but a lifetime to perfect.”
How’s she doing with that?
“I’m working on it,” she said. “It’s totally engrossing to me. I just love it.”
Kirk, a retired teacher, also plays pickleball, used to play tennis and is learning golf. In fact, many of the same skills in golf are necessary in bocce. It also shares elements of shuffleboard and croquet.
Scott and Jenny Schultz playing bocce ball during dinner service at Campo Fina restaurant in Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)
The game requires good judgment of distance, an eye to spot contours and rough spots on the court’s surface, the ability to make a quick strategic choice and the proper psychological frame of mind.
That last part runs the gamut in bocce leagues, players say.
There are players with an adult beverage in hand, others with a steely eye bent on knocking an opponent’s ball out of the way.
Some get a little raucous and do some mild trash-talking. But most, it seems, simply enjoy the camaraderie and good-natured battles to see which team can score 12 points first.
And while some old-time Italians may have some serious spinning abilities that boggle a rookie’s mind, players say no one can claim they’ve truly mastered the game.
“It’s a game that goes back to ancient Egypt, yet still, to this day, we are still figuring out ways to work it,” said Al Ferrando of Petaluma.
Ferrando, who says he is “Italian, but only on my mother and father’s side,” was enthralled with the game from early on.
He picked up a set of balls at a thrift store a few years ago and began playing. He ran into Susan and Tony Cole, leaders of the Sonoma County Bocce Federation, who turned him on to the Santa Rosa league.
Ferrando was hooked. His whole family got involved, and he even built a court in his backyard.
While bocce can get intense sometimes, most players keep it light, knowing there is an element of chance involved.
“Donna fortuna (lady luck) has a lot to do with it,” Ferrando reasons.
“There is the pull action, the lawn bowling action, the bowling action, a little croquet,” he said, “all this devious machinating going on trying to get to that bloody little pallino.”
There is no age limit — upper or lower — for the bocce players.
Many seniors play the game for relaxation and exercise, while kids seem to pick it up naturally.
“It’s a game where a grandson can play his grandpa on equal footing,” said Ken Vignati of Santa Rosa.
“It’s not a game of power. It’s a game of finesse.”
Vignati plays from his wheelchair, which he jokes may give him an advantage.
“The idea is not to lift the ball too high. You throw low and close to the ground, which is good for me,” he said.
“You just have to throw the ball straight and follow through.”
Mike Franchetti played petanque while he was traveling in France and joined the Juilliard Park league about eight years ago with his adult son.
“It’s fun to meet people and have a good time, play competitively, make friends. All those things,” he said. “And I get a pretty good roll every now and again, too.”
A bocce ball court and lawn sculpture at The Mulberry House garden in Sonoma. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
Bocce’s popularity in Sonoma County is attributed to Monty Montague, the founder of TeeVax appliance store.
Montague helped revitalize Railroad Square and the West End, and was an enthusiastic fan of both bocce and petanque.
He helped the West End Neighborhood Association in its early days and joined the group at its first West End Bocce Nights in the late 1990s at DeMeo Park.
Montague also led the effort to have the city build the courts at Juilliard. Because of the sport’s growing popularity, two more courts were added two seasons ago.
Petaluma also has city-maintained courts at Leghorns Park on Sonoma Mountain Parkway, and Sonoma has petanque fields.
Bocce players can roll a few games and raise money for a good cause in Petaluma. The 2016 Bocce Ball-A-Palooza to benefit Mentor Me is scheduled for Oct. 16.
That popular annual event is held at a private residence and includes pizza, beverages and an affogato dessert bar.
Santa Rosa’s leagues also host fundraisers for Special Olympics, the Council on Aging and diabetes research.
For a less structured bit of bocce fun, dozens of wineries and restaurants throughout Sonoma County have courts where diners play while they wait for dinner or during a picnic lunch.
Asked why he’s so enamored with the sport, Ferrando paused for a moment between games at Juilliard Park.
“Bocce really puts you in a playful mood,” he said. “It brings out the fun-loving nature in everyone.”
Molcajete Mixto is a hot stone bowl filed with steak, prawns, chicken, grilled cactus, queso fresco, roasted chillies, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. (Photo by Beth Schlanker)
Molcajete Mixto, a hot stone bowl filed with steak, prawns, chicken, grilled cactus, queso fresco, roasted chillies, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms, at Mi Terra Mexican Restaurant in Santa Rosa.
I’ll always remember the first time I tasted molcajete, served at an authentic Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale many years ago. It was a marvel to me, because it referred not to the ancient, stone mortar and pestle used to grind things like Latin American chiles and spices, but to a savory stew.
This molcajete, made of meats, seafood, chiles, cactus and vegetables in a mouthwatering red broth, was served in a molcajete, the basalt tureen that is prized because it retains its volcanic heat for the long time it takes to finish such a hearty dish.
Natasha Wawiluk sips on a Pina Chavela made with beer, Clamato and spices during lunch with her mother at Mi Terra Mexican Restaurant in Santa Rosa.
I enjoyed another memorable molcajete a few years later, this time in a fancy beachfront restaurant in Cabo. It was even better, brimming with strips of arrachera steak and chicken, chunks of fried panela cheese, tiny whole charred onions still on the stem like holiday ornaments, charred whole mild peppers and slender rafts of grilled zucchini stuffed with chorizo. The goodies were bathed in a simmering salsa borracha (drunken sauce) of chiles and beer, waiting to be bundled up in lacy thin corn tortillas.
The Sea of Cortez surf thudded on the sand, and a whale lazed its way past, impossibly close to shore. I felt I had found one of the world’s perfect foods.
Are such memories part of the reason the molcajete at Mi Tierra in Santa Rosa makes me so happy? It’s excellent, though rather than crashing waves, I am serenaded by traffic rumbling past the endlessly under-construction intersection of Sebastopol and Stony Point roads.
Mojarra a la Diabla, a whole fried fish with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and Diabla sauce, served with rice and beans at Mi Terra in Santa Rosa.
We sit in a tiny, narrow shoe box just a sidewalk away from the street — perhaps 30 seats inside and 50 on the tile patio, framed by a white picket fence and hung with Modelo beer flags. The prettiest parts are the landscape murals on the walls and the colorfully painted wood Plaza Tequila chairs outside.
And frankly, there are many good Mexican restaurants in the immediate area. Homemade chips and salsas here are fine, and they’re free. Burritos, street tacos, enchiladas and tamales are good, if not remarkable, and service is friendly enough, though often rushed.
Yet this taqueria shines with more complicated dishes like that marvelous molcajete ($20.95).
The meats are generous and flavorful, with firm, cilantro-imbued shrimp; tender strips of steak and chicken; and two thick links of moist chorizo in an appealing charred black crust that soaks up the deep red, spicy broth.
There are braised sweet onion petals, sliced mushrooms, juicy tomato chunks and a fan of slippery grilled sour-crisp nopales that drapes over the side of the rock bowl like a wilted flower. At the center is a big slab of creamy panela cheese, and on the side are rice and beans and flour tortillas handmade by a lady working a hot grill on the patio. The dish is a delight, and easily feeds two.
A Pina Chelada is a cocktail made with beer, Clamato and spices, then garnished with fruit dusted in chili.
Locals likely know the Mi Tierra property, even if they don’t know the name. Originally, the spot was called Pepe’s, a burrito landmark since 1986 that moved seven years ago to much larger digs a few blocks east. Then, for about a year, the place languished as the sad little Don Pedro’s Mexican restaurant before the Magana family took over and spruced things up.
Somehow, the closet-size kitchen now masters a menu of more than 60 entrées, ranging from juicy steak alambre topped with chorizo, crisp bacon, vegetables and molten jack cheese ($17.95), to an enormous plate of succulent pollo con crema ($17.95), the chicken strips coated in a creamy brown sauce sporting heat that sneaks up on me after a few bites.
Rather than wasting time with an everyday shredded beef taco ($2.95), I pick the flesh off the fine bones for mojarra a la diabla, a whole, crispy fried tilapia smothered in onions, bell peppers, tomato, mushrooms and a fiery chile sauce ($17.95).
Braulia Jaimes makes homemade tortillas each weekend at Mi Terra.
I wash it down with a michelada of beer, lime juice, spices and peppers garnished with chile-salt dusted lime, orange, jicama and cucumber, served in a real, carved out pineapple ($10.95).
A plato Cancun arrives with lots of shrimp tossed with mushrooms, green onion and tomatoes and melted queso over rice ($18.95), while camarones jarochos are more than I could ever finish in one sitting.
The sautéed shrimp, octopus, scallops, white fish, calamari and crab leg are bathed in red sauce jazzed with chile de arbol, set on a bed of rice and finished with a mantle of jack cheese that I scoop up with tortilla chips ($18.95).
Pastor-style fans will be happy here, too, as the tortilla lady also runs a rotisserie in the evenings, slicing the pineapple-chile marinated pork to order.
Like most of the specialties, it’s much better than the often-dry carnitas, or bland chicken burritos that you can get stuffed with French fries “California style” ($9.95).
Me? I’ll have more molcajete, please.
Mi Terra, 2000 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, (707) 546-1777, mitierramex.com
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
In a totally horrifying food embarrassment that rivals the quesadilla maker and bacon bowl comes the Chork, a chopstick and fork hybrid that’s both and neither.
Panda Express recently announced that it will be trying out the bright red, plastic utensils that can be used as awkward looking chopsticks, “cheaters” (chopsticks that don’t require any experience to use) or a ridiculous looking fork.
Oh, goodie!
Okay, so I have a thing about chopsticks. I encouraged my kids to learn how to use them as toddlers. It’s a transferable skill, you can use it on a resume, and you don’t look like a total pleeb when you go to sushi restaurants. Come on America!
Made by a Salt Lake City company called Brown Innovation Group, they’re $7.99 for 12, should you chose to buy them for yourself, despite my disdain for you.
The Chork!
Here’s why I hate The Chork already.
1. Learn to use chopsticks: It’s not that hard, and with about five minutes of practice, I promise you can get it. Billions of people use them without incident, daily!
2. Make a choice: If you can’t deal with chopsticks, use a fork. It’s okay.
3. It’s like those sushi rolls with all the mayonnaise and fried stuff: I’m all for American ingenuity, but dude, sometimes it’s nice to just appreciate the beauty of simplicity. Like plain old nigiri, or you know, chopsticks.
4. “Pinchers” aren’t chopsticks: The idea is to help people learn to use chopsticks by creating a sort of tweezer effect. That’s not going to help anyone learn, since it’s a totally different thing. Hello?
5. It’s so American: I love ‘merica. I do. But not every perceived problem needs a solution. Maybe the world would take us a little more seriously if we put down our forks and raised a chopstick in solidarity once in a while.
6. They’re made of polystyrene (#6 recycling) which isn’t known for its recycling ease. Polystyrene foam is banned in SF, and most curbside recycling won’t accept it. Wooden chopsticks are compostable. Just sayin’.
7. What am I supposed to do with all that time I spend rubbing my chopsticks together to get off the splinters?
Am I just being a grump, or are these as idiotic as they seem? Now, get off my lawn!!
Did you know? There are several kinds of chopsticks used in Asia. (See them all here)
Japanese: Typically have a pointed end and are made of finer wood or bamboo. Often at higher end sushi spots here in America, regulars will bring a personal set left at the restaurant.
Korean: Often made of metal, and decorated
Vietnamese: Long chopsticks, usually blunt point
China: The most variable, but long, a bit thicker and usually wood.
