Page 417 – Sonoma Magazine

Upcoming Sonoma County Events in April

March 2016

By Dan Taylor

APRIL 9: Battle of the Brews

Now that Wine Country also includes Beer Country, this 20th annual event promises to be bigger than ever, with a full day of beer and food tastings and pairings, a professional brewing competition and more. 1-8 p.m. $50-$95.

Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200, battleofthebrews.com

Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival. (Photo / Beth Schlanker) — Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival. (Photo / Beth Schlanker)

APRIL 9-10: Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival

The high point is the Sunday morning Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, but there is plenty to do all weekend, with good food, an art show, craft booths, live music, and tastings of beer and wine. General admission $12, $10 for seniors, $20 for a two-day pass, 12 and under free.

Westside Regional Park, 2400 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay, bbfishfest.org

APRIL 16-17: Apple Blossom Festival

The old-fashioned parade down Sebastopol’s Main Street on the first day of this two-day celebration is its signature event, but there is a lot more to stay for, including food, drink, crafts and entertainment, including a live Blues Explosion concert the second day.

Ives Park, 7400 Willow St., and Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 High St., Sebastopol, 707-823-3031, appleblossomfest.com

APRIL 16-17: April in Carneros

For two days, wine buffs can roam Carneros, the region that bridges Sonoma and Napa counties, enjoying open-house events at numerous wineries. Take advantage of food and wine pairings, live entertainment, and barrel, reserve and vertical wine tastings. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. General admission $75, designated driver $15, VIP pass $125, which includes pairings with a chef, wine blending workshops and more.

carneroswineries.org

APRIL 23: Butter & Egg Days Parade & Festival

The 35th annual parade steps off at noon in downtown Petaluma, as the city celebrates its rich agricultural heritage. The festival opens at 10 a.m.

with food, arts and crafts vendors, informational booths and more. Highlights include the Cutest Chick Contest for kids and the Cow Chip Throwing Contest. Free.

707-762-9348, petalumadowntown.com

APRIL 23-24: Passport to Dry Creek Valley

More than 45 wineries throughout Dry Creek Valley will offer top wines, gourmet food and live entertainment during this two-day event. Introduced last year is Prelude to Passport on April 22, where guests can choose a vineyard tour and lunch or dinner with a winemaker (prices vary). Two-day passport $135, Sunday only $75.

707-433-3031, drycreekvalley.org

Paula West. (Richard Termine/The New York Times)

APRIL 30: Paula West

The beloved Bay Area jazz and cabaret singer brings her unique sound, including many standards and classics, to the Green Music Center’s intimate Schroeder Hall for a concert at 7:30 p.m. $30.

Schroeder Hall, Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, sonoma.edu

Sonoma Film Fest Puts on a Show

March 2016

By Carey Sweet

Who doesn’t adore a rich bit of parody, bawdy comedy and a magic trick or two — particularly when it’s in the middle of gracious downtown Sonoma?

The 19th annual Sonoma International Film Festival will be even more glamorous this year (March 30-April 3), thanks to a new entertainment village anchored by Le Tigre, a traveling ensemble celebrating cabaret, circus acts, clown play, music and marvelous mayhem.

“It will be a smaller version of Cirque du Soleil,” festival executive director Kevin McNeely said.

Which is a bit more elegant description than Le Tigre owners Anne Goldmann and Jonathan Taylor’s playful contention that theirs is a “daredevil chicken club combining comedy with absurd characters and circus skills.”

The husband-and-wife team should know what tickles funny bones: She studied with The Flying Wallendas, he performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, and Blue Man Group. Together, they’ve delighted crowds in off-Broadway New York, Berlin cabarets, Dubai malls, European street theater festivals and on the Discovery Channel. They tour the world with Le Tigre but, as Sonoma residents, reserve some time for their hometown.

Certainly the main draw of the Sonoma International Film Festival is its films, totaling nearly 100 from artists in 14 countries this year, shown in six screening venues ranging from the Le Tigre tent to the Sebastiani Theatre.

Things have been crowded in years past, with hospitality areas for some 4,000 guests confined to a parking lot behind City Hall. So more than just bringing frolic, the new “SIFF Village” nearly doubles the party space, taking over the eastern lot of Sonoma’s Veterans Memorial Hall off First Street East.

Independent features, documentaries, world cinema and short films will be screened during the day; at night, Le Tigre and another back-lot tent will be transformed into fantastic cinematic landscapes, such as Havana & Hemingway, Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves and Old Hollywood. Los Angeles’ The Vignes Rooftop Revival will groove its gypsy and roots jazz, local food trucks will flavor the mood, and Sonoma wines will flow.

For VIPs, an Ultimate Airstream named Sophia will beckon with its custom-designed leather couches, backlit wine coolers, ceilingmounted TVs and neon undercarriage, parked in a private Feast it Forward lounge area.

Appropriately, there will be a live festival cam, too, beaming across the plaza from East Napa Street and First Street East. Revelers may want to put on their best performances: a bigtime producer might be watching.

Visit sonomafilmfest.org for details on the films chosen for the festival.

Nice to Meat You: Legendary Butcher at Sonoma Broadway Market

March 2016

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Longtime butcher Tom Geney, 74, next to a mural which covers an entire wall of Broadway Market in Sonoma, California. Geney who has been a butcher for 49 years and has spent about the last 12 years at the Broadway Market meat counter. January 13, 2016. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

By Ariana Reguzzoni

Tom Geney arrives at Sonoma’s Broadway Market at 4 a.m. each day, flips on the lights and prepares for the steady stream of customers seeking steaks, chops, ribs and fowl prepared the old-fashioned way: by hand and to order.

Geney, 75, is one of the longest-serving butchers in the county, having plied his trade here for almost 50 years, 34 of them at Broadway Market. His big-picture perspective and personality have elevated the meat counter and made it a draw, said store manager Alfred Robles.

“The new generation gets a paycheck and goes,” said Robles, who has worked at Broadway even longer than Geney, since 1977. “It’s going to be hard to find someone who has his wisdom” when Geney decides to retire.

Geney has seen the meat industry go from hands-on to speedy production lines, craft overcome by commerce.

Tom Geney, 74, cutting pork chops to display at the meat counter at Broadway Market in Sonoma, California. January 13, 2016. (Photo: Erik Castro/for The Press Democrat)

He no longer breaks down whole animals because it’s not economical considering lower-priced meats at chain stores and the closing of local slaughterhouses and ranches. But ask for short ribs taken from a side of beef, and Geney does the work.

“I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t try to do something” to preserve meat-cutting traditions, he said.

After an apprenticeship at Fiesta Market in Boyes Hot Springs in 1967, Geney worked at the Sebastopol Fiesta store and landed at Broadway Market in 1982. He has since expertly cut and locally sourced filet mignon, house-made sausages and wild game. Each year he supplies the birds for the Schell-Vista Fire Protection District Chicken BBQ (July 16).

In 2015, Robles and Broadway owners Ron Rodgers and Dianne Gaudino commissioned a mural painted on an exterior wall of the store, at the intersection of Broadway and Leveroni Road. It depicts them barbecuing and the late Mitch Mulas, a longtime Schell-Vista chief, driving a vintage fire truck. A black bear rides shotgun (representing the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma) and a polar bear watches, a nod to the frozen-meat business that was once at the location.

Broadway Market, 20511 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-938-2685, broadwaymarketsonoma.com

The Alchemia Gallery is Fostering Creative Gifts in Petaluma

March 2016

By Tina Caputo

Boston Terriers by Tim Shorten. (Courtesy of The Alchemia Gallery)

For the artists who show at The Alchemia Gallery in Petaluma, art is not only good for the soul, it’s a pathway to independence and self-empowerment.

Opened in 2010, the Kentucky Street storefront showcases the work of a unique collective: adults with a wide range of developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

The gallery (formerly known as Art without Labels) is an offshoot of Alchemia, a nonprofit organization that offers programs in visual and performing arts for developmentally disabled adults. Classes are held five days a week in the back room of the Petaluma gallery, and in classroom-only spaces in Santa Rosa and Novato.

“Participants get art instruction and they make friends,” said administrative coordinator Mary Lester, who teaches writing and works at the Petaluma gallery.

Brigitte Thouvenin shows off her artwork in The Alchemia Gallery. (Courtesy of The Alchemia Gallery)

The art on display includes paintings and ceramics, ranging in style from childlike to sophisticated. Nearly everything is for sale, with most works priced under $200. Artists receive a percentage of the proceeds, and the rest goes back into the program.

Among Alchemia’s most popular artists is Michael Cheney, whose work was highlighted in a one-man show at the gallery in 2014. His paintings often feature whimsical images of skeletons, doing everything from hip-hop dancing to cutting hair.

Lester, who loves telling visitors about the artists behind the gallery, said the program provides much more than art instruction. “It’s also about developing social skills and community integration skills,” she said. “People gain tremendous amounts of selfconfidence.”

111 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 707-775-3794, alchemia.org

Tomatina: Santa Rosa Casual Italian Hits the Mark

March 2016

By biteclub

Tomatina Italian Restaurant in Santa Rosa (courtesy photo)

Tomatina is exactly the kind of restaurant Santa Rosa needs right now. Not because there’s a celebrity chef or foie gras or a secret menu only hipsters know about, but because it’s just what it is — good, approachable Italian-American cuisine at reasonable prices.

Describing itself as “fresh Italian”, Tomatina’s menu takes inspiration from Italy but gives it a lighter California twist.

Tomatina Santa Rosa Italian Restaurant interior (courtesy photo)

Part of a Northern California chain of restaurants around since the late 1990s, Tomatina has already worked out the menu kinks and staffing, focusing instead on a lengthy menu of modern pizzas, pasta, “piadine” (think pizza crust with a salad on top) and familiar entrees (chicken picatta, spaghetti and meatballs). The restaurant’s’ executive chef, Rogelio Jacinto is a Tra Vigne alum who creates monthly specials like pizza with roasted cauliflower, pancetta and arugula.

Taking over the former Sea Thai Bistro space in Montgomery Village (btw: Sea Thai moved over to Midway Dr.), the restaurant is light and nearly double the size, with an open kitchen, skylights and a mix of high bar tables and more typical dining tables.

White sangria at Tomatina Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin)

Is Santa Rosa’s Tomatina perfect? No. I can make an argument that it’s not exactly local (although reps say everything is made onsite, not at a central kitchen), it can be noisy and there are plenty of kids in high chairs killing the romantic trattoria vibe. The food is tasty, but distinctly Americanized.

But is it a great place to meet up with a friend for lunch, grab a cocktail with your hubby or take the kids to dinner? Absolutely.

Wine Country is a dining destination with plenty of high-end restaurants at the luxe and of the spectrum and taquerias on the paper plate, taco-in-your face end.

Tomatina lands squarely in the restaurant desert between the two, which is exactly the kind of restaurant Santa Rosa needs right now.

Gorganzola fusili pastas from Tomatina Italian Restaurant Santa Rosa. (courtesy photo) — Fusili Gorgonzola pasta from Tomatina Italian Restaurant Santa Rosa. (courtesy photo)

What you’re here for:
Signature garlic rolls: Order more than you think you’ll need because everyone will fight over these garlicky, olive oil and Parmesan babies you can dip in their perfect marinara. Really it’s great marinara.

Fusili Gorgonzola ($14.50): An over-the-top dish with with Gorgonzola-covered pasta, fresh basil and pine nuts atop tomato-basil pasta sauce.

Calamari at Tomatina Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa. (heather irwin)

Steak Piadine ($13.95): Once you’ve had a piadine, you wonder why you haven’t had one before. A warm, crispy cross between flatbread and pizza crust is topped with a salad, making for a pull-apart or fold-up meal that’s light but filling. We love the marinated steak with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and ranch dressing. Simple, delightful.

Tiramisu at Tomatina Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa. (courtesy photo)

Tiramisu ($6.95): Homemade. Enough said.

The full bar and kids menu keeps everyone happy, with a great selection of low or no-alcohol cocktails including white sangria or cranberry juice with raspberry syrup and soda.

Tomatina: 2323 Sonoma Ave. in Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa, tomatina.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

8 Ways to Get Outdoors in Sonoma County This Week

March 2016

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Written by James Lanaras for the Press Democrat.

5K REGISTRATION, MARCH 26

Santa Rosa: Register by Saturday for the Spring Lake to Annadel State Park 5K, held 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 2. The event is for families and moderate runners. Meet at the Spring Lake swimming lagoon. Registration is $40 by Saturday and $45 after. Proceeds benefit new trail construction at Taylor Mountain Regional Park. Details and registration at annadelhalf.com/annadel-5K.html.

EASTER HIKE, MARCH 27

Guerneville: Join guide Peter Warner for an Easter Sunday Wildflower Hike, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at the plant and animal sanctuaries of Austin Creek State Recreation Area, 17000 Armstrong Woods Road. $10.

NATURE LECTURE, APRIL 1

Santa Rosa: Discover the synergy and historical importance of painting and drawing to observe and interpret Pepperwood Preserve’s majestic landscapes Friday, April 1, during a lecture by biology instructor Shawn Brumbaugh and artist and instructor Marsha Connell, both of SRJC. 6:30 p.m. open house and lecture at 7 p.m. at the Dwight Center for Conservation Science. $10 suggested donation, students free. Visit pepperwoodpreserve.org or call 591-8310 for information.

WILDFLOWER HIKE, APRIL 2

Glen Ellen: Hike among the Spring flowers along the East Slope Trail at Jack London State Historic Park. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 2, 2400 Ranch Road. Meet in the ranch parking lot. $10 fee and $10 parking. Information at 938-5216 and info@jacklondonpark.com SCIENCE SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Santa Rosa: Learn how climate change is affecting oak woodlands during Science Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Environmental Discovery Center, Spring Lake Regional Park, 393 Violetti Road. Hands-on experiments start at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Free, $7 for parking. For information, call 565-2041.

NUESTROS PARQUES HIKE, APRIL 2

Rohnert Park: A bilingual naturalist leads a hike at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2, at Crane Creek Regional Park, 5000 Pressley Road, followed by a pot luck in the park. Free. Parking $7. Call 565-2041 for information.

BACKPACKING INSTRUCTION, APRIL 5

Healdsburg: Learn the basics of backpacking and “leave no trace” camping during this clinic at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at Riverfront Regional Park, 7821 Eastside Road. $10 clinic, $7 parking. Register with Sonoma County Regional Parks, parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov. Space is limited.

CHARITY 5K, APRIL 9

Santa Rosa: Join the Scope for Hope 5K/10K Fun Walk and Run on Saturday, April 9, to raise money for Sutter Health’s fund for colon cancer screening for the uninsured, 9:30 a.m., rain or shine at Juilliard Park on South A Street. Registration is $35, $20 for kids, free 5 and under. Same day registration is $40. Call 521-7785 for information.

Send outdoor event listings to gearhead@pressdemocrat.com at least two weeks in advance.

Things to Do This Week in Sonoma County

March 2016

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Written by Crissi Langwell & Dan Taylor for the Press Democrat.

Ready for some springtime fun this weekend? We have a few ideas. On Saturday take a hike up Bald Mountain. And all weekend long there will be Easter egg hunts, galore. All this and more is in our list of things to do.

Looking for Easter egg hunts? Check out our complete list here.

Saturday, March 26
Brunch on Bald Mountain: This Saturday, hike to the top of Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf for a brunch with a view. Not up for the hike but still want to enjoy the scenic meal? Hitch a ride to the top with one of the Team Sugarloaf vehicles. Regardless of method, those who reach the summit will be treated to a delicious picnic brunch and a panoramic view. Tickets are $10-$60. Hikers should arrive at the end of Adobe Canyon Rd. at 9:15 a.m., and riders should arrive by 9:45 p.m. Reservations are required. Find out more at www.sugarloafpark.org.

Saturday, March 26
Kids Free Day at Schulz Museum: Kids get in free at Charles Schulz Museum this Saturday for a day of hands-on crafts and springtime fun. Curren exhibits include Snoopy and the Red Baron, the making of The Peanuts Movie, football features and more. Find out all the details at schulzmuseum.org.

Sunday, March 27
Story Time with the Little Mermaid: Ariel is coming to Tutu-A-Gogo in Windsor to share her underwater insight with boys and girls. She will tell tales about the creatures living in the ocean, and even teach kids how to swim dance like mermaids do. Admission is $14, and the fun starts at 10:15 a.m. Find out more at tutu-a-gogo.com.

Sunday, March 27
Picnic at Muscardini Cellars: On Easter Sunday, pack yourself a picnic lunch and head on over to this Kenwood Winery for a relaxing afternoon among friends and family. It’s free to just hang out, and to play croquet or corn hole in the back garden space. Find out more at muscardinicellars.com.

Other upcoming events:

Friday, March 25

Good Friday Concert: ‘Requiem’ by John Rutter, 8 p.m., Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa. $15-$25. 579-2604, incarnationsantarosa.org.

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal: Three early 20th-century masterpieces, 8 p.m., Green Music Center, Rohnert Park. $35-$85. 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu.

Trecelence: Thrash metal band, 7:30 p.m., Phoenix Theater, Petaluma. $8. 762-3565, thephoenixtheater.com.

‘Powerful Women Within’: Poems, stories, portraits and songs empowering women, 7 p.m., Petaluma Historical Library & Museum. Free. 778-4398, petalumamuseum.com.

Saturday, March 26

Easter Egg Hunt: Annual search in the vineyards, ages 12 and younger, 10 a.m. Saturday, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville. $12. Reservations required; sold-out. 857-1471, francisfordcoppolawinery.com.

Pianist Richard Glazier: Golden Era favorites and narration, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park. $30. 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu.

Spring Egg Hunt for Tots: Egg hunts for ages 3 and younger at 10 and 10:45 a.m., ages 4 and 5 at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Howarth Park Softball Field, Santa Rosa. $8, pre-sale tickets only. 543-3737, srcity.org.

Hoodoo: Blues rock band, 9 p.m. Saturday, HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol. $10. 829-7300, hopmonk.com.

Dana Gioia: State poet laureate at WordTemple poetry series, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Free. 829-4797, wordtemple.com.

SonoMusette: Sound and spirit of mid-20th century Paris, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Glaser Center, Santa Rosa. $15-$20. sonomusette.com

Sunday, March 27

Easter Brunch: Menu includes omelets, seasonal buffet and pastries; 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Ramekins, Sonoma. $25-$65. 933-0450, ramekins.com.

Ned Kahn: Exhibit merging art and science, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, di Rosa, Napa. $5 suggested donation. Continues through April 10. 226-5991, dirosaart.org.

‘Path to Cygnus X-1’: Journey some 6,100 light years from Earth, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Santa Rosa Junior College Planetarium, Lark Hall, Santa Rosa campus. $5-$8. 527-4465, santarosa.edu/planetarium.

Monday, March 28

Healdsburg Chef’s Table: Dinner and conversation with Sonoma County restaurateur Mark Stark, 6 p.m. Monday, Relish Culinary Center, Healdsburg. $98. 431-9999, relishculinary.com.

Tuesday, March 29

Elvis Costello: Solo ‘Detour’ with guest Larkin Poe, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa. $69-$85. 546-3600, lutherburbankcenter.org.

Wednesday, March 30

Borealis String Quartet: Chamber music ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Paul Mahder Gallery, Healdsburg. $25. borealisstringquartet.com.

Thursday, March 31

Meg Ryan: Sonoma International Film Festival screening of the actress’s directorial-debut film ‘Ithaca,’ followed by a question-and-answer session, 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sebastiani Theatre, Sonoma. Open to pass-holders. 933-2600, sonomafilmfestival.org.

Friday, April 1

Sonny Landreth: Slide guitarist plus Volker Strifler, 8 p.m. April 1, HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol. $25. 829-7300, hopmonk.com.

Goo Goo Dolls: Yountville Live red carpet gala with acoustic performance, interactive gourmet meal and reserve wine, 7-10 p.m. April 1, Yountville Live Main Stage and Tent, Yountville. $295 (includes weekend pass). yountvillelive.com.

‘Private Lives, Private Lies’: Original play explores the struggles and joys of eight LGBTQ people, 7 p.m. April 1, Graton Community Club. $20. brownpapertickets.com/event/2510068.

‘Time Stands Still’: Moving story of relationships, midlife crisis and ties of friendship, 8 p.m. April 1, Cinnabar Theater, Petaluma. $9-$25. 763-8920, cinnabartheater.org.

Spring Dance: Dance spectacular with U.S.-Korean collaborative performance, 7:30 p.m. April 1, Person Theatre, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. $5. 664-4246, sonoma.edu.

The Millards: Rock-reggae band, 8 p.m. April 1, Phoenix Theater, Petaluma. $8. 762-3565, thephoenixtheater.com.

‘Silent Sky’: Story of American astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, opening night, 8 p.m. April 1, 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa. $10-$25. 523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com.

Saturday, April 2

Santa Rosa Symphony: ‘Rhythmic Vitality’ with cellist Zuill Bailey and mezzo-soprano Bonnie Brooks, 2 and 8 p.m. April 2, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park. $10-$80. 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu.

Sonoma International Film Festival: Film Jury Awards ceremony, 5-6 p.m. April 2, Sebastiani Theatre, Sonoma. Open to pass-holders. 933-2600, sonomafilmfest.org.

‘Dancing with the Stars & Stripes’: Ballroom dance competition benefits Veterans Resource Centers of America, 7:30 p.m. April 2, Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building. $35-$50. dancingwiththestarsandstripes.org.

Sunday, April 3

Bubbles Brunch: ‘American Idol’ winner Kris Allen, soul food, sparkling mimosa bar, noon April 3, Yountville Live. $75. yountvillelive.com.

Navarro Trio & Friends: All-Russian program of chamber music, 2 p.m. April 3, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park. $8. 866-955-6040, sonoma.edu.

BohLux: A Tradition of Luxury in Santa Rosa

March 2016

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Gail Fivis recently shopped in New York City, but not for herself.

Instead, she searched for the perfect Cognac-colored ostrich leather for a client’s handbag.

It was all part of a day’s work for the co-owner of BohLux, a custom leather goods shop in downtown Santa Rosa.

After years of study, Fivis, 64, and business partner Louise “Lu” Comora, 61, have become masters themselves. In their studio, they design belts, wallets, clutches and handbags using traditional techniques such as hand-stitching, and specialty tools from Europe and Japan. Clients begin with a private design session to dream up the ideal bag. Then they choose from a wall of high quality leathers and exotics (alligator, ostrich, lizard). Two to three months later, the bag is ready.

As Comora works, she uses the same knives and skivers as artists at Hermès, the famed Paris luxury-goods producer.

“Very few people still know how to use these 200-year-old tools,” said Comora, who lives near Cotati. “It’s a dying art form.”

BohLux specializes in purses and other luxury leather goods custom made to the client’s wishes. Artisans Louise Comora, left, and Gail Fivis turned their passion into a new career when they opened their shop in Santa Rosa. Photography by John Burgess.

The result is a durable, oneof-a-kind item.

Fivis, who lives in Millbrae, initially attended shoemaking school. Comora started with a faux leather purse-making class, which whet her appetite for working with the real thing.

The women took private lessons with San Francisco leather artisan Béatrice Amblard; two years ago, they met through the Northern California Leather Guild.

It was good timing. Fivis had retired as director of human resources for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Comora, owner of Medical Office Management Services, had scaled back at her company.

A mutual passion for making elegant, butter-soft leather goods put them on the fast-track to launching BohLux.

BohLux, said Fivis, is different from store-bought luxury brands, whose customers know little about the materials and labor involved in production.

“We know the bag, we know the leather and we know the lady we are making a product for,” she said. “Nothing gets farmed out.

It’s all made here.”

The line includes wallets ($375), alligator wristlets ($225) and belts ($350). Handbags start at $1,950.

638 Fifth St., Suite 10, Santa Rosa, 707-978-3708, bohlux.com

LikeWine: Sonoma Wines for Springtime

March 2016

By Virginie Boone

Springtime is swing season, when white and rosé wines become more tempting, particularly for brunch-time meals and Easter. The additional sunlight of daylight saving time encourages the firing up of grills — a siren call for Zinfandel.

Sauvignon Blanc For Easter

If you like: Quivira Vineyards 2014 Refuge Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($28) A new offering from this producer, it’s a barrelaged white wine that’s chiseled and complex, with melon, dried herb and lemongrass notes. With subtle hints of baked pineapple and papaya, it veers tropical without becoming overripe, finishing with a refreshing wave of bright acidity.

You may also like: Balverne Wines 2014 Forever Wild Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18) Two of the region’s most respected winemakers, Margaret Davenport and Doug Nalle, teamed to produce this wine, which bursts on the nose with a New Zealandlike grassiness, followed by fuller-bodied layers of lime, melon and cream soda on the palate. Nice weight.

Zinfandel for Daylight Saving Time

If you like: Ousterhout Wine 2012 Nances Vineyard Alexander Valley Zinfandel ($39) This Zin hails from Ousterhout’s 10-acre hillside vineyard, where cooling winds enable complex fruit to develop on the vine. This bottling vividly displays a sense of elegance, with crisp flavors of raspberry, black cherry and licorice and well-integrated minerality.

You may also like: Peterson Winery 2012 Dry Creek Blend Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($25) The Peterson family believes in zero-manipulation wines, with father-and-son team Fred and Jamie working together to showcase the fruit from their estate vineyards. Here, they coaxed tangy cherry, leather and a soft touch of black pepper from their grapes, making for a wine that’s strong and juicy, yet entirely elegant. Dabs of Petite Sirah and Carignane add depth.

Pinot Noir for Spring Flings

If you like: Sante Arcangeli 2014 Mardikian Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($75) John Benedetti is the owner and winemaker of this Corralitosbased winery, in the mountains of Santa Cruz. He’s ventured to the Sonoma Coast to source grapes from a vineyard planted by James MacPhail of MacPhail Family Wines and Jim Pratt, on the edge of Freestone. The wine opens with Syrah-like white pepper that persists on the soft, silky palate. Roses and black tea provide savory succulence, with an intensity of pine.

You may also like: Westwood Estate Wines 2014 Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir ($44) From a newish Sonoma Valley producer with its own estate, Annadel Gap Vineyard, there’s a lovely bouquet of dusty rose petals on the entry of this wine, which is softly textured, subtle in tannin and oak, and with swaths of black tea and grenadine-intense cherry. Medium-bodied, it remains silky and fresh through the lengthy finish.

Petite Sirah for a Blustery Day

If you like: Trentadue 2013 La Storia Alexander Valley Petite Sirah ($34) Made by Miro Tcholakov, this wine offers plenty of barrel influence at first, but mellows in the glass into a mix of chalky tannin and red and blue fruit, with seasonings of black licorice and white chocolate. Aged in new French, American and European oak, the wine’s finish is firmly tannic and eager to spend more time maturing in the bottle.

You may also like: Miro Cellars 2013 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah ($26) From the personal brand of Miro Tcholakov, winemaker at Trentadue, comes this wine that is softly approachable, with baked plum, blueberry, licorice and leather aromas and flavors. The tannins are sizable yet integrated; pair it with something meaty and rich.

Santa Rosa $3.75 Banh Mi!

March 2016

By biteclub

Thuan Phat Banh Mi Sandwich in Santa Rosa — Thuan Phat banh mi sandwich in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

I’m a banh mi junkie. If there’s a crusty roll somewhere with bbq pork, pickled veggies and a hunka jalapeno on it, you’ll probably find me noshing on it. An intrepid BiteClubber gave me the heads up on a Thuan Phat, a rough-around-the-edges Vietnamese cafe that recently opened on Santa Rosa Ave.

Expect little more than a walk-up counter with just a handful of stenciled menu items ranging from the aforementioned banh mi (which comes in various porky flavors from ham to bbq pork) to the very mysterious “Get Breakbread sandwich” and bbq pork vermicelli noodles with spring rolls.

Bring cash, because they don’t take anything else, and expect to do a lot of pointing and smiling to make sure that they’ve gotten your order mostly correct. Skip the Vietnamese coffee — it’s too sweet and comes premixed–and think about taking your order to go. There are only two tiny tables, so it can feel a bit like eating in someone’s kitchen — which depending on your level of daring can be awesome or awkward.

Thuan Phat: 3020 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 889-3966