Actor and Comedian Mario Cantone at the Iron Chef-style competition held at The Matheson Healdsburg. (Damion Hamilton/Pigs & Pinot)
Benefit galas, annual awards shows and food and wine pairing events this year have raised money for and celebrated multiple organizations in Sonoma County.
Check out the events the county has hosted this past spring that recognized impactful organizations and raised thousands for notable causes.
Santa Rosa
Climb 2 Recovery
On March 16 in Santa Rosa, internationally known rock climber Kevin Jorgeson welcomed 130 guests to the second annual Climb 2 Recovery gala to benefit Women’s Recovery Services, a Santa Rosa nonprofit that offers addiction recovery services for pregnant and parenting women. The event raised over $120,000.
Kevin Jorgeson, co-founder and CEO of Session Climbing, gives a rock climbing demonstration for guests, on his way to the top of the wall during Climb 2 Recovery, a benefit for Women’s Recovery Services at Session Climbing’s gym, in Santa Rosa, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat)
The event was held at Session Climbing, the Santa Rosa gym Jorgeson founded in 2022, and featured climbing demonstrations, speakers and a live auction. The meal was provided by Park Avenue Catering in Cotati, and the auction included donations from Catelli’s Restaurant, Bricoleur Vineyards, Vérité Winery, Cline Cellars, Russian River Brewing and more. Trione Vineyards & Winery and Redwood Credit Union were among the sponsors.
The program included reflections from three women who had been given climbing instruction from Session staff members and later climbed to the top of Goat Rock on the Sonoma Coast. Their climb was captured in a video that played at the event.
“There’s not a dry eye in the house when you see the recovery and reclamation of life,” says Women’s Recovery Services executive director Diane Madrigal. “There was a standing ovation for them acknowledging their hard work and determination to change their lives.” womensrecoveryservices.org
One of dozens of different Pinot Noir pairings. (Damion Hamilton/Pigs & Pinot)
Healdsburg
Pigs & Pinot
It was another fun weekend of tastings and gourmet meals at the 17th annual Pigs & Pinot celebrations, hosted by chef Charlie Palmer of Dry Creek Kitchen at locations around Healdsburg March 15-16.
The event raised over $150,000 for scholarships for culinary, wine, and hospitality students at the Culinary Institute of America and Sonoma State University, as well as scholastic music and arts programs in Healdsburg, Cloverdale and Santa Rosa.
Actor and Comedian Mario Cantone at the Iron Chef-style competition held at The Matheson Healdsburg. (Damion Hamilton/Pigs & Pinot)
Palmer rallied chef and winemaker friends to present a multi-day program of seminars, tastings and gala dinners, including an Iron Chef-style cook-off hosted by actor Mario Cantone as well as two different Pinot Noir tasting challenges.
“This was the greatest Pigs and Pinot yet,” said Palmer.“It’s now all about our Sonoma County hospitality community.”
Winemakers Ashley Holland of Read Holland Wines (a Sonoma Magazine “Winemaker to Watch” in 2021), Jeremiah Timm and Michael Browne of CHEV wines, and Todd Kohn of Wayfarer Vineyard took home top Pinot Noir prizes.pigsandpinot.com
Sebastopol
Slow Food’s Snail of Approval awards
A dozen Sonoma County restaurants, farms, and artisan producers were recognized for their sustainable and locally made food at the sixth annual Snail of Approval awards Feb. 28 at the Sebastopol Grange.
Leith Leiser-Miller and Nicholi Ludlow, right, serving up their Psychic Pie pizza to attendees during the Snail of Approval awards ceremony held at Grange Hall in Sebastopol, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Presented by the Sonoma County North and Russian River chapters of the national nonprofit Slow Food USA, over a hundred guests enjoyed samples of the winners’ food and wines before the ceremony.
“Part of our mission is to get the community involved to learn about these food businesses that are supporting local agriculture and local products and treating their employees well,” says Carol Diaz of Slow Food Sonoma County North.
The event recognized Sarmentine Artisan Boulanger, Fourteen Magpies Handmade Jams & Preserves, Goguette Bread, The Spinster Sisters, the culinary farm at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, SingleThread Farm, Americana, Psychic Pie, The Bejkr, Bricoleur Vineyards Culinary Garden, Volo Chocolate and Wise Acre Farm.slowfoodsonomacountynorth.org
At Chispa in downtown Napa. (Justin Lopez/For Napa Design Partners)
Chispa, a tequila-forward cocktail bar in Napa, recently clinched the fourth spot on Esquire magazine’s annual list of the best bars in America.
Opening last year in a region widely known for its wine, Chispa emerged as Napa Valley’s first dedicated tequila bar. Co-owners Aubrey Bailey and Taylor Kindred, of Napa’s popular Cadet wine bar, developed the new venture to showcase their love for agave spirits.
Esquire points to an important component in Chispa’s creative libations: bar director Marco Garcia and the “clever cocktail list” he crafted to spotlight the bar’s selection of around 80 tequilas and 40 mezcals.
Cocktails at Chispa in downtown Napa. (Haley Robinson)Fare at Chispa in downtown Napa. (Haley Robinson)
Of course, there are the classics — margaritas, Palomas and tequila highballs — but Chispa’s creativity lies in drinks like the deep-purple Side Eye martini, made with tequila blanco, lime, hibiscus and a bitter pomegranate liqueur. And other cocktails wink at the co-owners’ experience as sommeliers, like the Scenic Sling made with Cocchi Rosa Italian red wine, tequila blanco, fresh lemon and seasonal strawberries from Napa’s Silverado Trail strawberry stand.
Chef Mac De Chavez, formerly of St. Helena’s Charter Oak restaurant, whips up modern bar bites and seafood-centric dishes that pay homage to his Filipino heritage. Raw seafood plates, like ceviche and oysters, pair well with the lighter spirits. Then spice things up with Kung Pao octopus or crispy, pork stuffed lumpia, drizzled in a hot chile sauce.
No need to rush to get your fill of tequila cocktails and Filipino-inspired seafood. Chispa is open late, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Chispa, 1500 First St., Suite 140, Napa, chispabar.com
A lounge area in a room at Olema House in Olema, nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
An hour north of San Francisco, on the fringes of the Point Reyes National Seashore, Olema House beckons as a tranquil sanctuary for exploring the scenic Sonoma-Marin coast.
The boutique hotel, surrounded by national forest parkland and coastal wilderness, blends urban sophistication with a Bohemian vibe. Set on four acres of private lawns and gardens, it has 22 rooms and two spacious cottages for groups and small families, featuring cozy amenities such as heat-warmed floors and down comforters.
But you’re not just here to relax in plush settings while taking in the scenery. The coast also offers plenty of delicious places to eat. Just next door to Olema is Due West, a contemporary tavern inside a charmingly renovated building built in 1865. The menu showcases seasonal ingredients from small, local purveyors. The tavern also has a lovely market, with house-baked goods made daily, alongside picnic provisions.
A lounge area in a room at the Olema House hotel in Olema, nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)The bar at Due West Tavern, located next to Olema House in Olema, near Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
This summer, Due West has expanded its lineup of activities to include weekly live music sessions on Thursdays, which will continue throughout the summer months. These sessions feature local artists performing from 6 to 8 p.m.
To pair with the live tunes, Due West serves up Thursday night food specials, which, in June, include oysters ($20 per half dozen) and smoked baby back pork ribs with candied Serrano glaze. The tavern also plans to introduce a grill-out series, featuring a custom smoker on the property, and expand the back patio offerings to include grilled oysters, meats and more.
“Now that the sun has returned to our coast, we are excited to activate our beautiful back patio and lawn in Point Reyes with live music, great food from our smoker and selections from our Due West Tavern bar team,” said Kate Killoran, director of restaurants for Mosaic Hotel Group, which owns Olema House and Due West Tavern and Market.
The ‘Shore Board,’ with beet-cured salmon, smoked mussels, smoked cod dip, pickled onions and crème fraîche with lavash bread, at Due West Tavern, located next to Olema House in Olema, near Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
Situated off Highway 1, Olema House serves as a great starting point for exploring the wonders of west Marin, offering access to scenic hikes, coastal biking trails and paddling experiences. Due West has summer picnic packages — to enjoy on the trail or in a private patio space overlooking Olema Creek — featuring provisions from its market alongside an expanding collection of one-of-a-kind spirits, wines, low-alcohol drinks and custom-made snacks.
Upon check-in at the hotel, guests are treated to a complimentary bottle of the signature Olema House wine. Across the property, there is digital-free entertainment, such as classic board games and lawn games. Visitors can also borrow vintage or modern binoculars for daily use to view surrounding nature and wildlife. To unwind after a day on the coast, there are fire pits and a complimentary s’more hour on select evenings.
“Olema House is a tranquil space for every type of traveler, whether they want to explore nature on a self-guided tour of the many nearby trails, [or] take in the sights with a pair of binoculars from our Binocular Library,” said Jose Barajas, Olema House general manager.
The back deck at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
For 30 years, my mother and grandmother made regular pilgrimages to Cafe Citti in Kenwood for what they called the “tuna egg mayo.”
Though the correct name is “tuna and egg salad sandwich” ($13.95), my mother sticks to her own made-up moniker steadfastly. Little more than a footnote on the Italian trattoria menu, the mix of egg and tuna salad between two thick slices of focaccia is her bad day fixer and comfort food go-to.
Sitting on the back patio of Luca and Linda Citti’s new(ish) Santa Rosa location, the tuna sandwich is immediately added to our order, as my parents and I enjoy a warm spring evening overlooking Santa Rosa Creek. I’m more of a pasta girl, but I get the nostalgia so many locals share for Cafe Citti.
The back patio at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
The Kenwood location closed in 2020 when the Cittis faced extensive renovations to the building they had leased for more than 30 years, on top of COVID-19 restrictions, power outages and the threat of wildfires and evacuation orders.
Roughly a year later, the Cittis opened their current location in Santa Rosa, a compact 900-foot space recognizable on Fourth Street by its tiny cupola and arched windows. Early on, takeout was their bread and butter, but as the world opened up again, the back patio became one of the best kept secrets in Sonoma County.
Though there are a handful of seats in front of the restaurant, the coveted seats are in the quiet refuge at the rear (there is no seating inside the restaurant).
On the way to the patio, you’ll walk through the bustle of the busy kitchen with an almost constant stream of to-go and delivery orders.
You’ll find that Cafe Citti is primarily a club for regulars, who know their order and embrace Luca and Linda like the old friends they are.
The garlicky Caesar salad at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)Italian tuna and hardboiled egg salad with lettuce, tomato served on housemade Focaccia bread at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
The surprisingly extensive menu, considering the small space, includes Cafe Citti’s oft-imitated garlicky Caesar salad ($18), mix-and-match pastas and sauces and scratch-made desserts, as well as specials and low-alcohol cocktails.
The Santa Rosa location offers 14 sauces made from scratch, including Italian workhorses like Bolognese, marinara, pesto, Alfredo, white clam and puttanesca ($22.95 with choice of noodles). Upgrade to Luca’s signature sauces ($25.95): carbonara made properly (without cream), spicy pomodoro, smoked chicken with lemon and cream, and the luxurious porcini (29.95) with mushrooms, Marsala wine, garlic and cream. Each is easily shareable or enough for hearty leftovers.
Want more than just noodles? Cafe Citti’s housemade ravioli, gnocchi and fried slices of polenta don’t disappoint, and a towering slice of lasagna layered with Bolognese and béchamel feeds my dad for days. The restaurant also serves 12-inch thin-crust pizzas with gourmet toppings and focaccia sandwiches.
For dessert, housemade tiramisu ($9.50) bathed in crème Anglaise is a charming finish at this neighborhood gem.
Linda Citti has concocted a variety of spritzes using herbal Cappelletti (a cousin of Aperol), Prosecco and Pinot Grigio infused with fruit. The Pomegranate Prickly Pear ($12) with fresh pomegranate and prickly pear nectar, lime, sugar, agave and maple syrup with a Prosecco float is a sweet but refreshing cocktail.
And, it’s a perfect way to toast to my mom’s favorite tuna egg mayo sandwich.
Café Citti: 2792 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707-523-2690, cafecitti.com. Open from 4:30 to 7:30. p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Seating is first-come, first-served.
The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system. (Alexander Rubin)
On Tuesday, more than six years after tragedy struck, the Signorello family welcomed visitors to their new, state-of-the-art winery on the original Napa estate.
“I think it was probably over-ambitious to say rebuilding would take two years,” said Signorello, who co-founded the winery with his father in 1977. “It took three years just to go through the permit process.”
The winery, now open daily for tastings, is known for its classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, made from some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley. (Remarkably, the estate vineyards escaped the 2017 fires unscathed.)
The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system. (Alexander Rubin)Signorello Estate, which opened for tastings Tuesday, is known for its classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, made from some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley. Remarkably, the estate vineyards escaped the 2017 fires unscathed. (Alexander Rubin)
A fireproof facility
The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system.
The idea, said Signorello, was to create a virtually fireproof facility for the current moment — and for future generations.
“We’re built into the side of a hill, and the roof line would act like a ski jump for fires coming from the east,” he explained.
The entirely off-the-grid, solar-powered winery includes two onsite wells, along with fire pumps and storage for an additional 100,000 gallons of water. For extra protection, all of the estate’s power lines were placed underground.
The rebuild also gave Signorello a chance to expand and modernize the winemaking facility with input from winemaker Priyanka French, consulting winemaker Celia Welch, and viticulturist Steve Matthiasson.
“Given that we’ve been in the industry so long, we got to use all our knowledge to create something that isn’t just aesthetically beautiful, but functional,” Signorello said. “It was designed with a team of winemakers, so it’s like a restaurant having the chef design the kitchen.”
Priyanka French is the winemaker at Signorello Estate. (Leigh Ann Beverly)The rebuild gave Ray Signorello, Jr. a chance to expand and modernize the winemaking facility. (Alexander Rubin)
The first of its kind
Signorello worked with Taylor Lombardo Architects to create the 8,000-square-foot winery and 11,000-square foot cave. Waterproofed to keep out leaks and prevent mold, the temperature-controlled cave is the first of its kind in Napa.
The cave is also home to Signorello’s personal library of 2,000 wines from around the world, amassed over 40 years, and a collection of large-format Signorello wines.
The production area features a modern, ergonomic setup with separate areas for red and white wine fermentation and controls for microbial sanitation. Custom fermenters are sized for each vineyard block based on their expected tonnage, and they allow for multiple rounds of grape-picking to accommodate unpredictable vintages and weather conditions. Innovative OXOline racks make it easy for winemakers to access individual wine barrels without having to move their neighbors.
Signorello’s new facility also has a much larger capacity than the original winery, allowing production to expand to 21,000 cases per year.
“We increased the production ability two and a half times and increased visitation rights by three times,” Signorello said. “Those are entitlements that last for life — forever.”
While he declined to reveal the cost of building the new winery, Signorello said that the original budget doubled along the way.
Visits to the new winery cost $175 per person and include a golf-cart tour of the estate vineyards, a walking tour of the facility, and a sit-down tasting inside the cave with a curated cheese plate.
Tastings feature Hope’s Chardonnay, and both current and library vintages of Signori Cabernet Sauvignon and the flagship Padrone Cabernet Sauvignon.
Signorello Estate is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily by appointment. 4500 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707-255-5990, signorelloestate.com
This Sonoma home, known as the Glass House, is currently listed for $6,500,000.(Open Homes Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
An industrial-style home, dubbed “the glass house,” stands in stunning contrast to the 11.2 acres of rolling hills it sits on in the Carneros viticultural region. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home is currently listed for $6,500,000.
Sweeping views of vineyards and olive trees give the home a curving, lush-green backdrop when vines are at their leafy fullness in summer. The setting provides an exciting visual counterpoint to the home’s angular lines, cool-toned finishes and roll-up grids of windows.
The home at 21765 Champlin Creek Lane in Sonoma was built in 2008 and has appeared in film and print advertisements for luxury cars and home furnishings. Adding to the resort-like experience is a guesthouse, pool, outdoor fireplace and bocce ball court. The home has held several weddings and rehearsal dinners and can accommodate 50 people indoors and 125 outside.
For more information on 21765 Champlin Creek Lane, contact listing agent Daniel Casabonne, 707-494-3130, 707-939-2222, Daniel.Casabonne@Sothebys.Realty,sothebysrealty.com
This rustic four-bedroom, three-bathroom Sonoma home, owned by designer Wendy Owen, is currently listed for $4,950,000. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
On 7 acres of hillside in west Sonoma is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home that blends rustic, contemporary and storybook-cottage designs. The estate is the family home of designer Wendy Owen. It’s currently listed for $4,950,000.
The terraces and many of the home’s walls are made up of hand-laid stones, creating a hyper-rustic feel. The earthy elements are accented with playful to elegant fixtures, textiles and finishes.
Inspired elements include a row of crystal chandeliers in the stone dining room, lime-green spherical pillows in the stone pavilion, a butter-yellow painted sideboard made from thick slabs of wood and sconces with iron work fashioned into ribbons.
The home at 6015 Grove Street in Sonoma, built in 1982, includes a lap pool, guesthouse and outdoor lounge.
For more information on 6015 Grove Street, contact listing agents Caroline Sebastiani, 415-290-3123, 707-935-2277, Caroline.Sebastiani@Sothebys.Realty; and Cristian Isbrandtsen, 707-294-7879, cristian.isbrandtsen@sothebysrealty.com; sothebysrealty.com
Doughnuts from Johnny Doughnuts, which will replace City Garden Doughnuts in Santa Rosa. Courtesy photo.
Whether you call ‘em doughnuts or donuts, like them jelly-filled or straight up glazed, it’s always time for these fried bits of heaven. But wasting calories on a day-old mess just isn’t worth it. Here are some of our favorite doughnuts in Sonoma County.
Special Doughnut Day Deals
Krispy Kreme, Rohnert Park: To celebrate National Doughnut Day, Krispy Kreme is offering a free glazed doughnut, and a dozen glazed doughnuts for just $1 with the purchase of any dozen or 16 mini doughnuts. Look for the “Hot Light” neon sign from 7-10 a.m. and 6-11 p.m. every day to find out when doughnuts are at their freshest and get them delivered from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day. 5090 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-521-9154.
Dunkin’, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Windsor: Customers can get a free doughnut with a purchase of a beverage on Friday. The first outpost of this East Coast and Midwest doughnut favorite arrived in Petaluma to the delight of transplants. In addition to their legendary coffee, they have doughnuts in every flavor of the rainbow. Because that’s what doughnuts are made of: rainbows and love. Now also in Santa Rosa and Windsor. 435 N. McDowell Blvd. Suite 50, Petaluma; 138-A Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa; 2739 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa; 6650 Hembree Lane, Windsor.
A display case filled with doughnuts at Krispy Kreme in Rohnert Park, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)A variety of doughnuts from Johnny Doughnuts in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Johnny Doughnuts)
More Doughnuts
Johnny Doughnuts, Santa Rosa: The brilliant successor to the much-loved City Garden Doughnuts is killing it with Crodoughs (a take on Cronuts, or croissant doughnuts), Bismarks (aka jelly doughnuts), cinnamon rolls, wheat-free doughnuts, vegan doughnuts and all the sprinkles you care to eat. 1200 Fourth Street, johnnydoughnuts.com.
Donuts & Bagel Cafe, Santa Rosa: Food-choosy friends swear this is the best doughnut cafe in town. Always packed. Jelly are a favorite. Doughnut holes are also awesome. Takeout only. 750 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, 707-284-1012.
Tan’s Donuts, Santa Rosa: A go-to for straight up office-worthy doughnuts. Don’t miss the buttermilk doughnut, a denser version of the glazed. 1074 Fourth St, Santa Rosa.
Jelly Donut, Santa Rosa: Our favorite raspberry jelly doughnut. Open 24 hours. Plus cake doughnuts and a dozen doughnut holes for only $1.75. Enough said. Takeout only. 443 Dutton Ave., Suite 10, Santa Rosa, 707-544-8494.
Harvey’s Gourmet Donuts, Sonoma: Weekly pop-ups 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sundays for these mini doughnuts made from scratch by Harvey himself. 414 First St. E., Sonoma, harveysdonuts.com.
Danish & Donuts, Sonoma: Crullers are a specialty at Sonoma’s Danish & Donuts, along with yeasty doughnuts with sprinkles and maybe a danish or two if you get there early. Takeout and delivery. Boston cremes get top billing. 18580 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-938-1333.
Keny’s Donuts, Petaluma: This doughnut shop has been around since 1984 and has been a favorite among Petaluma high-schoolers for decades and, more recently, doughnut-lovers on the Save Sonoma County Restaurants page. “This is not the hipster, organic doughnuts place…this is Sunday morning I want a good donut!” said Dara Krahne Peloquin. 202 Douglas St., Petaluma, Facebook.
Sunrise Donuts, Petaluma: Chocolate cake and blueberry doughnuts are special favorites at this neighborhood spot. “Boy, it’s safe to say it would take a lot to make me get emotional about donuts, but Sunrise Donuts made it happen!” said one enthusiastic reviewer. Takeout. 68 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-762-6601.
BurtoNZ Bakery, Windsor: You can thank the Kiwis for coming up with a cream and raspberry-filled doughnut that’s about the best thing since sliced bread. This New Zealand specialty is a not-too-sweet fried torpedo rolled in sugar, split down the middle and stuffed with whipped cream and a schmear of seedless raspberry jam. Oh so good with morning coffee or an evening dessert, or any time in between. 9076 Brooks Road S, Windsor, 707-687-5455.
Flakey Cream Do-Nuts & Coffee Shop, Healdsburg: A favorite coffee shop since the 1960s, this classic has full breakfast and lunch. But it’s the doughnuts in the window every morning that have been drawing kids and hungry grown-ups to this spot for more than 50 years. They even have a “buy five, get one free” deal for their doughnuts. Amazing glazed doughnuts. 441 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-433-3895, flakycream.com
Happy Donuts, Cloverdale: This new addition to Cloverdale is the second outpost for this delish doughnut shop. Also in Windsor. 1117, Suite C, S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-669-0326; 8962 Brooks Road S., Windsor.
The Forbes Travel Guide has honored SingleThread Farms and Restaurant in Healdsburg with its top five-star luxury rating in 2025. (Garrett Rowland/Sonoma County Tourism)
Healdsburg’s SingleThread restaurant has once again made the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list, joining only one other American restaurant, New York City’s Atomix (No. 6). The presitious awards were announced yesterday at a ceremony in Las Vegas.
Sonoma County’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant rose to No. 46 on the list in 2024, rebounding from a fall to the extended part of the list (No. 68) last year.
Owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton have broken into the coveted top 50 list twice before, squeaking by at No. 50 in 2022 after soaring to No. 37 in 2021. The awards were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“SingleThread is a destination restaurant and boutique hotel in the picturesque Californian town of Healdsburg in the wine-famous Sonoma Valley. Chef Kyle oversees the kitchen, presenting an exquisite tasting menu with a strong Japanese influence. Katina runs the couple’s nearby 24-acre farm, from which most of the restaurant’s produce is sourced,” read a statement on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants website.
Chef Kyle Connaughton uses a Japanese donabe from his collection, at back on the wall, to cook his Tilefish, Blue Foot, and Chanterelle Fukkura-San with Leeks, Brassicas From the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Broth at SingleThread Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)An elegantly presented dish at the three-Michelin star SingleThread in Healdsburg. (John Troxell/Sonoma County Tourism)
The annual list of the world’s finest restaurants, published since 2002, is a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences and a barometer for global gastronomic trends, according to the organizers. (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is part of the 50 Best brand, published by UK-based media group William Reed.)
Encompassing five continents, the World’s 50 Best list also showcases lesser-known dining destinations, including Slovenia, South Africa, Mexico City and South America. (Michelin stars, also highly coveted, are primarily focused on Europe and North America.) The guide expanded to cover Japan in 2007, as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and Malaysia in subsequent years.
A panel of more than 1,000 international restaurant industry experts — food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-traveled gourmets — selects the restaurants for each year’s list.
The top five restaurants on the 2024 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list are:
No. 5: Maido (Lima, Peru)
No. 4: Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)
No. 3: Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris, France)
No. 2: Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)
No. 1: Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
Lee Johnson, left, and Dani DiAngelo of Strange Constellation in June, 2024. (Nicholas Vides)
Juneteenth festivities in Sonoma and Napa counties include food, music and community gatherings, and events range from film screenings to block parties and jazz jubilees.
Juneteenth — a day of learning about and honoring the Black American experience through communal celebrations — originated nearly 160 years ago in a city on the Texas Gulf Coast.
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved peoples in Confederate states “are, and henceforth shall be free.”
However, it wouldn’t be for another two years that many enslaved people in Confederate territory would even learn of the proclamation, let alone be freed. According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that the enslaved people in the state, amounting to over 250,000 people, were free by executive decree.
Newly freed people celebrated their independence with annual celebrations — traditionally centered around food, music and community — which were carried on by descendants and known as “Juneteenth.”
Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a holiday in 1980. President Joe Biden signed a bill in 2021 making Juneteenth a federal holiday, and just last year California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed Juneteenth an official state holiday.
Sonoma County’s first Juneteenth
When Texas native Marteal Perry moved to Santa Rosa in 1953, there were no local Juneteenth celebrations, and there weren’t many Black people living in the county at the time. From the jump, Perry made it her personal mission to promote racial understanding in the community and foster good will between groups of diverse backgrounds.
“There were some barriers I thought should be brought down, so I got started,” Perry said in a June 20, 1991, article in The Press Democrat. “I didn’t just think about doing something. I put it into action.”
In 1954, Perry founded Santa Rosa’s first Juneteenth celebration, held at her residence on South Wright Road, where she also built one of the city’s first integrated swimming pools for local youth. On the same block 30 years later, Perry founded the Prayer Chapel Outreach Mission Church, where she served as an evangelist up until her death in 1996.
For four decades, hundreds of community members would come to celebrate Perry’s annual Juneteenth observances and enjoy a barbecue and pool party.
Meanwhile, in 1970, Harold Rogers and a group of other college students held a large demonstration in Santa Rosa to protest the city’s proposal to build a street through South Park, named for the neighborhood in which it resides. The students prevailed in saving the park, and their protest evolved into an annual community gathering that became Sonoma County’s official Martin Luther King-Juneteenth Festival.
The park was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Park in January of 1986, and it remains the location for the MLK-Juneteenth Festival, now in its 54th year and headed by Nancy Rogers, Harold’s wife and longtime organizer of the event.
People gather around a picnic table full of classic Juneteenth fare, prepared by Santa Rosa caterer and food pop-up Smackin’ Soul Food, in Santa Rosa. (Eileen Roche)This refreshing tomato-watermelon salad tastes great with fried chicken — and adds a necessary pop of red to the Juneteenth table. (Eileen Roche)Nancy Rogers serves her peach cobbler — made with a buttery crust that envelops the peaches she cooks with brown sugar and spice — at the 53rd annual Martin Luther King Jr.-Juneteenth Festival in Santa Rosa in June of 2023. (Eileen Roche)
June 15
Martin Luther King-Juneteenth Festival: The county’s 54th annual MLK-Juneteenth Festival will be held the weekend before Juneteenth in Santa Rosa. The event will include traditional Juneteenth cuisine, public speakers, arts and crafts, children’s games, a basketball tournament and a special performance by Bay Area party band Pride & Joy. Contact sonomacountyjuneteenth@gmail.com for more information. Free. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 1671 Hendley St., Santa Rosa. sonomacountyjuneteenth.com
June 15
Healdsburg Jazz Juneteenth Celebration: Healdsburg Jazz will host a Juneteenth celebration with a jazz jubilee at the Healdsburg Plaza. Trombonist Steve Turre, a member of the Saturday Night Live Band since 1985, will headline the event, which will feature several other Bay Area jazz greats. The celebration will also include libations from the The Nubian Cafe Collective, Healdsburg Jazz’s Poet Laureate Enid Pickett, drum workshops led by Javier Navarrette, an interactive education area curated by Andi Wong, and other music performances and workshops. Learn more about the event here. 2 p.m. Healdsburg Plaza. healdsburgjazz.org
June 16
Juneteenth Celebration with Chef Tanya Holland: Chef Tanya Holland is back to host this event and she’s firing up her famous southern barbecue. Special musical guest DJ D Sharp, the official DJ of the Golden State Warriors, will be spinning throughout the event. Tickets are $65 those 12 and up, and $35 for children 11 and under. 3-6 p.m. The Grove At Copia at 500 1st St., Napa. 707-967-2500. ciaatcopia.com/juneteenth-celebration
June 19
Black is Beautiful — A Strange Constellation Juneteenth Celebration: Vintage clothing shop and art space Strange Constellation, located in Santa Rosa’s SOFA district, will host a Juneteenth block party in collaboration with Café Frida Gallery, Positive Images, the Spinster Sisters and other SOFA district businesses. The celebration will include a pop-up art gallery at Strange Constellation, a drag show at Café Frida and an art market featuring Black vendors from the Bay Area. Tickets are $20, though a sliding scale option will be available. 4-10 p.m. 300 S. A St., Suite 1, Santa Rosa. Contact hello@strangeconstellation.com for more information. strangeconstellation.com
June 19
Juneteenth Celebration Potluck: Healdsburg pub the Elephant in the Room will host a Juneteenth celebration with a potluck party and live music by local jazz funk duo Neon Blue. The community is invited to bring a dish to share as they enjoy Afro-jazz-funk fusion music from 5-8 p.m. Free. 177 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. elephantintheroompub.com
June 19
Juneteenth Luncheon: Sonoma State University and the City of Rohnert Park will host a Juneteenth luncheon at the Rohnert Park Community Center. Red Rose Catering will cater the lunch with traditional dishes, such as fried chicken, collard greens, black eyed peas, mac and cheese, cornbread and peach cobbler. RSVP by June 12, as seating is limited. Register online. Free. 11 a.m. Rohnert Park Community Center at 5401 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. rpcity.org
June 19
“The Right to Read” film screening at Rialto Cinemas: Only in theaters Juneteenth, “The Right to Read” is a documentary by Jenny Mackenzie, executive produced by Levar Burton, that focuses on a critical civil rights issue: literacy. The film shares the story of Oakland NAACP activist Kareem Weaver, with the aid of a teacher and two families, who — dismayed with bleak reading scores in their community and across the nation — work to improve reading instruction at Oakland schools. Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol will screen the film at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under and seniors 62 and over. Rialto Cinemas at 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. 707-525-4840. rialtocinemas.com
