Page 459 – Sonoma Magazine

Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill | Santa Rosa

September 2015

By biteclub

Fish and Chips at Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill Photo: heather Irwin

Mike Svedise has some pretty big fish to fry.

Inside the walk-in refrigerator of his retail seafood operation in Santa Rosa, there’s a cod the size of Alabama . The fisherman who brought it from the Bay that morning is still standing outside, next to the fish smokers, watching the rest of his catch come off the truck.

By lunchtime, that giant cod and the rest of the morning’s haul will be on someone’s plate at Svedise’s restaurant next door. Fried or otherwise.

The longtime owner of Santa Rosa Seafood and the recently-opened Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill, Svedise has salt water in his veins and sourdough in his soul. Born and raised in San Francisco’s North Beach to an extended family of Italian fishermen, he knows his way around fish, oysters, clams, squid and pretty much anything else that swims or crawls in the sea.

And with his expanding seafood store and long-awaited restaurant occupying the same building, the trip from ocean to your fork doesn’t get much shorter.

Fish On!

Best Fish Tacos Ever. Ever. Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill Photo: Heather Irwin

The life of a fishmonger moves fast, because seafood waits for no man.

Starting at 3 a.m., Svedise starts taking orders, managing a small fleet of fishing boats, checking the catch of the day along the North Coast, sending a truckload of crushed ice and seafood to farm markets, and opening his Santa Rosa fish market and restaurant with the help of wife, Trudy, and kids Anna, Salvatore, Joe, and Nicholas.

You don’t sell nearly 100 kinds of fish and shellfish five days a week without a whole lot of support, he said.

By 10 a.m., with his cellphone ringing incessantly, Svedise has already had a fairly full day. But in a self-imposed moment of quiet, he pulls up a chair to the stainless steel table at the restaurant and points to the family photos lining the walls of the Santa Rosa Avenue eatery, all of which include some kind of fishing boat.

You kind of expect him to whip out a pipe and a yellow fishing cap and spin a salty yarn about his uncles’ long-ago seafood operation. Interestingly enough, that operation was at Fisherman’s Wharf, at what is now Scoma’s restaurant along the pier.

“I’ve been fishing all my life,” Svedise said. “I used to hide in my uncles’ boat and cut school to go fishing, and I haven’t stopped going out on boats for crab and salmon since 1976.”

Then the phone rings again, prep chefs need his credit card, the restaurant manager begins the process of opening the restaurant, and someone walks in the front door asking a question. It’s time to get back to work.

Catch of the Day

Cioppino at Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill. Heather Irwin

Svedise is no stranger to the restaurant business , having owned the popular Baby Sal’s Seafood Grill in Marin for years.

“We had lines out the door,” he said.

Less than a month into service, Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill also has been packed, despite a hushed opening after more than a year of permitting delays.

It’s open for lunch and dinner, with a menu that is impressive but not overly flashy, the focus firmly on the catch of the moment. Chef Jeremy Utterback (formerly of K&L Bistro) put together a menu that includes everything from classic cioppino to scallops with a plum reduction, all of them showcasing the seafood rather than the technique.

And while you can’t go wrong with whatever the special of the day is, here are some favorites you won’t want to miss:

Fish Tacos ($10): You haven’t had fish tacos until you’ve had these. The fish changes up based on the catch, but instead of being fried within an inch of its life, the delicate whitefish is adorned only with pico de gallo, cabbage and a chipotle aioli.

Fish and Chips (2 pieces, $14; 3 pieces, $17): These are the fish and chips you wish you got at the coast, but rarely do. Beer batter dipped and fried, you can actually taste the cod rather than just the breading. Crunchy outside, moist inside and a kid-pleaser atop a mound of Kennebec fries.

Ahi tuna poke from Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill. Photo: Heather Irwin

Ahi tuna poke ($14): Raw sushi-grade tuna, rice, avocado, sesame oil. Mix, eat and cry a little as you think of Hawaiian beaches. Treat yourself to a side of wakame (seasoned seaweed, $7) for the full experience.

Blackened Ahi ($22): Ruby red tuna gets a quick sear, a side of carrot, cucumber and scallion with ginger vinaigrette, and a light paint of creamy sriracha across the plate.

Seafood Cioppino ($24): Seasonal fish, shrimp, mussels and calamari in a rich red sauce is the essence of Little Italy. Add-ons like lobster depend on what’s in season.

Petrale Sole Piccata ($24): One of the most popular dishes on the menu, this simple sole dish is sautéed with a tangy lemon, butter and wine sauce and is perfection on a plate.

Other dishes include grilled swordfish ($20), miso halibut ($26), North Beach style Linguine with clams ($17) and scallops with butternut squash risotto ($22). A locally-focused beer and wine list is well-matched to the dishes. And if you’re not a seafood fan? Grilled cheese and fries are available.

We know you’ll be hooked at first bite.

Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill, 946 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, (707) 579-2085. CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY, open for lunch and dinner Wed-Sunday.

Bird and The Bottle Restaurant Opens in Santa Rosa

September 2015

By biteclub

Open kitchen at Bird and The Bottle, a new Stark Reality Restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA

In case you haven’t heard the shrieks of joy from your food-obsessed friends, Mark and Terri Stark have finally (finally) opened their sixth restaurant in Sonoma County, Bird and The Bottle. It wasn’t without some labor pains, which included everything from permitting and ABC challenges to managing the $1.5 million renovation. But like any parent, the pain is soon forgotten when that bouncing baby turns out to be pretty perfect. I’ll be writing more about the menu and the whole story behind what Mark is lovingly calling his “Jew-rean” menu in the coming weeks, but here’s the 411 on what you need to know if you go:

– The menu is a mashup of Jewish comfort food, Southern classics (fried chicken, Gulf shrimp, buttermilk biscuits with pimento cheese) and a punch of Korean on the side. That means dishes like cheesy grits with maitake mushrooms, cured egg and spicy schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), $10, kimchee latkes ($10) or matzoh ball ramen ($10). Somehow it all works.
– The cocktail menu is equally inspired, with hard teas, drinking vinegars paired with vodka, bourbon and tequila, or giant cocktail shakers with drinks for the table
– Schmears are a great snack or lunch item, with chicken liver mousse, smoked black cod or barbecued bone marrow served with pumpernickel rye ($10-14)
– The name refers to a saucy double entendre describing late-night pleasures of pre-World War I young men about town—“hot bird and a cold bottle”. We’ll let you guess which was the saucy dish and which was the champagne.
– A $20,000 indoor wood-fired grill is the kitchen centerpiece, with live fire grilling of fish, breads, veggies and of course heartier meats. A commercial smoker gives duck and fish perfect flavor.

Bird and The Bottle, open daily for lunch and dinner, 1055 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-568-4000.

Please note: Not all of these dishes may be available, and prices may vary. Click to see the full menu

Bird and The Bottle, a new Stark Reality Restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA

pimento_birdbottle — True pimento spread at Bird and The Bottle

chickenlivermouse_birdbottle — Chicken liver mousse with chicken cracklings, $10

Grilled squash with pickled tomatoes, a vegetarian dish. The restaurant maintains a separate grill for vegetarian items.

raddicio — Grilled radicchio at Bird and the Bottle

Michelin-starred chef Perry Hoffman moves to SHED

September 2015

By biteclub

Perry Hoffman, new culinary director for SHED in Healdsburg. Photo: Zagat

The former chef of Napa’s etoile at Domaine Chandon, Perry Hoffman, has taken over the kitchens of Healdsburg SHED as culinary director.

The Michelin-starred chef (and culinary wunderkind) will oversee the entire culinary program at the hybrid cafe, marketplace and “modern grange hall”, including breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner at the cafe, as well as private dining and events. And while Hoffman’s wheelhouse is white-tablecloth dining at tony spots like etoile and Napa’s Auberge du Soleil, he’ll be loosening things up to accommodate the more casual vibe of SHED.

Etoile closed earlier this year, despite critical acclaim. Part of Hoffman’s new gig will include getting his hands dirty at SHED owner Cindy Daniel and Doug Lipton’s Home Farm, a working farm that provides produce for the cafe.

A few fun facts about Hoffman:

His grandparents Sally and Don Schmitt were the original owners of The French Laundry in Yountville and founders of The Apple Farm in Philo
Hoffman was the youngest chef ever to win a Michelin star, at the age of 25
He was a co-founder of Carneros Micros, a micro-green and edible flower farm

Hoffman replaces Chef Miles Thompson, who joined SHED in January. SHED has hosted a string of talented chefs in its kitchen since opening in 2013.

Kewpie Mayonnaise: Supermarket Spy

September 2015

By biteclub

Kewpie Mayonnaise might just be the best mayo ever.

Who knew the Japanese were some of the world’s biggest mayonnaise fanatics? With entire restaurants devote to the condiment, along with a mayo museum (really) and a term for mayonnaise fanatics (mayolers), it’s definitely a thing. But when you say mayonnaise in Japan, you’ll inevitably get a bottle of Kewpie. Soon after you’ll become addicted to the stuff.

It’s been a staple in the kitchen of many Asian-inspired chefs, from Momofuko’s David Chang—who called it the best mayonnaise in the world in a Food & Wine article—to local chefs like Matthew Williams of Ramen Gaijin.

“Kewpie is great because it’s has a bit of sweetness from rice wine vinegar and let’s be real, a ton of MSG,” Williams said.

Indeed it’s not for everyone, but it’s also the very definition of umami, that hard-to-describe flavor that’s both rich and savory, thanks to MSG. Let me say that one more time. There’s a lot of MSG in it.

A bit sweeter than good old Hellman’s (aka Best Foods), Kewpie mayo, which is in fact named after the adorable doll that’s its trademark, is insanely smooth and spreadable, best slathered over, well, everything. Closest we can come to a familiar American taste is Miracle Whip.

Mix it into Sriracha, use it for the world’s most decadent deviled eggs, slap it on a sandwich or just squirt a bit on a pretzel.

$5.99 at Asia Mart, 2481 Guerneville Rd., Santa Rosa, (707) 542-3515.

Tara Firma Farm merges with Victorian Farmstead

September 2015

By biteclub

Nine months ago, two of the biggest players in the Northern California’s artisan meat business almost disappeared. Now, they’re teaming up to be a serious force in the growing market for sustainable, locally-raised chicken, pork, lamb and beef.

Word broke last week that Petaluma’s popular Tara Firma Farms has turned over its meat CSA and daily operations to Sebastopol’s Victorian Farmstead Meat Co.

That means Victorian Farmstead’s Adam Parks, who sells at many local farm markets, through a CSA and at Community Market in Sebastopol, will be handling the meat distribution for both. Tara and Craig Smith, who own Tara Firma Farms, will consult on various events and strategic decisions at the farm.

It’s a solid match for the once-rivals, and a win-win for their CSA members.

Smith was giving serious consideration to throwing in the towel last spring after five years of explosive growth at the farm. The 250 acre operation is a model for sustainable food production and community education, including tours and events at the farm.

“It was exhausting me,” said Smith. “I just lost it in March, and I was planning to shut it down,” she said candidly. “Because the bigger we got, the harder it got. I just needed to do something else,” she said.

Tara Firm currently has more than 700 CSA customers, and Smith said she was heartbroken at the though of having to walk away from the business. When Parks approached her with a suggestion for collaboration, Smith leapt. “It was such a relief to me. I was so not wanting to let it all go, because there’s just nothing out there quite like we do,” she said.

Smith was ready for a break. Ready to spend more time with her teenage son. Ready to get a mani-pedi, she joked.

Parks, who runs Victorian Farmstead with his wife, Laura, and new business partner, Adam Taggart, will be able to collapse many of the doubled efforts and streamline the business operations.

“[We] wouldn’t have made it alone nine months ago,” said Parks, who is no stranger to the ups and downs of the artisan meat business.

Last December, in deep financial trouble, Parks sent out a plea to his supporters (who he calls “Meatheads”) to buy coupons to be used at a later date, giving the company a quick infusion of cash without begging for a handout. The generosity of the local community was tremendous, and Parks raised several thousand dollars in only a couple weeks from people of all corners of the community. With this push, Victorian Farmstead was back on its feet. “It was a true story of community support,” said Parks.

Taggart, who joined the team in 2015, helped Victorian Farmstead develop a better business plan and restructure debt so the company could grow. So well that Parks recently told CSA subscribers that, “Over the past 5 months, we’ve already knocked our vendor debt down by over 60 percent and expect to have it completely satisfied by the end of the year.”

“[The partnership] is a huge advantage for Victorian Farmstead because we can now provide home delivery to our retail customers as well as veggie and fruit shares,” said Parks. Tara Firma customers will have access to fresh and rfozen meats and be able to pick up their shares at farm markets the VFMC attends.

“More families of the future will be able to enjoy the quality meats of Northern California. The beauty of this collaboration is that thousands of families in Northern California will continue to have access to the incredible meat raised in Sonoma and Marin counties.”

Now that’s some seriously meaty news.

– Jenna Fischer contributed to this article

Supermarket Spy: PetitPot Pot De Creme

September 2015

By biteclub

There are some desserts so deliciously decadent that you really don’t want to know the recipe, for fear it will ruin the gastronomic magic.

Chocolate pot de creme is one of those desserts, made with whipping cream, whole milk, egg yolks, sugar and chocolate. Basically the five horsemen of your diet apocalypse.

Unlike pudding, pot de creme is heated like a custard and then baked in a water bath, with no added thickening agents, making it intensely flavorful and creamy. And absolutely nothing like that sad powdered stuff you mix with milk and cook on the stove.

PetitPot, based in SF, has mastered this ultimate French dessert, selling it in adorable 4.2 ounce jars that makes it feel a whole lot less like something that’s headed straight for your inner thighs and a whole lot more like something worth savoring — alone — on a cool fall evening in your jammies.

We’re particularly fond of the dark chocolate version, with 70 percent cacao Belgian chocolate. Other flavors include lemon, vanilla and salted caramel, along with seasonal flavors like pistachio and praline.

Cooked up by two Frenchmen, natch, it’s as close to heaven as you can get with with a spoon.

$3.99, available at Whole Foods

Pumpkin Spice Everything: We blame you PSL!

September 2015

By biteclub

The Original PSL. Most people only get one a year from Starbucks. We kinda get it.

It’s pumpkin spice season again, and this year there are an estimated 50,000+ items hitting the shelves. Bigger and better than ever sales of these fall-flavored items have risen 11.6 percent, with sales of $361 million over the last year.

Here are a few pumpkin-spiked goodies from lattes to facials we’ve found, both local and national...real and imagined.

What are your favorite seasonal finds?

PSL: Starbucks
Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?

TRADER JOE’S: Pumpkin spice everything is an annual thing.

Pumpkin Spice Booze

Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa has a variety of pumpkin spice ales

Pumpkin-Spiced Local Sweets

recherche_truffle — Pumpkin Truffle from Rechere du Plaisir, 3401 Cleveland Ave #9, Santa Rosa

Pumpkin Spice Macarons at Rechere du Plaisir, 3401 Cleveland Ave #9, Santa Rosa

And some other pumpkin-spice sweets

It doesn’t end there…

Exfoliating Pumpkin Peel: https://www.vagaro.com/HolisticBeauty

For real? Nope. But they could be. Here’s a hilarious list of more unreal PS items.

The Crowbar by Sonoma Cider

September 2015

By biteclub

I’m so into cider right now. As fall approaches, its a great time to embrace the many micro-cideries popping up all over Sonoma County. Each cidermaker has their own approach, but the days of sickly-sweet apple wine coolers are over. Instead, companies like Sonoma Cider are taking a more wine-like approach by cutting the sweet (some are bone dry), aging in oak barrels and simply letting the apples do the talking.

Sonoma Cider’s Crowbar goes a step further, kicking your tastebuds in the face with one-two punch of lime and habanero infused into the dry cider. This seasonal brew was a summer release, and will only be around another month or so. Admittedly, its not for everyone. The habanero is h-o-t. But it’s a great late-summer drink to sip by the pool or sneak into a picnic basket before the winter doldrums are upon us.

Not into the burn? Sonoma Cider’s Anvil is dry cider aged in bourbon barrels. It’s as amazing at it sound, and is available all year long. The Coddingtown Whole Foods, which has an expanding cider selection and an in-house taproom, also carries The Anvil.

The Crowbar Cider, $8.99 per 4-pack, Whole Foods (390 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa, 707-542-7411).

Are local grocers really local?

September 2015

By biteclub

Is “local” produce really all that local? Turns out it isn’t much of the time.

Which grocers are the most local? You might be surprised at the answer.

It’s no mystery that shopping, eating and pretty much doing anything “local” is not only good ethics, but its also good business. You’ve seen the signs at large supermarkets touting their support of “farms in your neighborhood”, but according to a sampling of several Sonoma County markets (both locally-owned and not), “local” can mean up to 800 miles from your neighborhood.

Farmers Guild Executive Director Evan Wiig recently tallied the number of fresh local veggies (meaning from Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino and Napa) at nine grocers, and the results were pretty interesting.

According to his survey, Healdburg’s SHED was the biggest winner with 53 products from local farms. Oliver’s came in second with 39, followed by the Sebastopol Whole Foods (38), Community Market (31), with the rest offering considerably less. Particular notice went to Safeway, which has started a large campaign to “support farms in your neighborhood”, but in his survey had the lowest number of items: 3. Wiig hopes to use his findings in this first sampling as an impetus for local grocers to step up their game. Read more about Wiig’s Grocery Store Challenge at The Farmer’s Guild Blog.

Here is Wiig’s list of products.

Supermarket Spy: Coconut Curry Comet Corn

September 2015

By biteclub

Coconut Curry Comet Corn, $4.99, Community Market (1899 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, srcommunitymarket.com)

I remember standing, mouth agape, at the Sonoma County Fair a few years ago when Comet Corn’s Sherry Soleski told me they used actual butter on their freshly-popped popcorn. Not just butter, but Straus Creamery butter. Oh, and the butterfly corn they use is organic, and the seasonings made from things like organic coconut milk powder and brewer’s yeast. Plus, it came with a giant bear hug from the indomitable Soleski, herself. I’ve been sold ever since.

Of all their flavors (Bloody Mary, Maple Syrup, the super-popular Hippie Dust, etc.) have their fans, but my favorite by far is Coconut Curry. There’s a bit of curry spice bite, but with a hint of sweetness and a satisfying touch of fat (they use organic oil in the bagged flavors, since butter isn’t as shelf-stable). It’s addictive to say the least.

Sherry, from Comet Corn, gives great hugs. And makes great popcorn.

The mom and pop start up based in Santa Rosa was inspired by an evening around a campfire when Soleski’s partner, Jeff Phillips, served a bowl of seasoned popcorn to some friends while watching the Hale-Bopp Comet whiz by in the night sky. After a stellar Kickstarter that raised more than $20,000, they’re a solar-powered powerhouse at local events like the county fair, National Heirloom Expo, Kate Wolf Festival and the upcoming Earlefest (Sept. 26, 2015 earlefest.com).

Fish On!

Catch of the Day

PSL: Starbucks Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?

TRADER JOE’S: Pumpkin spice everything is an annual thing.

Pumpkin Spice Booze

Pumpkin-Spiced Local Sweets

And some other pumpkin-spice sweets

It doesn’t end there…

PSL: Starbucks
Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?