Winemaker Scot Bilbro and architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp’s Healdsburg home. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)
A deep-rooted connection to the landscape marks the rustic home of architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp and winemaker Scot Bilbro. On 5 rural acres in Healdsburg (“but just two minutes from Big John’s Market,” Lisa says), the couple and their son live in a simple, barnlike structure with broad connections to the outdoors from nearly every room.
“The thing we’ve always loved about this property is no matter where you are on it, whichever structure you’re in, you’re just looking at more wilderness,” says Scot. “It feels like you’re on a much, much bigger property than you are.”
The couple, who met in the early 2000s, were living in downtown Healdsburg in 2013 and had been looking for rural land for several years when Lisa got a tip from an old friend that the property was for sale. Though the outbuildings were in rough condition and overgrown with brambles, they could see the contours of the land held a beautiful shape, overlooking a sweeping view of a pond populated with herons, turtles and other wildlife.
“I was just itching to be able to walk out onto some meadow, to have some larger confines around us,” says Scot.
Winemaker Scot Bilbro and architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp enjoy a meal with their son, Booker, outside their Healdsburg home. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)
He and Lisa designed the home together and undertook much of the construction themselves. They endlessly discussed the framing of the view through the antique windows they’d found, accumulating repurposed doors and redwood siding — even teaching themselves how to use SketchUp to draw their plans. Lisa envisioned a classic California indoor-outdoor home with pocket gardens and living spaces that blurred the distinction between inside and out.
“The thought process was to create a very small envelope of curated space around the house,” she explains. “It’s very clean, intentional. It was important not to have an immaculate garden space, but to feel like we were living in nature.”
Downstairs is one large room with separate spaces for living, dining, lounging and cooking. There’s a single bathroom that the entire family uses, and a bedroom for their son, as well as multiple sets of doors with views out to the pond and fields.
Scot and Lisa’s room is upstairs, reached via a set of stainless-steel scaffolding Scot repurposed from his winery. They’re the type of stairs more commonly used to access the tops of wine tanks during fermentation.
Stainless steel winery scaffolding leads to the upstairs sleeping space. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)
The interior, including 25-foot-tall walls in the main living space, is clad entirely in gorgeous, inch-thick, foot-wide reclaimed redwood boards.
“We were almost finished, and Scot kept saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you sheetrock the walls,’” recalls Lisa. “And I said ‘I can’t. I can’t do it.’ I didn’t know what I was waiting for. But then I got a call from our wood guy, who had found some secret stash of barnwood sitting under a tarp somewhere. So I jumped in his truck and we got the wood, and that clad the entire space.”
Though built less than a decade ago, this is a storied home, one layered with a history and personality that reveal much about the family that built it. The living areas have wide comfy couches and lots of pillows for reading and nesting. Lisa is drawn to pieces with a background: a chandelier draped in fringe, opera costumes purchased for a song at a sample sale, handmade ceramics, an antique upright piano.
“The place is from the heart,” says Lisa. “It’s cozy — which is weird to say with 25-foot ceilings, you know.”
Double-height ceilings in the main living space. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)
Their design decisions have been guided by a feeling of what is right for the home and the property, even if their choices seem unconventional or unusual.
“Our signal that we’re doing the right thing is whenever somebody says, ‘Why are you doing this?’ or ‘What do you see in this property?’” says Scot. “Basically, whenever someone tells us we’re crazy, we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re on the right track.’ Usually Lisa and I are totally in sync in terms of feeling there’s potential and magic in a place. And it’s all the better when nobody else can see it.”
The couple are proud to be passing along their creative values to their son, Booker,
who was just a toddler when they first moved to the property and is now 13 years old.
“We are doing a really good job of training our kid that used is good,” says Lisa. “In a world where fashion is in constant turnaround and quality has gone down and mountains of throwaway clothing are sent far across the ocean, he’s learning all that’s not necessary.”
Booker, who wants to be a pilot, spends his summers outside fishing for bass on the pond or tinkering with motorcycles and model airplanes. With a cheeky high-schooler’s sense of humor, he names all of the goslings on the pond Ryan. There’s a whole bevy of Ryan Goslings hatched each spring.
Wide glass doors open to a patio, where Scot Bilbro watches his son, Booker, fish for bass in the pond. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)
“Booker’s exposure to all this has gotten us to the point where he’s the one who reminds us how to play outside. He gets us out on the lake, out on the paddleboard,” says Scot.
The family lives in tune with the seasons, throwing the doors wide open
each morning and eating outdoors on the patio most nights. Scot likes to grill whole fish or lamb, while Booker rolls out pasta from scratch. The three of them make big salads with produce grown in raised beds made from half-ton bins from the winery.
“Being in the wine industry, having every seasonal change mean something’s happening is really fun,” says Scot. “It makes you feel connected to your job and what’s going on and where you live in a different way.”
“I work really hard to be present. When you’re working in agriculture, you’re always looking ahead. There’s a similarity between working on projects at the house and growing grapes and making wine. You’re in the midst of a perpetual transformation — you’re watching the leaves come out, you’re watching the canopies. Suddenly there’s fruit, and suddenly again, it changes color, and then you’re in the cellar. I just think it’s an amazing process… It’s like one big choose-your-own-adventure story.”
Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Photographers have long experimented with developing black-and-white film in solutions of instant coffee, beer and other liquids — a time-honored and nontoxic alternative to traditional chemical processes.
Sonoma photographer James Joiner has now done the same with wine. He turned to longtime collaborator Ian Sullivan to help refine the method, and together they honed in on a process with red wine that worked not just well, but extremely well.
Joiner now has an ongoing partnership with Kodak to photograph the people he has come to know and admire in the wine world and develop the portraits in wines that hold meaning for the subjects, with the ultimate aim of releasing a book. Each portrait bears the mark of the winemaker via the subtle rosy glow from the wine in which it was developed.
Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Joiner’s interest in wine ignited in 2008 after meeting Sonoma winemaker Tony Coturri through a friend. Coturri offered him a bottle and, when Joiner declined, saying he didn’t really like to drink, Coturri poured him a glass anyway.
“Wine isn’t drinking, it’s stories in a bottle,” Coturri told him.
Something clicked, launching Joiner into an obsession with the stories of wine and the people who work with it.
“There’s a poetry in wine, and a poetry in analog photography,” Joiner explains. “So to be able to capture someone on film and have the actual light and energy from that split-second of exposure bond with the wine — it’s incredibly magical. The moment gets fused together forever inside the silver halide crystals that make up the black-and-white image. Plus, the process is completely nontoxic, which is important to me.”
“Sonoma is just… it’s an incredible spot,” says Joiner. “It’s been one of those rare places where you always seem to be in the right place at the right time, full of chance encounters and small-world moments.”
Rosalind Manoogian of Fog Crest Vineyard in Sebastopol. Photo developed in the 2018 Fog Crest Estate Pinot Noir. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Rosalind Manoogian, Fog Crest Vineyard
“Shooting a proper portrait isn’t about just capturing someone’s likeness. That’s for driver’s licenses and passports. Portraits should speak to who the subject is and give insight into their character. To do this properly, most photographers have to learn to get out of the way and adapt to the situation.
Meeting Rosalind at her Fog Crest Vineyard estate tasting room, it immediately became clear that her elegance and confidence should take center stage. After shooting and talking with her for almost an hour, it was obvious she was as lyrical and complex as the Pinot Noir she produces. This shot — developed in a stunning 2018 Fog Crest Estate Pinot Noir — is more serious than some of the others. For that reason, it’s also one of my favorites. What’s that saying? ‘Fashion is fleeting, style is forever.’ Rosalind, and her wines, have style for miles.”
Hardy Wallace of Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! in Sonoma. Photo developed in the 2022 Extradimensional Wine Co Yeah! Marvelous Mourvèdre. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Hardy Wallace, Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!
“This was taken the very first time I met Hardy, at his production facility in Kenwood. While his expressiveness and stoke is well documented, nothing prepares you for the ball of positivity that is Hardy in real life.
I shot this with a fish-eye lens because I love how the distortion makes him feel larger than life. Fun fact, this was taken moments after discovering we were born in the same hospital in Salem, Massachusetts. Developed in Hardy’s 2022 Extradimensional Wine Co Yeah! Marvelous Mourvèdre, a beautiful, playful wine that defies the varietal’s brooding stereotype.”
Katie Rouse and Corinne Rich of Birdhorse Wines. Photo developed in the 2021 Birdhorse Barbera. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Katie Rouse and Corinne Rich, Birdhorse Wines
“One of my favorite things about these wine film portraits is forcing myself to make an expressive image in a place I’ve often never been with someone I don’t really know. To be fair, I’d worked with Katie a bit in her role as assistant winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co., where this was shot, but never Corrine.
The newlywed couple were a photographer’s dream, more than willing to go the extra mile, as evidenced by the frames of Katie hosing Corrine down — something she certainly didn’t mind on a 104-degree July day. Processed in their 2021 Birdhorse Barbera, a delicate wine whose high acid content paired perfectly with the duo’s playfulness and the frenetic energy of the images.”
Patrick Cappiello of Monte Rio Cellars. Photo developed in the 2021 Monte Rio Cellars Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Patrick Cappiello, Monte Rio Cellars
“I met Patrick before he was a winemaker, at his restaurant Pearl & Ash in New York City. He taught me how to saber Champagne with an iPhone for a story I was doing, and we stayed in touch. The way Patrick has willed himself into being a pivotal part of a new generation of winemakers always impresses me, as does his adherence to a DIY, punk-rock ethos.
The framing, film and super-wide lens make me think of classic early ’90s skate and hip-hop images, a vibe that works well for him. This was shot on Kodak Tri-X film and developed in Cappiello’s ebullient 2021 Monte Rio Cellars Zinfandel, which I think lent itself to the boldness of the images.”
Bibiana Gonzáles Rave of Cattleya Wines, Alma de Cattleya and Shared Notes. Photo developed in the 2021 Cattleya ‘The Reward’ Syrah. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Bibiana Gonzáles Rave, Cattleya Wines, Alma de Cattleya, Shared Notes
“Bibiana met me at her winery for the shoot but was so excited to hear that I loved coffee she rushed me to another part of the building to show off her single origin, female-farmed coffee company, all roasted in-house and sourced in her native Colombia. Her excitement is as palpable as her sophistication, whether discussing the nuance of coffee imports or the clones that go into her breathtaking farming-forward wines at Cattleya.
Quick to laugh and naturally gregarious, Bibiana made photographing her, much like enjoying her wines, almost too easy. Developed in her mind-blowing 2021 Cattleya ‘The Reward’ Syrah, a wine so special they only make a handful of cases. Fitting for a portrait of a winemaker of the same caliber.”
Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)
Chris Christensen, Bodkin Wines
“When Chris rolled up to his Sebastopol winery and got out of his car with a vintage saber as big as his smile, I knew this was gonna be a fun one. Equal parts insightful, eccentric and hilarious, Chris is as effervescent as his sparkling wines, several of which he happily beheaded for our shoot.
We only went through one roll of film — 12 frames — and after developing them in his wonderfully autobiographically emoji-labeled 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel, I can say almost all of them rank among the favorites I’ve ever taken.”
Digital bonus: We’ve teamed up with photographer James Joiner and his friends at The Wine Makers podcast for a series of winemaker interviews in September.
The land that artist Alice Warnecke Sutro farms has been in her family for a century. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)
Alice Warnecke Sutro has always looked to the land for inspiration. The rugged Warnecke Ranch, a 265-acre property in Sonoma’s Chalk Hill region with over a mile of frontage along the Russian River, has been in her family for six generations. The ranch is the place that feeds her soul, she says — the place where she can be the best version of herself.
“It’s why I manage the vineyard, make the wine and do the work. It’s all about the connection to the ranch.”
Growing up, the river was a peaceful place to swim and explore. Now, she takes her two children there to do the same. “It’s so beautiful down there. It’s imprinted in my mind as the most energizing place I can go.”
A scene of the Russian River near Alice Warnecke Sutro and her family’s Chalk Hill ranch in Sonoma. “It’s so beautiful down there,” she says. “It’s imprinted in my mind as the most energizing place I can go.” (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)
Alice — a grapegrower, winemaker and visual artist — studied art history at Stanford. She once held one of those student jobs that seem to only exist in the movies: maintaining works of art in the university’s outdoor sculpture garden. While soaping down a priceless Rodin bronze, she realized she was drawn to explore the places that had been home to the great artists she loved. Being able to touch and experience art in person was grounding to her artistic practice. Alice later lived and worked in Florence and Moscow before returning to the Bay Area’s California College of the Arts for a master’s degree in fine arts.
It was in graduate school that the young artist experienced a bit of a creative crisis. A professor had questioned aspects of her work, and she retreated to the family ranch to regroup. Alice found herself sitting on the ground, with her drawing paper beneath her, inside a large pigeon coop. Looking up at dozens of white pigeons, which had been raised on the ranch for 30 years, she simply began to draw what she saw.
“It’s hard to draw a bird because they always move. It was exciting, drawing faster and looser. Letting go of control made me more creative, exploratory and adventurous — and then the line in my work didn’t seem stale,” she says.
Recent works on paper inside Alice Warnecke Sutro’s rustic studio on her Chalk Hill ranch in Sonoma. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)
Today, Alice continues that freely given expression, and has become known for life-size figurative line drawings as well as live art performances. She likens the performances to drawing under pressure — a concept she explores in the tradition of artists like Niki de Saint Phalle, one of her creative inspirations.
At Healdsburg’s Gallery Lulo, where she first explored the concept of live drawing, she’d sit in the gallery and invite people off the street to step inside, where she would draw them live and then give away digital copies of the portraits to the subjects.
“I don’t think museums are always the best places for art. They make it rare and inaccessible,” she says, pointing out that long ago, art was a form of ritual and often didn’t culminate in a single, stand-alone work.
Last summer, Alice created a monumental outdoor piece set in an olive grove at Petaluma’s McEvoy Ranch. Her “I’m On a Roll” mural spooled out in one 100-foot-long roll of paper, with 20 life-size portraits of real-life people, solicited on the spot and drawn in a span of 12 hours — an experience she likens to running a marathon, as she dug deep for the physical strength and focus to finish the work.
Alice Warnecke Sutro specializes in large-scale portrait projects, which she often draws on site and outdoors. With quick brushstrokes, she captures the essence of personality. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)
“I was looking at subject matter and drawing, so my brain was working there. While talking to them, I was an active listener and active in the conversation and tried to remember things about them, but then I was also aware of the people around me. They are my audience, also.”
The live performance aspect of her art creates a deep connection with people.
“At the heart of my projects, there is always a person-to-person interaction,” she says. “Drawing from life gives my line a certain quality and helps make my work look how I want it to.”
Her recent installation, “Mistress of Memory,” at Healdsburg’s Harmon Guest House plays with the concept of hotels as transitive spaces, featuring life-size figurative drawings of women holding balloons over their bodies. Alice created art for six guest suites, as well as a large mural in the hotel restaurant — all accompanied by a flash-fiction writing project where hotel guest are invited to interpret the works. It’s a narrative, she explains, about making, and perhaps losing, memories.
“I like to open up my practice to other people. I think of it more like theater, like having a director or set producer.”
But drawing under such intense circumstances can take a toll. She utilizes her ranch as a place to recuperate “before getting back out there.” Her small, rambling studio, filled with family antiques and artifacts from around the ranch, was once used by her father, a landscape architect, as a drawing studio. It smells of the redwood from which it was built.
The whitewashed interior of Alice Warnecke Sutro’s art studio has a relaxed country feel, with plenty of places to stretch out. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)
Alice says the studio is a place to look inward and work privately on smaller art pieces as well as short stories for an upcoming book.
“The internal work balances the public-facing part of the art,” she explains.
In late summer and early fall, Alice’s art takes a back seat to her duties as a rancher, grapegrower and winemaker. Alice and her aunt, Margo Warnecke Merck, manage an 80-acre vineyard, which produces some 350 tons of grapes that they sell to labels like Decoy, Matanzas Creek and Herzog. Alice holds back an additional 20 tons of fruit for her own label, SUTRO Wine Co. Her favorite fruit to work with is Cabernet Sauvignon, she says. “It’s the variety that can do the most. I love the grippiness and bitter taste.”
“I do often think about tannins as deep shadows on a painting.”
With a heavy harvest workload, Alice typically pauses larger works for a few months. Though, she keeps a list of musings and ideas close at hand and manages to create some time to write. She also occasionally uses an app on her iPad to “finish the stories” on drawings that are not yet complete. But the time away from more ambitious projects is another chance to recharge.
“I like that distance from it. I get reinvigorated to return to art-making with the seasons.”
Ever the farmer, with the promise of the future in mind, Alice is hopeful that this fall’s harvest will be the best vintage ever. After all, she says, “All farmers are idealistic romantics at heart.”
Alice Warnecke Sutro’s installations will be on display at Harmon Guest House through September, and she is also currently at work on a new exhibition at Escolar on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus in November. For more information, visit alicesutro.com. To shop Alice’s wines, including a crisp Sauvignon Blanc as well as her favorite Cabernet Sauvignon from Warnecke Ranch, visit sutrowine.com.
Coupon code website Wethrift recently released a list of the top 10 U.S. cities that offer luxury experiences at an affordable price. The August list included two Sonoma County cities — and Sonoma ranked No. 1.
According to Travel + Leisure, the Wethrift study looked at 956 Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants as well as 348 luxury hotels across the country to come up with the 10 most affordable cities with 5-star experiences.
Seven of the cities on the list are located in California, and three of those are in the Bay Area. Healdsburg is No. 10 on the list and San Francisco comes in at No. 6.
Dish from Valley Bar + Bottle in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)
“Sonoma is the cheapest city for a 5-star experience, with an average restaurant price of just $43.75 and an average hotel price of $518,” the Wethrift team stated in their findings. “In Sonoma, you can enjoy restaurants such as Valley, then stay a night over at the Cottage Inn & Spa.”
Valley Bar + Bottle, also known as Valley, made it on our list of the best restaurants in Sonoma County this year. Favorite dishes here fall under the $40 mark — like the half chicken ($38) and the crispy rice cakes with ginger-scallion sauce ($14).
The best restaurants list also includes Sonoma’s Bloom Carneros, where everything on the dinner menu is under $30. We recommend the Tacos Dorados ($19): crispy rolled vegan tacos with sweet potato puree, avocado, salsa, cabbage and spicy pickles.
A room at Sonoma Creek Inn in Sonoma. (Courtesy Sonoma Creek Inn)
In terms of where to stay, Sonoma Creek Inn ranks as one of Wine Country’s best bargains. Additionally, Wethrift noted The Cottage Inn & Spa, on First Street, has the cheapest rate for “250 square feet of charm.”
Healdsburg, No. 10 on Wethrift’s list, is known for its upscale, high-price restaurants like Valette and SingleThread. But there are also some more affordable Healdsburg eateries, such as the Downtown Bakery, Otoro Sushi and the Wurst Restaurant.
Find more places to eat, sip and stay on a budget in Healdsburg and Sonoma here.
Nonna’s Meatballs made with beef, pork, pistachios and raisins then topped with marinara and ricotta from Campanella Friday, September 6, 2024 in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Campanella’s Chicken Parm Pie says everything you need to know about the new Brooklyn-meets-Sebastopol Italian American restaurant.
The hand-tossed pizza topped with mozzarella, vodka sauce and fried chicken cutlets is a throwback to owner Tom Rutledge’s favorite childhood snack when visiting his grandparents in Brooklyn and Queens. That, along with arancini, eggplant Parmesan, meatballs and pasta with long-simmered red sauce, were the East Coast staples he dearly missed in his adopted Sonoma County home.
So, he built a restaurant to satisfy his cravings.
Pepperoni pizza in the corner table in the garden patio at Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
“We are putting our twist on the ‘red sauce’ kind of comfort food from back East,” Rutledge said. “That happy combination of East Coast and Sonoma County, both in the kitchen and the bar, is what we look for throughout the menu. The team nailed it, and we will keep refining it and improving, but they nailed it.”
Recently opened in the former Flavor Bistro location, Campanella is an unapologetic “red sauce joint” that channels the red-and-white-checkered tablecloth, candles in the Chianti bottle, garlic-scented family trattorias that are the lifeblood of Italian American neighborhoods along the Atlantic Seaboard. The mix of old-world and new-world flavors speaks to the 19th-century migration of Italians (primarily from Southern Italy and Sicily) to New York.
For executive chef Anthony Paone (also a Brooklynite), nonna-inspired recipes, including his Italian grandmother’s arancini, are the key to the restaurant’s authenticity. After years in California’s fine-dining scene, Paone thought his days of tossing pizzas and making red sauce were behind him, but he’s embracing the full-circle moment.
Arancini is a fried risotto ball with beef ragu, peas and mozzarella from Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
“The arancini, that was grandma’s and how she made it for my Sicilian grandpa,” Paone said. Filled with rice, peas, mozzarella and beef ragu with a side of marinara ($7), they’re as comforting as an old quilt.
Campanella benefits from an infusion of California’s farm-to-table ethos, and Paone is enthusiastic about where he locally sources the meat, fish and produce. Still, the chef is clear that he’s not about to start putting edible flowers on anything. Instead, he bumps flavors with fresh herbs and glams up a simple salad with Little Gem lettuce, housemade basil Ranch, Meyer lemon, curls of fresh radish and fried capers ($16).
The interior vibe is fresh, bright and clean with crisp green hues, splashes of red wallpaper, a wall of purposefully mismatched paintings, an inviting patio and a sleek bar.
Helen Janek, center, celebrated her 100th birthday with her daughter Nancy with a dessert gift from the staff at Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
And watching over all of it is an imposing picture of Nonna. Not anyone’s nonna per se, because the image was generated from a collection of grandma photographs from Rutledge, Paone and others fed into an AI image generator. With designer glasses, windblown hair and a perky scarf, this is Nonna 2.0, inspired by the past and firmly rooted in the present.
“My grandmother, the inspiration for this project, was always happiest when friends and family gathered around her dining room table. I know she’d be thrilled watching the neighborhood come and do the same thing here,” Rutledge said.
Best bets
Garlic Knots, $9: The little knobs of buttery, doughy, yeasty garlic bread are stupido good. Dunk unabashedly into housemade basil Ranch dressing served for precisely that reason — Va bene.
Nonna’s Meatballs made with beef, pork, pistachios and raisins then topped with marinara and ricotta from Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Nonna’s Meatballs, $19: Traditional style with beef and pork, breadcrumbs and ricotta with a twist. The Moorish influence on Italy brought ingredients like pistachios and raisins, adding almost imperceptible sweetness. Served with a side of marinara, not swimming in it. Bravo.
Italian Butter Beans, $13: I loathe beans in any form except dripping in garlic butter (clearly a theme), and so tender they melt in your mouth. You’ll love these even if you’re a bean hater like me.
Eggplant Parm with vodka sauce, ricotta and mozzarella from Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Eggplant Parm, $16: My freezer is stocked with store-bought Angelo’s eggplant Parmesan because I can never get enough. I’m thrilled with the housemade version at Campanella with layers of cheese, crispy breaded eggplant, vodka sauce and crunchy burnt-cheese edges. Next time, I’m not sharing.
Chicken Parm Pie, $28: If there’s a signature dish at Campanella, it’s this impressive pizza. The dough is straightforward with a crisp, leopard crust and soft (though not undercooked) center, just like a New York pie should be. Vodka sauce — a creamy tomato sauce that uses a splash of vodka as an emulsifier (the alcohol cooks off) — lays the base for chunks of fried chicken tenders and a heavy hand of melty mozzarella. If you’re a purist, go for the Classic cheese ($22) with Ezzo pepperoni ($5) that curls and crisps perfectly.
Braised Beef Pizzaiola, $32: A giant chunk of melt-in-your-mouth-tender beef braised in marinara sauce. Historically, the pizza-maker’s wife would put meat in the still-hot oven to slowly cook overnight. The polenta was OK but could use a little more flavor — then again, by the time we ate it, our taste buds may have been garlic-overloaded.
Steamed Clams with Linguini garlic, white wine and seasoned breadcrumbs from Campanella Friday, September 6, 2024 in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Steamed Clams with Linguine, $26: You’re Frank Sinatra sitting with “The Godfather” and “Jersey Shore” casts. It doesn’t get more Italian American than this.
Sunday Supper and Specials, Market Price: There’s always something additional on the menu, and usually worth trying. Shrimp Scampi was one of our favorite specials, shrimp fettuccine loaded with garlic and all of the butter. Vampires be gone!
Cheesecake, $12: I am always dubious about cheesecake because it almost always disappoints. You will not be disappointed with this creamy, fluffy, tart and sweet slice with a buttery graham cracker crust and candied orange peels. If Rainbow Cookies are available, grab them as well.
Italian Rainbow Cookie from Campanella Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sebastopol. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Meyer Lemon Fennel Spritz $13: Fennel-infused Limoncello with Prosecco, soda and lemon. I mean, how could you say no? It’s sweet and robust, so I diluted mine to even out the flavor and cut the booze a bit. Keep it classy.
Signora Blanca, $14: Charbay Meyer lemon vodka, Cointreau, lemon verbena syrup and an aquafaba foam. Naughty and nice.
Campanella offers some gluten-free pastas, as well as vegan and vegetarian options. Wine, beer and nonalcoholic cocktails are also available.
The former Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg has reopened as Acorn Cafe, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch. I stopped by for a quick bite and was wowed by the Tiramisu French toast ($16) made with brioche from Santa Rosa’s Goguette Bread, mascarpone sabayon (a rich cream sauce) coffee ice cream and a layer of cacao nib bark.
Tiramisu French toast at Acorn Cafe in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
The all-day menu from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. also features a locally-sourced Benedict with brown butter Hollandaise ($18), zesty shakshuka ($18) with two poached eggs, tomato sauce, eggplant and green olive tapenade, a fried chicken sandwich ($21), breakfast burger ($19), salads and espresso drinks.
From 3 to 5 p.m., stop by for snacks (the kitchen is closed) and a glass of wine or beer. Takeout salads and sandwiches are also available. I’ll dive deeper into this Healdsburg newcomer’s story in October.
Molcajete Poblano of roasted poblano chile, chicken, chorizo, queso Panela, onions, radish and cactus from Los Molcajetes Bar & Grill in Rincon Valley on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The owners of Los Molcajetes have opened a third location at the former Kina’s Cafe (19101 Sonoma Highway) in Sonoma.
The lengthy menu at the new restaurant focuses on seafood, including ceviche, aguachile, mixed seafood plates, a seafood molcajete, a whole fried perch and fish tacos. You’ll also find empanadas, nachos, shareable parradillas for a family, salads, sandwiches and chicken, beef or pork platters.
“Mojarra Frita” deep fried Mojarra fish with rice, black beans, a garden salad with a margarita from Los Molcajetes Bar & Grill in Rincon Valley on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The menu includes a glossary to help English speakers wade through Spanish descriptions (did you know “zarandeado” is a method for grilling fish over an open flame?)
Other locations for Los Molcajetes are at 1950 Piner Road and 6599 Montecito Blvd. in Santa Rosa. losmolcajetesbarandgrill.com
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Los Molcajetes was a Guy Fieri favorite featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2018. The Fieri favorite is Taqueria Molcajetes on College Avenue.
Chef Stephanie Izard will appear Sept. 25 at Women In Conversation in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)
When chef Stephanie Izard won Top Chef in 2008, she was the first woman to hold the title. In the 17 years since her trailblazing appearance, she remains one of only six women to cook their way to the top of the culinary competition.
Being a female chef has never been an easy road in the male-dominated industry, but Izard sees hope on the horizon as more women embark on culinary careers.
“You can be a chef. You can do all of these things. We see our industry is starting to become a little bit more diverse and have a lot more women that are running kitchens,” Izard said in a 2023 interview with OK! Magazine. “It’s fun to just feel like there’s a little bit of impact from that and ongoing love of being a woman in the industry.”
Since the Top Chef win, she’s been an Iron Chef winner, received several James Beard awards, authored two books and become a mother to her now 8-year-old son, Ernie. Izard owns six restaurants: Cabra, Girl & The Goat (with locations in Chicago and Los Angeles), Little Goat and Duck Duck Goat in Chicago. Acclaimed for her global flavors and locally sourced ingredients, Izard advocates nose-to-tail cooking (roasted pig face is a fan favorite) and has made goat a signature menu item.
Chef Stephanie Izard will appear Sept. 25 at Women In Conversation. (Courtesy photo)
Despite her full plate, Izard continues to be one of America’s most recognized women chefs, launching a line of globally-inspired sauces and spices, recently competing in chef Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions (filmed in Santa Rosa), and filming a cameo for season three of The Bear.
Izard spoke to The Press Democrat before her Sept. 25 appearance at Women in Conversation in Santa Rosa.
What would you be if you weren’t a chef?
A scuba diving instructor!
What has changed most in your life since winning Top Chef?
That was about 17 years ago; so crazy to think about! So much has happened and so many opportunities. It has been a wild ride ever since. While I get to do really cool events and travel and other TV opportunities, I am still just a chef who works at my restaurants and works with my team, which hasn’t changed at all.
What advice would you give a woman starting in the restaurant industry?
It is a very supportive industry, especially with other women. Find people you trust to talk to and go along the journey together. Be mindful of the places you choose to work. Make sure they are as excited to work with you as you are them! And that you are excited about what chef you will be working alongside.
Do you cook differently at home after becoming a mother?
I really don’t, although I strive to be more like my mom who was an amazing home cook and made us really great meals from all over the world every night of the week.
You’re known for your nose-to-tail cooking; why is it so important for people to understand eating the whole animal?
I think at this point, most chefs do the same. There are a multitude of reasons: food cost is great, there are a lot of bits of the animal that are tastier than the cuts you find at the grocery store, and it is more respectful of the animals we raise for food.
What’s an ingredient you can’t live without?
Red Boat fish sauce!
What’s your secret food obsession?
Kewpie mayo (though I don’t think it’s a very big secret!)
What inspires you most about Sonoma County?
I travel to the area often for work and just always feel at peace. Such a beautiful landscape! There are also some really great restaurants and, of course, wine all around. Everyone that lives up in Sonoma County seems really happy and let me know that it is a great place to be.
BikeHealdsburgBike Healdsburg, the first party bike in Sonoma County, offers several different tours: a morning exercise tour, a daily history and architecture immersion, a wine-tasting and nibbles excursion and a bar crawl. Click through the gallery for a taste of the experience.
It seems like ages since Sonoma County pivoted to appointment-only experiences in the wake of the pandemic. If you long for the days where you could escape to Wine Country on a whim, we have good news.
“As long as you are willing to be flexible and have a sense of adventure — spontaneity is back,” said Tim Zahner, Sonoma Valley Tourism executive director. “Planning is for when you absolutely need to have it right: anniversary or special trip. But if you want to take off for a few days, come on up.”
While an impressive roster of elaborate, sit-down Wine Country experiences require reservations to assure attentive service, there are arguably just as many that embrace spur-of-the-moment options.
Walk-in Wine Experiences
Ram’s Gate welcomes guests to its Sonoma estate without reservations for a variety of experiences, ranging from a guided five-wine seated tasting to The Caviar Experience, which pairs Ram’s Gate wines with caviar from Tsar Nicoulai.
In Healdsburg, J Vineyards & Winery welcomes walk-ins daily for its Signature Tasting of five Russian River Valley wines. And it never hurts to ask about availability in the Legacy Lounge.
Tasting area at Dutcher Crossing winery in Geyserville. (Courtesy of Dutcher Crossing)
For $20, spontaneous tasters can sip and swirl their way through current release wines at Dutcher Crossing in Dry Creek Valley.
“Guests can also bring their own picnic and enjoy views of Dry Creek Valley from our dog-friendly back lawn,” said proprietor Debra Mathy.
Winery dog Lady is known to stop by the tasting room to say hello and check if visitors brought extra snacks.
Though vino may be the main draw, there’s more to Sonoma County than just wine. Enjoying the great outdoors is a year-round perk in these parts. From waterfalls to whale sightings, spontaneous hiking opportunities are seemingly endless. Stroll in the shadow of towering redwoods at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve; enjoy breezes from the Pacific Ocean while exploring Jenner Headlands Preserve; or picnic amid native and Asian flora at Glen Ellen’s Sonoma Botanical Garden, all without having to plan ahead to secure reservations.
Bike Healdsburg offers both wine tours and a bar crawl. (Courtesy of Bike Healdsburg)
Don’t discount guided tours when considering a last-minute getaway. Family-owned and operated Bike Healdsburg, the first party bike in Sonoma County, welcomes visitors who roll into town at the last minute. Bar crawl tours remain available on the website until the hour before the tour, and right up to the start time if there’s a tour already booked that still has space. The Bike Healdsburg website is the best way to snag a spot. If you don’t see availability online, don’t hesitate to call or text.
“It never hurts to ask,” said co-owner Jessica Pilling. “Because we are a small operation, we have flexibility. We have some groups that want to deviate from our set tour times because of their travel schedules or what not, and we are often able to accommodate them if they call.”
There are countless opportunities to eat well in Wine Country without a dinner reservation. Here’s a list of our favorite local restaurants that we love to revisit, but it just scratches the surface. Bringing your dog along? Spread Kitchen boasts a dog-friendly patio. Want to check out some food trucks? Santa Rosa’s Mitote Food Park serves up tasty Mexican eats. About two miles away, Shokakko offers Asian-inspired street food, and Gabacool Provisions pops up all around with New York-style pizza.
Stay the Night
No hotel wants to leave a room empty. Checking a property’s website or even calling the front desk can help when hunting for the best last-minute room booking. Select hotels even offer perks, like easy access to sought-after Wine Country experiences.
“We’re delighted that in our first couple of years, we’ve already established a great number of winery partners,” said Emily Glick, co-owner and general manager of The Stavrand in Guerneville. “Most notably with Marimar Estate, which provides a complimentary Classic Tasting, small charcuterie plate and preferred availability to all of our guests.”
Vida Cultural Arts hosted a Hispanic Heritage Festival on the Sonoma Plaza on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (Aimee Chavez Aimee’s Gallery/ for the Index-Tribune)
National Hispanic Heritage Month, officially celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, pays tribute to the historical, cultural influences and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
The nationally observed month was originally established as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and was expanded to a 30-day period in 1988.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino provides a wealth of information on the month, including background on key Latin Independence Days, important figures in Latino communities through history, and explorations into Latin food, art and culture.
According to Data USA, Hispanic people make up the second largest ethnic group in Sonoma County, after non-Hispanic white people, accounting for 28% of the population, as of 2022.
To honor the county’s rich Hispanic and Latino culture and community, local museums and organizations have planned a number of events for people to participate in. Scroll on below to learn about Sonoma County’s Hispanic Heritage Month happenings.
One of the Hispanic Heritage Month events at the Sonoma County Library this year with be a series of workshops for children (from kindergarten to sixth grade) to decorate sugar skulls in celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), led by local instructor Elsa Tapia. The series of workshops will be held at various times and dates in different regional libraries from Sept. 7 to Oct. 30. (The Press Democrat file)
Sonoma County Library events
The Sonoma County Library system will host a number of Hispanic Heritage Month events for people of all ages from September through October at all regional libraries. Events and workshops are free to attend, but some select events require registration.
The library’s Hispanic Heritage events include, but are not limited to: author talks, Spanish music singalongs, cultural painting parties, cooking demonstrations and sugar skull making workshops for kids. To learn more about select events and register for workshops, click here.
Other Sonoma County Events
Celebrating the Huipil at SRJC’s Multicultural Museum, Sept. 3 – Oct. 3
Santa Rosa Junior College’s Multicultural Museum is observing Latinx Heritage Month with a month-long exhibit entitled “Celebrating the Huipil,” on display now through Oct. 3. The exhibit features a collection of colorful huipils: traditional, hand-woven garments worn by Indigenous women from Mexico to Central America. Fall museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The museum and its exhibits are free to attend, but donations are welcome.
Before Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicks off, Rohnert Park will be host to its first lowrider festival, organized by Rudy Campos and Taqueria Sol Azteca owner Frankie Lemus. The festival and car show, held 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7, will include live music, food vendors, merchant booths and a car hop competition. There will be performances by Los Del 7, Q-Vo Band and Danza Xantotl de Santa Rosa, among others. The event is free to attend and there will be over 100 trophies awaiting winners in the car show. Register your car for the show here.
6400 State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park
Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making, Sept. 12-Nov. 3
An upcoming exhibition at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum will explore true stories from California’s Mexican Period, from 1822 to 1846, contrasted with fantasy narratives from early settlers that created an enduring California mythos. The “Telling Stories of Mexican California: Real Life & Myth Making” exhibit, running from Sept. 12 through Nov. 3, will highlight California’s history before statehood, the oft-ignored stories of indigenous peoples and the fictionalized lore that persists today. A free opening reception will take place from 5–7 p.m. on Sept. 7. The California Historical Society and nonprofit Exhibit Envoy developed and organized the exhibit for the Petaluma Museum.
Vida Cultural Arts hosted a Hispanic Heritage Festival on the Sonoma Plaza on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (Aimee Chavez Aimee’s Gallery/ for the Index-Tribune)
VIDA Cultural Arts Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, Sept. 13 and Sept. 15
Local nonprofit VIDA Cultural Arts will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at its forthcoming Sueños Market, themed “Viva Mexico,” from 5-9 p.m., Sept. 13, at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa. The free event will include local artisan crafts and food vendors as well as live music and cultural performances, such as a Ballet Folklórico and Baile con la Banda. Learn more at Eventeny. 50 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa.
VIDA will also host its lively Mexican Independence Day festival from 1-7 p.m., Sept. 15, on the Sonoma Plaza. The celebration is free to attend and will include live performances as well as an artisan market showcasing local goods and food vendors. A special moment of the day will see the San Francisco Mexican Consulate leading the community in El Grito, referring to “the shout” for Mexican Independence.
The Barrel Proof Lounge will celebrate Mexican and Central American heritage and independence with a night of live music and dancing from 10 p.m. Sept. 13 to 1 a.m. Sept. 14. There will be musical performances by Jasid Guerrero (salsa, merengue and other stylings) and DJ Mambo (banda and reguetón). The 21 and over event will have drinks available for purchase. General admission is $15 on Eventbrite, $20 at the door.
Nonprofit Somos Windsor will observe the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration of Mexico’s Day of Independence, from 4–8 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Windsor Town Green. The fiesta will include free activities and live music, including performances from Rocío la Dama de Cumbia and Cali Calmécac’s Ballet Folklórico. Attendees are welcome to bring low-backed beach or camp chairs to lounge and enjoy the festivities. There will be food trucks selling food and drink as well as a Latino arts and crafts market with artisan goods for sale.
Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland Drive, Windsor, somoswindsor.org
Mitote Food Park, on Sebastopol Road in the Roseland neighborhood of Santa Rosa, will host Vinos del Valle, a grand food and wine tasting event highlighting local Latino vintners, from 5-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 14. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Vinos del Valle, Sept. 14
Santa Rosa’s Mitote Food Park will host Vinos del Valle, a grand food and wine tasting event highlighting local Latino vintners, from 5-8:30 p.m. Sept. 14. The community event will feature wines and winemakers from Suspiro Wines, 1467 Cellars, Ludor Wines, Surcos Wines and Reclamación Wines. General admission is $35. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite.
Local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg and Healdsburg Community Services will host an arts and culture community celebration to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, starting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Healdsburg Plaza. The free event will include a showcase of artwork from Diversity in Arts grant recipients, children’s activities, local food vendors, and music and dance performances. A bike valet will be available.
Healdsburg Plaza, off Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, 707-615-4567, corazonhealdsburg.org
Scarlett Velie, 8, left, of Santa Rosa chooses a bead necklace with help from her mother Alexandra Velie, during Fiesta de Independencia at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Fiesta de Independencia, Sept. 15
Presented by Redwood Credit Union, the 15th annual Fiesta de Independencia at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will include various family-friendly activities, music and food from 1-7 p.m. on Sept. 15. The Center’s Latino Advisory Council organized the free festival, which aims to honor Latin American countries and their independence. The event will include cultural exhibits, a lowrider car show, mariachi and Ballet Folklórico performances, and headliners Arpeños (at 4 p.m.) and El Tributo a La Sonora Santanera (at 6 p.m.). In partnership with Los Cien Sonoma County, the Center will also present its annual Community Leadership Awards to recognize an individual and an organization that has shown outstanding commitment to the local Latino community through activism, education and mentorship.
“Celebrando Culturas Juntos/Cultures Celebrating Together” event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a performance by Ireri Ballet Folklorico Petaluma (pictured) at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Children’s Museum of Sonoma County)
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, sponsored by Redwood Credit Union, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 21. The day of children’s programs and art activities will include maraca making, live dance performances, interactive gardening with traditional Hispanic crops, collaborative arts from local artist and teacher Martín Zúñiga, Frida Kahlo-inspired self-portraits, creating paper mâché alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk sculptures) and much more. There will also be treats available from Fruta Ice Cream and Mama Zara Empanadas, as well as a lesson on corn tortillas from Los Tres Chiles restaurant with free samples. All events are included in the $16 general admission, and free for museum members and infants.
1835 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-546-4069, cmosc.org
Hispanic Heritage Month Brunch in the Vineyard, Sept. 21
Enriquez Estate Wines will close out its popular “Brunch in the Vineyard” series this year with a Hispanic Heritage Month-themed brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 21. Chef Robert of SoCo Paella will be on site preparing seafood and meat paella with seasonal vegetables. The brunch menu will also include Spanish albondigas (meatballs) in a smoky tomato sauce and conchita pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), paired with award-winning estate wines. Brazilian indie band Complicated Animals will provide live music entertainment. Tickets are $75 per person; purchase on the website or Tock.
Children’s music started the day at the Global Roots World Music Festival with Mexican dance-along tunes by Tia Leah’s Neighborhood at the Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus in Rohnert Park, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Global Roots Sonoma, Sept. 21
Sonoma County’s world music festival Global Roots Sonoma will be held from noon to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center. The lineup for the one-day festival includes Lila Downs, Caña Dulce y Caña Brava, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, AR Flamenco Trio and more. Food trucks will be available on site. Tickets are $54. Purchase tickets online.
1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 707-664-4246, gmc.sonoma.edu
11th State of the Latine Community Address, Sept. 26
Local nonprofit Los Cien will host its 11th annual State of the Latine Community Address from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 in SSU’s ballroom. Hundreds of attendees gather at the annual event to hear insightful keynotes and engage in thought-provoking dialogue that addresses disparities within local Latine communities as well as actionable steps to inspire positive change. A highlight of the gathering will include an unveiling and discussion of Health Action Together’s Agenda for Action report in response to the county’s Portrait of Sonoma County 2021 Update, showing human stories behind the data. General admission is $45 for members and $65 for non-members. Purchase tickets online.
Sonoma State University Ballroom, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 415-320-4559, loscien.org
Charles M. Schulz Museum Jazz Connections, Oct. 5
Healdsburg Jazz will present its Family Matinee Concert Series at the Charles Schulz Museum, with a live performance by percussionist and educator Ami Molinelli and her San Francisco-based Brazilian quartet Grupo Falso Baiano to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The free event, which will start with an author talk, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 5. The concert series starts at noon.
