Thai BBQ Chicken at Thai House Noodle Soup in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Santa Rosa’s Thai restaurant lineup is expanding with the addition of Thai House Noodle Soup (1899 Mendocino Ave.) and the soon-to-open Khao Soi Thai Zen (1169 Yulupa Ave.).
Red curry at Thai House Noodle Soup in Santa Rosa (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Thai House replaces Cozy Plum Bistro and offers standard Thai dishes — Pad Thai, green papaya salad, curry — along with standout soups served hotpot-style with a portable burner, keeping the soup bubbling away at the table. Don’t miss the pho-esque Thai Boat Noodle Soup with beef; Tom Yum Noodle Soup with ground chicken, peanuts, wontons and garlic oil; or the comforting Racha Noodle Soup made with instant noodles, prawns, ground pork, galanga, lemongrass and condensed milk.
Khao Soi has not yet opened, but the menu posted in the window and online includes hot pot soups, whole fried fish with garlic sauce, and Khao Soi, a Northern Thai curry with steamed egg noodles.
The Hog Island Oyster Co. pickup window in Petaluma. (Courtesy of Remy Anthes)
Hog Island Oyster Co., a popular seafood establishment on the Sonoma-Marin Coast, has opened a Petaluma pickup window on First Street. The menu features oysters, shellfish (clams, mussels, prawns) and other local catches, including squid, abalone and geoduck clams.
Customers will also be able to pick up kitchen staples, including Hogwash mignonette, cocktail sauce and miso nori butter, as well as Hog Island merch.
Oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co. are now available at a pickup window in Petaluma. (Courtesy of Remy Anthes)
Orders must be placed online or over the phone for pickup from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays.
Parish Cafe in Healdsburg. (Photo courtesy of siponthisjuice.com)
Chef Ari Rosen of Healdsburg’s much-missed Campo Fina and Scopa restaurants will host a one-night-only dinner at The Parish Cafe (60 Mill St., Healdsburg) on Sept. 27.
The menu includes arancini, meatballs, cotoletta (an Italian-style schnitzel), salad and beignets. Kids get their own dinner seating from 5 to 6 p.m. (parents can stick around inside, but the meal is focused on peer-to-peer noshing). Tickets on OpenTable are $25 for children and $65 for adults. Reservations required.
Beignets at Parish Cafe in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Throughout the fall, the Healdsburg restaurant will offer other specialty dinners, including Parish Nights (Oct. 24 and 25) with an a la carte menu featuring Parish favorites and new Cajun dishes, including crawfish etouffee, Yaka Mein (Louisiana-style ramen), Louisiana blue crab cakes and fried chicken frisée salad.
Chef Ralph Tingle (of Bistro Ralph) will continue his evening appearances featuring his signature Chicken Paillard from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 14 and 15, and Dec. 12 and 13. $75 per person.
The Sausage Emporium, just opposite the Plaza on Napa Street in Sonoma, serves a variety of sausage sandwiches and salads to tourists and locals alike on Wednesday July 14, 2021. (Photo by Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)
Sausages are out, global cuisine is in at Mozaik, the forthcoming restaurant from the owners of the Sausage Emporium in Sonoma. Owner Miranda Ives is sunsetting the sausage-centric focus of her Sonoma Plaza cafe (31 East Napa St.) for a more expansive menu that will include dishes like Kashmiri short rib tacos, pork belly naan flatbread and Ethiopian Berbere-spiced chicken.
Ives, who is also the founder of Hare and Hatter Café, Emporium Wines and Beanwrks, hopes to create a convivial communal space for lunch and dinner at Mozaik, as well as weekend brunch and social hours from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Miranda Ives, co-owner of the Sausage Emporium on Napa Street in Sonoma, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (Photo by Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)Charcuterie board from Sausage Emporium in Sonoma. (Courtesy Sausage Emporium)
“We are evolving from Sausage Emporium to Mozaik to better reflect our growing vision and the diverse culinary experiences we want to offer our guests. While Sausage Emporium has been a beloved local favorite, we’re excited to introduce Mozaik, which allows us to expand our menu and bring a wider variety of global flavors to the table,” Ives said.
The Sausage Emporium on the Plaza opened in 2021 after long construction delays during the pandemic. Before that, Ives and her mother, Linda Welch, operated Hare and Hatter at the El Paseo Alley from 2017 to 2019.
Mozaik’s opening, according to Ives, is a moving target but is slated for late September or early October.
This Sonoma home is a transformed and renovated school house originally built in 1910. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
A restored 1910 schoolhouse that has transformed into a modern home has hit Sonoma’s real estate market. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom dwelling has 4,500 square feet of living space on one grassy, tree-lined acre. It’s currently listed for $6,495,000.
Modern interior elements — new tile and stonework, wood cabinets, glass chandeliers — sparkle alongside the home’s traditional bones.
Kitchen. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)Living room. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
The schoolhouse’s history remains through the belfry at the entrance, original wood floors, double-hung windows and some built-in cabinets.
Amenities include a chef’s kitchen with a Wolf range, a pool with water features and a two-car garage with an adjacent wine room.
For more information on 1250 Lovall Valley Road in Sonoma, contact listing agents Caroline Sebastiani, 415-290-3123, 707-935-2277, or Kristie Eddy, 949-577-1717, 707-935-2288, Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage,793 Broadway, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com
Exterior view. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)
A modern Glen Ellen estate on 156 acres bordering Jack London State Historic Park is currently on the market. The main residence, guest house and barn —containing seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and four half bathrooms — has a list price of $32.5 million.
The angular stone and glass dwelling includes 14,000 square feet of living space. Its large windows, clean lines and natural hues yield to the beauty of the natural setting.
The property includes a forested area and 42 acres of vineyard producing Cabernet and Merlot as well as smaller yields of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Sauvingon Blanc.
Exterior view. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)Reflection pool. (Robert Vente / Sotheby’s International Realty)
Verandas, courtyards and a reflection pool provide a pleasing transition from the indoors to outdoors.
Interiors enjoy rich texture from stone walls and wood accents. Two-story, floor-to-ceiling glass doors provide spectacular immersion in the prime Wine Country setting. Impressively-sized curtains soften the look. Stonework adds grounded drama to the kitchen, bathrooms and fireplaces.
The home is the collaborative work of Aidlin Darling Design, Cello & Maudru Construction and Marta Fry Landscape Associates.
For more information on this property at 7596 Sonoma Mountain Road, Glen Ellen, contact listing agent Daniel Casabonne, 707-494-3130, 707-939-2222, Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage,428 First St. East, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com
A cold beer with the Captain’s Platter served with Dungeness crab, fried calamari, beer battered shrimp and rock cod with a side of Dipper fries at Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
With stunning views of Bodega Bay, a convenient location and ample parking, Lucas Wharf Restaurant has been a popular stop on the Sonoma Coast since it opened in the early 1980s. The food, was another story. Let’s just say it never made my annual “Best Restaurants” list. This year, it probably will.
(Side note: Fishetarian, the restaurant’s fast-casual seafood sibling, is spectacular.)
The coastal restaurant, which closed abruptly last March, reopened as Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in mid-August. Within days, new owners and longtime restaurateurs Brandon Guenther and Shona Campbell had a runaway hit on their hands. And the excitement is only growing.
Locally sourced seafood, rock star chef Jamilah Nixon (of Jam’s Joy Bungalow) and a full bar have made the restaurant a new destination dining spot for visitors and locals seeking the kind of experience coastal restaurants often promise but rarely deliver.
The dining area at Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
But Lucas Wharf has always been more than just another seaside restaurant to Guenther and Campbell. The couple, who also own Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford, loved its historic mahogany charm and rough-around-the-edges aura, and frequented the restaurant on days off. It was a no-brainer to save it after it closed last year.
Once known as Lazio Dock, the restaurant has been a centerpiece of the local seafood industry, where salmon, shrimp, rockfish, crabs and all other kinds of seafood caught in and around the Bay were processed.
“Lucas Wharf was important to the community. Watching it sit there for so long empty drove me crazy, so we jumped on it and threw ourselves to the wolves to get it opened back up,” said Guenther. “We wanted it for the community, even though I didn’t want to give up our favorite bar seats.”
The eats
The menu, developed by Guenther and chef Nixon, is classic wharf-side dining with some Southern twists — not surprising since the original Rocker Oysterfeller’s restaurant in Valley Ford focuses on dishes like shrimp and grits and fried chicken (as well as oysters). The two restaurants, however, are literally and figuratively miles apart.
A cold beer with the Captain’s Platter, served with Dungeness crab, fried calamari, beer battered shrimp and rock cod with a side of Dipper fries. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
While Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf focuses on “surf” dishes like fat Captain’s Platters loaded with fried fish, calamari and fries, peel-and-eat shrimp, blackened rockfish and chowder, Rocker Oysterfeller’s Roadhouse (the new name), will evolve its menu around “turf,” with fried chicken, pasta and burgers (though its fish tacos and oysters will remain). (The daily happy hour is a Valley Ford tradition and is highly recommended.)
Guenther said the couple closed their third Rocker’s location in Placerville recently so they could focus on the new restaurant in Bodega Bay.
The vibe
Lucas Wharf’s brick-red exterior and old-school interior are mostly the same, purposefully.
Things have been refreshed, though, and artist Joe Szuecs has created a metal kelp garden with moving lights above the dining room, echoing the Bay’s aquatic life.
The bar is still a focus, with seats and window views always at a premium. There are no reservations, so you’ll likely be in for a wait if you visit at peak times.
“This place already has a built-in audience, so you’re constantly getting people coming by who came here for years. They’re excited to have it back,” said Guenther. “We’re definitely going to have some fun out there.”
Remoulade Louis Salad offered with your choice of poached wild gulf shrimp or fresh Dungeness crab. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Best bets
Butterball Potato and Manila Clam Chowder, $9.95: Not your average pasty chowdah. Rocker’s version has a New Orleans-style roux base, giving it a light caramel color and loads of flavor. Not too thick or too thin, but something perfectly in between. Served with applewood-smoked bacon and garlic toast to sop up all the goodness.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, $19.95: Shell-on wild Gulf shrimp in Worcestershire butter sauce. Worth the mess.
Pan Roasted Local Fish Fillet, $29.95: Rockfish (aka rock cod or Pacific red snapper) is a local favorite and a workhorse of this menu. The styles will change seasonally — we had it with blackened spice, basmati rice, corn and summer squash, black-eyed peas and green tomato chowchow. You’ll be a fan even if you’re not a fan. If the charbroiled whole rockfish with garlic butter and fennel (with jambalaya fried rice) is available, it’s also spectacular.
Captain’s Platter, $38.95: This is the holy grail of fried seafood pilgrims. A ridiculous amount of saltine-fried shrimp, beer-battered rock cod, salt and pepper calamari, a Dungeness crab cake and Kennebec fries served with tartar, rémoulade and cocktail sauce for your dipping pleasure. Easily enough for two. I’ve looked for something as impressive as this on the coast for decades and never before found it — a tip of the captain’s hat to the kitchen.
Banana pudding with Nilla wafers soaked in dark rum and coffee. From Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)
Rémoulade Louis Salad with Dungeness Crab, $29.95: Soft butter lettuce, toy box tomatoes, pickled onions and a jammy-yolked egg set the scene. A pile of fresh crab gets dressed with a Cajun-spice riff on the classic Crab Louie dressing.
Smoked Salmon Dip, $14.95: Just what it says. Creamy smoked salmon with salty capers, salmon roe, fresh herbs and plenty of cream cheese — another tasty dipper.
Banana Pudding, $11.95: Tiramisu meets English trifle meets maw-maw’s home cooking. Though it was first introduced in the North, this simple banana pudding recipe is layered with ‘Nilla wafers soaked in Saint George NOLA coffee liqueur. Your inner child will squeal while your adult self contemplatively savors the deep coffee and banana flavors.
Also great: The Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf menu is expansive and the portions are generous. We barely got through a handful of dishes before tapping out. Guenther said the PEI Mussels in a Creole tomato beer broth with Andouille sausage ($23.95) is a personal favorite, along with the ever-evolving Chilled Seafood Tower ($49.95), with raw oysters, mussels, shrimp, smoked fish dip and pickled corn. If you’re not a huge seafood fan, steak and pasta are also available.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf is open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com
Additional Sonoma County luxury establishments that were recommended by Forbes include Farmhouse Inn (pictured) and Farmhouse Inn Restaurant in Forestville and Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg. (Farmhouse Inn)
Wine Country has its fair share of snazzy hotels and resorts, yet when you live down the street from them, it can be hard to justify the cost of a staycation. But have you considered taking a daycation?
Many Sonoma County hotels have sparkling pools and spas that can be enjoyed with a day pass. To help you get a sunny, fall escape on the calendar, we’ve listed some of our favorite properties below.
Sonoma
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa The main pool averages 88 degrees. How can you go wrong? An assortment of day passes can be booked through ResortPass. Consider heading to the main pool, treat yourself to a cabana, or take advantage of the happy hour spa pool day pass. Rates start at $53; complimentary Wi-Fi and self-parking. 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, 707-938-9000, fairmont.com/sonoma
El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen Most folks don’t realize there’s a seasonal, saltwater pool tucked behind this landmark on Sonoma Plaza. An added perk: you can enjoy lunch from EDK Cantina poolside. Day passes from $38, including Wi-Fi. The hotel parking lot is teeny, so day guests must utilize public street parking. 405 First St. West, Sonoma, 707-996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com
The Lodge at Sonoma The spa day pass booked via ResortPass offers access to the private spa garden with a pair of whirlpools, two heated pools and a barrel sauna. Cost starts at $97; includes one beverage and parking. Day guests must be 18 or older. 1325 Broadway at Leveroni and Napa Roads, Sonoma, 707-935-6600, lodgeatsonoma.com
The new pool area at MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa in Sonoma. (Courtesy of MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa)
MacArthur Place Fresh off a multi-year property-wide renovation, MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa features a new pool and hot tub amid its picturesque gardens. Day passes to lounge alongside the sparkling new beauties start at $109 on ResortPass. A group of up to four people can book a poolside cabana with reserved lounge chairs, cheese and charcuterie board, and bottle of sparkling wine for $435. Day guests must be 18 or older; complimentary Wi-Fi and valet parking. 29 E. MacArthur St., Sonoma, 707-938-2929, macarthurplace.com
Kenwood
Kenwood Inn & Spa Set in a private corner steps off the pool and hot tub, reservations for one of the recently renovated cabanas at Kenwood Inn & Spa come with a cheese and charcuterie plate, bottle of wine and refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and water. Rates from $309 for up to two people when booked directly with the property. 10400 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-1293, kenwoodinn.com
Santa Rosa
Flamingo Resort & Spa The pool and hot tub are the heart of this nostalgia-laden Santa Rosa resort. The cost for a pool pass, including Wi-Fi and parking, starts at $38 on ResortPass. Upgrade to the splashy Bird Nest option (from $299), and along with pool passes for two, your daycation will include a poolside sofa, reserved lounge chairs, fruit plate, bottle of rosé and bottled water. Day guests are restricted to adults 21 and older. 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-8530, flamingoresort.com
People at the pool at The Sandman Hotel in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy Sandman Santa Rosa)
The Sandman Sister property to Flamingo Resort, a day pass at the recently renovated Sandman Hotel includes access to the fitness center, along with the pool and hot tub. From $16 for ages 5 and up on ResortPass. Day rooms, starting at $76, come with four day passes and use of a guest room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with television, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. 3421 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-293-2100, sandmansantarosa.com
Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country
Make a splash in the pool or unwind in the hot tub at this Santa Rosa hotel, the choice is yours. Rates from $22 for adults and $20 for children can be booked on ResortPass. Wi-Fi is complimentary, but there is a parking fee. 170 Railroad St., Santa Rosa, 707-284-1234, hyatt.com
Rohnert Park
Doubletree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country Pool days here start with one of the hotel’s signature chocolate chip cookies! Along with a pool and hot tub, day passes include use of the fitness center, fire pits and assorted lawn games. Reservations start at $16 for adults and $11 for kids; infants get in free. If you’re feeling sporty, it’s $17 to book a pickleball court for two hours. 1 Doubletree Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-584-5466, hilton.com
Forestville
Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (Courtesy of Farmhouse Inn)
Farmhouse Inn Often listed among the best hotels in the country, this Forestville hideaway boasts a seasonal pool, heated April through October, as well as a hot tub that’s steamy year-round. Day passes start at $54 and include Wi-Fi and parking. Daybed reservations (from $190 for two people) include day passes for two, a poolside daybed, seasonal fruit platter and bottled water. 7871 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com
Healdsburg
The Madrona Surrounded by citrus groves and a sprawling garden, it’s hard not to smile when you’re splashing around in the saltwater pool at The Madrona. The pool day pass (from $82) at this Healdsburg favorite includes access to the fitness center, Wi-Fi and parking. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-395-6700, themadronahotel.com
Windsor
Hampton Inn & Suites Windsor – Sonoma Wine Country This family-friendly spot is also kind on your wallet. Swim in the pool, soak in the hot tub or chill out in the shade on an outdoor sofa. Day passes for adults from $16, kids from $8 and infants get in free; reservations can be made on ResortPass. 8937 Brooks Road S., Windsor, 707-837-9355, hilton.com
Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey, chefs and owners of Quail and Condor Bakery in Healdsburg. (Emma K Creative)
On busy weekend mornings, finding a parking spot in one of less than a dozen spaces at Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey’s Quail & Condor bakery in Healdsburg (149 Healdsburg Ave.) can be harder than a three-day-old baguette. Such is the price of success for the couple, who also own Troubadour sandwich shop and its nighttime alter ego, Le Diner.
But that’s about to change.
“It’s no secret our parking lot is a sh*t show,” stated a recent Quail & Condor Instagram announcement, “and it no longer has to be a secret we’re moving the bakery!”
The bakery will be moving just around the corner to the Mill Street shopping center, sharing the 120-space parking lot with Elephant in the Room pub, Parish Cafe, Yoga on Center, Coyote Sonoma and a new cannabis dispensary.
Potato Pugliese from Quail & Condor, made with roasted Bodega Red potato. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)Croissants from Quail & Condor in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Quail & Condor)
According to property manager Mat Humphrey, the new bakery space is currently unoccupied and will be split into four units. The build-out is slated to be completed by early 2025. Humphrey added that a 3,000-square-foot restaurant space is also being built at the 44 Mill St. property for a future tenant.
Yanc said they will hold on to the 149 Healdsburg Ave. bakery location for the remainder of their lease and have some potential ideas, though nothing has been finalized yet.
I vote for a semi-permanent pop-up space and commercial kitchen for new restaurant concepts. Please?
Don’t miss the incredible parking lot photo tableau by Emma K Creative on Quail & Condor’s always-entertaining Instagram page: instagram.com/quailandcondor.
A dish from SingleThread alum David Sisler and Portland chef Jacob Harth’s forthcoming restaurant, Winnie’s, to be previewed at an upcoming pop-up at Healdsburg’s Maison Wine Bar. (Courtesy of Jacob Harth)
Former SingleThread operations director David Sisler and Portland chef Jacob Harth will host a pop-up preview of their forthcoming restaurant, Winnie’s, on Sept. 1 and 2 at Healdsburg’s Maison Wine Bar (210 Healdsburg Ave.).
Though details about the project — like the restaurant’s ultimate location — are still under wraps, the duo have confirmed that Winnie’s will be a seafood restaurant with a focus on traceable and responsibly sourced seafood from the West Coast.
Harth gained national attention for his Portland restaurant Erizo, which Eater named as one of its “16 Best New Restaurants of 2019” for its sustainable seafood tasting menu.
A dish from SingleThread alum David Sisler and Portland chef Jacob Harth’s forthcoming restaurant, Winnie’s, which they will preview at an upcoming pop-up at Healdsburg’s Maison Wine Bar Sept. 1-2. (Courtesy of Jacob Harth)
The menu focused almost exclusively on invasive species, like purple sea urchin, by-catch and seasonal seafood from sustainable fisheries. But Harth went a step further, getting his commercial fisherman’s license to legally harvest seafood that’s rarely used commercially, like sea grapes and gooseneck barnacles.
The pop-up menu in Healdsburg includes oysters with green mountain pepper, pickled chub mackerel, abalone skewers, geoduck clam with husk cherries, gooseneck barnacles, purple sea urchin buns, and line-caught sardines with calamansi.
David Sisler is the founder of Suited Hospitality, a Bay Area hospitality consulting firm. He is also a certified sommelier and previously worked at San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Saison. He will be a partner and co-owner of the restaurant.
A dish from SingleThread alum David Sisler and Portland chef Jacob Harth’s forthcoming restaurant, Winnie’s. The upcoming restaurant will be previewed at an upcoming pop-up at Healdsburg’s Maison Wine Bar. (Courtesy of Jacob Harth)
The pop-up in early September is first-come, first-served, from 5 p.m. until sold out. The a la carte dishes will range from $14 to $35 each. There will be additional previews at Maison Wine Bar on Sunday, Sept. 15 and Sept. 29.
