Page 476 – Sonoma Magazine

Terry’s Southern Style Fish & BBQ Returns

July 2015

By biteclub

Peach Cobbler at Terry's Southern Style Fish and BBQ. Photo from Facebook — Peach Cobbler at Terry’s Southern Style Fish and BBQ. Photo from Facebook

Back in 2005 I had a moment with the peach cobbler at Terry’s Southern Style Fish and BBQ.

This gritty barbecue spot along one of the grittier sections of Santa Rosa Ave. was a mecca of fall-of-the-bone ribs, hush puppies, catfish and Momma’s Boss Sauce, but it was the ridiculously uncomplicated plastic bowl of cooked peaches and sugared crust that made me fall hard. There was no fussiness with pedigreed peaches (I’m fairly sure they were canned), French butter or organic, fair trade sugar. Just a bear hug of warm, steaming deliciousness tossed ungracefully on the table with a side of bent silverware.

But then, like a bad boyfriend, Terry’s disappeared without so much as a goodbye. I dallied with other desserts, but it wasn’t the same.

Now, ten years later, a head-snapping sign along Hwy. 101 is heralding the barbecue restaurant’s triumphant return to Sonoma County. Huzzah!

Slated for an August opening in Rohnert Park, the revamped Terry’s has already put up hand-lettered signs in the windows for BBQ ribs and hot links along with Facebook promises of my old flame, peach cobbler.

Terry’s Southern Style Fish & BBQ coming this summer, 5979 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park.

Events: We’re In For One Hot Summer

July 2015

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Fireworks illuminate hundreds of guests seated on the lawn behind Weill Hall to view the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at the Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center in Rohnert Park, California on July 4, 2014. (photo by Alvin Jornada)

Lots to do in the months of July and August! Check out these summer events and add them to your calendar!

JULY 3
Funky Fridays: Enjoy live music in a beautiful spot, as this popular outdoor summer concert series in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park presents dance music by the Funky Dozen from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The series continues with a different band every Friday through Sept. 4. The concerts raised more than $30,000 for the park last summer. $10, 18 and younger free.
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-6288, funkyfridays.info

JULY 4
Fireworks Spectacular: Celebrate Independence Day at the Green Music Center, with seating available both in Weill Hall and on the back lawn. The Santa Rosa Symphony, led by conductor Michael Berkowitz, performs with singer Megan Hilty, who played Glinda in “Wicked” on Broadway, at 7:30 p.m., followed by fireworks. $20 and up.
Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu

JULY 4
The Wallflowers: The annual outdoor summer concert series at Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi Winery opens with the rock band Wallflowers, led by Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob Dylan, at 7 p.m. The show also features Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. $85-$115.
Robert Mondavi Winery, 7801 St. Helena Highway, Oakville, 888-769-5299, robertmondaviwinery.com

JULY 9
Concert Under the Stars: The Montgomery Village Shopping Center’s free outdoor summer concert series features beloved Bay Area blues, swing and jazz band Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers from 5 to 8 p.m.
Village Court, Montgomery Village, 911 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-545-3844, mvshops.com

JULY 11
Martina McBride: The four-time Country Music Awards female vocalist of the year performs at 7:30 p.m. at the Green Music Center’s Weill Hall and lawn. Her hits include “Wrong Baby Wrong” and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.” $35 and up.
Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu

JULY 11-25
Mendocino Music Festival: Gather to hear sweet sounds by the sea during Mendocino’s 29th annual salute to music of all kinds. The program includes classical, contemporary, rock, folk, soul and other musical styles. The main venue is a huge tent on the Mendocino Headlands overlooking the ocean, with performances also at other venues around the town of Mendocino. $12-$53.
707-937-2044, mendocinomusic.org

JULY 12
Dawg Day Afternoon Bluegrass Festival: Hear some of the finest pickers alive when the David Grisman Sextet and the Del McCoury Band perform, and dobro master Jerry Douglas presents the Earls of Leicester. The festival’s name comes from mandolin master Grisman’s name for his own style of bluegrass, jazz and more: “dawg music,” a term originally coined for him by his longtime friend, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. The show starts at 3 p.m. at the Green Music Center’s Weill Hall and lawn. $25 and up.
Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu

JULY 17-18
Broadway Under the Stars: The Transcendence Theatre Company, a troupe of actors, singers and dancers with Broadway and national touring credits, continues its annual summer series of live outdoor musical revues with “Fantastical Family Night” at 7:30 p.m. both nights. $29-$129.
Jack London State Historic Park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 877-424-1414, transcendencetheatre.org

JULY 18
The Rivertown Revival: Witness a wacky race on the Petaluma River, including boats made of bicycle parts or maybe an old sofa. Enjoy live local music, art, food and drink. More than 40 local vendors will be on hand. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Steamer Landing Park, D and Copeland streets, Petaluma, rivertownrevival.com

JULY 18
Kevin Spacey: Hear the actor in concert. Yes, he sings as well as acts, directs and performs comedy. Remember him as Bobby Darin in 2004’s “Beyond the Sea”? The star of the hit TV series “House of Cards” sings standards from the American songbook at 7:30 p.m. at Green Music Center’s Weill Hall and lawn. Presented in collaboration with Napa Valley Festival del Sole. $40 and up.
Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu

EDITOR’S NOTE: The printed version of Sonoma Magazine gave an incorrect date of July 19th for the performance with Kevin Spacey. The correct date is Saturday, July 18.

JULY 24-AUGUST 9
Sonoma County Fair: Now in its 79th year, Sonoma County’s annual salute to its agricultural heritage and hometown traditions combines exhibits of all kinds, livestock competitions, horse races, family activities, carnival rides, food booths and live concerts by pop, country and rock ’n’ roll musicians. $11; $5 for ages 7-12; age 6 and younger free.
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200, sonomacountyfair.com

JULY 31-AUGUST 23
Music in the Vineyards: Hear chamber music performed by internationally known musicians in the most congenial of settings, at wineries scattered across Napa Valley. Star soprano Dawn Upshaw returns this year. Prices vary by venue. Check the website for a full schedule.
707-258-5559, musicinthevineyards.org

AUGUST 15
Randy Newman: The perennially popular Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series continues with a performance by the famed singer, songwriter, arranger and composer. Surrounded by acres of beautiful vineyards, concert-goers can enjoy fine wines and stunning scenery while picnicking at the winery’s outdoor venue, the Concert Green. $70-$100. The series closes Sept. 5 with guitarist and singer George Benson. Check the website for the full schedule and ticket prices.
Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-0998, rodneystrong.com

AUGUST 30
Pink Martini: This stylish and sophisticated little orchestra with a big sound and a wide repertoire performs at 4 p.m. at Green Music Center’s Weill Hall and lawn. $25 and up.
Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu

Bravas Bar de Tapas Paella

June 2015

By biteclub

Bravas Bar de Tapas PaellaBravas Bar de Tapas Paella — Bravas Bar de Tapas Paella

There’s something about giant pans and fire that brings out the theatrical in chefs. That and a hungry crowd that’s had more than a few of Bravas Bar de Tapas’ sangrias.

But every Friday and Saturday night during the summer, Chef de Cuisine Cody Thomasson or Sous Chef Julian Lopez, ham it up at the Healdsburg restaurant’s back patio fire pit, creating crowd-friendly paella studded with fresh seafood, local meats, produce fresh from nearby Sonoma County farms, and the signature flavors of Spanish pimenton, or smoked paprika, and saffron.

When all the flavors have sufficiently melded together into a giant steaming, sizzling array of culinary artwork, the bell rings to come and get it. Which is where things get especially theatrical.

Bravas Bar de Tapas Paella. Photo: Loren Hansen

“Combining campfire, theater, and thrilling feat of culinary bravado, our guests love watching this spectacle almost as much as they love the tasty results,” say owners Mark and Terri Stark (of Willi’s Wine Bar et al.)

We can’t think of a better way to spend a warm, Sonoma County evening than round the paella pan, drinking sangrias, nibbling tapas and watching the show. Just watch out when it comes time to lineup and eat, cause we throw elbows like nobody’s business.

Price may vary depending upon ingredients. Paellas come in small (serves 2, approx. $24) and large (serves 4, approx. $48) portions. Guests are advised to call the restaurant beforehand to make sure that weather will permit the wood fire that day.

Bravas Bar de Tapas, 420 Center St, Healdsburg, (707) 433-7700.

Guerneville Bank Club: Chile Pies and Nimble and Finn

June 2015

By biteclub

Guerneville Bank Club featuring Chile Pies and Nimble and Finn's Ice Cream. Photo Heather Irwin — Guerneville Bank Club featuring Chile Pies and Nimble and Finn’s Ice Cream. Photo Heather Irwin

Though the safe is now a photo booth and tellers replaced by ice cream scoopers, there’s still a grandiosity to the Guerneville Bank Club only fitting of a former financial institution. Rehabbed by locals, the 1928 bank building has become an ice cream and pie shop with retail space, an art gallery and the Russian River Historical Society a la carte.

We’re smitten with Nimble and Finn’s cheeky scoop flavors including Manhattan (whisky, vermouth and cherry chunks), blueberry cheesecake and vegan strawberry, rose and geranium sorbet.

Paired with Chile Pies’ sweet apple and chile pie with a drizzle of chile-infused honey? Solid gold.

Guerneville Bank Club featuring Nimble and Finn and Chile Pies: 16290 Main St., Guerneville.

At Single Thread Farms, Seasons are Moments

June 2015

By biteclub

Katina Connaughton of Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. Photo: Sally Egan

This story originally appeared in Made Local Magazine, March/April 2015

For everything there is a season. But for Sonoma County farmer Katina Connaughton, there are 72 to consider instead of just four.

Rather than painting broad strokes across her agricultural yearbook—spring, summer, winter, fall—Connaughton and her husband are bringing a set of ancient Japanese farming techniques to Sonoma County that subdivides the year into discreet seasonal slivers called shichijuuni koo.

Think of it as dividing the year into a pie with 72 five-day slices.

At least that’s one of the driving philosophies of Single Thread Farms, a two-acre plot of land the Connaughtons are cultivating near Healdsburg. Katina and her husband, chef Kyle Connaughton, see their small farm on Pete Seghesio’s historic San Lorenzo property as the epicenter for their haute trowel-to-table restaurant slated to open in the Healdsburg Meat Company building next fall.

Working in synchronicity, she (the farmer) and her husband (the chef), will introduce subtly different menus every five days, a rolling lineup of dishes that, Katina says, will “memorialize that fleeting moment in time” on the farm.

“We have a unique opportunity to create a constant dialogue between the kitchen and farm,” she says. Consider, for instance, the example of peas, which could be served throughout their growing cycle as shoots, tendrils, young peas, and mature ones over a period of several weeks.

Admittedly, even in a farming community as seasonally aware as Sonoma County, this may all sound a bit fussy. But for anyone who has eaten a perfectly ripe tomato, still warm from the vine, on a late August afternoon sekki—that perfect annual moment for eating that particular tomato—it doesn’t seem like such a stretch. In fact, it seems downright logical.

“These [small time periods] mark subtle changes in nature,” says Katina, who most recently worked in the culinary gardens of farm-to-table proponents John Stewart and Duskie Estes of Zazu Farm and Restaurant. “Being mindful and present, we can observe these environmental nuances and work in harmony with nature rather than outsmart or control it.”

Japan’s micro-seasons, or “koo,” read more like haikus than an actual almanac, and take into account subtle changes that include everything from the sun’s position in the sky to temperatures, precipitation, and wind. They are, in fact, so specific—calling out particular planting days, anticipated rainy periods, and expected heat, that they once informed things like bathing, changing kimonos, and what was served for dinner.

To get a sense of the agricultural precision Katina strives for, consider that “seasonal” asparagus is conventionally harvested over a roughly eight-week period between early March and late April. Even at its seasonal best, there are huge variations in size, tenderness, and flavor. Using smaller five-day farming cycles based on subtle changes in solar angles and weather, Katina focuses on a harvest that celebrates the absolute apex of the plant, which may only be for a few days or may last for a few weeks. It just depends.

As of this writing, the farm has yet to be planted, but Katina says consumers can expect to see familiar fruits and veggies from their farm as well as more exotic Japanese ingredients that can be hard to source, and grow, in our climate.

“We’re looking at seed catalogs right now,” she says. “I’m in the infancy of this project and I have much to establish.”

Having studied this arcane technique during a three-year agricultural immersion in Hokkaido, Japan, Katina sees the rhythm not as a farming technique, but a philosophy of sustainability, understanding the land, making intense observations. Like many farmers, she keeps a keen eye on the subtle nuances of the seasons and changes to the landscape that will translate to the table. “Our menus will serve as an anthropological account of those changes,” she says.

This story originally appeared in Made Local Magazine, March/April 2015

Charlie Palmer Steak coming to Napa

June 2015

By biteclub

Charlie Palmer Steak will open in Napa in late 2016 at the forthcoming Archer Hotel.

Charlie’s Wine Country Three-peat: Chef Charlie Palmer is on a roll. Following his recent St. Helena restaurant opening at Harvest Table he announced yesterday that he’ll be opening Charlie Palmer Steak in downtown Napa. The restaurant and rooftop bar is slated to open at the forthcoming Archer Hotel, a 183-room luxury hotel planned for late 2016.

The restaurants and hotel will be centerpieces of the 275,000 square-foot Napa Center, which is being hailed as a game-changing “Napa Valley experience” with more than 40-plus shops and restaurants.

Palmer has steak houses in New York, DC, Las Vega and Reno currently. The tireless chef also recently released a cookbook, Charlie Palmer’s America Fare ($40, Grand Central Life & Style).

RKTO Coffee and Tea at Trek

June 2015

By biteclub

RKTO Coffee and Tea has opened in Santa Rosa at the Trek Bicycle Store

So what’s a RKTO?

You can tell that Malorie, a popular local barista in Santa Rosa, is tired of explaining what RKTO means. Standing behind the counter of the RKTO coffee/kombucha/tea bar that’s popped-up inside the downtown Santa Rosa Trek store, she graciously gives it a shot, then turns it over to shop president, Bret Gave. Apparently it means “great Northern bear”, as in the Bear Republic. As in California, he explains.

Gave has hit on a trend that’s popular in Europe, and making its way into hip retailers across the U.S. — putting a food and drink spot inside a retail store — in his case a high end bicycles. “We’re creating a community space,” said Gave, who hopes to expand the coffee bar area to include beer, an outdoor space and eventually some sandwiches, as well as a meet-up spot for bicyclists heading out on rides.

Frankly, we’re more than happy with the current local lineup of BiteClub fave, Bella Rosa coffee, Straus milk, Republic of Tea, Red Bird Bakery goodies, Revive Kombucha (on tap) and Guayaki yerba mate. Well, that and Malorie. Ten percent of the proceeds from the bar will benefit local cycling advocacy groups.

And as for the name? How about Really Killer Trek Osteria? Add your suggestion online at BiteClubEats.com. We’ll pass ‘em along to the baristas. 512 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa (inside the Trek Store), open weekdays from 7am to 2pm.

Hazel Restaurant

June 2015

By biteclub

Hazel Restaurant will open in Occidental summer 2015

Berkeley chefs Jim and Michele Wimborough of Zut! on Fourth are slated to open Hazel Restaurant, a wood-oven focused restaurant in Occidental. The couple are taking over the longtime Bistro de Copains space, which was for years a West County destination for French cuisine.

The new restaurant, which the couple are describing as “rustic California-Mediterranean” will make heavy use of the dual live-fire ovens and will include thin crust pizzas, local fish from Bodega Bay, burgers and small plates. Michele will head up the desserts, including a weekly seasonal Friday Pie Day, sundaes, cookies and cakes. The couple are looking to open in mid-July.

More details facebook.com/Restauranthazel, 3782 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental.

Terrace at Rodney Strong Winery

June 2015

By biteclub

The Terrace at Rodney Strong Vineyards has opened with a luxe pairing menu. Photo: Heather Irwin.

The Terrace at Rodney Strong Winery has opened with a luxe pairing menu. Photo: Heather Irwin. — The Terrace at Rodney Strong Vineyards has opened with a luxe pairing menu. Photo: Heather Irwin.

The smell of spring swirls around the newly-opened Terrace at Rodney Strong Winery — rows of grapevines, freshly-mowed grass, and a bright pink rosé of pinot noir in the glass. Breathe deeply, then pinch yourself, because you’ve found your new Happy Place.

More than a tasting room, this intimate outdoor patio features the perfect lazy-afternoon sip and nibble experience with five luxe bites paired with five Rodney Strong wines.

Kick back under the cheery orange umbrellas, survey the expansive vineyards before you and let yourself be pampered with a plate of local cheeses or charcuterie with perfectly paired wines, or go all in for the chef-created five course pairing that (on our warm spring afternoon it included Dungeness crab and short rib bao) with several reserve wines (we fell hard for the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay).

Chef Tara Wachtel heads up the kitchen (Adafina Culinary, Zazu Restaurant + Farm), making this a tasting worth going out of your way for. Well, that and the view.

Terrace at Rodney Strong Winery: Five course tasting, $55; cheese plate for two, $25, cheese and charcuterie, $35. Reservations recommended, but not required. Open Friday through Sunday from 11am to 4pm, 11455 Old Redwood Hwy, Healdsburg, (707) 431-1533.

Oh, and by the way, don’t miss the Meyer lemon marmalade with the cheese plate and strawberry rhubarb jam.

Goodbye Grace Ann Walden

June 2015

By biteclub

RIP Grace Ann Walden: The sassy, brassy Bay Area food writer died on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the Bay Area food world who hadn’t had a run-in with Grace Ann Walden.

The former Chronicle food writer pretty much invented a style of gossipy food news in her long-running “Inside Scoop” column that many of us have emulated over the years. You just knew she knew all the best dirt, the juiciest news and where everyone’s skeletons lurked — and she wasn’t afraid to use it. Brassy, sassy and yeah, a little insane, she had a huge part in inspiring me to do BiteClub way back in 2005.

My heart broke a little when she was “let go” from the Chron right around the time I launched in 2006. But I vowed to keep her writing spirit alive in my column.

Not long after, I took one of her legendary food tours of Little Italy, tasting cookies at neighborhood bakeries and shuffling our little group in the back door of a local butcher (way before that was a cool thing to do). At the end of the tour we sat down for a meal together, and I realized that I wanted to be Grace.

I wanted to be that wild and unruly food writer who always had her finger right on the pulse of the local food scene. (It didn’t hurt that she was a red head to boot).

Over the years, the Inimitable Grace Ann would rail against one or another of us local food writers for some perceived slight. Trust me, we all got it from Grace. But she’d cool down, and let bygones be bygones eventually. It was a bit of a badge of honor to have her write one of her scathing emails to you.

Even so, a while back I volunteered to help her create the Yummy Report, just when she was just getting her feet wet in the digital world, and wanted to do a newsletter to send to her fans. She found someone else, but I always regretted that I didn’t get to work with her on something, though no doubt we Queen Bees would have killed each other.

All I can say is that without Grace, the local food scene will miss the peculiar and wonderful awesome sauce that she always brought to the table. Here’s a cheers to you GAW. I owe a lot to you.

(Grace loved her dogs, Bruno and Tinkerbell (who are now looking for a home at the Novato Humane Society), and all of us hope someone can help them out.)