Page 481 – Sonoma Magazine

Top Ten Ice Cream Spots 2014

July 2014

By biteclub

Prepare your pucker and put your licker on alert, because it’s ice cream season in Wine Country. Whether you prefer your scoops in a cup, cone or piled high in a sundae, we’ve rounded up the tastiest frozen treats around.

Bravas Bar de Tapas: Jimmies and sour worms on your soft serve are so plebeian. The Stark’s (Willi’s Wine Bar, Stark’s Steak and Seafood, etc) take a simple bowl of vanilla Straus Creamery soft serve and elevate it to dessert art with a variety of toppings including tangerine oil and sea salt, Pedro Ximenez chocolate, goat’s milk caramel, strawberry honey, almond Poppycock and jamon migas (fried breadcrumbs with ham). 420 Center St., Healdsburg, 433-7700.

Pullman Kitchen: Homemade ice creams change up regularly, but flavors like double chocolate, cookie dough, caramel, apricot honey and even trusty old vanilla taste like what I remember licking off the paddles each summer at grandma’s house. Creamy, lush and insanely decadent. Add a couple of sugar or lemon cookies and summer is served. 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 545-4300.

Shed: Small batch ice creams in exotic seasonal flavors like chai, Meyer lemon and chocolate at the coffee bar. Take a taste of each, which will make choosing even harder, but your final decision even sweeter. That, or order one of each. We don’t judge. Find them at the coffee bar near the pastries. Calories be damned. 25 North St., Healdsburg, 431-7433.

Noble Folk: Cornflake maple ice cream, passionfruit with dehydrated raspberries, Black sesame and coconut, cardamom, blackberry rosemary, Japanese purple yam and juniper honey. Ridiculously fun flavors change up frequently at this newly opened ice cream and pie shop from the owners of Moustache Baked Goods in Healdsburg. We’re a little in love. Okay, a lot in love. 116 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 529-2162

Sift: Sundae becomes Fundae with two scoops of Three Twins ice cream (salted caramel, brownie, cookies and cream, vanilla), delicious raspberry or chocolate sauce, whipped cream, a cherry and the addition of a Sift treat like a macaroon, cookie, cruffle, blondie or cupcake. Three Sonoma County locations (Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Petaluma).

Bravas Bar De Tapas soft serve ice cream with jamas bread crumbs

Glen Ellen Star: Scoops are nice, but even better are take-out half-pints of house-churned ice cream in flavors like malted milk chocolate, maple vanilla bourbon, salted peanut butter, dulce de leche and mandarin sorbet from former French Laundry Chef Ari Weiswasser. 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen.

Nieve: Ice cream affectionados swear by this out-of-the-way paleteria is unrivaled. There are fewer choices than some Mexican ice cream shops, but the flavors are carefully perfected. Among the scoops are cheese, Nutella (a Biteclub fave), walnut, mamey (a Central American fruit), cajeta (like dulce de leche), platano (plantain) with chocolate chips. 390 Windsor Road, Windsor, 837-5584.

Frozen Art Ice Cream: Here’s a little secret: Owner Jorge Alcazar is the secret behind many of the ice creams you eat throughout the county. And for good reason. Jorge and his father are masters of the legendary Michoacana-style frozen treats from Mexico’s ice cream-capital, Tocumbo and frequently make up to 40 flavors (from chocolate chip and rose petal to tequila, Mexican cheese, avocado and vanilla chai tea). With a state-of-the-art ice cream making process, local chefs and restaurant owners often give him their unique recipes to be spun in his Sebastopol Road shop. 500 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, 331-2899.

Zazu: “If you can’t make good vanilla, you can’t make good gelato,” says John Stewart, part of the duo behind Zazu Kitchen and Farm. With a flair for Italian, John and wife, Duskie Estes, are committed to doing gelato authentically. Starting with Clover milk, they don’t use a pre-made base like many others, but create the dense flavors with just cream, sugar, seasonal fruits, chocolate or other flavorings (including local wines like pinot noir). on their oft-changing dessert menu. What is gelato? This soft, creamy Italian version of ice cream is actually made with less butterfat than normal American ice cream, but less air — giving it a richer quality. 6770 McKinley St., Suit 150, Sebastopol, 523-4814.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream: In Santa Rosa, two former social workers have opened a pop-up ice cream shop called NitroKarm at Dave’s Market and Deli (320 W. Third St., Santa Rosa) stirring up “happy scoops of delicious and delectably darn good delights.” Pick from various add-ins to create a stellar personal creation in seconds.
Also, SubZero Ice Cream (6760 McKinley St., Sebastopol) lets you choose your base (like yogurt, custard or non-dairy) a flavoring and a mix-ins including bubblegum, mints, gummy bears or chocolate candies.

Wanna make your own? On a hot summer day, it’s one of the most satisfying things you can do. Lindsay Clendaniel has written “Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States” (Page Street Publishing, $19.99), with recipes for regionally inspired ice creams from around the country. Choose from Key Lime pie, Pennsylvania Dutch chocolate covered pretzel, mimosa, brown sugar sour cream, mint julep and rosemary honey (among others).

PS: Lots of folks asking about Screaming Mimi’s, which does have some of our very very favorite ice creams, but BiteClub was looking for a few newer and off-beats entrants for this shout out.

Farm Markets Tuesday through Sunday in Sonoma County

July 2014

By biteclub

Green Grocer is one of dozens of local producers at Sonoma County Farm Markets.

After a recent trip to New York, I’m even more appreciative of the bounty of our county. Nowhere better is that represented, than in the growing number of farm markets throughout the region. BiteClub’s found several new(ish) markets you’ll want to explore as well as a list of established markets throughout the week. In the summer months, you can grab some fresh produce, prepared meals, bread, food trucks, cheese, honey and at least a hundred other reasons to love our county every single day. Except Monday. Because we all need a day off.

Worth a look: One of the newest markets is the fledgling Tuesday Evening Community Market at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Building. Founded by the owners of the Red Rose Cafe, proceeds benefit the non-profit Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow. Among the participants, Fish On Chips, Willie Bird’s Dad and Son’s Barbeque, California Funnel Cake and Red Rose Cafe. Keep in mind that some of these markets are seasonal, and only run through the summer and fall, so check ahead.

BiteClub is also a huge fan of the West End Market, now in its second year, but a bit of a neighborhood secret. The Sunday morning market has been an incubator for young farmers and aspiring chefs, giving it a special energy.

Also in its second year is the Thursday Night Street Fair at Sebastopol’s Barlow. The event combines food vendors (BBQ to Indian), crafts and music in the still-growing Barlow Center, host to Zazu Kitchen, Village Bakery, Woodfour Brewing and many other tasty restaurants.

Here are a variety of other markets-from Tuesday through Sunday-to give a try.

Tuesday: Tuesday Evening Community Market (5-8:30p.m., Santa Rosa Veteran’s Memorial parking lot); Valley of the Moon Farm Market (Sonoma Plaza, 5:30p.m. to dusk); Forestville Farm Market (4-7p.m., Russian River Vineyards)

Wednesday: Wednesday Night Market 5 to 8:30p.m., downtown Santa Rosa); Santa Rosa Community Farmers’ Market, (8:30a.m. to 1p.m., Veteran’s Building), Santa Rosa Original Certified Market (8:30a.m. to noon, Wells Fargo Center); Healdsburg Farm Market, (3:30p.m. to 6p.m., North and Vine St.), Petaluma Farmer’s Market (2 to 5:30p.m., Theater District)

Thursday: The Barlow Street Fair (4 to 8p.m.,6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol); Windsor Market (10:30a.m. to 1p.m., Windsor Town Green).

Friday: Rohnert Park, City Center Plaza (5-8p.m.); Occidental (4p.m. to dusk); Cloverdale (5:30p.m. to dusk, North Cloverdale Blvd.)

Saturday: Healdsburg Farm Market, (9a.m. to noon, North and Vine St.); Santa Rosa Community Farmers’ Market, 8:30a.m. to 1p.m., Veteran’s Building); Santa Rosa Original Certified Market (8:30a.m. to noon, Wells Fargo Center); Petaluma Farmer’s Market (2:30 to 5:30p.m., Theater District).

Sunday: Windsor Market (10:30a.m. to 1p.m., Windsor Town Green); West End Market (9:30a.m. to 2p.m., Donahue St., Santa Rosa), Sebastopol Farm Market (10a.m. to 1:30p.m.), Oakmont (Oakmont Dr., 9a.m. to noon).

Lydia’s Express, All Aboard

July 2014

By biteclub

Raw foods and vegan food pioneer Lydia Kindheart is opening a second Sonoma County restaurant, Lydia’s Express, on July 13 at Gravenstein Station (6461 Sebastopol Ave.) in Sebastopol.

Housed in the 1930’s Pullman car formerly the Starlight Wine Bar, the restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor seating, to-go items like her raw green soup, coconut curry and kale salad and other vegan, organic, raw and gluten-free foods.

Lydia’s Petaluma restaurant, the sprawling Sunflower Cafe (1435 N. McDowell, Petaluma), opened in 2013 with a community space for wellness speakers, exercise, music and curious crafting events like the Rogue Kitting and Crochet Group.

Pullman Kitchen | Santa Rosa

July 2014

By biteclub

Roast chicken from Pullman Kitchen in Santa Rosa. Photo: Heather Irwin

I never order chicken at restaurants. Ever. Because inevitably it’s the compromise entrée, the bland and uninspired dish for cautious eaters. But when a perfect roast chicken is the specialty of the house, as it is at the newly opened Pullman Kitchen, I bite.

Roasting a chicken isn’t as easy as it sounds. The trick is crispy skin and juicy, tender meat (both light and dark). Pullman Kitchen’s chef, Darren McRonald, hits the mark, serving up the bird with a light pan sauce and two dreamy spinach Parmesan pancakes.

It’s everything a roast chicken should be, which is comforting and hearty, homey and succulent. Consider me a convert.

After several visits, I’m a bit in love with Pullman Kitchen, housed in the former Syrah Bistro. The interior is familiar, with an open kitchen and cozy dining room, but the space now has better seating and a more open feel. The interior courtyard, always a bit exposed, noisy, and uncomfortable, has been sectioned off, giving it a more unified feeling.

[sh-slideshow-post id=”28868″]

The menu is brief and fairly consistent (though seasonal ingredients come and go) with plenty of rib-sticking entrées including fish tacos, cheeseburgers, skirt steak, lamb, and Manila clams with chorizo. What’s we’ve been inspired by, however, are the daily specials, such as a crab cake po’boy and fried green tomatoes. And don’t miss the bacon-wrapped dates with paprika, honey, and lemon.

Dessert is just as inspired and just as comforting. Rich carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (notice the golden raisins, a nice touch), warm rhubarb and strawberry crumbles with whipped cream, or house made ice cream—another dish I rarely order because of its banality. Again, I’m a convert, especially when the dish comes with warm sugar cookies on the side.

A few minuses, depending on your perspective. In warmer months, the menu seems a bit wintry, and the restaurant’s lack of air conditioning makes for a bit of a sweaty visit (especially near the front windows). We were also a bit taken aback by the automatic inclusion of a 17 percent tip on the bill. Servers do explain the logic, stating that it helps the staff have a living wage, and on both visits, servers were more than accommodating, and we added another 2 percent to the tip.

BiteClub is looking forward to seeing the evolution of this stellar dining car.

Open Mon-Fri lunch, nightly dinner, and Sat-Sun brunch. 205 5th St. at Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-4300.

Escape for a Summer Day

June 2014

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. (photo by Jeff Kan Lee)

While tourists jockey for a spot at one of several inside tasting bars, local families at Francis Ford Coppola Winery relax outside in lounge chairs, sipping slushy iced coffees, enjoying a dip in the pool and pondering lunch: Will it be a poolside panini, or maybe Argentine short ribs at Rustic, the winery’s restaurant?

A summer day at Coppola presents delightful options. If you’re a member of the wine club, you’ll get an opportunity to buy tickets and reserve poolside cabines (cabanas) before the season opens to the general public. The pool has become so popular that Friday, Saturday and Sunday reservations sell out months in advance, but there are last-minute cancellations, so it’s always a good idea to call.

A premium reservation ($180 for the general public, $145 for wine club members) allows guests to choose their lounge chair location in advance and comes with juice boxes for kids, a four-pack of Sofia sparkling wine minis and the current issue of Zoetrope: All-Story magazine, along with the standard cabine amenities: pool passes for four, use of four towels, poolside service and an outdoor wine tasting exclusively for cabine guests. Try to arrive right at opening time of 11 a.m., so you don’t miss a moment.

Day pool passes ($10 to $30) are also sold but cannot be reserved in advance; weekdays offer the best chance to score a day pass but again, call ahead.

After lunch, taste some wine, swim, nap and maybe take a stroll through the two-level tasting room to see the movie paraphernalia, from Francis Coppola’s notes during auditions for “The Godfather” and Vito Corleone’s desk, to Oscar statues, costumes and props. The sun will have sunk low enough that the bocce courts are shaded and it’s time for a game, which one can play with a glass of wine in one hand and a ball in the other.

There are also checkers, chess and backgammon games, Scavenger Hunt Bingo for children, and a teepee that serves as a kids’ library. Special tours and tastings have themes, such as music’s influence on wine’s taste, and “tasting in the dark” led by Hoby Wedler, who has been blind since birth. They range from $20 to $75.

The tasting room and pool close at 6 p.m., so allow time for a final swim and a shower in the cabine and change for dinner if you wish. Rustic is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Our Happy Transplant

June 2014

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Screenwriter and film producer Michael Grais. (photo by Chris Hardy)

Now that he’s lived in Sonoma for a couple of years, veteran Hollywood screenwriter and film producer Michael Grais can take the long view of the Los Angeles film scene.

“Hollywood has exploded. The studio system is falling apart,” he said. “It’s a worldwide industry now. You can be in this business, and be anywhere. In the old days, if you were going to be a screenwriter, and be successful, you had to live in Los Angeles. Otherwise, I never would have lived there.”

Grais co-wrote the 1982 hit horror movie “Poltergeist” with producer Steven Spielberg and writer Mark Victor and served as executive producer on the 1989 film “Great Balls of Fire,” starring Dennis Quaid as music star Jerry Lee Lewis.

During his Hollywood years, starting in the early 1970s, Grais first established himself as a screenwriter for top TV cop shows “Baretta,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Kojak.”

He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and at 17 headed west for college, ultimately receiving a master of fine arts degree in writing from the University of Oregon.

Making the rounds of Los Angeles studios to seek work, Grais was handed a “Baretta” episode story idea to rewrite as a teleplay. “I wrote a three-page critique telling why this teleplay should never get made, so I thought I might be in trouble,” he said.

But it turned out that series star Robert Blake agreed with him. Grais rewrote the script, which led to steady work in television, until he moved to feature films in 1981 with “Death Hunt,” a thriller starring Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin.

Grais left Los Angeles in 2001 to live in Mexico and New Mexico, but never felt he’d found the perfect spot, the one that felt like home, until he and his wife, Jennifer, a singer-songwriter and former backup singer for Jackson Browne, moved into a three-story, 1920s house in Sonoma two years ago.

“Every time we drove into Sonoma,” he said as they were settling on their new home, “we both exhaled and totally relaxed.”

Grais, who admits to being “60-ish,” still makes TV shows and movies. In March, he closed a deal with the BBC for the TV series “Subway Stars,” and he’s producing a horror feature, “The Chittering,” from his own script, with filming set to start in the South in the fall.

Favorite Summer Cocktails

June 2014

By Virginie Boone

Coastal Pimm’s Cup. (photo courtesy Meadowood Napa Valley)

Summertime cocktails lean heavily on copious use of ice, fresh tonics and juices to balance out the spirits we tend to enjoy this time of year. They serve as accompaniment to days on the beach or by the pool, and old-fashioned games of croquet or badminton on the lawn. These classics withstand the test of time and refresh both body and soul.

Gin and Tonic: An essential part of summer, the gin and tonic is designed to refresh and relax. An inventive take on the classic is a garden-inspired cocktail called Ocean, made by bartender Pamela Bushling at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg. It combines Death’s Door gin, Lillet Blanc, oyster leaf (named for its briny aroma) and estate-grown lemon juice. At girl and the fig in Sonoma, try the Ginny Rose, with New Amsterdam gin, Jack Rudy tonic, elderflower and rose pressé, soda water and a lemon wedge.

Margarita: Made properly, the Margarita balances the triangulation of sweet, sour and salty. Farmstead in St. Helena makes a Farmstead Margarita that’s a blithe blend of Azul tequila blanco, homemade sour, agave nectar and lime, with a salt rim. Healdsburg’s Campo Fina also serves a worthy one, from El Jimador blanco tequila, Del Maguey mezcal, lime, agave nectar and chile salt.

Tom Collins: A refreshing combination of gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda and an orange and cherry for garnish, the Tom Collins is easy to make, easy to drink and easy to love. For the ultimate Wine Country twist on the classic, head to Goose & Gander in St. Helena for a cooling Cucumber Collins, a combination of Square One Cucumber vodka, yuzu, lemon, fresh and pickled cucumber, huckleberries and seltzer.

Pimm’s Cup: James Pimm was a Londoner and oyster bar owner who started making what he called the “house cup” in 1823, a gin prettied up with fruit extract and an array of liqueurs. That became Pimm’s No. 1 and before long, the cocktail-hour expression “Pimm’s o’clock” was common. Today Pimm’s No. 1 is traditionally combined with lemon-lime soda or lemonade and topped with Champagne and a cucumber spear or apple slice for garnish. It’s synonymous with summer. Stop by Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena for a leisurely game of croquet and a Coastal Pimm’s Cup, which features ginger beer. Or try Barndiva in Healdsburg for Play the Cat, a classic gin-based Pimm’s Cup with mint syrup and three citrus juices.

~~~

Coastal Pimm’s Cup
Courtesy Scott Beattie, Beverage Director, Meadowood Estate Events
Serves 1

1½ ounces Pimm’s No. 1
½ ounce St. George Terroir gin
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 ½ ounces Bundaberg ginger beer
thin cucumber slices
wild bay laurel leaves

Add all ingredients except the ginger beer to an empty mixing glass. Fill with ice, seal the glass and shake it a few times. Unseal the glass and add the ginger beer. Swirl the mixture and add it to a 12- to 14-ounce Collins glass. Garnish with cucumber slices and bay laurel leaves.

Where To Dodge The Heat

June 2014

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Richard Arrowood loves to scoot out to the Russian River near Alexander Valley’s Jimtown Bridge east of Healdsburg. He and his wife, Alis, co-founders of Amapola Creek Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma, like to picnic not far from the bridge with wine and simple foods — seafood or barbecue. “The Russian River is a popular destination for good reason,” Arrowood said, “but when you’re from Sonoma County, you have the inside scoop on the best places to go.”

Scott Beattie opts for refreshing fizz to cool off on sultry days. The beverage director for Meadowood Estate Events in St. Helena likes to go to Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol for “an ice-cold glass of Wedding Cuvée.” The sparkling wine and remote location make Iron Horse a great summer refuge, Beattie said. “I like that first sip of bubbles as you look out over the rolling hills of grapevines in Green Valley.”

Margrit Mondavi spends time in the pool, and hopes no one knows where it is because, as she put it, “I don’t own a bathing suit.” Now in her late 80s, Mondavi sips Champagne and takes in the sweeping view of the Mayacamas mountains from her home’s swimming pool in the city of Napa. The widow of wine icon Robert Mondavi and a key player in the winery’s hospitality, culinary and arts programs, she said her regimen is to swim every day at 6 a.m.

Mario Uribe, a Santa Rosa artist, strongly believes in grabbing nature on the run. “Spring Lake is great at the end of a hot day,” he said, “and it’s just minutes from our house.” When Uribe, whose work can be found at the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa, wants to find a little solitude, he’ll steal away midweek for a walk. “There’s plenty to explore,” he said. “The pond, the lake, the trails, the ducks.”

*Photos by (from top) Crista Jeremiason, Jeff Kan Lee, Kent Porter, and John Burgess

Totally Uber Cool

June 2014

By Virginie Boone

Driver Edric Jurado stands ready to serve Uber clients in Wine Country. (photo by Chris Hardy)

Sure, we have taxis and chauffeur-driven cars in Wine Country, but the buzz now is about Uber, a tech-hip private car service that launched in Sonoma and Napa this spring and is a bargain compared to other hired rides. Uber has spread to 70 cities since it’s 2009 debut; it was only a matter of time before the San Francisco branch extended north.

There are three options: uberX is the low-cost one, with a base fare of $3 for a car that seats up to four people. Meant to be economical, the car that pulls up will either be a fuel-efficient Toyota Prius, Honda Civic or Ford Escape Hybrid. On top of the base rate, it’s 30 cents per minute plus $1.50 per mile, a minimum fare of $5 and a $5 cancellation fee.

UberBlack elevates the vehicle to a Lincoln Town Car, Mercedes-Benz or, puzzlingly, a Ford Focus, with a base fare of $7 and fees of 55 cents per minute and $3.50 per mile, and a minimum fare of $15. The cancellation fee is $10.

There’s also UberSUV, which gets pricier yet seats a lot more people.

To use the service, download the Uber app to a smartphone and set up an account. Set the app to pin your location via GPS to arrange a pickup from an Uber driver. Payment is made electronically, through the phone.

Uber appeals not only because of lower fares, but because drivers arrive promptly (the Uber car closest to the rider gets the business), and there’s no more hailing a cab from the street corner.

For now, Uber provides service within the city limits of Santa Rosa and Sonoma, and from Napa north to Yountville.

A Very Big Deal – Organ Master at the Green Music Center

June 2014

By Meg McConahey

When many people think of organ music, they envision instruments so powerful that they rattle the fillings out of molars: the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium in Atlantic City, N.J., and the thunderous organ in the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, for example.

But most aficionados of classical organ music agree that the finest instruments are the handmade tracker organs built during the baroque period (from about 1600 to 1750) in the Netherlands and Germany. This summer, Schroeder Hall at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University will have its own tracker organ, made by an Oregon master organ builder on the principles of the exquisite organs from baroque Europe.

In the music world, this is a very big deal.

In the 1960s, John Brombaugh, an electrical engineer and student of acoustics, wanted to learn how those ancient organs had such intimate, pretty and unique voices. He apprenticed with organ builders in America and Europe, studying the instruments’ construction, piece by piece and pipe by pipe, and began building his own.

A tracker organ uses mechanical push rods, activated when keys are pressed, to open valves that let air flow through pipes, as opposed to modern electrical switches. Tracker organs are more sensitive to the organist’s touch, producing a “handmade” tone.

In 1972, he built his ninth organ, Brombaugh Opus 9, for a Baptist church in Toledo, Ohio. Influenced by baroque organs, it has 1,248 pipes ranging from 16 feet long to shorter than a pencil. The case is made of richly colored red oak accented with rare wood, and organ has a bright, crisp, beautifully balanced voice. It’s not as enormous as some, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty.

Brombaugh Opus 9 was purchased and donated to the Green Music Center by B.J. and Bebe Cassin. He is a Bay Area venture capitalist who invested early in many of the high-tech businesses that now rule Silicon Valley.

Brombaugh, 76, has built 66 organs now located in 23 states, Canada, Sweden and Japan. He uses no plywood and fashions all the pipes by hand. His craftsmanship in “voicing,” or tuning the pipes to achieve a proper quality of tone, is renowned.

Schroeder Hall will hold its premiere organ recital this summer, likely in late August, according to Jessica Anderson, Sonoma State’s press liaison. Details will be released when dates are set.