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.
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.
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
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.
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.
In the world of sweets, the Parisian macaron has been crowned the successor to the cupcake.
The sexy sandwich cookie, brought to France from Italy in the 16th century by Queen Catherine de’ Medici, tempts with a crunchy outer shell of nut flour and meringue that yields to a silky center of buttercream.
They are devilishly difficult to make, yet easily found in Wine Country’s many bake shops. At Patisserie Angelica in Sebastopol, Condra Easley prides herself on baking pastel macarons that are lighter than air. She learned her craft alongside Pierre Hermé, the “King of Macarons,” who launched the cookie to fame at the legendary Ladurée bakery in Paris in the late 1990s.
Easley makes the shells with all-natural flavorings and a cooked Italian meringue. The cookies come in a dozen flavors, including pistachio, Earl Grey, raspberry rose and the best-selling salted caramel.
The delicate cookies need to be kept cool and eaten fresh. Like a summer cloud, they tend to disappear quickly.
The star-scattered Sonoma sky is particularly captivating on a summer night, when the Milky Way twinkles high above. The viewing pleasure is free, of course, but there are also local experts eager to show others the big bowl of sky they see through their telescopes.
“Our mission is to bring the night sky to the public,” said Steve Smith, a volunteer docent at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Kenwood’s Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. By attending one of the observatory’s nighttime Star Parties, typically held on Saturdays closest to the new moon, one can view planets, constellations, nebulae, galaxies and more, identified by docents.
Summer Star Parties, which begin at 9 p.m., start with a presentation in the observatory’s classroom, with kid-friendly topics raised early and more complicated and esoteric information provided later in the evening.
SRJC student Melanie Queiroz sees the stars through a telescope belonging to amateur astronomer Dickson Yeager during the monthly public viewing night at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
The observatory has three telescopes, two for viewing and one that photographs deep space. Parties can last into the wee hours, as long as eager stargazers remain. Approximately 300 people attend on a given night, and the price can’t be beat: free for those under age 18 and $3 for everyone else. There is also an $8 parking fee. Reservations are not taken, and guests can bring refreshments (no alcoholic beverages allowed).
Summer dates this year include July 19, July 26 and Aug. 23.
The observatory also hosts private parties. Its location adjacent to a group campground that accommodates 50 makes it an ideal destination for an overnight adventure at a reasonable price: $330 for the entire campground, the observatory and docents. A private Star Party without an overnight stay is $165.
Although the observatory is the jewel of local astronomy, there are other locations and resources for passionate stargazers.
The Sonoma County Astronomical Society hosts Astronomy Nights, when members set up telescopes in the parking lots of schools and invite folks to peer through the lenses. Society members also offer “sidewalk astronomy” at the Santa Rosa Downtown Market on Wednesday evenings, May through August.
The Santa Rosa Junior College Planetarium, which hosts public shows throughout the school year, has seating for 90; its dome is 40 feet in diameter and 27 feet high. First Friday Night Sky programs, which take place on the first Friday evening of each month of the academic year, are free, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Rivertown Revival will be at Steamer Landing Park in Petaluma on Saturday, July 19. (photo by Kent Porter)
July 4: Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular
Singer, songwriter and influential folk-music star Judy Collins, celebrated for her recordings of the Broadway show tune “Send in the Clowns” and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” joins the Santa Rosa Symphony for an evening of patriotic music in Green Music Center’s Weill Hall, with the back wall opening to outdoor seating. Expect to hear “America the Beautiful,” “This Land is Your Land” and “God Bless America.” A big fireworks display follows the 7:30 p.m. concert. Prices start at $25; half off for children 12 and younger. Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 866-955-6040, sonoma.edu
Amy Pinto and Brent Lindsay (photo by Crista Jeremiason)
July 5: The Art Is Medicine Show
Every summer since 2009, the Imaginists Theatre Collective in Santa Rosa’s A Street arts district has mounted an original, bilingual show to perform at community parks all over Santa Rosa. Just to keep it all green, the troupe tours by bicycle. Last year, backed by a national grant, the program grew to two shows. The company’s efforts have attracted international notice, with its leaders, Amy Pinto and Brent Lindsay, traveling to Eastern Europe last year to represent the theater in Budapest and Moscow. Free. 707-528-7554, theimaginists.org
July 12-26: Mendocino Music Festival
In a huge tent on the Mendocino Headlands overlooking the sea, and at other venues in the town of Mendocino, discerning music lovers can gather to hear two weeks’ worth of live performances of classical and chamber music, as well as country, bluegrass, jazz and rock. Attendees can also enjoy good food, craft beer and wine. $12-$51. 45035 Main St., Mendocino, 707-937-2044, mendocinomusic.org
July 13: Chris Isaak
Bring a hat for an afternoon in the sun, and a sweater if you plan to linger into the evening, when rocker and actor Chris Isaak makes his outdoor concert appearance at 5 p.m. as part of the annual Rodney Strong Vineyards Summer Concert Series. This year’s series, which began in June, also includes singer/saxophonist Mindi Abair (July 26), smooth-jazz trumpeter Chris Botti (Aug. 16) and horn-powered rock and soul band Tower of Power (Aug. 31). Most tickets run from $50 to $85. Check out the outdoor pizza oven on the winery’s newly expanded patio. Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-1533, rodneystrong.com
July 16: Pinchas Zukerman
Napa Valley’s annual Festival del Sole presents 10 days of music at various venues, including the famed violinist Pinchas Zukerman. He’ll perform under the stars with cellist Amanda Forsythe and pianist Angela Cheng in the courtyard at Castello di Amorosa winery’s impressive castle, authentically recreated in the 13th-century Tuscan style. $75-$95. 4045 St. Helena Highway, Calistoga, 707-346-5052, festivaldelsole.org
July 18: Dave Koz and Friends
This will be the 45th summer the Robert Mondavi winery in Oakville hosts its lovely outdoor concert series. Sway to the smooth-jazz sounds of Dave Koz and Friends, including songs from their Grammy-nominated album, “Summer Horns.” The show is the fourth of five in the popular series. Doors open at 5 p.m.; show begins at 7. General admission $75, but try for a reserve patio ($90) or reserve lawn ($105) spot. Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, 888-769-5299, robertmondaviwinery.com
July 19: The Rivertown Revival
Where else can you see a race including boats made of everything from bicycle parts to an old couch? This race on the Petaluma River is accompanied by live music, art, acrobatics, family activities, 19th-century costumes, food and drink. Folks can get legally married for just $5, but must reserve the wedding garden in advance. $10 admission. Steamer Landing Park, D Street at the Petaluma River, rivertownrevival.com
July 19-20: Catalan Festival
Flamenco dancing, classical guitar, Spanish cuisine and sparkling wine add up to one of Wine Country’s most distinctive annual events. Celebrate the culture of the once-separate Mediterranean kingdom of Catalonia and its best-known city, Barcelona, now part of Spain. The festival runs from noon to 4 p.m. both days at Gloria Ferrer winery in Sonoma. $55, includes two wine tickets, food samples, live entertainment and a logo wine glass. Gloria Ferrer, 23555 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-996-7256, gloriaferrer.com
Sonoma County Fair (photo by Kent Porter)
July 24-August 10: Sonoma County Fair
Now in its 78th year, this homespun salute to the county’s agricultural heritage and traditions has a 1960s theme, “Peace, Love and Fair.” The popular Hall of Flowers show is entitled — what else? — “Flower Power.” Running daily except Mondays for two and a half weeks, the fair features live concerts by pop, country and rock ‘n’ roll musicians, carnival rides and a whole lot of cotton candy and corn dogs on the midway. Fair admission is $8 until July 23, $11 at the gate. Concert admission is $20-$60. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, 707-545-4200, sonomacountyfair.com
July 31: Santa Rosa Symphony
Enjoy orchestral music with a Latin flavor when the orchestra, led by pops series conductor Michael Berkowitz, teams up with Mariachi Sol De Mexico de Jose Hernandez. The free show starts at 7 p.m. in Green Music Center’s Weill Hall, with seating extended to its back lawn. You’ll hear classic, pop, jazz, swing and Broadway tunes. Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, 707-546-8742, santarosasymphony.com.
August 1-24: Music in the Vineyards
Chamber music aficionados flock to this intimate festival in Napa Valley, held at various wineries, including Clos Pegase in Calistoga and the Hess Collection in Napa, with its impressive art displays. The centerpiece of the 20th anniversary celebration is the new work by composer Maria Schneider, created for famed soprano Dawn Upshaw. $100 for Upshaw, $55 for all other concerts. 707-258-5559, musicinthevineyards.org
Farm to Table Dinner (photo by Eric Castro)
August 16: Farm to Table Dinner
One of the most sought-after dining experiences in Healdsburg starts with a glass of wine and a tour of Quivira Vineyards and Winery’s estate. The featured chef is Mark Stark of Stark’s Steakhouse and Willi’s Wine Bar fame, and he will prepare a five-course meal that incorporates produce from the winery’s Biodynamic garden. Quivira winemaker Hugh Chappelle will pair wines with the meal and dine with guests. 4-8 p.m. $125.
4900 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-8333, quivirawine.com
You know a restaurant’s under-the-radar when you can’t find it, even with Google Maps.
But four miles west of Petaluma, where goats scamper in fields and signs for “lost family pig” aren’t at all unusual, is The Secret Kitchen.
Tucked behind an unassuming convenience store, Brenda Anderson, Janice Clement and their tiny staff of friends and neighbors are running a walk-up, take-out kitchen with dishes like Korean BBQ chicken rice bowls with kim chee, “Hog in a Blanket” (pork brat with Lagunitas IPA mustard, cheddar cheese sauce and caramelized onions), caramel rum cake and fresh peach strawberry galettes.
“These are just dishes I’ve pickup up from around the world. Everything is just something I love,” says Anderson, whose Asian/Latin/American dishes harken from cooking gigs in Thailand, teaching at the Culinary Institute of America and running a restaurant at Google.
The secret’s already leaked out to locals, who line up at the split door to order and often grab a seat at one of the wooden picnic benches near the parking lot. But this is only the opening act for the Secret Kitchen gals, who weren’t really planning to be a restaurant at all.
Their commercial kitchen accidentally became a walk-up when a batch of tamales sold out with just a homemade sign out from. A truck (the original idea) is still in the works, but for now, the team is operating at full capacity.
Best bets include the bahn mi with slow roasted pork, pickled carrots and daikon, peanuts and secret sauce ($9); Korean BBQ tacos ($3), Korean BBQ chicken rice bowls with kimchee and pickled onions ($9), The American Hog in a Blanket ($9), Khao Soi (a Thai curried noodle bowl, $9.50) and desserts of the day. Just keep our little secret, okay?
Open 11a.m. to 7:30p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 4701 Bodega Ave., Petaluma (707) 787-8243.
Bob Kramer, the legendary knife creator, will be at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa on June 22, 2014
Bob Kramer, the legendary knife creator, will be at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa on June 22, 2014
Having the legendary bladesmith Bob Kramer teach a knife skills class at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa is sort of like having Meryl Streep teach a beginning acting class in your backyard.
The Olympia-based master bladesmith is so revered by chefs that his hand-forged knives command up to $10,000 a piece, with a waiting list more than three years long. But there’s still hope for the home chef.
Kramer has partnered with German knife-company Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Sur La Table to create a more-affordable line of stainless and carbon steel knives costing between $130 and $250 a pop, depending on the quality and size. Which may sounds like a lot to the average Joe, but knife junkies know its a steal for some serious steel. Without the wait.
Bob Kramer Knife Essentials, noon to 2:30p.m., June 22, 2014 Sur La Table, 2323 Magowan Dr., Santa Rosa, (707) 566-9823. Registration required, $69 per person.
