Support the SRJC Culinary students during a Dine and Donate event at Rosso Pizzeria + Wine Bar on Wednesday April 30, 2014 from 4-10pm. Ten percent of sales will be donated to the program.
Dine and Donate to SRJC
Jacinto’s Chef Heads to Napa, Chinese Restaurant Coming?
Word came on Friday that Erasto Jacinto has joined Napkins Restaurant in Napa as their new executive chef. The former Cindy Pawlcyn chef (Mustard Grille, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen) opened his namesake restaurant, Jacinto’s Kitchen in Oakmont with brother Pablo in early 2012.
Despite some incredible dishes early on, featuring the bold flavors of Oaxaca, the location of the restaurant inside Santa Rosa’s Oakmont retirement village proved too challenging for the brothers. Prices were higher than many locals were willing to pay, and BiteClubbers complained over the years that the once-flavorful food became increasingly uninspired.
The good news is that Jacinto will likely thrive at the bustling new bar and grill in downtown Napa, which features American cuisine with a “global influence” and Napans are already applauding the return.
Rumors of a Chinese restaurant to replace Jacinto’s have been floating around for several weeks, and BiteClub has learned that Mei-Don Chinese Cuisine is slated to replace Jacintos in the coming months.
Myers Restaurant Supply Sale
Ever wanted a restaurant-sized stock pot? Plastic menu covers for a chic party, the most durable food storage containers known to human-kind or your own 30,00 BTU Wolf range with 8 open burners?
Welcome to the world of restaurant supplies.
For the uninitiated, this week’s three-day sale at Santa Rosa’s Myers Restaurant Supply (1599 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa) is a great primer. Even if you’re not in the restaurant biz.
April 10-12, 2014, the locally-owned supply store will have live cooking demos, food, drinks, raffle prizes and their best prices of the year on everything from walk-in refrigerators and sneeze guards to more consumer-friendly stainless steel shelving, storage containers (BiteClub swears by the Camwear containers that can survive sailing across the kitchen, microwaves, dishwashers and small dog attacks).
If you’re looking for some even better deals, check out the used equipment department, where previously-loved restaurant items can be picked up for a song. And perhaps a dance. Depending on your talents.
Who knows, you may even see a celebrity chef or two.
Taste of Sonoma at Oliver’s Market
Amy’s Kitchen, Bella Rosa Coffee Company, Caggiano Sausages, Clover Stornetta Farms, Costeaux French Bakery, Kozlowski Farms, Laura Chenel’s Chevre/Marin French Cheese, Petaluma Creamery, Petaluma Poultry, Sola Bee Farms and Sonoma Gourmet are among the 30+ Sonoma County growers and vendors participating in the Fourth Annual Taste of Sonoma hosted by Oliver’s Markets.
The event happens this year from noon to 4p.m. April 26, 2014, at the Cotati location (546 E Cotati Ave, Cotati). Activities include food and wine tasting, live music and livestock viewing as well as face painting, hula-hoops, and arts and crafts for children.
BiteClub’s always been a huge fan of the locally-focused markets (my fave is the newest, at Stony Point/West Third in Santa Rosa) because of its dedication to featuring both established producers and start-ups from throughout the North Bay — more than 5,000 items, to be specific.
Beer and wine tastings from Clos du Bois, Folie a Deux Winery, Hook and Ladder Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Mill Creek Winery and Lagunitas Brewing Company are $5 for three tickets, held in an enclosed, 21+ area.
Artists from Oliver’s series of CD compilations, “Real Music: A Taste of Sonoma County Music,” will provide live entertainment, including Farallons, Doug Jayne & Clusterfolk, and Kevin Russell & Friends, Solid Air and Danny Sorentino. Oliver’s own Neal Barbosa (aka “Live Painter”) from the Montecito store will be exhibiting his thespian style of painting in conjunction with the bands.
Redwood Empire Food Bank will be collecting donations of non-perishable foods while Daily Acts and the Sonoma County GO LOCAL Co-op will provide information about their programs.
Around the World in 31 Coffees [infographic]
As a sometimes designer, I’m an infographic addict. Because pictures are often truly worth 1,000 words (even though I’m known to tell a tale or two).
BiteClub will start sharing some favorite food infographics as I find them. We’ll start with this fascinating look at coffees around the world.
From http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/news/around-world-31-coffees/
Taco Bell’s Waffle Taco Fail
Okay, so BiteClub’s a sucker for new promotions, especially when they involve bacon and waffles and guys named Ronald McDonald.
But the widely touted new “Waffle Tacos” at Taco Bell given the thumbs up by Ronald McDonalds nationwide?
Epic disappointment. Epic!
How a waffle can manage to be soggy and tough at the same time is a mind-bender. Mostly, but not quite melted cheese. Ultra-greasy bits of bacon and eggs. Or sausage and eggs. We couldn’t really tell the difference between the two. And no damn syrup.
Blech. Pass.
I’ll stick with my sausage breakfast burrito at the golden arches. Or better yet, the dreamy (locally made) sticky buns and ginger scones at my fave coffee haunt, SoCo Coffee (1015 4th St, Santa Rosa, (707) 527-6434, closed Sunday).
http://youtu.be/k7o6AVGgM4g
St. Francis Winery Chef leaves for Oso
Chef David Bush, who propelled St. Francis Winery to be named “Best Restaurant in America” has left to open his own restaurant, Oso, on the Sonoma Square.
Bush says the restaurant will have two parts: The front lounge with small plates (around $6-$18) and wine by the glass–a casual drop-in spot that feels like an extension of the plaza. The rear part of the restaurant will be reserved for a prix fixe five-course tasting menu (around $65 per person) with a $35 wine pairing addition.
“The goal is to execute a tasting menu in the main dining room with a strong emphasis on pairing my food with local wines,” Bush said, making the fit a natural for the winery chef. With local sommelier Brian Kulich on board, the list is certain to have some stellar off-the-radar boutique gems on the list. The menu is still in development, but Bush calls it “New California: local, seasonal and eclectic, but not esoteric.” Because really, who needs esoteric on their plate?
“Opening a restaurant has been my goal since I started cooking at age fourteen,” said Bush. “Stuffy doesn’t work in Sonoma, (but) what does is excellent food and hospitality. We want to…give people an experience that has been absent for too long on Sonoma’s Plaza.”
Opening is slated for late May at 9 East Napa St.on the Sonoma Plaza. Oso will begin with dinner service, with lunch and brunch down the line.
Chalkboard Expanding and Expanding
The wildly popular Chalkboard, which took over the Cyrus space at the Les Mars Hotel last year, is upping its game.
Starting in late April 2014, they’ll be offering an 8-plus course prix fixe tasting menu in the hotel’s revamped “library room” on Friday and Saturday night. The intimate space seats just 16, and according to Chef Shane McAnelly, and is “the next step up” for the Bill Foley-owned restaurant.
It’s hard not to start making comparisons to Cyrus, with its haute tasting menus and Michelin-star status, but McAnelly says the vibe will be all Chalkboard. “For us its just a chance to have some fun. I am really excited and passionate about this next evolution of our restaurant,” he said.
The menu is still in development, but an exclusive sneak preview includes dishes like kampachi crude, bacon consommé with pork belly and 63-degree quail egg, pancetta wrapped duck breast with duck liver mousse, grilled ribeye steak with bone marrow, and a dessert called the “Drunk Elvis” with banana, peanut butter, rum, bacon and chocolate ganache. The prix fixe dinner will run about $100 per person, and additional wine pairings will be offered.
But wait, there’s more. The hotel’s pool has been filled in (who even knew there was a pool?) to make way for an expanded patio area, expected to open later this spring.
Chalkboard, 29 North St., Healdsburg, 707-473-8030.
Aventine to Open
The funky Jack London Village in Glen Ellen has long been rife with dining possibilities, if not always success stories. Although the charming Olive and Vine and Himalayan eatery, Yeti, are flourishing in the village, the large Grist Mill building has seen restaurant after restaurant struggle and fail, despite its spectacular outdoor seating and quiet location.
That may soon change with the arrival of Aventine. The sceney bar and restaurant concept headed up by Alioto kin Adolfo and Gian-Paolo Veronese has locations in San Francisco and Hollywood, with a third slated to open in late spring in Glen Ellen.
Chef Adolfo (Wolfgang Puck, Drago, Evvia) plans an Italian osteria menu with arancini, Sicilian lemon marinated octopus, burrata, wood-fired pizzas (we’re especially excited about the Tartufo with black truffle honey, bechamel and arugula), roasted red beet pasta with short rib ragu (gluten free pizza and pastas are available), branzino, grilled lamb chops and desserts like coffee panna cotta, fried dough with Nutella and jam and caramel budino.
Full bar (one of only three in Glen Ellen), inside and outside dining and (hopefully) some staying power. With the several restaurants already under their belt–and in the family–chances are good.
Limes more expensive than oil?
The soaring price of Mexican limes is sour news for restaurateurs as prices for the citrus have doubled, tripled or event more in recent weeks. And that’s not good news for your margarita.
“At $110 a case, it’s more expensive that a barrel of oil and is almost 5 times the average price we normally pay,” said Darren Chapple of Santa Rosa’s La Rosa Tequileria, whose restaurant uses several cases of limes each week. By comparison: In spring 2013 the average price for a single lime was 21 cents. Now, that same fruit will cost you a whopping now 53 cents, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why the price hike? A plague of unfortunate events have hit the lime-growing regions of Mexico–the main exporter of limes to the U.S.–including bad weather that caused many trees to lose blooms and rot; a citrus disease wiping out entire orchards; and political unrest that has affected many lime-growing regions. Suffice to say drug cartels and thieves don’t make for great agricultural allies.
With lime-rimmed holidays like Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, restaurateurs are worried.
“Unfortunately we can’t (and won’t ever), stop using them to make our margaritas but we’ve stopped presenting them on most drinks and seafood dishes to save as much as possible, but we’re still going through an awful lot, as always,” said Chapple.
The good news: Prices are expected to go down in May, with the next harvest. In the meantime, don’t expect to see lime wedges adorning we’re desperately hoping it ends much sooner and definitely before the madness of Cinco de Mayo.”