Page 490 – Sonoma Magazine

‘Eyes Need to See This Stuff’

March 2014

By Michael Shapiro

Just north of Railroad Square in Santa Rosa, at Eighth and Davis streets, there’s an elementary school on one corner and a chiropractor’s office on another. Across the street, adjacent to the humming freeway, is a nondescript sand-colored building, a converted warehouse whose outer appearance offers no hint of what’s hidden inside.

Jack Leissring, 78, an artist and a former owner of the McDonald Mansion in Santa Rosa, has converted the warehouse into a luminous gallery for his wide-ranging, museum-quality art collection. It’s a high-ceilinged, two-story space with a startling variety of paintings, drawings and photographs covering every wall. Yet somehow it doesn’t feel cluttered.

“Almost every extra penny I have I spend on art; the other pennies I spent on women,” Leissring said, then paused and added, “I still have the art.”

Throughout the space are tables with sculptures and busts, many made by artists who have become his friends. Most pieces are by artists who work under the radar, not those celebrated by museums and top galleries.

“Every piece I’ve ever purchased is because of an emotional response,” Leissring explained, tapping a fist to his heart. “There’s a lot of love here; I’m emotionally involved with probably every piece.

“I have some big names, but that’s immaterial to me. This tendency we have to adulate some and ignore others is a tragic flaw.”

Leissring calls the warehouse the “emergency landing field” for his art, “in case I lose my house.” He lives next door to the grand mansion on McDonald Avenue, in its former carriage house, surrounded by his own sculptures and other artwork he’s created.

He purchased the McDonald Mansion in the mid-1970s and sold it in 2005, which he said was a relief. “It was too expensive: I was doing it for the city,” he said. The 19th-century home burned in the late 1970s. Leissring, who’s also a designer, restored it, saying it was “the best toy a boy could ever have.”

As a 12-year-old living in Milwaukee, Leissring acquired his first painting, in 1947, when the only collections his peers were interested in were baseball cards. A year later he commissioned a painting for the first time.

Leissring’s fascination with art deepened when he began to study the works of Michael Ayrton, a 20th-century English sculptor, painter and author. Leissring calls Ayrton “the most intelligent, loquacious, talented polymath I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve been drawn along a pathway largely due to his influence.”

Winding through the warehouse are rows and rows of shelves containing thousands of art books. They’re organized alphabetically by subject; a random glance takes in large-format tomes about artists including Frida Kahlo, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, René Magritte and Joan Miró.

Walking through the building, which Leissring completely remodeled about eight years ago, is like traversing a maze. The room dividers and shelves are made of bamboo flooring slats; square skylights large and small evoke a painting by Piet Mondrian.

Etchings are displayed so they can be seen up close. But Leissring says only 2 to 3 percent of the 6,000 to 7,000 items in his collection is visible. Thousands of drawings are housed in wide drawers in the warehouse.

Though his art is lovingly displayed, Leissring’s warehouse is not a museum (it’s not open to the public) and it’s not a gallery. But every few months he welcomes visitors for an afternoon viewing because, he said, “Eyes need to see this stuff.”

Some visitors ask him to put up written descriptions next to the artworks, “but I say no,” Leissring said. “That would miss the point of it; either you’re moved by the image or you aren’t.”

Among his most treasured works are paintings and etchings by French cubist Jacques Villon, but Leissring is considering selling his entire collection of Villon’s work, 358 pieces, to help pay the bills. “I’d love to sell it all because I think it belongs together,” he said, adding that the Villon collection is likely worth $1.2 million.

The retired physician, who worked for three decades at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as laboratory director, reiterated that he doesn’t buy art to deal it.

“I’ve never bought anything for resale. … It puts art in the position of being commoditized. But I have two pieces of real estate, both with mortgages,” he said, which can’t be covered by his Social Security benefits.

As the impromptu warehouse tour continued and midcentury jazz poured through small speakers in every room, Leissring described a table of heads by the sculptor Jerrold Ballaine. His second-floor desk overlooks his collection like the captain’s wheelhouse on a ship.

A mezzotint engraving by Leissring’s grandfather, John Cother Webb, is so precise and realistic that its quality is almost photographic. Near that classic work is a more modern piece, a luridly colored painting called “Wild Dog,” by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo.

“They don’t have to be of a type to hang together,” Leissring said. “They just have to be good.”

Today, Leissring spends most of his days ensconced in his collection. A true Renaissance man, he arrives at the warehouse early in the morning, draws for an hour or more, then plays piano.

He has published dozens of books about artists he admires through his J.C. Leissring Fine Arts Press. When asked where the books are sold, Leissring exclaimed: “Nobody buys them!” and then conceded some can be purchased online as print-on-demand books.

The warehouse is equipped with a kitchen, washer and dryer, making it move-in ready if Leissring needs to — or chooses to — give up the McDonald carriage house.

Asked if he’s been approached by museums or galleries about his collection, Leissring laughed. “Nobody knows about me. I’m not waving my flag. This is just something I had to do, and I did it.”

Learn more about the Jack Leissring Fine Arts Collection by visiting jclfa.com or jclfineart.com.

The Renaissance on North Street

March 2014

By Meg McConahey

Phillip Engel and Mark Goff bought one of the sorriest old houses you could imagine for nearly $1 million and have spent the last several years restoring it virtually by themselves. (photos by Chris Hardy)

Phillip Engel bluntly calls the renovation that ate his life “an accident.”

He and spouse Mark Goff were snooping only out of curiosity when they checked out a house for sale near downtown Healdsburg, not long after the economic crash of 2008.

“We weren’t looking to buy. We just wanted to see it,” he said of the dowager at the corner of North and Fitch streets, listed for $1.6 million.

It was a nice address, but the condition of the house was deplorable. What was then known as the Marshall house, built by town blacksmith John Marshall in 1870 as a gift for his bride, was a magnificent wreck, visibly sagging on its chalky foundation.

Power to most of the interior had been shut off in the 1950s, and someone had strung extension cords along the ceiling from the still-functioning electricity in the back of the house. The peeling plaster walls had gouges and gaping holes. An upstairs bathroom was alarmingly cantilevered into empty space, as if, Goff said with a laugh, Marshall’s wife had insisted he not bring it “into the house.” Busted window mullions gave the three-story mansion a tragic-eyed appearance from the street.

“The house,” Goff said with dry understatement, “looked a little sad.”

But he also unexpectedly fell hard for the aging beauty, looking past its flaws to its fabulous bones: old-growth redwood framing with fir and walnut detailing and an interior left largely untouched by a century of the unfortunate remodeling trends that had stripped other old Victorians of their best assets.

Goff and Engel, then living bicoastal between New York and Studio City, Calif., yearned for a quiet, small-town life and kept an eye on the property as two potential sales fell through. Eventually a part of the large lot in back was split off and the price dropped to less than
$1 million, within striking range of their budget. But the house was too dilapidated to qualify for a bank mortgage.

“It was completely unintentional,” Engel said of the couple’s decision to buy the extreme fixer-upper in June 2009, and do most of the work themselves. “The only thing we were looking for in terms of a house is the location, fairly close to downtown.”

Engel and Goff worked out a deal with the seller to carry the mortgage for three years, giving them time to get the house in a condition habitable enough to quality for long-term bank financing. They optimistically thought they could pull it off in less time, but it took exactly three years. They came in just under the wire, working right up until the day before the appraiser arrived.

As soon as the “For Sale” sign came down, Engel and Goff threw an impromptu party in the front yard with sparkling wine, starting what would become an open-porch policy with friends, neighbors and other townsfolk who have watched in fascination as the restoration unfolded.

A month later, they held a “Golden Ticket” gala. Fancy gold-foil invitations similar to the winning tickets to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory were issued to pretty much anyone who showed interest. The bring-your-own flashlight affair was a chance to see the spooky interior before Engel and Goff began stripping it to the studs.

“We should be certified and locked away,” Goff wrote on Sept. 2, 2009, a day before building contractor Jim Glazier had the house lifted from the remains of its foundation. It would be the first post in a blog, 227northstreet.com, which for nearly five years has documented the pair’s fortunes and misfortunes in the restoration.

Goff had some experience in home improvement, having redone a Craftsman bungalow. He and Engel spruced up their midcentury Studio City home. But they had done no remodeling that came even close to a complete restoration of a historic building.

“Other people thought we were out of our minds,” Engel said. They had to figure out everything, from plumbing to electrical wiring. Plastering was particularly onerous.

“It’s the most physically challenging,” Engel explained. “The plaster is heavy and it’s wet and you have a very short window to work with it. You have to keep going. You can’t stop and start or take a break.”

The three-story Italianate home, with its classical face, pillared porch and authentic flickering gaslights out front, is now quite the looker. There’s no part of it, inside or out, that hasn’t been touched in some way. It took until January 2011 for the house to be in good enough condition for Engel and Goff to move in.

The house had been sorely neglected for more than 50 years, after Charles Frampton bought it as an investment in 1955 and sold it to a daughter in the 1970s for $1. A series of tenants occupied the house, though it received little attention in the way of maintenance.

Engel and Goff worked on the house seven days a week and into the night. They didn’t vacation. Each works from home (Goff in graphic design, Engel in high-tech), so when their day jobs ended at 5:30 p.m., they grabbed their tools and began another shift.

In 2013, the couple hired Timothy Hilton of Earth Tone Painting in Healdsburg to give the exterior a face of soft gray with white trim. They also did a lot of exterior trim themselves, including skirting board near the foundation and wooden gutters leading to the decorative wood corner treatments called quoins.

This year they’ll take on the window sashes and exterior paint in back. Inside, it’s down to the fine details, such as trim work, hardware and painting the doors. And then there’s the matter of the third floor, which still remains untouched.

Engel and Goff are circumspect about how much they have spent on the house, partly because they purposely don’t have a budget. They pay for projects as they go, out of their income.

“Everyone asks, are we over budget,” Engel said. “My response has always been, ‘We don’t have a budget.’ Because when you have a budget, you’re over budget. And if you have a schedule, you’re always behind schedule. By not having a schedule or a budget, we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

The two feel a certain amnesia about the whole thing. Engel figures it must be a little like childbirth.

“If people remembered what it was like to give birth, they might not do it again. Magically, they don’t remember the worst of it,” he mused. “This house, I think, is like that. If we remembered everything up to this point and you asked if I’d do it again, I’d say no. But when I look at it now, I don’t see a time where there were no walls or no floors. It’s strange. Now it’s just seeing this really great house, and we love it.”

The corner of North and Fitch streets has become a bit of a roadside attraction in Healdsburg, with a constant stream of people walking or driving by to offer a thumbs-up or say thanks for saving one of Healdsburg’s architectural heirlooms.

“I tell people I’m very famous within a five-block radius because of the house,” Engel said with a chuckle. “But we realize we don’t actually own this house. We’re just custodians. In many ways, this house belongs to the community.”

Hemingway and Chicken Feet?

March 2014

By biteclub

Old Ernest loved himself a good daiquiri as he whiled away his writing days in Cuba.

Legend has it, the Hemingway daiquiri, aka the Papa Doble was concocted by a local bartender at the El Floridita in the 1930s. Made from rum, grapefruit juice, Maraschino liqueur and lime (we like ours with a little sugar), its a fruity beach drink that’s manly enough for even old Papa H. So finding a Hemingway on the menu at M.Y. China (at the Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park paired with black bean chicken feet on the happy hour menu?

Well, that’s enough to give us a reason to get our Moveable Feast on the road, and hop onto a barstool at Martin Yan’s newest restaurant. The happy hour menu is served from 3-6p.m. Monday through Friday, with all cocktails $7 (you can also get classics like a Sazerac and Old Fashioned) and “bites” including pork dumplings, steamed pork buns, shui mai dim sum and chicken feet — yup, chewy bites of poultry claws — for $5.

Graton Resort and Casino, 288 Golf Course Dr. West, Rohnert Park, (707) 703-1955.

Countdown to Rosso’s Rosticerria

March 2014

By biteclub

Work continues on the Rosso Rosticerria.

It’s easy to forget how much I love Rosso. After a few glasses of wine and a plate of burrata at the Santa Rosa pizzeria, BiteClub got the news that the new Rosso Rosticceria will be opening on March 24. 2014. I walked by the new spot, off Dutton Ave., and work seems to be coming along nicely.

As reported before, the former Sassafrass will be transformed into a casual breakfast, lunch and happy hour spot with Roman style pizzas (the pizza oven is already fired up), roasted meats, espresso and appetizers. 1229 North Dutton, Santa Rosa.

West End Market Opens Sun, March 16

March 2014

By biteclub

The funky little farm market near Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square, the West End Farm Market, kicks off its second year today from 10a.m. to 2p.m. near the DeTurk Round Barn. Last season, it was a wonderful mix of local farmers, crafts and food vendors with lively music and lots of family-friendly fun. Watch for Undercover Bakery, Physis Foods (great freshly made broths), Handlebar Farm, Gypsy Girl Sausage and (plotzing!) Chefs Les and Tara Goodman doing some tasty noshes at their Jewish Deli (house-smoked pastrami! Chocolate Egg Creams!)

Raise a Glass to Spring

March 2014

By Virginie Boone

Banshee Wines, 325 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-395-0915, bansheewines.com. One of the newer additions to Healdsburg’s downtown wine-tasting scene, Banshee has created a cool, urban enclave of wine and art, open into the evenings for lounging. Wines are available by the glass and bottle at retail prices; more formal tastings are available, paired with bites from Healdsburg Shed.

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves, 9711 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 866-572-3552, bellawinery.com. While winter is great for meandering in Bella’s cozy caves, spring brings the opportunity to tour the hillside vineyards by four-wheel drive Pinzgauer and then taste the wines beneath the property’s giant trees. On weekends, enjoy small bites from the winery’s stellar chef, Bruce Frieseke. Cave and vineyard tours should be arranged by appointment one week in advance.

Benziger Family Winery, 1883 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 888-490-2739, benziger.com. This friendly family winery is all about nature and the outdoors, nurturing an insectary to benefit the vines and taking visitors on vineyard tram tours to discuss the whys and hows of Biodynamic farming. The Benzigers produce a wide range of wines at fair prices.

Buena Vista Winery, 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com. Historic Buena Vista has refashioned its wine caves into a glittery romantic spot for barrel tasting and touring, and a section of the cave can be reserved for private, by-appointment tastes of library wines and barrel samples. Don’t miss the Champagne Cellars (kid-friendly and there is no charge), where the winery’s history can be further explored.

Campovida, 13601 Old River Road, Hopland, 707-400-6300, campovida.com. On the site of glorious gardens surrounded by vineyards, Campovida features a tasting room called Taste of Place, offering wine tasting, local artisanal fare and plenty of discussion about the advantages and challenges of organic, Biodynamic and sustainable farming in Mendocino County. In spring, don’t miss Campovida’s own stunningly delicious rosé.

Chateau St. Jean, 8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-4134, chateaustjean.com. With a sprawling picture-perfect lawn and bocce courts, the best reason to visit this venerable winery besides its gorgeous location is the 40th-anniversary celebration of Cinq Cepages, its proprietary Bordeaux-style red blend. It also carries many picnic goodies.

DeLoach Vineyards, 1791 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa, 707-526-9111, deloachvineyards.com. Producer of predominantly Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, DeLoach affords visitors the opportunity to learn the philosophies of Biodynamic farming and take part in two unique experiences available daily. The M.F.S. Blending Experience ($100) is a 90-minute lesson in blending, bottling and labeling your own Pinot Noir. The Magic of Wine and Mustard ($40) explores the history of mustard in Burgundy, France, and includes a stroll through the vineyard and garden, the chance to make your own mustard from Dijon seeds, and a pairing of mustard-inspired food with a flight of DeLoach wines.

Dry Creek Vineyard, 3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg, 800-864-9463, drycreekvineyard.com. If for no other reason, come to Dry Creek Vineyard for the dry Chenin Blanc, a fine, springtime sipper. Then move on to the winery’s Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Meritage wines. It’s worth first stopping at the nearby Dry Creek General Store for provisions to enjoy on the winery’s open-air picnic grounds.

Ferrari-Carano, 8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-6700, ferrari-carano.com. Take a tour of the sprawling Versailles-grand gardens, so rich in tulips (said to number 10,000) that the winery mans a garden hotline (707-433-5439). Taste the wine in one of two tasting bars, Enoteca or Villa Fiore.

Gundlach-Bundschu, 2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707-938-5277, gunbun.com. The 1860s winery, still family-run, offers a courtyard tasting menu in good weather with flights of five current-release wines, and the option to indulge in five library Cabernet Sauvignons. A board of local cheeses, hummus and almonds might accompany the wines. Vineyard excursions start in May.

Harmonique Wines, 14501 Highway 128, Boonville, 707-895-9300, harmoniquewine.com. Opened in 2013 by owners Bruce and Moira Conzelman to celebrate the release of three aged Pinot Noirs made by winemaker Robert Klindt, the Harmonique tasting room is within the John Hanes Fine Art Gallery, across from the Boonville Hotel. Enjoy the winery’s three 2007 Pinot Noirs and delightful unoaked Chardonnay.

Hartford Family Winery, 8075 Martinelli Road, Forestville, 707-887-8030, hartfordwines.com. Tucked away in the woods, Hartford is a consistent high-quality producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old-vine Zinfandel, sourcing grapes from the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley, and from other cool locales such as Anderson Valley. Seated in-depth tastings, including some with food pairings, can be arranged by appointment.

J Vineyards & Winery, 11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-5400, jwine.com. A glass of bubbly is always a good thing, and this is a well-appointed spot at which to have it, as well as taste J’s Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Don’t miss having a sip of Pinot Gris, among the winery’s most popular, springtime-perfect wines. The J Bubble Room will pair wines with exquisite, locally sourced dishes.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 800-654-1213, jordanwinery.com. By appointment, Jordan welcomes visitors for walking tours through its beautiful compound, which includes the estate’s gardens where executive chef Todd Knoll sources a cornucopia of produce for winery meals. Tours and seated tastings go Monday through Saturday throughout the year and also on Sundays starting in mid-April. Jordan also makes an estate extra-virgin olive oil.

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards, 12747 El Camino Bodega, Freestone, 707-874-1010, josephphelps.com. On the way to the coast, stop by Freestone Vineyards for its cool-climate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The tasting room also pours selections from parent winery Joseph Phelps Vineyards, the Napa Valley producer of Cabernet Sauvignon and the famous Insignia proprietary red blend. On the second Sunday of every month, Freestone features local foods paired with the Sonoma Coast and Napa Valley wines.

Landmark Wine, 101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-0053, landmarkwine.com. In the shadow of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Landmark makes Chardonnay (including the acclaimed Overlook bottling) and Pinot Noir, and is increasingly becoming known for its Rhone-inspired reds, including Syrah and Grenache. In addition to its tasting room, the winery offers picnic spots and bocce courts.

Merry Edwards Winery, 2959 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 707-823-7466, merryedwards.com. Winemaker Merry Edwards is a pioneer in Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, excelling at coaxing rich berry flavor and voluptuous texture from the grapes. She also produces some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the state, and has recently added Chardonnay to her lineup. Don’t miss the opportunity to discover her skill and view some of the estate vineyards surrounding the winery.

Navarro Vineyards and Winery, 5601 Highway 128, Philo, 800-537-9463, navarrowine.com. The wide selection of crisp white wines and bright, mellow reds is worth the drive to Philo, where Navarro’s homey picnic grounds inspire taking one’s time. Plenty of picnic goodies are stocked in the tasting room, including daughter Sarah Cahn Bennett’s fine farmstead goat cheeses made down the road at Pennyroyal Farm. Vineyard tours are given twice a day, by appointment, and picnics are encouraged.

Odette Estate, 5998 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707-224-7533, odetteestate.com. Owned by the PlumpJack Winery guys (Gordon Getty, Gavin Newsom and John Conover), Odette is in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District and on the path to becoming LEED-certified. With 18,000 square feet of caves, some of the first modern versions dug in Napa Valley, Odette makes for an intriguing visit, with great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines on offer.

Porter Creek Vineyards, 8735 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-6321, portercreekvineyards.com. Here is an old-school tasting room in terms of its simplicity, but there’s nothing simple about Porter Creek’s wines, which are intriguing and complex, made from organically grown grapes from hillside vineyards. In addition to Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, enjoy Viognier, Carignane, Syrah and Zinfandel.

Ram’s Gate, 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700, ramsgatewinery.com. Ram’s Gate was designed for lingering, with a host of spacious sitting areas, many of which are grouped around a fireplace. Then there’s the food, prepared to order by the on-staff chef for seated, guided tastings. Order a picnic lunch to take into the vineyard or out by the pond. The wines alone are a reason to stay, a collection of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and even a brut bubbly.

Ridge Vineyards / Lytton Springs, 650 Lytton Springs Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-7721, ridgewine.com. Revered Ridge is a worthy stop no matter the time of year, for its structured Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons, but its location off a side road in Dry Creek Valley is also a pretty way to travel. The tasting room is open daily, but reserve ahead for a Century Tour and Library Tasting, which might include an older vintage of Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, Ridge’s most famous wine, by request.

Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 800-678-4763, rodneystrong.com. For a comprehensive taste of Sonoma County with expansive views of vines, look no further than Rodney Strong, which offers an estate wine tasting daily as well as the option to try single-vineyard and reserve wines. From its staunch Alexander Valley Cabernets to Davis Bynum Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, there’s a lot to like. Outdoor picnics are also on order, on the winery’s lawn or vineyard terrace; picnic items are available for purchase.

Saracina Vineyards, 11684 Highway 101, Hopland, 707-744-1671, saracina.com. John Fetzer and his wife, Patty Rock, have created a lovely destination getaway on the outskirts of Hopland. Practitioners of biodiversity, they have 600 acres that include grapevines, olive groves and ponds, as well as comfortable outdoor tables under umbrellas. Bottlings include Malbec, Petite Sirah and an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, but don’t miss the lovely Chardonnays, one of them unoaked.

Schramsberg Vineyards, 1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga, 800-877-3623, schramsberg.com. Among the first in California to specialize in sparkling wine, Schramsberg occupies hallowed ground, home to the oldest hillside vineyards in Napa Valley and some of the first caves dug for storing and aging wine. Take a tour by appointment, and don’t miss the Mirabelle Brut Rosé and other gorgeous sparklers before moving on to taste the J. Davies Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Sequoia Grove, 8338 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, 800-851-7841, sequoiagrove.com. Aptly named, this Cabernet Sauvignon producer lives in a 150-year-old barn beneath an impressive stand of Sequoias, where tables await in the shade.

Stark Wine, 439 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-431-8023, starkwine.com. Husband-and-wife-run Stark is off the main square in Healdsburg in a swank, open tasting room. Live music plays every Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.; on Saturday, the tasting room is open until 7 p.m. Try the Viognier, a wine just right for the season.

Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate, 7111 Highway 128, 707-473-3333, stonestreetwines.com. Located near Alexander Valley’s popular Jimtown Store, Stonestreet excels in mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and invites visitors to taste through its single-vineyard bottlings. Carve out extra time to take the two-hour Mountain Excursion and Picnic ($90; 10:30 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a revelatory traipse through Stonestreet’s 6,000-acre estate, with lunch and wine.

Tricycle Wine Partners, 23568 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-255-4929, tricyclewineco.com. The newest addition to Cornerstone Gardens, Tricycle makes a range of high-quality wines, from its rich Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County, to Kazmer & Blaise Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros, to the Molnar Family single-vineyard wines from Napa Valley.

Valdez Family Winery, 113 Mill St., Healdsburg, 707-433-3710, valdezfamilywinery.com. Ulises Valdez is a highly sought-after, Sonoma County-based vineyard manager with access to some mighty fine grapes, so it’s no wonder he’s now producing his own lineup of stellar wines, with a special focus and place in his heart for Zinfandel. If your own heart beats for Rockpile, don’t pass up the Valdez Botticelli Vineyard Zin, an excellent expression of the rocky appellation high above Lake Sonoma.

Vigilance Winery, 13888 Point Lakeview Road, Lower Lake, 707-994-9656, vigilancewinery.com. Sustainably farmed by longtime vineyard manager Clay Shannon and his team of grass-fed lambs, Vigilance offers gorgeous vistas of Clear Lake and Mount Konocti and access to the Anderson Marsh sanctuary. A day at Vigilance isn’t complete this time of year without a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

VJB Vineyards & Cellars, 60 Shaw Ave., Kenwood, 707-833-2300, vjbcellars.com. In an Italian-inspired, courtyard-centered villa in the heart of Sonoma Valley, VJB serves steaming coffee and pastries in the morning, panini, pasta and pizza during the day, and samples of its Italian-inspired wines. The winery also stocks co-proprietor Maria Belmonte’s line of sauces, pestos and tapenades, and houses a shop for gelato and specialty chocolates.

Dining Out

March 2014

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Alexander’s at the Timber Cove Inn, Timber Cove, 707-847-3231, timbercoveinn.com. The restaurant at the old Timber Cove Inn has been cleaned up, given a makeover and is now well worth a stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner, all served daily. The views of the ocean, rocks and land forms around the crescent beach at Timber Cove are gorgeous. The food is classic California-American with nods to Canada, Mexico, Europe, Polynesia and the Far East. Stick with the basics and you won’t go wrong: steaks, ribs, fish and fowl. There is a good wine list of Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley wines. Reviewed 7/29/12. $$-$$$$

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar, 336 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-8111, bacicafeandwinebar.com. Classic Italian dishes, many of them from northern Italy, are expertly prepared by Shari Sarabi, who is originally from Iran but cooks as though he hails from Milan. A large wood-fired oven turns out some of the best pizza in Sonoma County. The sauce Bolognese is the real thing, and there’s tiramisu and panna cotta for dessert. The wine list features wines from Italy and the Healdsburg area. Reviewed 12/1/13. $$$

Belly Left Coast Kitchen & Tap Room, 523 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-526-5787, belly707.com. Belly raises the bar for gastropubs in the North Bay, with wonderfully flavorful renditions of staples such as pizzas, burgers, steaks, barbecued pulled pork, crab cakes, salads and more. Chef Gray Rollin has been the tour chef for many popular music acts, and you can imagine band members appreciating his way with comfort food. Twenty-six beers on tap and 26 more by the bottle offer extensive choices for ways to wet your whistle and whet your appetite. Reviewed 4/28/13. $-$$

The Big 3, 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, 707-938-9000, ext. 2410, fairmont.com/sonoma/dining/the-big-3. This is the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s casual dining spot, and a place renowned for its great breakfasts (It serves lunch and dinner, too). A recently installed wood-burning oven turns out excellent pizzas. There’s a wine bar for sampling Sonoma Valley wines by the glass. As it is part of the SMI hotel and spa complex, dinner entrees are pricey. The fare is all-American: meatloaf, baby back ribs, New York steak, fish and chicken. Reviewed 11/4/12. $$$-$$$$

Bistro 29, 620 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-2929, bistro29.com. We’re lucky to have a restaurant in our area that serves the food of Brittany in northwestern France. The cuisine features beautiful buckwheat crepes, both savory and sweet, with myriad choices of fillings. Brittany is known for its excellent chicken and seafood, and chef Brian Anderson makes delicious entrees with locally sourced versions of both. Great wine list of French and local wines, too. Reviewed 5/19/13. $$$

Bistro Des Copains, 3782 Bohemian Highway, Occidental, 707-874-2436, bistrodescopains.com. This very authentic Provençal-style bistro in the charming village of Occidental is the kind of place that a tourist, stumbling upon it, would write home about. Real-deal onion soup, raclette melted cheese, feuilleté of escargot, great pissaladière, mushroom crème brulée, braised rabbit in mustard sauce, steak frites with sauce Béarnaise, and so much more. Reviewed 3/17/13. $$-$$$$

Café Lucia, 235 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, Suite 105, 707-431-1113, cafelucia.net. The same highly flavored Portuguese food that has made LaSalette such a hit over the years in Sonoma is now available in Healdsburg. The kitchen turns out dishes created by executive chef Manuel Azevedo, and his sister, Lucia, hosts and runs the business. The siblings are co-owners. It’s a bright and tasty addition to Healdsburg’s already-superior food scene. The caldo verde is perfect, seafood stew is terrific, and all the entrees shimmer with intense flavor. Reviewed 1/20/13. $$$

Campo Fina, 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-395-4640, campo-fina.com. With the addition of Campo Fina to Scopa, his other restaurant, chef Ari Rosen has given Healdsburg the Italian restaurants this destination food-and-wine town deserves. At the center of Campo Fina is a wood-fired oven and its incredibly good pizzas. Lots of small plates are offered. The dishes are classic in their devotion to the Italian food sensibility but also innovative. Great wine list. Highly recommended. Reviewed 8/26/12. $$

Canneti Roadhouse, 6675 Front St., Forestville, 707-887-2232, cannetirestaurant.com. Canneti Roadhouse primarily serves Tuscan food that chef/owner Francesco Torre learned to love as a child in Italy. That means a local version of the Mediterranean diet, with lots of fresh vegetables, olive oil, bread and meat (especially game). A four-course seasonal Tuscan tasting menu is a good bet, and each course can be paired with wine. During clement weather, there’s alfresco dining out back. Reviewed 5/26/13. $$$-$$$$

Catelli’s, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3471, mycatellis.com. Nick and Domenica Catelli, grandchildren of the original owners, have brought Catelli’s restaurant back to life and supercharged it with good feelings and the old Italian-American favorites made with locally grown, organic ingredients. The result? Catelli’s is better than ever. It even has Kitty’s bread pudding on the menu, a staple for more than 30 years at the restaurant’s previous incarnation. Great list of local wines. Reviewed 5/6/12. $$-$$$$

Chalkboard, 29 North St., Healdsburg, 707-473-8030, chalkboardhealdsburg.com. This hideout for tired tourists and thirsty, hungry locals is a refreshing break from the insistent gentrification going on around it in Healdsburg. A full bar offers cocktails in a comfy setting, and the rustic décor encourages patrons to relax. The small-plate dishes of chef Shane McAnelly are modestly priced and tasty, and include the best sliders in town, raw items, house-made pastas and seafood. Reviewed 6/23/13. $$

Flavor Bistro, 96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, 707-573-9600, flavorbistro.com. In its friendly, unpretentious way, Flavor Bistro is a shining example of Sonoma County’s enviable food scene. House-made pastas and pizzas, and meats and vegetables from local organic farms are expertly prepared, and the wine list is excellent. Breakfast is served most days and lunch and dinner every day. Best of all are the modest prices on most dishes. All these features make Flavor the go-to place for locals and wise visitors. Reviewed 12/8/13. $-$$$$

El Dorado Kitchen, 405 First St. W., Sonoma, 707-996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com. The food can be superb here, although prices are high. Roast chicken? Wonderful. Fresh garden salads? Great. All are supported by an excellent wine list. The outdoor patio is a lovely setting during clement weather. Reviewed 1/8/12. $$$$

The Fig Café, 13690 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-938-2130, thefigcafe.com. Here is a modest restaurant that’s usually full of happy customers because the food is good, there’s no corkage on wines brought in, and it doesn’t take reservations. A word to the wise: Don’t miss the Meyer lemon cheesecake with huckleberry compote. There are thin-crust pizzas, steaming bowls of plump mussels, a good pot roast plate, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, salads and a lot more. Reviewed 4/29/12. $$-$$$

French Blue, 1429 Main St., St. Helena, 707-968-9200, frenchbluenapa.com. Here’s a comfortable refuge from the hustle and bustle of Napa Valley. Seating in the expansive dining room is first come, first served. The food is refined bistro fare with a gorgeous blue cheese burger, pasta, mussels, fish, steak, an interesting array of appetizers and a full bar. The same menu is offered all day, and the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. Comfy chairs and banquettes with lots of pillows add to the relaxing vibe. Reviewed 7/1/12. $$

Glen Ellen Star, 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-343-1384, glenellenstar.com. Chef Ari Weiswasser selects culinary ideas from around the world and uses them to make innovative and delicious versions of meat and vegetable dishes in his wood-fired oven. The broad pods of Romano beans in a bacon and brown sugar marmalade is an example, as are roasted lamb meatballs served with couscous and vegetable soffrito. A good wine list is reasonably priced. There are house-made ice creams for dessert. Reviewed 6/24/12. $-$$$

Goose & Gander, 1245 Spring St., St. Helena, 707-967-8779, goosegander.com. Here’s gastropub cooking done right, and for reasonable prices given that it’s in the hub of Napa Valley. Choose from a wide variety of interesting appetizers, including
really delicious meatballs, scrumptious wood-grilled prawns in a piperade and roasted bone marrow. There is an incredibly good tomato soup, and main plates feature seared California halibut, house-made fettucini and flatiron steak. A superb wine list completes the picture. Reviewed 6/17/12. $$-$$$$

Jacinto’s Kitchen “Pot of Flavors,” 6576 Oakmont Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-537-8933, jacintoskitchen.com. Erasto and Pablo Jacinto worked for years at some of Napa Valley’s best restaurants, and now have a place of their own in Oakmont in eastern Santa Rosa, where they brilliantly recreate the Mexican dishes they grew up with in Oaxaca. The chile rellenos, sweet-corn tamales and especially the from-scratch mole sauce are perfect evocations of those dishes. Reviewed 4/1/12. $$

Lucy Restaurant & Bar, 6526 Yount St., Yountville, 707-204-6030, bar-dessono.com. The Bardessono Hotel is one of the greenest hotels in the country, and Lucy, its restaurant serving California cuisine, relies on produce from Lucy’s Garden, right outside the kitchen door. The home-grown ingredients in every dish are marked on the menu with a symbol. Most of the items can be purchased as a small or large plate. The food is carefully prepared and the wine list is superb. Reviewed 3/25/12. $$-$$$$

630 Park Steakhouse, at the Graton Resort & Casino, 630 Park Court, Rohnert Park, 707-588-7115, gratonresortcasino.com/dining/casual-dining. Here is a big-time, casino-style steakhouse. A 42-ounce prime T-bone for two is $120, a 20-ounce rib eye for one is $54, and filet mignons start at $43 for the “petite.” The meat is as terrific as the prices, and the kitchen also serves up chicken and seafood, such as the 28-ounce Northern Australian lobster tail for $149. Side dishes of vegetables, potatoes, and comfort foods like mac and cheese, run approximately $10 extra each. You only live once. Reviewed 12/29/13. $$$$

Speakeasy, 139 Petaluma Blvd. N., Suite B, Petaluma, 707-776-4631, speakeasypetaluma.com. One of the chief virtues of Speakeasy is that it stays open for food and drink until 2 a.m. every day. Chef Dindo Borja, originally from Guam, prepares an eclectic mix of sandwiches, tacos and tapas with influences from all over the Pacific. The Taco Trio is a winner: pork belly, chicken and salmon tacos are plenty for a meal. Yes, there’s beer and wine, but none of the hard stuff. Reviewed 5/12/13. $-$$

Tony’s of North Beach, at the Graton Resort & Casino, 630 Park Court, Rohnert Park, 707-586-0777. gratonresortcasino.com/dining/casual-dining. Pizza superstar Tony Gemignani, who owns a handful of Italian restaurants in the Bay Area, added this sit-down pizza parlor to his holdings in late 2013. It’s a great place to take a break from the noisy casino floor, and the pizzas — including Neapolitan, Sicilian, Roman, Italian-American, New York and Californian — are delicious and classic examples of their styles. A fine wine list, too. Reviewed 12/15/13. $$-$$$$

Woodfour Brewing Company, 6780 Depot St., Sebastopol (in The Barlow), 707-823-3144, woodfourbrewing.com. It’s just what you want in a restaurant — something new and different. The brewery makes a range of distinctive beers and ales and has a cupboard full of bottled beers from all over the world. The food is as ingenious as the beers, and beautifully displayed on the plates. It shows great creativity on the part of the chefs, as they combine unlikely ingredients into exceptionally delicious dishes. Reviewed 9/8/13. $$

A Climate for Great Food

March 2014

By Diane Peterson

The Culinary Institute of America as seen from the CIA farm at the Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. (Alvin Jornada / For The Press Democrat)

In Wine Country, the distance from farm to fork is shrinking to nearly nothing: There are restaurants that now boast onsite farms and full-time gardeners, allowing them to reap what they sow on a year-round basis.

We’re not talking about a raised bed of rosemary, parsley and thyme. These are full-on farms where greenhouses extend the season and diners can extend their visits by strolling past the asparagus and lettuce beds.

The newest restaurant farm is at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, where pioneering chef Larry Forgione launched a farm-to-table program in 2013.

“California has the Mediterranean climate that’s so conducive to growing produce year-round,” Forgione said. “If you don’t start with great ingredients, you’re not going to have great food.”

For 15 weeks, CIA students learn about composting with farm manager Christian Dake at the 3-acre garden at Charles Krug Winery, just across Highway 29 from the campus. Then, with Forgione’s guidance, they harvest, design and serve a five-course tasting menu at The Conservatory, a pop-up restaurant open Friday and Saturday nights on campus.

This spring, Dake is excited about the farm’s new greenhouse, which has a retractable roof and shade cloth system that will allow him to get a jump on tomato starts and produce cool-weather greens into the summer.

Dake is also dry-farming 3 acres of heritage wheat for breads and pastries, raising chickens for their eggs and expecting the farm’s first farrow of Red Wattle pigs in March.

Chef Jesse Mallgren in the Madrona Manor culinary garden in Healdsburg in 2013. (Jeni + Dylan Photography.) — Chef Jesse Mallgren in the Madrona Manor culinary garden in Healdsburg in 2013.
(Jeni + Dylan Photography.)

At the Michelin-starred Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, the 8-acre estate gardens include a 1-acre production garden tended by Master Gardener Geno Ceccato for the past 25 years. New this year is a vented greenhouse, where Ceccato can grow baby lettuces and microgreens to suit executive chef Jesse Mallgren’s exacting palate.

In the spring, Mallgren designs his menus around the herbs, carrots, fava beans and strawberries ripening in the outdoor beds as well.

“We try to grow things that can be picked and served the same day,” Mallgren said. “And things that you can’t find elsewhere.”

Mallgren, who sources about 25 percent of his produce from the estate gardens, encourages his culinary crew to pick their own ingredients.

“You get out of the kitchen that way,” he said. “And it’s got a beautiful view.”

The Conservatory, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, 2555 Main St., St. Helena, 707-967-2300, ciarestaurants.com

Madrona Manor, 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 800-258-4003, madronamanor.com

Trillium opens in Mendocino

March 2014

By biteclub

TRILLIUM CHEF JEREMY BAUMGARTNER CONSULTS WITH SUPPORTER MARGARET FOX

The view from the Trillium Cafe in Mendocino, which opens March 15, 2014 officially.

Good news from our neighbors to the north: The Baked Alaska is back.

Granted, we’ve cherry-picked this Madmen-era dessert (ice cream and sponge cake covered with meringue, baked, and often set alight) off the forthcoming Trillium Cafe’s menu. But after perusing this new Mendocino restaurant’s menu, it’s indicative of the kind of classic-meets-modern dishes on Chef Jeremy Baumgartner’s sensibility.

To wit: This Baked Alaska is an olive oil cake with kumquat meringue and mint ice cream ($9). And as long as we’re thinking dessert first, how about bourbon cream beignets with maple glaze and candied bacon, or a butterscotch pie with caramel and Chantily cream.

At least you’ve been warned to save room.

“We know this is an often overlooked area…We feel strongly that diners who are paying for a Wine Country caliber meal…in a stunning location deserve not only outstanding food and drink, but…caring service as well,” said Trillium’s owner, Sandra McElroy.

Other tempting menu items: Spring pea arancini ($12), Dungeness crab strudel with capers and nasturtium ($15), rabbit meatballs and tortelloni ($22) with sunchokes, and pork loin and belly with heirloom beans ($26). Also available are several vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items.
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner. And of course, dessert.

Trillium Cafe: 10390 Kasten St., Mendocino.

Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2014

March 2014

By biteclub

Preparing for Restaurant Week at Red’s Apple Roadhouse Photo: Press Democrat

I always feel like I need to announce Sonoma County Restaurant Week (March 10-16) with the same voice Oprah used to announce that her audience was flying to Australia. “And you get a three course dinner for $19! And you get a three course dinner for $29!,” BiteClub shouts over the screaming audience.

Talkshow dreams aside, it’s hard to believe this is the fifth year that Sonoma County celebrates its hardworking restaurateurs with a five-day celebration of all things delicious. With well over 100 restaurants spanning Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Healdsburg, Petaluma, the Coast and everything in-between, this is your chance to hit up some of those restaurants you’ve been dying to try, but just haven’t been to yet.

New this year: Two course lunch menus for $10, $15 or $20. Three course dinner menus remain at $19, $29 and $39.

I’ll have a full list online, as well as some of my favorite menus, but some of the newcomers you may want to check out include:

– Palooza Gastropub (8910 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood) featuring their wedge salad, beef cheeks or Chef Chris Hanson’s luxe vegetarian risotto made with Speakeasy lager, mushrooms and season veggies, and s’mores on a stick, $39.

– 38 Degrees North: Sonoma Mission Inn’s hot new restaurant serves up roasted beet salad, beef sliders and creme brûlée, $39.

– Belly Left Coast Kitchen (523 Fourth St., Santa Rosa): Love this downtown SR restaurant that’s got a killer pork belly with hoisin and Campfire Stout chocolate mousse, $29.

– Red’s Apple Roadhouse (4550 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol): One of BiteClub’s favorite off-the-beaten-path newcomers is doing both lunch ($15, pulled pork sammie or portobello mushroom burger with handout fries and pie) and dinner ($19) featuring their famous fried chicken supper or beer-braised pork belly.

– Best Value, Partake by KJ (241 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg): Biteclub is pretty floored by the $29 and $39 dinner menus that include 4-plus courses of Chef Justin Wangler’s life-altering food with multiple wine pairings. Think oysters with white verjus, smoked loin of lamb, white chocolate panna cotta, beet tartare and Meyer lemon pudding. Now, keep in mind, each course is more of a few luxurious bites rather than a craggy mound of food. But we’d far rather eat well than prodigiously.

Now please excuse me while sop the drool off my keyboard.

Want more details? Click here for a COMPLETE list of restaurants.