This Historic North Bay Hotel and Tavern Is an Idyllic Coastal Retreat

Olema House
A lounge area in a room at Olema House in Olema, nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)

An hour north of San Francisco, on the fringes of the Point Reyes National Seashore, Olema House beckons as a tranquil sanctuary for exploring the scenic Sonoma-Marin coast. 

The boutique hotel, surrounded by national forest parkland and coastal wilderness, blends urban sophistication with a Bohemian vibe. Set on four acres of private lawns and gardens, it has 22 rooms and two spacious cottages for groups and small families, featuring cozy amenities such as heat-warmed floors and down comforters.

But you’re not just here to relax in plush settings while taking in the scenery. The coast also offers plenty of delicious places to eat. Just next door to Olema is Due West, a contemporary tavern inside a charmingly renovated building built in 1865. The menu showcases seasonal ingredients from small, local purveyors. The tavern also has a lovely market, with house-baked goods made daily, alongside picnic provisions.

Olema House
A lounge area in a room at the Olema House hotel in Olema, nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
The bar at Due West Tavern, located nearby Olema House in Olema, nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
The bar at Due West Tavern, located next to Olema House in Olema, near Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)

This summer, Due West has expanded its lineup of activities to include weekly live music sessions on Thursdays, which will continue throughout the summer months. These sessions feature local artists performing from 6 to 8 p.m.

To pair with the live tunes, Due West serves up Thursday night food specials, which, in June, include oysters ($20 per half dozen) and smoked baby back pork ribs with candied Serrano glaze. The tavern also plans to introduce a grill-out series, featuring a custom smoker on the property, and expand the back patio offerings to include grilled oysters, meats and more.

“Now that the sun has returned to our coast, we are excited to activate our beautiful back patio and lawn in Point Reyes with live music, great food from our smoker and selections from our Due West Tavern bar team,” said Kate Killoran, director of restaurants for Mosaic Hotel Group, which owns Olema House and Due West Tavern and Market.

"Shore Board" at Due West Tavern, nest to Olema House in Olema. (Roxanne McClure Photography)
The ‘Shore Board,’ with beet-cured salmon, smoked mussels, smoked cod dip, pickled onions and crème fraîche with lavash bread, at Due West Tavern, located next to Olema House in Olema, near Point Reyes National Seashore. (Roxanne McClure Photography)

Situated off Highway 1, Olema House serves as a great starting point for exploring the wonders of west Marin, offering access to scenic hikes, coastal biking trails and paddling experiences. Due West has summer picnic packages — to enjoy on the trail or in a private patio space overlooking Olema Creek — featuring provisions from its market alongside an expanding collection of one-of-a-kind spirits, wines, low-alcohol drinks and custom-made snacks.

Upon check-in at the hotel, guests are treated to a complimentary bottle of the signature Olema House wine. Across the property, there is digital-free entertainment, such as classic board games and lawn games. Visitors can also borrow vintage or modern binoculars for daily use to view surrounding nature and wildlife. To unwind after a day on the coast, there are fire pits and a complimentary s’more hour on select evenings.

“Olema House is a tranquil space for every type of traveler, whether they want to explore nature on a self-guided tour of the many nearby trails, [or] take in the sights with a pair of binoculars from our Binocular Library,” said Jose Barajas, Olema House general manager.

Olema House, 10021 Highway 1, Olema. 415-663-9000, olemahouse.com; Due West Tavern, 10005 Highway 1, Olema. 415-663-1264, olemahouse.com/due-west-restaurant

Secret Santa Rosa Cafe Patio Is a Spot for Memories

The back deck at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

For 30 years, my mother and grandmother made regular pilgrimages to Cafe Citti in Kenwood for what they called the “tuna egg mayo.”

Though the correct name is “tuna and egg salad sandwich” ($13.95), my mother sticks to her own made-up moniker steadfastly. Little more than a footnote on the Italian trattoria menu, the mix of egg and tuna salad between two thick slices of focaccia is her bad day fixer and comfort food go-to.

Sitting on the back patio of Luca and Linda Citti’s new(ish) Santa Rosa location, the tuna sandwich is immediately added to our order, as my parents and I enjoy a warm spring evening overlooking Santa Rosa Creek. I’m more of a pasta girl, but I get the nostalgia so many locals share for Cafe Citti.

Cafe Citti
The back patio at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

The Kenwood location closed in 2020 when the Cittis faced extensive renovations to the building they had leased for more than 30 years, on top of COVID-19 restrictions, power outages and the threat of wildfires and evacuation orders.

Roughly a year later, the Cittis opened their current location in Santa Rosa, a compact 900-foot space recognizable on Fourth Street by its tiny cupola and arched windows. Early on, takeout was their bread and butter, but as the world opened up again, the back patio became one of the best kept secrets in Sonoma County.

Though there are a handful of seats in front of the restaurant, the coveted seats are in the quiet refuge at the rear (there is no seating inside the restaurant).

On the way to the patio, you’ll walk through the bustle of the busy kitchen with an almost constant stream of to-go and delivery orders.

You’ll find that Cafe Citti is primarily a club for regulars, who know their order and embrace Luca and Linda like the old friends they are.

Cafe Citti
The garlicky Caesar salad at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Cafe Citti
Italian tuna and hardboiled egg salad with lettuce, tomato served on housemade Focaccia bread at Cafe Citti in Santa Rosa, June 12, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

The surprisingly extensive menu, considering the small space, includes Cafe Citti’s oft-imitated garlicky Caesar salad ($18), mix-and-match pastas and sauces and scratch-made desserts, as well as specials and low-alcohol cocktails.

The Santa Rosa location offers 14 sauces made from scratch, including Italian workhorses like Bolognese, marinara, pesto, Alfredo, white clam and puttanesca ($22.95 with choice of noodles). Upgrade to Luca’s signature sauces ($25.95): carbonara made properly (without cream), spicy pomodoro, smoked chicken with lemon and cream, and the luxurious porcini (29.95) with mushrooms, Marsala wine, garlic and cream. Each is easily shareable or enough for hearty leftovers.

Want more than just noodles? Cafe Citti’s housemade ravioli, gnocchi and fried slices of polenta don’t disappoint, and a towering slice of lasagna layered with Bolognese and béchamel feeds my dad for days. The restaurant also serves 12-inch thin-crust pizzas with gourmet toppings and focaccia sandwiches.

For dessert, housemade tiramisu ($9.50) bathed in crème Anglaise is a charming finish at this neighborhood gem.

Linda Citti has concocted a variety of spritzes using herbal Cappelletti (a cousin of Aperol), Prosecco and Pinot Grigio infused with fruit. The Pomegranate Prickly Pear ($12) with fresh pomegranate and prickly pear nectar, lime, sugar, agave and maple syrup with a Prosecco float is a sweet but refreshing cocktail.

And, it’s a perfect way to toast to my mom’s favorite tuna egg mayo sandwich.

Café Citti: 2792 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707-523-2690, cafecitti.com. Open from 4:30 to 7:30. p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Wildfires Destroyed This Napa Winery Nearly 7 Years Ago. Now It’s Back and Better Than Ever

The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system. (Alexander Rubin)

Soon after the Atlas Fire destroyed the Signorello Estate winery on Oct. 9, 2017, proprietor Ray Signorello, Jr. predicted it would take roughly two years to rebuild the facility.

On Tuesday, more than six years after tragedy struck, the Signorello family welcomed visitors to their new, state-of-the-art winery on the original Napa estate.

“I think it was probably over-ambitious to say rebuilding would take two years,” said Signorello, who co-founded the winery with his father in 1977. “It took three years just to go through the permit process.”

Since 2018, Signorello had held tastings in a temporary modular space next to the original winery, set on a hilltop above the Silverado Trail. Then came the pandemic and its accompanying supply chain issues.

The winery, now open daily for tastings, is known for its classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, made from some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley. (Remarkably, the estate vineyards escaped the 2017 fires unscathed.)

The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system. (Alexander Rubin)
The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system. (Alexander Rubin)
Signorello Estate, which opened for tastings Tuesday, is known for its classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, made from some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley. Remarkably, the estate vineyards escaped the 2017 fires unscathed. (Alexander Rubin)
Signorello Estate, which opened for tastings Tuesday, is known for its classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, made from some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley. Remarkably, the estate vineyards escaped the 2017 fires unscathed. (Alexander Rubin)

A fireproof facility

The new facility bears no resemblance to the original ivy-covered, wood-framed building constructed in the mid-1980s. Made from steel, concrete and glass, Signorello’s gleaming replacement is set inside a newly dug cave system.

The idea, said Signorello, was to create a virtually fireproof facility for the current moment — and for future generations.

“We’re built into the side of a hill, and the roof line would act like a ski jump for fires coming from the east,” he explained.

The entirely off-the-grid, solar-powered winery includes two onsite wells, along with fire pumps and storage for an additional 100,000 gallons of water. For extra protection, all of the estate’s power lines were placed underground.

The rebuild also gave Signorello a chance to expand and modernize the winemaking facility with input from winemaker Priyanka French, consulting winemaker Celia Welch, and viticulturist Steve Matthiasson.

“Given that we’ve been in the industry so long, we got to use all our knowledge to create something that isn’t just aesthetically beautiful, but functional,” Signorello said. “It was designed with a team of winemakers, so it’s like a restaurant having the chef design the kitchen.”

Priyanka French is the winemaker at Signorello Estate. (Leigh Ann Beverly)
The rebuild gave Ray Signorello, Jr. a chance to expand and modernize the winemaking facility. (Alexander Rubin)

The first of its kind

Signorello worked with Taylor Lombardo Architects to create the 8,000-square-foot winery and 11,000-square foot cave. Waterproofed to keep out leaks and prevent mold, the temperature-controlled cave is the first of its kind in Napa.

The cave is also home to Signorello’s personal library of 2,000 wines from around the world, amassed over 40 years, and a collection of large-format Signorello wines.

The production area features a modern, ergonomic setup with separate areas for red and white wine fermentation and controls for microbial sanitation. Custom fermenters are sized for each vineyard block based on their expected tonnage, and they allow for multiple rounds of grape-picking to accommodate unpredictable vintages and weather conditions. Innovative OXOline racks make it easy for winemakers to access individual wine barrels without having to move their neighbors.

Signorello’s new facility also has a much larger capacity than the original winery, allowing production to expand to 21,000 cases per year.

“We increased the production ability two and a half times and increased visitation rights by three times,” Signorello said. “Those are entitlements that last for life — forever.”

While he declined to reveal the cost of building the new winery, Signorello said that the original budget doubled along the way.

Visits to the new winery cost $175 per person and include a golf-cart tour of the estate vineyards, a walking tour of the facility, and a sit-down tasting inside the cave with a curated cheese plate.

Tastings feature Hope’s Chardonnay, and both current and library vintages of Signori Cabernet Sauvignon and the flagship Padrone Cabernet Sauvignon.

Signorello Estate is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily by appointment. 4500 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707-255-5990, signorelloestate.com

Sonoma Glass House is Listed for $6.5 Million

This Sonoma home, known as the Glass House, is currently listed for $6,500,000.(Open Homes Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
This Sonoma home, known as the Glass House, is currently listed for $6,500,000.(Open Homes Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)

An industrial-style home, dubbed “the glass house,” stands in stunning contrast to the 11.2 acres of rolling hills it sits on in the Carneros viticultural region. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home is currently listed for $6,500,000.

Sweeping views of vineyards and olive trees give the home a curving, lush-green backdrop when vines are at their leafy fullness in summer. The setting provides an exciting visual counterpoint to the home’s angular lines, cool-toned finishes and roll-up grids of windows. 

The home at 21765 Champlin Creek Lane in Sonoma was built in 2008 and has appeared in film and print advertisements for luxury cars and home furnishings. Adding to the resort-like experience is a guesthouse, pool, outdoor fireplace and bocce ball court. The home has held several weddings and rehearsal dinners and can accommodate 50 people indoors and 125 outside.

For more information on 21765 Champlin Creek Lane, contact listing agent Daniel Casabonne, 707-494-3130, 707-939-2222, Daniel.Casabonne@Sothebys.Realty, sothebysrealty.com

Local Designer’s Rustic Sonoma Home Listed for $4.95 Million

This rustic four-bedroom, three-bathroom Sonoma home, owned by designer Wendy Owen, is currently listed for $4,950,000. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)
This rustic four-bedroom, three-bathroom Sonoma home, owned by designer Wendy Owen, is currently listed for $4,950,000. (CS Photography / Sotheby’s International Realty)

On 7 acres of hillside in west Sonoma is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home that blends rustic, contemporary and storybook-cottage designs. The estate is the family home of designer Wendy Owen. It’s currently listed for $4,950,000.

The terraces and many of the home’s walls are made up of hand-laid stones, creating a hyper-rustic feel. The earthy elements are accented with playful to elegant fixtures, textiles and finishes.

Inspired elements include a row of crystal chandeliers in the stone dining room, lime-green spherical pillows in the stone pavilion, a butter-yellow painted sideboard made from thick slabs of wood and sconces with iron work fashioned into ribbons.

The home at 6015 Grove Street in Sonoma, built in 1982, includes a lap pool, guesthouse and outdoor lounge.

For more information on 6015 Grove Street, contact listing agents Caroline Sebastiani, 415-290-3123, 707-935-2277, Caroline.Sebastiani@Sothebys.Realty; and Cristian Isbrandtsen, 707-294-7879, cristian.isbrandtsen@sothebysrealty.com; sothebysrealty.com

Healdsburg Restaurant Named One of the World’s Best. Again

The Forbes Travel Guide has honored SingleThread Farms and Restaurant in Healdsburg with its top five-star luxury rating in 2025. (Garrett Rowland/Sonoma County Tourism)

Healdsburg’s SingleThread restaurant has once again made the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list, joining only one other American restaurant, New York City’s Atomix (No. 6). The presitious awards were announced yesterday at a ceremony in Las Vegas.

Sonoma County’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant rose to No. 46 on the list in 2024, rebounding from a fall to the extended part of the list (No. 68) last year.

Owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton have broken into the coveted top 50 list twice before, squeaking by at No. 50 in 2022 after soaring to No. 37 in 2021. The awards were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“SingleThread is a destination restaurant and boutique hotel in the picturesque Californian town of Healdsburg in the wine-famous Sonoma Valley. Chef Kyle oversees the kitchen, presenting an exquisite tasting menu with a strong Japanese influence. Katina runs the couple’s nearby 24-acre farm, from which most of the restaurant’s produce is sourced,” read a statement on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants website.

Chef Kyle Connaughton uses a Japanese donabe from his collection, at back on the wall, to cook his Tilefish, Blue Foot, and Chantrelle “Fukkura-San” with Leeks, Brassicas From the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Broth at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Chef Kyle Connaughton uses a Japanese donabe from his collection, at back on the wall, to cook his Tilefish, Blue Foot, and Chanterelle Fukkura-San with Leeks, Brassicas From the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Broth at SingleThread Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
SingleThread Healdsburg
An elegantly presented dish at the three-Michelin star SingleThread in Healdsburg. (John Troxell/Sonoma County Tourism)

The annual list of the world’s finest restaurants, published since 2002, is a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences and a barometer for global gastronomic trends, according to the organizers. (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is part of the 50 Best brand, published by UK-based media group William Reed.)

Encompassing five continents, the World’s 50 Best list also showcases lesser-known dining destinations, including Slovenia, South Africa, Mexico City and South America. (Michelin stars, also highly coveted, are primarily focused on Europe and North America.) The guide expanded to cover Japan in 2007, as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and Malaysia in subsequent years.

A panel of more than 1,000 international restaurant industry experts — food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-traveled gourmets — selects the restaurants for each year’s list.

The top five restaurants on the 2024 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list are:
No. 5: Maido (Lima, Peru)
No. 4: Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)
No. 3: Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris, France)
No. 2: Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)
No. 1: Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)

To see the complete list of winners, visit theworlds50best.com.

Where to Celebrate Juneteenth in Sonoma and Napa Counties

Strange Constellation
Lee Johnson, left, and Dani DiAngelo of Strange Constellation in June, 2024. (Nicholas Vides)

Juneteenth festivities in Sonoma and Napa counties include food, music and community gatherings, and events range from film screenings to block parties and jazz jubilees.

Juneteenth — a day of learning about and honoring the Black American experience through communal celebrations — originated nearly 160 years ago in a city on the Texas Gulf Coast.

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved peoples in Confederate states “are, and henceforth shall be free.”

However, it wouldn’t be for another two years that many enslaved people in Confederate territory would even learn of the proclamation, let alone be freed. According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that the enslaved people in the state, amounting to over 250,000 people, were free by executive decree.

Newly freed people celebrated their independence with annual celebrations — traditionally centered around food, music and community — which were carried on by descendants and known as “Juneteenth.”

Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a holiday in 1980. President Joe Biden signed a bill in 2021 making Juneteenth a federal holiday, and just last year California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed Juneteenth an official state holiday.

Sonoma County’s first Juneteenth

When Texas native Marteal Perry moved to Santa Rosa in 1953, there were no local Juneteenth celebrations, and there weren’t many Black people living in the county at the time. From the jump, Perry made it her personal mission to promote racial understanding in the community and foster good will between groups of diverse backgrounds.

“There were some barriers I thought should be brought down, so I got started,” Perry said in a ​​June 20, 1991, article in The Press Democrat. “I didn’t just think about doing something. I put it into action.”

In 1954, Perry founded Santa Rosa’s first Juneteenth celebration, held at her residence on South Wright Road, where she also built one of the city’s first integrated swimming pools for local youth. On the same block 30 years later, Perry founded the Prayer Chapel Outreach Mission Church, where she served as an evangelist up until her death in 1996.

For four decades, hundreds of community members would come to celebrate Perry’s annual Juneteenth observances and enjoy a barbecue and pool party.

Meanwhile, in 1970, Harold Rogers and a group of other college students held a large demonstration in Santa Rosa to protest the city’s proposal to build a street through South Park, named for the neighborhood in which it resides. The students prevailed in saving the park, and their protest evolved into an annual community gathering that became Sonoma County’s official Martin Luther King-Juneteenth Festival.

The park was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Park in January of 1986, and it remains the location for the MLK-Juneteenth Festival, now in its 54th year and headed by Nancy Rogers, Harold’s wife and longtime organizer of the event.

Juneteenth
People gather around a picnic table full of classic Juneteenth fare, prepared by Santa Rosa caterer and food pop-up Smackin’ Soul Food, in Santa Rosa. (Eileen Roche)
Tomato-Watermelon Salad
This refreshing tomato-watermelon salad tastes great with fried chicken — and adds a necessary pop of red to the Juneteenth table. (Eileen Roche)
Nancy Rogers Juneteenth
Nancy Rogers serves her peach cobbler — made with a buttery crust that envelops the peaches she cooks with brown sugar and spice — at the 53rd annual Martin Luther King Jr.-Juneteenth Festival in Santa Rosa in June of 2023. (Eileen Roche)

June 15

Martin Luther King-Juneteenth Festival: The county’s 54th annual MLK-Juneteenth Festival will be held the weekend before Juneteenth in Santa Rosa. The event will include traditional Juneteenth cuisine, public speakers, arts and crafts, children’s games, a basketball tournament and a special performance by Bay Area party band Pride & Joy. Contact sonomacountyjuneteenth@gmail.com for more information. Free. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 1671 Hendley St., Santa Rosa. sonomacountyjuneteenth.com

June 15

Healdsburg Jazz Juneteenth Celebration: Healdsburg Jazz will host a Juneteenth celebration with a jazz jubilee at the Healdsburg Plaza. Trombonist Steve Turre, a member of the Saturday Night Live Band since 1985, will headline the event, which will feature several other Bay Area jazz greats. The celebration will also include libations from the The Nubian Cafe Collective, Healdsburg Jazz’s Poet Laureate Enid Pickett, drum workshops led by Javier Navarrette, an interactive education area curated by Andi Wong, and other music performances and workshops. Learn more about the event here. 2 p.m. Healdsburg Plaza. healdsburgjazz.org

June 16

Juneteenth Celebration with Chef Tanya Holland: Chef Tanya Holland is back to host this event and she’s firing up her famous southern barbecue. Special musical guest DJ D Sharp, the official DJ of the Golden State Warriors, will be spinning throughout the event. Tickets are $65 those 12 and up, and $35 for children 11 and under. 3-6 p.m. The Grove At Copia at 500 1st St., Napa. 707-967-2500. ciaatcopia.com/juneteenth-celebration

June 19

Black is Beautiful — A Strange Constellation Juneteenth Celebration: Vintage clothing shop and art space Strange Constellation, located in Santa Rosa’s SOFA district, will host a Juneteenth block party in collaboration with Café Frida Gallery, Positive Images, the Spinster Sisters and other SOFA district businesses. The celebration will include a pop-up art gallery at Strange Constellation, a drag show at Café Frida and an art market featuring Black vendors from the Bay Area. Tickets are $20, though a sliding scale option will be available. 4-10 p.m. 300 S. A St., Suite 1, Santa Rosa. Contact hello@strangeconstellation.com for more information. strangeconstellation.com

June 19

Juneteenth Celebration Potluck: Healdsburg pub the Elephant in the Room will host a Juneteenth celebration with a potluck party and live music by local jazz funk duo Neon Blue. The community is invited to bring a dish to share as they enjoy Afro-jazz-funk fusion music from 5-8 p.m. Free. 177 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. elephantintheroompub.com

June 19

Juneteenth Luncheon: Sonoma State University and the City of Rohnert Park will host a Juneteenth luncheon at the Rohnert Park Community Center. Red Rose Catering will cater the lunch with traditional dishes, such as fried chicken, collard greens, black eyed peas, mac and cheese, cornbread and peach cobbler. RSVP by June 12, as seating is limited. Register online. Free. 11 a.m. Rohnert Park Community Center at 5401 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. rpcity.org

June 19

“The Right to Read” film screening at Rialto Cinemas: Only in theaters Juneteenth, “The Right to Read” is a documentary by Jenny Mackenzie, executive produced by Levar Burton, that focuses on a critical civil rights issue: literacy. The film shares the story of Oakland NAACP activist Kareem Weaver, with the aid of a teacher and two families, who — dismayed with bleak reading scores in their community and across the nation — work to improve reading instruction at Oakland schools. Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol will screen the film at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under and seniors 62 and over. Rialto Cinemas at 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. 707-525-4840. rialtocinemas.com

Economic Boost or Neighborhood Nuisance? The Battle Over Sonoma Home Restaurants Continues

Henry Walsh cuts a pizza pie at a pop-up at Iron Ox Brewing Company in Santa Rosa on Mar. 24, 2024.

In September, Sonoma County’s Board of Supervisors will consider whether to issue permits to residents who would like to cook and serve meals from their private homes, or to people who would like to use their homes as commissary kitchens.

For some, home-based restaurants represent a challenge to neighborhood peace and quiet. But for others, a home-based restaurant is a low-cost first step into a notoriously challenging industry with high barriers to entry—a way to experiment with ideas or perhaps bring in some extra cash.

This particular type of business is known as a MEHKO, or microenterprise home kitchen operation. MEHKOs are allowed under a California law passed in 2018 which permits the preparation, sale, and consumption of meals from a person’s home—if (and it’s a big “if”) the person lives in a county that has decided to opt into the MEHKO program.

Right now, Sonoma is one of approximately 40 counties in the state which have yet to opt in. According to The Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that has advocated for the adoption of MEHKO legislation, just 30% of Californians currently live in a county where they can participate in the MEHKO program.

Dawn Zaft of Criminal Baking
Dawn Zaft started baking in her home kitchen to make extra money and finally has put together enough money to open the Criminal Baking Company store in the South A district of Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Dawn Zaft of Santa Rosa is one of the Sonoma food business owners for whom MEHKO might have made a difference. In early 2012, Zaft started baking on a small scale in her home, unpermitted and on the down-low, to make some extra money. The name she chose for her micro-operation— Criminal Baking—was a mix of tongue-in-cheek humor and radical honesty.

“And then immediately I was like, ‘Oh, I probably shouldn’t do that; I’m gonna attract the wrong kind of attention.’ But it ended up being that the name really served me,” she says.

Zaft initially baked only for the cafe where she was already working part time as a barista. She didn’t make much money, but her entrepreneurial skills grew—and that meant legitimizing her operations.

In 2012, California passed AB 1616, the California Homemade Food Act, a different bill which allows people to prepare, package, and sell certain types of foods from a private home kitchen. As the bill passed, Zaft says she got the proper permits and moved into a commercial kitchen space nearby. And from there, her business has continued to grow.

These days, Criminal Baking is a fixture of Santa Rosa’s food scene, with a permanent cafe in the West End neighborhood, where Zaft has become known for her savory and sweet pies and towering breakfast sandwiches. She’s expanding her Sunday supper service, too. Zaft’s early side hustles provided an important path into the restaurant business.

Criminal Baking county business licenses at their Santa Rosa facility.
Criminal Baking business licenses displayed in Santa Rosa on March 24, 2024. Dawn Zaft owns and operates Criminal Baking. She started the business cooking out of her home, unlicensed—which is how she named the company. (Kathryn Styer Martinez)

Supporters of MEHKOs say that they’re an important way for small-scale entrepreneurs like Zaft to innovate and test the market, and that not everyone can afford to start a restaurant through traditional means—especially here in Sonoma County, where rent and other start-up costs can be prohibitively expensive, particularly in the long shadow of the pandemic.

And MEHKOs can be a good source of income. Under the law, operators are allowed to earn up to $100,000 per year and sell up to 30 meals per day, with a further limit of 90 meals per week. And MEHKO permit holders are allowed to prepare and sell more kinds of foods than is allowed with a cottage food operation permit.

Santa Rosa’s Jeremy Clemens started his pizza pop-up, Gabacool Provisions, just after the pandemic, when he realized he no longer wanted to invest 96 hours a week running a business for someone else.

“What if I put that energy into doing something for me, you know?” he explains. “Pizza is something I still find fun. And every, every bit of it is a challenge.”

The name of the business, which Clemens co-owns with his partner, Michele Querin, is a nod both to Clemens’ Italian-American heritage and an insider reference to one of his favorite TV series, “The Sopranos.” And who’d know better about keeping things quiet than the mob?

Clemens first made test pizzas in his kitchen, focusing on his dough recipe—at first, a sourdough, then a yeasted dough. He tracked everything, from the grams of flour in the sauce to the ratio of salt in his homemade tomato sauce.

Pizza from Jeremy Clemens at Gabacool Provisions.
Henry Walsh cuts a pizza pie from Jeremy Clemens’ Gabacool Provisions at a pop-up at Iron Ox Brewing Company in Santa Rosa on March 24, 2024. (Kathryn Styer Martinez)

In August 2022, he left a position as executive chef at The Stavrand Russian River and went into full-on pizza mode. He held pop-ups for his Detroit-style pizza, until recently without any kind of permit, encouraging people to keep it “on the DL.” And like Criminal Baking, Gabacool Provisions is now a permitted business, though Clemens still works another job for additional income.

Private chef David Mau, who splits his time between Southern California and the Russian River area, has worked in professional kitchens for decades and has a good sense of the costs and pitfalls of opening a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. Mau believes that for most smaller operators, there’s little money to be made in owning a traditional restaurant: he says opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant could cost a million dollars or more—and even if running a tight ship, most owners or investors can expect profit margins of less than 10%.

Mau has found his niche as a private chef, working in private homes or vacation rentals for small groups of eight to 20 people. He thinks the difference between his work as a licensed and permitted private chef and someone operating a MEHKO is simply a matter of semantics.

“It’s basically the same experience,” Mau says.

Opponents of MEHKOs raise concerns over noise and parking and point out that there are other options for those who would like to start a small food business at a low cost, such as sharing a kitchen space or starting out with a mobile food cart, pop-up or food truck.

Sonoma's board of supervisors at a meeting earlier this year.
Sonoma’s board of supervisors at a meeting earlier this year in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

A 2019 push to approve MEHKOs in Sonoma County was led by local advocates and supervisor Lynda Hopkins. Their efforts fizzled after a Board of Supervisors meeting was bogged down over concerns about noise and parking in neighborhoods, as well as technical questions about environmental regulations and grease traps.

Hopkins helped place the issue back on the agenda this coming September. “I wish it were sooner; it feels like a long time to wait,” she says.

In 2021, local city managers were contacted by the county for feedback on the possible adoption of MEHKO legislation. Santa Rosa and Petaluma were in support of the program, but other city managers wrote back with concerns over safety code compliance, land use impacts, enforcement concerns and the impact on existing businesses.

Sebastopol’s planning director expressed concern over whether MEHKOs might increase vacancies in the city’s commercial districts. And Rohnert Park’s city manager responded with concerns about safety threats in homes lacking proper emergency signage or proper equipment to suppress fires. There are also concerns about staffing and inspections— though the state offers some grant money to help counties set up their MEHKO programs.

“If there are state funds available to actually implement this, and to support economic development, we shouldn’t be leaving those dollars on the table,” says Hopkins.

She believes MEHKOs could be a moneymaker for working families in Sonoma County who are trying to make ends meet.

Private chef David Mau says he doesn’t believe home restaurants like the ones supported by MEHKOs are much of a threat to Sonoma’s existing restaurant culture. In fact, they can be a boon to it.

“I actually think that that idea of a home kitchen, with people making food in it that really care, can actually drive restaurants, in a cultural and culinary sense.”

What’s Your View?

Sonoma County’s Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss opting into the state’s microenterprise home kitchen program at their Sept. 24 board meeting. Residents can reach out to their county supervisor to share opposition or support. sonomacounty.ca.gov

Best Places to Eat, Drink and Stay in Guerneville

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Mac Daddy burger at celebrity chef, Crista Luedtke’s new restaurant ‘Road Trip.’ (Kelly Puleio / Road Trip)

These days, for those in the know, Guerneville is one of the area’s best summertime retreats, brimming with chef-driven restaurants and reimagined old-school resorts that celebrate the redwoods and the Russian River.

It’s a spot where LGBTQ+ culture shines, earning the town the nickname the “Gay Riviera.” Though Guerneville hosts their Pride parade in October, it’s a destination for food lovers at any time of year—especially during those long summer evenings of Pride Month in June.

Start your weekend with a stroll downtown, chockablock with dive-y yet convivial bars, a few so-tacky-they’re-fun souvenir shops, and tasting rooms. Pick up hearty sandwiches at PikNik Town Market (16228 Main St., 707-604-7295, pikniktownmarket.com). New owner Mags van der Veen still serves the Oprah-approved Big Bottom biscuits, stuffed with delights like fresh blueberries and Bavarian cream, or smothered in mushroom gravy.

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve (17000 Armstrong Woods Rd., 707-869-2015, parks.ca.gov) is an 805-acre forest of redwoods towering up to 350 feet, just a mile or so from downtown. Breathe deep and savor the velvety quiet and solitude; the massive trees are often shrouded in mystical fog.

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Mac Daddy burger at celebrity chef Crista Luedtke’s new Guerneville restaurant ‘Road Trip.’ (Kelly Puleio / Road Trip)

After a hike, head to celebrity chef Crista Luedtke’s brand-new Road Trip restaurant (16248 Main St., 707-869-0780), where the opening menu is inspired by Luedtke’s travels, including Texas BBQ flatbread with pulled pork, banh mi panzanella salad, Mexican street corn salad, and the Mac Daddy burger. Then it’s time to waddle off to sleep.

In the morning, start off with a short walk through town, poking into galleries and shops including local favorite Russian River Books & Letters (14045 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, 707-604-7197, booksletters.com) — coffee is right next door.

After, wander down to Johnson’s Beach (16215 First St., johnsonsbeach.com), where you can dip your toes in the Russian River, rent inner tubes and kayaks, or just relax under an umbrella.

Armstrong Redwoods
It’s a short bike ride from town to Guerneville’s Armstrong Redwoods. (Kelsey Joy Photography/Sonoma County Tourism)

Then drive over the Russian River bridge for a tasting at Porter-Bass Winery (11750 Mays Canyon Road, 707-869-1475, porter-bass.com). Cooled by ocean breezes, their biodynamic vineyards produce top-notch Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Tastings are held at a wood plank set up under a shady walnut tree, in the company of veggie plots, orchards, dogs and cows.

Nearby is the historic (but recently renovated) Dawn Ranch (16467 Hwy. 116, 707-869-0656dawnranch.com), where chef Fernando Trocca can prepare a storybook picnic to savor on the resort grounds, stocked with goodies like local cheeses, salumi, sea salt crusted hearth bread, fruit, chocolate, and optional wine (yes, get the wine).

In town, skip over to Nimble & Finn’s inside the Guerneville Bank Club (16290 Main St., 707-666-9411, nimbleandfinns.com) for a scoop of housemade artisanal ice cream made with Straus Family Creamery organic dairy, seasonal produce and housemade jams. Sisters and owners Jazmin Hooijer and Leandra Serena Beaver dream up magical concoctions like lavender honeycomb, Meyer lemon olive oil chocolate chunk and whiskey butterscotch.

Delight in dinner at boon eat + drink (16248 Main St., 707-869-0780). Another Crista Luedtke project, this always-bustling cafe wows with Sonoma County-spirited dishes, like some of the best mac and cheese you’ll ever have, dotted with mushrooms and truffle breadcrumbs, or spicy, chile-braised pork shoulder with slaw and pepitas. The flavors will carry you home—and rest assured, you’ll want to return.

A redone cabin at luxury Dawn Ranch. It's a short bike ride from town to Armstrong Redwoods.
A redone cabin at luxury Dawn Ranch in Guerneville. (Gentl & Hyers/ Dawn Ranch)

Where to Stay

boon hotel + spa A sister property to boon eat + drink with 14 rooms in historic miners’ cabins tucked amid stately redwoods, and a “Mad Men”-style glitzy swimming pool. 707-869-2721boonhotels.com 

Dawn Ranch Beautifully redone cabins with high-end finishes, plus orchards and forests to explore, including a rare dawn redwood tree which gives the resort its name. 707-869-0656dawnranch.com

Johnson’s Beach Historic cabins, tent cabins, and camping by the river. johnsonsbeach.com 

The Stavrand Russian River Valley Named to Travel + Leisure’s 2022 It List, the stately resort has been reimagined as a luxury destination with outdoor hot tubs under the stars. 707-869-9093thestavrand.com

A&M BBQ Is the Best Southern-Style Barbecue in Sonoma County

A&M Barbecue
A selection of barbecue smoked meats and sides from A&M BBQ in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Just before 11 a.m. on a hazy spring Friday, a line is forming outside A&M BBQ’s modest storefront just off Sebastopol’s South Main Street.

A man sits patiently in his truck. Two others perch on a ledge beneath the restaurant’s plate-glass windows. Every few minutes, a few more people join the queue as co-owners Kris Austin and Marvin McKinzy hustle inside, making final preparations for their 11:30 a.m. opening.

Austin and McKinzy are always mindful of the growing line, which will swell exponentially around noon, but there’s no fevered rushing. The duo has been up since 5 a.m., minding the meats and prepping sides — long-simmered collard greens, sweet baked beans, jalapeño cornbread and coleslaw. With their oft-repeated mantra of “low and slow” — as in low heat and slow cooking — they are efficient, not frantic.

At 11:15 a.m., Austin takes the time to cut a few slices of tri-tip for the morning’s eager beavers, heading outside with a paper plate to distribute a sneak preview of the day’s offerings. If time allows, they’ll continue offering samples, rallying the crowd in barbecue bliss.

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A&M Barbecue co-owner Kris Austin slices brisket in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Both pitmasters in their own right, Austin (of Austin’s BBQ) and McKinzy (of Marvin’s BBQ) joined forces to create A&M this spring (which is not named for the Texas university, but for their first initials). But you’d be forgiven for the mistake because their wood-smoked barbecued meats are Lone Star-inspired, with a seasoned dry rub instead of slathered with sauce. All the better to see the perfect pink smoke rings around the edge of the brisket, tri-tip and pork ribs, the bark of the rub and lacy bits of fat.

Covering the whole thing with sauce would be a shame, so don’t. A little dip or two is fine, but great barbecue doesn’t need to be hidden beneath a blanket of ketchup because the smoke does the real work when it comes to flavor.

By noon, a firetruck had come and gone, along with several police officers. All departed with a wave and sticky fingers rather than an arrest, and one lucky officer was enlisted to hand out brisket samples while waiting for his lunch. (At Marvin’s BBQ, McKinzy built a loyal law enforcement following, who competed to see who can eat the most barbecue. Firefighters tend to win.)

Behind the counter, McKinzy, Austin and two employees cut, weigh and plate tender brisket, peppery tri-tip, hot links, pork ribs, barbecued chicken and pulled pork. It’s now sold by weight rather than portion. They’re all great, but the thinly sliced brisket makes my knees weak. Even more so with a few ends thrown in.

A&M Barbecue
Co-owner Marvin McKinzy of A&M Barbecue in Sebastopol with a tray of ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork, links and sides. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

The line continues to grow, and you can see the respect Austin and McKinzy have for each other. Both built their businesses independently but met through social media and started hanging out. When McKinzy parted ways with a former business partner, the time seemed right for a merger. They’re like salt and pepper — both good on their own but better together.

The Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays that A&M is open go by quickly, and depending on the crowd, they may sell out by 2 p.m. or even earlier. Some days, they go a little longer. But once the meat is done for the day, it’s done. The restaurant features picnic tables and high-op seating with convenient paper towel holders (for those messy moments).

“People come in at 5 p.m. and are upset that we’ve sold out. But I tell them I’ve been up since 5 a.m.,” Austin said. The shop closes, and work for the next day begins.

So, if you’re serious about getting some of Austin and McKinzy’s slow- and low-cooked meats, there’s only one way to guarantee you’re going home with greasy fingers and a full belly — get in line early and wait.

A&M Barbecue
Texas Toast, cornbread muffins, pork ribs, links, brisket and tri-tip, bbq chicken, baked beans, coleslaw and collard greens at A&M Barbecue in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

Best bets at A&M BBQ

Brisket ($38/lb.): I’m a Texas BBQ girl, so I’ll always be team brisket. This is as good as I’ve ever had, with tender meat and a Goldilocks fat ratio — not too much, not too little. Seasoning is simple with just salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder — a required part of any order. We ordered a half-pound, which was plenty when paired with sides.

Tri-Tip ($28/lb.): This is McKinzy’s specialty, and it has a powerful blend of uniquely California-inspired spices. Excellent.

Pork Spare Ribs ($30/lb.): You shouldn’t need teeth to eat ribs, and I’ll die on that hill. A good rib falls off the bone with the slightest pressure and shouldn’t require you to gnaw on it. I mean, you can gnaw on the bone, but that’s your call. These ribs fit the denture-approved bill with change to spare.

Pulled Pork ($24/lb.): Excellent, but if you’re putting it on a sandwich with barbecue sauce (which is your right), it kind of misses the point. But I’m not turning it down.

BBQ Chicken ($15/half, $30/whole): Somehow, they keep this chicken super moist, which is some sort of witchcraft because barbecue chicken is never moist.

Collard Greens, $5.50: Perfectly cooked to a soft but toothy consistency. My Atlanta-raised friend said they were perfect. I’m a little funny about them requiring being cooked in bacon or ham hocks, and this version had turkey bacon. 8.5/10 for me.

Baked Beans ($5.50): These are perfectly cooked, sweet as honey, real-deal beans. I’m absolutely in love.

Coming soon

A&M BBQ is hiring a dessert chef and promises to have banana pudding soon. McKinzy also said something about cheesecake, but I stopped listening after the banana pudding. Beer and wine are also in the works.

495 S. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-799-2892. Open from 11:30 a.m. until sold out Friday through Sunday.