It’s a weekend where lines are drawn and taste buds are put to the ultimate challenge. Are you all about the sizzle, flame and the fire? Or do you savor the flavors of the summer’s earthy bounty?
Not sure which side you’re on? In one corner is a smokin’ hot event that’ll satisfy the most carnivorous of carnivores. In it’s debut year, the Big Q features pitmasters from throughout the nation competing for $7,500 in prize money, along with a number of Sonoma County wineries showcasing their wines (and meat skills as well). Heading up on of the local teams is Ray Lampe, best know as Dr. BBQ, who will lead the Tex Wasabi’s All-Star barbecue team. The $45 ticket price includes a pound of meat samples, wine tasting and live music from 1-5pm at Sonoma Academy.
In the other corner, is the veteran Wine Event considered by many to be the ultimate gastro-fest of the year: Kendall Jackson’s Heirloom Tomato Festival. Having harvested nearly 100 tasty varieties of tomatoes in every color of the rainbow is merely an excuse to gather the region’s top chefs to showcase their favorite tomato-inspired recipes. During the event, plenty of wine will flow and a panel of intrepid judges (Doug Keane of Cyrus, Jeff Mall of Zin Restaurant and uh, me) will be pressed into service to select the ultimate chef during the 2011 Chef’s Challenge (featuring several Top Chef contestants). The only bad news? The event is sold out to the public. But never fear, there’s hope!
Biteclub is giving away TWO tickets to the Wine Country Big Q and TWO tickets to the Heirloom Tomato Festival to TWO lucky winners. Make your case for who reigns supreme — barbecue or tasty tomatoes. The best carnivore wins the BBQ tickets. The most convincing tomato-lover gets the Tomato Fest tickets. ENTER QUICK, CONTEST ENDS THURSDAY at 5PM. Full rules
Psst: Neither of these events up your alley? Check out Beer History, Styles and a Sensory Survey on Sept. 10 from 3-6pm at Laguna Farm in Sebastopol. This is a taste-bud driven tour of the beer universe, beer styles, chemistry and a blindfolded tasting competition! Email registration required marley339@gmail.com/$45.
Yes, it’s for Chipotle. But before you sniff, I’ll add that they use Petaluma Creamery for their cheeses throughout the Pacific region and will soon use their sour cream. Plus it features a Willie Nelson song. Nice.
Blink, and Gravenstein apple season will pass you by. In fact, it almost has.
In a tiny window of summer between July and the first week of September, the branches of the county’s few remaining Gravenstein apple orchards sag heavily with this precious fruit. In farmer’s markets, restaurants and even a handful of dirt lots by the side of the road, you’ll find baskets of these tart red and green flecked apples for sale. But don’t dawdle, because within a week or two, they’ll be gone until next year.
At Dutton Ranch, one of the area’s largest producers of these historic apples, most have already been harvested according to owner Joe Dutton. They’ll sell out sof whatever’s left in the next ten days. Snapping up what they can get, a handful of restaurants are offering sweet desserts that take advantage of the last of the harvest, including John Ash & Co. (4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 527-7687) who are offering a Gravenstein & thyme infused cocktail and a Gravenstein Upside-down cake with salted caramel gelato; Petite Syrah’s (205 5th St., Santa Rosa, 568-4002) Gravenstein apple cake with buttermilk ice cream and Zazu’s Restaurant’s (3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa, 523-4814) Gravenstein apple pie and Hole in the Wall Cafe’s Gravenstein Apple caramel crepe (972 Gravenstein Highway S, Sebastopol, 861-3777). You may also be lucky enough to stumble on a few remaining apples at weekend farm markets and grocery stores.
So why seek out the humble Gravenstein? Small, delicate, short-stemmed (making them difficult to harvest) and subject to imperfection, they’re hardly the prom queens of the apple world. A slight breeze can throw a significant portion to the ground and the apple’s delicate nature makes it turn mealy and soft within a week or two of harvesting. Bigger, sturdier, more uniform breeds like Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Red Delicious and Galas that can be more easily jostled and transported from far off places (like New Zealand and Chile) tend to make it into our shopping carts more frequently.
But one bite of the historic Grav’s fresh, complex sweet and tart taste, and most folks are hooked. The breathy aromas beckons, and there’s a kick of local history that comes with each bite. Russian traders were credited with planting the region’s the first orchards near Fort Ross in the early 1800’s. The reputation of these early-ripening apples were bolstered by the work of horticulturist Luther Burbank and because it was one of the first apples to make it to market each year, became a major cash crop for Sebastopol. By World War II, West County’s 8,000-plus acres of orchards made it a significant producers of US apples through the middle of the 20th century.
Sadly, the biodiversity of apples throughout the world has shrunk to a handful of easily harvested species, and only a handful of local growers remain in the region. With increasing demand for higher-profit wine grapes squeezing out old orchards, these too are in danger of vanishing. To raise awareness about the apple’s plight, the Sebastopol Gravenstein has been inducted into the Ark of Taste, a collection of regional foods considered in danger of extinction by the members of Slow Food. The Sebastopol organization of Slow Foods, called the Gravenstein Apple Presidia, is tasked with increasing awareness of the apple and promoting farmers who grow them. The apple is also celebrated each year at Sebastopol’s Gravenstein Apple Fair, held in August.
If you miss the last fresh Gravenstein’s of the year, seek out limited production Apple-Ation from winemaker Guy Davis, who is distilling several varieties of the historic apples from Dutton Ranch into an ultra-premium apple brandy. It’s a labor-intensive process of hand-picking and sorting the apples, then fermenting them (with seeds, skin and stems), then distilling the essence of the apple mash and finally oak-barrel aging. Only about 1800 bottles are made, and it’s strong stuff at 80-proof, but there’s no mistaking the powerful apple aroma and flavor. ($35, 52 Front Street, Healdsburg, 433-3858). Nana Mae’s Organics, also a grower of the Gravenstein’s, offers apple sauce and apple juice at grocery stores throughout the year.
Want to find out more about the Gravenstein apple? Check out Slow Food Russian River at slowfoodrr.org.
It’s been a tense couple of weeks as insiders waited to see who would take over the flagging PizzaVino707 space in Sebastopol. News of the restaurant’s demise had been circulating for weeks, and some serious heavy hitters in the local restaurant scene were rumored to be “very interested” in the space and had planned to expand to Sebastopol.
Once the restaurant closed and the dust settled, however, the keys were turned over to chef couple Steven Peyer and Jamilah Nixon.The Sebastopol toques will partner with close friend and former Chef’s Catalog CEO Patrick Wynhoff to create not one, but TWO new restaurant concepts in the sprawling space.
At the yet-unnamed restaurant the front bar and patio will be converted into a Southeast Asian-style noodle shop with banh mi sandwiches, noodle bowls with traditional broths, salads and daily specials such as fried chicken with rice and papaya salad or Asian chicken wings, said Nixon. “It will be very traditional, but focused on the local produce available at the time,” she added. Nixon is looking to her experience cooking in Thailand, along with closer-to-home stints at Lucy’s (where she met Peyer), Mosaic, at the Stark Restaurant group and Marinitas in Marin. “For years I’ve wanted to open a noodle shop,” she said.
In the larger dining room, Peyer (who moved to SoCo to open Peter Lowell’s) will focus on Italian soul food featuring the existing wood-fired oven and grills. The menu is still in the works but will include grilled and braised meats, pizzas, handmade pasta and “luscious, rustic, simple food,” Nixon said.
Wynhoff, who is one of a handful of investors, will tap into his experiences at design-forward companies like Williiams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn to create a brand and marketing plan for the restaurant.
So what swung the deal in the couple’s favor? Nixon, who grew up in Sonoma County, said that Stephen Singer (West County Grill/Pizzavino 707) was an early supporter of the couple’s vision. “I’ve worked in Sonoma County since I was 15. We are in touch with the community. We know everyone. That is an important thing we brought to the table,” she said.
Though it was never the height of gastronomy, John Barleycorn’s Bar and Restaurant in Bennett Valley had a loyal following that included my usually-gourmand grandmother. She still waxes poetic about the burgers of yesteryear at this Yulupa Ave. bar and grill which became more bar than grill in its last days when food service stopped altogether.
News of the demise circulated midweek when a sign on the window merely read, “Barleycorns is Closed. Thank you.” Bummer. Now, how to break the news to grandma. Maybe a cookie from nearby Pink Box Baking Company which is slated to open in early September will ease the pain.
The restaurant struggled since it’s inception, with investors spending millions on renovations and a winding road of permits and regulations before it even opened. The restaurant paid homage to some of the headaches by listing a Red Legged Frog with mounds of sticky red tape for $2 million dollars on the menu — a reference one of the endangered species found on the property that required environmental mitigation. Kuleto sold the property in February 2011.
Word travels fast in the local food world, and the hottest buzz this week is the departure of Patrick Quillec at the French Garden.
Quillec, who came on the scene about a year ago, seemed to be the chef that owner Dan Smith had been looking for. Repeatedly. Over the last several years, the Sebastopol eatery has been a revolving door of chefs who’s roster has included Mark Malicki, Didier Gerbi, Christophe Bony, and Peter Roelant.
Set to start this week in the kitchen is Arturo Guzman, a former Exec Sous Chef from Meadowood and Exec Chef at Dawn Ranch Lodge in Guerneville. Because of the restaurant’s recent positive reviews and uptick in business — reportedly the last four months were some of the restaurants best ever — Guzman had already been under consideration to assist Quillec in the kitchen. He will instead leapfrog to Exec Chef at the Garden.
So what happened? Conjecture is the rumored partnership stake in the restaurant that had been offered to Quillec if his tenure resulted in success. Though both Smith and Quillec indicated that the business relationship had been working several months ago, allegedly the two had different expectations which resulted in Quillec’s departure.
Smith tells BiteClub: “We appreciate very much that Patrick raised the bar at French Garden and wish him well. Patrick gave us the opportunity to take the next step forward, which we feel Arturo can now do with us. Arturo’s extensive experience in a larger, highly rated restaurant in the region will serve us well in many areas.
Our vision of Sonoma County Regional Cuisine remains unchanged as does our goal to attain Michelin star rating. In our view, this is one more step on that path. We have also launched a new farm to table website, frenchgardenfarm.com where we are selling our organic produce and fruits directly to consumers.”
Sebastopol’s Pizzavino 707 closes Sunday, August 28. Open just two years, restaurant featured wood-fired pizzas with a California twist. Though the restaurant had off and on momentum, things took a left turn in June when the exec chef was injured and the restaurant had to adjust it’s hours for several weeks. The space, however, has struggled since the closure of Lucy’s Cafe, becoming and the Jonathan Waxman-backed West County Grill (which closed in 2008). Rumors of the imminent demise had been circulating for weeks, and there were hints that several top restaurants were sniffing at the space. However, it was former Peter Lowell’s Chef, Steven Peyer who will reopen the space later this fall.
CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATS DAWN, a Biteclub member since 2007. Membership does have it’s rewards.
Don’t be too sad if you didn’t win, though. I’ll have tickets to the Heirloom Tomato Fest next week.
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Okay eaters and drinkers, this is BiteClub’s biggest giveaway of the year, and darlings, you soooo deserve this.
Clear your schedule and put on your thinking caps, because on Saturday, September 3, two lucky BiteClub winners will receive GRAND RESERVE TICKETS ($195 each!) to Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch.
This ain’t no everyday chew and chug over wine barrels. Named one of the 10 Best Wine and Food Events in the United States, Taste of Sonoma is part of Wine Country Weekend, a deluxe three day celebration of all things food and wine in Sonoma County. Bringing together 170 wineries and 60 local chefs at one of the most beautiful (and exclusive) estates in Dry Creek, Taste is it’s a chance to see, be seen, eat, drink and hobnob with hundreds of your new best friends.
Chefs and winemakers bring out their A-game with primo sips and brilliant bites. BiteClub’s especially excited to check out eats Rick Bruno (Bruno’s on Fourth), Ken Tominaga (Hana Japanese), Justin Wangler (Kendall-Jackson), John Toulze from Girl and the Fig, Thomas Schmidt of John Ash & Co., and Carrie Brown from the Jimtown Store. Each of the three wine tents will include “perfect pairings” created by winemakers and chefs.
Star sommeliers are on hand to guide you through the tasting tents or you can head over to the Bubble Lounge for a sip of, well, bubbly. Once you’re good and comfy, take a self-guided tour of the ranch or watch a cooking demonstration. The world is your oyster for a few precious hours.
And as a Grand Reserve ticket holder (kind of like a Golden Ticket), you won’t be going thirsty. You and a companion also get access to exclusive venues featuring rare wines and behind-the-scenes benefits, including spies from Capture, Flowers, Jordan, Keller Estate, Papapietro, Pride Mountain, Ramey, Rodnesy Strong, Silver Oak and Sojourn Cellars among others.
To sweeten the deal, I’ll also invite you to the judging area of the Steel Chef Competition to sample a few dishes. Hey, what are friends for?
2. Make sure you are either signed up for my newsletter or as a Facebook Fan of BiteClub. Membership has its privileges and the longer you’re a member, the more privileges you get, darlings. Not part of the club? Sign up for the newsletter here or my Facebook Fan Page here.
THE SMALL PRINT: Based on your impressive answers and your dedication to BiteClub (I’ll accept new friends, too), one winner will be named on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 at 10am. You MUST be 21 to win and attend. So if you’re not, please don’t enter. Also, if you’re a non-drinker (and that’s okay!), please hold out for a less wine-related set of tickets (or you can be the designated driver, which is also cool). Finally, Make sure to use your real email address when entering. It’s the only way I can contact you! Are you one of those people who want to read the really fine print? Okay fine. It’s here. But really, you need a hobby.
Good Luck BiteClubbers! See you at Taste of Sonoma…
It’s one thing to play with your food. Quite another when it actually wants to play back.
For five weeks, I’m becoming an ersatz pig farmer. Which is to say that I’ve purchased a Hampshire piglet who will live out his remaining days at Gleason Ranch in Bodega. In late September, he will be slaughtered and eaten. Though the ranch’s owners, Nancy Prebilich and Cindy Holland, will do the brunt of the care-taking, I’ve paid for the pig’s upkeep, I’ll help with the slaughter and be a part of the butchering. Our family will also help with farm chores over several weekends and plan to build a new outdoor run for the piglets.
It’s my own experiment as a meat eater in getting as up-close and personal with my food as I possibly can. As squirmy and uncomfortable as the whole process promises to be, I’m all in. Here’s why…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans eat, on average, about 51 pounds of pork per person per year. Though our porcine consumption is still considerably lower than beef (around 60 pounds) or chicken (82 pounds), that’s still a whole lot of sausage, bacon, pork chops and chicharrones.
To feed our demand, about 112 million pigs are slaughtered for food each year, according to the USDA. But how many of us have ever actually seen a pig up close, not to mention actually harvested (a nice name for slaughtering) one? Typically we’re more familiar with the end result — ham sandwiches and hot dogs — than we are with the animals that actually produce the meat. We proclaim our bacon fetishes on t-shirts and relish pulled-pork and ribs without a second thought to the fact that our dinner once was a living, breathing creature. It’s easy to remove yourself from the neatly processed slabs of meat in packages that show nary a trace of blood, hair or, well, life. In fact, many children don’t even know what kind of animal bacon comes from.
“I raised my daughter a vegetarian until she could tell me where the type of meat she wanted came from. Her first meat was bacon when she was 5; she knew she was eating pig,” said Kerry Hurley of Santa Rosa, who responded to the recent announcement of my edible intentions.
With that kind of disconnect, it’s also easy to take our food for granted. Like most of us, I throw away copious amounts of grocery store food that’s gone bad in my fridge without much guilt other than the financial impact. In fact, Americans toss more than 25 percent of the food we buy — about a pound a day for each of us, according to government studies. But the lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries and herbs I’ve grown in my own backyard? My family knows better than to waste a scrap; we are emotionally invested in it from seed to table.
And that connection is what I’m looking for with my pig.
Reggie’s Litter Mates
The first step is actually coming face to face with my pig. Halfway to Bodega Bay, miles from much of anything but dairy farms and rolling hills, Nancy Prebilich runs a family-owned ranch that’s been in operation for more than 100 years. You may know her from her chickens, which chefs throughout Sonoma covet. But today, we’re heading out to the pig barn, which is more like a concrete bunker with a roof.
When the door swings open two things happen: The smell of pig feces hits my face like a fist. Then a 1,000-pound sow launches herself with surprising agility onto the half wall of her pen, two feet dangling over the side, and sounds the Squealarm — a terrifying cacophony of squeals, grunts and chomping that apparently means “Food is coming!” Within seconds, 17 of her barn mates join the deafening dinner call. Nearly all of them are up on their hind legs, sniffing and pawing at the air. These are animals who could easily crush my sad little human body with their tremendous girth. It doesn’t help that pigs are notoriously nearsighted and probably wouldn’t even notice me flailing beneath them. And it’s no secret that pigs are smart animals, so I know they’re paying close attention to our every move.
It’s a truly frightening moment for a pig newbie.
I quickly turn my attention to the end of the barn as Prebilich begins pouring feed to the adults. In the corner is a newly-weaned litter of piglets, about eight weeks old. These guys are more my speed, at about 30 pounds each. They’d merely knock me down and nip my ears if I fell in their pen. The most aggressive little tyke comes to the wall to sniff me, then brushes past his six siblings, pushing and playing in an obvious attempt to get my attention. Black, with a band of pink around his belly, I almost feel bad singling him out as my intended victim.
Many have warned me not to name him, a way to spare the pain of having to slaughter something that had become a pet.
“Don’t name them and tried not to get too attached. We raised rabbits, pigs and chickens when I was growing up and when I named them and bonded to them it was AWFUL when they were butchered. But if they were just generic animals, it wasn’t so bad,” said Megan Holt of Santa Rosa.
I ignored the advice. My little Hampshire is now named Reggie Bacon. He cost me $180.
In coming weeks, we plan to help out with Reggie’s care and get to know this hearty domestic breed that originally hails from Hampshire, England. Though not one of the more trendy heritage breeds (Red Wattle and Duroc are culinary darlings currently), I’m told he’ll be just as tasty, especially since we’re supplementing his feed with local Gravenstein apples and acorns. I feel secure in the knowledge that this pig will want for nothing and spend his days sunning, rooting and playing with his siblings. As a mobile butcher once told me, “These animals only have one bad day in their life.”
Regarding that day, we plan to end things as humanely as possible when he reaches about 60 pounds. Like the other pigs at Gleason Ranch, he has been bred for market. As a male, his die was cast at birth, as most males are eaten while many females are saved for breeding stock. To celebrate Reggie, local chef and educator Roger Praplan of La Gare will butcher the carcass at the Great Handcar Regatta on Sept. 25 during a demonstration. Every bit of the animal that can be used for food will be used.
It’s tough stuff, and my journey is just beginning. I’m confident that we’ll become attached to Reggie — in fact, my mother is already planning to organize a campaign to Save Reggie. Realistically, however, if we don’t eat him, someone else will. And that’s just a fact. The difference is that I plan to learn from and appreciate the sacrifice Reggie will make for us, not just think of him as another meal.
Comments have unfortunately gone past the point of rational discourse. The unfortunate reality is that I actually was paying a lot of attention to the passion and voices of folks who were making cogent statements about their views on veganism and animal compassion — until a few folks started going off the rails. Then everyone just goes away and it’s a few impassioned voices screaming in an empty room. It’s not a great way to make a point.
What I will say is that one of the folks from a local compassionate care group did start a dialogue with me. I have asked her and some vegans from her organization to meet with me for lunch next week (at a vegan restaurant). I hope to hear their side of this story and, if the discussion goes well, write about their group and their feelings as part of this ongoing story.
At this point, I am closing comments, I hope temporarily until the heat subsides a bit and people can begin to talk rather than scream. As ever, I applaud passion when tempered with reason. Let’s get back to that.
TICKET GIVEAWAY
