June: Pork Recipe Challenge

By biteclub

JUNE: PORK
If it’s got pork, it’s on the menu. This month, I’m looking for great recipes that include pork — from a killer carnitas to pork chops, anything involving bacon, ham or slow cooked pulled pork! Let me know.

Deadline for this month’s recipes:  June 28

THIS MONTH’S WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
– A gift certificate to a local restaurant.
– Your recipe on the menu of a local restaurant
– Eligibility to compete in the Best Wine Country Recipe Cookoff

Full rules here

Think you’ve got what it takes?

Submit your recipe in the comments section below, or email me at heather@biteclubeats.com. Want to send it by snailmail?
Heather Irwin/BiteClub
427 Mendocino Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Sonoma Country Music BBQ Rescheduled for August

By biteclub

Santa Rosa, (June 1, 2011) — Sonoma Country Music BBQ starring Dierks Bentley is officially being rescheduled due to weather concerns. The new date for the event is Sunday, August 21, 2011. The event will be held at Sonoma County Fairgrounds. All tickets will be honored for the new date. The event was slated for June 4, 2011.

For information on ticket sales and rescheduling (BBQ not included in admission), go to sonomacountrymusicbbq.com

Sonoma County Springtime Spiel

By biteclub

The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians:

…the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Now, before anybody loses their composure, this post will not be a religious rant; indeed, Biblically-ignorant, non-practicing Jew that I am, I actually had to look that line up. But this is Sonoma County in the springtime, and it’s hard not to catch at least a whiff of resurrection in the air: the gaudy eruption of roses and wanton exhibitionism of irises, enough to make Georgia O’Keefe blush; the verdant green of Japanese maples, sycamores, and figs, hastily unfurling their leaves like hungry children climbing out of bed on Saturday morning; and always and everywhere, the impatient ascent of the grape, as desperate for the sun as any Icarus before its flight.

In our house, springtime also remains inextricably linked to the resurrection of our favorite farm stands, because the farmer’s market here in Healdsburg welcomes back our farmer-friends from their wintry slumber each May, and our kitchen counters spend the proximal months covered in green garlic, purple onions, sugar snap peas, and baby lettuces. Young lamb, from ranchers like Gleason Farms and the Owen Family Farm, too, is arguably at its finest this time of year; and – a personal favorite and annual rite of culinary passage for my wife and kids – river salmon season is now officially open, from the Copper River up in Alaska, down to the Columbia in Oregon.

If I didn’t already spend so much time making fun of my glassy-eyed, new-age, over-Yoga’d friends and family, I’d have to wax all mystical about Mother Nature’s proclivity for producing seasonal foods in such a way as to most flatter those of us who love to eat: Why is it that green garlic pairs so nicely with snap peas and wild salmon? Why does young rosemary mate so effortlessly with new potatoes and spring lamb? Like the wine geeks are fond of saying, if it grows together, it goes together, right?

I’ve got all sorts of things I want to cook, from Daniel Patterson’s gorgeous green garlic vinaigrette, to wild river salmon poached in Dry Creek olive oil, to simple salads of baby greens with Point Reyes bleu cheese dressing, to the panna cotta of fresh goat’s milk from Wyeth Acres… so please, check back in over the next few weeks, and by all means, let me know what you’re doing with our early season bounty…

Cricket Burger

By biteclub


The burger voted most likely to look like a Health Code Violation (but isn’t)….The Country Cricket Burger at Brody’s Burgers and Brews. Part of the “Adventure Series”, the burger features all the usual suspects plus a healthy sprinkling of Bacon Cheddar Crickettes.

Not surprisingly, it hasn’t been a huge seller (BiteClub was only the second to ever request it), but packs a surprisingly tasty crunch. Just watch for the wings getting stuck in your teeth.

Pair with a $1 pint of beer to wash down those thoraxes.

Brody’s Burgers and Brews, 3135 Cleveland Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2118
(707) 526-4878

UPDATE: Check out this picture of a BiteClubber eating the Cricket Burger! Send me your pics at heather@biteclubeats.com

Real Food BBQ | Sebastopol

By biteclub

Truly undiscovered food finds are rare in the age of Yelp, Twitter and Facebook.  Anyone with a smart phone and the ability to type can become an instant culinary expert, sussing out off-the-beaten-path dives and unknown chefs.

But Real Food BBQ has remained far below the radar, whispered between friends and vaguely described by locals for more than two years. And owner Matt Fiddler isn’t complaining.

There are no flashing signs or flags along a quiet stretch of Bodega Highway a few miles east of Freestone to alert you to his bbq pit. You have to happen upon it accidentally, pulling into the gravel parking lot of Bill’s Farm Basket — a local farm stand — wander back toward the hay bales and see the hand-written menu stuck on the side of a converted carport.

If you get that far, and it happens to be Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you might just get some barbecue. Fiddler starts the smokers at 7:30am those days, gives the meat a few additional hours of bathing in a fruitwood smoke bath and opens at 11:30am. When the brisket, pork shoulder, and barbecued chicken runs out, that’s it for the day. “I only make a certain amount each day. When it’s gone, it’s gone,” he said.

So what’s guy like Fiddler doing in a place like this? After working with a number of French chefs in New York, he made his way west and was the opening chef at Lucy’s in Sebastopol. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t give up information easily, but once you get him talking has plenty to say.

Like why he doesn’t use barbecue sauce. “I want the flavors of the meat and dry rub and brines to speak for themselves,” he says. Instead, he offers up a Carolina style, chili garlic hot sauce he makes himself. “It brings out the flavors rather than masking them.” Or the fact that he uses only local meats and as many seasonal ingredients as he can. “It’s all as seasonal and local as I can make it.”

The pink smoke rings around the edge of the meat — a sign of truly great barbecue — speak for themselves. Days of braising, dry rubbing, and smoking make this word-of-mouth road stand a secret destination that may not stay secret for long.

Best bets: The brisket, with tender meat and edges of tasty fat is the hands-down winner, though the smoky pork shoulder and chicken are serious contenders. Plates come with sides of mashed potatoes, beans and slaw. Keep in mind that ‘cue isn’t all there is at this roadside cafe. Fiddler usually has several other tasty menu items including a salad, quesadillas and recently Vietnamese Seafood Cakes with four kinds of seafood wrapped in coconut panko breadcrumbs.

If you go: 10315 Bodega Hwy, Sebastopol, (707) 829-1777. Thursday and Sunday 11:30-3pm, Friday and Saturday until 6pm. Cash only (though you can pay with a card inside the Farm Basket for a .50 fee).

New Santa Rosa lounge/bar in the works

By biteclub

A new bar and lounge is slated to open in downtown Santa Rosa on Mendocino Ave in the former BarSpace/Stir space at 404 Mendocino Avenue. Though final details are still in the works, owners cautiously confirmed the news. Several new businesses have recently opened nearby, including Thai Time and Sift Dessert Bar. Another lounge and eatery, XXV is slated to open early this summer, adding to the late-night options. Cocktail-friendly restaurants Tex Wasabi’s and La Rosa Tequileria and Grill opened this spring.

Stay tuned….

Closed Restaurant Gift Certificates: Out of Luck?

By biteclub
Downtown Restaurant Closed | PD Beth Schlanker

Like clockwork, every time a restaurant closes I get a little flurry of emails from folks left holding unused gift certificates often worth a hundred dollars or more.

Panicked, they ask, “What can I do? Can I get my money back?”

Long story short: Probably not.

Given as gifts or purchased in hopes of redeeming at a later date, restaurant gift certificates and cards represent an $18 billion industry nationally and are often a boon for local restaurateurs, especially during the holiday season.

But when a local, family-run restaurant shutters without warning, those same gift certificates become collateral damage. With phones turned off, owners MIA and bankruptcy courts paying out higher priority claims, gift certificate purchasers are usually left holding a worthless piece of paper with little recourse.

That doesn’t mean there are no options, however. Nor does it mean you shouldn’t ever purchase a restaurant gift certificate. Here’s the breakdown.

If you have a gift certificate to a closed restaurant
Depending on your comfort level with lawsuits, in most situations customers can bring a civil action against the owner in small claims court to recoup their losses. According to Matt Cheever, Deputy District Attorney for Sonoma County you can also file a claim as a creditor if the restaurant is in bankruptcy.

Keep in mind that secured claims are paid first — meaning interests who hold a lien or mortgage — followed by employee wages and benefits, vendors and other prioritized debts. Gift certificate debts are lower priority.

Cheever adds that if the certificate was purchased with a credit card, you may have some recourse with the credit card company if they’re willing to cover your loss.

One last resort is to hold onto the gift certificate. It is not uncommon for the restaurant owners to reorganize and re-open at a later date and honor the gift certificates out of good will (they are not required to). New restaurants sometimes honor gift certificates from a previous tenant (again, out of good will) or may have worked a financial deal out with the previous owner to honor those certificates. It’s always worth asking, though keep in mind that new businesses have no obligation to do this.

If you’re giving a gift certificate
Consider how long the restaurant has been in business (though even that’s not always a good gauge) and use a credit card to purchase. Ask around if the restaurant is popular and seems crowded. Usually locals have a pretty good sense of restaurants that are struggling. Try to give certificates to reputable, well-known eateries and make sure the certificate looks legit. If it’s scribbled on a piece of paper and doesn’t have a signature or some kind of tracking number, chances are the restaurant may not have a good accounting process. Trust your gut.

Instead of a gift certificate
If you’re not sure, why not tell the recipient of your intent and tell them you’ll have the certificate waiting for them at the restaurant. You can purchase it that day or simply offer to pay a portion of the bill via credit card. You can also give a pre-paid American Express or Visa gift card that can be used anywhere if you’re worried about restaurant gift cards.

If you get a gift certificate
Don’t hoard your certificate, use it!  Otherwise, you could end up eating the cost, rather than a tasty meal.

Banh Mi: Malaysian Mei

By biteclub
Mei Ibach banh mi

Mei IbachMei Ibach always seems to have something cooking. From her involvement with last year’s market hit, Hot Cheese (with friend John Ash) to dim-sum and tea pairings, teaching at SRJC or working on new recipes, Ibach is a culinary whirlwind.

But her newest project may be the closest to her southeast Asian heritage: Banh Mi sandwiches and Asian sauces and curries.

Mei has already set up shop in Windsor at the Sunday farm market where she launched Malaysian Mei green and red curries, pineapple chutney and a peanut sauce recipe cultivated after tasting dozens of sauces in Singapore. Made with nuts she roasts herself, it’s slightly chunky, with hints of kefir lime leaves, fish sauce, chilies and lemongrass — not the peanut-butter sauce often served at Thai restaurants. “I begged and pleaded with a chef in Singapore to give me the recipe. I said, ‘I’ll make you famous!'” So what’s his name. “I’d have to look that up,” she laughs. Good enough to eat straight from the container, they’re $5 and $6 each.

Starting on Thursday nights in Windsor, along with alternative Saturdays at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Hall Market, she’ll also be selling the coveted Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches from her stall as well. Stuffed with pulled pork, lemongrass chicken or five-spice tofu, they’re crunchy hoagie rolls with layered with mushroom pate, spiced homemade mayo, carrots, daikon, jalapenos, cilantro and cucumbers. Each gets a dousing with one of her curries or peanut sauce as well. For $6 they’re a steal with the culinary stamp of approval of several local chefs (John Ash and Roger Praplan from La Gare were early testers, along with several food writers).

Mei Ibach banh mi
Where to get Malaysian Mei sauces and banh mi…

Malaysian May SaucesSauces only:
– 5/1 to Dec 18 – Sunday Windsor Farmer’s Market
– 2nd/Fourth Saturdays: Healdsburg Farmer’s Market

Sauces & Banh Mi:
– 6/16 through 8/24: Thursday Night Windsor Farmer’s Market
– Starting in June, first and third Saturdays: Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market (veteran’s building)

Wednesday Night Market Closed Tonight

By biteclub

From the Board…

SANTA ROSA,CA-The downtown Santa Rosa Wednesday Night Market will be canceled today, May 25th, 2011, due to inclement weather. The Board was hoping  the rain would would subside, but decided to cancel this week’s Market  after weather reports signaled the late in the season winter like  weather could continue for the remainder of the day.

Next week, June 1st,  the Wednesday Night Market will return to Downtown  Santa Rosa and will feature Ellington Hall on our main stage alongside another series of amazing wineries pouring in our Wine Tasting Garden.

Wine Country Events | Summer 2011

By biteclub

Before your dance card fills up this summer, there are dozens of food and wine-centric events you definitely don’t want to miss. Starting this weekend and going well into the end of September, Sonoma County’s bounty is on display at festivals, fairs, barbecues, revivals, expositions and off-beat “only in the North Bay” activities your neighbors will be buzzing about.

So get out your calendar. We’ve hand-picked some of the most promising of the season.

May 29: OysterPalooza
Celebrate the Bay Area’s favorite bivalve at the fourth annual showcase of local oysters and musical talent. Oyster & Shrimp Po’ Boys, BBQ Tomales Bay oysters, boiled crayfish, seafood gumbo, Texas style brisket, Hurricanes, margaritas and fresh squeezed lemonade along with Lagunitas on draft. Six bands on two stages rock Rocker Oysterfeller’s throughout the day. $12, kids under 10 free, noon to 9pm, rocker Oysterfeller’s Kitchen and the Valley Ford Hotel, 14415 Coast Highway 1, Valley Ford, 876-1983.

June 4: Beerfest
Love beer? You’re in the right place. More than 40 of Northern California’s best microbreweries along with food purveyors and coffee companies get together for a sudsy good time at the Wells Fargo Center. It’s a bacchanal with heart, benefitting Face to Face, the Sonoma County AIDS Network. $45, 1-5pm, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. Tickets online at f2f.org.

June 4: Sonoma Country Music BBQ
Sure, there’s boot-kicking music (Dierks bentley, Kellie Pickler, John Nichols and SoCo’s own Pete Stringfellow and McKenna Faith), but it’s the BBQ that’s really got us smoking. Local ‘q-ers Big Jim’s, Smokehouse, Siam BBQ, Big Boy’s BBQ and El Brinquito serve up hundreds of pounds of rib, brisket, chicken and tri-tip with plenty of cold brews. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, $45 in advance, $55 at the door. Doors open at 2pm, family-friendly. Tickets at sonomacountrymusicbbq.com.

June 13: Taste of Mendocino
Though it may seem a bit counter-intuitive to head south to San Francisco to experience the flavors of our northern neighbors, dozens of wineries, restaurants and purveyors will showcase the best of Mendocino County at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavillion from 5-8pm, tickets $35. TasteofMendo.com.

June 22 – 26: Sonoma Marin Fair
Rides, Ugliest Dog Contest and first-of-the-season fair food. Get your fried Twinkies, funnel cake and garlic-fry fix. This year’s theme: Preserving the Tradition. Sonoma_Marin Fairgrounds, Petaluma, Sonoma-Marinfair.org.

Saturday, June 25: Days of Wine and Lavender
Stroll through Sonoma County’s most perfumed acre — 4500 lavender plants in full bloom at Matanzas Creek Winery. To celebrate the purple harvest, the winery features a buffet of lavender-infused dishes, spa products made from their crop, cheese tastings, a bocce ball contest, live music, wine tastings and strolls through the lavender barn. $75 per person, , 12-4pm. 6097 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 571-0156. Tickets, MatanzasCreek.com.

June 25, 26: Sonoma Lavender Festival
It’s a lavender-scented weekend in Kenwood as the Sonoma Lavender Barn opens to the public. Stroll through lavender fields, learn lavender cooking tip from local Chef Mary Bergin, and tastes lavender cuisine from Fresh’s Lisa Hemenway. Wine tasting, lavender products and spa product sampling. $5 per person, 8537 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood, 523-4411, sonomalavender.com.

July 9: CigarBQ
Cigars + BBQ + golf + wine, beer and whiskey. This dude-friendly event raises money for local charities, with this year’s recipient the Guy Fieri Foundation for Inspiration & Imagination. $150, Saralee’s Vineyard, 4-8pm. CigarBQ.com.

July 16: Rootstock
Food trucks meet live music, wine tasting and local food purveyors at Santa Rosa Vintner’s Square for this urban Wine Country event. Mobile kitchens from around the Bay will face-off to see who reigns supreme, including SoCo’s Mateo Granados, Street-Eatz, La Texanita and Bay Laurel Culinary’s GastroShack, Larry Vito’s Smokehouse BBQ; Napa’s Dim Sum Charlie’s, and SF’s Le Truc bus-terauant. A host of singer-songwriters add to the summertime fun, along with wines from D’Argenzio, Kurtz, Sheldon, MJ Lords, and Shone Farms. $35-$45, 1301 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, rootstockfestival.com. (BiteClub will host the Best Bites Contest)

July 23, 24: Gloria Ferrer 25th Anniversary Catalan Festival
Paying homage to their Spanish homeland, the winery features flamenco dancers, Spanish food and plenty of bubbly throughout the day. $50, 11am-4pm, Gloria Ferrer, 23555 Hwy Carneros Hwy (121), Sonoma, 996-7256. gloriaferrer.com/catalan-festival

July 27-August 14: Sonoma County Fair
Think Fair Food is just ho-hum? From barbecue and Willie Bird turkey legs to all manner of things fried, the Sonoma County Fair is tops for midway munchies. Stay tuned for the annual Fair Food Scramble on BiteClub in late July. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 528-3247.

July 30: Rivertown Revival
Petaluma’s Rivertown past comes alive in parade of art boats and curious creations floating down the Petaluma River. Historic accuracy isn’t nearly as important as creativity, fun and a deep-rooted sense of imagination. Expect plenty of turn-of-the-century inspired costumes, handlebar mustaches and gee-whiz moments. Music, food, and $5 revival weddings. 11:30a,-6pm, McNear Penninsula, Petaluma, rivertownrevival.com. (BiteClub will be a Pie Hole Girl selling pies)

August 5-7 West of the West Wine Festival
Some of Sonoma’s most celebrated small-production Coastal wineries (Lioco, Flowers, Wind Gap, Littorai, Martinelli, Peay and many others) gather in Occidental for seminars, tasting and winery dinners. Whole Hog Feast and live music on Saturday. Tickets available a la carte for various events ($125-$350). 888-878-9645 for tickets or westsonomacoast.com.

August 13-14: Gravenstein Apple Fair
Sweeter than apple pie, this family-friendly event celebrates all things apple, most notably the local Gravenstein. Music, kids crafts, demonstrations and lots and lots pie. Ragle Ranch Park, Sebastopol. gravensteinapplefair.com

Sept 2-4 Wine Country Weekend
This is the Holy Grail of Wine Country events, with three full days of eat, drink, repeat. Winemaker lunches and dinners kick off on Friday, followed by the 32nd annual Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch )11am to 4pm — a full day of exploring hundreds of Sonoma County wineries and food purveyors. Veterans know to pace carefully and hydrate often at this massive showcase of SoCo’s bounty. on Sunday, the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction raises funds for local charities. (BiteClub will be a Judge and is a media sponsor)

Mark your calendars now
Sept. 10: Kendall Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival
Red, green, black or zebra-striped, Kendall Jackson fetes all things tomato at this exceptionally delicious event. Top Bay Area (and national) chefs compete, dozens of restaurants serve up tomato-inspired dishes and more than 130 heirloom tomatoes are on display (for tasting). 11am-4pm, $65 per person, Kendall Jackson Wine Center, 5007 Fulton Road, kj.com for tickets. (BiteClub will be a Judge and is attending)

Sept. 13, 14,15: National Heirloom Expo
Petaluma’s Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds puts on an ambitious national event promising to be the largest heirloom event ever. Hosted at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, it brings together growers, gardeners, purveyors, food celebs and food journalists for three days of tastings, learning and discussion about what we eat. theheirloomexpo.com (BiteClub is hoping to be involved, still in planning stages)

Sept. 25: Handcar Regatta
Erasmus P. Kitty hosts the region’s most innovative and ingenious events, The Great West End & Railroad Square Handcar Regatta and Exposition of Mechanical and Artistic Wonders for the fourth year. Wacky inventors race artistic creations along the tracks, usually dressed in all manor of retro-fab garb. Attracting upwards of 12,000 people, this year will be the first that charges admission, though $5-$8 seems a bargain for the wow-factor of witnessing all that goes on. handcar-regatta.com. (BiteClub Food Circus Returns, and will be bigger and better, with a front-and-center location, live animals and tons of amazing food fun).