Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Sonoma County

By Maci Martell
Meghan Tripp of Healdsbug, the Healdsburg St. Patrick’s Day princess, with her court, Ireland Heyfron, 7, left and Katelyn Filben, 6, right, on Friday, March 17, 2017. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Leprechauns and four-leaf clovers are waiting to be found by the lucky residents of Sonoma County on St. Patrick’s Day this year.

Local pubs, restaurants, wineries and other organizations have an assortment of celebrations planned for the holiday, including traditional Irish dinners, Celtic music and dance performances, St. Paddy’s-themed contests and more.

All events, dinners and celebrations are held on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, unless noted otherwise. Click through the above gallery for a peek at previous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Sonoma County. 

Larson Limerick Contest, Feb. 8 to March 8

Sonoma’s Larson Family Winery is holding its annual St. Patrick’s Day limerick contest, open until Friday, March 8. Limerick entries must be about wine, grapes, Sonoma and/or the Larson Family. The winner will be announced March 10 and be awarded a $150 winery gift certificate, redeemable online or at the winery. The winning entry will be displayed at the winery during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Enter your limerick online.

Larson Family Winery: 23355 Millerick Road, Sonoma, 707-938-3031, larsonfamilywinery.com

Petaluma Woman’s Club, March 14 and March 21

The Petaluma Woman’s Club will host two St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for women, with feasts and entertainment, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 14 and 6:30-9 p.m. on March 21. The celebration on March 14 is $25 and will include a traditional Irish meal and music by Mike Carini. RSVP by Saturday, March 9. The March 21 event, $30, will include an Irish feast and entertainment by Petaluma’s Keenan Irish Dancers. Prizes will be given for the best green attire and for the best Irish joke told. RSVP by Saturday, March 16. Email membership@petalumawomansclub.com to RSVP for either event. Please note: These events are open to all women, but are not co-ed. The Petaluma Woman’s Club hosts a variety of events throughout the year, such as a Crab Feed and an Italian Dinner, that are open to everyone. 

518 B St., Petaluma, 707-762-4271, petalumawomansclub.com

Perch + Plow, March 15-17

Santa Rosa nightclub Perch + Plow will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day all weekend long with a 21+ event, from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., March 15-17. Each night, resident DJs will play live music to dance to and there will be green cocktails for purchase. Cover charge at the door is $5 for women and $10 for men. VIP tables and bottle service will be available.

90 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, 707-843-3582, perchandplow.com

Dutton Estate Winery, March 15-17

For those looking for libations other than beer this St. Paddy’s Day, Dutton Estate will host a weekend-long “Leprechaun Tasting,” featuring estate wines and hard apple cider, at select times from noon to 3 p.m., March 15-17. The festive tasting will be paired with sweet and savory treats. Tastings are $55 per person, $35 for club members. Reserve on CellarPass.

8757 Green Valley Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-9463, duttonestate.com

Petaluma Elks Lodge, March 16

The Petaluma Elks Lodge No. 901 will host a St. Patrick’s dinner for members and guests starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 16. Appetizers and a no-host bar will open at 5 p.m. and the corned beef and cabbage dinner starts at 6 p.m. The Petaluma-based Keenan Irish Dancers will perform for the evening. The event is $25 per person and tickets are presale only, with limited seating. Purchase tickets online.

2105 South McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-763-0901, elks901.org

Leanna Lindsay takes part in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Healdsburg, on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
Leanna Lindsay takes part in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Healdsburg. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Pat Davis died his beard green for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Healdsburg, on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Pat Davis died his beard green for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Healdsburg. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)

Healdsburg St. Patrick’s Day Festivities

The city of Healdsburg will celebrate the holiday with a St. Patrick’s Day Parade starting at 7 a.m. on Healdsburg Avenue followed by a celebration on the Plaza. Don your festive greens to march in the parade starting at Sanderson Ford (453 Healdsburg Ave.), which will head around the Plaza and back. The festivities on the Plaza, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will include live music, children’s crafts and Irish step dancing by the Shiloh Step Dancers.  

Downtown Healdsburg, healdsburg.gov

St. Patrick’s Day 5K

Fleet Feet will present its annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K starting at 10 a.m. at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. Irish dancers will kick off the holiday festivities with a performance at 9:15 a.m., followed by the Little Leprechaun Loop at 9:30 a.m. Post-race celebrations — including music, activities, beer or root beer, sponsor giveaways and a judged costume contest — will open as the first finishers arrive.

The chip-timed race is open to all ages and abilities, and participants will receive a commemorative finisher medal and mug. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks Scholarship Fund. Registration fees for the 5K are $20 for youth 12 and under and $55 for people 13 and up. Register on Race Roster. Morning registration and packet pick-up for racers will be held, starting at 8:45 a.m., at Old Courthouse Square.

Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, srcity.org

John Gerhardt runs toward the finish line of the St. Patrick's Day 5K on Santa Rosa Avenue near Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa on Sunday, March 13, 2022. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
John Gerhardt runs toward the finish line of the St. Patrick’s Day 5K on Santa Rosa Ave. near Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Runner Zachery Woods runs along A Street during the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Santa Rosa, on Sunday, March 16, 2014. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
Runner Zachery Woods runs along A Street during the St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Santa Rosa. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)

The Goose & Fern

Santa Rosa’s new British pub Goose & Fern will host St. Patrick’s Day festivities, from noon to 11 p.m., with traditional Celtic music, corned beef and cabbage dinners, and plenty of Guinness.

116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-843-4235, facebook.com/gooseandfern

Murphy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

The well-known St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Murphy’s Irish Pub will include the traditional Irish dishes and drinks on its regular menu as well as an evening of free live music. Sonoma-based acoustic band Wildflower Weed will kick off the music festivities at 2:30 p.m., Lynne O and The Riots will perform at 5 p.m. and the fairly new Sonoma supergroup Groove Incident will close the night, starting at 7:30 p.m.

464 First St. E., Sonoma, 707-935-0660, sonomapub.com 

Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley

The Sonoma Valley Rotary will host a “Luck o’ the Irish” raffle and St. Paddy’s Day dinner celebration from 4-9 p.m. at Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall. Raffle winners can win up to $10,000 in cash. Raffle tickets are $50 each and can be purchased from Rotarians or at Crown Cleaners on Broadway in Sonoma. Tickets for a traditional Irish corn beef and cabbage dinner (vegetarian option available) are $50 each and include one glass of beer or wine. There will also be a cash bar for additional beverages. Proceeds benefit education and nonprofits in Sonoma Valley. Purchase dinner tickets online.

The Rotary Club is also sponsoring a Leprechaun Hunt — in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance and Kid Scoop News — until March 15 at participating Sonoma businesses. Kids can find and take pictures with the hidden leprechauns to win a prize. Check the Rotary’s Facebook page for updates on businesses participating in the Leprechaun Hunt.

For dinner/raffle: Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, 126 First St. W., Sonoma, sonomavalleyrotary.org

Salt & Stone

Kenwood’s Salt & Stone will serve a corned beef and cabbage dinner special on St. Patrick’s Day. Advanced reservations are recommended for holidays. Reserve on OpenTable.

9900 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-6326, saltstonekenwood.com

McNear’s Saloon & Dining House

McNear’s will host its 37th annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration from 3-5 p.m. at its downtown Petaluma saloon. The free event will include performances by the Petaluma-based Keenan Irish Dance School, with live music by San Francisco native singer/songwriter Jerry Hannan and his band. Irish food and drink specials will be available for purchase all day.

23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-765-2121, mcnears.com

Brewsters Beer Garden

Irish fusion band Celtifornia will perform live music from 1-4 p.m. at Brewsters Beer Garden for St. Patrick’s Day. 

229 Water St., Petaluma, 707-981-8330, brewstersbeergarden.com

Kiwanis Club of Windsor

Windsor’s Kiwanis Club is bringing back its corned beef and cabbage drive-thru dinners this year, from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Windsor Community United Methodist Church. The meal, which includes all the trimmings of a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, is $25. Proceeds benefit Kiwanis programs. Reserve and pay on EventBrite by 9 p.m. on March 12 for pickup on St. Patrick’s Day.

9451 Brooks Road, Windsor, 707-838-6898, kiwaniswindsor.org

Rio Nido Roadhouse

The roadhouse’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party for all ages will feature live music from Sonoma County-based blues and jazz band Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes from 1-4 p.m., with no cover charge. A $17 corned beef plate — which includes slow-cooked corned beef brisket with cabbage, carrots, red potatoes and housemade Irish soda bread — will be served all day starting at 1 p.m. until food runs out.

14540 Canyon Two Road, Rio Nido, 707-869-0821, rionidoroadhouse.com

Coast Kitchen

Coast Kitchen at Timber Cove Resort will host a St. Patrick’s Day dinner special starting at 5 p.m., open to hotel and non-hotel guests. The dinner will include smoked brisket, mashed potatoes and braised greens. Irish-inspired cocktails and beers will be available for purchase. Reserve your spot on Resy.

21780 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-847-3231, coastkitchensonoma.com

Catering

Sally Tomatoes, order by March 14 

Catering service Sally Tomatoes will have a St. Patrick’s Day menu for delivery. The holiday meal includes corned beef and cabbage, butter potatoes, carrots, Emerald Isle salad with green goddess dressing and housemade soda bread. The St. Patrick’s menu is $17.50 per person, with a 15-person minimum. Order by March 14 at the latest; delivery available March 11-17. Call to place your order.

1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-665-9472, sallytomatoes.com

Treats 

Nom Nom Cakes

Bodega Bay-based Nom Nom Cakes has St. Patrick’s Day specials available this season, including green funfetti cake pops with gold sprinkles, almond flavored sugar cookies shaped as shamrocks and beer mugs, and “Luck of the Irish” chocolate cupcakes — filled with Irish whiskey ganache, frosted with Baileys buttercream and decorated with four-leaf clovers, gold sprinkles and gold-wrapped chocolate coins. Order online for delivery or pickup. 

390 Calle Del Sol, Bodega Bay, 805-350-0680, nomnombaking.com

Colorful Modern Ranch House in Petaluma Listed for $2 Million

By Karen Kizer

A beautifully updated ranch home in Petaluma has hit the market. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home boasts an opened-up floor plan, handsome finishes, and clever design details. The 2-acre property also features a second home with one bedroom and one bathroom. The list price for both homes is $2,050,000. 

The Petaluma property’s owner, designer and artist Tegan Hoover, led the renovation of the 1975 home. Her aim was to enhance its sense of expansiveness, as well as its views. She achieved this by opening up the floor plan — a process which required removing many of the walls. The home now enjoys meadow views from nearly every room. Ample windows and recessed ceiling lamps bathe the living spaces in light. 

Hoover punctuated the look with vibrant colors dragged subtly throughout the house. The white walls were intended as a blank canvas for the splashes of color. The playful modern look mirrors Hoover’s own paintings, which hang on the walls. 

The kitchen has thoughtful details that support the squeaky clean, uncluttered aesthetic. The wood cabinets lack bevels, which tend to collect dirt. An electrical outlet inside one of the cabinets allow the coffeemaker to be hidden from view. There’s even a pull-out drawer with cutouts to hold compost bins—a favorite detail, says Hoover. The look is capped off with a generous slab of quartz, which waterfalls on each side of the eat-in kitchen island. 

A remnant slab of quartz serves as an elegant triangle countertop in the small bathroom. Hoover takes pride in the choice of an IKEA mirror hanging above it. A former commercial designer, she loves mixing attractive budget items with finer pieces.

Hoover created a handsome exterior with slate-colored stucco—a material called Exterior Integral Stucco that never needs to be painted. Accented by a pink doors and graphic-shaped succulent leaves, this ranch home truly sparkles.

Click through the above gallery for a peek at the property.

For more information about 200 and 202 Kuck Lane, contact listing agent, Marni Cunha, 707-338-2085, Compass Real Estate, 127 Fourth St., Petaluma, marnicunha.com

How to Create the Quiet Luxury Look in Your Home, According to Sonoma Designers

By Karen Kizer
A textured fireplace and gentle touches of color blend with the spectacular tranquility of the ocean views in this Bodega Bay home. Interior design is by Jessica Wichman of Zeitgeist Sonoma. Snyder Construction brought JMA Architecture’s design to fruition.(Tammy Horton Photography)
A textured fireplace and gentle touches of color blend with the spectacular tranquility of the ocean views in this Bodega Bay home. Interior design is by Jessica Wichman of Zeitgeist Sonoma. Snyder Construction brought JMA Architecture’s architectural design to fruition.(Tammy Horton Photography)

There is so much to love about maximalist home decor, including its layers of exciting colors and patterns. Minimalism is nice, too, with its restrained lines and focus on the essentials. But there’s a new trend in fashion that is now taking over home decor: quiet luxury.

Quiet luxury combines a few quality pieces (a handbag and a coat, or a sofa and a credenza) with a few layers of tranquil colors (such as beige, white and black). The goal is to create an intriguing but effortless look. In fashion, the layering of browns and creams has been described as latte dressing. And that’s, really, a good shorthand guide for creating a simple but sumptuous home design. 

Here we look at the work of a few Sonoma designers that falls into the quiet, but oh-so-beautiful vein. Click through the above gallery for details.

Where to Go Whale Watching on the Sonoma Coast

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
5/3/2014:A1: PASSING THROUGH: A pair of gray whales move north past Bodega Head on Thursday as they migrate to their summer feeding grounds off Alaska. The giant mammals have put on quite a show this week for visitors to the popular whale-watching spot that juts out into the ocean at the northern edge of Bodega Bay. PC: A pair of gray whales make their way north during their migration past Bodega Head on Thursday, May 1, 2014. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Twice each year, some 20,000 gray whales pass along the California coast as they swim south to breeding lagoons on the west coast of Baja California during winter months, then back to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic’s Bering Sea in spring. The round trip for these sea giants is roughly 12,000 mile and is considered one of the longest among mammals.

If you’d like to witness this epic journey, the peak months for whale watching are January through May. If the weather is good, whales can be seen within a few hundred yards of coastal headlands. During spring migration, even little whales are a big deal, as the recently born calves cavort with their mothers on their way back to colder waters.

Click through the above gallery for prime whale viewing locations along the Sonoma Coast. For more winter adventures, check out our guide to local waterfalls. 

PLEASE NOTE: Always read and obey warning signs along the coast. Ocean conditions can change quickly, and the absence of a particular sign does not mean there is no threat of hazardous conditions. Always keep a safe distance to the ocean and be careful when looking through binoculars and taking photos.

15 Stunning Waterfalls in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
A waterfall awaits those who hike the easy 3.3 mile falls loop trail in Russian Gulch State Park just north of the town of Mendocino.

With its abundance of public parkland and open space, the North Coast is too full of gushing streams and cascading creek flows to mention them all. We’ve listed a few of our favorite waterfalls in the gallery above.

Maci Martell contributed to this article.

10 Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Sonoma County

By Jenna Fischer
Coffee and pastry from Flying Goat Coffee. (Jenna Fisher)

Stumped on what to do when it gets damp and gray outside? Click through the gallery for 10 suggestions on how to make even a rainy day a little brighter.

Cozy Sonoma Restaurants and Bars for Chilly Days

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
The build-it-yourself burger is served with a glass of Russian River Brewery’s Defenestration at Stark’s Steak & Seafood in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

On chilly, rainy days, when all you want to do is snuggle up by a crackling fireplace, head to these cozy restaurants, bars and tasting rooms in Sonoma County for a comforting meal and drinks. Click through the above gallery or see the list below for details, and share your favorites in the comments.

Stark’s Steak & Seafood, Santa Rosa: This classic steakhouse does cozy in retro style. You’ll get the Bogie-and-Bacall vibe right away. Manhattans, aged whiskies and absinthe are served by white-coated bar staff. The seats are leather and a baby grand sits in the corner waiting to tinkle out a tune or two. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com

Monti’s, Santa Rosa: This Montgomery Village restaurant is a hot summer spot for wine and Mediterranean cuisine on the patio. During the colder months, a wood-burning rotisserie keep things hot, and gregarious bartenders keep guests in good spirits no matter the temperature. 714 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-568-4404, montismv.com

The Lounge at John Ash & Co at Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Vintners Resort)
The Lounge at John Ash & Co at Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Vintners Resort)

John Ash Front Room, Santa Rosa: The dark, clubby vibe of this hotel lounge is perfect for rainy-day drinks with friends. Cozy leather seats are prime real estate, but bar tables for two are a bit more intimate. 4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 707-527-7687, vintnersresort.com

El Dorado Kitchen, Sonoma: Escape the hustle and bustle of the busy dining room, and grab a seat in the farm-chic lounge. You’ll be warmed by the fireplace and cutely named cocktails such as the Coda Pendant of rye, apple schnapps, sugar, lemon and Angostura bitters. 405 First St. West, Sonoma, 996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com

The Restaurant at Dawn Ranch, Guerneville: Dawn Ranch’s new restaurant offers a true farm-to-table dining experience, with many of its ingredients grown directly on the property. Warm up by the fire after taking a stroll through the resort’s meadow. 16467 California 116, Guerneville, 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com

The dining room at Agriculture Public House at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville. (Greg Ceo Studio)
The dining room at Agriculture Public House at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville. (Greg Ceo Studio)
The restaurant at the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The restaurant at the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Farmhouse Inn, Forestville: Farmhouse Inn houses an upscale, but surprisingly low-key Michelin-starred restaurant. The ambiance is sophisticated yet cozy, the Cal-French cuisine delicious yet unpretentious, the decor chic and the service snappy. And there’s a fireplace. 7871 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com/restaurant. 

Drake’s Fireside Lounge, Bodega Bay: Adjacent to the Drakes Sonoma Coast Kitchen at The Lodge at Bodega Bay, this pretty retreat woos with a large stone fireplace framed by gorgeous views of Bodega Head, Doran Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Life is nice when you’re bundled in your favorite sweater, supping on a juicy cheeseburger and sipping on a cocktail. 103 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-3525, lodgeatbodegabay.com/the-fireside-lounge

The Matheson, Healdsburg: Enjoy a woodfired pizza fireside at The Matheson’s Roof 106. This buzzy rooftop bar in Chef Dustin Valette’s new restaurant complex has fire pits and a warm ambiance. 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-723-1106, thematheson.com/roof-106

Ram’s Gate Winery, Sonoma: Feel as though you’re in a mountain lodge while taking in the Carneros views. There are multiple tasting experiences and spaces to enjoy by appointment ($40-$160; some are seasonal and many offer food pairings), and each space is warmed by a roaring fireplace. 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700, ramsgatewinery.com

The veranda fireplace at Ram's Gate Winery in Sonoma. (Courtesy of Ram's Gate Winery)
The veranda fireplace at Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma. (Courtesy of Ram’s Gate Winery)
Lambert Bridge Winery on West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg has a cozy tasting room with a fireplace, shown lit for the holidays. The winery hosts a number of holiday events, including a Wreath Making Class from 4-6 p.m. on Dec. 12. (Courtesy of Lambert Bridge Winery)
Lambert Bridge Winery on West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg has a cozy tasting room with a fireplace, shown lit for the holidays. The winery hosts a number of holiday events, including a Wreath Making Class from 4-6 p.m. on Dec. 12. (Courtesy of Lambert Bridge Winery)

Lambert Bridge, Healdsburg: Specializing in Bordeaux varieties, Lambert Bridge also boasts a tasting room featuring a large fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a bar made of a single felled redwood tree. Glass walls provide a view into the barrel room. The Barrel Room Tasting Experience is $75 and includes four hand-selected wines. 4085 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9600, lambertbridge.com

Zina Lounge, Sonoma: It’s an unusual set-up, but all the more fun for being so different. Technically, Zina could be called a wine and food pairing, since you sit with an intimate group at a communal table in what is the Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery tasting room in the lobby of the Ledson Hotel on the Sonoma Plaza. The setting is fine-dining posh, trimmed in gleaming wood with a flickering fireplace flanked by leather couches. 480 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-996-9779, zinawinery.com

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens Tasting Room, Santa Rosa: Visit this winery estate for a tasting of their sustainably-produced wines and a stroll through the gardens. On cold days, cozy up by the fireplace in the tasting room. The Estate Tasting is $35; reservations required. 5007 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa, 800-769-3649, kj.com

Lonnie Hayes, Heather Irwin, Maci Martell, Julie Fadda Powers and Carey Sweet contributed to this article. 

Barndiva Returns to Its Roots in Healdsburg

By Heather Irwin
Filet of Fish Sandwich american cheese, bd tartar and shredded lettuce from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Kitchen changes and the loss of their Michelin star in 2024 have occurred since this writing.

When a Michelin-starred chef makes you a hamburger, it’s reasonable to expect the best hamburger of your life (or at least a top five).

At Studio Barndiva in Healdsburg, celebrated chef Erik Anderson delivers with The Gallery Burger, a Gruyere-stuffed patty (also known as a Juicy Lucy in the Midwest), pillow-soft sesame bun, pickles and caramelized onions atop a pool of Bordelaise sauce, made with red wine and lots of butter.

It’s simple, it’s complex, it’s goofy, it’s fancy. I loved everything about it.

But a question that nagged me at the newly opened Studio Barndiva: Why is a chef awash with critical accolades cooking hamburgers?

The answer is that the longtime restaurant is returning to its roots as a gathering space promoting ecological literacy, art, nourishment and the covenant of reciprocity. I have no idea what that means, exactly, but the owners say they’re ready to simplify.

“We’ve been proud of everything we’ve done over the 20 years we’ve been here, but we’re trying to get back to what makes us happy. We have always put an emphasis on sourcing locally. By expanding our menus in new directions, this will allow us to reach even more local farmers growing unusual things,” co-owner Lukka Feldman said in January.

The Gallery Burger with fresh thyme, gruyère, caramelized onions with a table side pour of bordelaise sauce from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Gallery Burger with fresh thyme, gruyère, caramelized onions with a table side pour of bordelaise sauce from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

It was an unexpected move for the restaurant to cast aside its elaborate multicourse menu for an a la carte menu that riffs on the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich, creamy tikka masala and crispy chicken Paillard as some of its mainstays.

The restaurant also moved its dining room to the more expansive art gallery next door. The original restaurant is reserved for private events.

In 2022, I experienced an astounding meal at Barndiva that included goat cheese croquettes with lavender honey, a dehydrated tomato surrounded by basil gelee and August Sun Gold tomatoes, and a trout bathed in saffron sauce.

It was worthy of a Michelin star, which Barndiva has been awarded for three consecutive years.

But Michelin stars are a funny thing. They create huge expectations from destination diners, crippling pressure for chefs and, sometimes, a loss of the restaurant’s core audience, who are priced out as menus get more and more elaborate. Stars can be greedy monsters that consume everything in the quest for inclusion in the French restaurant guidebook.

It’s also worth mentioning that Healdsburg is awash with stars and tweezer-perfect food, making it even more challenging to stand out.

“We have always believed that the reason people go out to dine is not a fixed star, Michelin or otherwise. We all long to return to tastes that trigger happiness and memory, to be excited by new food experiences, step into a room filled with music and engaging conversation. On the simplest and most profound level, the sound of other humans having vibrant food and drink experiences gives us agency to enjoy ourselves more fully in the world,” read a blog on Barndiva’s website.

Tikka Masala chicken, lemon rice, paratha and raita from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Tikka Masala chicken, lemon rice, paratha and raita from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Turkish Bazlama & Hummus from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Turkish Bazlama & Hummus from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Putting those words into action, the Barndiva team hosted discussions in November and February around consumer waste with thought leaders Julia Marsh of Sway, a compostable seaweed packaging company; Beth Rattner of the Biomimicry Institute; and Toby Corey of Cruz Foam, an environmentally sustainable solution to Styrofoam.

The event featured 3D-printed terracotta cups from GaeaStar, filled with craft cocktails from Barndiva’s resident mixologist, Scott Beattie. Future discussions are in the works.

Just weeks into the transformation, the agri-chic gallery, with open rafters, ambient statement chandeliers and casual bistro seating (as well as a large communal table) is consistently booked.

Diners are noticeably more local, wearing fleece and boots rather than silk and heels. Service is smooth and attentive but with far fewer servers and staff. You’re as likely to have a cook — possibly even chef Anderson — deliver your meal as a server.

The question remains how the affably earnest Barndiva Gallery will balance a personality-driven menu from Anderson with a more casual a la carte menu, dramatically lower price points and a local vibe.

It’s a bold U-turn for the Barndiva leadership team, but I think one that suits it.

Healdsburg’s Barnidiva has moved next door into Studio Barndiva with a new menu Friday, February 23, 2024. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Healdsburg’s Barnidiva has moved next door into Studio Barndiva with a new menu Friday, February 23, 2024. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Best bets

Goat Cheese Croquettes, $12: Crispy bites that ooze with warm goat cheese and tomato jam. A drizzle of sweet, floral honey. Perfection.

Mt. Lassen Trout Rillettes, $16: This is where Anderson’s talent shines. A petite ramekin of shredded trout lightly capped with fat and dotted with egg yolk jam and chives. Rectangles of toasted brioche, buttery and warm, are perfect utensils for getting the rich, silky spread into your face.

Crispy Chicken Paillard, $24: It’s not the chicken Paillard I was expecting. I’m still searching for as juicy, lemony, caper-y and soul-satisfying a Paillard as Chef Ralph Tingle’s Bistro Ralph version. It might even be worth swapping out something similar on the Barndiva menu, knowing how beloved the now-gone Bistro Ralph was to locals. But Anderson’s version takes a different angle, with hyper-crispy breading, a tingly green chermoula and garlicky drizzles of tahini. The pounded chicken is supple and delicious.

The Gallery Burger, $21: When $25 burgers barely get a blink lately, this version is a steal of a deal. Juicy ground beef studded with fresh thyme and the Gruyere (as mentioned earlier) is just brain-explodingly good. The addition of Bordelaise takes it over the top, though on a second visit, the pool of sauce was more of a small puddle. Boo. Order a side of thin frites to sop up the gooey cheese and sauce you’ve dripped everywhere.

Tikka Masala, $30: You first notice that it’s not that weird traffic cone orange color, a good start. Creamy, spicy and beautifully seasoned with plenty of cumin. Served with lemon rice, cooling raita (cucumber yogurt dip) and paratha. It’s hard to do Indian cuisine without a tandoor oven, so the paratha was a bit oily.

Turkish Bazlama & Hummus, $10: Whoever makes this Turkish flatbread (similar to pita or naan) is a genius. It’s served steaming, tender and warm, perfectly paired with a simple hummus and quality olive oil.

The Winter Manhattan with bourbon, rye, vermouth, asian pear, vanilla bean, bitters, Seville orange oil with a Quince blossom inside at Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Winter Manhattan with bourbon, rye, vermouth, asian pear, vanilla bean, bitters, Seville orange oil with a Quince blossom inside at Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

The drinks

One of the big draws for Barndiva Gallery is the crafted cocktail menu from Scott Beattie. Where his mind-bending craft cocktails were a nice add-on to the wine program at the former Barndiva, here, they shine brightly as a main event. There can be a bit of sticker shock on some, like the $24 Winter Manhattan made with Ransom bourbon, High West double rye, Italian vermouth, vanilla bean, bitters, Seville orange oil and octogenarian farmer Ken Gradek’s Sonoma County Asian pears.

It is the best Manhattan you will ever have, lead by warm spice and citrus, smooth bourbon and sweet Amarena cherries. Instead of hitting you square in the jaw with boozy heat, Beattie’s cocktails make a surprising first impression (wait, that’s not what I expected); move into a complex middle (yes, that’s familiar, but somehow different); and rewards you with lingering finish (oh, yes, that’s very nice). They’re long sippers, not gulpers.

The Belly Rub Shrub, $18, is made with turmeric spirit, raw turmeric shrub, ginger, markut lime oil and bitters. Round slices of pickled beets hugging the glass give Yayoi Kusuma vibes. Plus, you can pretend it’s healthy.

Belly Rush Shrub with Olehna Tumeric, Spirit Row Turmeric Shrub with ginger and lime essential oil, lime, bitters, and soda from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024, in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Belly Rush Shrub with Olehna Tumeric, Spirit Row Turmeric Shrub with ginger and lime essential oil, lime, bitters, and soda from Studio Barndiva Friday, February 23, 2024 in Healdsburg. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Best of all is the Philmaitai, $24, with three types of rum, lime, Orgeat and a coconut fat wash. Beattie can explain the science, but it starts with a reserved hit of rum and barely there lime, quickly blooming into a familiar tropical Mai Tai flavor that’s sweet but not too syrupy and finishing with a light flavor of almond and coconut milk.

All of the drinks can be made nonalcoholic without losing the intensity using zero-proof spirits. A well-crafted list of wines by the glass or bottle rounds out the program, and for a limited time, there’s a supersecret cocktail menu with simple martinis, margaritas, gin fizz and a Japanese high ball with Hojicha tea for just $12 each.

Studio Barndiva is at 237 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-431-7404, barndiva.com. Open for dinner Thursday through Sunday. Reservations are highly recommended, although there is limited walk-in seating.

‘This Is My Calling’: Forestville Guitar Maker Is One of the Most Talented in the Country

By John Beck
Guitar maker Maegen Wells, 32, in her home-based workshop in Forestville. Wells says that it’s always hard parting with her guitars once they’re finished and ready for the client. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)

This article was originally published in Sonoma Magazine in 2021. 

To understand Maegen Wells’ devotion to building guitars, it helps to know three things: One, she named her dog Lulu, short for lutherie, the art of making guitars. Two, she has a tattoo on her left arm of a blueprint for an archtop guitar. And three, her retirement plan comes in the form of rare wood, specially cut in sections that will allow her to make a one-of-a-kind custom guitar every five years until she hangs up her chisel.

“This is my calling,” she says. “It wasn’t a choice at all.”

Wells picked up her first guitar at the age of 7 and began writing songs at 9, dreaming of becoming the next Lisa Loeb. But it was an epiphany at 17, when she first held a Taylor guitar, that led the 32-year-old Michigan native to head straight out of high school to the Galloup School of Lutherie.

After apprenticeships with Reverend Guitars in the Midwest and veteran luthier Tom Ribbecke in Healdsburg, she moved to Forestville, where she now lives in a grove of redwoods near the Russian River.

Meet Maegen Wells and fellow Sonoma County luthier Bruce Sexauer in this video, produced by Joshua Dylan Mellars for NorCal Public Media. 

Sheltering at home during the Covid-19 pandemic allowed Wells a rare chance to skip her annual tour of guitar conventions and focus solely on creating in her workshop, a lower-level sanctuary in her house that was once a speakeasy during Prohibition (and still has the bar footrest to prove it).

Wells also crafts mandolins, but her passion lies in the archtop guitar— the wide, hollow-body six-string with an arched top instead of a flat one, known for its super-rich clarity from note to note. It’s what you might picture when you hear a Wes Montgomery or George Benson jazz guitar solo. But they’re also prevalent in rock, rockabilly, and country.

Guitar maker Maegen Wells, 32, adjusting the bridge of one of her small body archtop acoustic guitars in her home-based workshop in Forestville, California on June 4, 2020. (Photo: Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)
Guitar maker Maegen Wells, 32, adjusting the bridge of one of her small body archtop acoustic guitars in her home-based workshop in Forestville. (Erik Castro/for Sonoma Magazine)

Wells’ guitars emerge from a range of woods: mahogany, ebony, maple, walnut, sapele, and koa, and sell for around $9,000 each. When Wells picks up a piece of wood, the first thing she does is scratch it. “That’s when the conversation begins,” she says. “The entire time, me and the wood and the tools are talking. The tools are kind of the translator between me and the materials.”

While working with a hand plane to carve the top, she can hear and feel the pitch change with each carve. It will be at least “another 400 steps” until she strings and strums the guitar for the first time.

With over a decade dedicated to her craft, it now takes about 250 hours to make a guitar, and “a lot of Buckethead,” she says, name-dropping the eccentric guitar virtuoso she often listens to while working in the shop.

A few years ago, Wells scored six sets of wood from an East Coast dealer who stumbled on a rare Honduran mahogany tree in Southern Mexico that bore a flamed “fiddleback” pattern. The pattern was so distinct and unusual, it became known simply as “the Fiddleback Tree” and all the wood sold out quickly. Wells made her first guitar from the tree in 2018 and sold it for $13,000. Her plan is to make a guitar from the tree every five years until she retires, waiting 10 years to make the final installment.

“By the time I’m 60 and I finish that last guitar, it will be bittersweet,” she says. “But it will represent my life and how I evolved as the wood evolved.

Bonchon’s Korean Fried Chicken in Petaluma Is Worth the Hype

By Heather Irwin
Fried chicken and French fries from Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken. (Bonchon)

Bonchon: A Korean fried chicken chain (launched in Korea in 2002), is the latest entrant into the local fast-casual game.

Sonoma County is an island when it comes to fast-casual franchises.

Certainly, we’ve welcomed many of them in recent years, from Five Guys to Chipotle and the recently opened Shake Shack, but fortunately, locally owned restaurants still have the upper hand. And that’s a good thing.

But a straightforward burger can be a relief after a steady diet of tweezer food and overly earnest menus. You don’t have to ponder it; you just eat it. And while I admit to a mixed history of breathlessly overhyping spots like Sonic (drinks rock, burgers not so much) and under-appreciating a solid entrant like Habit Burger (I don’t get it), I’ve picked a winner.

Bonchon: A Korean fried chicken chain (launched in Korea in 2002), is the latest entrant into the local fast-casual game.

As I write this, I am being powered by leftover pickled daikon and pork buns.

Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken is opening in Petaluma (Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken)
At Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken. (Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken)

I first tried their ultra-crispy wings, drumsticks and nuggets a few years ago in the South Bay. If you’re a fan of the sweet, sticky, garlicky-glazed Korean fried chicken genre, you’ll understand the hype. Paired with sauces including creamy cucumber wasabi, spicy Korean sauce, Japanese mayo and good old Ranch, you’re talking about some seriously crave-worthy poultry.

But that’s not where the menu ends.

The bulgogi, a marinated beef and onion dish, is a contender on its own, but as a topping for French fries (add melted cheese, a spicy mayo drizzled and green onions) it’s even better.

At Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken. (Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken)
At Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken. (Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken)

Don’t miss the pork steamed buns. These little pillows of bao have a crisp slice of pork belly, coleslaw, spicy mayo and katsu sauce.

Another favorite was the Korean doughnuts, two big twists of fried dough slathered with cinnamon sugar, served with a “sweet cream” dipping sauce that tastes remarkably similar to condensed milk.

Bonchon staff are still getting the hang of frying up chicken to order, and service can be slow, but put on your patient hat, and you’ll be pleasantly rewarded.

447 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, bonchon.com.