Applewood Inn | Guerneville

By biteclub

Closed
Chef Bruce Frieseke of the quiet Applewood Inn is one of the best Wine Country chefs you may not know. In his brief tenure at the helm of this quiet Guerneville bed and breakfast, he’s elevated the cuisine from ho-hum to haute.
Trained in Paris and San Francisco, with stints at the Farmhouse Inn and as Exec chef at Healdsburg’s Manzanita, Freiseke has put his energy toward a locally-inspired dinner menu with dishes like fresh chilled English Pea soup with mint;  a tartare of beef, potato chips, pickled mustard seeds, quail’s egg and house-cured anchovies; and cacao nib crusted rack of lamb with brown butter parsnips, house made chorizo and mini chimichurri.
The five-course tasting menu at $70 is still a value, with impressive wine or beer-pairings for $105. 13555 Highway 116, Guerneville, 869-9093.

My Daughter’s Love Soup

By biteclub

My Daughter's Love Soup
My daughter's Love Soup, pistou garnish

Respect for ingredients. Appreciation of taste. Legalized child labor. I can think of any number of reasons to engage your kids in the kitchen, but chief amongst them must surely be the joy of creating the food itself, of working side by side with your littles, of watching small hands learn to cut, whisk, and measure. (Here is where I’m probably meant to disclaim the use of knives by small children, along with feeding them steak tartar and raw egg yolks and letting them taste the wine. I’m sure it’s all a terribly risky and soon-to-be-Federally-regulated activity, so please consider yourself duly cautioned.)
What kids lack in technique – which is to say, nearly everything – they tend to compensate for with an undiluted enthusiasm that the rest of us lost somewhere around the time we decided that we had to be paid to go to work, so the key is to temper their excitement with just enough discipline to yield an edible final product. I generally impose this discipline with simple rules, like “mix wet into dry” or “cut the pieces in uniform sizes”, and I try always to work with concepts, rather then recipes, so you can imagine my pride when my daughter, barely buckled-in and basking in the buzz of her elected role of class cook, told me how she had her little team of sous chefs to add vegetables to a soup they were making in relation to each vegetable’s cooking time. That she wanted to go home and replicate her piece de resistance – a loose riff on the French peasant soup potage garbure, consisting of little more than fresh wintry vegetables and chives – well… let’s just say that we went shopping on the way home and very nearly forgot about homework.
Ingredients for Love Soup
Ingredients for Love Soup: Just add water

I try always to make shopping an integral part of our kids’ experience with food, so we immediately drove to Love Farms, one of my favorite local farm stands, and started grabbing whatever sounded good: Pungent purple onions, sweet corn, bright green zebra tomatoes, multi-colored carrots, and a bunch of leeks that you could almost smell from the car; we measured nothing. Walking from the car to the kitchen, we grabbed handfuls of parsley and thyme from the garden (another silver lining, along with peppers and tomatoes, of an otherwise diabolical grape-growing season here on the North Coast). As we prepped the veggies, tasting as we cut, we decided to use water in lieu of stock and to forgo meat in the base altogether – partly because my wife doesn’t really eat meat, but mainly because we wanted the bright, clean flavors of our freshly-dug vegetables to take stand center stage, with neither crutch nor bling for support or adornment.
MacKenzie’s Love Soup (Version 1.0)

  1. Go to a roadside farm stand and buy a big bag of vegetables, preferably including leeks, onions and carrots for the base and some tomatoes for acidity. (Our proportions, shown at right, yield an almost-corn chowder.)
  2. Roughly chop the vegetables into approximately uniform chunks and, if using tomatoes, concasse them and reserve the juice.
  3. Sweat the onions and carrots until soft, add 2-3 quarts of water and any tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and aromatics that you’ve chosen, and in the approximate order of their expected time to cook; total cooking time, once the water is in, should be 20-30 minutes. Simmer gently, skimming occasionally, until the vegetables are all cooked through and the tastes begin to meld. Season to taste with salt and pepper (if you’re using corn, try a little dried or fresh hot chili – not to make it spicy, just to add a subtle note of heat underneath all the sugar in the corn).
  4. Use a slotted spoon or spider to reserve 1-2 cups of the chunky vegetables and puree the rest; return the reserved chunks to the puree and adjust seasoning.
  5. Serve with crusty sourdough bread from your favorite local baker and garnish with pistou.

Win Cake Boss Tix

By biteclub

THE WINNER IS ….ROSE.
I wish I could give away tickets to all of you. Thanks so much for your wonderful stories. Stay tuned for more contests and giveaways. Some of my favorite stories will appear this Friday in the Press Democrat.

Want to spend an evening with Buddy Valastro? Well, who wouldn’t?
The Cake Boss star will be at the Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 19, 2010 doing a LIVE show featuring anecdotes, decorating tips and general amusement from his buttercream-frosted TLC show of the same name. He’ll also be giving some sneak peeks from his new cookbook.
Hey, yo! It’s almost like being at Carlo’s Bakery. Except not in New Jersey (phew).
To win two tickets to this family-friendly show, tell BiteClub your most crumb-tastic (that means memorable) cake story. Maybe it was your brother pushing your head into your own birthday cake when you were 5. Maybe it was the Pyramids of Giza cakes you made from scratch for your two year old (ahem, yes, that was me and they were dusted surrounded with brown sugar “sand”). Maybe it was simply a memory of eating your grandmother’s fluffy vanilla cake after school or baking your very first cake.
Submit your most awesome cake story in the comments below. One lucky winner will receive TWO tickets to see “An Evening with Buddy Valastro” on Nov. 19 AND get a meet and greet with Buddy after the show, courtesy of BiteClub.
I‘ll pick the winner based on MY favorite story, so feel free to pull my heartstrings. Good LUCK! (Full rules here.) UPDATE 11/11/10: Oh my gosh people, these are so great. I’m like crying at some of them. Amazing stuff. Wish I could give you ALL tickets. I’m going to see if we can get Buddy to read the winner at the event.

Just want to buy tickets? Get ’em here.

Humble Pie closes

By biteclub


Jeff Kan Lee/PD
Jeff Kan Lee/PD

Humble Pie in Penngrove has closed.
Restaurant owner and chief pie-baker Miriam Donaldson claims the closure was prompted by the sudden loss of their lease. The restaurant closed on October 31.
From Donaldson: “Sad and tragic news. The owner of our building has not renewed our lease and the space once known as the Humble Pie Penngrove will now be “Mack’s bar and grill”. Sunday was our last day, which is pretty sudden but what ya gonna do eh?”
The owner of the building, Robin Pfefer, counters that Humble Pie’s lease ran until March 2011 and the Humble Pie crew left the space without warning.
“They closed for personal reasons, and they were not tossed out or forced to leave. It makes the new owners and me look like the bad guys, but it was their choice to leave before their lease was up,” said Pfefer.
Pfefer is the former owner of the Black Cat Bar which closed in August 2010. When she spoke to BiteClub last summer, Pfefer was clear that she planned to let Humble Pie continue to operate in the cafe space — which is attached to the bar — but would be leasing the bar space to the owners of Cotati’s Eight Ball for a new bar called Mack’s.
What wasn’t clear at the time was that the lease ultimately included the cafe space. Pfefer said she extended the lease to Humble Pie until March 2011 so they could secure a new location before Mack’s took over the space, in good faith to Humble Pie. Pfefer said that the new bar/cafe owners had no involvement in the closure of Humble Pie and did not plan to open their cafe until after Humble Pie’s lease ran out in March.
Both sides maintain they’re in the right. Donaldson told BiteClub she hopes to reopen another restaurant within a year if she can come up with the funding.
Commence mourning.

Thanksgiving 2010

By biteclub

Here we go again! Here are BiteClub’s picks for EATING OUT, PICKUP, PIES AND TURKEYS for Thanksgiving 2010
RESTAURANTS
Stark’s Steakhouse: Roast Willie Bird Turkey, Chef Mark’s Andouille Sausage & Wild Mushroom Stuffing, Traditional Giblet Gravy and Pomegranate-Cranberry Relish for $22, or the usual steakhouse menu (except burgers and entree Caesar salads) from 2 to 7pm. Desserts: Pumpkin Pie and Mamma Janne’s Cream Cheese Pie. No corkage. 521 Adams St (at 7th St.), Santa Rosa, 546-5100.
Estate: Chef Sondra Bernstein’s family-style Italian restaurant in the former General’s Daughter is serving up prosciutto and pumpkin soup, Blue crab spaghetti, sugar pie pumpkin ravioli with sage butter, roasted turkey roulade, leg of lamb, pumpkin cheesecake. 400 West Spain Street
Sonoma, 933-3663.
girl and the fig: Nearby sister restaurant on the Sonoma square features a three course menu including wild mushroom and fromage blanc strudel, roasted turkey breast, prime rib, and a brow butter Bartlett pear tart for $52 per person. 110 West Spain St., Sonoma, 938-3634.
Rancho Nicasio Thanksgiving Dinner: Annual three course dinner from 12 to 7pm, reservations recommended. Menu includes homemade clam chowder, turkey, ham, salmon Wellington with champagne sauce, prime rib, pumpkin, apple or pecan pie. $34.95pp, 29.95 65+, kids under 10, $24.95. Three course vegetarian option available by reservation. On The Town Square, Nicasio, 415-662-2219.
Silverado Brewing Company: Diestel  turkey with all the trimmings, whole rock salt roasted crab, slow roasted prime rib au jus, and honey glazed baked ham. House-made desserts: baked pumpkin pie, Scharffen Bergen chocolate stout cake, and bourbon pecan pie. Reservations recommended; 3020 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena, 707-967-9876.
Willie Bird’s Restaurant: Family-favorite serving up local Willie Birds. Full holiday turkey dinner along with other menu items. Reservations required and most are nailed down well in advance, but some walk-ins accepted. Open until 8pm. 1150 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707.542.0861. Can’t get in for Thanksgiving: Grab a turkey Monte Cristo on Black Friday.
Madrona Manor: Michelin-starred chef Chef Jesse Malgren does annual four-course turkey dinner for $71pp. Call ahead for seating between 1:30 and 7:30pm. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, (707) 433-4231.
Central Market: Always a favorite in Petaluma, Chef Ton Najiola celebrates his eighth annual Thanksgiving dinner, this year highlighting New Orleans influences. $60pp, kids under 12, $20. 42 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma, (707) 778-9900
John Ash and Co.: Traditional turkey dinner from Chef Thomas Schmidt. Call for reservations. 350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa, 707.527.7687
Restaurant P/30: Traditional Family-Style Thanksgiving Dinner from 2-5pm. Menu online. Reservations Only (any size party). $40 for adults, $20 for kids 12 and under. Space is limited / Call 707-861-9030 for reservations.9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol (707) 861-9030.
Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge: Chef Tai will prepares a gourmet 5-course meal with all the traditional trimmings. 6675 Front St., Forestville, 887-7503.
Domaine Chandon: Dine at this Michelin-starred Napa restaurant at Domaine Chandon. Chef’s Thanksgiving Tasting Menu includes roasted chestnut soup, Liberty Farms Duck Breast, roasted Diestel Farms turkey, pumpkin tart (3-course $75/person; $95 w. wine pairing, 5 course $90/person; $110 w. wine pairing). Children’s options available.  Full menu (PDF). 1 California Dr, Yountville, 944-2892.
BUYING YOUR TURKEY
Diestel Turkey: Big John’s (1345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg), Oliver’s Market, Whole Foods, Sonoma Market (520 W. Napa St., Sonoma), Ukiah Natural Foods (721 S. State St., Ukiah), Molsberry Market (522 Larkfield Ctr, Santa Rosa).
Willie Bird Turkeys: Local free-range turkeys. 5350 Highway 12, Santa Rosa, CA 707-545-2832 Will Call Orders Only.
Heritage Turkeys: Local 4-H kids raise 190 heritage turkeys for Slow Food Russian River. The idea is to preserve historic breeds of native gobblers that aren’t just about giant breasts and plumped up drumsticks. These are the birds our grandparents and great-grandparents would recognize. Each year these birds sell out, and they can be a bit spendy, but the program helps to support young farmers and the Slow Food movement. Order at Slowfoodrr.org.
Terducken: This Southern abomination has been all the rage for several years: A turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Basically it’s a poultry roll-up with layers of stuffing in between. Martindale’s Quality Meats & Deli (5280 Aero Dr, 707-545-0531) in Santa Rosa. Order in advance ($6.99/lb)
Whole Foods: Pre-cooked meal options include a Latin Feast, Heritage Holiday dinner, traditional turkey dinner, spiral cut ham, organic and vegan options, as well as organic and heirloom turkeys. In honor of all this yummy goodness, Whole Foods Market will be hosting FREE Holiday Tasting Fairs on November 13, 14, 20 and 21 AND December 11, 12, 18 and 19 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at all stores in Northern California and Reno.
PICKUP
Zazu/Bovolo/Black Pig: You cook the turkey, Zazu does the rest. A la carte sides with flair including Black Pig Bacon (for your left over BLTurkey!); Cranberry & Quince Chutney; Riesling Gravy, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, maple and browned butter yams, cornbread stuffing, pumpkin gelato, choocolate dipped peanut butter ice cream sandwiches and Sebastopol apple crunch pie. All orders must be received by Friday, Nov. 20 for pick up on Wednesday at ZAZU restaurant + farm, 3535 guerneville road, santa rosa from 3 to 9pm or at BOVOLO, 106 matheson street, healdsburg from 12 to 6 pm. Call 707.431.2962 to place your order.
Pearson and Co: Mix and match everything from sides to stuffing. Menu includes: Butternut Squash Soup, turkey, ham, garlic mashed potatoes, root vegetables, green beans, wild rice stuffing, breads, pies and more. All orders must be placed by Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010. Call ahead orders: 541-3868, 2759 4th St., Santa Rosa.
Jimtown Store
A favorite spot for Wine Country luncheons, Alexander Valley’s Jimtown Store dishes up some of their most delicious fall eats for pick-up. Full turkey dinner with Mary’s Organic herb-roasted turkey, sausage and cornbread dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, sweet potatoes and sugar pie pumpkin pie, $245. A la carte: roasted butternut squash soup, fall bitter greens with pomegranate vinaigrette, cornmeal empanadas, Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, potato gratin, cider-whipped sweet potatoes and more. Orders must be placed by phone 433-1212 by November 19. Pick up Nov. 24 from noon to 4:30pm.
DON’T FORGET DESSERT
Mom’s Apple Pies will be open 10am to 3pm on Thanksgiving day. Expect lots of pumpkin. Order ahead if you want something different. 4550 Gravenstein Hwy. North, Sebastopol, 707-823-8330.
Humble Pie: If you’re a fan of Miriam Donaldson’s pies at the funky Humble Pie in Penngrove, you’ll have to get in line this Thanksgiving. She’s only making 30 of her precious confections for Turkey Day, and they’ll sell out fast. The flavors: Sweet potato bourbon, pumpkin spice, pear cardamon, chocolate cream dream, candied walnut, apple ginger and more. 664-8779. The good news? You can still get them the rest of the year. Early birds can get their holiday pie at humblepiepenngrove.com.
Betty’s Bakery: Betty’s Bakery (next door to Betty’s Fish and Chips) is a butter-scented slice of flaky heaven. Though best known for their fried fish and fries, co-owner Susan Corso has been making pies since she was a girl. Her lush Lemon Cloud and award-winning peach-raspberry pies are already well know, but this week she’s started baking a light and airy pumpkin will win your heart.  The bakery opens at 8am each morning and features muffins, cookies and purse-sized pies (so you don’t have to share) daily. 4046 Sonoma Hwy., Santa Rosa, (707) 539-0899
LAST MINUTE SHOPPING
* Whole Foods:  Thanksgiving hours are 8am to 2pm.
* Safeway: Most locations: 6am to 12pm
* G & G Market/Santa Rosa: Closed on Thursday
* Olivers: Montecito, Stony Point, Cotati, open from 7am to 3:30pm
* Pacific Market: Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Rohnert Park: 7:30am to 2pm.

Cosentino’s Heritage Turkey Dinner, Range to Plate

By biteclub

Range to Plate: Saturday Nov. 6
Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm is 365 acres of agricultural and academic magic hidden away in the Russian River Valley. Here, culinary, viticulture, environmental, agriculture and animal-studies students get hands-on training in all the things that make Sonoma County so amazing. From meat to wine to produce, much of what’s harvested from the farm goes to local restaurants and grocery stores, along with Santa Rosa City Schools and the SRJC’s own Culinary Cafe. Culinary insiders know that the farm’s own CSA is an especially hot commodity, and frequently offers up meat (including rabbits, chickens, grass-fed beef and lamb) are available through the school.
This weekend, celebrate the farm’s ongoing commitment to the community at Range to Plate, an “Agstravaganza” of food and wine. The event features a sit-down dinner with chefs Roger Praplan (La Gare), Tom Schmidt (John Ash & Co.) and Christine Piccin (SRJC) and auction. Up for bid: 21 magnums of local wine; A Roadhouse Dinner;  A monthly feast at some of SoCo’s best restaurants; 5,000 vines from 3 premier local nurseries; a sports package including Giants, A’s, 49ers, Sharks and Warriors tickets. Tickets are $75 per person. More details http://www.agstravaganza.com/index.shtml
Chris Cosentino @ Slow Food RR’s Heritage Turkey Dinner at Quivira Winery, Nov. 7

There are two drop-what-you’re doing reasons to check out this event — Chris Cosentino and locally-raised heritage turkeys. The meat-riffic, nose-to-tail chef of Incanto will cook up a four-course meal at Quivira Winery showcasing their biodynamic produce (coveted by many local restaurants) and Slow Food Russian River’s heritage birds including the Narragansett, Bourbon Red and Standard Bronze.
Each year, there’s a rush to grab up the limited number of SFRR’s 4-H-raised heritage turkeys — poultry more akin to the birds of our forefathers than the ubiquitous giant-breasted white turkeys of our modern Thanksgiving tables. The Slow Food movement has made a concerted effort to rehabilitate these heritage breeds, with special success in Sonoma County.
During Cosentino’s the Nov. 7 dinner, there will also be a live auction of the turkeys. $85 for Slow Foods and Quivira Wine Club members, $95 for all others. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/126642

Get Some Beer Snack Religion

By biteclub

Sautee Pardon Peppers with Racer 5 IPA beerEvery once in a while, I’m lucky enough to find a combination of flavors that just works, a compound flavor that transcends its individual elements, one in which the dominant sensation on the palate becomes something new and distinct from any single component, a minor chord born of a Beatles-like marriage of flats and sharps. Many of the classics never tire, and I use and re-use them without apology: Lamb and rosemary; peas and mint; scallops and bacon. And then there are beer snacks, the holy grail of sports fans and wannabe man-cooks everywhere, the perfect balance of heat, salt, and icy bitter froth, a marriage to read about in the self-therapy section of an airport book nook.
On occasion, someone will serve me something so completely unexpected that it upends how I think about flavors, not because it’s so radical, but because it sounds radical and tastes natural: White chocolate and caviar, or salmon poached in licorice (both found at the Fat Duck), the French Laundry’s justly celebrated dish of tapioca with oysters and caviar, or just the odd and unexpected, like cheese and chocolate. But I have no aspirations of Michelin etoiles and my favorite flavor pairings are the ones that I stumble upon in the normal course of every day life and which I know, with absolute certainty, will sing on the palate before I even taste it. Such was my experience, while hunting and gathering at the Saturday market, when I heard Dan the Tomato Man of Soda Rock Farms talking up his Padron peppers to another shopper, and to whome he issued the following guarantee: “If you sit down and try these peppers with a cold beer, you’ll finish them off, or I’ll give you your money back.” It was a really big bag of peppers.
A light-bulb moment of clarity and conviction, so frustratingly rare (at least for me) and all the more profound for it: Prepare the peppers in the classic fashion by blistering them in a pan, then tossing them with a pungent, grassy olive oil (preferably from the Dry Creek Valley) and big pinch of fleur de sel (don’t be shy about the salt – I don’t want to hear about blood pressure, and the alcohol should compensate), and serve with a well-chilled Racer 5 from the Bear Republic Brewery: Padrons tend to have a mild heat and a fairly pronounced bitterness which would pair perfectly with the bitter hoppy-ness of the Racer 5, and the occasional spice-bomb – Padrons are often referred to as Russian Roulette peppers for their unpredictable bite – would provide a tantalizingly painful excuse for more beer. The key ingredients – peppers, olive oil, and beer (I insist on French salt…) – are all produced within a few miles of my house and, as with any beer snack worthy of its name, the dish would require virtually zero prep (merely rinse and dry the peppers whole and church-key the beer), one pan, and no additional ingredients.
I love salty nuts, but these Padrons are, hands-down, my new favorite beer snack.
Padron Peppers, and Not Much Else

  • Put a saute pan on relatively high heat (medium if you have a high-BTU cooktop, more like high otherwise) and, while the pan warms, wash the peppers and pat them dry (it’s important for them to be dry – you seriously don’t want to be putting water into a blistering hot pan of oil).
    Sautee of Padron Peppers
    Sautee them hot, fast, and keep them moving
  • When the pan is good and hot, add a small amount of neutral, high-heat oil, and add the peppers – do them in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan. Toss the peppers frequently until they are blistered and beginning to char on all sides; they will go from hard to soft.
  • Remove from the heat, toss with some good olive oil (something with a really pungent, green, grassy taste would be ideal), and salt liberally with fleur de sel or course-grind kosher sea salt. Serve immediately with an ice-cold Race 5 IPA (or any other beer, but preferably something with some bitterness to it).

    • You’ll finish the beer and the peppers, or your money back.
    [Post-script: I originally posted this over the summer on my old site, when the Padrons first came in, at least a month later than typical, due to our exceptionally cool weather and commensurately delayed growing season. Normally, they’d be long gone by November, but look around – I bought them a week or two ago, and considering the tomato crop that is still out there, the little green devils might still be on the stands.]

    In N Out Secret Menu

    By biteclub


    Do you do it Animal Style?
    Do you do it Animal Style?

    There’s a zen-like beauty to In-N-Out’s pared-down menu. No chicken nuggets or salads or any of that crap. Just burgers, fries and shakes. However, being human (and Californian) there’s a natural need to customize. Enter the In N Out secret menu. Though it’s not so secret anymore, many folks haven’t explored the goodness of Animal Style or figured out that their picky 4-year-old can get a grilled cheese. Plus, it’s just kind of fun.
    Here again is the primer on the In-N-Out secret menu. Mostly because our friend Bob said it was the one the BiteClub could do to make the world a better place today. So, okay….here goes…
    – Animal Style: Gets you a burger with a grilled, mustard-covered bun; grilled onions (instead of raw); pickles and extra special sauce. This Double Double Animal-Style vet won’t do anything else. Animal Style fries are the same as the burger, but glopped on top of your fries. Mmmmm.
    – Protein Style: Atkins is so over, but hangers-on like their burger between two pieces of lettuce. No bun.
    – Flying Dutchman: Two meats, two cheeses. No bun and nothin’ else.
    – Grilled Cheese: Cheeseburger, hold the burger. Great for veg-heads in the party.
    – Double Meat: Double Double, hold the cheese
    – Wish Burger: Just a bun and vegetables. No cheese, no meat.
    – 3×3, 4×4, 4×2, etc.: The first number is the beef patties, the second is the number of cheeses. There’s legend of the 100×100, but currently a 4×4 is as big as they’ll make for you, tubby.
    –Cut in Half: We’ve actually seen this one in action, and it’s just what you think. Two halves of a sloppy burger just makes things so much daintier.
    – Fries: Light, extra crispy, with cheese on top. All available. I’m partial to the extra crispy.
    – Drinks: Neopolitan shake (all three flavors in cup); root beer float (ice cream in the cup)
    – On the side: Rumors of “spread” packet abound. If you’re a fan of the Thousand Island-like dressing, ask for extra.

    Bliss Bakery | Santa Rosa

    By biteclub

    Tomato tart with mushrooms at Bliss Bakery in Santa Rosa
    Tomato tart with mushrooms at Bliss Bakery in Santa Rosa

    Food for people with food constraints is rarely something to celebrate. Usually it feels more like a terrible punishment for being hungry.
    But as more and more eaters are diagnosed with this or that food allergy, frustrated foodies are refusing to beat their taste buds into submission for the sake of a happy digestive tract. Instead, they’re taking the spoon by the handle and creating delish dishes that marry taste and tolerance.
    In Santa Rosa, Bliss Bakery is taking on gluten one muffin at a time. Also known by its aliases of rye, wheat or barely protein, gluten is a trendy dietary culprit blamed for a host of maladies from excess gas to the serious problems brought on by Celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
    Here, pastries, cupcakes and all manner of carbohydrate are baked devoid of irritants for the gluten-plagued, gluten-fearful and merely gluten-indifferent. Bliss Bakery is Gluten-free Food for the Masses.
    The tiny bakery in the former Seed/Saint Rose space on Sebastopol Ave. serves up wheat-free cookies, cakes, sandwiches and muffins Tuesday through Saturday. Made with alternative grains like rice, millet, potato or quinoa, they actually taste like what they’re supposed to taste like: Reward, not punishment.

    The apron behind the bakery is dietary counselor, caterer and Bauman College prof Maria Balme. Daily vegan soups and tarts make for hearty lunchtime fare, while on-tap Kombucha, coffee and tea get the morning started right — regardless of your dietary status.
    (Plus they’re selling Salt Side Down Chocolates!)

    Bliss Bakery, 463 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa, 542-6000.
    [table id=1 /]

    McRib returns

    By biteclub

    Today marks the return of the much-hated and much-loved McRib at McDonald’s for a limited engagement. (See the legend video)

    For most of us, this ranks high on the “ho-hum” to “blech” scale. I mean really…boneless pork pressed into a “rib” shape? Doused with overly sweet bbq sauce? Topped with pickles and onions. I’d rather choke down Alpo.
    And, like Cher, there have been so many farewell tours for the McNastiness, that the excitement’s kind of worn off. Make it die already.
    For others, this moment is akin to the Second Coming. There are, in fact, serious groups of petitioners who’ve dreamed of this fateful day when they could again wrap their lips around a McRib. Perhaps someone needs to get a hobby.
    Whatever your feelings on the subject, there’s a McRib finder if you’re jonesing for your fix. Rumors are that the McDonalds on Mendocino Ave and the Rohnert Park Mickey D’s are serving them up, but I’ll leave it to heartier souls to find out if it’s actually true.
    REPORT YOUR SIGHTINGS!