The most cultured ticket this weekend is the fifth annual California Artisan Cheese Festival, Sunday March 27 from 11am to 4pm. The dairy-tastic event brings together more than 70 artisan cheesemakers from the West Coast in a frenzy of eating, sniffing, and celebrating the renaissance of hand-crafted cheeses. And you’re invited.
Throughout the day, ticket holders are invited to nibble and sip their way through the region’s tastiest curds, suds and wines. On the menu are cheesemongers Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Epicurean Connection, Marin French Cheese, Bohemian Creamery, Redwood Hill Farm, Laura Chenel’s Chevre and Bellwether Farms.
Food purveyors include Black Pig Meat, Healdsburg Cheese Shop, Della Fattoria, Jimtown Store, TerraSonoma, McClelland’s Dairy and Muganaini Wood Fired Oven Pizza. Serving up liquid nourishment: Black Kite Cellars, Dutton-Goldfield, Keller Estate, Lagunita, Sonoma Valley Portworks and the Petaluma Gap Grape and Wine Alliance, among others.
Area chefs will demo their cheese skills throughout the day, including what sounds like a particularly interesting performance by Meadowood Pastry Chef, Boris Portnoy — Fat+Temperature+Speed+Time, the science of cooking with dairy, featuring Straus Family Creamery.
It was an even toss whether we were going to brave an entrance into Bubbaque’s in Petaluma. On the plus side were three meat smokers belching away on the front lawn despite the rain. On the minus side it’s located inside a frozen burrito, Skoal and beer mart on the outskirts of Petaluma. And everyone in the parking lot was wearing camo.
This was either going to be the best barbecue ever. Or the worst.
Fortunately for our stomachs, the story has a happy ending. Spanning most of the western wall of the Bodega Avenue Market, Bubbaque cooks up some of the best barbecue in Wine Country. The flurry of barbecue stained napkins, flying forks and pants dotted with greasy fingerprints attest to the critical endorsement of both BiteClub and Miss Mouse.
Using locally-sourced pork, his mama’s recipes and a lifetime of barbecue know-how Bubba (aka Tim Young) opened Bubbaque in September 2010 as a proving ground for his barbecue dreams. Longtime friend Jamie McNutt is Bubba’s cohort, spreading the gospel of Bubbaque to all who seek its truth.
Tim (known as Bubba to friends) is a burly bear of a guy who looks every bit the part, standing behind his smokers or dishing up slabs of ribs. He has no formal culinary training, but brings a passion to the craft that borders on obsession. The former crane operator and t-shirt printer works for weeks or months to get the flavors just right in a single dish. If he’s not happy with it, he won’t serve it.
Bubbaque Burger
On the menu: Tri Tip, roasted whole hog pulled pork, pork short ribs, barbecue chicken, burgers and his mom Linda’s homemade baked beans (sorry mom, but Linda’s are better), potato salad (a kitchen sink affair with a little bit of everything), pasta salad and coleslaw along with handcut, made-to-order fries. Each of the meats gets its own special sauce, but all share a sweet, smoky, molasses quality that’s hard to put down.
Half pound sandwiches range from $6.50 to $7.99, but are more than enough for two, or just about right for the hungry working guys who are Bubba-regulars. Everything’s available by the pound as well. BBQ Chicken special (a drumstick, thigh and two sides is just $5.99).
Are you Bubba Enough? Bubbaque’s got a yet-unnamed behemoth of a challenge that includes two pounds of hamburger, a pound of bacon, 12 slices of cheese, 12 onion rings, his grandma’s secret sauce, barbecue sauce and a pound of fries. Eat it in a an hour and it’s free, plus you get to name it. If not, it’s $26.99 — still not a bad deal. For slightly smaller mega-appetites, the “Quad” is an off-menu sandwich with pork, chicken, tri-tip and hamburger piled high on a French roll. Want to really man up? Bubba also makes a spicy habanero sauce that comes with a stern warning which Miss Mouse did not heed.
Really, everyone was wearing camo.
Like any great barbecue, the lack of ambiance weighs heavily in Bubbaque’s favor. The firewood stacks, sticky tables and country fried charm also help keep things, well, real. After all, good barbecue ain’t about fancy tablecloths and shiny silverware.
“We’re just good old boys doing backyard cooking,” says Mcnutt. And a hearty yee-haw to that.
After hunkering down over braised meats, hearty stews, root vegetables and way too many carbohydrates this winter, my body is clamoring for greens. A crunchy hit of chlorophyll mainlining straight to my sun-starved system.
Dressed up or dressed down, big leafy green salads are more than rabbit food. Topped with goat cheese, spiced nuts, slivered onions, or just a drizzle of olive oil and good balsamic, they’re a kick start of a meal that won’t have you snoozing through dessert.
Here are some favorites, from Caesars and wedges to beet and field greens. Because like Seinfeld’s Elaine, sometimes all you want is a big salad.
Breakfast Salad at Dierk’s Parkside: Warm poached eggs on a bed of local mixed greens with chopped bacon, fresh herbs, potatoes, croutons and tomatoes with herb dressing ($11.50). 404 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 573-5955. Barndiva(231 Center St., Healdsburg, 431-0100) turns a similar salad around for dinner, with a warm garlic crouton, bacon, Pecorina cheese, eff and chives ($12).
Tuna Salad Redux: Lots of locals go crazy for the Jackson’s Bar and Oven’s Tombo Tuna salad with herbed greens, golden beets, cucumbers, cranberries, pinenuts & white balsamic vinaigrette. $16.95. Even the staff love it. Says restaurant GM, Ken Goldfine, “I seriously eat it once a week at least.” 135 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 545-6900. You can also find a grilled Tombo salad on the menu a Fresh by Lisa Hemenway, with spinach, grille mushrooms and a warm lemon and soy dressing. 5755 Mountain Hawk, Santa Rosa, 595-1048. In a hurry? Fresh has dozens of deli salads (from her signature Chinese chicken to warm spinach or fruit salads) made fresh daily.
Pizza Salad: What is crust, other than a convenient transport for veggies and cheese? Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar takes flatbread, then tops it with Caesar salad, crab salad or apricot chicken salad with watercress, calling it Piadine. Just want your greens? Locals swear by the Capo, with arugula, artichokes, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and lemon vinaigrette. 53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, 544-3221.
Caesar’s Caesar: While some folks shy away from the bold garlic and anchovy kick of the real deal, Blue Label at the Belvedere gives fair warning about their kiss-nixing ingredients: White Anchovy, soft boiled egg, a giant croutons and a heaping share of shaved Parmesan ($8). Plus, whole leaves of Romaine, rather than little hard hearts. 727 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 542-8705.
Et tu Brute? Everyone’s got a favorite Caesar, so here are a few others I’m partial to: Franco’s, 505 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, 523-4800; Stark’s Steakhouse Required Caesar (521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707.546.5100); Cafe Citti, 9049 Sonoma Hwy./Hwy. 12, Kenwood.
The Wedge: A snicker-worthy steakhouse staple, the wedge — a wedge of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing — has been resurrected. Modern steakhouses add artisan blue cheese and bacon while keeping true to the iceberg past. Shimo Modern Steakhouse, wedge with buttermilk ginger dressing. 241 Healdsburg Ave.,Healdsburg, 433-6000.
Cobb: The Cobb salad, invented at Hollywood’s Brown Derby in 1937, is a kitchen sink kind of salad usually incorporating lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, egg and French dressing. Monti’s Rotisserie gives it a French accent with Romaine, chicken, onions, feta, chopped egg and a mustard vinaigrette.714 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 568.4404
Chimay Pretzel Chicken Salad: Hearty enough to stand up to stout, this salad includes Barley and Hops’ signature Chimay Pretzel Chicken served warm over greens with mustard cream sauce, $11. 3688 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental, 874-9037.
Fig Salad at the Girl and the Fig in Sonom
Wine Country Salads: Yes, we’re known around these parts for putting some pretty odd things in our salads. Like fruit and goat cheese. Or jicama. But these seasonal eats showcase the foods coming from local farms (sometimes) or well, just a tasty combination that makes for a solid meal.
Got Goat? Santa Rosa’s grab and go lunch caterers, Pearson & Co., stock refrigerated deli and coffee shop cases throughout the county, but we love ’em best for the unappealingly named Crunchy Goat Salad — a heaping helping of fresh mixed greens, goat cheese, candied walnuts, grapes, red onions and balsamic vinaigrette. Store locations at 2759 4th St., Santa Rosa; 2500 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa; at their “secret” location at Kaiser Permanente 3925 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa. Downtown at Holy Roast , 490 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa.
Beet This: You’ll find creamy dollops of chevre on most local beet salads as well. These colorful masterpieces showcase peeled red, yellow and pink beets (usually local, often heirloom), with goat cheese, microgreens and olive oil. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an earthier, tastier, more NorCal plate of veggies anywhere. Top beet salads: Boon Eat + Drink, 16248 Main St., Guerneville, 869.0780; Hyatt Vineyard Creek Inn’s Brasserie, 170 Railroad Street, Santa Rosa, 636.7388.
Fruits, nuts and more:The girl and the fig’s Sondra Bernstein is legendary for her goat cheese, arugula and fig salad, and with good reason. It combines spicy greens, sweet figs, creamy cheese and a tart vinaigrette in soul-satisfying harmony. 110 West Spain Street, Sonoma, 938-3634. If you work in downtown Santa Rosa, you’ve probably got a favorite Flavor Bistro salad. I’m a Spinach girl (caramelized onions, bacon, pears, goat cheese) unless it’s a Pear and Endive day (pear, endive, walnuts, Gorgonzola); while my friend swears by the Harvest (field greens, dried fruits, feta, $7.95-$11.95). 96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, 573-9600.
Worldly Salads: Greek-style Athena (Romaine, tomatoes, olives, onions, feta) to the spicy Bangkok (ginger curry grilled chicken with onion, mint, cilantro, peanuts and lemongrass vinaigrette), Asian Chicken, Cancun (lettuce, black beans, chipotle vinaigrette) or a simple bowl of tossed greens, $6.50-$9.95. Crepevine, 740 Farmers Lane, Santa Roa, 577-8822. Looking for a late night nibble? Open until 10pm weekdays, 11pm on Friday and Saturday.
Vietnamese Shrimp: A pile of lettuce, shrimp, cilantro and spicy fish sauce makes Noodle Palace’s our top choice for a refreshingly smart Shrimp salad ($6.95). 1310 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa.
Beautiful food, beautifully photographed: Depending upon where you stand on the cultural battlefield, the media we call food porn is either an artist’s glimpse of the otherwise unobtainable, a vicarious bite of somebody else’s meal; or, like a fat forkful of Marie Antoinette’s gateau, a gluttonous invitation to some karmic foodie apocalypse. Is good food fine art, obscene luxury, or moral imperative?
Food porn is a provocative term variously applied to a spectacular visual presentation of cooking or eating that arouses a desire to eat or the glorification of food as a substitute for sex. “Food porn” specifically refers to food photography and styling that presents food glamorously or provocatively. ~Wikipedia
I’m not so sure about the “food as a substitute for sex” bit – really, who wouldn’t choose “both” – but whatever your feelings on the matter, I suspect that we can all agree, if perhaps not admit, that they’re both fun to look at, which is why I’m psyched that Michael Magers Photography agreed to let me share his photografia culinaria with you today:The literal translation of photograph, from the Greek, means “to write in light”. What a wonderful phrase! I harbor no illusions about my capacity for art criticism, but it seems to me that writing in light is what all photographers should aspire to, and what excites me about Mike’s work: When people ask me why I write about food, I generally answer that the food itself is incidental, or is at best a parable, and that mainly I just enjoy using language to convey ideas; that I love to cook, and more particularly to eat and drink, simply provides me with a convenient story line, and makes it that much easier to be passionate about writing. I think it’s fair to say that Mike would describe his photography in analogous terms, and largely independent of whether his subject matter happens to be a Michelin-starred plate, a Spanish market, or a New York City landmark:
You can read about these images, and check out Mike’s work other work, on his website.
Santa Rosa, California (March 21, 2011) — Judging for the 2011 Grand Harvest Awards, an international wine competition produced by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, completed its mission of recognizing outstanding wines from all over the world and simultaneously studying the effects of terroir on wine quality. Celebrating its 21st year, the Grand Harvest Awards was held March 1-2 at Villa Chanticleer, Healdsburg, California. Complete results.
Twenty-two judges evaluated 1,346 entries and awarded a total of 947 medals including 145 gold, 401 silver and 401 bronze. Garnering medals at the Grand Harvest Awards (GHA) is difficult to achieve because of its traditional high standards of excellence.
Most entries in the GHA were grown and produced in the United States and Canada with some originating in New Zealand and Turkey.
“We had great wines from a wide variety of growing regions,” said Bill Traverso, the chairman of the GHA and the director of wine competitions at Vineyard & Winery Management. “Producers in regions such as Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, Virginia and Canada are finding out which grapes perform best under their unique growing conditions.”
The Rising Chef category is one of the few that showcases new talent, and Wine Country’s Perry Hoffman of etoile at Domanine Chandon and Aaron London of Ubuntu in Napa both got nods.
Here are some of the other local nominees. Here is a list of all restaurant and chef semifinalists…
Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA
Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Outstanding Wine Service
La Toque, Napa, CA, Ken Frank and Scott Tracy
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Perry Hoffman, étoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA
Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Best Chef Pacific
Josef Centeno, Lazy Ox Canteen, Los Angeles
Kevin Chong, Chef Mavro, Honolulu
Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
Josiah Citrin, Mélisse, Santa Monica, CA
Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, Animal, Los Angeles
Laurence Jossel, Nopa, San Francisco
Loretta Keller, COCO500, San Francisco
Andrew Kirschner, Wilshire, Santa Monica, CA
Chris Kobayashi, Artisan, Paso Robles, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
Daniel Patterson, COI, San Francisco
Gayle Pirie and John Clark, Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
Laurent Quenioux, Bistro LQ, Los Angeles
Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA
Carl Schroeder, Market, Del Mar, CA
John Rivera Sedlar, Rivera, Los Angeles
James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
This isn’t necessarily good news for Sonoma County’s java-set. In fact, you can pretty much cause an all out fist fight by claiming allegiance to one or another, around these parts. Sure, we love our Thanksgiving, Ecco and Flying Goat, but there are also those times when you just need a fix.
What’s your take on all the hubub? Does it ruin your day, or is it just another merger? Sound off…
National pastry and sandwich bakery Panera Bread is slated to open in Santa Rosa, according to several sources. An online hiring posting for an SR outpost showed up on the Interwebs, and local restaurant real estate folks are confirming rumors about the opening.
Though there are no solid confirmations yet, the buzz is that it may be going into the CVS shopping area on Mendocino Ave., close to all the other recent restaurant chain hubbub — Five Guys, In N Out and Whole Foods Coddingtown.
Are chain entries into the local restaurant market news? You tell me…
Madrona Manor’s Executive Chef Jesse Mallgren has long dabbled in the world of forward-thinking culinary techniques popularly described as “molecular gastronomy.” And though most chefs now bristle at the term, it refers to a sort of laboratory approach to foods, breaking them down into their most basic elements or flavors, creating surprising methods of delivery or using unconventional cooking methods to create wildly creative dishes. Tools of the trade range from whipped creamers and blow torches to liquid nitrogen, gelatins, powders and foam. Its pioneers (Grant Achatz of Alinea, Ferran Adria of El Bulli) are some of the most celebrated chefs in the world. (Both also have books out this month…)
One of the pied pipers of this cooking style is H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food. The East Coast chef, along with his wife Aki Kamozawa run a culinary consulting business that trains chefs on how to use modern ingredients, equipment and innovative approaches to food. The couple spent several days at Madrona Manor demonstrating transglutimates, liquid nitrogen, CO2 and other cutting edge kitchen wizardry. As a final demonstration, Talbot created a guest dinner at the restaurant.
On the menu 3/16/11…
– Scrambled egg mousse with Blis brook trout roe, melon and cucumber
– Medai with grilled fish bone oil, Eureka lemon leaf, salad burnet
– Shaved Shrimp with charred jalapeno and bolting cilantro (using Activa as a binder)
– Uni Tortellini with yuzu kosho and Dungeness crab
– Local black cod with chicory, squash banana and watermelon radish
– Sonoma lamb loin and tongue with carrot peanut butter and oxalis
– Cashew Butter Bavaroise with sugared crouton, huckleberry, white chocolate, toffee ice cream
A Divine Affair has closed. Owner Kahleen Nowak’s eclectic downtown Healdsburg restaurant shuttered March 11. Nowak isn’t publicly saying why the restaurant closed, but insiders say the 100-year-old building had caused some inherent space and noise challenges for the eatery. The chef/owner is looking into the possibility of a new venture elsewhere in Sonoma County.
Santa Rosa’s Sizzling Tandoor is expanding to Healdsburg. The second location for the restaurant has just been inked off plaza, near Osake. It will no doubt be a welcome addition to the region, considering the dearth of Indian eateries north of Santa Rosa.
