Page 600 – Sonoma Magazine

French Garden | Sebastopol

March 2011

By biteclub

Beet salad with goat cheese and microgreens at The French Garden

CLOSED
Since 2006, Dan Smith has been on an often Quixotic quest to turn his sprawling Sebastopol eatery, The French Garden, into a Michelin-starred destination restaurant.

With it’s own 30-acre bio-intensive farm, Smith’s ample financial backing and a dedicated local following, it’s always had potential for greatness. Its Achiles heel: The kitchen. A series of top-notch chefs have debuted impressive menus at FG, only to exit – sometimes within months – leaving kitchen staff scrambling. Departures have been so notable and so frequent that one recent toque was simply called Quince (or Fifteen in Spanish) in reference to the fallen chefs preceding him. He too, is now gone. Suffice to say Smith is as exacting with his kitchen as he is with his farm.

Undaunted by the turnover, Smith has soldiered forth, staunchly believing in the restaurant after many gave up on it. His patience, however, may finally be rewarded.

Current chef Patrick Quillec took over the kitchen in the summer of 2010. Like many of his predecessors, Quillec is a French chef both by birth and by trade. Hailing from a restaurant family from Brittany, he trained with several Parisian chefs and is a successful restaurateur in his own right, having opened a number of French bistros and cafes in the United States. Most importantly, he seems to get Smith’s vision for a true farm-to-table experience. Because having your own personal restaurant farm is great, but only if you know how to use it.

Lunch is classic bistro fare, impeccably executed: Charcuterie, daily soups, escargot, frites with lemon aioli, Salade Lyonnaise ($11), quiche, Coquilles Saint Jacques (scallops in cream sauce, $15), steak frites, burgers, Croque Monseiur and daily crepes. Up to six daily vegetables from the farm are featured as side dishes (chard, parsnip tempura, squash, or whatever is in season, $7 each). Flavors are light and bright, and presentation shows the kind of precision Quillec has in the kitchen and his fondness for Smith’s pristine produce. Little details, like warm bread served with honey butter (the honey is from the farm) add serious cred.

The evening dining room is a more upscale affair, though many of the dishes are the same, with the addition of a few heartier entrees — lamb shank, chicken breast and pork. Not everything hits the mark, but classic preparations including duck breast with lentils ($14) and whitefish in beurre blanc with risotto, French onion soup ($9) and squash and Boursin ravioli with crab and chanterelles ($15) are stunners. Seasonal desserts tart tatin with salted caramel sauce and creme fraiche ice cream or lemon tarts are equally impressive.

For more casual neighborhood dining, the bistro has upped its game with a hip cocktail menu, $4 happy hour tapas (tuna tartare tacos, hangar steak sliders), and a la carte dinner items served in the bar. On Sunday, the brunch menu ranges from apple crepes ($7) and eggs Benedict to burgers, leek soup and and brioche french toast ($10) with the added benefit of their own farm market stand outside. The outdoor patio can’t be beat on warm spring and summer days and frequent live music acts add to the ambiance.

Nine months in, it seems safe to say that Chef Quillec’s may finally bring Smith’s epic quest to a close, windmills conquered with a fork and knife — and on track for the critical success The French Garden always has been capable of achieving.

French Garden Restaurant, 8050 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol, 824-2030. Open Wednesday through Saturday 11:30am to 2;30pm, dinner 5-9:30pm. Full bar and bistro from 4:30, happy hour 4:30 to 6:30pm. Sunday brunch and farm market, 10am to 2pm. Children’s menus available.

Pasta, with a Handful of Herbs

March 2011

By biteclub

“…with a handful of herbs.” I love that. Even if the dish weren’t so simple and delicious, even if it didn’t leave my wife starry-eyed with carbohydrate lust, I’d cook this pasta just to call it by name; that, and the devil-may-care pleasure of a recipe defined, not by cups or teaspoons, but by the size of one’s hand. Want the recipe? Here it is: Grab a handful of whatever herbs happen to be growing in the garden, toast two handfuls of breadcrumbs, and sweat a handful shallots and garlic:

Now choose a nice pasta – I particularly like the way penne and orecchiete cup the sauce – and cook til just al dente, toss the lot of it together, and serve it with some freshly grated cheese; parmigiano would be unimpeachable, although I might suggest a good pecorino instead, for its salty barnyard tang, and how that stands up to the pungency of raw herbs and the richness of buttery breadcrumbs and shallots. And that is it.

The size of your hand, the mixture of herbs, the type of bread, and the shape of the pasta will all influence the final product, but the beauty of this recipe is that it will almost always be good – I’ve tried to screw it up, and it’s not easy. The main thing is to strike a balance between sweeter herbs like tarragon and basil, stronger, more peppery herbs like rosemary or thyme, and the gentle bite of a green onion or chive. If at all possible, make your own breadcrumbs from a good, crusty sourdough, although I’ve used panko from a box with unqualified success. Ultimately, there are lots of ways to get it right, and very few not to.

The chef who taught me this particular version describes it as classic Italian peasant food, although I’ve never seen it on a menu or in a cookbook; probably, it’s a regional or even family-specific riff on pasta al grantatto, a fairly generic catch-all for “noodles with breadcrumbs”, and Italian Kryptonite for Atkins dieters. But whereas most al grantatto recipes include some form of seafood, this one depends mainly on the aromatics of fresh herbs, and varies naturally with the seasons, which seems especially nice.

Pasta with a Handful of Garden Herbs & Breadcrumbs (adapted from G. Sarnataro)

1 lb/500g best quality dry pasta, ideally penne rigate
1 large handful of mixed fresh herbs (lots of basil or parsley; some chives or green onions; and thyme, tarragon, or rosemary, more sparingly), chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, finely sliced (optional)
1 palm’s worth of finely chopped shallots (about 4 large or 6 smaller ones; or a medium onion, if shallots are unavailable)

2 large handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs, pulsed in a food processor (about 2 cups; substitute panko if necessary)
Butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper – as needed

Hard cheese, grated, for serving

Sautee the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and sweetly fragrant; remove from pan and reserve.
Melt a knob of butter in the same pan and gently toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown and lightly crunchy; remove from pan and reserve.
After they’ve cooled (you don’t want to cook the herbs), combine the breadcrumbs, shallot mixture, and herbs in a bowl, toss with olive oil and season relatively aggressively with salt and a little pepper.
Boil a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta until just al dente, and drain in a colander. Toss the pasta with the herb mixture, check the seasoning, and serve with a grated hard cheese.

Benefits for Japan

March 2011

By biteclub

Chef Douglas Keane of Cyrus, HBG and Shimo Modern Steak has long been tied with the people and cuisine of Japan. He’ll host a series of events to aid the victims of the earthquakes in a variety of price points — so there’s no excuse for not opening up your wallet.

– HBG, 3/29: Karaoke night from 7-10pm, $20. Beer wine, snacks and singing.
– Shimo Modern Steak, 4/4: Several Hburg chefs gather at the restaurant, each serving a dis. $40, 6-9pm
– Cyrus, 4/19: Mega star chefs David Kinch, Corey Lee, James Syhabout, Michael Cimarusti, Nicole Plue and Keane create a multi-course tasting menu. $450, limited to 50 people.

Here are some other Bay Area benefits posted by Inside Scoop SF.

Know of other local benefits for the earthquake victims? Let us know…

Making Peace with Whole Foods Butchers

March 2011

By biteclub

Just say no.

For years, those three little words neatly summarized my feelings about Whole Foods, and made for a Flintstones-sized bone of contention between me and every food-snob I came across; where my friends and family chomped at the bit to feel good about parting with their paychecks, I saw only a business model predicated on sloughing-off expensive products of inconsistent quality, remarkably mediocre prepared foods, and egregiously priced dry goods encased in very clever branding.

But a certain reader, in response to last week’s column on Costco beef, explained that Whole Foods in Santa Rosa sources 100% grass-fed, certified-organic beef from ranchers right here in the County, so I decided to update some of my facts and figures:

That’s the tag line from their website, and you know what? They’re talking the talk and walking the walk. I’ve been cooking my ass off with Whole Foods’ beef all week – top sirloin, short ribs, and chuck, ground for steak tartare and burgers; stew meat for Marcella Hazan’s beautiful Stew with Red Wine and Vegetables – and from what I’ve seen, I gotta say, it surely doesn’t suck.

Now, before you think I’ve gone soft, let’s be clear: I’d still rather stub my pinkie toe than eat off their steam tables, and I still think you may qualify for County services if you buy their paper towels or laundry detergent. But their beef, while not cheap, is fair for what it is, because what it is is damned good, with a clear provenance from farm to table, an unequivocal insistence on quality, and, no mean feat, properly executed butchery – I know that sounds hyped up, but trust me, I wouldn’t be serving the kids this steak tartare with a Hello Kitty fork if I didn’t believe it:I’m signing off with a shout-out to the butchers, not only because they’re so essential to the quality and safety of ground meat, but because the Whole Foods crew actually know what they’re doing, right down to the sanitation of their grinders and what the cattle eat in winter, and Whole Foods butchery has been something of a bugaboo for me in the past – at the Tribeca location that we used to live near, they were downright incompetent, equally incapable of filleting salmon as trimming a veal chops, even refusing even to grind meat to order. But that’s all different now, at least at the Coddingtown branch, and they deserve credit for getting it right.

St. Patrick’s Day 2011 | Santa Rosa & Sonoma County

March 2011

By biteclub

St. Patrick’s Day, let’s be honest, isn’t a food holiday I look forward to with glee. Overly salty corned beef, boiled cabbage and mealy potatoes? Yuck.

Which is why BiteClub is pointing you to restaurants turning tradition pub grub on its ear. From buttermilk battered smelt to rabbit stew, Lagunitas cupcakes and green gnocchi, we’ve got the hookup for March 17.

Okay, and some of the more traditional fare (which I’m sure is better than my my sorry attempts) and plenty of options should you choose to drink your dinner. O’Tasty!

Restaurants
Glen Ellen Inn will be serving a romantic St. Patrick’s Day feast for both lunch and dinner on March 17, 2011. The eating o’ the green will start with Early Spring Asparagus Soup topped with Creme Fraiche ($7.95), and continue with Spicy Grilled Sausage on Corned Beef Hash, with Truffle Fries ($15.95), and finish with House Made Lemon Verbena Sorbet ($6.95). Heck with the pints, why not raise a Green Glen Ellen Melon Martini instead. Secret cottage rooms for the O’romantic and McTuckered available at $139 plus tax. 13670 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Lunch 11:30-4; Dinner 5:30-9

Irish Pubs
Why are all those Irish eyes a-smilin? It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, the one holiday each year where drinking, pinching and a wee bit o’ hijinks are the order of the day. Taps turn green, beef gets corned and everyone’s a McSomeone on Thursday, March 17th this year. BiteClub leads you to your own pot of gold, or at least mug of beer, at the end of the rainbow.

Murphy’s Irish Pub: You can take the high road or the low road, but all roads lead to Sonoma when it comes to annual St. Paddy’s parties. Just off the town square, this pub has one of the rip-roarin-est parties in the county, with plenty of Emerald Isle brews, whiskeys and cock o’tails. 464 First St. East, Sonoma, 935-0660.

Friar Tuck’s Pub: Let the bromance flow as costumed bagpipers belt out Danny Boy and other Irish tunes throughout the day, green beer flows and hundreds of pounds of corned beef steam at this Cotati pub. Because if you can endure all that without an “I love you man,” there isn’t an ounce of Irish in ya. $10 for the corned beef dinner buffet, noon to 9pm. 8201 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 792.9847

Nutty Irishman: Each St. Patrick’s Day, the shamrock-hat and beer-goggle crowd overrun this usually-quiet local bar to the bemusement of regulars. Not that they’re not glad to see you. The bar puts out a spread of green beer and corned beef and cabbage for everybody, because, as one staffer says, “We’re all Irish here.” 995 Piner Rd., Santa Rosa, 544-1447.

Maguire’s Pub: The former Finbar Devine’s Irish Pub has been revamped and reborn as, well, another Irish pub. After dark, the scene is more bar than restaurant, but fans say the burgers are solid as well as the fish and chips. 145 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 762-9800.

Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub: Up in Cloverdale, the always lively Ruth McGowan’s celebrates its eighth anniversary with happy hour specials all day, corned beef and cabbage, Green Hornet Emerald Ale and McGowan’s Irish Stout. 131 E First St., Cloverdale, 894-9610.

Stout Brothers: This cozy faux-tiqued public house will still be packed to the rafters with whiskey and beer-drinking revelers on St. Pats. Fish and chips are still solid contenders here, as are its signature macaroni and cheeses (chicken bacon is tops). 527 4th Street, Santa
Rosa, 636-0240.

Spoonbar: Mixologist Scott Beattie will share the bar with legend Bartender Fred Dagnino from the San Francisco Institution, Buena Vista Cafe, Chef Rudy Mihal will prepare corn beef and hash sliders and an entertainment surprise will go on at 9 p.m. Bar hours are 5-11 p.m. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 433-7222.

Jackson’s Bar & Oven: Irish…pizza? This irreverent pie is topped with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. 135 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 545-6900.

French Garden: It’s Irish luck times two. If it’s a bit ‘o fancy you’re after, the restaurant will serve a three-course prix fixe menu throughout the weekend including a salad culled from the FG grams, rabbit stew or spinach gnocchi and lemon verbena creme brulee. In the bistro, grab a more casual “Menage A Trois”, Beer Battered Fish and Chips Three Ways — buttermilk battered local smelt, Guiness battered black cod, cornmeal battered local oysters and a mint julep or Guiness for $17. Thursday through Sunday, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, 824-2030.

Sift’s Stud Muffin: Lagunitas beer cupcake, salted caramel frosting and spicy brown sugar bacon on top. Beer cupcake, okay. Salted caramel frosting, addictive. Sift Cupcakery in Cotati, SR and Napa.

Henweigh Cafe: Shepherd’s pie with ground beef and lamb, fresh peas, carrots and corn topped with Colcannon mashed potatoes — potatoes so good there’s a song about them. Owner Dennis Kelly sends along a comment from a recent customer: “Those Shepherds ate pretty well.” On St. Patty’s they’ll also have Guiness stout beef stew. McYum.4550 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 829-7500.

Pearson and Co: Bring your Irish home with a takeaway meal of Corned Beef and cabbage, baked salmon with fennel and leeks with lime dill cream sauce; bubbles and squeak (mashed potatoes with carrots and peas), spring asparagus, Irish soda bread with clove and currants, or a Bailey’s Chocolate Irish Cream pie. Orders must be received by 3pm Tuesday.

Casino Bar and Grill: Chef Mark cooks up lentil soup with pork belly, Dungeness crab toast with lemon mayo and butter lettuce, corned beef brisket, cabbage and spring veggies. 17000 Bodega Highway, Bodega, 876-3185.

Breakaway Cafe: Black Velvet cocktail (Guiness and Kenwood Brut), sweet pea and mint soup, traditional corned beef and cabbage with boiled veggies, strawberry rhubarb compote with vanilla ice cream, $18. 19101 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 996-5949.

Mac’s Deli: I’m a huge fan of their ever-tasty Reuben, piles of corned beef, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. Just consider it an Irish dinner on rye.630 4th Street, Santa Rosa, 545-3785.

Traditional Fare:
Quincy’s Pub and Cafe: Corned beef and cabbage and homemade Irish stew from 9:30am to 6:30pm St. Patty’s Day, 6590 Commerce Blvd, Rohnert Park, 585-1079.

Brown St. Grill: Corned beef and cabbage all week starting today, $9.95. Cooked with love by Done by a septuagenarian chef Roger Boileau, a former Marty’s Top of the Hill toque. 100 Brown St., #150, in Sebastopol, 824-4400.

Cafe Europe: Corned beef and cabbage for lunch and dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. 104 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa, 538-5255.

DIY St. Patty’s
David Little of Little Organic Farms will be at The Seed Bank in Petaluma to help home gardeners learn his dry-farming techniques for this mainstay of the Irish Pantry. 7-8:30pm. 199 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma.

Staying home? Check out Michele Anna Jordan’s tasty tips for corned beef and cabbage on her blog.

Did we miss a restaurant you love? Tell us below!!!

Medlock Ames, Gleason Ranch featured in April F+W

March 2011

By biteclub

Medlock Ames is wine nirvana: Funky Bell Mountain winery, Medlock Ames gets a huge shout out in the April 2011 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.

Also featured, Gleason Ranch, the scrappy, family-run producer of locally-coveted chicken, pork and lamb. A deliciously cooked cut of their spring lamb is featured on the April cover. Also getting their 15 minutes: Bellwether farms, Laloo’s, and Bear Republic.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Barndiva recently got big love from Chelsea Handler who visited the restaurant for Sunday brunch recently. She gushed about it on the show, giving a “shout-out” to Lukka Feldman, the restaurant’s manager.

My Favorite Black Bean Soup, in 30 Minutes or Less

March 2011

By biteclub

Inasmuch as complex events can be said to have their roots in a single moment, I credit my first attempt at this delicious soup – an assignment for my Fundamentals of Stocks, Soups, and Sauces course at the ICE Culinary Institute some 10 years ago – with much of what I’ve produced in the kitchen ever since. I might as well call it my Butterfly Effect Soup:

I think the dish is so successful because it manages to strike a balance between the dense and satisfying texture of pureed beans, the heat of fresh chilies, the sweet fragrance of of onions and garlic, and the nutty tang of dry sherry, and because it tastes like it should take far longer to make than it actually does, with a depth of flavor that belies the simplicity of its construction.

An Irish Guards uniform tunic and other Irish-themed decorations stand above the beer tap during a football game between the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons at Friar Tucks Pub in Cotati, California on Thursday, August 25, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat) So please, make this soup, and tell me if it inspires new and unpredictable trajectories for you as well, a desire to bounce around your kitchen like that clever-looking Lorenz Attractor over at the right. (You can get an intuitive sense of this concept, what mathematicians call the “sensitivity to initial conditions”, by watching the evolution of this fractal – just click New Start Point on this page. It’s pretty cool.)

Oh -And I haven’t even mentioned how healthy it is!

Black Bean Soup (Adapted from Chef/Instructor Gerri Sarnataro)
The real deal starts by soaking dried beans the night before an uses a ham bone and bacon lardons in the mirepoix and home-made veal stock for the liquid. It is, to be sure, better like that. But this version is vastly easier, healthier, and doesn’t offend my wife’s vegetarian sensibilities. Cornbread would make an ideal accompaniment, as would an ice cold Mexican beer.

4 cans black beans, with their packing liquids (preferably unseasoned)
1 bouquet garni (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh chili peppers, such as Serrano or Jalapeno, seeded and minced (more or less to taste for heat)
1 onion, diced
0.5C dry sherry or madeira (adjust to taste)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Mexican Crema and lots of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Sautee the onions, garlic, and chilies in a little oil until they’re soft and fragrant
Empty the beans and their liquids into the pot and add just enough water (or stock) to cover; if you’re using a bouquet garni, add it now.
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-30 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon and reserve a cup of the beans and puree the rest of the soup with an immersion blender, or in batches a blender (be careful!). Return the beans and puree to the pot.
Add the sherry, tasting as you go, and simmer for another 5 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Adjust seasoning.
Whisk in a handful (to taste) of the cilantro just before serving and garnish each bowl with crema and more cilantro on top. (For the animal lovers out there, smoky bacon lardons in the bottom of the bowl make for an astoundingly good touch – cook them first, reserving, and use the bacon fat to sautee the veggies.)

[Photo credits: Wikipedia]

Agave Mexican Restaurant | Healdsburg

March 2011

By biteclub

Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Healdsburg, Wednesday, October 10, 2012. (Crista Jeremiason / The Press Democrat)

Agave Fresh Mexican in Healdsburg — Diaz’ mother making mole in the restaurant kitchen

Oaxacan mole negro isn’t a dish made in an afternoon. With a laundry list of some 30 ingredients — most of which require separate roasting or blanching or toasting — it’s a labor of love passed down through generations of Oaxacan women.

Like any great regional recipe,s this inky, chocolate and cinnamon-infused chile sauce has quirks peculiar to each of its creators, but shares a common heritage and foundational ingredients. Ancho and guajillos chiles, Mexican chocolate and cinnamon, stale bread, tomatillos, plantain, oregano, raisins, pumpkin and sesame seeds, garlic, onions, cloves, avocado leaves and lard are traditional. But improvisation and secret ingredients, of course, give the mole life: Sweet bread or animal crackers instead of stale bread, a ripe banana instead of the plantain, the addition of corn tortillas. Not surprisingly, it’s a rare find at local taquerias despite the preponderance of great Oaxacan cooks in Sonoma County. Why? This is labor-intensive celebration food that’s more easily served from a can than slaved over for days. And that’s what makes Healdsburg’s Agave Mexican Restaurant such a find.

Each day, owner Octavio Diaz’s mother is in the kitchen making mole negro by hand with Oaxacan ingredients he brings from their homeland several times a year. Chocolate. Spices. Chiles. “Every day is a celebration,” says Octavio.

The hotel and restaurant management graduate and chef has spent much of his life in the United States, working his way up the food ladder. His goal: To bring the flavors of his native homeland to his new homeland.

At Agave, the mole (pronounced mo-lay) negro is poured over a chicken breast, puddles and spreads across the plate like a chocolate mudslide. It’s exotic, rich, earthy, and unmistakable. The absence of a single ingredient will alter it entirely and you can clearly taste the passion behind it. (Frankly, it’s hard not to think of Laura Esquivel’s sensuous Like Water for Chocolate, when eating it).

Along with mole negro, Diaz and his family serve up a number of other traditional dishes: Molotes (fried masa stuffed with potato, chorizo and herbs); tamale de mole (a homemade masa tamale stuffed with shredded chicken and steamed in a banana leaf); Chiles Rellenos (a green chili stuffed with chicken and plump raisins and fried) and Tlayuda, a giant corn tostada from Mexico that’s topped with beans, cabbage, queso fresco and meat, kind of like a Mexican pizza. Just want simple taqueria fare? The restaurant also serves fajitas, enchiladas, carnets, flautas, burritos and the usual suspects with aplomb.

But really, wouldn’t you rather celebrate?

Rick Bayless’ is legendary for his mole.

Agave Fresh Mexican, 1063 Vine St., Healdsburg, 433-2411.

Mole negro is just one of Oaxaca’s legendary “Seven Moles. Want to learn more? Diary of a Foodie/Gourmet has an incredible video about the process here, along with a recipe.

Blue Label Cafe

March 2011

By biteclub

Blue Label at the Belvedere, the wildly popular new restaurant run by the former Humble Pie crew, is adding breakfast to their lineup.

Starting on March 28, they’ll open a morning cafe featuring both sit-down and takeaway items including poached eggs and cheese grits, breakfast burritos, stuffed fresh toast, homemade muffins, bacon(!) cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, bagels and, wait for it…fresh donuts on Monday mornings. The start of your week just got a whole lot brighter. Oh, and did we mention espresso and coffee? Yeah, that too. Stay tuned for more details later this month.

Oh, and did we mention they’re doing bar bites (Wednesday through Friday) downstairs too? Sweet.

Top 10 Happy Hours | Sonoma County

March 2011

By biteclub

When the going gets tough, the tough start a happy hour.

Once the sole refuge of sports bars and low-brow eateries, Happy Hour has gone mainstream. Looking to draw in diners, higher end restaurants are embracing the idea of offering up deep discounts on food and cocktails between 3 and 6pm, then hoping you’ll stick around for dinner later.

It’s an age-old ploy to get you in the door, but many upscale eateries suffering from continued economic doldrums are getting a much-needed boost from the early evening crowd. Because whether you’re a bargain-hunter looking for a right-priced meal or just an after-worker hanging with friends, these top-notch happy hours are tasty treats for wallet and palate.

Stark’s Steakhouse: There’s no denying that Stark’s is the Grand Pubah when it comes to Santa Rosa’s happy hour scene. Packed to the gills most nights, It’s the perfect storm of top-notch bites well under $5, well crafted drinks and a clubby, steakhouse atmosphere. Rather than trotting out nuked chicken strips and Bud lights, they roll out inspired tapas and sides from their steakhouse menu — tuna tartar taco, meatloaf sliders and truffle fries for $1.50; trio tip banh mi, $2; potato skin fondue, sweet chili chicken wings and buttermilk onion rings for $3.50. Plus a $2 Beefeater martini (Wed/Thurs/Sat), $2.50 Stark’s Pale ale, $4 selected wines, and a couple of $5 cocktails. Chances are you’ll move on to undeniable sippers like the $10 Starkarita, but hey, think of all the money you saved at Happy Hour. Monday through Saturday 3-6pm. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 546-5100.

New! Rendez Vous Bistro: Happy Hour is Twice as Nice during the Deju Vu Happy Hour Times Two, a twice daily reason to celebrate. One of the few spots for late night eats, the bar bites menu features truffled pommes fries, a petite tuna tartar, crisp polenta fries, battered lobster borchettes, shimp coctail and chef’s sliders. House champagne is $4, well cocktails $3 and beers on tap for $3. Plus, a nifty specialty cocktail menu with gimlets, mojitos, bourbon drinks, dessert cocktails and margaritas from $7 to $9. Sunday through Thursday 3-6pm and 9-12am; Friday and Saturday, 3-6pm, 10pm to 2am. 614 4th Street, Santa Rosa, 526-7700.

Front Room at John Ash & Co: Sink into a leather seat and nibble on tasty small plates while kicking back well-crafted cocktails. Here, you can steer clear of the Jersey shore crowd, rubbing elbows with the hotel’s chic clientele, politicos and pinstriped professionals. Wednesdays’s “Crush the Rush” includes complimentary appetizers from 5:30-6:30pm along with $2 off all cocktails, $4 wine/beer/weekly cocktail and their tasty happy hour bites menu (many under $5). Friday’s smoked prime rib and Sunday you can build your own burger and fries for $10. 4-6pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; until 6:30pm Wednesday and from 3-6pm Friday through Sunday. 4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 527-7687.

Jackson’s Bar and Oven: Happy hour stretches from 3-6pm Monday through Friday and on weekends from noon to 6pm with $2 Jacksons Pale Ale, $4 on selected wines, $5 well drinks and their specialty cocktail, orange fennel drops (a new take on the cosmo). Half off buffalo wings and truffle parmesan or chipotle fries. $5 sliders or tacos on weekdays. On the weekend, $6 Bloody Marys. 135 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 545-6900.

Jack and Tony’s: Daily from 4-6pm, half off tap & well, plus half off all full-sized appetizers, including dishes like three cheese mac, shrimp ceviche tostada, deviled eggs and chilled oysters on the half-shell. 115 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 523-0492.

Chinois Asian Bistro: This pan-Asian sleeper in Windsor has amazing $5 Asian tapas from 5-6;30pm MOnday through Friday including crispy taro and sweet potato fries with Japanese mayo, Panko prawns, tori prata (Indian bread with curry sauce), spring rolls, lumpia, pork she mai and coconut prawns. Soju cocktails are also just $5 and along with $4 beers.8710 Old Redwood Hwy, Windsor, 838-4667.

Tasting Tuesdays at Willi’s Wine Bar: Not to be confused with Rohnert Park’s Tasty Tuesday food truck lineup, Willi’s Winebar is offering Tasting Tuesdays from 4-5pm. It’s a stellar deal: Top notch local winemakers pour several tastes of their wine and the kitchen whips up small bites from the menu for just $10. Plus, you get first dibs on the coveted outdoor patio. So, there’s that. Reservations are a good idea, since word has gotten out. Upcoming winemakers include Ramey, Benovia and Jus Soli. 4404 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa, 526-3096.

Central Market: An amazing deal from one of Sonoma County’s best chefs, Tony Najiola. But it’s literally an hour, so you can’t dawdle. And chances are you’ll want to stay for dinner. $1 oysters, $5 wines, $3 beers and free pizza at bar Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Sunday 5-6pm. 42 Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma, 778-9900.

Thirsty Thursdays at Vintner’s Square: Ray D’Argenzio’s “urban winery village” is an evolving vision for a one-stop food food and wine experience within the city of Santa Rosa. Already, he’s brought together his own winery, along with premium micro-wineries Sheldon and MJ Lords along with pinot heavy-weight Krutz Family Cellars. On Thursdays from 4 to 8pm, local food trucks like Street Eatz drop by, $5 per glass wines and live music. 1301 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa.

Spoonbar: This ultra luxe hotel bar isn’t the spot for .99 hot wings or light beer, but you will find some tasty pre-dinner deals. Small bites — spicy lamb meatballs, marinated quail eggs, crispy stuffed olives — come four for $12 on Chef Rudy Mihal’s Mediterranean-inspired menu. Top local winemakers’ wines on tap are a great value, as are mixologist Scott Beattie’s haute Mai Tai, Dark ‘n Stormy and Daiqueri by the pitcher. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 433-7222.

More spots to get your happy hour on…
PizzaVino 707: Happy Hour 4-6pm daily. Bar snacks $3. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 829-9500.
El Coqui: Half off of appetizers and $3 draft beers Monday through Friday from 3-6pm. 400 Mendocino Avenue Santa Rosa, 542-8868.
Bistro 29: Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 6pm with a special menu and $10 any 750ml bottle of wine. 620 5th Street, Santa Rosa, 546-2929.
Legends Benett Valley: Hang with the swingers at Santa Rosa’s chummy golf course bar and grill. $5 happy hour appetizers (taquitos, sliders, nachos, pizza). Drink specials. 3328 Yulupa Valley Ave., Santa Rosa, 523-4111.

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