I’m not sure if you read the New York Times’ 36 Hours in Sonoma County published over the weekend. But take a second…with an open mind…and tell me if this person actually ever spent any time here. No offense to the folks mentioned, but the article seems to not only be clueless on the geography of Sonoma County (Cloverdale to Sonoma in an hour? Really?) but kind of misses a lot of the finer points of what really makes Sonoma County, well, Sonoma County.
Here are a few of the most offensive eye-rollers…
– Cars have bumper stickers like “Kill your TV” and “Subvert the Dominant Paradigm,” and people here mean it.
(Personally, I have a bumper sticker that says, “My company is owned by the New York Times and all I got was this crummy blog.“)
– The town of Santa Rosa is also filled with bars, though many can feel fratty. An exception is Christy’s on the Square (96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa; 707-528-8565; christysonthesquare.com), which draws an older, sophisticated clientele. (Fratty? Really? Have you been to Santa Rosa?)
– Wine country is not renowned for its night life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. (Glad to hear that. I’ll toast to the fun at H2Hotel with world-renowned cocktail-maker Scott Beattie, or up at Cyrus. Maybe hang out with Mateo Granados at one of his Tendejon’s or give a toast to Russian River Brewery. )
– The winery, with its dusty driveway and artfully rundown hacienda, is so new the first wines from these vineyards, a pinot noir and chardonnay, won’t be released until next year. (If you wanna get all young blood, how about the Natural Process Alliance folks, who actually have some of their own wine to drink. )
Sigh.
What’s your take? Phoned-in or dead on?
Attack of the Tomatoes
After waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more, our precious end of summer tomatoes are finally ripening. And with them come a rush to cash in on that once-a-year flavor that only comes from a still-warm heirloom picked right off the vine. Restaurants are loading up their menus with tasty, ripe tomato dishes, canners are getting their Mason jars ready and festivals celebrating the ruby fruit are about to get underway. Here’s what you’re saying about how you savor the wolf-peach (aka the tomato) and some spots around the North Bay to find all the fixings to savor these juicy morsels.
Fried Green Tomatoes: A southern specialty that’s more than just the name of a movie that taught us all the meaning of Towanda! It’s a great way to use up end-of-season unripened tomatoes, seasoned with breadcrumbs or cornmeal and fried crispy in a cast-iron skillet. Jeff Mall at Zin Restaurant (344 Center Street, Healdsburg) uses his own home-grown tomatoes for his version, which changes frequently. currently on the menu: Tomato Tomato Tomato salad with Heirlooms, Fried Green Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes with Bacon and Basil.
Celebrate Tomatoes
There’s no shortage of tomato-fests. Here are some favorites:
– Kendall Jackson Heirloom Tomato Fest: Tomato-lovers flock each year to this ode to heirlooms, now in its 14th year. The winery grows nearly 180 varieties of tomatoes in the culinary gardens, all of which are available for tasting on at the event. Dozens of Sonoma County chefs and restaurants turn out to showcase their own tomato creations and a chef’s challenge featuring top toques from the Bay Area. 11am to 4pm, September 11, 2010, $65 per person, 800-769-3649, http://www.kj.com/events/tomato-festival/.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 5: Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar is under siege Sept 14-20 as they harvest the spoils of their organic garden’s 25 heirloom tomato varietals. “This time of year we harvest two 24 lb. cases of tomatoes every day,” said Chef Janine Falvo, She’ll feature dishes including Menage a Tomato with Housemade Mozzarella and Watermelon Gazpacho, a PBLT Sandwich with Pork Belly, Lettuce and Tomato on a Brioche Bun, Pineapple Tomato Poached Halibut with Grits, Yellow Taxi Cab Hollandaise and Lobster Mushrooms, Lamb with Sousvide Eggplant, Falafel, Tomato Confit and Black Garlic, and Sweet Tomatoes with Lemon Basil Ice Cream. All of tomato dishes can be ordered a la cart or as part of a tasting menu three courses for $45 or $65 for five courses. Rock-star sommelier Chris Sawyer does tomato-inspired wine flights, with pairings are available for an additional $15 for three courses and $25 for five. Don’t miss the Best Ever Bloody Mary while watching the cult-classic movie, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes broadcast in the bar all week.1325 Broadway, Sonoma, (707) 931-2042
Caprese: The classic Italian antipasti of fresh slices of mozzarella and mozzarella topped with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This time of year, it’s a menu staple, but beware of imitators. Burrata (a fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream or ricotta), mozzarella di bufa (buffalo milk mozzarella) or freshly pulled mozzarella are the best — not the rubbery stuff. Rosso Pizzeria’s John Franchetti does one of the area’s best mozzarellas, and usually has some variant of caprese on his menu (53 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa). “As for which restaurant does well with ripe tomatoes, I love, love, love the Caprese salad (on their flat bread) at Rosso’s when it’s tomato season. Super yum!” said Kelly Hamilton.
But this one’s pretty easy to do at home as well. Rosso sells fresh mozzarella at the Saturday and Sunday farmer’s markets in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, but you can also find an excellent burrata at Trader Joe’s. Add heirlooms, olive oil and a sweet balsamic like Sonomic from Sonoma Valley Portworks. “At home I make it all of the time, and recently I tried caprese skewers with chunks of fresh mozzarella, folded basil leaves, and cherry tomatoes. Portable Caprese!” said Michelle Marques.
BLT: So simple. So easy to mess up. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and great bread. The California twist is avocado, turning the BLT into the BLAT on many menus. It’s haute DIY BLT’s at Bardessono during Tomatoville (Sept. 10-12) where you can build a masterpiece with vine-ripened tomatoes, a variety of aioli (basil, bacon/sherry mayo, Cajun remoulade) a selection of local breads including brioche, pan de mie and artisan bacon from Baccalone, Fatted Calf and their own apple-smoked bacon. 6526 Yount Street, Yountville, (707) 204-6000. Want to make your own? Black Pig Bacon, made by Zazu Restaurant’s John Stewart, is available at G& G Market.
Cookbook author Paula Oandasan (There’s Not a Healthy Recipe in This Whole Damn Book: A Guide to Southern Comfort Food) skips the bacon and just slathers two pieces of squishy white bread with mayo, a little salt and pepper and loads on a juicy tomato for her Texas Tomato Sandwich. “Get a big glass of iced tea, get comfy and enjoy. You may add thin slices of red onion, but simpler is better. I wish it was always tomato season!” she said.
Tomato Jam, Homemade Ketchup, Tomato Chutney: When summer’s bounty overfloweth, there’s always preserving to keep the season fresh all year round. Just Like Grandma’s Jams sells tomato jam at the Saturday farm market in Santa Rosa, along with other flavors, and it’s not quite as weird as you might think. Perfect on a cracker with a schmear of cream cheese, it’s a sweet, sour and savory treat. At Equus at the Fountain Grove Hotel (101 Fountaingrove Parkway, Santa Rosa – (707) 578-0149), the kitchen serves up crab cakes with a fresh tomato chutney that’s perfect for the season. Green String Farm, a sustainable farm and stand near Petaluma, has jars of homemade ketchup, salsa and tomato sauce available throughout the summer from 10am to 6pm.
Pico De Gallo: “I love tomatoes in my salads, roasted or grilled, in a nice pasta sauce, as a side dish – but my all-time favorite is to use them in Pico de Gallo – always reminds me of simpler times when I was a little girl!” said Marlene Hudson. A simple salsa of fresh tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, onions and jalapeno, it’s easy to whip up at home. Got some extra? Throw the leftovers in a blender with a few breadcrumbs, olive oil and vinegar and you’ve got gazpacho — a cool Spanish summer soup.
Pasta with tomatoes: “My Early Girl tomato plants, true to thier name, that were planted on May 4th, yeilded the makings for our first fresh pasta sauce this past weekend. I cut the tomatos into chunks, added fresh thyme, oregano and basil (also from the garden, natch…) and sauteed in a pan with olive oil and some white wine. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and mix with some cooked penne or fusilli pasta and i have the freshest taste of summer ever!” said Laura Long.
Bread Salad: This simple salad idea comes from Edwin Spear, “Start with a colorful assortment of heirlooms, a cucumber, and a couple slices of grilled ciabbata or seeded sourdough. Brush the bread with some good, *local* olive oil. Cut the ‘maters, cukes, and bread into bite-sized chunks. Toss with minced garlic, a handful of fresh herbs–especially basil and thyme–and some really fresh goat or Pt. Reyes Blue cheese. Dust with–and here’s the kicker–lavendar salt, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar (I prefer locally-brewed “Sonomic”).
But maybe the simplest idea for what to do with your ‘maters comes from Meloni Courtway, “Picked fresh with my two year old and eaten in the yard, with seeds on our chins.”
What are your favorite ways to tomato?
Hot Box Grill opens
Former Cafe La Haye chef Norman Owens has opened Hot Box Grill in Sonoma — technically Boyes Hot Springs — in what’s fast becoming a gourmet gulch. The Aqua (SF) and Canlis (Seattle) alum garnered serious cred while in the Sonoma kitchen before leaving.
His new spot in the Springs replaces Thailand Thai, and according Sonoma food scenester Kathleen Hill, he and brother Will (who will serve as sous chef) did most of the demolition, even rescuing a bar from the former Deuce location as Biersch crew start renovating that space as a new Hopmonk.
The early menu looks spot-on, with season-friendly apps like melons and grilled prosciutto; ricotta gnocchi with beets; coriander-crusted foie gras with peach gelee (yes, please); chicken paillard; hangar steaks, fried poussin (a young chicken) and cornbread; and a 35oz grilled cowboy steak for two.
Hot Box Grill: 18350 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, (707)939-8383. Hours: 5:30-10Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; 5:30-11:pm Friday and Saturday.
What else you can find in the Springs:
– Epicurean Connection
– Sante at the Sonoma Mission Inn (recently Michelin-starred)
– El Molino Central
– Big Three Diner
– Michoacana Ice Cream
QOW: Favorite thing to do with ripe tomatoes?
CONGRATS TO Mudbug Eddie, who’ll receive my beautiful Heirloom Tomato book.
As a full-time eater, I’ve nibbled my way through hundreds of restaurants in the Bay Area. I’ve got spare tire around my middle to prove it. But there are thousands of equally passionate part-time diners in the North Bay who know just as much — if not more — about local eateries, off-menu specials, lunchtime best bets, just-opened and sometimes-overlooked spots. Some of you have bigger dining expense accounts than I do, while others are penny-pinching students just looking for a cheap eat. But whatever your food budget, through my dining blog, BiteClubEats.com, Facebook, Twitter, email and just on-the-street chats with you, I’ve learned that together, we’re an unstoppable force in sussing out the best, worst and just can’t miss eateries throughout Wine Country.
That’s what this column is all about. One question each week answered by you, then edited and supplemented by me. Think of it as a delicious group project.
QOW: What’s your favorite way to eat ripe tomatoes? Which restaurants have especially great tomato dishes (Caprese, fried green tomatoes, etc)?
Please note that these comments may be used for publication in the Press Democrat, so please use your real first and last name (or sign in with Facebook) if you’d like to participate. Some lucky person just might get my desk copy of The Heirloom Tomato, a new book by Amy Goldman.
Denny’s Fried Grilled Cheese Mozzarella Stick Fail!
Frankly, I’d hoped for more. When putting my very health on the line, I at least like to stare death in the face and give a hearty belly laugh. Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt felt like a very weak fist shaking — maybe a stern finger pointing — at best.
New to Denny’s $2, $4, $6, $8 Value Menu, it’s a grilled cheese sandwich with four mozzarella sticks stuffed inside. Epic!
Along the lines of Carl’s Junior Footlong Cheeseburger or KFC’s Double Down, this is the latest entrant into the zeitgeist of stupid, ridiculous, horrifying abominations that revel in their gastrointestinal wrongness. They dare you to eat them. The only plus: Their caloric freakishness is offset by the rush of hedonistic masochism that jolts through your veins. You could crush those self-righteous nutritionists with your belly rolls!
Hidden inside the menu, it’s hard to find and staff don’t seem to have their heart into its delivery. The slim $4 ‘wich masquerading as the promised Fried Cheese Melt had none of the aforementioned gusto. And came served minus marinara. Or fries (I was offered a salad or soup – meh). On the plus side, the ranch dressing did serve as a handy dunking pool. But sheesh, at least give me the satisfaction of some fries with my cheese-covered fried cheese with butter.
Calorie-wise, it’s still in the nightmare oeuvre, clocking in at about 895 calories and 34 grams of fat. Tack on the ranch dip, and you’re into the quadruple digits. But frankly, after a few bites, I lost interest and started thinking about exactly how many hours of cardio it would take to burn this meal off my thighs. And how many days I just clocked off my life.
So not worth it. Pass the salad.
Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt, available at all local Denny’s restaurants.
CLOSED Torch of India
CLOSED Billing itself as “Solano County’s #1 Indian Restaurant”, Torch of India’s tagline might be a bit of an undersell in SoCo. Because while no one doubt’s Vacaville’s contribution to the expansion of chain restaurants, culinary mecca isn’t usually among it’s descriptors.
Number one is number one, though. And not to be scoffed at. With a sunny new coat of paint on the walls, a solid opening lunch buffet ($8.95) featuring Makhni (butter chicken!), Jalphrez, tandoori, pakora, saag paneer and lentils, along with fresh salads and steaming naan, the Torch is off to a bright downtown start.
Inside the former Kabab and Curry, the bar has been removed to make way for the lunch buffet, and the interior brightened up. Bollywood videos on flat-screen tv’s set the mood, providing instant conversation starters should dates/co-workers/online meet-ups turn dull. (You can brush up on the dance moves here) or here.
The new owners are from the northern region of India, so there’s lots of rich cream sauces (Kashmiri lamb cooked in a cream mint sauce), lamb, tandoor, kabab and clearly-marked vegan and vegetarian dal, masala and curries. The menu runs for eight full pages, so there’s clearly more tasting to be done. Much more tasting. Plus, the beer and wine license is about a week away, as are the belly dancers.
Stay tuned for more tastes, but for now, here’s to being number one. Wherever you’re from.
Torch of India, 507 4th St., Santa Rosa, open M-Sat for lunch and diner (closed 2:30 to 5:30pm) , Sunday from 5:30 to 9:30pm. 569-7500
Duskie Estes of Zazu an Iron Chef candidate
Local foods champion and restaurant owner Duskie Estes of Santa Rosa’s Zazu Restaurant + Farm, Bovolo + Black Pig Meats has been chosen as one of ten chefs from around the country competing on the Food Network’s Next Iron Chef.
She’ll be in the company of such heavy hitters as Ming Tsai, the chef-owner of Blue Ginger, Andrew Kirshner of Wilshire in LA and Marc Forgione of Forge in New York.
Estes has been bound to secrecy by the network, but she did tell BiteClub, “I’m super excited!”
From the FN machine: :“The third season of The Next Iron Chef certainly has no shortage of tough competitors,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming & Production. “These chefs are some of the fiercest and most decorated yet, which promises the most exciting culinary rivalries to date.”
Just don’t be too alarmed by her bio pic on the FN site. The usually toned-down Estes has been given a deluxe dolling-up. “My kids say, ‘That’s not my mommy!'” she said over the phone. We’ll also forgive the fact that they spelled her restaurant incorrectly on the FN site.
Congrats to Duskie. Despite some SF snarking (pffffff), it’s about time that SoCo kitchens get the mainstream cred they so deserve.
Restaurant consultant Clark Wolfe, on InsideScoopSF said of Estes, “gotta tell you, I think it’s a great choice. She does the kind of hearty farmland food that represents some of the best of the Bay Area without a lot of the sillyness that passes for technique. It will be interesting to see how it’s recieved by a winner take all tv crowd. Go Duskie!!”
The series begins October 3 on Food Network.
Here’s more on the show from the Food Network:
This season, the contestants battle their way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to New York, for the right to compete in the finale in legendary Kitchen Stadium. Along the way, they will be challenged to showcase important Iron Chef attributes through their food: ingenuity, innovation, resourcefulness, transformation, respect, inspiration, seduction, and honor. Host Alton Brown puts the culinary warriors through eight grueling tests that pay homage to American cuisine. Challenges include: cooking on a desert island, catching their secret ingredients in the wild, dreaming up a 5-star luxury menu and turning ordinary fair food into an Iron Chef worthy meal. Esteemed judges Donatella Arpaia (restaurateur and cookbook author), Simon Majumdar (food writer and broadcaster), and Iron Chef Michael Symon (chef and restaurateur) critique the challenges and narrow down the competition. The final two battle for supremacy in Kitchen Stadium in the season finale on Sunday, November 21st, at 9pm ET/PT. The winner joins the ranks of Symon, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, Mario Batali, Cat Cora and Jose Garces and launches into instant fame as a member of the Chairman’s team on Iron Chef America.
Noodle Palace | Santa Rosa
It’s hard to pinpoint what’s most curious about Santa Rosa’s Noodle Palace: the Pepto pink exterior, lumpy parking lot, the hand-painted sign on plywood, trying to figure out where the door is, the untouched faux-cantina interior left over from Mi Rancho, or the fact that I never get exactly what I order.
Somehow they all add up to awesome.
Operating on a shoestring, these Pho Vietnam veterans have quickly won a neighborhood following with their idiosyncratic eatery. And it’s welcome addition to the north end of Petaluma Hill Road — a virtual restaurant wasteland (aside from Lola’s and a few taquerias).
Says BiteClubber Jim: “The food is typical Vietnamese/Asian noodle fare, cheap, fresh and tastes great; they are already proving very popular with the locals.”
The menu’s a combination of Vietnamese pho and bun, rice plates, egg rolls and spring rolls and off-menu additions like chow fun (wide noodles fried with vegetables and meat). So far, no bahn mi, but if enough folks start asking…
The vibe: Clean and friendly, with excellent barbecued beef and pork. Pho-eaters (which I am not) give the soup solid marks, though I can say from experience that beef balls are an acquired taste that I’m not planning on acquiring anytime soon. It’s a texture thing really. Beef add-ins include rare steak, tendon, tripe and brisket, along with seafood (crab, fish balls, squid, shrimp) and chicken.
Shrimp salad ($6.95)is a standout, with crisp lettuce, cilantro and spicy fish sauce. Bun (vermicelli noodles, $6.50 to $7.45) is remarkably similar to the versions at Pho Vietnam and Simply Vietnam — meaning lunchtime heaven, even if they did forget to put the egg rolls on mine. Chow fun is slick and slippery (as it should be) with tons of intriguing veggies and the perfect amount of gravy. Ask for it dry if you’re looking for a little more wok hai.
Devotees will cheer at finding soy bean milk, coconut juice, sweet red beans, and jellied tapioca in coconut milk on the menu. But fresh lemonade served in an ice cream glass? It’s part of the Noodle Palace experience: Unexpected. A little weird. Ultimately awesome.
*Bonus: Look for the hidden money in the walls. Don’t take it, cause that would be horrible. Just look around and you’ll find it.
Noodle Palace, 1310 Petaluma Hill Road, 528-1548. Open M-Sat 10:30am to 9:30pm; Sunday 10:30 am to 8:30pm.
El Pollo Loco to RP
Fast food joints opening up aren’t usually big news (except when it’s an In N Out), but this one is near and dear to many SoCal transplants, and probably worth a mention.
El Pollo Loco, a chain of flame-grilled chicken restaurants (think KFC without the “F”) famous for their herb, spice and citrus marinade is coming to Rohnert Park in September. The restaurant has a Mexican flair, serving up tortillas, salsa, beans and Spanish rice along with the usual fries, mashed taters and corn and macaroni.
The location: 5215 Redwood Dr., Rohnert Park
Gyros Northbay style
Do good gyros exist in Sonoma County?
Let’s first start with a definition. In the U.S., gyros have come to mean pretty much anything wrapped up in a pita. Traditionally, however, gyros are made from roast lamb or a combination of pressed lamb and beef sliced off a vertical rotisserie. Souvlaki are generally roasted meat kabobs (chicken, pork, beef or lamb) that are wrapped in pita. And what gyros are to Greeks, “Doner” is to the Turks. Instead of pita, they use Lavash flatbread, but the end result is pretty similar — sliced meat rolled up in a deliciously portable packet. We’ll just lump them all under “gyros” for the sake of this article. And let’s all agree that it’s pronounced yeeros, not jiro — as my dad refers to them.
Here’s what BiteClub (with the help of some Facebook friends) found…
Petalumans have an ongoing tug-of-war over which of their two Turkish gyro — excuse us, doner — spots rocks the Lavash harder. One the westside, Real Doner and on the eastside, Afendi’s. The good news: You’ll have plenty of fun testing them both to find out.
Real Doner: “The Real Doner in Petaluma will tell you that Doners rule over Gyros,” said Dave Devencenzi. Which, frankly, is true in this case. “I just had the best gyro of my life (and I am from Michigan where there is REALLY good Greek food) at Real Doner. Even though I live in Healdsburg, I will be making the trip just for this fantastic gyro,” said Allison Fuleky Ketcham. Real Doner is a no-frills family-run deli with where the focus isn’t on ambiance, but on the mini torpedos of meat, sauce, veggies and flatbread that serve up to hungry locals every day. 307 F. St. Petaluma, 707.765.9555.
Afendi’s Turkish Grill: If you’re a fan of Real Doner, then you may recognize Chef Joe Besir from his days in their kitchen. Now with a place of his own, Besir has taken his show across the freeway to the east side — more restaurant than deli — with all of his signature dishes. Gryos, of course, are on the menu (“doner”), made with Halal chicken, lamb and beef with his signature sauce, onions and cabbage. “One of the best I ever had!” said Robbin Montero. While you’re there, it’s worth trying his Sigara Borek (little “cigarettes” of filo and feta”; smoky baba ganouj and falafel. Belly dancers on Friday and Saturday night. 299 North McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, (707) 763-1998.
Taste of a Gyro: Chef Sondra Bernstein gives the heads up on Dominic Sammarco’s mobile gyro trolley near the Sonoma town square. He does traditional lamb as well as chicken gyros, but the secret’s in the sauce. In addition to tzatziki (a yogurt cucumber sauce), he douses his $6 hand’wiches with a selection sauces that go from mild to wild: ranch feta, jalapeno feta, habanero feta or the mouth-searing super fire hot red sauce (jalapenos, sirrano, habenero and body-numbing ghost peppers). “It’s all about creating your own taste,” he said. You’ll find business and construction folks rubbing elbows with a few adventurous high schoolers from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday at the Sonoma Skate Shop (1001 Sonoma Ave., Sonoma) or Tuesday evenings at Sonoma’s farmer’s market.
Bobby The Greek: “Find the best homemade tzatziki and you’ll find the right gyros. Bobby’s at Wednesday night market is excellent,” said Timothy Jaxon. Bob Gekas will charm the money right out of your hands, plying you with his gyros and souvlaki (grilled lamb, chicken or pork) served on a warm pita with the aforementioned tzatziki, tomatoes and onions. Find him at the Wednesday night market in downtown Santa Rosa and on Saturdays at the Veteran’s Building Farmer’s Market.
Yanni’s Sausage Grill: Okay, so sausage isn’t exactly a gyro, but the building blocks at this tiny storefront are certainly in the same neighborhood. On the menu, eight flavors of sausage including Loukaniko, a rustic Greek sausage with citrus and spice; greek kalamata olive and feta sausage; and lamb sausage served with tzatziki. All are under $6, most under $5. 10007 Main St., Penngrove, 795-7088
Papa’s Taverna: The big daddy of Greek restaurants in the area, this Lakeville Hwy destination is all about the Opa! There’s a large selection of gyro and souvlaki, along with traditional entrees like roast leg of lamb and moussaka. It’s worth the trip on weekend evenings just for the bellydancing and live Greek music. 5688 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma, 769-8545.
Pita Cafe: A number of readers swear by this unassuming Rohnert Park cafe, saying their lamb and chicken gyro are tops. According to Stephanie Moore Ansley: “Delicious gyros and gyro wraps.” I’ve been a couple times and found them to be solid — definitely a step above fast food — but not swoon-worthy. Then again, when you’re craving the gyro… 6585 Commerce Blvd # C, Rohnert Park, 707-588-9522.
CLOSED Daphne’s: Fast-food gyros that aren’t half-bad. A great way to introduce kids and leery friends to the whole gyro mystique. Plus, great healthy, low-cal options like grilled chicken, and a vegetarian plate of falafel, spanakopita, hummus and dolmas. 2280 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, (707) 566-6736.
Did we miss one of your favorites? Sound off…