I’ve been sitting on this little jem way too long: TERIYAKI Restaurant off Stony Point Road.
The Laotian, Thai, Korean and Japanese-inspired menu is a bit dizzying to read, featuring everything from Pho and Mongolian Beef to peanut chicken and Yaktori. But the hand-lettered signs, kids working behind the counter and take-out line most nights belies the fact that there’s some tasty cooking happening here.
My favorite, however, are take-home packs of fried beef and pork jerky. Covered with a sweet oyster sauce, these leathery strips of goodness are addictive as heck, and only $5 for enough to last you a week.
The restaurant also serves several Laotian specialties including sticky rice and homemade chicken noodle soup with cooked pork blood available on request. Er. Yeah.
Let’s keep this one a secret, shall we?
Teriyaki Restaurant, 473 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, 707.578.0416. Open M-F from 10am to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 7pm. Closed Sunday.
Sushi 101: SoCo style
Omakase. It’s one of those insider-y food words that’s supposed to make you sound really cool when you sit down at a sushi bar. It means “It’s up to you, chef,” in Japanese. A sign of respect and trust, the phrase gives a stranger carte blanche to choose what exotic and potentially dangerous foods you’ll be ingesting over the next 30 minutes or so. Not a word to be taken lightly.
“Omakase,” I practice silently mouthing the words. Omakase, omakase, omakase I think walking through the doors of Sam’s sushi bar in Bennett Valley, Yao-Kiku (2700 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa, 707.578.8180). I’m in your hands, esteemed sushi man. Make me what you will.
“Oka masy,” I mumble lamely to the 60-something Sam as he looks me over. Dead silence. He gives me one of those expressions that conveys both confusion and amusement. “Omkamse.” Omasake? He’s not getting it. “Uh, your choice,” I say, turning as red as the raw tuna in his chilled sushi case and speaking extra loud — as if that will help. “Just feed me. Uh, whatever. You know.” Out of pity, I think, Sam gets to work, pulling and pointing at hunks of meat — sake, uni, maguro.
Revealing your inner gaijin can be a scary thing. Sidling up to the bar and rattling off your best sushi pidgin feels ridiculous, no matter how earnest or experienced you are. Books tell you it’s smart and hip to say this stuff. I just feel goofy and embarrassed. Like when my dad once confessed to a random dim sum waitress, “We are not from here, we do not understand your customs,” on a rare, exotic visit to China Town. Ugh.
But if there’s anything I’ve learned in the two plus years since BiteClub’s original Sushi Smackdown, it’s that eating sushi is an intensely personal experience — a one-on-one relationship with the guy (and yes, it’s usually a guy) behind the counter. You can eat a whole lot of raw fish and never truly eat sushi.
So, consider this one gaijin’s advice to another, after eating at dozens of sushi joints from coast to coast — including more than twenty right here in Wine Country. I’ve done the dirty work so you can simply sit back and simply say, Omakase. Or whatever you want.
1. Grocery store sushi is best left to the pros (and midnight cravings): There is a difference. Low-end, premade sushi has its place, but it’s not the real deal. Great sushi starts with great rice — a process carefully guarded by chefs. The rice should be loosely packed and eaten at body temperature. Not cold. Or made the day (or several days) before. And I’m not even going to get into the fish. Best bets: Pacific Market is my go-to, but even then, I usually stick with California rolls. Most grocery outlets, by the way, use large sushi manufacturing companies like Southern Tsunami or Fujisan to supply their needs. They’re safe and usually reliable, but the flavor can really suffer.
2. Get to know your sushi chef: I can’t stress this enough. If you’re really going to eat sushi, make it a special splurge and spring for the best. Raw fish isn’t something to mess around with, not only because of its potential for spoilage but because it can also harbor some nasty little parasites. A good sushi chef will point you to the freshest stuff they have and stake his reputation on his selections. They’ll also help guide you to new tastes.
3. If it doesn’t taste right, don’t eat it: This seems like a duh, but I’ve made the mistake of eating raw scallops that seemed a bit off because I felt bad leaving them on the plate. Dumb move. Good sushi should taste clean and fresh and have almost no odor. Eat at establishments that have high fish turnover. One of my faves spots Gary Chu’s Sake’O, 505 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, 707.433/2669.
4. Fresh vs. Frozen: This one’s a head-scratcher. According to FDA law, all fish to be consumed raw in the US is supposed to have been blast-frozen to kill off potential parasites. However, it’s up to the state to enforce this and California, according to my research, checks restaurants but doesn’t enforce the freeze rule for all fish. Salmon must be frozen because of its high potential for parasites, but other fish, like tuna, has less risk and isn’t always pre-frozen. This makes it taste better, but a bit more risky in untrained hands.
5. Nigiri vs. Sashimi vs rolls: Sushi actually means rice in Japanese. Nigiri is a rectangular(ish) bit of rice with fish on top. One order is two pieces. Sashimi are thin slices of fish without the rice. Rolls are a pet peeve of mine, meaning they’ve gotten way out of control. I realize that fried stuff slathered with mayonnaise sauce can taste good, but it’s not sushi. And there might be a reason they’re hiding the taste of the fish with all that stuff. Ick.
6. Wasabi: The hot green stuff that hurts your nose is probably not real wasabi at all, but a paste of horseradish and mustard with food coloring. Real wasabi can be quite expensive, but you can find hand-grated Oregon wasabi at Hana Japanese (in Rohnert Park), which has a sweeter, lighter flavor and grainier texture.
7. Soy sauce: The sign of a total amateur is pouring a big bowl of sauce, mixing in a bunch of wasabi so it makes a sort of greyish paste, then dunking your nigiri in the whole mess rice first. The best method is to pour a small amount of sauce into your bowl. Mix in a little wasabi if you must, but most good sushi chefs will season the sushi as they think it should be eaten.
8. Fingers or not: It’s totally kosher to eat nigiri with your fingers. Good sushi bars will offer you a hot towel before the meal to freshen your digits for just this reason.
9. The menu is just an outline: Feel free to ask questions and order just a few bites at a time. Order something new and different once in a while. Uni (sea urchin) is something I avoided for years because of its strange color and texture. It’s actually sweet, creamy and wonderful. Same with raw scallops. And monkfish liver.Yum.
10. Sake to me: You can drink anything you like with sushi, but sake is pretty traditional. I, personally, prefer Diet Pepsi. You may like hot tea. There’s no real right or wrong.
Top pick in the 2009 Sonoma County Sushi Smackdown
All around best:
I’ve given over the 2009 Top Sushi Spot to Hana Japanese Restaurant After having put in some serious time with the staff, my eyes are open to the wonders that sushi can truly be. Ken Tominaga and his staff get fresh fish flown in from Japan and beyond each day, and know how to handle it with artistry and care. The key here: Ask questions and show your enthusiasm. Your interest will be returned in kind. 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707.586.0270.
Newcomers:
Since last time, there are a few newcomers including Toyo Japanese, 3082 Marlow Road, Suite B3, Santa Rosa, and the new Boathouse Sushi in Santa Rosa (2360 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, (707) 546-7153, Tosaki Sushi, 799 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol, 707.829.0892. Best of the bunch, however, is Gohan Japanese, 1367 North McDowell Blvd, Suite 150, Petaluma.
Still Solid:
Go-tos still include Ume (8710 Old Redwood Hwy, Windsor), Sushi Tozai (7531 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol)
Want more sushi recommendations? Check out my original Sushi Smackdown.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s | Valley Ford
Eight oysters. One quail. Two slices of polenta and pea shoot salad: Lunch accomplished. Check, please.
“You did save room for some homemade raspberry pie?” asks Rocker Oysterfeller’s Shona Campbell as I head out the door. Except it sounds more like “paahh” when she says it. And she’s not really asking. I’m leaving with that last piece of pie she made from a neighbor’s berries–regardless.
Ah, southern charm.
But it’s not the pie that I’ve driven out of my way for. It’s the oysters. Midway between Petaluma and Bodega Bay, Valley Ford is a blip on map that’s suddenly been rediscovered. Bikers and day-trippers converge here for water, snacks, and on summer weekends barbequed oysters in front of the Valley Ford Hotel, where Campbell and her cooking partner, Brandon Guenther, have set up their country charm-meets urban chic restaurant, saloon and roadhouse.
Back to the oysters. Plucked from the nearby Drake’s Bay, they’re huge and juicy, best served raw with a little lemon-honey-jalapeno mignonette. Or with arugula, bacon, cream cheese and a cornbread crust (the Rocker Oysterfeller). Or with garlic butter.
Rocker’s isn’t just an oyster shack, however. The couple have a long-history of cooking in the Bay Area and bring some serious grit-kicking southern flavors to the table. Their dinner menu includes Sonoma County lamb with toasted grits, molasses-bourbon braised pork shoulder, a Creole Caesar salad with cornbread croutons, Dungeness crab balls with remoulade and killer sides like mac n’ cheese, Kennebec fries and goat cheese grits.
The new brunch menu goes from biscuits and sausage gravy to a Southern Benedict (poached egg, ham, roasted tomato, braised chard, blackeyed peas, Hollandaise and a buttermilk biscuit) and the dainty bacon-wrapped quail with a (oh my god, so good) pea shoot salad and warm polenta toasts topped with melted Bellwether Farms Crescenza cheese.
Just don’t forget to save room for some pie. Or, you know, whatever the kids at Rocker’s have dreamed up today.
If you go: Local isn’t just a buzzword here. The menu pulls from local farms and ranches (and you know, neighbor’s garden patches). The freshness shows. Don’t miss sitting out on the large patio on warm afternoons. The saloon gets buzzing in the evening, and the spot pulls lots of locals.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s: 14415 Highway One, Valley Ford, 707.876.1983. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm to 9:30pm. Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm. Rocker Oysterfeller’s website
Tasty Tidbits
Tee shirt bags at the market: The Santa Rosa Farmers Market is collecting tee shirts to sew into shopping bags –the work will be done by the Forestville 4H Club. Bring the tee shirts to the market this Wednesday or Saturday. April 18th is the Market’s Earth Day celebration and the bags will be available. For more details check out the SR market website. http://santarosafarmersmarket.blogspot.com/
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Locavore on IPhone
Deciding whether to shell out the extra cash every month for an IPhone was a hard decision. It seemed so, well, silly. Plus, I swore I’d never use the apps. I’m now eating those words, literally. The coolest new app that I’ve become addicted to (besides Tweetie, Bubble Wrap, WhiteNoise and Mint.com) is Locavore, a nifty little tool that pulls together data on what produce is currently in season in your area, where to find local farmer’s markets (extra cool if you’re traveling) and even links to recipes for produce you’ll find at the markets on Epicurious. Brilliant.
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Hot Coffee: This one came in from a reader. I can’t seem to get the link to coffeereview.com (where he spotted this) to work today, but we all know how yumster our local coffees are…
“Thought you should know about this one. I’ve often thought that people in this county were unaware of how spoiled they are when it comes to coffee.
Flying Goat Coffee and Ecco Coffee tied for top score in a recent competition on Coffee Review (the most respected buyers guide for coffee fanatics, which I will admit to being).
From what I understand, there were over 50 coffees analyzed from Bay Area coffee roasters. To have Sonoma County take (tie) for the top scores is (I think) something worth mentioning. I bought the two coffees from Flying Goat that scored (the Guatemala San Jose and the Don Pepe from Panama) and they are outstanding.”
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Nick’s Cove & Cottages is pleased to announce Farm to Table, a five-course community dinner on April 16. The meal, created by Nick’s Cove Executive Chef Adam Mali, features produce from Nick’s on-site organic garden, County Line Harvest, Drake’s Bay oysters and Drake’s Bay Family Farms. Nick’s Cove actively supports sustainable, local agriculture & aquaculture. Proceeds from the meal will go to support Marin Organic, an association of organic producers committed to promoting and supporting a sustainable, organic county.
Special rates will be offered at Nick’s Cove & Cottages for Farm to Table attendees: $100 off the best available rate for luxury waterfront cottages and $50 off for the best available luxury water view cottages.
For more details go to nickscove.com
Underwood Bar & Bistro | Graton Restaurant
You know that funky little bistro with just enough urban cred to be cool, but stuck far enough out in the boondocks to keep away the the riff-raff? Yeah, that’s Underwood Bar & Bistro.
A perennial favorite of night owls and winemakers, it’s a meet and eat rendezvous in the tiny hamlet of Graton.
Underwood serves up perfect tapas (tuna tartare, cauliflower gratin, french onion soup, harissa fries, ceviche tostada), oysters and cocktails (don’t miss the Graton Sunrise) from lunch through late night as well as heartier entrees at dinner (steak frites, Moroccan lamb stew, duck breast, burgers).
9113 Graton Road, Graton, 823,7023. Open for lunch Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 to 2:30, dinner Tuesday through Sunday 5-10pm, and has a late nite menu on Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.
Hungry for brunch: Head across the street to sister eatery, Willow Wood Market & Cafe.
Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar | Santa Rosa
You had me at burrata.
With a menu that reads like a Sicilian love letter, former Tra Vigne Chef John Franchetti’s Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar ain’t your average pie shop.
The remodeled space in Santa Rosa’s Creekside Center focuses on paper-thin prosciutto, fresh-made tapenades, signature salads, antipasti and bubbling wood-fired pizzas.
No ravioli. No manicotti. No frozen breadsticks.
Instead, Franchetti sticks to fresh, simple piatto that let the flavors of his painstakingly-chosen, organic and sustainable products shine through. Like Franchetti’s house made burrata–a fresh milk mozzarella stuffed with ricotta.*
Sourcing the curds from an award-winning local cheese maker who learned the craft from his Italian grandfather, Franchetti forms the fresh, pillowy cheese by hand and serves it with nothing more than a wink of olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s heaven on a plate.
In fact, the SR-native actually gets contagiously giddy talking about his organic salad mix from Sebastopol, the reverse-osmosis water used for the dough (which he makes several times daily) and signature veal and pork meatballs with marinara. Franchetti cops to the fact that after reading Jeff Cox’s recent rail about imported olive oil, he decided to use locally sourced (and definitely not cheap) McEvoy Ranch oil exclusively. Both on the menu and in the kitchen, he pays homage to his producers–Rafter Ranch, Redwood Hills, Love Farms and Point Reyes– rather than the usual lip-service to distract from the SYSCO truck pulling up out back.
Standouts include fritto misto made with calamari and local organic veggies with a green chile aioli; $3 “snacks” of crispy pizzetta and fresh made tapenades (don’t miss the creamy ‘pesce’ spread made with fish, lemon and mascarpone); salads (like the Rosso Caesar with chopped Sonoma romaine, lemon anchovy dressing, gorgonzola and Calabrian chilies, $8.50); ‘piadine’ flat breads with salads piled on top; or fresh pizzas with toppings of Sonoma white corn, roasted peppers, red onion, arugula and Redwood Hill goat cheese.
House made prosciutto and salumi frequent the menu, along with locally sourced meats. The wine bar offers up a large list of well-chosen organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines from Sonoma County and beyond.
Kids get healthy treatment, too, with their own menu of pint-size pizzas, roasted chicken, salads and fried house-made mozzarella.
Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Creekside Center, 53 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa, 707.544.3221.
*Okay cheese nerds, here’s the deal: Burrata typically refers to fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream and bits of mozzarella. Historically the cheese is wrapped in fresh leeks to signify its freshness (if they’re not still green, it’s too old) and consumed within days of being made. The real Italian stuff is near impossible to find in the states unless it’s flown in. Some refer to Franchetti’s version of burrata as
‘burricotti’, since it is filled with ricotta rather than cream.
Zin Restaurant | Healdsburg
Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar serves deviled eggs without apology. Potato and fried onion casserole without flinching. A Blue Plate Pot Roast every Tuesday to a packed house.
Here, comfort food rules and no one walks away from the table hungry.
Riffing on American regional favorites, (Chicken-N-Dumplings, spaghetti and meatballs, Mac-N-Cheese) Zin Chef Jeff Mall feeds the need for dishes just like mom used to make. Only a lot better. But that’s just part of the story.
Mall also throws some solid Wine Country curves on his seasonal lunch and dinner menus–like the Mexican beer-battered green beans with mango
salsa; the Dungeness crab salad with avocado, mango and chili-lime salsa; or the unmistakably Left Coast-y roasted beet & orange salad with frisee, toasted walnuts, fresh goat cheese and Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Somehow Mall makes this weird mix of comfort-meets-California work. One day you’re
eating wild mushroom Chile Rellenos with goat cheese, the next you’re gobbling buttermilk fried chicken. Red bean cassoulet followed by Carolina pulled pork.
What ties them all together are fearless flavors and Mall’s nearly fanatical interest in using hand-picked ingredients from his own farm, Zin Garden. Chances are those tomatoes in your spaghetti came from one of his thousands of plants. The jelly in your Zinfandel doughnuts? Yep, he crushed the grapes himself. You get the idea.
Ultimately it comes down to this. There’s Healdsburg’s whole tie and cheese cart thing. Or there’s Zin, where you can throw on your jeans and order up asmoked pork chop and warm jelly doughnuts. The choice seems pretty obvious.
Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar, 344 Center Street, Healdsburg, 707.473.0946
Best Bets:
Menu changes seasonally, so ask your server what’s new. However, the beer battered green beans are a staple ($8), along with the pot roast ($16) and applewood pork chops ($21). The hangar steak is another can’t miss ($24), topped with (in the winter) wild mushrooms and thyme. Oh and don’t miss the wine list, which features an extensive list of by-the-glass local Zinfandels.
Brunch: Easter and beyond
We all have slightly different litmus tests to what makes a great brunch. I have a friend that simply won’t step out of the house unless there’s a solid Bloody Mary involved. With celery. For another, it’s real maple syrup and crisp bacon and to heck with the view. Personally, I require a Mimosa, real Hollandaise sauce, smoked salmon and outdoor seating with a view– a pickiness that doesn’t always equal many brunch invitations. But come Easter and Mother’s Day, two springtime holidays that all but demand familial brunch reservations, somewhere, anywhere, it’s easy to get a little complacent. Don’t.
Because what makes for a great brunch all the rest of the year are the things — romantic tables, a lovely garden setting, a top notch cocktail, buttery Hollandaise (or whatever your gauge) — that make it doubly so when stepping out with mom, grandma and the rest of the clan.
Throughout the county, restaurants eager for your business are raising the brunch bar, featuring everything from house-smoked fish to golden eggs. Not to mention some darned nice Bloody Marys.
Most Willy Wonka-esque, Cafe Saint Rose
Café Saint Rose’s sprawling stream-side patio is a lazy Sunday jaunt to Chef Mark Malicki’s slightly surrealistic Sebastopol road house. Here, kids ramble through the weeds and parents breathe contentedly with a glass rose and whatever local goodies Malicki’s whipped up — like suckling pig hash and Lucky charms with half and half. On Easter (only), he’s dreamed up a scheme to give away two Golden Eggs. A grown-up winner gets dinner for six featuring Mark’s favorite Russian River wines. One even luckier kid gets (and no we’re not kidding) free dessert for life at Mark’s restaurant. 9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol, (707) 829-5898. Prix fixe brunch menu from 11am to 4pm. Call for reservations and menu details.
Best Easter Egg Hunt with Brunch
NY-via-Sonoma restauranteurs Eric Korsh and Ginevra Iverson know that the best part of Easter is the smoked fish. Or maybe it’s hunting for eggs. Either way, they’ll have both at Restaurant Eloise on April 12, starting at 10am, in additional to other brunch classics. Kids can hunt around the culinary gardens for jellybeans and snap peas. 2295 Gravenstein Hwy South, Sebastopol, (707) 823-6300.
Best brunch on Santa Rosa Ave.: Dierk’s Parkside Cafe
Maybe the view of the bus station isn’t the most romantic, but when the food’s this good, you won’t mind. Chef Mark Dierkhising’s got breakfast and brunch down cold. Special surprises for mom on Easter Sunday, plus it’s one of the few spots accepting walk-ins. 404 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa., (707) 573-5955.
Wildest Easter Brunch
Hunt for Mr. Hare in the wilds of Safari West after brunch in the Savannah Cafe. The six-foot bunny is on the trail of his old rival, Mr. Tortoise and will leave Carrot Clues along the way. 10am and 1pm, April 12. 3115 Porter Creek Road
Santa Rosa, (707) 579-2551. $63 adults, $30 for children.
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Most Wine Country-est Brunch
BarnDiva’s committed Slow Food philosophy means lots of farm-fresh meats and produce that celebrate each season – from their free-range eggs Benedict to hot cross buns. The enclosed backyard garden is a favorite Healdsburg sunning spot come Sunday morning, not to mention picture-perfect for your Easter family photos, which last year included live chicks (of the yellow, fluffy sort) and an egg hunt. 231 Center St., Healdsburg, (707) 431-0100, open for brunch at 11am.
Easter Italiano
Soak up the Sonoma sun while munching through Estate Restaurant’s Cal-Ital Easter menu featuring bacon and fried egg pizzas, lamb torta and Frangelico pastry cream zeppole. And then there’s dessert. $32 per person, 400 West Spain St., Sonoma, (707) 933-3663.
Bloody Great
Though it’s not exactly brunch, haute burgery, Healdsburg Bar and Grill, plans to offer up their popular Bloody Mary Bar for Easter, in addition to their usual burger and salad fare — a nice touch for tired bunnies. 245 Healdsburg Ave, (707) 433-3333.
Where are you headed for Easter? Sound off.
The Return of Happy Hour
It had to happen. Rough economic times equal a goldmine for bargain hunters — especially when it comes to food and beverages. Looking to pack the house, restaurants are resorting to an age-old ploy to get you in the door: Happy Hour.
Once the sole refuge of sports bars and low-brow eateries, Happy Hour has gone mainstream. Seeking the afterwork cocktail crowd, higher end restaurants are dreaming up fantabulous cheap eats between 4 and 6pm (and sometimes beyond) to whet your appetite…and your thirst. Some are even starting reverse happy hours between 8 and 9:30 to grab late-nighters.
Read on for some of our faves, and add your own.
Healdsburg’s “Just don’t call it Happy Hour” hour
According to Barndiva’s Jil Hale, the local cocktail cops aren’t too hot on restaurants hosting “official” happy hours, so they’ve gotten around the issue by calling it the Mellow Hour. Which is appropriate considering the level of grand mixololgy happening at this Slow Food-inspired eatery. From Wed-Friday, Barndiva offers up its specialty cocktails for $8. During Sunday Brunch, in addition to their infamous ‘bartenders breakfast’ (Bloody Marys) lead bartender Spencer will make any cocktail you see in the Sunday papers for $8. Hale says the Times is the read of choice, but they’re open to anything. But here’s the real insider tip: On Wednesdays, Spencer previews his new cocktails and if you’re willing to be a guinea pig, he’ll knock down the price a bit for ya. Tell him BiteClub sent you.
231 Center St, Healdsburg, (707) 431-0100
Also in Healdsburg: Healdsburg Bar and Grill: 3:30 to 5:30pm M-Thurs, draft beer and cocktail specials. 245 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, (707) 433-3333
Santa Rosa Happy Hours
Crepes and cocktails
Bistro 29 will debut their new Happy Hour special, $5 crepes (including duck confit, ratatouille and ham & egg) starting April 7. In addition to their top-notch buckwheat crepes, they’ll offer $10 off any bottle of wine and champagne cocktails. 620 5th Street, Santa Rosa, (707) 546-2929.
Stout Brothers offers up $2 off all appetizers (including it’s fried green beans and beer-battered onion rings) from 4-6 pm, along with $4 imperial pints and $3 well drinks.527 4th Street: Santa Rosa, CA : (707) 636-0240
Stark’s Steakhouse
Until the Dow reaches 10,000, Stark’s Steakhouse is offering $2 and $3 apps (including their sliders) and their house brew between 3 and 6pm Mon-Friday. 521 Adams, Santa Rosa.
Equus
Two dollar Tuesdays are packing ’em into the revamped Fountaingrove Bar. Chef Jeff Reilly does killer carnitas, garlic fries and is adding new items like lettuce wraps. The bar does a reverse happy hour Monday-Thursday from 9:30pm-10:30pm.101 Fountaingrove Pkwy, Santa Rosa.
Russian River Brewing
Beer bites and Pliny! Happy hour M-F from 4-6:30pm and all day Sunday. 725 4th Street, Santa Rosa
Mary’s Pizza Shack
Monday through Friday from 4-6pm, Mary’s Pizza Shack will offer ½ off appetizers, $2.50 well drinks and $2.50 draft beer at the Fourth St. location in downtown SR.
Vintner’s Inn/Frontroom bar and lounge
Martini Mondays 5-7pm, Sip n Snack thursday from 5-7pm featuring wine and appetizer for $10. 4350 Barnes Rd, Santa Rosa.
Legends at Bennett Valley Golf Club
M-Sun, 3-6pm’ Quesadilla, nachos, sliders Thai wings, lettuce wraps, $3.50 to $4.50 plus drink specials.3330 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa.
Third Street Aleworks
Hoppy Hour, $2.75 pints on weekdays from 4 – 6 PM
The Belvedere
Happy hour daily between 4-6pm, $2 Bud, Coors and Miller and well drinks are $2.50. Wash it all down with one of their tasty burgers when the kitchen opens at 5pm. 727 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa.
The Classic
Ausiello’s has been doing Happy Hour for 27 years. Check in from 5 to 6:30pm daily when they offer up .25 wings, breadsticks and discouts on appetizers along with $2 Budweiser pints. Also doing a reverse HH daily from 8:30 to 9pm. 609 5th St, Santa Rosa.
Margarita Madness: Las Guitarras
Friday night Happy Hour from 4 to 6pm with hot wings, beans & chorizo along with top-shelf margaritas and tequila specials ranging from $5.75 to $7.50.7384 Commerce Blvd, Cotati – (707) 792-4380
Penngrove Bar Bites
Humble Pie’s sharing the grub love with next door neighbor, The Black Cat Bar. While you’re downing a pint, grab hold of a housemade beer pretzel with spicy mustard, foccaccia pizza with fresh veggies, a BLT sandwich or cupcakes. Most items are $5 or less (except the BLT, which is $10 and includes a salad.) 0056 Main Street Penngrove California. 707-664-8779.
Join the Happy Hour Roll Call in the BiteClub forums.
Wild Foxx?
Several folks have been asking me about the new restaurant moving into the former Baker’s Square space (1350 Farmers
Lane), called Wild Foxx.
And here’s where it gets interesting. Like many of you, I assumed it was an outpost of the popular Novato grill, Wild Fox. Folks in Novato, however, say it isn’t related to their restaurant despite the similarity of names and logos. Maybe a bit too much similarity.
Apparently there’s some discussion going on between the two parties to help clarify the situation. Stay tuned for more details.