The sun sets on a vineyard in St. Helena, Sunday, August 6, 2023. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Online travel website Tripadvisor has named Napa Valley the No. 1 “Trending Destination” in the United States in 2024 as part of its annual Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations.
The Tripadvisor award is the latest honor to highlight Wine Country’s continued appeal for travelers. In November, Travel + Leisure named Sonoma County one of the best places to travel in 2024, featuring prominently on the magazine’s list of 50 global travel destinations.
Spotlighting Napa as an area that has become famous for its fine wines and epicurean delights, Tripadvisor wrote:
“Gold and silver may have been behind the hordes that flocked in the 1800s, but liquid gold — Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs — is behind the modern migration. This dream destination for wine lovers has an abundance of fine restaurants and inns.”
Tripadvisor also notes the region provides a perfect setting for taking in the great outdoors: “Horse posts have been replaced by bike racks, and pedal power is a great way to explore.”
Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards are its highest tier of Travelers’ Choice Awards. The Best of the Best Destinations are the first Travelers’ Choice Awards to be announced in 2024. Destinations chosen as award winners in this category have received a high volume of “above-and-beyond” reviews and opinions on Tripadvisor over the course of a 12-month period based on user feedback covering hotels, restaurants and things to do.
“With 94% of Americans planning to travel as much, if not more, than last year, enthusiasm is high and this year’s list of Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Destinations really reflects that excitement,” said Sarah Firshein, Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor in a press release.
There are seven categories that make up Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Destinations this year: Top Destinations, Trending Destinations, Culture Destinations, Food Destinations, Nature Destinations and subcategories Honeymoon Destinations and Sustainable Destinations.
Brooklyn, Provincetown, West Yellowstone and Louisville were among the other destinations that made the “Trending Destinations” awards list in the US, while Tokyo was honored as the top destination in the award category’s world list, which also included Bogota, Nairobi and Palawan Island.
Chef Mark Malicki prepares plates of Stemple creek meatloaf, duck fat fried potatoes, black chanterelle butter bath & greens, while Jack Reed waits to serve them to customers, at de Havilland in Petaluma on Friday, January 12, 2024. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
For nearly 13 years, chef Mark Malicki spent his Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights cooking in a closet-sized kitchen at The Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega. Inside that kitchen was a two-burner stove, flat-top grill and refrigerator drawer — not exactly a dream setup for a chef.
But somehow, Malicki made it work, serving up decidedly un-barlike dishes like short rib goulash with mushroom gratin, Dungeness crab from nearby Bodega Bay, buttermilk fried rabbit with rémoulade sauce or Wagyu with chanterelle mushrooms.
After years of owning restaurants or working for others, Malicki finally had the dream job of creating exactly what he wanted each weekend based on his relationships with local farmers and purveyors. Without the financial pressures of a brick-and-mortar, he thrived in the remote west county town as a culinary curiosity — an off-the-beaten-path food destination beloved by insiders but mostly ignored by the Michelin-star obsessed.
Chef Mark Malicki operates his de Havilland pop-up at Tea Room Cafe in Petaluma. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Now 64, Malicki says he was ready for a change, something closer to his Petaluma home and more expansive kitchen. Not that he didn’t love The Casino, its nonagenarian owner Evelyn Casini and its clientele, but after spending more than 50 years on the line and facing some health challenges, it was time for a more sustainable solution.
It was time for de Havilland.
Last summer, de Havilland — the name of his new pop-up dinner concept at the Tea Room Cafe in Petaluma — was born.
For several months, Malicki tried straddling weeknight dinners in Petaluma and weekends in Bodega but couldn’t find a balance between all the prep work and cooking.
In late 2023, he left The Casino and focused only on the 45-seat cafe and spreading out in the Tea Room’s large commercial kitchen. It turned out to be a perfect match.
De Havilland is a through line for Malicki’s deep-rooted passion for, well, whatever he’s passionate about at the moment — whether that’s frying latkes in Chinese scallion oil, feeding crab boat workers facing a deferred season, cooking for a fundraiser, or sharing a produce haul from his favorite farmer.
In the expansive kitchen of the Tea Room Cafe, Malicki juggles multiple pans and ovens with his sous chef, concentrating on the handful of dishes he has created for the evening.
A record player quietly pumps old jazz music into the room as guests casually order from the a la carte menu, and service is bare-bones but friendly and helpful. The wine list is short but well thought out, with small producers and unusual picks.
Recent dinners included Delicata squash boats with rice, crayfish and sea beans; stuffed mushrooms with wild boar sausage; cod with lobster broth; and caramelized Thai banana tiramisu.
What you’ll experience on the plate is usually a pleasant surprise unless you follow Malicki’s Instagram (@malle.mal), where he posts the evening’s dishes along with his frequent observations and insights.
There’s often a theme, but sometimes there isn’t, and it’s better not to go with any expectations. Just put yourselves into Malicki’s hands and enjoy being treated to the wild, wonderful, heartfelt, idealistic, perfectly imperfect world of de Havilland.
De Havilland is located at 316 Western Ave. in Petaluma. Dinner is offered from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with reservations recommended. Call 707-623-5141 or go to Instagram.com/malle.mal.
Fish tacos from Handline in Sebastopol. (Handline/Sonoma County Tourism)
Of the hundreds of amazing restaurants in Sonoma County, around 20 stand out as the best-of-the-best destinations for newcomers. Some are fancy, some are decidedly not, but they all share a focus on local ingredients, friendly service and sense-of-place dining that define what it is to eat in this mecca of taste. Click through the above gallery for details.
Boeuf Bourguignon with winter vegetables at Pascaline Patisserie and Cafe in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
If the walls of the squat, one-story building at 1021 Hahman Drive in Santa Rosa could talk, they would tell a thousand delicious tales.
For over 20 years, the cafe and production kitchen has been home to bakers, chefs and culinary students as Santa Rosa Baking Co., The Chippery and, from 2006 to 2018, Worth Our Weight, a beloved culinary training program for at-risk youth run by the late Evelyn Cheatham. Under her leadership, it was a place to find the well-heeled and downtrodden breaking bread.
Under chef Didier Ageorges of Pascaline Patisserie and Cafe, it’s finding new life as a bakery, neighborhood bistro and supper spot. In July, the longtime Chalk Hill winery chef opened a second outpost of the French bakery he founded in 2015 with pastry chef Celine Plano. Throughout the summer and fall, buttery breakfast croissants, sweet kouign amann and quiche were mainlined into the Montgomery Village neighborhood. In early January, Ageorges began dinner service.
Pascaline’s original Sebastopol location permanently closed on Jan. 1, 2024.
With only a handful of tables, dinner is an intimate experience Thursday through Saturday with traditional French dishes like Boeuf Bourguignon, fish Grenobloise and tarte Tatin served with some of Ageorges’ collection of wines. Some of his favorites hide in a secret walk-in refrigerator camouflaged by a bookcase.
What to order
You’ll find Ageorges in the kitchen focusing on of-the-moment local ingredients. Start with a homey country pate ($17.50) and move on to fingerling potato salad with rich pulled pork jowl, bitter frisée, shallots and tart Dijon mustard vinaigrette ($17.50) reminiscent of German potato salad.
Make a point of ordering the signature onion soup ($15.50) or soup du jour, which, on our visit, was a cream of parsnip soup with bits of roasted pear on top. Chef de Cuisine Lynn Chia, who worked with Ageorges at Chalk Hill and studied at the Singapore outpost of the Culinary Institute of America, handles the front of house.
Boeuf Bourguignon ($38) with a buttery potato mousseline is a must-try, with fall-apart braised beef and bright green beans. However, we were even more excited with the surprisingly light Sea Bass Genobloise (a caper and butter sauce) with potatoes, spinach and oven-roasted tomatoes ($38).
Other dishes include mushroom farrosotto with mushrooms and kale ($22, can be vegan), Poulet Blanquette with pearl onions ($28) and Croque Madame with ham, Swiss and Mornay sauce ($18). The entrees are surprisingly light despite all the butter and cream.
Pascaline is a patisserie, after all, so leave room for dessert. Passion fruit cheesecake with mango coulis ($13.50) isn’t exactly French, but an airy finish to the meal. French tarte Tatin, made with pillow-soft caramelized apples, and Crème Anglaise poured over the top.
Ageorges said he’s always loved the warmth and history of the 1021 Hahman building and cherished the times he worked with Cheatham at Worth Our Weight.
“I hope I can honor her here,” he said, serving up the tarte Tatin and ready to share — and make — even more stories.
The North Sonoma Mountain Trail winds through North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, with a view of Bennett Valley, in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Sonoma County is a hiker’s paradise. With its numerous public parks, there are seemingly infinite trails to explore in every part of the region. There are trails that ascend mountains and meander up hills and down valleys, trails that overlook oceans and wind their way alongside streams and rivers. And then there are paths that pass by vineyards, weave around oak groves and under the shade of giant redwoods. With so many options, how do you choose where to begin?
We asked our friends at AllTrails, an outdoor recreational activities app with crowdsourced reviews, to share the top-rated trails in different parts of Sonoma County. First up, the 10 best hikes near the town of Sonoma. Click through the above gallery for details.
Sarah and Anna Dozor operate Winter Sister Farm in Sebastopol, focusing specifically on providing vegetables in the off-season when other farms shut down production. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
At a plot of land just east of Sebastopol, Sarah Dozor dodges fat raindrops, flashing silver as a brilliant sun breaks through roiling gray clouds.
Nearby, two women wrestle plastic for a tall hoop house to fill with plantings of arugula and other delicate greens. With steel ribs and a plastic skin that allows the inside to warm like a greenhouse, the hoop house can fit farm equipment inside and move around to different areas of the farm as needed. The downside: powerful winter storms can shred the plastic skins, and sometimes even send the entire contraption sailing through the air.
But such is the life of a farmer— and perhaps even more so for farmers like the Dozor sisters, Sarah and Anna, who specialize in winter vegetables at their 9-acre Winter Sister Farm. For most Sonoma County growers, December through March are sleepy seasons, dominated by citrus and squash. But the sisters purchased their land, located on the edge of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, specifically to take advantage of the area’s relatively mild winter climate.
The sisters grow plenty of standards—kale, spinach, potatoes, carrots—but also buttery Nadmorska rutabagas, earthy kohlrabi, salsify, nutty-toned Romanesco, Crunchy King radishes, and Mediterranean scorzonera, with its intriguing flavor reminiscent of asparagus or, some say, oysters.
Chilis dry at Winter Sister Farm in Sebastopol. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)Varieties of squash left to dry at Winter Sister Farm in Sebastopol. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
“This season usually means a lot of root vegetables and braising greens, and you think you can’t avoid a certain redundancy,” says Sarah. “But I’m just amazed at how our locals are. When we were doing our crop plan, I said ‘Nobody wants rutabagas.’ But Anna said that they would. And it’s true—the people who sign up for our kind of CSA are wonderfully weird and snatch up all the turnips.”
Winter Sister’s has an unusual CSA subscription from November through May, complementing other local farms’ summer offerings. Most local CSAs sell prepackaged, monthly boxes, meaning that people who hate kale can end up getting a lot of it, and even the kale-lovers can end up with so much they can’t use it all. Instead, Winter Sister Farm offers free-choice selections on a flexible basis, meaning members can visit the farm twice a week and choose exactly what, and how much, they want.
So the sisters stock their 100-year-old tractor barn with tables laden with fresh Cleo dandelion greens, colorful Swiss chard, peppery mustard greens, red butterhead lettuce, and beets that boast tall, glossy leaves to use like greens. And because the sisters work year-round, they have other storage crops that can be turned into winter sustenance, like onions, squash, dried peppers, cornmeal, and gold tepary beans.
The farm is far from bare in the winter, as the sisters farm several types of greens in tall hoop houses, plus staple crops like squash and peppers. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)The sisters have a small flock of Jacob sheep for meat and wool. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
The farmwork, which Sarah admits can sometimes seem dreary when the sun sets at 5 p.m., does help fill a gap in the local food system. And it elevates ingredients for winter’s slow-braising soups, stews, and casseroles. “We have broccoli that we planted in summer, and really talks to us now,” she said. “It’s a magic plant that just hangs out, and then gives us food when almost nothing else is ready.”
After just three years working their land, the sisters have developed a rhythm, of seed-to-dirt, harvest to storage, or near daily fresh-pick. “We work closely to mirror our seasons,” says Sarah. “It’s been a lot of figuring out the scale and size of what we can do, and a lot of it is the timing. Because you don’t have as much wiggle room as summer, where you can grow another crop if one doesn’t work.”
There are also the challenges of winter weather, like last year’s massive rain and wind storms. That’s when the Dozor sisters are grateful to the model of the CSA. In 2023, the sisters had their high tunnels blow down twice, and a lot of their salad greens were lost. But their customers stood by them. Some brought the women wine and home-baked bread; others lent equipment or pitched in to erect new hoop houses.
“I didn’t hear a word of grumpiness around it, which would have been their right, because they didn’t have arugula for a month,” says Sarah. “We lost a lot of food. It was dramatic, and we lost hours putting hoops back up—but we didn’t actually lose income.”
“And there’s no way our business would be here this year if we hadn’t had that amazing, sweet, community support.”
The Dozor sisters’ Winter Sister Farm CSA is limited to about 150 members, who visit the farm once a week to select veggies and pick flowers and herbs. Shares start at $830 for a 24-week season that runs November to May. For nonmembers, there is also a farmstand, open to the public on Tuesdays from 2-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Winter Sister Farm, 1670 Cooper Road., Sebastopol. wintersisterfarm.com
Sarah and Anna Dozor walk towards the fields at Winter Sister Farm in Sebastopol. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
More Sonoma County Farms for Winter Veggies
Longer Table Farm: A 10-acre Santa Rosa farm growing organic vegetables and flowers year-round for farmers markets and local grocery stores. Try the Rosalba radicchio, which looks a bit like prosciutto and tastes like bitter chicory. 707-758-2021, longertablefarm.com
Red H Farm: This boutique 1.2-acre Sebastopol farm has a monthly Winter Nourishment CSA, for December through February box pickups of storage crops and an array of produce and herbs. redhfarm.com
Open Field Farm: The biodynamic Petaluma farm offers a year-round CSA with a model like Winter Sister Farm, in which members are free to choose their own veggies. 707-775-4644, openfieldfarm.com
Radical Family Farms: Look for the farm’s specialty Asian heritage vegetables and herbs, including fragrant Holy basil and gorgeous cabbages and greens, year-round at the Sunday morning Sebastopol Farmers Market. 707-210-2773, radicalfamilyfarms.com
Vegetable soup ingredients at Winter Sister Farm in Sebastopol. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Red Borscht
Winter Sister Farm, Sebastopol
Farmer Sarah Dozor stitched together this warming vegetarian recipe from a few different cookbook and online sources. “Borscht is one of my favorite winter recipes,” she says. “It is warming, hearty, and very simple—just what I needed for a frosty evening meal.”
• 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 4 large beets, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 potato or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup sour cream or yogurt, for topping (Sarah uses a homemade yogurt made with raw milk from Sebastopol’s Bramble Tail Homestead)
• Chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, or scallions, for garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about five minutes.
Add the beets, carrots, and potato or rutabaga. Mix with the cooked onion and allow to partially soften in the pot, about five minutes.
Add the broth. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Add about half the cabbage and cook through.
After all the vegetables have softened, remove the pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is mostly smooth, leaving some chunks for texture. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in batches in a regular blender.)
Return the pot to the stove. Add the red wine vinegar and the remainder of the shredded cabbage, and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and chopped herbs on top.
The Stewarts Point Ranch bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gualala River to the east. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
This article was originally published in the January/February 2022 issue of Sonoma Magazine. It was updated on Jan. 17, 2024.
Lace up your boots—here are our standout picks for each month of 2024. Click through the above gallery to take in some of the scenery.
January — Armstrong Redwoods
Armstrong Redwoods is a great place to relax and recharge after the bustle of the holiday season. Here, magnificent, 1,200-year-old Sequoia sempervirens, commonly known as coastal redwoods, tower in a way that makes humans feel very small and very serene. 17000 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville. 17000 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville.
February — Bald Mountain
A steep, exposed trail leads to the summit of 2,729-foot Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. From there, forested ridgelines roll in every direction, Mount Diablo and San Francisco rise in the distance, and bright-yellow mustard glows between vineyard rows far below. 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood.
March — Gualala Point
There’s no bad time to walk the Bluff Top Trail from Gualala Point Regional Park, whether through fog or heat (such as it is) or ocean breeze. But best may be on a clear March day, with the northward grey whale migration nearing its peak and mother-calf pairs hugging close to shore. 42401 Highway 1, Gualala.
April — Cloverdale River Park
Seven regional parks offer public access along the Russian River’s 64-mile course through Sonoma, this one being the farthest north. In April, as heady spring flows rush past, watch for wildlife among restored riparian habitat from the paved 1.1-mile trail. 31820 McCray Road, Cloverdale.
May — Red Hill
Southeast of Goat Rock and the Russian River mouth, on Pomo land and the site of a former ranch, lies 1,062foot Red Hill. On the hike up from Shell Beach, watch for sea pink, a native coastal wildflower that produces ball-shaped clusters of bright-pink blooms on long stalks every May and June. Highway 1 and Shell Beach Road, Jenner.
June — SDC’s Orchard
By the time the former Sonoma Development Center orchard was added to Jack London State Historic Park in 2001, it was nearly a century old. Today the revitalized plot still produces apples, pears, apricots, and plums. Walk the trails of the 40-acre orchard to marvel at this year’s budding crop. 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen.
The sun shines through the canopy at the Grove of Old Trees in Occidental. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)An inviting trailside bench allows visitors to take a rest in the Grove of Old Trees. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
July — The Grove of Old Trees
Easygoing trails weave through and around this small, secluded preserve, which includes 1,000-yearold coast redwoods saved from the logger’s saw in the 1990s. The grove’s restorative properties are enhanced on a hot summer’s day by the shade and stillness of these ancient beings. 17599 Fitzpatrick Lane, Occidental.
August — Santa Rosa Creek Trail
Urban and rural, pavement and gravel, creeks and ponds: this cherished (and mostly shaded) Santa Rosa greenbelt offers a bit of everything. That can also include river otters, hawks, and a rare opportunity to stroll just feet away from historic vineyards, now on the verge of harvest. 782 Willowside Road, Santa Rosa.
September — Jenner Headlands
Hiking to the 2,204-foot summit of Pole Mountain, the highest point on the Sonoma Coast, offering unobstructed views in every direction, is a true peak experience — but it’s also a challenging, 15-mile affair. Luckily, on a shining latesummer day, the bright-blue sea dazzles from the first step. 12001 Highway 1, Jenner.
October — Taylor Mountain
Don’t miss fall colors on this beloved peak, where the palette is even richer from the top. Hike the serpentine trail to the summit amid vivid big-leaf maple, bay laurel, and arroyo willow, then peer down the southwestern flank onto golden vineyards. 3820 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa.
November — Crane Creek
Those glossy, caramel-colored, nut-like things lying everywhere along the trail from the parking lot to the creek are one of the marvels of early winter: California buckeyes, free of their velvety shell after dropping from their namesake tree. 5000 Pressley Road, Rohnert Park.
December — Tolay Lake Regional Park
As rains arrive, the lake starts to fill, and resident and migratory raptors become more active. From the ridgetops or the more intimate, lake-level Causeway Trail, look for white-chested ferruginous hawks soaring, agile American kestrels hunting, and broad-winged northern harriers floating low over the grass. 5869 Cannon Lane, Petaluma.
Spirit Works Distillery owners Timo and Ashby Marshall are celebrating their 10-year anniversary making gins, whiskeys and vodka in Sebastopol’s Barlow September 30, 2022. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
You know you’ve made it in the artisan food world when you win a Good Food Award.
For the past 14 years, San Francisco nonprofit the Good Food Foundation has sifted through thousands of entries — from honey and snacks to charcuterie and beer — to find the small, up-and-coming producers to watch each year. A Good Food Award can give these small, usually family-owned businesses a wider audience and the attention of foodies.
The award categories include beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, drinks, elixirs, fish, grains, honey, oils, pantry items, pickles, preserves, snacks and spirits. Each submission is blind-tasted by a panel of professional food and beverage judges, who are looking for sustainably made and socially conscious products that are an “honest reflection of the best food and drink in America,” according to the Good Food Foundation.
From thousands of entries, the professional judges narrow the playing field to 428 products in the finals. This year, the winners will be announced in April. Here are the North Bay finalists in 2024. Click through the above gallery to meet some of these artisan producers.
Sonoma County
Canteen Meats, Beef Cecina (Petaluma): This “dry cured and cold smoked beef round,” popular in northern Spain, contains beef from Silver Sky Ranch and Beffa Springs in Petaluma. Enjoy it with olives, almonds and a glass of wine or sherry, recommends Canteen Meats. Find it at the West Marin Culture Shop in Point Reyes or online at canteenmeats.com.
Beef Cecina from Canteen Meats in Petaluma. (Canteen Meats)
Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Mandarin-Kumquat Shrub (Sebastopol): Gold Ridge Organic Farms’ Mandarin-Kumquat Shrub features organic mandarin-kumquat and citrus grown on the Gold Ridge estate, as well as a touch of sugar and small batch, barrel-aged apple cider vinegar and bay leaves. Available at goldridgeorganicfarms.com.
Spirit Works Distillery, Barrel Gin (Sebastopol): Spirit Works’ Barrel Gin is made from the same botanical distillation as their gin, but is aged for several months in new American White Oak barrel. The result: “a complex balance between the botanicals and the oak.” Available at spiritworksdistillery.com.
Spirit Works Distillery, Four Grain Straight Bourbon (Sebastopol): Spirit Works’ Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey is “the proprietary master blend” of two of the distillery’s Bourbon formulas and features 60% corn with wheat, rye and barley in “the mash bills.” It is “especially delicious sipped neat,” according to the company. Available at spiritworksdistillery.com.
Tobias Glen Vineyard/California Wineries & Vineyards, Russian River Bee Raw Honey (Sonoma): Honeybees at these Sonoma vineyards produce “complex raw honey” with “floral notes from trees and perennials in bloom” in spring and “hints of apple, pear, and wild berries” later in the year. Available at tobiasglen.com/store.
Napa County
Clif Family Napa Valley, Organic Meyer Lemon Marmalade (St. Helena): Clif Family Napa Valley uses organic farming practice to grow their Meyer lemons. They are handpicked “at the perfect moment of ripeness” and turned into marmalade using a small batch process. With its balance of tartness and sweetness, it “makes the perfect addition to any breakfast spread or dessert topping,” according to the company. Available at cliffamily.com.
Marin County
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Bay Blue (Point Reyes): The Bay Blue, “a rustic-style blue cheese with a natural rind, known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish” is “inspired by the sheer natural beauty of our coastal climate and locale,” writes Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. Available from pointreyescheese.com.
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Tomarishi (Point Reyes): The key to the “heat, umami and nutty flavors” of the TomaRishi is Shichimi Togarashi, “a Japanese spice blend containing chili flakes, nigella, chili powder, orange peel, ginger powder and nori,” according to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. Available from pointreyescheese.com.
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Tomatruffle (Point Reyes): The TomaTruffle combines the cheesemaker’s classic Toma with black truffles from Umbria, Italy. “Reminiscent of undergrowth, fresh strawberries, dried fruit and a hint of cocoa, the earthy flavor marries beautifully with the buttery richness of Toma,” says Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. Available from pointreyescheese.com.
Toluma Farms & Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Buona Fortuna (Tomales): A seasonal aged sheep’s milk cheese from animals on Toluma Farms, a 160-acre goat and sheep dairy and educational farm in Marin County, located on the ancestral homeland of the Coast Miwoks, according to the company. Available at tolumafarms.com.
Toluma Farms & Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Liwa (Tomales): Tomales Farmstead Creamery named this soft, Chèvre-style goat cheese and American Cheese Society award winner “Liwa,” the Coast Miwok word for “water,” out of “immense respect for the previous inhabitants and stewards of the land” on which Toluma Farms is located. Available at tolumafarms.com.
Fish, McFarland Springs Trout Dog (Sausalito): This McFarland Springs Trout hot dog served at Fish restaurant in Sausalito is dressed with housemade uni mustard and gypsy pepper relish. Available at Fish restaurant, 350 Harbor Dr., Sausalito. 331fish.com
Patagonia Provisions, Rosemary Garlic Organic Crackers (Sausalito): These crisp, herby crackers are made with organic and regeneratively grown and milled wheat from Washington State and pair well with cheese, tinned fish, smoked salmon and chicken salad, according to Patagonia Provisions. Available at patagoniaprovisions.com
Patagonia Provisions, Sourdough Sea Salt Organic Crackers (Sausalito): These crackers are also made with organic and regeneratively grown and milled wheat from Washington State. They pair well with cheese or tinned fish, as well as nut butters and jam, according to the company. Available at patagoniaprovisions.com
Mill Valley Pasta Co., Duck Egg Noodles (San Rafael): These egg noodles, made from local organic duck eggs, are like eating “the sensation of being draped in a blanket made out of the softest silk velvet while in a hot tub that is the perfect temperature … with your favorite slow jam playing softly in the background,” according to Mill Valley Pasta Co. Available at millvalleypasta.com.
Mill Valley Pasta Co., Porcini Radiatore (San Rafael): Radiatore means little radiators, and these little flanged pastas are perfect for pasta salads, pasta bakes and any pasta that has “a thicker sugo, thinner brodo, or a pasty condimento.” Available at millvalleypasta.com.
Mendocino County
Pennyroyal Farm, Boont Corners Vintage Tomme (Boonville): This cheese, made from fresh, raw milk, was named after the “Boontling” name for the site of the original Boonville, “Boont Corners” (The Corners), just a stone’s throw away from the location of Pennyroyal Farm. Available at pennyroyalfarm.com.
Gowan’s Cider, 1876 Heirloom Cider (Philo): Gowan’s 1876 Heirloom Cider is made from heirloom apples from the Gowan family’s heritage orchards. With notes of “caramel, stone fruit and rose,” it pairs well with many foods, including pancakes, pasta, cheese, chicken mole and barbecue, according to Gowan’s. Available at gowansheirloomcider.com.
Gowan’s Cider, Sierra Beauty Cider (Philo): The Gowan family planted rare Sierra Beauty apples in their orchards in 1906. This still applewine cider (no bubbles) has “aromas of shade flowers and notes of orange, apricot and spice,” according to the company. Available at gowansheirloomcider.com.
At Inman Family Wines in Santa Rosa. (Inman Family Wines)
When a power outage left Kathleen Inman with unfermented wine, the Sonoma County winemaker had an unconventional idea
While Kathleen Inman’s reputation was built on her crushable rosés, sparkling wines and nuanced pinot noirs, the Sonoma County winemaker has always had a soft spot for cocktails — especially the Negroni.
So, when a power outage during the 2017 Tubbs Fire left her with three barrels of mildly sweet pinot noir that hadn’t finished fermentation, she had an interesting idea.
“I’d been keeping the juice warm with aquarium heaters to encourage fermentation, but with no electricity, the wine became ice cold and fermentation stopped,” said Inman, founder of Inman Family Wines in Santa Rosa. “I thought, well, I have sweet red wine and I love a Negroni — why not make vermouth?”
Cocktail enthusiast Gabe Monheimer recently featured Inman Family’s vermouth in a recent Instagram post. (Credit: @BarMonheimer / Instagram)
What is vermouth?
Imbued with aromatic botanicals like herbs, spices and roots, vermouth is a fortified wine made with white or red grapes. It can be sweet or dry and is nearly always distinctly bitter.
While archaeological evidence in China suggests aromatized wines have been around at least as early as the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties (1250-2000 BC), modern vermouth was developed in 18th century Italy, where it was often used as a health tonic.
But it wasn’t until the late 1880s that vermouth became a popular ingredient in cocktails, eventually making its way into classics like the martini, Negroni, Manhattan, boulevardier and Americano.
In the Negroni — one of Inman’s favorite tipples — red vermouth is combined with equal parts gin and Campari (a bitter liqueur), then served on the rocks with an orange twist for the perfect aperitif.
Tiny-batch vermouth
After researching some of her favorite vermouths, Inman sourced a variety of organic seeds, herbs and other aromatics from Rosemary’s Garden, a popular herb shop in Sebastopol.
Experimenting with various botanical combinations, Inman presented some test samples to her friends Laura Sanfilippo and Tara Heffernon, owners of Lo & Behold cocktail bar and restaurant in Healdsburg.
“I brought them the samples and said, ‘you ladies need to tell me what you think about each one of these,’” Inman said. “After they gave some critiques, I went away and combined all their feedback to make the ultimate vermouth.”
In the end, 12 botanicals made the final cut for Inman’s vermouth, including star anise, cinnamon, Seville orange peels, coriander seeds, turkey rhubarb root, rose petals, gentian and artemisia absinthium (wormwood), among others.
After adding the aromatics to the pinot noir, she allowed the wine to macerate for three months before straining out the solids, then fortifying the resulting wine with eau de vie (colorless brandy) from Griffo Distillery in Petaluma.
After five years of aging in stainless steel, the vermouth was bottled last October. Released in December, the fortified wine already has proven popular with customers who are eager to get their hands on one of the 675 bottles and one of Sonoma County’s only homegrown vermouths.
“You never know what people are going to like, so the positive feedback has been great,” Inman said. “For me, the flavors and aromas of the rose petals, cloves and cinnamon mirror those in the pinot noir base wine. Then you have the boldness of the spice and bitterness of the absinthe, gentian and Seville orange peel. Those really perk up your palate and whet your appetite.”
Fortunately for vermouth fans, Inman has two additional batches undergoing aging, including a white vermouth made with the excess juice from the winery’s sparkling wine program.
“Besides the Negroni, my other favorite cocktail is the Corpse Reviver II, which uses white vermouth,” Inman said. “So I thought, why not give that a go?”
As for whether Inman plans to trade in wine for cocktails, that’s a definite no.
“To be honest, I’m just an equal opportunity imbiber,” she said.
The rustic sign marking the location of Barndiva in Healdsburg.
Longtime Healdsburg restaurant and three-time Michelin star awardee Barndiva has ended its upscale multicourse experience to return to its roots as a community hub and group dining space, according to co-owner Lukka Feldman.
Beginning Jan. 21, the restaurant and adjacent gallery will pivot to more casual suppers and private events curated by chef Erik Anderson.
“We’ve been proud of everything we’ve done over the 20 years we’ve been here, but we’re trying to get back to what makes us happy. We have always put an emphasis on sourcing locally; by expanding our menus in new directions this will allow us to reach even more local farmers growing unusual things,” Feldman said.
In response to the changes, 20 employees were laid off this week.
The move may seem counterintuitive for a restaurant noted as outstanding by the French guide to select eateries for three consecutive years. But Michelin stars can sometimes be a curse, creating crippling pressure on chefs and owners to constantly live up to soaring expectations or lose the interest of diners and Michelin inspectors.
The former K & L Bistro in Sebastopol and Mirepoix in Windsor both struggled to meet the exacting demands of customers after receiving a Michelin star. Mirepoix closed just a year after winning a Michelin star in 2012.
Barndiva’s owners — Feldman, Jil Hales and Geoff Hales — will host public suppers Sunday and Monday at the more informal Studio B gallery, at 237 Center St. Barndiva will offer reserved group space Thursday through Saturday at the restaurant and Studio B throughout the winter.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for a reset. I’m mindful that our colleagues are not here at the moment, but the whole industry is in flux,” Feldman said.
The ownership team describes the change as “a shift in the allocation of our time and how our rooms and gardens are enjoyed.”
Barndiva has always worn two hats — as a restaurant and a community hub for art, conversation, parties and weddings. Feldman said the change will allow for larger gatherings and a more casual feel.
“ … we have always believed that the reason people go out to dine is not a fixed star, Michelin or otherwise. We all long to return to tastes that trigger happiness and memory, to be excited by new food experiences, step into a room filled with music and engaging conversation. On the simplest and most profound level the sound of other humans having vibrant food and drink experiences gives us agency to enjoy ourselves more fully in the world,” read a blog on Barndiva’s website.
Nationwide, restaurateurs are looking for new ways to attract diners in the face of ongoing food cost increases and labor shortages. Winter is traditionally a lean season for Sonoma County hospitality as tourism traffic slows and local diners avoid winter weather.
“I think how people are eating is changing. We are sourcing locally and trying our best to move more toward zero waste, and (the new format) lends itself to that kind of dining. We’re just more ourselves,” Feldman said.
In addition to the menu changes, an ongoing discussion series about food waste will be held Feb. 16, and house mixologist Scott Beattie will offer private cocktail classes for groups.
