After a nasty bout of buggies left the youngest member of our household on antibiotics, we’ve all gotten hooked on Clover Organic Farms Kefir. Friends and family recommended we get a healthy dose of probiotics (found in yogurt) to help balance out what was being lost to the antibiotics. Clover’s Kefir has 10 live active cultures (also known as good bacteria) that researchers think might help immunity, gastrointestinal functions and, well a whole lot of other stuff. Sound a bit new-agey? Hardly. Kefir, a close relative of yogurt, has been around for more than 2000 years. Think of it as a sort of drinkable yogurt. Best bet: Pomegranate, Acai and Strawberry in morning smoothies. Available at G&G Market.
Best Barbecue in Sonoma County (and Napa)
Nineteen hundred miles is a helluva long way to go for takeout ribs, but it’s as close as the West Coast gets to real Southern barbecue in the vast, burnt-end-starved terrain between here and Kansas City. Granted, you can cut the trip by about a hundred miles if you turn south at Denver and follow the scent of mesquite-smoked brisket towards Austin. If anyone tells you different, be suspicious.
Which isn’t to say we don’t have some finger-lickin’, pit-licious barbecue in these parts. But like every other cuisine we’ve tampered with (and I might say improved upon), Californians have created a hybrid barbecue that’s all our own — California-que. Doubters might call it Faux-b-que, with the same sort of eye-roll we Bay Area folk reserve for, say, sourdough bread and Dungeness crab cakes on a menu in Branson, Missouri. I prefer to think of it as regional adaptation.
And the heart of all great barbecue are significant regional differences, along with healthy doses of ego and pride. Try asking for barbecue sauce in some Texas joints and you’ll likely be kicked out. North Carolina has been mapped out according to local preferences for the amounts of tomato or vinegar in their sauce. If you travel from Memphis to St. Louis to Kansas City, the sauce tends to get sweeter by the mile and in the Deep South heat rules — along with a side of anything they can catch and throw into the deep fat fryer.
Here in the North Bay, a new breed of pitmaster is emerging, (usually sans an actual pit) but with a personal fusion of influences and flavors that are making for some seriously good eats. Sauces range from Kansas City-style sweet to chipotle-infused hybrids. A number of restaurants also use tri-tip, an historically West Coast cut of meat that’s often more tender and flavorful than the bbq standby, brisket. Sandwiches are dressed up with artisan potato rolls or fried onions, meats are heritage or heirloom (or not) and the overall vibe ranges from haute folksy to secret-family recipe. It’s a hodgepodge or flavors and tastes that draw from the best of the country but are uniquely our own. So it ain’t Kansas City, but it’s close enough.
After eating through ten top picks in Sonoma and Napa, here are my recommendations…
BarbersQ: Haute-folksy barbecue with a definite Napa vibe. Though originally underwhelmed, I’ve warmed up to the tasty beef brisket sandiwch, an open-faced monster topped with fried onions. The minimalist interior, booming 80s soundtrack and squeezed-in-seating can be a turnoff, but you won’t want to miss the Rancho Gordo beans with ham hocks and chocolate bourbon pie. BarBersQ, 3900-D Bel Aire Plaza, Napa, 707.224.6600. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Buster’s Southern BBQ: You know the spot. It’s been at the crossroads of Hwy 29 and Lincoln Ave. in Calistoga like, I don’t know-forever. Most of us blast on by on our way to fancier Napa affairs, afraid of a little sauce on our shirts and tri-tip stuck in our teeth. It’s so un-Napa. So paper-plate and picnic table un-chic, where ordering’s done at a screen window and the eating’s done on the parking lot porch. Tri-tip can’t be beat and yes, Buster’s still around every day.Buster’s BBQ, 1207 Foothill Boulevard, Calistoga, 707.942.5605.
Bounty Hunter: Pull up a saddle at this downtown Napa winebar and bbq eatery. The scent of their back-door smoker and beer-can chicken sizzling on the grill perfume the block and pay off on the promise of some sweet fusion-que. One of my favorite picks for California-style barbecue, Bounty Hunter serves up great smoky ribs, pulled brisket and pork with their own chipotle, mustard & vinegar and sweet-hot red sauce. Kind of a surprise for a winebar, but in true California style, they’ll guide to to some barbecue-friendly wines like their Broken Spur Dry Creek Zinfandel or Campfire Red. 975 First St., Napa, 226.3976.
Red Rock Back Door Barbecue: A true “joynt”, Red Rock’s a local hangout in a crummy location, no parking, sticky checkered tablecloths and barely enough room to hold a fork (so skip it and use your fingers). Grab a pint of their delish pulled pork to go. 1010 Lincoln Ave, Napa, 252-9250.
Porter Street Barbecue: A local, family-run operation with great sandwiches, one of my very favorite sweet, smoky sauces and fresh-made peach and cherry cobblers that will make you forget your troubles.500 E Cotati Ave., Cotati, (707) 795-9652.
Lombardi’s Barbecue: Long lunch lines and a smoking barbecue out front tell you all you need to know about the homemade sauce, ribs, pulled pork and chicken at this Cotati favorite. 101 E Cotati Ave., Cotati, (707) 795-3354
Unusual suspects
Aoili Deli: This tiny Forestville deli run by husband and wife chefs Autumn and Nicholas Opitz does a great pulled pork sandwich with award-winning housemade sauce. Grab a crabcake or duck confit while you’re there. 6536 Front St, Forestville, CA 95436
BiteClub’s ‘Q Winners 2009
Best Overall California’Q: Bounty Hunter
Best Sauce: Porter Street BBQ
Best Pulled Pork: Red Rock Back Door BBQ, BarbersQ
Best Slaw: Bounty Hunter
Best Tri-Tip: Buster’s
Best Pulled Chicken: Lomabardi’s
Yeti
Best naan in Sonoma. Don’t miss the honey naan. Hidden away in Glen Ellen it can be hard to find, but seriously. The naan. Indoor and outdoor seating.
14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 19
Glen Ellen, 707.996.9930
Yeti Sonoma Website
Eating through Sonoma County’s Farm Markets
It’s a milestone, I suppose, when fresh zucchini and rainbow broccoli become the stuff you daydream about. When filling a market basket with heirloom tomatoes and local olive oil gives you a significantly bigger thrill than your birthday. As the bountiful season approaches, we (okay I) rush to the markets to see what the harvest gods have left this week. Call it a sort of Christmas morning for the foodie-set.
So, okay, maybe kale and honey is still a hard-sell for a six-year-old. But as April meanders into May and piles of kale and radishes become berries, lettuces, beans and citrus fruit, it’s hard not to get a little giddy. Maybe even a little overwhelmed by all the choices. How does one cook dandelion greens, anyway? Which is why local markets are evolving from simply offering produce, fresh eggs and just-picked lettuce to more convenient ready-made baked goods, freezer-friendly dishes and ethnic meals that feature that best of the county’s bounty.
Regardless of your kitchen ability, now’s the best time to familiarize yourself with your market. It’s as simple as grabbing a basket, some cash (many stands don’t take checks or credit cards), a hearty appetite and exploring your way through, one stand at a time. Get there early because the good stuff goes fast and if you love a vendor, ask when and where they’ll be next week, because they sometimes move around to different markets. Right now, the Sonoma (Depot Park), Santa Rosa Farm Market at the Veteran’s Building and Sebastopol Markets are in full swing, with Santa Rosa’s Wednesday Night Market, Windsor, Healdsburg and Petaluma set to open in May.
What’s on the menu? Come along for an early taste of the markets…
Continue reading “Eating through Sonoma County’s Farm Markets”
Nonni’s to open, Betty’s expanding
Betty’s Expanding
Betty’s Fish & Chips will be expanding its bakery and pie-making operation in the coming months. Pies at a fish ‘n chips place? Insiders know that owner Susan Corso’s homemade lemon chiffon, apple raspberry, and blueberry (to name a few) are some of the best in the county — made fresh each day. Corso and crew currently make about 400 pies each week at the back of the restaurant, but they’re taking over a portion of the computer store next door to create a bakery and espresso shop to showcase their goodies. 4046 Sonoma Hwy., Santa Rosa, 539-0899.
Shuttered
Saigon Bistro has closed its doors at 420 Mendocino Ave, the fourth restaurant to go under at that location (Tahini Grill, Nirvana, Vivere preceeded the Vietnamese restaurant). The owners plan to continue a catering biz. But hope springs eternal. A hand-lettered sign has already gone up announcing Nonni’s Ristorante, to open in May.
Free house!
Medlock Ames Winery has a little problem on their hands –an early 1900’s home that needs to be removed/recycled pronto. The eco-friendly winemaking crew, who purchased the old Alexander Valley Store and Bar last month, also found themselves with a recently renovated home on the property that (“for a variety of reasons”) has to go. But they’re loathe to see it go to waste as they renovate the old store into a farmstore and tasting room set to open in August. Mostly they’re just hoping someone comes up with a way to move it intact. Got an idea? Contact kenneth@medlockames.com.
Food for the soul
Need an infusion of soul food without the wait? Red Rose Cafe is serving up a soul food buffet on weekdays with bbq, greens, mashed potatoes and more.1770 Piner Rd, Santa Rosa.
Vegetarian Restaurants in Sonoma and Napa
It takes dedication to be a vegetarian through the lean winter months of kale and turnips. But as spring gardens begin to burst forth with young greens, asparagus, peas and strawberries (and swimsuit season approaches), salad days don’t sound quite so dreary. In fact, maybe downright preferable.
Now, I’ve never been one to leap at a the chance to gnaw on tempeh or steamed broccoli, but the truth of the matter is that meatless dining has gone mainstream as more and more of us consider the implications of what goes on our plates and into our tummies. It’s not just conscientious, but chic to curb our carnivorous cravings in favor of well-crafted dishes made with exotic fruit, heirloom beans, ancient grains and organic crucifers. Food that’s actually as delicious as it is healthful. Imagine.
Continue reading “Vegetarian Restaurants in Sonoma and Napa”
#TTL HDR @ Estate, IRL
From the “Has A Clue” Department…
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how to reach younger wine drinkers. And it’s a good question, but really, all the winery hand-wringing is laughable to anyone under the age of 40.
The truth is, we don’t trust advertising. We want to hear about things from our friends. We trust them. We make our own decisions based on, uh, how good your wine is. Not how cute the label is. And we talk about you on the InterWorldWideWeb. A lot.
So here’s the 411: I’ve been hearing quite a bit about the success of Twitter-based tastings. The idea is that you Twitter what you’re eating or drinking along a theme (say Rhone Wines) to a broad group of folks
doing the exact same thing at the same moment. You can do them at home or with a group. In your underwear or a tuxedo. Fun, right?
Now, here’s the action item: Sondra Bernstein (you know her from Girl and the Fig and the Fig Cafe) is dialed in to host a preTTL-Twitlight Dinner at her new restaurant, Estate, on Friday April 17 @ 5:30pm in addition to an IRL* gathering from 7-10pm for the Twitter Taste Live Hospice du Rhone event .
#TTL HDR is billed as one of the largest online tastings ever, during which hundreds of folks will be sipping and chatting about Rhone wines. Bernstein, in case you didn’t know, is a Rhone fanatic, serving these tasty wines almost exclusively at her restaurants. Confirmed for the dinner are locals from Verge, JC Cellars, Unti Vineyards, Bonny Doon Vineyards, Cline Cellars, Audelssa, Shane Vineyards and Miner Vineyards. Hint: These wineries get it.
The Estate Twitlight Dinner with the winemakers is a pretty thrifty $35 pp and includes admission to the IRL TTLHDR event at the restaurant (and online) from 7-10pm. Attendees are asked to bring a bottle of Rhone varietal wine to share. Very social.
Just want to HDR? It’s $12 pp with a bottle and nibbles are included. You’ll get to meet up with fellow Rhone fans, winemakers and Twitterers. Details here.
Congrats on getting it. And please don’t come in your underwear.
(*IRL: In real life. Please don’t make me explain it.)
Teriyaki Restaurant
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