Guy Fieri stopped by KZST this morning while I was on the radio talking about goat with Brent and Debbie just to say hi. No, he wasn’t thrilled about the whole Fake Fieri thing. Yes, he looks just like he does on TV — sunglasses, bling and everything.
And yes, he’s actually a really nice guy.
He’ll be back in town shooting, he tells BiteClub, in June. I’m hoping to tag along for the ride.
Though Seamus is now gone, the recipe remains.
+++++
Lasagna is not supposed to weigh four pounds per serving. Nor should it do double duty as a door stop or require a steak knife to cut.
Mine inevitably is characterized by all three of those faults plus razor-sharp shards of burnt cheese and mushy pasta. Laugh it up, but I’ve had even worse versions at a number of restaurants that shall remain nameless. Not even Garfield would eat that stuff..
The reason for this, of course, is that great lasagna takes time to do properly. Lots and lots of time, from rolling out fresh sheets of pasta to house-made béchamel and patiently waiting for it to cook (and cool just enough to hold firm). So far, the only guy we’ve found ’round these parts who truly does it right is Peter Lowell’s Chef Seamus Guevara.
The pasta impresario crafts the lightest, airiest lasagna in Wine Countrydom. Seven-plus layers thick, it’s a tasty stratum of pasta, cream sauce, zesty tomato sauce and fluffy ricotta. The ingredients are in line with the restaurant’s fundamental organic, seasonal, produce-centric offerings (they offer some fish selections, but otherwise are vegetarian).
For this version, no meat. No gloppy blobs of uncooked mozzarella. Just a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan and torn basil on top.
“It’s amazing. The best lasagna I’ve had,” gushed a local chef who tipped me off. Until proven otherwise, I concur.
But don’t expect it on the menu every day. Typically the lasagna shows up at Seamus’ whim, but he’ll be making it Friday, Saturdays and Sundays just for you, BiteClubbers. At least for a while. Making it even more elusive and special.
(If you don’t want to be disappointed, call ahead to see if lasagna’s on the menu. Guevara always has a daily pasta special, but it’s not always lasagna.)
Peter Lowell’s, 7385 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707.829.1077.
Winner of BiteClub’s Top Sushi Spot in 2009
Chef Ken Tominaga works with fresh fish flown in from Japan (along with closer-by catches) each day, and staff know how to handle it with artistry and care. This is the real deal, when it comes to Wine Country sushi — no wacky rolls or silly sauces. 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.
This is hilarious. Apparently there’s someone impersonating our very own Foodnetwork Star, Guy Fieri during a KC Royals game. The broadcaster gets duped, but it’s clear to anyone watching this guy doesn’t have the Fieri Fire.
Guy quickly Twittered that the faux fan wasn’t in fact him. “Some cat is playin me in KC,” he told fans. That’s so NOT money, baby.
I have feelings you know.
All I do every single day is work my fingers to the bone for you. I
work and I work and no one appreciates all the things I do. Sniff. You
don’t call. You don’t even bother to clean up your rooms. No. Sorry doesn’t cut it.
Mommy needs a little Mommy Time alone. So read through this list of places you can take me for Mother’s Day. In your room Mister. And think about what you’ve done.
FRIDAY
Cocktails and Couture at Barndiva
Hip mamas know that the best way to celebrate mommy’s day is a little
pre-party with the gals. Barndiva’s turning it up with a runway show
from eco-cool Hburg dressers Arboretum, a DJ, delish cocktails and a
fashionista dinner in the Artists and Farmers Gardens. Friday, May 8,
6pm on. Studio Barndiva, 237 Center St., Healdsburg, 707.431.0100.
Continue reading “Mom’s Day Brunches”
Chef Shuffle at French Garden Restaurant
Less than a year after hiring Frenchman Didier Gerbi to head the kitchen at his Sebastopol restaurant, owner Dan Smith has replaced him. It’s the most recent in a long line of fallen toques at the restaurant. Smith continues to search for that elusive combination of a true farm-to-table West County local cuisine taking full advantage of the fruits and veggies from Dan’s 30-acre farm.
“We just weren’t there,” Smith tells BiteClub. New Chef Peter Roelant, who’s from Switzerland by way of Los Angeles, has some serious chops. He’s a protege of Freddy Giradet, a three-Michelin-star Swiss chef, and has done stints at the former Four Oaks and popular Wine Bistro (both in LA). We’re hoping that Smith has finally found his man. Where you ask? Roelant is yet another Craigslist find. The new chef starts this week, and the menu will begin to transition immediately.8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, 707.824.2030.
Restaurant Eloise, $35 Dollar Recession Special
Wallet feeling a little light these days? The up-and-coming restaurant offers a three-course menu for $35 dollars and waves corkage each Wednesday night. 2295 Gravenstein Hwy South, Sebastopol, 707 823 6300
Alice’s becomes Pesto
Details are still a little sketchy on the transformation at Sebastopol’s Alice’s Restaurant, but BiteClub hears that it’s staying all in the family. The restaurant will be reinvented as “Pesto” and will be open for Mother’s Day brunch with many of the same folks involved. 101 S. Main Street Sebastopol, (707) 829-3212. Stay tuned for more.
Jackie’s Sports Bar in Healdsburg (9 Mitchell Ln., Healdsburg, (707) 433-6362, formerly Western Boot Steakhouse) has been closed while undergoing some renovations, but insiders tell BiteClub it’s about to start serving up BBQ, joining the growing ranks of ‘q-ers around the county.
Pizza on Wheels
Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar (53 Montgomery Dr, Santa Rosa, (707) 544-3225) been high on our radar lately, continuing to be packed on the weekends despite the sagging economy. And still churning out that incredible burrata BiteClub loves so much. Word is they’ll have a mobile pizza oven starting May 13 at the Santa Rosa Wednesday night market. We also found out that the much-loved Kashaya’s Brick Oven Pizza (another mobile pizza baker) who’s been gracing Petaluma and other West County farm markets will soon be coming to the Saturday market in Santa Rosa. Can’t Wait!
Whether you like it green and grassy or butter-churn yellow, chances are you don’t know quite as much about olive oil as you think you do. More than just a dip for bread or tasteless oil for heart-healthy sauteeing, true olive oil has as much depth, flavor and character as a fine wine. And can cost you just as much.
Sonoma County, along with nearby Marin, Mendocino and Napa, are at the heart of an artisan olive oil renaissance that goes back to the early 1990s. Inspired by the robust, peppery, fresh flavors of Tuscan olive oil, a handful of producers — among them SoCo’s own Bruce Cohn, Deborah Rogers, Ed Stolman, Ridgley Evers and Colleen McGlynn — began producing award-winning small-production oils that tasted more like Italy and less like the bland, flavorless imported oils being dumped on the American market.
“There’s fat and there’s flavor,” says DaVero Olive Oil’s Ridgely Evers, one of Sonoma County’s most outspoken advocates for buying fresh, local, extra- virgin olive oil. According to Evers, as well as UC Davis olive expert Paul Vossen, most of the cheap, imported olive oil on grocery shelves is old, substandard stuff dumped on the American market.
“A little rancidity is normal. But olive oil just doesn’t get better with time. You need to get it fresh to capture the essence and flavor,” Vossen said.
Those flavors include things like green apple, green beans, grass, hay, butter, nettles, green banana or green tea. They shouldn’t include flavors (or smells) like varnish, oil-based paint or old walnuts – signs of rancidity. Extra-virgin simply means the oil is of the highest grade. Look for a certification on the bottle from the California Olive Oil Council.
Want to know how to get the good stuff? Go right to the source and be prepared to pay a pretty penny – upwards of $20 -$30 a bottle. This isn’t cooking oil. Instead, use these high-quality oils for dipping, light dressings and finishing oils for meats and fish — where you can truly appreciate their flavor. Save the cheap stuff for searing, frying or sauteeing. The best time of year to get olive oil is straight from the presses in November/December (called Olio Nuovo) or after it has settled, usually around March. Store in a cool, dark place for about a year. After that, treat yourself to a new bottle.
Where to get it? BiteClub hits the hot spots…
Continue reading “Olive Oil: 10 top artisan producers in Wine Country”
Oh, a crisis of conscience on this one…heck with it. Free chicken is free chicken.
Here’s the deal: Kentucky Fried Chicken has this new grilled chicken meal. I actually went and had it this weekend, and I won’t lie to you, it was not that bad. I’m not saying you can’t get a whole lot better local, organic, free-range chicken from a Sonoma County restaurant, etc. etc.
But let’s be totally honest. The vast majority of us have hit a bucket hard at least once in our lives. And thanks to the Oprah show, you can actually get a FREE KENTUCKY GRILLED CHICKEN meal from now until 5/19 provided you can actually get in and print the coupon out.
