It’s rare that I’m speechless after a meal. Even rarer when that meal comes out of a take out box. But consider Ms. BiteClub stunned into a reverent silence for the now decimated container of Boeuf Bourguignon from Chloe’s French Cafe. Je suis dans l’amour.

Tipped off by a reader (thank you! thank you!), Chloe’s has been open for just a few weeks in the most unlikely of spots–the Landmark Executive building off Airway Drive in Santa Rosa. Both a sit-down cafe and take-away spot, there’s no exterior signage to tip eaters off to this bonanza of French brasserie-style fare: homemade croissants, brioche, sandwiches (including a hearty Nicoise and zut alor, Croque Monsieur–Béchamel sauce, baked ham and Gruyere on bread) and soups.

But it’s the weekly specials you’re here for, the Bourguignon this week, and at the whim of the chef, things like Coq au Vin and more, usually under $10.

The Bourguignon, which is basically a long-simmered beef and vegetable stew with a heavy dose of red wine, is served on a square of gratin potatoes. I usually really dislike the stuff, because the meat can get tough and gamey and the veggies mushy. With chunks of still-intact mushroom and carrot comingling with beef that literally falls apart in your mouth, BiteClub has is rethinking Bourgogne altogether. The dish should be on the menu through the week and will hopefully reappear throughout the winter.

It should come as little surprise that behind the restaurant are two French brothers, Alain (the pastry chef) and Marc (the sommelier) Pisan whose family have been artisinal bakers for generations. Alain’s wife, Renee (an American) heads up the café and catering kitchen, having immersed herself in the art of French cuisine.

With the remnants of a hazelnut crème puff still on my fingers, BiteClub can confidently report that desserts are Parisian-quality. Alain whips up feather-light éclairs, tarts and cakes each day, most under $3, and some under $2. Raspberry mousse tart? Please.

Marc is putting his wine skills to go use by offering up a happy hour each Friday evening from 4 to 6pm, featuring French and local wines. There are plans for cooking and wine pairing classes in the near future. Sign up for their newsletter at chloesco.com.

So okay, you have your marching orders, eaters. Get steppin’ to Chloe’s. Rapidement! I’ve still got some pastry-eating to do.

If you go: Take the Mendocino exit off 101 and head down Hopper Avenue (look for the Kohl’s Department Store). Make a right on Airway Drive (you think you’re headed for a dead-end) and turn left into the Landmark Executive Center. Go to the far parking lot and enter through the main entrance. Chloe’s is on the left, just use your nose.

Chloe’s French Café, 3883 Airway Dr., Suite 145, Santa Rosa, 707.528.3095. Open 7:30am to 5pm weekdays. Closed on weekends.

Do you have a favorite restuarant you’d like me to know about? Email me at biteclub@pressdemo.com

Chatter over Ubuntu continues. With the Chronicle’s Michael Bauer practically giddy (recently naming it among the Top Openings of 2007) it seemed worth another look. Though I was originally skeptical, Chef Jeremy Fox is converting local carnivores to la vida veggie–at least for a meal or two. Originally written for WineTravel.com, this piece is a different take than my usual first to the table, bite and run stuff. In this case, the reviews were already out, and I wanted to really get under the hood and see what the talk was all about.
All I can say is, Viva Brussels sprouts! Enjoy.

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Jeremy Fox spends a lot of time thinking about vegetables.

As chef of Napa’s quirky veg-spot, Ubuntu, he’s a master of meat-free dining. But ask this stoic 31-year-old what he truly craves after a long shift serving cauliflower, arugula and rabe and the answer is surprisingly un-Zen.

“Steak,” says Fox. Spoken like a true carnivore. And somehow reassuring to folks more accustomed to bacon than brewer’s yeast on their plates.

Joining the Napa dining scene in late August, Ubuntu is hard to categorize. Housed in a reclaimed 19th century building, it’s a lofty space that brings together an open-kitchen and bar, communal dining and a yoga studio. Restaurant owner and yoga fanatic Sandy Lawrence’s choice of Fox–a former chef de cuisine of Manresa (a top-ranked Bay Area restaurant)–has kept foodies twittering anxiously since its opening.

But don’t please don’t use the v-word to describe Ubuntu. Both Fox and Lawrence (who admits to being an occasional carnivore) shudder at the restaurant being called “vegetarian,” citing the gourmet ghetto that most tofu and sprout eateries fall into. Leaving lentil salads to others, Lawrence leverages Fox’s classical cooking techniques– like drying potato skins, adding highly flavored broths or hickory smoking Brussels sprouts, to intensify and concentrate flavors.

Winter’s signature dish is a cast-iron pot of roasted, pureed and raw cauliflower bubbling with exotic spices. Also on the menu are fried sunchokes and tomato relish; Brussels sprouts with celery root and cider vinegar gastrique; a gently poached egg atop pureed potatoes or a simple plate of baby radishes with fresh butter and sea salt. Fox’s wife, Deanie (also a Manresa alum), handles the desserts, with best bets being a luxurious layered cheesecake in a jar. Menus change up frequently, as produce comes in from the restaurant’s own organic gardens “so don’t expect today’s sprouts to be available a month from now.

And yes, be assured that Fox doesn’t skimp on the dairy (there’s no shortage of butter, cheese and cream. Though it’s not as prevalent as you might expect from a guy who’s worked with some seriously top toques. There are plenty of purely vegan bites that let the natural garden flavors shine through.

You have to wonder, however, if it isn’t a temptation once in a while to resort to chefs’ usual bag of tricks: Demiglace or, sheesh, even some chicken stock to goose up the flavors. Fox shrugs it off. Not really. The guy’s worked with uber-perfectionist Brit chef Gordon Ramsey, after all. He can handle the challenge.

So, is the food actually edible? Critics recently squelched any lingering snickers, comparing Fox’s dishes to those of the nearby French Laundry and gushing over his “pristine” techniques. The restaurant’s impact has even been compared to the opening of Greens (a Bay Area vegetarian institution) in 1979. High praise for a restaurant devoted to the humble cauliflower and Brussels sprout.

Just don’t call it vegetarian.

Check out a photo gallery featuring more of Fox’s dishes–including the cheesecake–as well the interior of the restaurant. Click here.

A bevy of new restaurants ring in the New Year, starting with the official opening of Stark’s Steakhouse Thursday (Jan. 10) after it’s preview party on Dec. 31. The restaurant is targeted to a “young, urban audience” (in Santa Rosa?). The focus is on dry-aged steaks and grass-fed beef with a pedigree. In addition to steaks, the meat-centric menu is set to include specials like calves liver and onions, short ribs, Dover sole with meyer lemon marmalade, Berkshire pork and (ohmygod!) steak frites cooked in duck fat. Can I hear an amen?

Lunch (which starts on the 21st) will focus on “build your own burgers” including a lamb burger with cucumber raita, ahi tuna burger with pickled ginger and spicy mustard and veal burger with fried sage, pancetta and fontina. Yum.

Headed up by Mark and Terri Stark (of Willi’s Wine Bar fame), odds are good that the restaurant will deliver. The restaurant is open (starting late January) Monday through Friday for lunch, 11:30am to 2:30 pm; dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5pm to 9pm and Friday and Saturday dinners until 10pm. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa (the former Michele’s).

Elsewhere, Petaluma continues its foodie bonanza with several new restaurants. Flippers officially opens today at the former Waterfront Grill in the Golden Eagle Shopping Center. A SF-transplant, the menu focuses on burgers and–if its other restaurants are any indication–a brisk brunch biz. My question: How does that bode for nearby Dempsey’s, the defacto burger king of P-town? Time will tell, but it’s going to take some serious burger magic to wrestle away my loyalty.

Also new: Viva Cocolat is in the works at 110 Petaluma Blvd, a chocolate and dessert spot; burger and breakfast noshery Blu (140 2nd St., Petaluma), owned by the Sugo clan, has opened to some negative buzz from my P-town connections; Walnut Park Grill, a walk-up affair is serving up Niman Ranch burgers and sweet potato fries at 131 4th St; and Chopstix, at 212 Western Ave., is bringing a new twist on pan-Asian to the area.

So, the big question is, how will all of these new restaurants survive? Check out a thoughtful piece that recently ran on Petaluma360.com asking just that. The answer is simply that they won’t. Survival of the fittest, baby.

Back in the 1990’s, absinthe was all the underground rage. You couldn’t buy the stuff legally, mind you. Like marijuana and raw milk cheese, it was only available if you knew a guy who knew a guy who was willing to sell some to you at ridiculously high prices. You could even get busted for possessing the stuff. But oh, when you got some it was heaven. Except when it tasted like paint thinner. Which was most of the time.

Time for a look back at the brilliant, disastrous and generally delicious events of the past twelve months. Overall, it’s been a good year, full of openings, delightful surprises and some pretty darned tasty meals. But it’s also been a year of controversy and disappointments. Check out some of BiteClub’s favorite moments:

10. Ubuntu: Despite its odd mix of yoga and meatless dining, this Napa newcomer has become a critical darling after two former Manresa chefs work their magic on Brussels sprouts and radishes. See a photo gallery of the food

9. West County Grill: Though it opened with much fanfare and hope, reviews have continued to be mixed for Chez Panisse alums. Has celeb-chef Jonathan Waxman left the building?

8. Starks Steakhouse: The most anticipated opening of the year? Terri Stark’s new steakhouse venture. The owners of Monti’s, Willi’s Wine Bar, et al have been working hard on this venture for months, with promised opening dates throughout the fall. Dinner is rumored to begin service in early January. Will it live up to the hype?

7. Odyssey: Chefs go ga-ga over former Gramercy Tavern chef, Rudy Mihall, who opened his upscale bistro in Windsor this July. BiteClub looks forward to hearing more about this young chef, who’s destined for big things.

6. Rosso: With a menu that reads like a Sicilian love letter, former Tra Vigne Chef John Franchetti’s newly opened 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.

5. Sometimes things don’t work out quite the way you plan them. After a solid opening, a menu mix-up at Toyo stirs up serious gall with readers. And don’t get me started on the whole fish and chips debate.

4. Oxbow Market: Despite the fact that there’s still plenty to be done, I’m stoked about the new market in Napa, bringing together the best of Wine Country.

3. Two of my favorite meals of the year were in Chicago, at the very forward-thinking Alinea and Moto. Not to slight Wine Country, of course. But come on, bacon on a trapeze?

2. The biggest surprise of the year was how far The General’s Daughter has come. Sonoma’s comeback kid got a serious facelift in the kitchen by southern boy, Preston Dishman.

1. And my very favorite moment of the year: Your comments. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a cop-out, but I couldn’t do this column without you. Big shouts out to Mike, Bonnie, Phyllis, Wojamo, Vince, MsSteak, Denaruth, all the chefs who’ve put up with me, my boss Leigh who encouraged me to do this in the first place, the patience of Diane, and to everyone else who’s kept me on my toes, corrected me, cheered me on and generally made BiteClub a hell of a lot of fun.

I lift my fork to each and every one of you.

Namaste to Priya’s 20-plus item Indian lunch buffet for the bargain price of $8.95. With their steam tables just about a week old, it’s by far the best conglomeration of curry BiteClub’s found in recent memory. Featuring Indian cuisine of the north and south, the Rohnert Park restaurant doesn’t spare the spices in these top-notch dishes.

Freshly made offerings (the staff start cooking every morning at 7am) range from simple vegetarian daal, paneer, tandoori and chicken curry to more unusual offerings: Idli (steamed rice cases); utappam (rice pancakes with onions and chilis); goat tikka; keema mattar (ground lamb curry), masala kidney beans and a tikka-style Chicken Makhani. The buffet also features fresh naan bread, dosa and perfumed jasmine rice. Nothing has time to dry out or congeal as a constant parade of staff refill the steam trays.

Run by Berkeley transplant Sivaleela, the former taqueria in the Mountain Shadows Plaza is already packed with a hungry lunch crowd. The set-up isn’t fancy, and things can get congested around the steam tables as folks go back for seconds and thirds. But trust me, despite a sweating brow and evacuated sinuses (dishes here can get a bit intense), you’ll want to pile your plate repeatedly. Even the desserts–shredded carrots jacked with cardamom and the ubiquitous Gulab Jamun (warm donut balls marinated in rose syrup)–are thoughtful and delicious.

The lunch buffet runs from 11am to 3pm daily. The dinner menu features many of the lunch buffet items, along with additional fish, lamb and chicken dishes. But for sheer quantity and quality, our money’s on the blessings (or priya) of this awesome new find.

913 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707.585.2944, open daily

Yes, BiteClubbers, I know you’re angry with me. Tired of seeing the same tired entries for a week. If I may play upon your sympathies, I have an excuse. Several actually. The dog ate my homework. My great Aunt Elma died. My sass is slumping. I have the flu.

The last two are actually true. Like most of the county, I’ve been laid up at home for days slurping soup out of a can. Eating boxed mashed potatoes, tuna casserole and Jell-O. Nursery food. Not exactly the stuff you’re craving to hear about and it would hardly be sporting of me to show up at restaurants with a seriously stuffed up schnoz.

I do have a few little tidbits to share, however.

When I start feeling crummy, I head for serious comfort food. Traverso’s (106 B St., Santa Rosa, 707.542.2530) comes to the rescue with their homemade meatloaf. Grab a slice or two at the deli counter–it’s just the right blend of meat, bread and marinara to cure what’s ailing you. Because I’m absolutely sure that tomato sauce has serious curative properties, I’ve been slinking around the ravioli shops in town as well. The ravioli’s been disappointing, but I found paydirt after ording a hefty chunk of mostaccioli from Paolo’s Ravioli Deli (1422 4th St., Santa Rosa, 707.526.3435). It’s a gut-busting chunk of pasta, sauce and cheese that tastes like moms. This Santa Rosa institution is warm and toasty inside, with happy checkered tablecloths and a stack of trashy tabloid magazines that can’t help but make you feel better.

Wrestling myself out of bed for an Echinacea-pumped Odwalla (my go-to-cure-all), I found salvation on a paper plate. Whole Foods in Santa Rosa has been offering samples of their holiday turkey dinner to lucky shoppers–turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and cranberry sauce all piled together. Heaven. They’ve also got a mean tomato macaroni in the deli that’s manna for the soul.

Hot and sour soup’s my other restorative. You can get a pretty decent cup at Ting Hau (717 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707.545.5204), but for sheer convenience, I can usually be found hunched over a steaming bowl at the nearby Golden Dragon (401 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa). Once you’re on the mend, check out new Stix Asian Grill (6285 Commerce Blvd S, Rohnert Park). It’s nothin’ fancy, but the spicy beef and fried rice isn’t half bad if you’re in a rush. Plus, there’s a gelateria fixing to open next door.

But I’m not done with my excuses. Oh no. For the last nine months or so I’ve been moonlighting, daylighting and spending just about every waking hour on another project that’s finally getting off the ground. WineTravel.com (you may have seen the ads on pressdemo.com) has launched in BETA version. And yours truly has put a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears into this project. More about it later. But Miss BiteClub has been plenty busy skulking around Wine Country sussing out the coolest stuff to see and do. Check it out. There’s still lots of work to be done, but I’m always looking for your input. Be kind to my baby.

Enough excuses. Stay tuned for more adventures. I promise to get back on the trail soon. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year. And keeping eating. Chow! (Sniffle. Cough.)

Funny how friends come out of the woodwork when you’ve got a box of chocolate around. Even more so when they’re wrapped up in a box so precious it makes your teeth hurt.

BiteClub has literally smacked grabby hands away from these inspired designer truffles in order to photograph them for you. The ride home from St. Helena was never quite so painful, with wafts of $22 chocolates (yeah, that’s almost $2 a piece for my tiny blue box) taunting at every turn. The chocolates made it home intact. The $12 sea salt caramels didn’t fare quite so well.

Woodhouse Chocolates, based in St. Helena, are insanely decadent delectables in flavors like Thai ginger, raspberry Chambord, brown butter ganache and passion fruit. Run by a family of former sparkling winemakers, St. Helena locals Tracy Wood Anderson and husband John get both the flavors and aesthetics that go into the mystique of making Wine Country’s most coveted candies.

I mean, have you ever actually tasted a mint chocolate that tasted like real, fresh mint?

From the tony decor to the glass cases staffed by uniformed candy gals, the whole experience feels, well, decadent. And a whole lot cheaper than diamonds.

So okay, maybe it’s the second best thing you can get in a light blue box.

Woodhouse Chocolate, 1367 Main St., St. Helena, 1.800.966.3468.