The Bauer has spoken. Each year, the San Francisco Chronicle food critic bestows his blessings on a lucky 100 restaurants (see who they are) as “the best” of the year. In 2008 only four made the grade in Sonoma County. On the list: Rosso, Cyrus, Cafe La Haye and the Farmhouse Inn. That’s it.

Really? Come on now. Sure, Rosso and Cyrus are undeniably stellar restaurants well worth the kudos. Cyrus has achieved transcendency in both service and putting it on par with any top restaurants in the country. The humbler Rosso has impressed locals with its consistency, great woodfired pizzas, commitment to organic/sustainable ingredients and wine program–all at a reasonable price.

And okay, I can’t begrudge the Farmhouse Inn with its enviable wine program and consistently respectable food, but consistency can sometimes be a bit dull. What’s got me scratching my head, however, was my intense disappointment with a seriously lackluster recent meal at Cafe La Haye. Is it really better than The General’s Daughter? Better than Syrah? Better than Santi? Better than Cafe Saint Rose? Better than Willi’s or Stark’s Steakhouse?

But the choices are a little less surprising when you consider that only 19 are new to the list–less than one-fifth. The remaining 81 have been on the Top 100 previously, many for multiple years–some clearly for too many years. Is nostalgia playing too big a part in these decisions?

Because while I respect and admire Mr. Bauer, there isn’t a decent restauranteur, especially previous winners, who don’t recognize him in an instant. They know who all the critics are, no matter how anonymous they try to be, making me wonder how truly objective any of us who eat and drink for a living can truly be. Or how accurate our experiences. It’s nearly impossible not to get attached (and even make excuses for) to a restaurant or a chef you’ve had especially fond experiences with. And dismiss someone who burns you even once. That’s the painful truth.

Which isn’t to say that Bauer doesn’t get it right a lot of the time. It’s a fascinating read to see who got bumped in 2008. Odyssey in Windsor got the boot (though it seemed to be a close call, and I’ve too heard of some inconsistency), as did Dry Creek Kitchen (which got a scathing diss). It’s also rather shocking, considering the fact that they probably knew (or should have known) that Bauer was in the hosue.

It’s a tough call, I can attest, to try and narrow to a brief list the best of the Bay Area. I’d struggle to come up with 100 Best Restaurants just in Wine Country. How do you compare the best spot for burritos and chiles rellenos with a three-star foie gras and microgreens spot? Maybe its worth a try…

So tell me. Who would you nominate for a Wine Country’s Top 100 Restaurants list?

It’s a bit depressing driving around Santa Rosa these days, with every other storefront seemingly FOR LEASE. I hear endless frustration from folks in the food biz about ridiculous rents and increasing food costs. I’m get bummed seeing folks like Mark Malicki move out of town while yet another Panda Express or Taco Bell open for business. I see hopeful local restaurateurs decide to wait it out rather than dive in. And, worst of all, I’m finding myself cautiously pessimistic when eager folks do decide to take the plunge.

Sadly, we’re all the hungrier for it.

It is, I suppose a sign of the times. The cost of living is just too high for many young chefs to take a chance in Wine Country. It’s too high for most of us, really. Even as a devout foodie, a casual $40 dinner gives me a much more serious pause than it used to. And a $150 dinner gives me serious hives. I’m even reconsidering my morning bagel. Are we in for worse? Let’s hope not.

But, okay, enough with the glass-is-half-empty laments.

Despite my kvetching, there are a few glimmers of hope on the horizon. Philadephia-chefs Matt and Sonjia Spector are busy remodeling the former Stomp spot (1457 Lincoln Ave.), with an expected opening date in June for their small-plates spot, named JoLe. The couple are the former owners of Matyson, a popular American bistro in the City of Brotherly Love. Though the spot has struggled, despite a string of solid chefs throughout the last few years as Mount View Restaurant, Catahoula and Stomp.

Another Philly addition is also in the works in Santa Rosa. On the value side of the coin, The Cheesesteak Shop is setting up camp in the Stony Point Plaza at 740 Stony Point Road near Taco Del Mar. Hold on to your grilled onions! More details to come.

Lunch started like a bad Abbot and Costello skit.

“Let’s get halo halo,” my friend said.
“Yeah, uh, hi there.” Sometimes I mumble. Maybe she didn’t hear my earlier salutations.
“No, halo-halo,” she said.
“Hellooooooooo,” I say again, thinking, sheesh Mel, get a hearing aid.
“No, they have halo-halo!”
“Uh, okay.”
“It’s like a milkshake. You’ll like it,” she laughs.

Mmmmm. Milkshake. BiteClub enjoys milkshakes.

On cue, Karen, our bubbly cruise director of Filipino cuisine/waitress sashays over. She has a giant smile, a wiggly, giggly way about her, and describes everything on the menu at Trisha’s Lumpia House as “Really Good!” But aside from the fact that halo halo is really good, I’m not really following too much else she’s telling me. She does seem a little dubious about us actually drinking the stuff.

“Halo halo!” arrives. Karen stands and watches Meloni and I look at the milkshake imposter like the cautious Midwestern girls we actually are.“You like?” I’m pretty sure she’s making fun of us.

Hmmm. Okay. Yes, it does look kind of like a milkshake. Except with a whole lot of ice on top and floaties swimming around at the foot of the glass. What else can we do but dive in and pull out the slimy treasure? Yum. Sweet ice cream, crunchy ice, mangoes, coconut and…crunch…uh, is that a garbanzo bean?

“You like it?” Karen’s smiling and giggling again as Mel and I pick through the Filipino milkshake like archaeologists. We pull out and identify the shaved ice, diced mangos, strings of coconut meat, sweet red beans, garbanzos, ice cream and sweet gelatinous blobs of kaong (also called sugar palm fruit). Yes, we do like it. Minus the beans. Extra kaong. Karen is happy.

Going Pinoy is the name of the game at Trisha’s Lumpia House, Sonoma County’s first (as far as anyone we talked to knows) Filipino restaurant. Hidden in Petaluma’s G&G Shopping Center, Karen tells us that much of the clientele are curious, um, obviously non-Filipino eaters like us and she’s always happy to walk folks through the menu. She locks us onto Pork Adobo, lumpia (think fried spring rolls), pancit noodles (think Pad Thai or chowmein) and Sitaw at Kalabasa (long beans and squash in coconut milk).

It doesn’t take long for the newly initiated to figure out who’s contributed to the mash-up of flavors from these steamy Pacific Islands: China, Indonesia and Spain–mostly. So, like any good food adventurer, you’ll want to dive right in. Start off with lumpia, ($3.25) crispy egg rolls similar to those you’d find at any Chinese restaurant, served with sweet chili dipping sauce. Pork adobo ($8.95) is a must-have dish, marinated in soy sauce, garlic and vinegar. It’s the unofficial national dish of the Philippines and one of the first things kids learn to cool (kind of like your five year old making peanut butter and jelly).

Keep going with House Pancit,($.7.95) rice sticks and bean threads (clear, thin noodles) tossed with veggies and meat with a squeeze of lime. The restaurant also offers tradition Filipino plates of Bistek (Filipino beef steak), Afritada (a tomato-based pork and vegetable dish), oxtail in peanut sauce, and soup-based dishes like Nilaga, Sinigang Baboy and Hipon. Party trays of most dishes, as well as menudo and pork belly are also available. Oh, and yes, there is a Trisha. She just didn’t happen to be there when we visited.

The tiny restaurant, with only a few tables and the obviously casual staff can be a bit intimidating at first, but when Karen’s around, the place warms up quickly, with everyone chatting between tables. Check out what your neighbors are eating and ask lots of questions. Just don’t fill up, because it’s worth saving room for dessert. Karen’s proud of the biko she frequently makes (she only rarely has kitchen duties), a sweet sticky rice in coconut syrup, along with flan and, of course, a nice big glass of halo-halo. With beans or without.

Trisha’s Lumpia House, 701 Sonoma Mountain Parkway next to G&G Market, Petaluma,707.778.3845. Open for dine in or take out daily from 11am to 8:30pm.

Just in case we haven’t gushed about our local chefs quite enough this year, the James Beard Foundation has kindly volunteered to put that final cherry on the congratulatory sundae of foodie fete-ing with its annual award nominations. Unimpressed? Let’s just say anyone interested in the food world considers a Beard nomination a sort of culinary Academy Award complete with its own red carpet show, medals and chef-lebrity announcers.

And, as usual, the Bay Area has a heaping helping of nominees just itching for their moment in the spotlight. In the book department, my disgustingly talented pal, Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com gets a nod for Super Natural Cooking, along with Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials. SF Weekly writer Eliza Strickland, and SF’s Jane Goldman of Chow.com also get props, along with the PD’s own Michele Anna Jordan whose radio show, Mouthful on KRCB, was nominated.

But the big ticket draws, of course, are the chefs and restaurants. SF’s Boulevard and Slanted Door have been tapped for outstanding restaurant; Nate Appleman of A-16 (SF) for rising young chef; Nicole Plue of Redd (Yountville) and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine (SF) for Pastry Chef; Sebastopol’s Merry Edwards Wines for Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional Award; Terra (St. Helena) for Service; and finally, Cyrus’ Douglas Keane (Healdsburg), David Kinch of Manresa (Los Gatos), Craig Stoll of Delfina (SF) and Michael Tusk of Quince (SF) for Best Pacific Chefs.

The awards will be announced June 6-8 in New York. Click here for more details.

In other news, Cyrus continues its quest for world domination with the announced addition of a $300,000 bakery next to their Healdsburg Restaurant. Owners Doug Keane and Nick Peyton want to do their own thing, offering up several additional flavors to their bread lineup. Can you say Bouchon-envy? Watch out Thomas. Out will be Petaluma’s Della Fattoria who’ve currently been handling the restaurant’s bread needs.

There’s even more reason to suss out Petaluma’s Foundry Wharf Business Park: Cowgirl Creamery! In addition to Aqus Cafe, Sonoma Portworks and Sweetwater Distillers, the Cowgirls will now be producing several types of cheese at the Petaluma location. Word’s still out on when the shop will open for tastings and tours (hopefully later this summer), but it’s a step in the right direction for what’s becoming a mini-artisinal gulch on Petaluma’s south side.

Finally, a embarassed DUH on not giving earlier props to Zoi Antonitsas (formerly of Bovolo and Zazu) for her stint on Top Chef. Word is that she’s back from her moment in the spotlight and moonlighting at Zazu (and, or Bovolo) over the next few weeks. So, you can high-five her yourself.

Saint Rose’s move
Sitting on the beach last week, I got an alarming call from home. Cafe Saint Rose is closing! Though the details were still sketchy, it was sad news. Enough to put me off my poke, at least temporarily.

Fortunately, news of their demise has been greatly exaggerated. Instead of closing, Mark Malicki and crew are merely moving. They’ll be in their current location in Santa Rosa through the end of March. No word yet on re-opening, but we’ll cross our fingers that it’s before June.

Yes, it will be more of a haul to get yourself out to the where the Two Crows Roadhouse on Bodega Highway currently resides (they’ll be there until the middle of April). But a little more elbow room (and a lovely patio area) is a small price to pay.

I’ll let Mark tell you the details about the move (which I lifted from his blog):

Hello Everyone – It has been such a lovely spring spring so far. I hope you have been well.
I haven’t been keeping in touch with all of you as things at Saint Rose have been chaotic – but at this point things are taking a turn.

Thanks for taking the time to read this – I will keep you up to date on our progress. thanks again – mark

Fresh Easter Eggs
Susan Mall (wife of Zin chef, Jeff Mall) sends this news…

I will be at the Cheese Shop, at 423 Center Street in Healdsburg, on Friday, March 21st from 1 pm to 4 pm selling our Eastside Farm Fresh Eggs, Sustainable Sacks, and Eastside Farm Jams along with Zin Grape Jelly! I hope you can stop by and see me and buy some eggs! I just delivered 14 dozen to Doralice today, some of which are already green laid by our “Easter Egger” hens!

New Meadowood Chef
And finally, Meadowood announces the appointment of a new chef for The Restaurant at Meadowood, Chef Christopher Kostow. Kostow’s pedigree: Chef Kostow comes to Meadowood from Chez TJ in Mountain View, California, one of only six Northern California restaurants – along with The Restaurant at Meadowood – to garner two stars last fall from the esteemed Michelin Guide. Additionally, Kostow’s food received three starts from The San Francisco Chronicle and Kostow’s Maitake Consomme was featured in Food & Wine Magazine as one of the 10 best dishes of 2007.

Before working at Chez TJ, Chef Kostow began his restaurant career at the acclaimed Georges at the Cove in La Jolla, California, working under the tutelage of Chef Trey Foshe. He then ventured to France, working at such places as Chez Georges in Paris, the three-star Michelin-rated Les Jardins de Sens in Montpellier, and under Chef Christian Morriset at the two-star Michelin-rated La Terrasse in the French Riveria. Upon returning to San Francisco he assumed the role of Sous Chef at Campton Place Hotel under Chef Daniel Humm which received Four Stars from The San Francisco Chronicle.

Bite Club is cruising the Islands of Hawaii this week and has left you in the hands of strangers, what to do, what to do? Well, I’ll try my best to find something suitable for today’s rambunctious holiday.

Ok, ok, maybe you can’t get as green around the gills as you might like this Saint Patrick’s Day, it falling on a Monday and all, but at least in Petaluma you can get your “Irish” on after a hard days work. Finbar Devine’s is pulling out their inner Leprechaun for their Saint Paddy’s Day celebration.

Obviously Finbar’s caters to an Irish appeal, but who can ignore an invitation for $5 Corned Beef Sammys to-go starting at 11am. Love it.

You can also pull up a bar stool with a Corned Beef and Cabbage meal or Shepard’s Pie, $13.95 lunch/$14.95 dinner.

And don’t skip the beer – Duh! Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks (pronounced Sm-dicks) for $6 per 20oz pint, are sure to get you adequately happy even if you’re not a smidge Irish (but please remember to at least wear your green undies if you’re not).

Starting at 5pm, watch Keenan Irish Dancers parade around the street front beer garden being erected specially for today’s festivities. From 6:30 to 7pm the MacIntosh Pipe Band will also be wowing crowds, and at 7pm the party moves indoors for the Pladdohg Band, who will apparently be rocking the house till 10pm.

Finbar Devine’s, 145 Kentucky Street, Petaluma 762-9800. Open early for Saint Patrick’s Day – 11am-till the party ends!

Oh, and in case you can’t make it out to party, thought I’d pass on one of my favorite Irish recipes.

Cheers!

Meloni Courtway is a freelance food writer and blogger, contact her at www.melonicourtway.com

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The Courtway’s Irish Soda Bread

Heat oven to 375 if using a metal pan, 350 if using glass

4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups dried currants
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. Baking soda

In a large bowl combine and mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut the 6 tablespoons butter into the dry ingredients. Add the two cups currants. In another bowl combine buttermilk, egg and baking soda. Beat well and then stir into dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened. Turn out onto clean lightly floured board and knead lightly until smooth. Shape into a ball and place in a greased 2 qt. casserole. Cut cross in top with a sharp knife and brush with milk. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done. Cool for at least 10 minutes, turn out and cool completely before slicing.

While I’m eating my way through Maui (stay tuned for details), I’ve asked a few friends to fill you guys in on some of their favorite finds in Sonoma County. Today, Vince gives the lowdown on Beverage People, where he gets the hookup for making his own cheese. I love this spot!

One of the great things about living in the wine country is our proximity to all of the wonderful artisanal foods Bite Club has so graciously pointed out to
us. I mean, hey, there’s nothing like having a glass of Merry Edwards
pinot with some Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk or a baguette with some Olive Press
olive oil and some B.R. Cohn vinegar or how about a nice cold Russian River
Brewing Co. Pliny the Elder, all by itself? Yumm! One thing we
often overlook, though, is that the so called artisans are people just like
us. So why can’t we make an amazing brie, a fine wine, an audacious beer
or a luxurious vinegar? The answer is we can!

One of my favorite places to pass the time in Sonoma County is our local home
brewing shop, The Beverage People, on Piner Road in Santa Rosa. Calling
it a home brewing shop is a bit of an understatement, though. They
specialize not only in brewing but also wine making, cheese making, mead making
and vinegar making. Byron, Nancy, Bob and the rest of the staff there is
friendly and very helpful for novices like me. They can provide recipes and
instructions as well as all the equipment and special ingredients you need to
make lots of different home made foods and drinks. The procedures for most are
quite simple once you do a few batches and let me tell you, eating or drinking
something you made yourself is a wonderful feeling.

So give it a try. Bust out those baking pans gathering dust in the back
of the closet and make your own bread. Take that Two Buck Chuck you don’t
want to drink and throw it in a jar with some mother* in your pantry and see what kind of vinegar you can whip
up. Search Craigslist during crush to find some premium cab or merlot
grapes and make some wine for your family and friends. Many vineyards
have extra grapes for sale and some will even crush on site for you.

My most recent
venture was to try cheese making. There are three main types of cheese: Soft fresh,
mold ripened and hard aged. This is a
vast oversimplification but these are the most basic divisions. Since fresh cheese is ready the quickest (well,
besides a 30
minute mozzarella) I decided to try that first. I picked up some cheese molds, cheesecloth,
starter culture and rennet from The Beverage People and also some goat’s milk
from Trader Joe’s. The basic cheese
making process is to warm milk up to a temperature that a culture can grow in,
usually around 90 degrees (a good thermometer is critical here). You then add
the culture and the rennet, which curdles the milk and allows the curds and
whey to separate. The curd is gathered and drained, and pressed for hard
cheeses. Finally the cheese is left to dry.
In the case of mold ripened cheese a bacteria strain is added to create
the mold covering and add flavor. In my
case, once I put my curd in the cheese molds I let it dry for a couple days,
flipping it so that it kept its shape. At that point you could eat it fresh or
get fancy and add some Herbes de Provence or cracked black pepper and let it
pick up the flavors for a couple weeks before eating it, like I did.

If you’re
intimidated just jumping in without any instruction, The Beverage People offers
classes, as does Santa Rosa Junior College. There are also lots of great
resources online. Don’t be afraid to try though. Wine, beer,
vinegar, cheese and leavened bread were all originally made by accident, so you
can’t mess it up too bad!

The procedures
for other cheeses are slightly more complex, but still easy if you’re patient.

The Beverage People, 840 Piner Rd # 14, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 544-2520

*Mother is the starter for vinegar, it contains acetic acid bacteria that
transforms alcohol into vinegar