Recently Sebastopol’s tiny K&L Bistro received a highly coveted Michelin star, along with a handful of other well-known Wine Country haunts. Gasps were heard ’round the North Bay as eager diners saw any hope of immediate seating disappear faster than a cassoulet on a cold winter night. Right?
Not necessarily. Despite serious misgivings, Bite Club decided to head for K & L on lazy Monday afternoon for lunch. The backup plan: a Big Mac and fries on my way back to the office. And trust me; I already had my cup holder cleaned out for the supersized-Diet Coke.
Holding my breath as I headed down Main Street and stepped inside, the bistro was all but empty. Empty? Turns out lunch time is the right time, especially on a Monday, after 1:30pm. (But don’t tell your neighbor, who’s been waiting a week to get a dinner reservation.)
What’s up with that? Staff tell me that weeknights and primetime weekend times can indeed be busy and short on seating as folks hear about the Michelin star, but early week lunches and dinners still tend to be relatively quiet. So come early (before 5:30pm) or late (after 7:30pm), sit at the bar, or just skip out of work for an hour or two (which I think is by far the best choice) and savor a little mid-day indulgence. No waiting.
Sitting at the banquet by myself, it was easy to see that afternoon diners were mostly locals dropping by for a quick bite, take out, or business lunch, chatting it up with the staff and each other. Somehow, that made the experience feel more casual and authentic, rather than sitting elbow to elbow with out-of-towners.
So, if you’re really jonesing for a little French onion soup gratinee, a harvest fruit tart, or the lip-smacking Petrole sole (with lemon butter, shallots and the bistro’s famous fries), we’ll meet you at K & L’s cozy banquet for a little lunchtime nosh. Just don’t tell your boss.
PS: Don’t worry that you’re missing out by eating lunch, rather than dinner. The bistro features many of its signature dishes (including the soup, risotto, sole, steak frites and crab cakes) on both menus, so nooners won’t be getting a substantially different experience food-wise.
K & L Bistro: 119 S. Main St., Sebastopol, (707) 823-6614

Petit fours are quite possibly the cutest food ever invented, making them compulsory for any event involving:

• Tea
• Pregnant women
• Meeting-your-mother-in-law
• Any combination of the aforementioned.

Homemade? Phooey. Get your desserts the old-fashioned way–with a credit card. Conveniently located near the Petaluma Factory Outlet mall, Divine Delights operates a small outlet store from their Petaluma bakery.

With everything from Mice-A-Fours (which contain no actual mice) to chocolate truffle, raspberry, strawberry and lemon-flavored petit fours, there’s a taste for just about every palate. And, at about $1 a piece (some run slightly higher), they’re a bargain, which should really please your mother-in-law.

Divine Delights
1250 Hold Road
Petaluma
800.443.2836
www.divinedelights.com

Stay tuned for their debut on the Food Network’s “Unwrapped”, Nov. 6, 7 and 10.

Unless you have A). A Jewish mother or B). Survived flu season in Manhattan, you may not understand why I have spent the last five hours looking for Matzo ball soup in Santa Rosa.

Suffice to say that on a cold, rainy, absolutely miserable Wine Country day, Matzo ball soup (think of it as chicken soup with a Yiddish accent) simultaneously wraps you in warmth and, at least psychologically, drives off any potential bacteria that might have the chutzpah to infect your wet, tired body. You think I’m kidding? Okay, just ask any mom how many times she’s cured a cold with cream of leek soup. I rest my spoon.

Two SR restaurants are rumored to have the magic elixir. Of them, Mac’s Kosher Deli (630 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707.545.3785) seems the most likely candidate.

“Oh honeeeeey,” says a woman who sounds like my Eastern European great grandmother. “Ve used to have ze most wonderful Matzo ball soup. But ze cook, she took the recipe with her when she left. Ve don’t have it anymore.” My grief at this news is palpable. “Honeeeeey,” she says as consolingly as possible. “Ve have a wonderful turkey noodle. You’ll love it.” Close, but no Manichewitz.

Following a food blog rumor, Anatolia (527 4th St Santa Rosa (707.527.7799) may have what I’m jonesing for. “White bean is the soup today,” the woman at the other end of the phone tells me. Uh, no Matzo? She pauses. “Um. Noooooo.” Have you ever had it? “Not that I know of,” she says. Argh.

Consulting my dwindling list of Matzo-maybes, I call Josh Silvers, chef at Syrah (205 5th St, Santa Rosa, 707.568.4002). I’m told this boy knows from Matzo. “We do a great Matzo ball soup at Passover!” he says. “It’s the schmaltz, you know. That’s what makes it so good.” In other words, chicken fat.

Nice to know, but, I mean right now? Today? No. He’s up to his knees in heirloom tomato soup.

I’m 0-and-2 and my stomach’s hitting the four quarter. In a pinch, Matzo’s got a secret Thai equivalent: Tom Ka Gai. Think of it as a more fragrant Matzo without, um, the Matzo balls and a whole bunch of lemongrass, coconut milk, lime and cilantro instead of just plain broth. Okay, its not really anything like Matzo ball soup, but it seems to have the same sort of effect, opening up sinuses, warming the cockles and such. California Thai (522 7th St, Santa Rosa, 707.573.1441) has one of the simplest, but most satisfying versions (Tom Ka Kai) with mushrooms, lots of chicken and a sweet, tart tang of lime and coconut milk.

Still calling around, by 5pm, I’m resigned to the fact that I’m not going to find Matzo today. If nothing else, however, I’ve collected a list of some of my other favorites soups while dreaming of my unfound Matzo. The list…

> Best mushroom Chanterelle mushroom soup with crema and scallions
Café Saint Rose (465 Sebastopol Avenue, Santa Rosa 707.546.2459)

>Best Pho (Vietnamese noodle and meat soup)
Pho Vietnam (711 Stony Point Rd # 8, Santa Rosa, 707.571.7687)

> Best Miso soup
Hiro’s Japanese Restaurant (107 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, 707.763.2300)

> Best Prepared Soups
Safeway Signature Soups: Tuscan Tomato Bisque, Baked Potato with Bacon, Autumn Butternut Squash
Whole Foods: Mushroom Spinach

>Italian soup
Café Citti (19049 Hwy. 12, Kenwood, 707.833.2690)

>Tomato basil
Checkers (523 4th St.,Santa Rosa, 707.578.4000)

What are your favorites?

Recently, BiteClub threw out an all-beef double-patty of a question: Where are the best burgers in the North Bay? Okay, I actually asked you about Santa Rosa, but hey, who can stop a freight train of opinion?

You spoke out. Loudly. Clearly there are some strong feelings about the best places to chow down on cheeseburgers (and pesto burgers, Jesse James burgers, chili burgers, Cambozola burgers, etc.) Old standbys got dethroned. Upstarts grabbed the bun by the horns and got their day. And I got spanked for leaving off some of your favorites when I suggested my own burger haunts.

So, here’s the list already. Print it out, keep it close by, and hey, feel free to use it to mop up a little stray ketchup should you need to. You can always find the list (which I promise to update) should you need it, here at BiteClub.

READER FAVORITES

A brief list of the best of the best, according to you…and me. (Quotes are directly from BiteClub readers/ballot-stuffers)

UPSTARTS
Chippery2053 Santa Rosa Plz, Santa Rosa, (707) 579-2447
Okay, so I’ve got a few folks who are absolutely against me as this being a “Best of”. What it boils down to: Are you a bun person or not. I, frankly, take buns as seriously as the burger, and like a good, toasty bun. Some of you don’t. What can I say?

Pro: “Definitely the best place to go unless fries are a must. I can’t get enough. I’ve never had a burger like it.”
“The best burger in town, and also the best chips, too”
“I’ve been addicted to this place since the day I heard about it”
“Jessie James Burger is just awesome”
Con
“Get real. I’ve tried it three times-but that bun is a joke.”

Carmen’s Burger Bar
1612 Terrace Way, Santa Rosa, (707) 579-3663
Pro
“”Last night I tried the Bacon Cambozola Burger-let’s say I no longer feel that I have to drive to Cotati to satisfy my craving for a truly ultimate burger.”
Con:
“Cheeseburger wasn’t that good and not even cooked the way I wanted it”

PERENNIAL FAVORITES
Buns and Burgers
406 Larkfield Shopping C, Santa Rosa, (707) 546-6835
“Awesome cheeseburger. They get my vote, hands down”
“I go to college in Oregon and I have dreams about coming home and getting a burger on their sourdough buns, a chocolate milkshake and fries!!!”

John Barleycorn
2700 Yulupa Ave # 7, Santa Rosa, (707) 526-3511
“Buffalo Bacon Cheeseburger-just the right amount of spice and a whole lot of sloppy!”
“Ask for the Baja Burger, which isn’t on the menu anymore, but they will still make it for you: A burger, cheese, avocado, bacon, green chilies, lettuce and tomato.”
“I’ve eaten at all the other places, and I still think the best burger I’ve ever eaten anywhere is the Buffalo bacon cheeseburger at John Barleycorn”

Gayle’s Superburger
1501 4th St, Santa Rosa, (707-546-4016)
“Awesome onion rings. Don’t’ forget your chocolate shake”

Mike’s at the Crossroads
7665 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, (707) 665-9999
Again, lots of comments saying this is the absolute best, regardless of what I, or anyone else thinks. I think Mike’s is terrific. I really do. But like many of you, there’s room for a new kid in town.

(Pro)
“They’re consistently good, although they taste better when served in the restaurant than when taken home”
“Best beef and offer a fresh green salad”
“Without a doubt, the best”
“I didn’t think it was possible to improve on the burger that much”
“Double Hick at Mike’s on Saturday morning. Can’t beat it.”
(Con)
“They don’t serve fries!”
“I wish they served fries”
“They don’t serve fries, which makes me rate them 9 out of 10”
“Not serving fries at a hamburger place is a joke!”

(Mike actually has 11 reasons he refuses to sell fries, with #1 being that he doesn’t want to change the grease. Read the other 10 http://www.mikesburgers.com/Fries.htm)

SURPRISE ENTRIES
Oakmont (Quail Inn)
7035 Oakmont Dr, Santa Rosa, (707) 539-9215
“Don’t laugh, Lori Darling has put together an awesome burger”
“A nice recent surprise”

Jalisco
1800 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, (707) 576-7332
“Best cheeseburgers in town”
“Yep, that’s right, the Mexican joint”

TOPS IN FRIES
Fitch Mountain Eddie’s
1301 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, (707) 433-7414
“Been going there eight years and their fries are fantastic, too”
“They get my vote!”
“The fries are a meal on their own”

Manzanita
336 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, (707) 433-8111
“Best fries”

TOTALLY OVERRATED?
In-N-Out
“I tried it twice and in my opinion are one of the WORST burgers I’ve had in my life”

THE RESTHere is a list of submissions–some from you, some from me–of other places to get a burger in the North Bay. Are they the ‘tops’? You decide.

SANTA ROSA AREA
Black Bean Grill
557 Summerfield Rd, Santa Rosa, (707) 539-6100
“Best turkey burger ever”

Sam’s Place for Play
2630 Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa, (707) 528-2929
“Mushroom burger is the best”

Outback Steak House
4619 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, (707) 584-7161
“Aussie burger, yum!”

East West Café and Restaurant
2323 Sonoma Ave, Santa Rosa (707) 546-6142
“Not just for vegans, these boys use the absolute best beef available and cook it perfectly. Now if we could just teach them to do fries!”

Piner Café
975 Piner Rd, Santa Rosa, (707) 575-0165
“Monterey burger with Ortega chilies and the cheese of your choice. Yummy.”

Equus
101 Fountain Grove Pkwy, Santa Rosa (707) 578-0149
“A terrific burger”

Third Street Aleworks
610 3rd St, Santa Rosa, (707) 523-3060
“Almost always cooks ’em nice and rare, as requested. Good fries too, and of course, good beer-including the 10oz. size for mid-day enjoyment.”

Tex Wasabi’s
515 4th St, Santa Rosa, (707) 544-8399
“Black Angus burger is really good”

ROHNERT PARK
Burger City
4645 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, (707) 585-1010
“Made fresh as you order”

HEALDSBURG
Bear Republic
345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, (707) 433-2337
“Rocket burger, garlic fries and a pint of Big Bear Black!”

SEBASTOPOL
D’s Diner
7260 Healdsburg Ave, Sebastopol, (707) 829-8080
“Very good”

Sequoia Drive-In
1382 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol, (707) 829-7543
“Not what it was 25 years ago, but by far one of the best burger joints around. It’s an institution. Just order a Sequoia Burger and an order of large fries. Really. You’ll understand”
“My favorite is the Sequoia Single with Pepper Jack cheese”

K & L Bistro
119 S Main St, Sebastopol, (707) 823-6614
“Don’t let the hype scare you off. They have an awesome burger”

GRATON
Underwood
9113 Graton Rd, Graton, (707) 823-7023

PETALUMA
Mr. Mom’s Cafe
931 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, (707) 763-8538
“Great burgers, but also the best Biscuits and Gravy”

Julian’s
701 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy, Petaluma, (707) 778-6785

Beyond the Glory
1371 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, (707) 775-3775
“Great food, even better service”

SONOMA
Happy Dog
18962 Sonoma Hwy, Sonoma, (707) 935-6211
“Not only the best burgers for the best price, but their fries are to die for”

Girl & the Fig
110 W Spain St, Sonoma, (707) 938-3634
“Best burger in the County!”

NAPA
Nation’s
1441 3rd St, Napa, (707) 252-8500

Red Rock Café.
1010 Lincoln Ave, Napa (707)252-9520

ST HELENA
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
933 Main St, St Helena, (707) 963-3486
“Wow, that’s a burger!”

CLOVERDALE
Hamburger Ranch & Pasta Farm
31195 N Redwood Hwy, Cloverdale, (707) 894-5616
“Try the British Burger. Ranch fries and onion rings are the best!”
“Worth the haul north!”

Pick’s Drive In
117 S Cloverdale Blvd, Cloverdale, (707) 894-2962

BODEGA BAY
Dog House
537 S Highway 1, Bodega Bay, (707) 875-244

I’ve never quite understood the logic of some people when it comes to Halloween treats. Mercifully, most sane people understand that children like things that actually taste good, like chocolate. A few are too well-meaning for their own good, and give out things like raisins (blech!). Others seem to think Halloween is a perfect opportunity to unload their leftover candy from last Easter. Or worse.

But no matter what your age, income or social status, there seems to be a universal truth when it comes to the most desired candy each Halloween. In an informal poll (mostly comprised of my kids and co-workers) Reeses and Milky Way comes out at the tippy top. Bonus points for the King size. At the very bottom of the pillowcase, pennies and raisins. Here’s where everything else falls…

TIER ONE: Reeses, Snickers, Milky Way, M&M’s, Skittles, SweetTarts, Butterfinger: Jackpot. Eat immediately. Probably from someone who actually has kids. Definitely from someone who has grandkids.

TIER TWO: Twizzlers, Smarties, Blow Pops, Take 5, Milk Duds, Starburst, Whoppers, JuJuBees: Okay, clearly not the favorites, but will suffice once the good stuff is gone. Usually from the cool neighbor with the dogs and all the bottles on the porch.

TIER THREE: Candy corn, apples, raisins, pennies, Dum Dums, strange things in a plastic bag that are unidentifiable, popcorn balls, Lemonheads: Usually from the scary guy who invites you into the house to see his reptile collection. Or, a very well-meaning, but slightly-out-of-touch lady with lots of cats.

So, as we stop by your house tonight, make sure you’ve got the good stuff waiting. As I mentioned, Reeses are my favorite. Save those nasty Lemonheads for yourself, or you could just find yourself with a nasty trick.

What’s your favorite Halloween treat?

Miss the first annual Taste? Check out the video from our sister blogs at the Petaluma Argus Courier

Is Safeway outclassing the neighborhood patisserie?

Okay, not yet, but they’re bucking for your gourmet business.

Along with recent facelifts of the mega grocery stores, in-house bakeries have been improving substantially as well.

First, it was a not altogether horrible bagel.

Next came the addition of gourmet cakes and pastries, which are suprisingly good (though Bouchon doesn’t need to be worried just yet).

Topping it off, I discovered today that the bakeries are now stocking Joseph Schmidt truffles (chocolate truffle royalty that are as delicious as they are lovely to look at), individually wrapped and ready for delivering to your co-workers, significant others or even your boss. All for just $2.19 each. A steal at twice the price.

And, if nothing else, grabbing a few just makes your grocery basket feel a little less, well, mundane.

Whether you like ’em grilled, fried, sprinkled with onions, dripping with special sauce, thrown over animal style or pink enough to still be mooing in the middle, hamburgers inspire a fanatical passion usually reserved for sports teams or rock stars.

In other words, beware the fool who stands between me and my favorite patty. (Which is, by the way, the Jesse James at The Chippery. You’ve been warned.)

But hey, you’re entitled to your opinion. What’s your favorite local burger?

There are, of course, the usual suspects: Gayle’s Superburger (1501 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707-546-4016), Mike’s at the Crossroads (7665 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 707-665-9999), which is technically in Cotati, but because it is so delicious, will be included in this list; and In-N-Out (5145 Redwood Dr., Rohnert Park and a new location in Petaluma), again, not in Santa Rosa, but close enough for a midnight run.

It goes without saying, of course, many of us are in stunned silence over the loss of Heavenly Hamburger. After 51 years of service, the Hwy 12 institution recently met a tragic demise, leaving a hole in my heart-and my lunch repertoire.

But where one grease-trap closes, another fry basket opens. Coming up strong as a leading contender for local burger fame is Carmen’s Burger Bar (1612 Terrace, Santa Rosa. 707-579-3663). Located in the former 707 space near Pacific Market, neighbors caught onto Carmen’s charm quickly, packing the shoe-box-sized restaurant with kids and families and ensuring a 10 to 20 minute wait most evenings. Top honors at Carmen’s goes to the Triplets ($10.50): Three small burgers, each with a different flavor–cheddar with bacon, nothin’ at all, and blue-cheese. Though the small patties can sometimes suffer from overcooking on really busy nights, in general the mini burgs are cute as a bug, and quite a bit tastier. Homemade milkshakes (which I think top the ones at Gayle’s) are a required add-on, along with shoe-string fries.

Also in the running, but still under the radar is my hands-down fave, The Chippery (2053 Santa Rosa Plz., Santa Rosa, 707-579-2447). Another recent addition in the regional burger lineup, the restaurant is all-but-hidden at the south end of Montgomery Village, behind Osake restaurant in a former bakery. The Chippery’s main claim to fame is an on-site potato chip factory churning out piles of finger-lickingly good crisps.

If you can tear yourself away from the little brown nuggets of goodness tumbling from the fryer, you’ll discover that they grill up some mean patties, all made to order. The Jesse James is piled high with a patty, mayo, bbq sauce and a thick onion ring ($6.95) and should well-probably be outlawed.

But that’s just the beginning of the burger story. What are your favorite haunts? Who has the best buns, the best fries, the best service-even the best condiments? Have you tried Outback? John Barleycorn? Others?

Tell me. From your answers, BiteClub will put together a list of your favorite local burger joints, from small to large, hole-in-the-wall to corporate behemoth. Speaking of which, yes, McDonald’s counts (cause heaven knows this girl can’t steer clear of a Big Mac once in a while), but try to keep your choices local if possible.

Oh, and creativity counts. One of the strangest burgers I ever had was a foie-gras stuffed chopped steak burger. Seriously. So send me those, too.

Ready, set, eat! Email your picks at biteclub@pressdemo.com.