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Lowell's, Sebastopol: A decade after opening, this Sebastopol spot is better than ever. Now simply named Lowell's, it is a laboratory of seasonality - so things change frequently. What remains are the staples, sourced from the restaurant's farm, Two Belly Acres. A mushroom pasta may become a butternut squash pasta. Braised greens may get the addition of squash, and tomatoes may all but disappear as winter advances. Also, Lowell’s has recently moved to an all-day brunch menu with favorites from breakfast and lunch along with a few newcomers, like a scone plate and ricotta pancakes. Full review.
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Lowell's Best Bet: Antipasti Platter, $18: Yep, we almost choked, too, at the price for some seasonal veggies and cheese. Until a heavily laden board of roasted corn, spicy greens, a whole roasted garlic, potatoes, farro salad, farm cheese, beets and goat cheese, a slice of frittata, Revolution bread and lush bean dip was placed in front of us. Oh. Yeah, worth every penny. Easily a small meal or large appetizer for two or three. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Lowell's Best Bet: Smoked Trout Tartine, $16: If you’re not a Mt. Lassen trout fan, you will be. Mild pink fish atop an open-faced sandwich with cucumber, garlic aioli, arugula, radish and pickled onion on Revolution country bread. Fork and knife required, but it's a fresh, light luncheon dish that’s not easily forgotten. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Lowell's Best Bet: Macrobowl, $17: Since opening, this vegan(ish) bowl has been on the menu. For what it is — red rice, heirloom beans, braised greens, root and fermented veggies — it’s good. You can top it with an egg or short ribs, along with miso ginger sauce. Frankly, there are so many things I like better on the menu, but the ripplingly hot stone bowl filled with such healthy goodies is pretty persuasive. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Lowell's Best Bet: Tagliatelle, $20: Depending on the night, you’ll get a variety of ingredients, but diving into little “boats” of pasta with roasted tomatoes, duck confit, herbs and breadcrumbs is intensely satisfying. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Lowell's Best Bet: King Salmon, $32: Farrotto with beet, fennel, cucumber and herbed yogurt. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Boxcar, Sonoma: The former Fremont Diner has reopened as Boxcar Fried Chicken & Biscuits, and so far the slimmed-down concept focused on fried chicken seems to be working. Walk-up service has also returned. The buttery biscuits and honey are actually better than ever, the hush puppies with remoulade are addictive, and this is still the place to find the most authentic pimento cheese west of the Rockies (we think). The deviled eggs aren’t ironic here, they’re just delish little noshes with mustard seeds. We got downright weepy at the dab of molasses mixed with butter for a true Southern biscuit experience. Full review.
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Boxcar Best Bets: Deviled Eggs, $6 (left), Hush Puppies, $7 (middle): The deviled eggs aren’t ironic here, they’re just delish little noshes with mustard seeds. We got downright weepy at the dab of molasses mixed with butter for a true Southern biscuit experience. The hush puppies with remoulade are addictive and they’ve still got the most authentic pimento cheese west of the Rockies (we think). (Photo by John Burgess)
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Boxcar Best Bet: Golden Boy, $13.95: The Golden Boy fried chicken sandwich is a standout with slaw, pickles, baked beans and pimiento cheese. (Photo by John Burgess)
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Boxcar Best Bet: Nashville Hot Chicken, $12.45-$16.50: This spicy classic, served with house pickles, white bread, coleslaw and cheesy grits, remains on the menu after the transformation from Fremont. (Photo by John Burgess)
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Kosho, Sebastopol: With a menu that ranges from simple nigiri, sashimi, and rolls to Wagyu beef shortribs and okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake), Sebastopol’s Kosho is far above industrial-grade all-you-can-eat sushi bars but less formal than white napkin Japanese restaurants. Somewhere in between, Chef Jake Rand wants Kosho to be a weeknight kind of place rather than a special occasion eatery. Full review. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Wagyu Short Ribs ($22): A steal of a deal that features Snake River Farms wagyu atop crispy smashed fingerlings and a Korean bbq sauce that’s all about the garlic, soy and sweet brown sugar. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Okonomiyaki ($13): This rib-sticker is more like an omelet than a pancake, filled with mushrooms, bacon or seafood and topped with ribbons of mayonnaise. It’s sweet-salty and should be shared rather than trying to eat it on your own. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Blackened Shishito Peppers ($9): Blistered peppers get a kick from Japanese seven-spice and lime kosho. Sweet heat unless you get the one-in-10 hot shishito pepper that will have you reaching for water. Think of it as dining roulette. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Seaweed Salad ($11): Rather than the usual slippery green seaweed in most salads, Rand mixes red, green and white seaweeds together, giving a variety of bumpy, lumpy and tickly textures. Marinated in orange yuzu vinaigrette, avocado and fresh cherry tomatoes add a California touch. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Meatball ($9): Served on a skewer, these oval meatballs are crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, gently seasoned and served with a raw egg and soy dipping sauce. Yes, it’s a raw egg. If you’re not into that, just ask for the soy sauce. But you’re missing out. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Kosho Best Bet: Kanpachi Chili Sashimi ($17): Impossibly thin slices of radish and serrano chili atop what’s also known as amberjack fish. With a dot of yuzu citrus, the flavors of earth and sea, citrus and heat come together in a perfect bite. Sushi here isn’t cheap, but Rand sources impeccably from around the world to get fish that’s worth savoring with minimal fussery.
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Kosho Best Bet: Sushi and Sashimi ($6 to $15 for two pieces): Most of the fish is fairly mild, with fatty tuna, New Zealand king salmon, bright orange ocean trout, halibut and red snapper. Saba, a Japanese mackerel, is one of the few strongly flavored fishes. Sushi meals are $31 for a nine-piece nigiri and maki, $34 for a sashimi dinner and $32 for chirashi (sashimi over rice).
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Kosho Best Bet: Yuzu granita and Lemon Curd Panna Cotta ($6): Oh, my God. Tart, tart, tart, creamy amazement. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Taste of Tea, Healdsburg: For three years, I haven’t quite known what to do with Healdsburg’s Taste of Tea. A combination restaurant, teahouse, spa, and retail location on North Street between a winery tasting room and the Raven Theater, it defied explanation. Turns out, it’s a spot where you can drink a tea and sake cocktail while eating an authentic bento box in the cafe, or — for an altogether different experience — drink tea while getting a foot soak in the spa room. You can also simply eat from their expanded menu — which includes everything from miso soup and wakame salads to pork ramen, curry noodles, and donburi — and schedule a one-hour tea exploration session with a tea docent afterwards. Full review.
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Taste of Tea Best Bet: The Classic Bento, $18: Includes meticulously prepared offerings of pickled sea vegetables, miso soup, small bites of sashimi and chicken katsu, all served in a lacquered bento box that looks and feels like a small gift rather than a simple lunch. Specials like the katsu changeup, but teriyaki beef and chicken as well as fried tofu are always on the menu. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Taste of Tea Best Bet: Miso Ramen, $14: One of Chef Nozomu (Nez) Tokugawa's signatures is Miso Ramen made with vegan kombu broth — a traditional ramen base. Topped with bbq pork, a shoyu-marinated egg, bamboo shoots, and nori, it’s a bowl of warmth and deeply satisfying flavor. (Courtesy photo)
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Don't miss: Drink tea while getting a foot soak in the spa room, or schedule a one-hour tea exploration session with a tea docent afterward. Beer and sake are available, too, but we were especially excited about the Marteani drinks ($7), alcohol-free cocktails that blend flavored teas with mint, cranberry, mango and other ingredients for a refreshing alternative. (Photo by Chris Hardy)
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Mochi at Taste of Tea in Healdsburg. (Courtesy photo)