After closing in late 2019, the historic Jimtown Store is set to reopen June 10 with a new name and under new ownership. Michelle Wood, owner of the catering company Dim Sum and Then Sum, purchased the property nearly 18 months ago and formally took over from longtime owner Carrie Brown in late 2023.

Wood, who previously worked as a lab manager before shifting to full-time catering in 2021, began using the space for pop-ups and as a home base for her company, which is known for handmade Chinese dishes like dumplings, steamed buns and spring rolls inspired by her family recipes.

But it wasn’t her interest in cooking that first brought Wood to Jimtown. Instead, she said she fell in love with the historic Highway 128 outpost as a cyclist. With few food options in the immediate area, Jimtown had long been a popular mid-ride rest stop for riders who sipped and snacked while taking in Alexander Valley view.

A classic menu with a twist

The forthcoming menu at Wood’s Jimtown and Then Sum will include breakfast pastries, classic sandwiches and salads along with a selection of dim sum.

The Highway 128 store first opened in 1893 as a post office, general store and gathering place for residents of the Alexander Valley.

Jimtown’s modern era began in 1991, when Carrie Brown and her late husband, John Werner, took over the space. It became an offbeat destination for visitors who enjoyed Brown’s eclectic collection of toys, candies and housewares. Locals came for sandwiches, Brown’s famous Chain Gang Chili and neighborhood gossip.

More details coming soon.

Jimtown and Then Sum, 6706 Highway 128, Healdsburg, jimtown.com

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General Tso chicken is not Chinese food. Nor are fortune cookies, walnut pineapple prawns, the pupu platter or, well, pretty much anything else you’d order at a Chinese restaurant in Sonoma County. Even the little folded boxes with the red pagoda aren’t Chinese. They’re all American inventions.

But that doesn’t mean we love our Friday night sweet and sour pork, fried rice and crab Rangoon any less. In fact, Chinese-American food is the number one takeout food in the country, just edging out Mexican and Italian, according to the National Restaurant Association, and most of us eat it at least once a month.

We’ve all got a favorite neighborhood spot that makes the perfect Happy Family, hot and sour soup or mu shu chicken, whether it’s a nondescript hole in the wall or a cozy little pan-Asian bistro. Sichuan (spicy), Cantonese (sweet) and Hunan (hot and sour) inspired dishes are the most common types of Chinese-American cuisine in Wine Country.

Here’s a handy guide to a few of our favorites, all of which have pick-up options unless noted, and most have lunch specials.

Hang Ah Dim Sum: Focused on dim sum (small plates of bite-sized food), this Santa Rosa restaurant is about as authentically Chinese as Sonoma County gets. You’ll find dozens of curious steamed, fried and barbecued bites ranging from chicken claws in black bean sauce to shiu mai dumplings, crispy shrimp balls, steamed barbecue pork buns, rice wrapped in lotus leaves and my personal favorite, bean curd skin roll in broth, priced from about $2.50 to $6.50 per plate.

There are plenty of head-scratchers on the menu, but most have little pictures. Take a few risks for just a few dollars, a small investment if you end up not being a fan. The menu also includes Chinese entreés. 2130 Armory Drive, Santa Rosa, 576-7873.

City Chopsticks: One of the more elegant Chinese spots, this Petaluma restaurant was highly recommended by locals. The Princess Chicken (spicy fried pieces of chicken breast with honey garlic sauce, $10.75) is a kid favorite, along with Hong Kong Style crispy noodles with stir-fried veggies ($9.95).

Online ordering at citychopstickspetaluma.com, 127 North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 763-3083.

Lily Kai: Lily Kai is the kind of place where everyone leaves happy. Mo shu ($7.50 to $10.75) is a specialty, with crepes that hold meat or veggies, with chopped cabbage, carrots, onion and other goodies. Choose from Kung pao tofu, with deep-fried tofu in a hot, spicy sauce ($8.75), a small selection of dim sum, or the don’t-miss wrapped chicken or green onion pancakes on the appetizer menu, both under $7. lilikaipetaluma.com, Adobe Creek Center, 3100 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, 782-1132.

Kirin: Like many places in Bennett Valley, Kirin is a family go-to spot. Try the hot and sour soup ($7.50 to $14.95), crab meat and cheese puffs ($6.50), lemon chicken ($10.50) and broccoli beef ($12.25). kirinsr.com, 2700 Yulupa Ave., Suite 3, Santa Rosa, 525-1957.

Ting Hau: Sweet mango walnut chicken ($10.55) and a nice selection of solid vegetarian items for lunch and dinner. 717 Fourth St., Santa Rosa., 545-5204.

Eight Dragons: A brand-new, much-needed Chinese restaurant in Healdsburg with a contemporary twist on classic favorites. Pork belly bao ($8), orange chicken, General Tso’s chicken (both $14) and honey walnut prawns. It’s in a renovated space with potential to be a neighborhood fave. 1047 Vine St., Healdsburg, 395-0023, 8dragonsrestaurant.com.

Goji Kitchen: Goji isn’t specifically a Chinese restaurant, but definitely gets Chinese right. Owners Ben and Jennifer Chang have created a pan-Asian menu that includes Vietnamese and Thai dishes, all made fresh, with non GMO rice oil, organic tofu and fresh ingredients. Favorites are walnut pineapple prawns ($16.50), a whole fish with ginger and scallions ($36), and spicy Szechuan green beans ($14.50). The goat cheese spring rolls with tamarind sauce are a California take on this Chinese classic. gojikitchen.com, 1965 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 523-3888.

Fantasy Hong Kong Style BBQ: This spot isn’t for everyone, but it is for anyone desperate to find authentic Chinese roasted duck, roasted pork belly, honey pork and spare ribs cut to order. This is true Chinese barbecue. 1520 E. Washington St., Petaluma, no phone.

Chinois Asian Bistro: Another not entirely Chinese-inspired spot, this Asian bistro sometimes gets overlooked. Their food is eat-in only, with fresh takes on classics like wok-tossed lemongrass prawn lettuce cups, and an extensive noodle menu with BBQ pork egg noodles ($14.95) and fried rice noodles with dried Chinese pork and bean sprouts ($14.95). chinoisbistro.com, 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 838-4667.

Sakura Bistro: This new Chinese-Japanese restaurant has replaced Formosa Bistro in Sebastopol and is garnering pretty solid raves from locals. 799 Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol

Royal China: Royal China is one of the swankest Asian eateries around, with a lush, dark interior. Mu shu ($10.88) is a favorite, and portions are large. 3080 Marlow Road, Suite 4, Santa Rosa, 545-2911.

Happy Garden: Locals say this is a top Chinese spot for Chinese standards like Mongolian beef, walnut shrimp and chow mein. happygardensonoma.com, 201 W. Napa St., Sonoma, 996-6037.

More Sonoma Wine Country Restaurants and Dining Reviews on BiteClubEats.

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Fresh China is now offering an authentic dim sum menu that takes advantage of organic and seasonal produce and tea pairings. I taste-tasted through the menu a few months ago as Chef Peter was finalizing his recipes and was especially impressed with his steamed dumplings, creative use of tofu and fried crab claw.Check it out and let me know what you think.  284 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa, 707.527.6444.

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At Hang Ah Dim Sum in Santa Rosa, chicken feet and duck tongue have finally gone mainstream.
This, believe it or not, is a good thing. Because tag-teamed with these well-loved Chinese specialties are a whole mess of more easily translated dim sum dishes from San Francisco’s historic Hang Ah restaurant.
Think Shanghai dumplings, Shiu Mai, leaf-wrapped rice, potstickers and pork buns.

The small dining room (an A&W restaurant in its former life) buzzes throughout the day with a cross-section of folks — from hungry construction workers to families.
If you’ve already got your dim sum badge, skip over this next part. If you’re new to these little purses of steamed deliciousness, here’s the 411: Dim sum is all about ordering lots of little plates, drinking tea and sharing what shows up around the table. There are several different types of dim sum (which roughly translated means something about “your heart’s delight”)  most of which are bits of ground meat wrapped in rice or flour skins and steamed. But that’s just the half of it.
The best part of dim sum is simply ordering the oddly named items (curry beef dumpling, bean curd skin roll) and seeing what shows up. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you spit it in a napkin and move on. Consider this your personal voyage into the unknown.
The dim sum menu is broken into three main parts, based on price. Small dishes (Shiu Mai, chicken claws, pork ribs, steamed pork buns and curry beef) are $2.50 per plate. Medium plates (taro dumplings, bean curd skin rolls, sweet deserts like baked custard, etc.) are $3.50 per plate and large plates (shrimp dumplings, shrimp stuffed eggplant , Shanghai dumplings and crispy shrimp balls) are $4.50 per plate. Chef’s picks (shark-fin dumplings, roast duck, duck tongue and BBQ pork) are a hefty $6.50 each. Most folks can down at least 2 to 3 plates per person, so it can add up pretty quickly.
The restaurant also features a full menu of more traditional Chinese fare (General Tsou chicken, sweet and sour, Kung Po, Mu Shu) if you’re not ready to full invest in dim sum, including a $6.50 lunch menu. But come on, live a little.
Best bets for dim sum virgins are the steamed pork buns (gooey, white dough balls filled with BBQ
pork), shrimp balls (once you stop snickering, they’re pretty good little fried nuggets of ground shrimp), steamed Shanghai dumplings (lots of ginger or pork) and the Shiu Mai (ground pork). If you’re a bit more adventurous, head for the bean curd skin roll, curried beef dumplings (listed as “carry”) or taro dumplings. Chicken claws are best left to the pros, though once you’ve had them, you’ll swear by ’em. Unless you don’t.
Stacked up against higher end dim sum spots in the city, Hang Ah hovers in the solid, but not truly exceptional category. Flavors can get a little muddled, wrappers a little thick and sticky. Which isn’t to say it’s not good eats. One shining spot is that (unlike their San Francisco location) Hang Ah north isn’t a large-scale tourist operation, but more of a family-style restaurant. Service is fast and efficient. Dishes are a bit more personal.
At the end of the meal, my fortune read: “An unexpected event will soon make your life more exciting.” Turns out, a little dim sum spot around the corner from my house fits the bill just about perfectly.
Hang Ah Dim Sum, 2130 Armory Drive, Santa Rosa, 576.7873.
Oh, and about the Drive Through Dim Sum sign? Yeah. No.

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A true sister act to Kelly Shu and Chang Liow’s sushi restaurant, Ume, SF-trained sibling Debbie Shu heads up Chinois Asian Bistro, an ultra-modern pan-Asian kitchen. Think Betelnut meets Wine Country.
On the menu are several types of dim sum (finally come to SoCo), small plates of everything from panko prawns with wasabi-honey, chicken satay and Singaporean Roti Prata (a sort of flat bread with curry dip) to sautéed mung beans, garlic egg noodles and what you’ve come here for–seafood Nonya Laksa.
This Malaysian-inspired noodle soup starts with a thick, creamy coconut broth infused with pungent spices (cardamom, fennel, Chinese cinnamon bark to name a few) topped with clams, scallops, shrimp, fried bean curd and a hard-boiled egg. The crowning jewel is a dab of fresh coconut meat and a squeeze of lime. Exotic? Yes. But this kind of simple, honest, home style food is simply what Debbie (and many of the rest of us) having been craving ’round these parts. “This is just the stuff that I want to eat,” she says.
Add to her cravings Beef Lumpia ($6), a delicate fried spring roll bathed in a honey chili sauce that has a sweet, savory, hot flavor that begs to be licked from the plate. Sautéed mung bean sprouts arrive like a small work of art. They’re earthy and slightly bitter with bits of dried shrimp nestled inside, along with homemade shrimp and taro chips.
Garlic egg noodles are a signature dish that seem bland at first–little more than a plate of mostly unadorned homemade noodles. But they grow on you with each bite, tender, chewy and dangerously addictive. During lunch, plates of Rendang Beef and grilled pineapple baby back ribs come with an organic house salad, daikon soup (which Debbie says she grew up eating for breakfast) and jasmine rice. It’s a great way to sample a few dishes with a friend.
Dessert’s best bet is a simple coconut crème brulee. Do not turn it away no matter how full you are and don’t plan to share it. It’s that good.
The wine list is intriguing, with Chang’s past expertise in pairing Asian flavors with different grapes shining through. Currently the list is focused on wines mostly outside the area (European, Australian) but he’s adding more quickly, with plans for a large in-house cellar. The restaurant offers a complete menu of high-end sakes and exotic teas.
Chinois Asian Bistro, 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707.838.4667

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