Already, the $23.5 million project includes Spirit Works Distillery, Kosta Browne Winery, Guayaki Tea Taylor Maid Farms Coffee & Tea, Mama Tina’s Ravioli, Bliss Bakery, Acre Coffee café and pie shop, Village Bakery, Woodfour Brewing Co. boutique beer brewery and restaurant, Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar, the Gypsy Bay Laurel bay leaf company, Via Giusti olive oil, Wind Gap Wines, and Whole Spice.

By the time the project is up and running by fall, it is clear it will be a landmark destination and important draw for the tiny town that has long been celebrated for artisanal eating and drinking opportunities. Think a mini Ferry Building, actually.

As for Terra Sonoma, that is an artisan produce distribution service that has been in business since 1979, with owners Tim Page and Michelle Dubin delivering fresh organic produce grown by Sonoma County family farms to clients such as restaurants, small markets and caterers.

Barley and Hops, meanwhile, is a beer tavern in Occidental owned by Noah Bolmer. The restaurant serves local beers and gentrified pub grub like beef Bourguignon, German blaukraut, and ahi over creamy grits. Yet for his new project, Bolmer plans to open a brewery with tasting room called 8-Bit Brewing Company, which will serve Barley and Hops plus other local accounts.

Details: The Barlow, 200 Morris Street, Sebastopol, 707-824-5600, thebarlow.net.

Filet mignon melts on the tongue like buttah, baby. You can get it wrapped in bacon, topped in pan seared foie gras, roasted bone marrow, truffle fried egg or blue cheese butter, and dolloped in whole grain mustard béarnaise, peppercorn sauce, salsa verde, red wine sauce, truffle aioli or house steak sauce. There’s even an exotic salt sampler. It’s pure decadence, but ah, we digress.

The real news is that those discerning folks at the renowned James Beard House in New York agree, and are honoring Stark at their Carnivores’ Delight gathering on Feb. 2, as part of a celebration of beef hosted by the Certified Angus Beef® brand.

It’s like playing at the Carnegie Hall of culinary professionals, and this visit actually marks Stark’s third performance over the years. He uses Angus beef in his Santa Rosa area restaurants, including Willi’s Wine Bar, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, and Monti’s Rotisserie.

For the Delight-athon, Stark will prepare coffee-crusted Angus prime natural filet with beef rillettes, bone marrow dumplings and “crack” potatoes. Imagine high fat, high flavor, high joy.

And if we’re lucky, Sonoma diners soon will see sample plates of the Beard feast as specials on Stark’s menu, too.

Details: Stark Steakhouse, 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkssteakhouse.com.

Fortunately for Sonoma County residents, we already live that dream, year-round. Some of the healthiest food to be found is grown and cooked right here.

Consider fresh produce, which packs in the most nutrients when it’s straight from the farm, rather than shipped across an ocean. Think about free-range eggs, which have more calcium and nutrients when they are fresh laid from happy chickens enjoying natural foraged foods. Discover rich, lean beef and milk from cheerful cows, and lower fat pork from very pleased pigs that live in pasture bliss.

Because such good foods have so much extra flavor, chefs don’t need to add in extras like heavy sauces. Fats, sugar and salt can be minimal, because the base ingredients themselves sing so beautifully.

A light misting of olive oil and sprinkle of herbs from the garden are all it takes to make salmon magical, and the most decadent dessert can be nothing but pristine ripe berries dolloped with unsweetened whipped cream.

As for sipping that sparkling, scientists do agree that a bit of top quality wine is good for the heart, and quality of life.

Still not convinced? There is even a great book, called The New Sonoma Diet, that charts the natural whole foods, phytochemicals, micronutrients and antioxidants naturally found in California coastal and wine country cuisine.

Whether you’re starting a diet or continuing to celebrate your daily cornucopia, here are two new tasty suggestions that showcase pure, sumptuous Sonoma simplicity:

Black Point Grill The Sea Ranch Lodge, Sea Ranch

First, you eat up the views. Overlooking a pastoral and rugged Sonoma seascape meadow, the spectacular ocean scenery from the dining room is a feast for the eyes.

Then, you focus on your plate, which features internationally inspired California cuisine emphasizing the freshest local ingredients. At this new restaurant, the daily breakfast, lunch and dinner menu changes seasonally, and offers everything from casual tavern fare to more formal small plates, appetizers and entrees paired with regional wines.

Don’t these dishes sound delicious, from executive chef Phillip M. Kaufman? Sonoma duck tacos topped in queso fresco, cabbage and sweet lime vinaigrette; organic baby arugula salad with pressed watermelon, toasted pine nuts, pears and raspberry vanilla vinaigrette; a club sandwich layered with grilled ahi, daikon, avocado, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and wasabi aioli on toasted whole wheat bread; or roasted Northern halibut with warm pineapple salsa and crisp parsnips.

Details: 60 Sea Walk Drive, Sea Ranch, 800-732-7262, searanchlodge.com.

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma

Diners with specific dietary requests often may forfeit flavor and choice for their health, but with the Fairmont’s new Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu, the luxury hotel caters to guests with such concerns as diabetes, heart disease and celiac disease, as well as those who simply prefer to eat macrobiotic, raw and vegan diets.

Resort chefs have been trained to prepare a delicious array of special allergy-specific meals and are even equipped with Nutritionist Pro by Axxya Systems, a cutting-edge calorie/nutrition analysis software for recipes.

In more palate friendly terms, however, that means simply this: dishes change often and seasonally, but you might feast on baked tofu with gluten-free bean noodles; raw zucchini, carrot, Portobello and cashew butter pave; Cornish crab cake and marinated cucumber-grapefruit salad with homemade aioli; and vegan chocolate ganache flan.

Details: 100 Boyes Blvd.,
Sonoma, 707-938-9000, fairmont.com/sonoma.

Sweet T’s has only been open for a little while, yet Edwards replaces original chef Doug Richey, who was dismissed in an effort to infuse more authentic Southern flavor into the low-country-theme restaurant. Tennessee is low-country central, so Edwards was summoned temporarily away from his own Memphis hot spot, The Elegant Farmer, to, as he told my table, “help amp up the kitchen.”

The chef quickly introduced his brand new menus, adding his own touches like free-range deviled eggs that are prepared in a different style each day – blended with smoked tomato and basil, for example. Dressed in shorts, shirt and a long bistro apron, he was stopping by to double check that every fried green tomato’s cornmeal coating was requisite shatteringly-crisp, and each bowl of curry sweet potato soup was spiced just so.

A few new dishes borrow directly from the Farmer (“Borrow,” Edwards emphasized, smiling. “Not steal.”). That curry sweet potato soup ($6), for one, and also a chicken tostada with chili-lime crème fraiche ($10), a salmon burger with Creole remoulade ($12), a “One Story” club sandwich ($11), “slooow cooked” pot roast ($13), those deviled eggs ($7), and shrimp ‘n grits low country style with Tasso ham, sweet peppers and onions over stone ground cheese grits ($18).

There are also now more mainstream dishes, in an Americana mood for plates like Cobb salad ($12), a half-pound cheeseburger ($12), and wood-oven rib eye with buttermilk smashed potatoes ($23).

The smoker is still chugging away, too, cranking out barbecue favorites like beef brisket ($12), pulled pork butt ($12) and baby back ribs ($16 half/$25 full).

Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar: 2009 Stagecoach Road, Santa Rosa; (707) 595-3935 or Facebook.

Well, hang on, because the historic property, a 1907 basalt building, is about to get jettisoned into the 21^st Century, with the addition of a new 5,000 square patio tricked out with al fresco dining, live music, and hip games such as bocce ball. It will take over what has long been a vacant lot next to the hotel on the corner of Wilson and 4th streets, next to Khoom Lanna Thai café.

Calling the area similar to a “beer garden,” co-owner and general manager John McNulty promises a stage, smoker, grill, a large centerpiece bar, seating for up to 130 patrons, and lawns for lounging.

Even in that potential party atmosphere, however, customers will be expected to behave. When the patio opens this summer, McNulty says it will be a family friendly hangout, offering good, old-fashioned fun like chess matches, dart tournaments and horseshoe tossing. Kiddies, start shining up those practice horseshoes now.

Details: Iron Stone, 308 Wilson St., (at Railroad Square), Santa Rosa, 707-595-4348, ironstonerestaurant.com.

Sonoma rules.

That’s why Chef Steven Snook has just taken over the kitchen at Kenwood Inn & Spa, direct from six years of sweating in the restaurants of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in New York and London.

Kenwood Inn, of course, is that lovely Mediterranean-style resort nearly hidden on the hillside of Highway 12. It boasts just 29 rooms, but also a full service spa, and an upscale Italian eatery that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you haven’t heard of it, no surprise, because the 35 restaurant seats are available only to resort guests, who pay anywhere from $275 to $800 per night for suite accommodations. Yet here is an insider’s secret – anyone who schedules a day or evening spa treatment can get a meal reservation, too.

For Snook, Sonoma County should be an interesting change. The British-born talent has worked at the Michelin Star Reads Restaurant in Kent, England, and in 2004, he placed third out of 1,700 participants from across the U.K. in the Young Chef of the Year competition, receiving a gold award from the Academy of Culinary Arts.

In 2006, he hired on at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in London, where he assisted Ramsay with the filming of the fourth season of the BBC’s F Word. In 2008, he was named sous chef at the Michelin Three Star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, then in 2009 went to Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London in New York City.

Snook is still finalizing his new menu, but here’s a sneak peek: gnocchi di patate con prosciutto (hand rolled potato gnocchi, taleggio, mustard greens, Figones peach-cranberry white balsamic, crisp Prosciutto di Parma), insalata di germogli di Bruxelles caldo (warm Brussels sprouts salad, local walnuts, pear and Meyer lemon), and pesce del giorno (black olive poached monkfish, Kenwood garden’s black cabbage, caper berries, herb croquette).

Other temptations include wood fired flatbread pizza with garden persimmon, coppa, fontina cheese and wild arugula, or wood fired beef tenderloin with bone marrow and caper vinaigrette, potato galette, and whole baked shallots.

Details: Kenwood Inn & Spa, 10400 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-1293, kenwoodinn.com.

Find out why it's "crab," by clicking on the photo.

We wait for it all year long, and finally, it’s here – the highly anticipated Dungeness crab season has arrived. These large, hard-shell crabs are a true Northern California specialty, renowned for their sweet flavor and pink, flaky meat, and are considered a delicacy among all seafood connoisseurs.

Crab is a traditional holiday feast along the northwest coast, pairing perfectly with everything from sparkling wines to crisp beer. Yet some home cooks may feel challenged choosing their crab. Where to go? What to look for?

Fortunately, Sonoma is home to many seafood experts, and the most important point of advice from the fine folks at G&G grocery to Spud Point Crab Company is simply this: call ahead to make sure your cherished crustacean is available. Crabbing is the main fishing industry of Bodega, yet it arrives only in limited quantities as the ocean allows, and is sold here only fresh, not frozen. Their experts will do the rest, from helping clean the critters, to offering advice on preparation.

It’s an excellent supper selection, too. Because of the great care taken to thoughtfully harvest this delicate crustacean, Seafood Watch has given the Dungeness crab a sustainable seafood rating of “Best Choice.”

Since the Gong family opened the first G&G Market in 1963, the grocery been known as one of Sonoma County’s top meat and seafood purveyors. With locations in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, the market – still family owned – now sells more crabs during crab season than any other retailer in the North Bay. Part of the appeal is that G&G stores have live crabs in tanks (their butchers clean your crab for free), and also offer cooked crab ready-to-eat, fresh from the chiller cases.

As you watch the crab skitter around the tanks, note its large size, weighing in at 1-3/4 to 4 pounds, and its distinctive brown to purple color.

Arguably the leader in catching that fresh crab is Spud Point Crab Company in Bodega Bay. The Anello family has been fishing the area since just after the turn of the 19th century, and today, Tony Anello keeps the legacy alive with his trusty boat named Annabelle. The Spud Point market is directly across the street from Spud Point Marina, guaranteeing the sweet, succulent crab is dock-to-door fresh, where it’s sold whole, or in sandwiches, cakes chowder and salads.

Crab season runs as long as the crabs participate – generally late November through June, though in years’ past it has been shortened as fisherman work to protect population and pricing. Law requires the crab to be at least 6-1/4 inches long to be harvested, and only males can be taken. Prime season is in the winter months.

When you pick your crab in Sonoma, freshness is very rarely a concern, especially when you’ve seen it alive and kicking just minutes before you’ve left the store. But here’s a reminder of why fresh is so much better than frozen: frozen crab generally has a tougher texture, less rich flavor and more salty taste. And never freeze your own crab, since it will render it to tasteless mush. Simply eat it all, and enjoy!

Find out how to make this delicious Northern California favorite, cioppino.

Details: G&G Market, 1211 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-546-6877; and 701 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma, 707-765-1198, gandgmarket.com.

Spud Point Crab Company, 1860 Westshore Rd., Bodega Bay, 707-875-9472, spudpointcrab.com.

December is a time of gift giving, and how nice – the lovely people at Farmhouse Inn of Forestville have come up with a very, very special gift for us all.

In honor of the boutique hotel and restaurant’s 11th anniversary, owners and siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei are putting a bow on one of the most remarkable presents to be offered in Wine Country lodging and dining.

All through December, anyone purchasing a three-course dinner at Farmhouse Restaurant will receive a second three-course dinner for $11. And anyone booking one night at Farmhouse Inn can enjoy a second night for just $11, too.

Considering that the restaurant boasts a Michelin star, and the Inn offers all the amenities of an AAA 4-Diamond luxury property, it’s actually kind of a rub-your-eyes deal.

There’s a little bit of fine print: The offer runs through Dec. 27, 2011, but excludes Christmas, and Saturdays. Yet if you make reservations now, that still leaves plenty of time to book dinner and a getaway.

What will it be – supper first, or straight to the spa?

Details: Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant, 7871 River Rd., Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com.

It’s possible that the only thing we like more than pie is shopping. Or maybe puppies. And actually, naps in the warm sun are pretty nice, too.

But since we’re not being greedy this holiday, we’ll stick to pies and shopping. Fortunately for us, those nice people at Petaluma Pie Company have brought the two together, by opening a temporary gift boutique next to their store on Petaluma Boulevard North downtown.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, Dec. 17, between 1 and 6 p.m., when the space at 125 Petaluma Blvd. N. between Washington Street and Western Avenue is transformed into a special open house, featuring an emporium of wares handmade by local artists.

Pretty things will include host and hostess gifts, soaps and scents, upcycled home decor, fanciful paintings, vintage inspired jewelry and much more.

To keep energy up while browsing and dinging those credit cards, the Pie Co. will set out complimentary hot apple cider and homemade cookies.

If you don’t make it Saturday, there’s still time. The Pop-Up Gift Boutique will operate all through December, Wednesdays through Mondays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the pie shop proper will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. all those days, too.

Details: Pop-Up Gift Boutique: 125 Petaluma Blvd. N. (Next to Petaluma Pie Company), Petaluma, petalumapie.com.

Wait. Before you wail, too, nothing is changing. We will all continue to get the same great, greasy grub we’ve come to crave since the casual pit stop opened in early 2009.

Here’s what happened: The former owners are Chris and Kate Badouin, and Chris named the place in honor of his late father Roy, who had always dreamed of opening a hot dog stand. Yet the Badouins are now leaving the business to spend time with their college-bound daughters.

Husband and wife team Chris and Sara Caudill have taken over, and as long time loyal customers themselves, they have promised to keep the menu and mood intact.

For those who have never been to this colorful café cluttered with sports memorabilia, fair warning. If you don’t already know it’s there, you’re not going to find it. The coffee shop style restaurant is literally inside the Auction Yard on a side street just north of downtown Petaluma, so slow down when you see the A-frame sign in the dirt and head back towards what looks like the offices.

There, you’ll discover more than 1,000 variations on Vienna Beef hot dogs, starting with three sizes, up to 12 inches, plus Polish sausage, a spicy fried Polish Fire Dog and a specialty sausage of the week. That 1,000 count comes from the possible topping combos, in nearly four dozen add-ons such as Sriracha, Hell Fire sauce, peanut sauce, homemade Thai slaw, pineapple mustard, Dusseldorf brown mustard, chipotle or sesame mayo, homemade queso, cream cheese and bacon.

Don’t overlook the sandwiches, either. They’re addictive, as drip-down-your-chin-ruin-your-shirt Italian beefs with various add-ons, half-pound pastrami and Reuben sandwiches optionally dunked in Italian gravy, cheese steaks, a beef brisket hoagie, and for fancier appetites, a lobster roll on a buttered, toasted poppy seed bun. Daily specials include East Coast-style steamed cheeseburgers, barbecued linguica, homemade pies and deep-fried Oreos.

One caveat: family owned and family run, the Doggery keeps eclectic hours (regularly Monday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). On a recent Saturday, the café was closed, with a sign posted on the door that staffers were busy serving franks at a special event.

One customer, his wife and two children in tow, read the sign and froze. Then, true story, he tilted back his head, and let loose a mournful ah-oooooh.

Details: Roy’s Chicago Doggery, 84 Corona Rd., Petaluma, 707-774-1574, roysdogs.com.

Pecan Pie

The dinner bell is ringing in Santa Rosa, and the sound is sweet. Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar, to be exact, which has just opened in the former Santi space at Fountaingrove Village.

So it’s time to tie on the bibs, and settle in for some good, honest, sloppy Southern soul food, like Southern fried chicken served with biscuits plus sides like Hoppin’ John and collard greens; or a signature selection of smoked meats that will change each day, inspired by a different region, to be served until, as the cooks say, there simply ain’t no more.

Being that the chef is former Santi big dog Douglas Richey, however, diners can also expect some fancy touches to their vittles, such as a salad of baby lettuces, local pears, toasted almonds and cured ham in balsamic vinaigrette, or crispy Dungeness crab cakes topped in baby greens and sweet-hot mustard aioli.

For entrees, you can dig into Frogmore Stew, which is a classic Low Country dish of crawfish, shrimp, manila clams, fingerling potato and sweet corn in a shallots-tomato-fennel broth, but also seared yellowtail over crispy potato cake, with green tomato chow chow and a drizzle of smoked tomato broth.

Big Tasty

Sweet T’s is also open for lunch, y’all, so stop in for a Big Nasty (crispy fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese, sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuit sandwich), or the CSS Hunley (eight spicy beef and pork meatballs braised in rustic tomato sauce and stuffed in a crusty roll with provolone cheese).

And need we say – there is a bar, of course, putting out thirst-quenching beers against a soulful backdrop of corrugated metal accents and TVs showing sports.

As the menu reminds, Richey and crew are hoping you’ll follow this Low Country proverb: “Better three days without rest, than one day without sweet tea.”

Details: Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar, 2009 Stagecoach Road, Santa Rosa, 707-595-3935, Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Ts-Restaurant-and-Bar/270593712963087?sk=info

Forchetta/Bastoni has opened, in a creative concept that combines two distinct kitchens and dining spaces within the 6,000 square foot building that sits in front of Sebastopol Plaza.

Forchetta is Italian for “fork,” and Bastoni is Italian for “sticks.” In this case, it means a fork around which you might twirl spaghetti, and chopsticks with which you might eat Asian food, since Forchetta serves Italian soul food and Bastoni offers southeast Asian street food.

Confused? It’s not really that complicated. There are two owners working together, Steven Peyer and Jamilah Nixon, who are former Peter Lowell’s and Lucy’s Restaurant staffers. Bastoni occupies the Plaza side of the eatery, including the patio, while Forchetta takes up the front, including the expansive exposition kitchen with its fiery oven.

Uniting the two is the funky interior design, emphasizing reclaimed and repurposed materials, like lighting hand made of old wine bottles, mason jars and sticky rice baskets; booths and tables fashioned out of salvaged doors; and a centerpiece chandelier made by Sonoma County artist Allis Teegarden. Both restaurants also share a common private dining area, called “Lucia’s Room.”

At Bastoni, you’ll sit on low sectionals made of old shipping palettes topped with Thai sarong pillows, or at regular tables or the bar, and eat small plates such as bánh mì, Thai-style wet noodles, Vietnamese dry noodles, salads, and a daily curry. You’ll sip cocktails brightened by fresh flavors like kaffir lime leaf and Thai bird’s eye chile.

At Forchetta, you can sit at the kitchen counter, at tables or in booths, and nibble on dishes like pizzas, bisteca, antipasti, bruschetta, housemade pasta and risotto, and the house specialty “soul greens.”

Besides inspired cuisine, the eateries offer something else Sebastopol has been craving: late hours. Bastoni is open daily for lunch, dinner and late night bites from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Forchetta serves dinner Thursday through Monday from 5 to 9 p.m., and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Details: Forchetta/Bastoni: 6948 Sebastopol Ave. (on the Sebastopol Plaza), Sebastopol, 707-829-9500, forchettabastoni.com.

With the holidays just around the corner, food is on everyone’s mind. What to cook for the inevitable elaborate feasts? Well, as the old joke goes, for some one of us, the best thing we make is reservations.

Luckily, Sonoma County abounds with world-class chefs happy to do the kitchen magic for us. Please note that many of your favorite restaurants offer both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day dinners as well as New Year’s Eve specials, so if you see something mouthwatering in the selections below, call to see what the other holiday options are.

Unwrap some of these delicious picks for your celebratory suppers, then sit back, be served, and let someone else do the dishes:

Thanksgiving

The Bay View Restaurant & Lounge, at the Inn at the Tides
800 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay, 800-541-7788, innatthetides.com
Nov. 24, from 1 to 8 p.m.

Bay View Restaurant

Relax and take in the breathtaking views of Bodega Bay, surrounded by the elegance of wood-beamed ceilings and a crackling fire while you sip your favorite Sonoma County wines.

Holiday meals are served a la carte, meaning you can create-your-own multi-course feast from numerous choices within each category from appetizers to dessert.

Begin with Dungeness crabmeat Imperial au gratin served in a seashell ($12.50), or Plymouth clam pie that’s certainly the most glamorous pot pie ever, stocked with Long Island cherrystone clams, apples and applewood bacon ($14.95).

For a main course, it might be traditional roasted Thanksgiving turkey, complete with savory apple and prune stuffing, cranberry corn muffin, giblet gravy, acorn squash, sweet potatoes with maple syrup and watercress  ($22, children under 12, half price) or a lavish plate of escalope of veal and Maine lobster medallion in

Bearnaise and Madeira sauces alongside mashed potatoes and string beans ($24).

Find a sweet finish with chocolate lava cake ($6) or pumpkin-ricotta cheesecake ($7).

Applewood Inn

Applewood Inn
13555 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-869-9093, applewoodinn.com
Nov. 24, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Michelin-star rated and entirely magical, tucked in the forest on a gentle hillside outside downtown Guerneville – that’s just a short description of what makes Applewood so remarkable. It looks like a gracious, elegant lodge of wood and white tablecloths, and the cuisine is equally stunning.

Applewood Inn

For the holiday, indulge in a four-course repast beginning with buttercup squash soup decorated in nutmeg crème fraiche and crispy sunchokes. Then, choose your other dishes, from multiple temptations like wild mushroom-chevre tart, with huckleberries; oven roasted breast and confit leg of turkey with buttermilk mashed potatoes, apple sausage stuffing, Brussels sprouts, gravy and cranberry relish; and pumpkin créme brulee with cardamom doughnuts and vanilla marshmallows.

Details: $75 per person

Iron Stone, in Hotel La Rose
308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-4348, ironstonerestaurant.com
Nov. 24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The new Iron Stone offers casual California cuisine, set in a pretty, historic space off Railroad Square. Chef-owner Tom McNulty’s career spans more than two decades, and for the holiday, he will showcase classics emphasizing ingredients from local Sonoma County farms.

A three-course meal awaits, starting with a selection of appetizers like soups and salads, choice of traditional turkey or prime rib with all the trimmings, and an array of desserts. Add in the perfect Sonoma County wine, local micro brews, or craft beer, and cheers!

Details: $29.95 per person

Christmas Day

Santé Restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma, 707-939-2415, fairmont.com
Dec. 25, from 2 to 8 p.m.

Santé

This luxurious, white-tablecloth destination rolls out the stops for its Christmas Grand Buffet, beginning with the live, strumming music from guitarist Isaac Carter. We counted the items on the menu, and here is what we found – 40-plus appetizers including half a dozen salumi, two dozen artisan cheeses, a half dozen delicious fishes, and extravaganza like house made pâté de campagne, caviar and blinis, plus house made seafood terrine.

Executive chef Bruno Tison also will present a half dozen salads such as classic Shrimp Louis, two carving stations with roast goose and Niman Ranch Prime rib, five entrees ranging from organic artichoke ravioli in preserved Meyer lemon cream sauce to veal sweet breads in ivory sauce and black truffles, alongside a cornucopia of vegetables, side dishes and wood-fired artisanal breads.

Dessert gets its own buffet, brimming with nearly two dozen delights like Bûche de Noël, Opera cake, peanut butter crisp with salted caramel mousse, and espresso-cardamom pot de crème. Oh my, holiday joy, indeed.

Details: $95 per person, $47.50 for children 5-12 years, complimentary for children 4 and under.

Madrona Manor
1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, 707-433-4231, madronamanor.com
Seating nightly at 6:30pm with a 1:30pm matinee on Christmas Day

Madrona Manor

Plan your storybook holiday in a private, forest-y nook of Healdsburg with the Michelin-star Madrona Manor, and executive chef Jesse Mallgren’s highly popular Dickens Dinners (offered through December, and on Christmas Day, there is a special matinee meal, too).

You’ll make merry with this magical retreat into classic holiday cheer, back to the times when people dressed to the nines in the spirit of the season, caroled with their neighbors and decorated their homes with gorgeous twinkling lights and festive ornaments. Except in this case, it’s not your home, but a historic 1881 Victorian mansion which houses the inn and restaurant, all lavishly bedecked with 4,000 twinkling lights on a 14-foot tall Christmas tree.

Madrona Manor

Manor owners Bill and Trudi Konrad spend more than a week decorating the place with wreaths, garlands, fresh flowers, toys and ornaments. In a nod to A Christmas Carol, carolers wander the grounds, dressed in period clothing, while guests tuck into a five-course menu highlighted in dishes like petite lobster Shepherd’s pie, beef Wellington, and Christmas pudding.

Details: $85 to $125 per person, depending on date.

Owners Crista Luedtke and Michael Volpatt are getting ready for some tasty events.

Big Bottom Market might need a bigger sign, so its owners can tack on the word “Bistro.”

That’s because the tiny grocery and deli that opened in Guerneville this summer is lining up a solid calendar of special dinners, to showcase the talents of new chef Tricia Brown.

There are only a dozen or so seats at the communal table and casual tables at the front of the store, but for other events like the very popular Ladies’ Nights wine and appetizer tastings on Fridays, customers are known to commandeer sidewalk space, too.

First up are Market Dinners, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2. If you’ve got $20, you can score a three-course meal starting with Moroccan carrot soup topped in creamy yogurt and gremolata. Next it’s chicken tagine with olives and almonds or fragrant vegetable and garbanzo tagine served over couscous with almonds. For dessert, Chef Brown is making fig and pear bread pudding with caramel sauce and cardamom-scented whipped cream.

Add $15 for wine pairing of local, boutique selections with each course, or focus on the featured wine for the evening at $6 a glass or $18 a bottle.

Then, on Nov. 9, Big Bottom rolls out the first of a series of monthly winemaker dinners. The inaugural meal, slated for 7 p.m., showcases Healdsburg’s Moshin Vineyards with a four-course dinner featuring local fall ingredients, while Moshin winemaker/proprietor Rick Moshin will be on hand to sign bottles.

Your $75 ticket brings butternut squash bisque with crème fraiche, fried sage and crispy pancetta served with Moshin’s Sonoma Coast 2008 Chardonnay; and warm wild mushroom salad with Taleggio crostini served with 2007 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir. The entrée is Spanish braised short ribs in red wine sauce with orange zest and cocoa alongside cauliflower-roasted garlic puree and smoky kale and onions. served with Carreras Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 2008 Zinfandel. To finish, it’s apple-pear cobbler with maple whipped cream served with Motion Potion No.9.

As you might assume, seats for all Big Bottom suppers are limited, and reservations are required. Claim your space at http://moshinwinemakerdinner.eventbrite.com.

Details: Big Bottom Market, 16228 Main St., Guerneville, 707-604-7295, bigbottommarket.com.

Get your “Frogmore Stew” in Santa Rosa

Sonoma is best known for its high-style Wine Country cuisine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for other delicious foods, even if that’s something known as down ’n’ dirty Low Country cuisine.

Such is the case with the former Santi space at Fountaingrove Village, where former Santi chef Douglas Richey is opening Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar at the end of the month. The concept is down home southern, featuring delectables like Frogmore Stew, which is a mess of crawfish, shrimp, manila clams, fingerling potato, sweet corn, shallots and tomato in fennel broth.

Just looking at the preview menu makes me think this will be a fun place to hang out. While the restaurant is being extensively renovated from its former upscale-rustic Italian ambiance, the big, friendly Santi bar will remain, serving fun snacks (“Little Vittles”) like sweet potato chips, fried pickles and boiled peanuts alongside potent cocktails and microbrews.

Through lunch and dinner, diners can get their grub on with specialties such as scallops and grits, crispy wings “served hotter than a mouth full of bees,” and Southern fried chicken, served with biscuits plus sides like Hoppin’ John, hush puppies in salted honey butter, and collard greens.

Richey has trucked in a pressure fryer and smoker, for daily changing meats inspired by a different region each day.  There will also be a Berkshire pork chop atop macaroni and cheese, oven roasted bass over a succotash of sweet corn, black eyed peas, zucchini, shallots and bacon, and a shrimp and oyster po’ boy.

And don’t worry about manners, just dig in and enjoy. All plates, Richey promises, will come with plenty of napkins for mopping up.

Details: Sweet T’s Restaurant + Bar, 2009 Stagecoach Road, Santa Rosa.

Gypsy Café has just opened in Sebastopol on Main Street, taking over the long-beloved (though well-worn) Pine Cone.  Even the pickiest diner will find something to like on this lengthy menu. Hence the name – food choices wander all over, and recipes refuse to be pigeonholed.

Did I mention that there is Yucatán pulled pork topped with shredded cabbage and limed onion on a ciabatta roll, plus gluten-free crepe pancakes, shrimp tacos, and three-cheese mac-n-cheese?

The airy, artsy breakfast-all-day and lunch spot comes from French-trained chef John Littlewood, and restaurant designer Shawn Hall, who created the looks for such notable eateries as Willi’s Seafood, Hopmonk Tavern and Costeaux Bakery.

As might be expected, the look is rustic, with antiques and dark furniture accenting brick walls, and as hoped, the food is delicious, with plenty of Sonoma fresh ingredients like Rocky chicken, housemade sausage, Bodega clams, and playful Sebastopol-centric touches like toasted hemp seeds in the mixed green salad.

Details: Gypsy Café, 162 N. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-861-3825, gypsy-cafe.com.

You can plan a meal before you visit the wine tasting rooms, or even better, eat as you go. Here are some of Sonoma County’s most delicious wine and food paired opportunities:

Ram's Gate Winery & Estate

Ram’s Gate Winery & Estate Vineyards
The new Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma/Carneros makes great Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and a rainbow selection of other wines under winemaker Jeff Gaffner. Its setting is spectacular, with 30-foot ceilings, walls made of reclaimed snow fence, and massive floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open to sweeping vineyard and bay views.

But the food is equally fantastic. The winery does not have an actual restaurant, but it has a full time chef, Jason Rose, who serves small plates like Niçoise salad with tonnato, crisp local sea bass on a bed of roasted peppers, pea arancini, zesty heirloom tomato gazpacho, and moist, tender lamb meatballs in spicy mole sauce. Some of his ingredients come from an on-site culinary garden, and he uses the winery’s open kitchen for interactive cooking demonstrations.

Eat nearly anywhere you please, from the soaring-ceiling tasting hall, to the clubby wine library, to the fireplace-set courtyards and the underground dining cellar next to the barrel room. For another tasty temptation, call ahead for picnic baskets packed with rabbit rillettes, cold fried Petaluma chicken and brûléed figs.

28700 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, 707-721-8700,ramsgatewinery.com.

Chalk Hill

Chalk Hill
This is one of Healdsburg’s most spectacular wineries, spanning 1,477 acres and topped with a hilltop chateau tasting room offering stunning views over the natural amphitheater of mountains that is the eastern edge of the Russian River Valley. Sample Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and more, and indulge in extras as simple as an artisan cheese plate, or as elaborate as a full luncheon hosted by the estate’s executive chef Didier Ageorges, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Some tour choices include a stroll through the estate’s organic garden followed by a seated small-plates pairing, or a four-course feast overlooking the Olympic-caliber equestrian dressage pavilion.

10300 Chalk Hill Rd., Healdsburg, 707-657-4837, chalkhill.com.

Artesa Vineyards & Winery

Artesa Vineyards & Winery
It’s difficult to get past the gorgeous sparkling wines from this winemaking family originally from Spain. Or to pull your gaze from the sweeping views atop the Carneros mountainside straddling Sonoma, or from the art gallery inside, or the dancing fountains and manicured gardens and swooping architecture.

But then you sit in the glass-enclosed private dining room, and all you see is the fantastic food before you. Artesa’s resident chef prepares a generous platter of five dishes to be paired with limited-release or small-production single vineyard wines, and while selections are seasonal, they include a meal’s worth of meats, salads, gourmet casseroles, fish and such. More simple but still opulent options include a Vino con Queso wine and cheese pairing, or a chocolate indulgence of hand-picked chocolates and truffles.

1345 Henry Road, Sonoma/Napa, 707-224-1668, artesawinery.com.

Lambert Bridge

Lambert Bridge
The winery is beautiful, tucked on an easy hillside off West Dry Creek Road with a dark, rough-cut wood structure of wraparound porch, gabled shingle roof, moss-lined rock foundation walls and a stone chimney. Lavish grounds include cascading vines, colorful flowers and an expansive lawn set with teak picnic tables beneath arbors overlooking vineyards and forests.

Inside, the tasting room charms with wooden walls and vaulted ceilings, and a glass wall looking into the barrel room. This is where the new Barrel Room Food and Wine Pairings are held – each Saturday and Sunday, seated pairings include wine flights with artisan cheeses and small bites of lavish, seasonally changing recipes including wood fired pizzas.

4085 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9600, lambertbridge.com.

Mayo Reserve Room

The Mayo Family Winery/Mayo Family Reserve Room
The Reserve Room is separate from the actual winery, located in the Village of Kenwood, and it operates as a mini café of sorts, complete with chairs and food from chef J. Clayton Lewis. Tastings are extensive adventures, featuring seven wines each paired with a separate dish, prepared specifically to match the wine.

And, unlike most food pairing experiences, reservations are not required (but recommended on weekends). Bites might include sablefish, goat cheese and apple doughnut with red miso jus; a cucumber, peach, and lychee timbale; salad of sweetbreads, wakame and tomato; Wagyu flat iron steak, trumpet royales, and pomegranate demi glace; summer soba noodles and shiitakes; rib loin of Kurobuta pork, vanilla sweet potato puree, and plum sauce; and tropical fruit shortcake.

9200 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, 707-833-5504, mayofamilywinery.com.

Photo by Kelly Puleio.

When Big Bottom Market wanted to expand its deli menu and boost its biscuit business, the Guerneville grocery looked, naturally, to the Big Apple.

Photo by Kelly Puleio.

Welcome, then, to new executive chef Tricia Brown, fresh from the Manhattan, where she interned at Gramercy Tavern and studied in the chef-training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute (though she is still loyal to California, since she earned an advanced certification from the Wine Institute’s international wine and spirits division of San Francisco).

It may seem ambitious to bring on such a top talent to a such a tiny store in such a tiny town, but the Big Bottom owners are thinking, well, big. The market is co-owned by Crista Luedtke, owner of boon hotel + spa nearby, and boon eat + drink just down the block, plus Michael Volpatt and Kate Larkin, who are two marketing professionals from New York.

And apparently, thinking that way is leading to big. Since opening in July, they’ve already expanded into catering, and selling box lunches at the neighboring King’s Sport & Tackle (good food with kayak rentals). Their popular biscuits are now sold as dough to bake at home, and the line-up has grown past the signature Sea Biscuit (a tasty cheddar-thyme round stuffed with smoked trout, crème fraiche, pickled onions and capers), to sloppy Joe and vegetarian gravy recipes.

Photo by Kelly Puleio.

Check out the lovely deli case, brimming with new dishes like Beluga lentil salad studded with carrots from the boon culinary gardens; a roasted beet fennel and apple salad with Champagne vinaigrette; a salad of glazed figs, goat cheese, Marcona almonds and bacon over greens in roasted garlic vinaigrette; and mushroom-cheddar bread pudding.

Details: Big Bottom Market, 16228 Main St., Guerneville, 707-604-7295, bigbottommarket.com.

Wild Flour Bread

Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven. And somehow, it’s even more delicious when someone else does the baking. Here are some of our favorite places for a beautiful loaf of bread or crazy good cookie:

Wild Flour Bread, Freestone
We might start simply with how to find this bakery. Follow Highway 12 about five miles past Sebastopol toward Bodega Bay, then journey up a steep hill after which you will descend into a beautiful valley. Turn right on Bohemian Highway and follow your nose to the wood fired brick oven where bread master Jed Wallach churns out a dozen different kinds of organic, sourdough-based breads daily along with whipping crème scones, sticky buns, cheese fougasse, goat cheese flat bread, the Bohemian loaf (apricot, orange and pecan), the Egyptian loaf (pear, fig and candied ginger) and biscotti.

Relax and munch awhile in the lovely organic garden next to the open fields and barns, sipping a delicious coffee drink. Then, when something smells wonderful (it will), simply venture back into the bakery, to work your way through free samples and decide which delight you’ll buy next.

140 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone, 707-874-2938, wildflourbread.com.

Pink Box Bakery

The Pink Box Baking Company, Santa Rosa
Just opened in September is this delicious little jewel box of a pastry shop, from longtime Sonoma County resident Stacy Willis.

As the former pastry chef for The French Garden in Sebastopol and a graduate of the San Diego Culinary Institute’s Baking and Pastry Arts program, she knows of what she bakes.

That translates to a rainbow of tasty pastries, cakes, cookies, brownies and sweet bars. One specialty is scones, in luscious lemon poppyseed, mixed berry, chocolate walnut or even bran; while tea cake loaves tempt, too, flavored in carrot, banana nut and vanilla bean. On the savory side, you’ll eat up warm tarts like French onion, and spinach-goat cheese.

2700 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-331-3453, thepinkboxbakingcompany.com.

Raymond's Bakery

Raymond’s Bakery, Cazadero
This little hideaway amid the majestic old growth redwoods on the Russian River is one of West County’s best-kept secrets. It’s an Inn, but also an enclave of great baking, turning out a jaw-dropping, mouthwatering array of fresh-baked-daily breads like rustic baguettes, traditional French, Pugliese, seeded sourdough and French sourdough.

Depending on the whims of the baker-owners Mark and Elizabeth Weiss, there may be garlic-rosemary and kalamata olive-rosemary loaves, Parmesan focaccia, New York deli rye, nine–grain whole wheat, Italian ciabatta, onion rolls, or breads like buttermilk potato, semolina raisin, pumpernickel rye and cinnamon-raisin swirl.

Then, there are lavish temptations of muffins, cinnamon rolls, buttermilk blueberry scones, croissants, lemon bars, apple coffeecake, cookies, fruit tarts, turnovers, fougasse, double chocolate brownies, biscotti, palmiers, Danish and so much more that your belly is guaranteed to rumble just thinking about it.

5400 Cazadero Hwy., Cazadero, 707-632-5335, raymonds-bakery.com.

Mixteca Bakery

Mixteca Bakery, Sonoma
You know you need a towering, multi-tiered cake in shocking hues of lime green frosting, perhaps decorated with Day of the Dead characters. Or maybe a gold leaf wedding cake, or a cake shaped like a hot rod sports car and finished in cherry red ganache.

Fortunately for you, bakery owner and cake god Javier Lopez can deliver. His shop specializes in Mexican-inspired fantasies, not just whimsical-to-ravishing cakes, but also breads, pastries, cookies and more, waiting to be plucked up from the display case with tongs and taken home to be cherished with coffee or chocolate caliente (hot chocolate).

18981 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma, 707-996-8600, Facebook.

Village Bakery

Village Bakery, Sebastopol
It’s a little taste of Scandinavia, in the heart of Sebastopol. That means a treasure trove of spices, baked right in, for cookies, cakes (German chocolate is the bomb) scones (we love the ginger flavor) and breads like sinful cinnamon raisin.

Fancier bites include Framboise chocolate cake slathered in raspberry sauce, but we swear by the standards, like melt-in-your-mouth croissants, and hard-to-find-anywhere-else specialties like Volkenbrot (whole rye bread), dinkelbrot (spelt bread) and kernebrod (traditional Danish rye). In a nod to modern tastes, you can request gluten-free and vegan recipes, too.

7225 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707-829-8101. Also 1445 Town and Country Dr., Santa Rosa, 707-527-7654

Yet even the organizers of the 2011 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend admitted a “wow” moment when every single event of their three-day festival sold out this time.

For the second year in a row, Taste of Sonoma played to a record capacity of 2,500 guests, coming together Saturday on the sprawling green lawns of MacMurray Ranch in Healdsburg’s Russian River Valley. Except the Friday and Saturday Winemaker lunches and dinner sold out, too, as did the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction held Sunday at Cline Cellars in Sonoma. A new offering this year was the Winery BBQs, hosted at wineries throughout Sonoma County, and not a single ticket was left at the end of the weekend.

The draw was obvious: At Taste of Sonoma, more than 60 top chefs prepared sumptuous food, more than 170 wineries poured thousands of wines, respected sommeliers and food experts hosted casual seminars, and guests grooved to live music performances, cooking demonstrations by celebrity kitchen talent, and behind-the-scenes vineyard tours.

From the moment attendees entered through the “Bubble Lounge” – so named for its playful bubble machines and multiple stations pouring sparkling wines – it was clear that delicious treats were in store. The welcoming nibble was fresh-shucked oysters from The Oyster Girls traveling seafood bar, paired with Gloria Ferrer Anniversary Cuvee.

“Uh-oh,” said one guest. “I could eat way too many of these.” To which her companion replied, in between bites of pizza from the wood fired oven of Kashaya’s Pizza in an adjacent booth, “Mmmph, pace yourself.”

Kenwood Inn & Spa drew raves for its inventive Laura Chenel chevre spinach frittata, rolled in bite size rounds and moistened in pesto, plus its fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs in Pinot Noir barbecue sauce. Barndiva was creative, and refreshing on a perfect 88 degree day, with its juicy cubes of compressed watermelon infused with lemon verbana from the Healdsburg restaurant’s garden, while Sante at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn took a delicious twist with English cucumber “vol-au-vent” stuffed with eggplant and piquillo pepper mousse.

Another favorite was the hearty beef sliders dolloped in bleu cheese, caramelized onions and balsamic ketchup from Santa Rosa’s Park Avenue Catering. The girl & the fig, meanwhile, presented charcuterie and vinegared veggies on cute skewers displayed in pots of raw beans.

Yet the longest lines went to Hana Japanese Restaurant, where chef-owner Ken Tominaga fashioned one spicy tuna handroll after another, going through 1,100 in just the first two hours alone.

Later that evening, there was more food to be had, as winemaker dinners continued to more standing (or sitting)-room-only crowds. Park Avenue Catering was back at work at Dutton Ranch in Graton, where Sonoma Wine Country Weekend honorary co-chairs the Dutton family threw a party right in their wine facility amid the vineyards and amid the working machinery.

Dinner guests tucked into a Sonoma-casual-style buffet of grilled BBQ tri tip gussied with caramelized onions, Pinot Noir steak sauce, housemade Worcestershire sauce and chimmichuri; alongside spiced roasted potatoes; grilled Ortiz Brothers summer squash, peppers and eggplant; caprese; roasted corn salad; Full Circle hearth baked artisan bread; and a lavish dessert array of Dutton Gravenstein homemade apple pie, apple-prune cake and vanilla bean ice cream.

Dutton winery general manager Ruben Lopez, offering another taste of Sauvignon Blanc at the wine-barrel-turned-into-a-bar, grinned. “I was pouring all day at Taste, and I’m pouring again now,” he said. “That’s what this weekend is about. It’s a good time.”

Details: sonomawinecountryweekend.com.

The kitchen is almost ready.

The kitchen is in, and the countertops are down. Any day now, Santa Rosa-types could be sinking their teeth in to the juicy eats at Flipside Bar & Burgers.

The space in downtown Santa Rosa sits next to Third Street Ale Works. The concept comes from Nino Rabbaa, owner of Rendez Vous bistro in Santa Rosa. The menu looks mouthwatering, from my preview peek at Wine County recipes like the Capricious, layered with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil aioli and balsamic onions.

Patties are premium, based on grass-fed prime Kobe that’s ground fresh daily. And what’s not to adore about this lavish extra – you can order your meat amped up with bacon. Not as in just bacon strips parked across the top, but ground into the meat itself.

Getting ready to open.

Rabbaa is working on a full line-up, including Rocky Jr. Buffalo wings, salads, chicken, pasta, and a few heartier entrees like a cider-brined pork chop. The full bar will feature wine from local vintners like Santa Rosa’s own D’Argenzio, and shakes like the Warm Fuzzie of chocolate, Frangelico and Nutella.

September looks good for the opening. So soon, we’ll all be saying: “Catch you at the Flipside.”

Details: Flipside Bar & Burgers, 630 Third St., Santa Rosa; Facebook.
www.facebook.com/pages/Flipside-Bar-Burgers/203112993043607?sk=info

You’ll recognize the owners’ names – they’re Joseph and Lori Shea, who also own Blu American Eatery and Sugo Trattoria, both in Petaluma.

Their new enterprise takes over the former Lombardi’s Downtown Deli next to Della Fattoria on Petaluma Boulevard North.

Though the name says bar, it’s not really a traditional salad bar. Instead, a menu lists about 20-item, and customers build their own combo, which the kitchen assembles. To go with: some sandwiches and pastas, served at lunch only.

Food Bar: 139 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma.

But fret not over your fresh beef and chicken. Owner Ron Martindale has simply sold the business. New owners have stepped in and renamed the store Carolina Wild, but kept the concept of local meats, plus sandwiches and such from the deli case.

One of Martindale’s hallmarks was its “custom cut and wrap” program, so even large quantities of meat could be vacuum packed and stored in your freezer. This was also where you could get specialties like Tasso ham, homemade andouille sausage, Christmas goose, beef jerky and turducken.

But the future looks bright. The new owners own a fishing boat in Bodega Bay, so word from staffers are the store is they’ll likely be bringing in plenty of seafood (mmm, crab!). And rumor has it that they may be remodeling, plus might introduce custom game cutting – meaning you can finally figure out what to do with that elk once you bag it.

Carolina Wild: 5280 Aero Dr., Santa Rosa, 707-526-7038.

Of course, what you actually wear is up to you, and since this is Wine Country, we’ll remind that burgers go really great with a rich, peppery Zinfandel, too. But we’re ready with the rest. For the best burgers made-to-order, we suggest you dig into these beauties. Go nuts with the toppings, whatever you could dream up, from melted bleu cheese and hickory bacon, to roasted Anaheim chile, pepper jack cheese and sweet jalapeño sauce.

We’ve even got non-carnivores covered, with veggie burgers so good you won’t miss the meat. And hey, don’t forget the fries.

Sonoma: HAPPY DOG

How could you not heart a place that has happy in its name? This cash-only roadside stand has been around for decades (that’s forever in dog years), and while wieners may seem like the main reason to visit, we’ll challenge you to find a better burger, too. That cheerful yellow and white, chef hat-wearing hound painted on the front of the building is licking a window, likely because he is studying the tiny kitchen cranking out big cheeseburgers, rich milk shakes, and crisp-sweet onion rings, for such rock bottom prices that even the poorest pup can afford to indulge. One top pick is a double French cheeseburger drowned in signature barbecue sauce (keep the sandwich in its paper sack as you eat, or risk drips).

18962 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma, 707-935-6211.

Sebastopol: SLICE OF LIFE

It’s “The Natural Choice” for vegetarians, but don’t let that worry you if you love meat. Serving tasty eats since 1974, the focus is on flavorful vegetarian and vegan alternatives to your favorite foods. That means no animal products except dairy cheeses, and many fat-free, low-fat, dairy-free and lactose-free choices. Burgers, for example, come on organic whole wheat buns, topped with grilled onions and mushrooms, sprouts, dairy-free mayo and pickles. Inside the bun, you can tuck into patties fashioned from nuts, seeds and grains; tempeh, wild rice and barbecue sauce; sunflower seeds, brown rice and carrots; or a surprisingly tasty blend of wheat gluten and soy protein best topped with “fakin’ bacon” and guacamole. How’s this for a delicious bit of clever, by the way – the owners call the French fries “hot airs” since they’re oil-free, fat-free and guilt-free – try ‘em in sweet potato style, too, or coated in fresh garlic.

6970 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-829-6627, thesliceoflife.com.

Bodega Bay: DOG HOUSE

After three decades of business, the owners must be doing something right with this tiny place that sits right next to the Post Office. That would be the righteous burgers of fresh ground chuck, mountains of hand-cut French fries, and, oh yeah, hot dogs. Depending on how big your belly is, you can get a third-pound or half-pound burger piled with what you like for fixin’s. If you’re feeling healthy, there is a turkey burger or a garden burger, and it all tastes even better paired with a thick, creamy, honest-to-goodness real milkshake in classic chocolate, strawberry or vanilla.

537 Hwy. One, Bodega Bay, 707-875-2441, doghousebodegabay.com.

Sonoma/Carneros: THE FREMONT DINER

We know the diner doesn’t look like much from the outside, as kind of a rickety seeming shack on Hwy. 121/12 amid fields and vineyards. But step inside, and it’s a super cute farm-style café, and more important, chef-owner Chad Harris rocks in the kitchen. He’s a boutique-ingredient fanatic, so burgers are based on Marin Sun Farms grass fed beef. Sink your teeth into a Fremont Burger, a 7oz. monster slathered in secret sauce and scattered with fennel-red onion pickles, plus fries on the side. Or for a little daintier nibble (who are we kidding, an order comes with three and we’ll scarf them all), there are Fremont Sliders, sprinkled in grilled onions on Parker House rolls. Hint: they go great with hush puppies, hot and crisp-fluffy and dotted with green onions and Vella Daisy cheddar.

2660 Fremont Dr., Sonoma, 707-938-7370, thefremontdiner.com

Cotati: Mike’s at the Crossroads

It can take a little navigation to get into this place, tucked as it is off a twisting intersection at Old Redwood and Gravenstein highways. But risk it, since you’ll be rewarded with more than a dozen burger options, each loaded with a half pound of chuck (or mmm, the double burger, weighing in at a ravishing full pound of meat). It can be hard to find a seat, since the crowds converge on the 10 tables and a dozen bar stools set on vintage checkerboard flooring. But pay heed to the bull’s head mural snorting “One Mean Burger,” cause honey, that’s what you’re in for. You can get fries, and they’re delish, thin cut crisp-edged, fluffy-inside spuds. Some of our favorite beef treatments include the Stinky Breath with sweet roasted garlic, the Great Western with homemade barbecue sauce and bacon, or the Krush of sautéed mushrooms, onion and garlic in a Zinfandel glaze – as the menu promises, it’s foot-stompin’ good.

7665 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati, 707-665-9999, mikesatthecrossroads.com.

Windsor: Kin

Maybe all you need to hear is the recipe for the Kin Burger: 8 oz. of spice-rubbed coarse-ground beef grilled to order with smoked Gouda and homemade barbecue sauce, topped with lettuce, onion, tomato on a sesame ciabatta bun with your choice of spuds. Or maybe the Y.B.C. Burger does it for you, griddled on the flattop and buried under melting cheese. Whatever your preference, this new restaurant from two former general managers of the Guy Fieri empire put punctuation on the first-rate burger. There’s nothing fancy, but who needs it, for such juicy goodness that requires two hands to maneuver to your mouth, and plenty of napkins for cleanup? Don’t miss those spuds, either –served as garlic fries, Parmesan fries, sweet potato fries and sweet potato tater tots.

740 McClelland Dr., Windsor, 707-837-7546, kinwindsor.com.

Molly Cambell's Molly Moo Ice Cream truck is a hit.

Mooove over, everyday ice cream trucks. There’s a creamy, dreamy new contender in town, with Molly Moo’s. And just in time for the summer heat. (Really, we hear heat is coming. Someday. Seriously.)

Decorated with bright pink and teal stripes and a happy purple bovine logo, the truck is hard to miss. It can also admittedly be hard to find, since it’s in such high demand that everyone wants it in their parking lot – it cruises all over Sonoma County, showing up at corporate centers, wineries, special events, and basically anywhere there are people wanting to get a good, old-fashioned lick of ice cream.

The variety is delicious – from classic faves to organic updates, including ice cream, fruit bars, sorbet, ice cream sandwiches and more. What gets people racing to the sound of the tinkling bell as the truck pulls up are the brand names: Three Twins, Julie’s Organic, Good Humor, It’s It, Popsicle, Klondike, Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs, Ciao Bella, and others.

Check out the menu here for must-eats like a 600 lb. Gorilla that’s really just a clever name for a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.

Owner Molly Campbell is based out of Petaluma, and the best bet to track her whereabouts is to sign in to her Facebook page.

Recently she was at Robledo Winery in Sonoma, and has been seen tooling around in convoy with the Hot Dogs from Chicago truck. On one delightful day recently, she made the stop at the Westwind Business Park off the Airport/101 exit, where she fed the staff from the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau. Smart move.

Hear that ching-ching-a-ling in the distance? Get a mooove on – Molly’s is on her way.

Details: Molly Moo’s Ice Cream Truck, 415-235-4463, mollymoosicecream.com.

Mark Weiss of Raymond's Bakery.

“Wood fired pizza, beer, wine & music in the redwoods. The waiter actually RAN the pizza out! You gotta come here!”

This is what popped up on my email on a late Friday evening, sent courtesy of a fellow foodie who was celebrating life at Raymond’s Bakery on the Russian River.

It’s difficult to get a much better endorsement, don’t you think? Friday night is pizza night at this hideaway amid the trees, with beer and wine poured and live bands playing. It’s one of the West County’s best-kept secrets.

Raymond’s isn’t the kind of place most people will just stumble across. It’s about a mile from downtown Cazadero, and to get there, you need to travel on Highway 116, approximately 8 miles through the woods west of Guerneville or 4 miles east of Hwy. 1. Then you turn north on Cazadero Highway and continue another 5-1/2 miles until you see The Elim Grove Cottages.

The lodge and bakery nestle beneath the majestic old growth redwoods that tower above Austin Creek. On any given day, the bakery is hard-at-work, sending out a jaw-dropping, mouthwatering array of fresh-baked-daily breads like rustic baguettes, traditional French, Pugliese, seeded sourdough and French sourdough.

Depending on the whims of the bakers, there may be garlic-rosemary and kalamata olive-

Bakers Loft guest room at Raymond's in Cazadero.

rosemary loaves, Parmesan focaccia, New York deli rye, 9–grain whole wheat, Italian ciabatta, onion rolls, or breads like buttermilk potato, semolina raisin, pumpernickel rye and cinnamon-raisin swirl.

It’s all the work of Mark and Elizabeth Weiss, who set up the five private cottages in a romantic compound, decorated in themes of antique knotty pine, bamboo garden, and the Baker’s Loft, finished in hardwood and overlooking the bakery garden.

Wear your comfiest blue jeans and sweatshirt. The redwood stage looks like it might be the back deck of someone’s home, complete with a lattice wood topped back wall, and railings. Guests lounge on wooden Adirondack style chairs and love seats, setting food and drink on picnic tables.

If you don’t make it for the Friday fest, pretty much any time will do. Pizzas, salads and sandwiches are made fresh to order daily, based on what’s seasonal. A few favorites in the pie department include the Raymond Special of mozzarella, gorgonzola, red onion and fresh rosemary; Elizabeth’s Choice of fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella; and the Mediterranean of fresh spinach, tangy feta and kalamata olives.

Still, Friday might be the best time to come, because as the party draws late, it’s a better excuse to stay over in one of the cottages. And in the morning, breakfast awaits, fresh from the bakery, in lavish temptations of muffins, cinnamon rolls, buttermilk blueberry scones, croissants, lemon bars, apple coffeecake, cookies, fruit tarts, turnovers, fougasse, double chocolate brownies, biscotti, palmiers, Danish and so much more.

Details: Raymond’s Bakery, 5400 Cazadero Hwy., Cazadero, 707-632-5335, raymonds-bakery.com.

Egg rolls made fresh daily at Tex Wasabi's.

Suffice it to say that celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s place is hot. The restaurant closed in September 2009 after a sewer pipe ruptured, causing severe water damage. It reopened in mid-May of this year, ending a long absence for people who love his distinctive cuisine that mixes rock-n-roll with sushi-n-barbecue.

With its re-debut came promises of extensive renovation, and more serious cuisine than the tongue-in-cheek “Kamikazi Kowboy Rolls” and “Hidden Chicken-Crunching Salad” the eatery had long been famous for. And indeed, the new space is prettier, even in the dusky light of evening, thanks to expansive front windows overlooking the main drag, and the open, loft-style upstairs dining area.

Deep fried pickles may be one of the best things on the new Fieri menu.

As for the food, there’s no doubting that this is still Fieri, though with a touch more finesse. While the Michelin star inspectors won’t be knocking on Tex Wasabi’s door anytime soon, there are some destination worthy dishes here, and plenty of fun, to boot.

Buttermilk fried pickles ($5.95) are, as Fieri might say, “off da’ hook.” These nibbles are truly delectable, in a mountain of thinly sliced dill pickles tossed in seasoned flour then fried until golden brown and crispy. We dunk them in ranch dressing and care not a whit about calories.

Shiny, crackly-wrapped egg rolls ($7.95) taste primarily of crunchy vegetable and a sweet chile sauce, though they go quite well with a potent Grey Goose L’Orange Cosmo spiked with lime. And the cooks are making an effort towards modern tastes with shishito peppers ($6.95), the Japanese chiles blistered in a pan, tossed with salt and chile flakes and spritzed with lime.  They’re a Russian roulette kind of treat, since some peppers are mild, and others are searing.

I admit that I simply can’t make myself try the PBR Pig Stix ($6.95). Fieri is known for his sense of humor with this odd-fusion menu, but house-smoked bologna stuffed with garlic and jalapeno – really? He’s not done yet, either. The sticks are battered in Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and fried, tossed atop French fries and doused in Carolina BBQ sauce. A more daring friend dives in and quite happily proclaims them “tasty trailer food.”

Signature sushi runs the gamut, from the Jackass roll (a who-would-believe-it combo of barbecue pork, avocado and French fries stuffed in tapioca rice paper drizzled with garlic-chile mayo, $7.45), to classic (a rainbow roll, $13.95, that everything it should be, as a California roll draped with good, fresh shrimp and mixed fish).

As the evening draws on, Tex Wasabi’s grows louder and busier. It’s clear that much of the clientele is here for the cocktails and camaraderie, and servers are skilled at balancing an onslaught of drink and food orders. One evening’s waiter, in particular, is an honest-to-goodness delight, cracking jokes with my companion and me, appearing in a flash to refill drinks, pacing our multi-course jumble of small plates and entrees, and sharing his recommendations on dessert (yes, red velvet cake, $6.95, is to-die for).

Crunchy and spicy oyster po' boy reflected the south with a Fieri twist.

A Cajun catfish platter ($18.95) is nicely prepared with sincere fiery kick, and St. Louis style pork ribs ($18.95, half rack) are a signature for good reason, the meaty bones glazed in sweet-spiced sauce and imbued with a touch of smoke from the wood-fired rotisserie. If you like traditional a po’ boy, this one is a little different ($13.95), served on a bun instead of long, soft roll, but ample with cornmeal battered, fried oysters and crunchy pickles.

There’s no denying the appeal, either, of a juicy burger. As is Fieri’s style, the burgers are monsters, both in size and flavor – the Guy’s Big Bite ($13.95) for example, piles on the rojo onion rings, cheddar, bacon, slaw and BBQ sauce that drips down chins and demands many napkins.

The sandwich is a half-pound of ooh and ah on a pretzel bun, and a lip-smacking, attention-grabbing reminder that yep, the celeb chef is back in town.

Over-the-top, and as popular as ever.

Details: Tex Wasabi’s, 515 4th Street, Santa Rosa, 707-544-8399, texwasabis.com.

No! Adorable! Adorable, only!

But no worries, this latest addition to chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart’s household isn’t destined for an entrée appearance with their Black Pig Meat Company. He is their cute-as-the-dickens new pet, and the mascot for their “All-Star” cooking competition in Las Vegas this Sunday.

Call him a good luck swine.

The couple, who own Zazu in Santa Rosa, Bovolo in Healdsburg, and Black Pig Meat Company of Sonoma, are on a roll with their Cochon 555 winnings lately. They were named best in the North Bay at the Napa Valley Cochon 555 event in March, and in June, they snagged the crown for Queen and King of Porc at Grand Cochon at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic competition.

For the next stop on the tour, the “All-Star” event in Sin City July 24, one of the Cochon event organizers gave them a baby mini potbelly pig. As a pet. A pet, not pâté.

Estes and Stewart won Cochon Napa with their new product, a Black Pig Bacon toffee lollipop they’re calling Piggy Pop. And so this little guy is named Piggy Pop, too.

The next time you stop in for a meal at Zazu, by the way, try to catch a peek at Estes and Stewart’s arms. Each has just gotten tattoos, of the Cochon winning crown.

Details: cochon555.com.

KIN opens in Windsor.

From Fieri into the frying pan. That’s what things might feel like for new restaurant owners Brad Barmore and JC Adams. The two recently gave up jobs as general managers for Guy Fieri’s Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi’s in Santa Rosa, to open KIN Comfort Food in Windsor.

And since the debut earlier this month, they have been juggling crowds hungry for family friendly eats, where the kids’ menu is as important as grown-up food, and most entrees sit quite reasonably in the $10-$15 range.

The eatery, which debuted in the former Pizzeria DePaoli space, looks elegant, with contemporary polished wood and brick accents, a full bar, and white tablecloths even on the patio tables. But the kiddie menu comes folded like a cootie catcher (that old-fashioned origami style finger game), offering bites like chicken tenders, pepperoni pizza and cheeseburger sliders. They’re bargains for the bitty bunch: Each $6.50 meal includes a drink, dessert, and an appetizer of salami, cheese, and crackers.

Still, most of the energy focuses around the wood stone oven, producing everything from crunchy herb roasted almonds and tangy chicKIN wings to loaded pizzas, alongside burgers and sandwiches such as a thick-cut Chicago-style pastrami with pickled jalapeños.

Dinosaur Bones, an entree at KIN.

Faint appetites need not apply, either. Platters are generous, such as entrees like Dinosaur bones (beer-braised beef ribs), coulotte steak, and bourbon glazed pork chops, all served with scalloped potatoes and veggies. Another favorite is Grandma’s pot roast, braised in Moylan’s Brewery Danny’s Irish Red beer with lots of sweet carrots, onions and potatoes.

On nearly every table, meanwhile, sits a signature dish, sure to appeal to kids and adults alike: garlic fries, Parmesan fries, sweet potato fries and sweet potato tater tots, dunked in homemade ketchup.

Details: KIN, 740 McClelland Drive, Windsor, 707-837-7546, kinwindsor.com.

Sound confusing? It actually couldn’t be simpler. All you really need to remember is that on Saturday, July 30, there will be a fabulous gourmet dinner prepared by local hero chef Duskie Estes (Zazu, Bovolo, Black Pig Meat Company), featuring ingredients sourced directly from Sonoma farms, and served al fresco at Canvas Ranch in west Petaluma.

The gala benefits Family Farms of the Coastal Valleys, a fledgling nonprofit that encompasses farms, ranches, and fisheries within the coastal valleys of Sonoma and Marin counties. The group was formed for the purpose of supporting the sustainability of family farms and ranches through education, and is a program of the Education Foundation of Sonoma County.

To celebrate this most worthy cause, Chef Estes will create a farm-driven menu using ingredients from Canvas Ranch, plus Gleason Ranch, Tresch Dairy, Valley Ford Cheese Company, Bellwether Farms, McClelland’s Dairy, Della Fattoria Bakery, Hog Island Oyster Co., and more.

So naturally, the menu starts with Hog Island oysters moistened in lemon cucumber mignonette, and also a Farmstead cheese board with Black Pig salumi and Canvas Ranch pickled turnips.

Farm to table dining offers the freshest food.

Then, it’s on to Barlas Boer goat tostados with Valley Ford Estero Gold cheese, and a salad of Canvas Ranch lettuces with beets, hazelnuts, Barinaga Ranch sheep cheese and verjus.

The entrée is Gleason Ranch chicken with Guinness mustard potato salad, Black Pig bacon and mustard greens; followed by dessert of Bellwether Farms panna cotta with lemon verbena and Canvas Ranch berries. Delicious wines round things out.

The party starts at 5 p.m. and continues until the cows come home. Well, perhaps not cows, but plenty of other barnyard types. When guests aren’t eating, they can visit with Canvas Ranch’s menagerie of Babydoll sheep, Cashmere goats and Araucana chickens, plus tour the vegetable fields of the farm nestled on a hillside in Two Rock Valley just 15 minutes west of Petaluma.

From Farm to Table, meanwhile, is an event-planning company founded by local resident Kim Ryals in an effort to honor the County’s rich agrarian resources, as well as the people who have turned Sonoma into the culinary paradise it is today.

Tickets are $160 per person and can be purchased through BrownPaperTickets.com. For more information, visit FromFarmToTable.com or call 707-256-9409.

Oh wait. People out here do live in caves – winemakers and such – so scratch that.

But surely you know what the fuss is about. A 3,600-square-foot swimming pool waiting for your splash-down seven days a week through the summer. The popular Rustic restaurant. A museum, chock full of Sir Coppola’s film memorabilia, from blockbusters like The Godfather and Tucker. An elaborate tasting room, and self-guided vineyard tours though gorgeous vineyards.

But did you know there’s a terrific café, smack-dab poolside? Housed in a cute casita next to the cabines (private cabanas for pool-goers), it’s a best-kept secret for a summery snack.

Coppola isn’t sending out typical burgers and dogs, but first-class Mediterranean noshes like muffaletta, garden panino, tuna salad on toast and Neapolitan-style Pizza Sofia draped in peppery arugula, prosciutto and fresh Parmesan (ooh-la-la with the Sofia Minis sparkling wine in a can).

Bikini bods will appreciate salads like caprese, Cobb and Caesar, but the best recommendation is to live a little, and treat yourself to the crepes. This may be the only poolside stand in Northern California to serve the lacy confections, but Coppola has admitted that he added them to the menu to save a periodic flight to Paris specifically for a fix of one of his favorite foods.

Get your stuffed with eggs, ham and cheese , or drizzled in Grand Marnier and dusted with snowflakes of powdered sugar. Then top it off with an antidote to this 90-degree weather: gelato or granita.

The pool is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 8 p.m. Friday though Sunday. The Café serves until 6 p.m. daily, though the bar stays open later. There’s a fee for swimming, but it’s reasonable, at $15 adults/$10 kids, good all day, first-come, first-served. Private Cabines can be rented for $75, and include 2 adult pool passes and 2 kid pool passes.

Last one in is a rotten egg cream.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville,707-857-1471, franciscoppolawinery.com. (http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/visit/dine/pool-café)

Finally, the pretty little burg is going upscale, scoring a gourmet grocery that’s fitting for its beautiful Wine Country setting, and the name of the store is… Big Bottom.

Yes, Big Bottom Market is opening downtown, perhaps as early as next week if the shelves get stocked in time. But rather than just nudging about a funny nickname, its owners are seizing upon a very memorable talking point that could actually help put the tiny town of 4,534 souls on the map.

“When we heard the name, we immediately loved it, thought that it was a lot of fun and something that everyone could relate to and also talk about,” says Michael Volpatt, who co-owns the property along with Crista Luedtke and Kate Larkin. Volpatt is a partner with Larkin in the PR firm Larkin/Volpatt Communications of New York, and Luedtke is the owner of boon hotel + spa and boon eat + drink in Guerneville.

While the name is cute, the food looks to be serious, with a setting that Volpatt calls “a modern day general store in lumberjack chic style.”

There will be high-end groceries, including Big Bottom private label olive oil and salt (produced by Merchants and Millers of Geyserville), and a red wine (produced by Thomas George Estates of Healdsburg). Customers can browse local micro-brews and single origin coffees, and an extensive Sonoma-centric wine selection from a list created by Hollie Schulze, formerly a manager at Ravenous in Healdsburg. Boutique names will include the biodynamically produced Porter-Bass, which is grown, produced and bottled less than three miles from the store, Marimar Estate, Graton Ridge Cellars and many more.

Beyond market staples, Big Bottom will lure with good deli things to eat, too, including gourmet sandwiches named in tribute to the region’s redwoods.  The Parson Jones honors one of the largest trees in nearby Armstrong Woods, in a mountain of turkey with havarti, jalapeño jam and arugula on a French roll, while another combo layers Black Forest ham over pear chutney and brie.

The homemade biscuits sound particularly appealing, such as the Sea Biscuit, which stuffs a Cheddar-thyme roll with smoked trout, pickled onions, crème fraiche, chives and a slice of lemon.

And in the end (sorry, a bottom joke), it’s all good for Guerneville, since people won’t be able to help butt – er, but – do a double take and remember the name.

Big Bottom Market, 16228 Main St., Guerneville, 707-604-7295

Mama Stow on her farm off Fulton Road in the 1930's. Photo courtesy Mama Pig's.

It won’t be just a 4th of July celebration going on this weekend. On Sunday, the fireworks will shower over Mamma Pig’s in downtown Windsor, hosting its grand opening party complete with special treats called Pig on a Stick.

Mamma Pig’s, of course, is the revamp of Mirepoix, which owners Matthew and Bryan Bousquet closed in April after deciding that they wanted to run a less demanding restaurant that gave them more time to spend with their toddler daughter, Eleanor. And so they’ve traded in such fancy, Michelin-star-worthy French dishes as tarragon-vanilla lobster and pork belly for barbecue, burgers, bacon and beer.

While the menu reads down-home ‘cue, this is the Bousquets, after all, so expect some real style. There are staples like BBQ tri-tip, pulled pork and chicken, beef brisket, ribs, and a monster combo called “The Trough.” But ingredients are top-notch boutique, sourced from across Sonoma and featuring specialties from a partnership with Sonoma Essence Mercantile of Healdsburg.

“Experience Sonoma on a Plate!” crows the restaurant’s slogan, and one member of the Mamma’s team, Michael Mullins, boasts the title of Official Forager. Naturally, homemade bacon rules.

Guests can come out for the gala from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, to eat, drink and explore the new space, completely renovated within the cozy old cottage near Windsor Town Green.

And if the Mamma Pig’s moniker sounds familiar, it’s because it was the name for the Bousquet’s first business ten years ago, a barbecue booth at the Windsor Farmer’s Market.

It’s also a tribute to mammas everywhere, says Bryan, such as Mamma Stow, who ran a pig property called Fulton Farm on Fulton Road in Santa Rosa in the early 1930’s, plus Bryan’s own maternal grandmother in South Carolina, the late Betty Bryan Seay Neumeyer.

Details: Mamma Pig’s, 275 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707-838-7447, Facebook.

Eugenia pimenta allspice from Whole Spice.

There’s more spicy news to report at The Barlow.

Literally.

Whole Spice has just signed a lease within the 220,000-square-foot culinary and art center in downtown Sebastopol, bringing yet another opportunity for foodies to shop for exotic seasonings like porcini mushroom powder, chipotle honey rub, Turkish baharat and Moroccan ras el hanout.

Whole Spice is based in Petaluma, and has a retail shop at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market. It’s a true success story for owners Shuli and Ronit Madmone, who not only stock the wholesale and retail raw ingredients, but also create signature blends for top North Bay chefs. The often unusual and sometimes rare whole spices and herbs are ground to order, using only handpicked selections that are chemical- and MSG-free and Kosher certified.

For home cooks befuddled by uncommon seasonings such as Yemeni zhug, by the way, the Madmones will gladly share their recipes.

Whole Spice, 1364 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-778-1750.

The Barlow: 200 Morris Street, Sebastopol, 707-824-5600.

That, we already knew, since the two have reigned supreme in Sonoma for many years with their Black Pig Meat Company, plus Zazu and Bovolo restaurants.

Yet on Sunday, they scored the top prize at Grand Cochon, at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, making the title a real, sash-and-tiara-worthy designation.

Their menu? A “snout-to-tail” heritage breed pig three-course feast, featuring a Buffalo-wing-style pork trotter sprinkled in fresh herbs, savory pork buns, and bacon waffles with bacon ice cream.

The winning dishes

Their competition was serious stuff, too, against big names like John Sundstrom of Lark in Seattle, Matt Jennings of Farmstead in Boston, Brad Farmerie of Public in New York City, Scott Drewno of The Source in Washington, D.C., Alex Seidel of Fruition in Denver, Michael Fiorello of Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago, Chad Colby of Mozza, Los Angeles, Erick Loos of Besh Restaurant Group of New Orleans, and Matthew Accarrino of SPQR in San Francisco.

Estes and Stewart took home honors as best in the North Bay at the Napa Valley Cochon 555 event in March, earning them entry to Aspen. Yet it’s still not over for the dueling duo. Next up is another stop on the Cochon pork tour on July 24, with even more competition in the Las Vegas “All-Star” event.

“We’ll be competing in pig tails,” Estes promises. She often wears her hair in two short ponytails, but this would be a completely new look for Stewart.

Details: cochon555.com