Hello Cello raspberry limoncello lemonade. Photo by Shana Ray.

“This is just another day in Sonoma,” quipped Carneros Bistro sommelier Christopher Sawyer, as he led a group past the steel drum band near the entranceway to Taste of Sonoma.

He pointed to booths serving grilled-to-order meats and fresh-blended Hello Cello raspberry-limoncello lemonade, parked next to a virtual city of tents packed with chef stations and tables brimming with thousands of wine bottles.

His entourage – some first-time visitors to the area, but others long-time residents – laughed.

Because indeed, even if North Bay types know a thing or two about culinary parties, Taste is thegranddaddy of all food festivals. The highlight of Wine Country Weekend, the three-day extravaganza of all things edible and drinkable that took over Sonoma Sept. 3-5, Taste played to a sold-out capacity of 2,500 guests sampling food and drink from more than 200 wineries and chefs.

Let’s get to the food.

If last year’s Taste seemed to go overboard on gazpacho (weak economy and all), in 2010, chefs were once again rolling out the stops. Just a few steps into the Gloria Ferrer Bubble Lounge, crispy pancake cones overflowed with shredded Liberty Duck mu shu moistened in Santa Rosa plum sauce, courtesy of Feast Catering.

Feast catering making their mu shu duck which paired perfectly with Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi.

Some restaurants celebrated the classics, like Santi’s fig-ricotta bruschetta, or Estate’s meatball on crusty bun. For traditional with a twist, the buzz was about Jack & Tony’s lacy-shaved roast beef and caramelized onions dotted with bleu cheese in a feather light phyllo cup. The line was long, too, for Relish Culinary Adventures’ earthy, tangy panzanella salad of cannellini beans, Quivira basil, heirloom tomato, DaVero olive oil and Costeaux ciabatta.

Others went international, such as Brasserie’s (Hyatt Santa Rosa) standout Korean short ribs with crunchy, not-too-fiery kimchi that cleansed the palate in between succulent bites. Maya in Sonoma had a runaway hit with spicy Yucatan-braised chicken over chips and salsa verde, and Girl & the Fig blended French with rustic California in its gruyere gougères stuffed in guanciale and fig jam.

Tomato BLT from Sante.

Even simple dishes got star treatment. Stark’s steak tartare came accented in truffled miso and shiso on toast, while Sante’s (Fairmont Sonoma) breadless BLT brought a cherry tomato stuffed in a rich salad of applewood smoked bacon, shredded romaine and spicy tomato remoulade. J Vineyards took a similar approach, offering simple but captivating bite-size BLTs layering foie gras mousse, heirloom tomato, applewood smoked bacon and frisee on toast points, paired with J Brut Rose and J Pinot Noir.

Nectar Restaurant had a pop-in-the-mouth attraction with smoked salmon on corn cake dotted in crème fraiche and fresh dill, while Zin proved a bit too popular: it ran out of its Eastside Farms honey-cured ham and pimento goat cheese on Zin biscuits.

In a nice new touch this year, each of the four appellation tents partnered select chefs and vintners, to

Chefs before the hungry crowd arrives at MacMurray Ranch.

show how wine and food can best be paired. For chef/owner Lucas Martin of K&L Bistro, that meant a rice dough bun stuffed with a slab of pork belly and drizzled in hoisin sauce, enjoyed alongside Mueller Winery’s Russian River Valley Zinfandel.

For many visitors, a big part of the excitement was seeing star chefs in action. Kendall Jackson should give chef Taki Laliotitis an endorsement contract for being such a charming hawker, as he lured folks in classy carny-style to try his cheese poppers. The hot, breaded nubbins exploded in the mouth as a decadent rush of creamy Delice de la Vallee and pimento cheese followed by the sharp vinegar crunch of peppadew pepper.

At The Sonoma Steel Chef Competition, meanwhile, with chefs warring recipes in multiple rounds of mystery ingredient cook-offs, Janine Falvo of Sonoma’s Carneros Bistro and Jack Mitchell of Jack & Tony’s in Santa Rosa tied for first place in a highly challenging all-vegetarian basket of beets, potatoes and rutabagas supplemented with local eggs.

Chef Duskie Estes cooking at La Follette Winery.

A Look at Just One of the Many Winemaker Dinners: Guests at the La Follette supper Friday night wanted two things – food to go with their wine, and to hear about host chef Duskie Estes’ experience as a competitor on season two of the Food Network’s Next Top Chef.

The Zazu owner certainly delivered on the food, starting with corn soup spiked in Backyard Anise Hyssop, an herb that tastes intriguingly like fennel and cinnamon. Next up was truffled cauliflower sformato; goose leg confit Shepherd’s pie all rich and steamy under pink peppercorn mashed potatoes; Liberty Duck two ways; and lemon crema Napoleon with Sebastopol blueberry sauce.

As for the inside scoops into the outcome of the show, Estes just grinned and shook her head. The Food Network has her in an ironclad contract to keep silent until the series starts airing Oct. 3.

“I was thrilled to be selected,” was all she could say, adding that talent in the line-up “was very East coast weighted,” and she felt a little at disadvantage since she doesn’t own a TV and thus had no idea what the show was about.

Attendees wearing their beach finest at the Sonoma Valley Harvest Auction.

But TV – who needed that for entertainment, when one was at the party in the delightful barn and garden setting in a Santa Rosa Willowside neighborhood vineyard? The evening started with a tour, as Greg La Follette described his grape cultivation process, the particular stresses of this year’s weather, and the unique clay, loamy soils of his property. It ended with La Follette doing charades of the pump-over process in wine fermentation, and playing bagpipe tunes.

Wine Country Auction: The theme of Endless Sonoma, the 18th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, was beach. So guests arrived at Cline Cellars decked in surfer shorts, brilliantly colored sundresses, and in one case, a glittering green mermaid outfit complete with shell bustier.

First, the food.

Park Avenue Catering got things underway with playful hors d’oeuvres like miniature grilled cheese-

Crazy Benziger Boyz at the Sonoma Valley Wine Auction.

curried Gravenstein apple sandwiches. After multiple glasses of wine, guests sat down to a starter of oxtail pate and a tiny cup of truffled cappuccino.

A hint of the entrée was to be had as people arrived at the winery: right there in the parking lot, Syrah restaurant chefs grilled pomegranate-herb lamb that would be served next to Zin Restaurant’s pinenut studded lamb meatballs.

Guests happily sipped their Sauvignon Blanc and nibbled the delicate gravlax from Estate, but they guzzled their muscular Cabernet and pounded the table for more wine barrel stave-roasted steak in salsa verde. Chefs Mark Stark (Stark’s Steakhouse, Willi’s Wine Bar, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar and Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar) and Carlo Cavallo (Sonoma Meritage Martini Oyster Bar & Grill) happily complied, sending out platter after platter of crusty edged meat, ribboned in glorious fat.

Yet even as the luncheon stretched over eight courses and nearly six hours, most of the excitement focused on the auction lots, often presented by their sponsors in raucous skits.

The chefs from the Sonoma Valley Wine Auction.

Who could look away from the gut-busting laugh that was the Benziger Boyz, from Benziger’s Imagery Estate Winery? A parade of hairy men pranced about, dressed in atrocious drag that cannot be recounted for a family-oriented blog. But it worked: their lot raised $51,500.

To keep the bidding going strong, the auctioneer, dressed in a cheeky bikini model t-shirt, appealed to virile wallets. “You’re twice as old as that gentleman,” he teased one man in a bidding war against another. “Prove you can still keep it up.”

The prodding proved profitable. A collection of 58 magnums from top vintners throughout Sonoma County sold for $58,000 – twice. Two rival bidders found peace when each walked away with the prize, bringing the lot total to $116,000 – the highest single lot bid in the auction’s history.

In total, the Auction raised $511,000. And by the delicious finale of the festival, Wine Country Weekend had secured $1.3 million for its charities.

All ways lead to wine and food during Taste of Sonoma.

At last year’s Taste of Sonoma, my “most creative dish” prize went to A la Heart Catering of Santa Rosa, for their Shanghai duck sushi. It was a salty-sweet, chewy-soft bliss of a bird cooked in light and dark soy with brown sugar, star anise, ginger and scallions. The chefs married the meat with cranberries, cashews and cranberry-orange juice reduction, then tucked it into little rice rolls wrapped in nori.

The year before, I was smitten by chef Janine Falvo’s PBLT. The Carneros Bistro chef put together an exciting (and ok, weird) root beer braised pork belly with Oak Hill Farms tomatoes and brown butter hollandaise aioli on brioche.

It just goes to show that you never know what to expect when Wine Country Weekend rolls around, anchored by the Saturday food and wine showcase that is Taste of Sonoma. This year, the event runs Sept. 3-5.

One thing is certain, however. If you haven’t already gotten your tickets, you’d better act fast. This is one of the largest festivals of the year, with folks literally flying in from around the world to get in on the action.

Picnic tables under the old oak trees provide a great space to relax & enjoy the day.

The event kicks off on Sept. 3, with elaborate winemaker lunches at venues throughout the county. Just one example: Check out the circa-1880 Annadel Estate Winery in a meal of rustic Northern Italian fare paired with the inaugural vintages of the 2007 Estate Field Blend and the 2009 Sonoma Valley Rosé. It’s all served within the winery’s ancient stone walls under heritage oak trees, with local torch singer Sheila Whitney serenading, and ladies going home with a bouquet of heirloom roses grown on the Estate’s flower farm.

That evening, there are dinners, hosted by more winemakers at spectacular locations like Silver Oak Cellars, for a meal prepared by celebrity chef Douglas Keane of Cyrus. That meal is sold out, but several excellent suppers remain at other wineries.

In 2009, a record crowd of 2,500 guests converged on the sprawling grassy meadows at Healdsburg’s MacMurray Ranch for Taste of Sonoma. The draw? The marathon gala features tastings, demonstrations, tours and seminars showcasing more than 200 artisan wineries, growers, chefs and food purveyors. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 4, it’s a non-stop feast, brought to delicious life by more than 60 chefs and paired with the best from more than 150 wineries pouring a deep, fruity ocean of fine Sonoma wines.

Sommelier Christopher Sawyer says "cheers!"

From down-home Jimtown Store, to uptown Estate; from comfy-cozy Bruno’s on Fourth, to the haute Hana Japanese Restaurant; from high energy Jackson’s Bar & Oven, to laid-back Santi Restaurant. All the longtime favorites will be there, plus you’ll get a chance to look at some newer Sonoma places, like Jack & Tony’s Restaurant & Whiskey Bar and The Epicurean Connection.

Just don’t expect light nibbles. Last year, Bruno’s sent out a nearly meal-size plate of hoisin ribs, coleslaw and four-cheese macaroni studded with ham. Most other restaurants were right in there with the generous portions, too, and you can go back for seconds or thirds (I always end up camped at Hana’s booth, devouring sushi like a dolphin). It’s not uncommon to see guests lolled in happy comas under shade trees on the lawn.

In between eating, you can wander among wine seminars, cooking demonstrations and vineyard tours. New this year is increased AVA focus, with AVA-specific food and wine pairing in each of the four AVA tents as well as AVA-specific seminars in the White Barn. There’s also a new sustainable foods showcase, showing how delicious it can be to eat earth-friendly.

The General Admission ticket of $150 per person is a good deal. Think about five hours of eating great food and drinking fine wine. But even

The tents of Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch.

better is the Grand Reserve ticket are $195 per person, for special behind-the-scenes tours and tastings, like Club Reserve, where you can hob-nob with Sonoma County winery owners and winemakers. They will personally pour and discuss their limited production, reserve and award-winning wines from large format bottles paired with food by The Farmhouse Inn.

Things wrap up with another party of all parties: on Sunday Sept. 5, it’s the beach and surfing themed Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Cline Cellars. The $500 ticket price gives you a hint of the opulence to be had, including, as the event website notes, “renowned chefs preparing a multi-course meal that makes ‘eating it’ a totally awesome thing, dude.”

One thing to keep in mind about Taste: with 2,500 people trying to cram their cars into the vineyards that serve as parking lots, it can get pretty crazy on the road. A better option is to reserve shuttle service, new this year and available around Santa Rosa and Sonoma from Pure Luxury Transportation.

For just $15 or $20 per person round-trip, you’ll avoid parking delays, enjoy front-gate delivery to the Taste event, and you won’t need to worry about finding a designated driver.

Details: sonomawinecountryweekend.com. For shuttle reservations, contact SWCWshuttle@pureluxury.com.

Chef Duskie Estes, Sonoma Star, culinary warrior.

Update Aug. 27: Estes’s Gag Order Dropped – Food Network Allows the Chef to Speak. Sort-of.

It took some serious pressure over several days from my crack journalistic team, but Food Network bigwigs have decided that finally, Estes can answer a few questions about her upcoming TV appearance. Hey, the Next Iron Chef is a big deal, I know, and they need to keep tight control of their talent running amok. Right?

So here is the scoop, (almost) straight (edited and redacted by FN execs) from the chef’s mouth…

The spotlight will shine brightly on Sonoma this fall, when Zazu chef Duskie Estes competes to be the Next Iron Chef. Her series premieres Oct. 3, and let’s just get this fact out of the way right now: she is going to kick aspic.

Or should we say, since the specialty of her Santa Rosa restaurant is its hand-cured Black Pig meat, she’s going to kick (pork) butt?

Whatever, she’ll show her mettle against nine other chefs, including the celeb-icon Ming Tsai (who will not win, simply because he was mean to me once, although that’s another story entirely).

Due to Food Network rules, Estes is not allowed to talk to media. Not a peep, even for simple questions like how FN came to discover this lovely but charmingly low-key farm country star.

Update: “They called out of the blue,” Estes said, her voice muffled through the gag. “They flew me to Los Angeles for a casting call – I was nervous! When they asked me if I wanted to be The Next Iron Chef, I said ‘I don’t know,’ because I had never seen the show before. I thought I had blown the interview.”

She could not comment on whether there was friendly competition between her and her husband and partner at Zazu, Bovolo and Black Pig Meats, John Stewart, over her landing the star role (peace to all: I am sure he was “coaching” from the sidelines).

Update: “No competition,” Duskie mouthed, from beneath her cone of silence. “He likes to be behind the scenes and I like to be the center of attention, so it works. If I had had one wish, it would have been to have him there by my side. I spoke to him every day.”

She couldn’t spill if it was a ton of fun to appear, directing me back to the Network’s public relation team (a nice lady there told me she is finding out if she can confirm the fun factor, but it may be a while until I hear back).

Update: “I will get to Food Network exec early next week,” the FN spokesperson grandly promised again this afternoon. “May take a few days, lots of folks out of the office.”

Realizing Estes couldn’t give any details at all on the competition, I asked her anyway. “Can you at least say if your secret ingredient is ‘Sonoma friendly?’” As in, the local, Slow Food style she supports so lovingly at her farmhouse restaurant.

Her reply – a polite but firm zip.

Update: “I am an advocate for diversity of agriculture in Sonoma County and ‘knowing the face that feeds you,’” Estes replied, through a cryptic note passed to me in a dark alley. “Everything I do every day has that in mind, and I kept it up on the show.”

Here’s what we do know, on the record: In this third season of the popular show, NIC contestants will have to cook on a desert island and catch the secret ingredient in the wild; design recipes out of condiments such as ketchup, ranch dressing and mayonnaise; create an Iron Chef worthy meal out of corned-beef hash; and create a snack out of pickles.

Let’s just hope that the wild ingredient Estes catches is pig.

Details: Zazu

, 3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa, 707-523-4814 or zazurestaurant.com.

Paella from Vineyards Inn.

Is it paella you prefer? Or, perchance, potstickers?

Either way, you now can get both at Vineyards Inn of Kenwood. Chef-owner Steve Rose has combined his love of the tapas served at his Spanish restaurant on Hwy. 12 with his appreciation of Chinese dim sum.

And why not? Both foods mean little bites, lots of flavors.

Actually, rather than real Chinese, it’s a new tapas tasting dinner, but served dim sum style. Called Tapas Tapas Tapas, it offers guests an array of small plates, in Spanish flavors like ceviche, lemon-garlic calamari, and grilled homemade Spanish chorizo on tomato baguette.

The specialty meal is presented on the fourth Thursday of each month; sign up now for the Aug. 26 feast. The next one takes place Sept. 23.

Servers walk the restaurant with trays and diners point at what they want. At meal’s end, tabs are calculated by the plates piled on the tables, with dishes priced at $4, $6 and $8. For a more dramatic Chinese touch, Rose said he hopes to add cart service at some point.

If you like Vineyards’ regular menu, you’ll like these favorites, presented in smaller portions. The “fish sticks” are actually skewered and flame-broiled fish in Spring Hill

Organic tomatoes from Rose Ranch.

butter, while fire-broiled artichoke comes with dipping sauce, and lamb-beef meatballs are slathered in sofrito.

Vineyards Inn owners Steve and Colleen Rose

The family-owned Rose Ranch gardens that supply much of the restaurant’s organic produce play a big role here, too. Chef Esteban Rose creates uncommon Cal-Spanish bites like kale rolls stuffed with ground lamb, rice, roasted garlic, fresh herbs and mushrooms in lemon-basil pesto sauce, or gnocchi made from organic sweet potato and Dungeness crab tossed in basil pesto.

There’s even a full vegan menu including paella, plus unique nibbles like pizzetta of whole wheat tortilla crust, basil pesto, roasted garlic, organic mushrooms and house made cheese.

If you simply still must have dim sum, chef Rose has you covered. Fill up on his homemade Chinese potstickers plump with organic chicken over roasted Rose Ranch organic tomatillo salsa.

Crowd at a recent Basque dinner.

It’s worth keeping the second Thursday of each month open, too, for the ever-popular Chef’s Basque Dinner series. Rose rolls out seven courses complete with wine for a remarkably low $40, and it’s a real party. Food is served family-style, on platters and in tureens for all to share at one long table.

Reservations are required, with limited seating promptly at 6:30 p.m. But plan ahead – in the year-and-a-half the Basque meal has been offered, it has sold out every time, with seats booked up a few months in advance.

Details: Vineyards Inn, 8445 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-4500, vineyardsinn.com.

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Now, this isn’t shocking. Ume is owned by Debbie Shu, Debbie’s sister Kelly Shu and partner-chef Chang Liow, who also own the remarkable Chinois Asian Bistro across the highway off the Windsor Green.

Whereas Chinois dances all across Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Filipino, Hong Kong-style and Malaysian specialties, Ume is pure Japan. From the outside, it looks like a small house, accented with faux rock and on the edge of a residential neighborhood. Step inside, and it’s chic Asia, from the entry water sculpture wall, to the centerpiece sushi bar, to the textured gray concrete floor that shimmers like a river.

Sashimi artfully presented at Ume Bistro.

When Ume opened in the spring of 2005, Windsor was known more for its proximity to wineries than its abundance of sake. Yet with more than a dozen premium sakes in varietals of junmai, ginjo and daiginjo, Ume has put well-deserved emphasis on the polished rice spirit.

A good meal at the blond wood sushi bar starts with a sake flight, like the Sakura Sampler ($13.75), in mild, floral sips of Manamusume, Oka and Kura no Hana. You’ll also get a complimentary cup of fragrant green tea, served in lovely pottery cup.

Ume has some of the most creative sushi selections in its neighborhood, like the Ume Blossom ($12) of snow crab and organic mixed greens in soy bean paper, or the Snow White ($15.50), as a baked roll of yellowtail topped with scallop and spicy seafood sauce. Pay close attention to the specials chalkboard – that’s where you’ll find treats like my recent score of Aji (Spanish mackerel, $7.50), and

The Snow White & Ume Blossom rolls at Ume.

tempura uni in shiso leaf ($8.50).

If the chef is offering live scallop, get it. The sweet dish is doctored with shallots, ginger and garlic and is well worth the $18 price tag.

As soft acoustical jazz music played in the background, my server brought a beautiful plate of ankimo salad, the monkfish fois gras layered with tobiko, wakame and daikon in ponzu sauce ($8.75). It was a taste of the creativity of the kitchen.

I’ve had grilled tofu steak plenty of times, for example, but never served sizzling with eggs on a hot iron platter ($9), and now, I know what I’ve been missing.

The signature Ume Roll.

The cleverly named Dragon Eggs turned out to be quail egg tucked in crisp prawn and drizzled with sweet chili sauce ($9.50), while quail egg found another home in the shooter of briny fresh oyster bobbing in chilled sake with the tiny egg, tobiko and a zingy splash of ponzu sauce ($6.50).

You know I had to order tonkatsu (see my previous review on Senju to see why http://inside-sonoma.com/senju-sushi-in-windsor-offers-a-taste-of-japan/). While Ume’s version isn’t the best I’ve had (blame it on smallish portions and a bit of overcooking), the Fuji apple-studded potato salad was a nice, Hawaii-centric touch. And here is where I will go from now on for my Nabeyaki fix: the udon soup brims with chicken, vegetables, prawn tempura and egg ($15.50).

I’ll say it: I don’t like dining with kids. They interrupt the food. But if you’re going to take the little ones out of their cages, Ume is a good choice. Their children’s menu

The sushi bar at Ume offers a perfect view of the unique sushi creations.

appeals to contemporary tykes’ tastes, such as the Bento A ($8.95), bringing a combo of miso soup, crab cheese puff, grilled teriyaki chicken, steamed rice and green tea ice cream.

And where else but in Sonoma will a Japanese restaurant proudly plant its flag to proclaim it has vegetarian sushi? Yet indeed, there is a whole menu section devoted to the stuff: Japanese pickled radish ($4.50), sweet yam, onion and zucchini tempura ($6), and even an oh-so-Wine Country creation called Lo-Carb California, of surimi and avocado wrapped in cucumber ($6).

For the signature Ume dish, though, it has to be this: the Ume Shiso ($5), of cucumber, shiso leaf, and yes, pickled plum.

Details: Ume Japanese Bistro, 8710 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-838-6700, umebistro.com.

Gravenstein Apples ripe for the sampling.

How ’bout them apples? You’d think you’d find a few at this weekend’s Gravenstein Apple Fair, since the annual event is all about the juicy, crunchy orbs.

Certainly the beautiful fruit is front and center at the celebration being held Aug. 14 and 15 at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. You can bite into the best, presented in the raw by Dutton Ranch and Walker Apples. You can sip the stuff, from Farm Trails Apple Juice and Mae’s Organics.

But there’s more, from Sonoma’s talented troops of all things apple.

As you wander the agricultural and entertainment displays, you can sample apple cider syrup and apple butter from Ciderhouse Foods; plus jams, sauces and baked goods

Gravenstein pie from Kozlowski Farms.

by Kozlowski Farms. There will be dried and fresh fruits harvested by Neufeld Farms; and caramel apples crafted in all their sticky-sweet goodness by Redwood Christian Fellowship. For folks who prefer to slurp instead of chew, Mae’s will also be offering classic applesauce.

All ages enjoy the taste of Gravenstein Apples.

And you’ll find pie, oh yes, plenty of pie. The tasty rounds and slices (served hot and cold) will come courtesy of the Community Church of Sebastopol; and from Pacific Christian Academy, which will also turn out apple turnovers. If it’s apple cobbler that you crave, Gourmet Faire will fill your plate, topping it off with whipped cream. You can guess what will come out the kitchen of Grandma’s Apple Fritters, while Mirella’s is thinking outside the apple crate, with Italian-style apple cakes and pastries.

If it all sounds pretty ambitious for a community event, keep this in mind: this is the 100th anniversary of the Gravenstein Apple Fair, and it’s the 199th birthday of the first Gravenstein tree to be planted in Sonoma County. Gravenstein apples used to be the backbone of Sebastopol’s economy, and to this day, the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the trees that still blossom across the western Sonoma County landscape.

Most importantly, the Gravenstein apple is one of the most delicious varietals you’ll ever munch (in stunning sweet-tart flavor and aroma,

Gravenstein Apple pie eating contest at the Gravenstein Apple Fair.

with texture that’s as gorgeous raw as it is baked in a pie). It’s a favorite summer treat as North America’s earliest ripening apple (the season starts late July). And what’s not to love about its character-actor personality (the charmingly squat, irregularly shaped apple usually sports an eccentric greenish yellow body covered with broad red stripes)?

Yet sadly, for some of these same endearing properties, Gravensteins are now an endangered produce. They are difficult to harvest (blame it on short stems and different ripening times even on the same trees). The fruit is also extremely delicate and perishable, so they don’t take to shipping long distances, or sitting too long unloved in a grocery bin. Some truly foolish customers think the fruits are funny looking, and won’t even taste them.

There’s increasing hope, however. Such is the appeal of the fruit that it has been adopted by Ark of Taste, an organization dedicated to preserving heirloom food products.

So go to the fair. Eat the pie. And then sign up for the Slow Food Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Presidium that’s been formed to promote and protect the farmers who grow these delicious jewels.

Now them’s some real important apples.

Details: The Gravenstein Apple Fair, Saturday August 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday August 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ragle Ranch Park, 500 Ragle Road, Sebastopol. Tickets are (Adults) $12, (Seniors) $10, (Youths 6-12) $5, and kids under 6 are free. Purchase in advance at Travel.SonomaCounty.Com or 1-888-255-1223.

The sign of good Italian food. Photo by Carey Sweet.

For all the sophisticated restaurant cuisine that Sonoma boasts, it’s an old-fashioned favorite that’s the new trend.

Italian food.

And not fancy Italian food, but simple, delicious, stick-to-your-ribs eats like your mother (if your mother was a good cook) might have made.

Catelli’s opened in Geyserville in March. Baci Café & Wine Bar opened in Healdsburg in April. And Franco’s Ristorante & Wine Bar opened in Santa Rosa in June.

Between the three spots, there is plenty of spaghetti. You can get calamari, Italian-style chicken, piping hot minestrone, steak, lamb, and clams. Except for when the chefs get inspired with daily specials, the fanciest things on these menus is polenta (which, in fact, originated as peasant food).

And diners are eating it up. Catelli’s, in particular, is often packed, especially for its newly introduced Italian barbecue, done on

Spaghetti at Catelli's in Geyserville. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Wednesdays and Saturdays over an outdoor oak- and mesquite-fired grill. Franco’s, meanwhile, fills up for weekday happy hour on the patio, late night on Fridays and Saturdays for pizza by the slice served until 3 a.m. (yes, 3 a.m.), plus lunch and dinner all days in between.

Call it a craving for comfort. But also call it a sign of these rocky economic times, and a return to more casual dining. One-third of U.S. adults haven’t visited a fine-dining restaurant in the past year, according to a March survey by consumer-research firm Mintel. Instead, they’re looking for food that is familiar and affordable, and if they can enjoy it wearing jeans and flip-flops, all the better.

Fortunately for North Bay diners, familiar doesn’t mean flavorless.  In fact, the result of this downtrend is often great eating at lower prices. With even the most limited budget, a talented chef can use the premium, locally grown ingredients that are the mainstay of the Sonoma landscape, and put out a meal fit for a special occasion.

At Catelli’s, chef-owner Domenica Catelli favors Geyserville-area ingredients, including wines she sources from within a 20-mile radius of the restaurant. With her specials in particular, she showcases fresh-harvested boutique items, such as one recent appetizer of Bernier Farms figs wrapped in prosciutto di Parma then pan seared to melt the Pt. Reyes Blue cheese within, nested on a bed of peppery arugula drizzled in a reduction of balsamic, honey and Dry Creek olive oil. That same evening, she presented a stunning rabbit entrée of Jones Farm rabbit liver pate- and mushroom-stuffed loin alongside a pair of shanks set atop polenta and dressed in red wine reduction sauce dotted with pancetta and onion. The crown of pickled red cabbage came from the garden that frames Catelli’s back patio.

Franco Fabiano, center, with staff at Franco's. Photo by Carey Sweet.

For Franco’s owner Franco Fabiani, it’s all about authenticity. His sister Maria came from Rome to coordinate the menu, and the heart of his kitchen is a classic Italian wood-fired oven. The cooks take some liberties – when the menu promised calamari “served with spicy marinara,” the breaded seafood arrived actually coated in sauce. But one thing is predictable: meals are tasty and soul warming, like an enormous chicken parmigiana draped in gooey mozzarella and decorated with bright, pungent basil, paired with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.

When you go to Catelli’s, don’t miss the meat ravioli, which is a recipe from Domenica and her brother/restaurant co-owner Nicholas

Domenica & Nick Catelli of Catelli's in Geyserville.

Catelli’s grandmother. The dozen pasta pockets are lacy-thin, yet gutsy when ladled with “Domenica’s sauce,” blooming with tomato, fresh herbs and a walloping load of garlic. You”ll also love the satisfying chicken sauté sec, bringing bone-in Rocky chicken browned with rosemary, garlic, mushrooms and white wine over soft pesto polenta and chard.

If you’re really hungry, you can tackle Franco’s enormous portion of lasagna bolognese (it reheats wonderfully later, too). A moist, baked chicken breast is another good choice, stuffed with spinach, feta and sundried tomatoes then finished in D’Argenzio Pinot Noir sauce.

For this new bent for old-style Italian, bring your appetite. Just leave pretense – and expectations of high prices – at home.

Details: Catelli’s, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3471, mycatellis.com. Baci Cafe & Wine Bar, 336 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-8111, bacicafeandwinebar.com. Franco’s Ristorante, 505 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-523-4800, francosristorante.com.

Looking for more travel tips?  Here are a few about Geyserville.

Healthy donuts? Sure. Why not?. Photo by Carey Sweet.

my group quipped.

“Ha,” I said, “How about TUMS strung on a necklace, like candy jewelry? You could just chew as you walk.”

We nearly laughed ourselves sick, all in anticipation of, well, getting sick, as we ate our way through nearly all the food booths on opening day of this year’s Sonoma County Fair.

Visions of deep-fried atrocities loomed, of sticky cotton candy billows bigger than our heads, and of course, all kinds of stuff-on-a-stick. And, indeed, we found plenty of that (chocolate covered bacon? Yep).

But in a somewhat shocking twist, we also found that, in the year of 2010, The Sonoma Fair is also doing what Sonoma does best: serving up healthy, fresh, and surprisingly tasty food.

It’s true. Amid the rubble of our sweet-salty batter-coated corn dogs and Mackinac Island Fudge’s rich, chocolate-y confections, we found “healthy” donuts. Seriously. From Castle Mini Donuts, brand new to the Fair this year. “Donuts have never been healthier,” proclaimed Castle owner Terry Turchin, noting that his cinnamon-dusted rounds are made with soybean oil.

Maybe, because you can get the crunchy-edged, fluffy-inside beauties drizzled in chocolate sauce, served as a sundae under whipped cream, or even piled in a giant plastic tub, if would be tough to not pretend these babies weren’t really going straight to our hips.

Clever advertising at the Sonoma County Fair. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Yet naturally, because the donuts are tiny, they have less calories per bite, I said hopefully. Turchin would not confirm that.

Several vendors were serving roasted corn, however, and eating doesn’t get any healthier. Except when that corn, as ours was, can be dunked in butter and slathered in mayonnaise, just begging for a sprinkle of chile powder. For more corn, you can snag some pozole from the Old Mexico booth, the savory broth brimming with hominy, and veggies (just avert your eyes to the fried tortillas for dipping).

The creatively named Thai Cuisine had egg rolls on a stick, and we gave them healthy props for being vegetarian (no mind the candy-sweet sauce we dipped them in). Butterfly-cut French fries could be considered healthy (the chip-like curls were fried, but so lightly they tasted baked), even when we doused them in buckets of barbecue sauce.

A giant dill pickle? You betcha! A full serving of veggies right there.

So sure, we stuffed down pounds of ribs and pork and links from Bubba’s Barbecue, but we chased it with a surely-healthy smoked turkey leg from Willie Bird’s (ignoring the fact that the leg was the size of a caveman club).

Yes, that was powdered sugar on our faces, from the deep-fried dough glory that is Pennsylvania Dutch Funnel Cakes. But we sipped fresh-squeezed lemonade alongside, in the dainty “small” serving, no less, instead of the offered “tanker” cup. Pure virtue.

Mom’s Apple Pie is full of apples, I pointed out. And fish tacos, from Pepe’s Mariscos in the Mexican Village, could be ordered grilled instead of fried,

Fried food on a stick is never a bad food option. Photo by Carey Sweet.

tucked in a heart-friendly corn tortilla and packed with fresh vegetables and cholesterol-clearing salsa.

For final proof of how healthy the State Fair has become, our group did not eat the Oreo-covered banana (though, still, bananas equal good-for-you, yes?). We passed on the cute, crunchy churros, the snow cones (really, as if ice has calories), and even the candy apples (though again, I pointed out, this is a snack brimming with apples).

Okay, we indulged in two-way spaghetti from Ibleto’s Spaghetti Palace, but we declined the meatballs.

By the end of our feast-around, it’s true an antacid would still have come in handy. But thanks to the Fair’s new “healthy” bent (ha!), at least we weren’t waddling out looking like a group of fat chicks in the funhouse mirror.

Details: Sonoma County Fair, July 27-Aug. 8 at Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200, sonomacountyfair.com.

Udon Noodles at Senju are fragrant, filling and full-bodied. Photo by Carey Sweet.

include wood tables and chairs, and a wood sushi bar topped with a wood pagoda-style roof.

Even the accents look like shiso leaves lining a bento box – the seats, table insets, and carpets are hunter green. Overhead hang square-shaped paper lanterns.

And inside the downtown Windsor restaurant is what makes a bento box so appealing: a myriad of delicious dishes, in a rainbow of flavors, textures, temperatures and colors.

Perhaps that’s why, though sushi is front-and-center on the lengthy menu (77 rolls listed, plus endless special chef creations), I was first drawn to the bento box dinners. There are 13 choices ($17.50-$19.95), all anchored by tempura, a serving which could be a full meal in itself, brimming in a mound of green beans, two meaty prawns, huge knobs of squash and broccoli, and long, fat wands of sweet potato chunks and soft, steamy carrot.

After sipping a savory bowl of tofu-studded miso soup, you choose your bento components. There are the usual suspects: teriyaki meats, crispy meats in spicy sauce, and sashimi, plus a few Chinese-style recipes like lemon or ginger chicken, and walnut prawns. To round things out, the chef adds a generous green salad and a scoop of rice.

I lived in Tokyo for three years during my childhood, and one of my favorite dishes, then and now, is tonkatsu. Senju’s version ($14.25 a la carte/$17.50 bento box) is spot-on. The thick-sliced pork cutlet remains juicy beneath its thin, crisp-breaded shell, all the better to soak up drizzles of tangy katsu sauce.

Though Senju is tucked in a strip mall facing a busy street, you won’t notice it once you’ve settled in and are sipping your green tea or sake. Rice paper covers the windows, white Christmas lights twinkle above the peek-a-boo kitchen, and gentle Japanese string music strums in the background. Usually, chef-owner Koji or his wife Jou greet you, dressed in short kimono jackets and offering a slight bow.

A Dragon Roll at Senju with shrimp tempura & unagi. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Koji, who likely will prepare your sushi, has the basics covered — silky, succulent tuna nigiri (both maguro and premium o’toro); buttery yellowtail; spicy tuna rolls that take sinus-singe to a serious level; and California rolls that come packed with real, creamy crab, not that fake surimi. More interesting are the Jou rolls ($14), California-style models upgraded with poki tuna and tobiko, and the Dragon roll ($13.95) of shrimp tempura capped in salty epaulets of eel.

I’m not a big fan of American kitchen-sink style sushi, but Koji shines even with the weird stuff. A Tori roll is ($6.50) sacrilege for sushi purists, but it’s extravagant, tucking a plump chunk of fried chicken alongside crisp cucumber and cream cheese. It’s a mouthful to manage, but a worthwhile one, contrasting crunch and cream, silk and salt.

A Mango Tango roll ($10.50) is even better, layering lush hamachi, tuna, and sweet mango all prettily wrapped in soy paper. Don’t overlook the 49’ers roll ($13.50), meanwhile, because of its goofy name. The chef starts with a log of rice, and packs it plump with snow crab. Over this he drapes a sheer coverlet of salmon, slivered with transparent slips of lemon. Add in the yin and yang of brain-splitting fiery wasabi and salty soy sauce, and it’s riveting.

Senju also wins my heart for offering an entree that, while nothing fancy, isn’t all that common in Sonoma. That would be udon ($14.95), in fat tangles of white wheat noodles bobbing in soy-based broth. Fragrant, filling and full-bodied, the soup swims in a choice of chunks of Black Angus beef, tempura, or small but sturdy shrimp, scallops, mussels and cotton-candy-pink rounds of fish cake. You slurp, you splatter your shirt, you’re happy.

Other entrees are engaging — in particular the sea bass steamed with ginger mushroom sauce ($18.50), or the meaty teppan prawns sautéed on a sizzling platter ($16.95).

Senju cuts little creative swaths with appetizers. Fried tofu ($5.50) and crisp fried calamari ($8.50) are better bypassed for shiro maguro ($13), in a small but precious serving of albacore tuna sashimi, or amaebi ($7.50), jumbo raw prawn with the fried head served separately.

I’ve never been a big fan of dessert in Asian restaurants, either – green tea or mango ice cream ($4.50) just isn’t that special. But a Senju meal ends on a high note of mochi ice cream ($4.50), or roasted seed ice cream ($4.75), for intriguing smoky notes married with freeze.

A box? Senju may resemble one, and is certainly a master of the bento. But for a few recipes outside of the box, Senju delivers those very nicely, too.

Details: Senju Japanese Restaurant, 8960 Brooks Road South, Windsor, 707-836-1699, senjusushi.com.

For more information about restaurants in Windsor, visit http://windsor.sonomacounty.com.

The tonkatsu bento box is spot on. Photo by Carey Sweet.

That’s what you might ask as you’re driving by the Isis Oasis Sanctuary at the southern entrance to Geyserville these days. Because a life-size Egyptian mummy has just popped up on the roadside, and she’s acting as an unofficial Goddess for an entirely unexpected dining experience in Sonoma County.

It’s a new restaurant called Mummy’s Kitchen, and it offers a specialty of Egyptian-Asian fusion cuisine, served in a colorful café tucked away on the grounds of the spiritual retreat and spa.

Inspired, indeed: the eatery is the brainchild of Isis Arch Priestess and temple director “Lady Loreon” Vigne, along with chef Yaa’ Holwell, who formerly owned Thai Time Asian Bistro in Cloverdale.

The setting may be unlikely – you’ll dine in a pavilion next to an exotic cat sanctuary and in front of the resort’s pool and hot tub, beneath palm frond umbrellas in the shade of a 500-year-old tree, and with the occasional parrot flitting by.

Lady Loreon may stop by your table to offer her blessing, and if she invites you take a tour of the property after your meal, jump at the chance. She’s been a follower of the Egyptian-theme retreat since its founding in 1980.

She may share the story of the restaurant’s invention – how she keeps an inflatable mummy in her kitchen, how she always wanted to open a restaurant, and how Holwell has long been a family friend.

“When Holwell’s place closed, it seemed destined,” Vigne explains.

However whimsical the mood, the kitchen talent is firmly grounded. Cleopatra’s catfish comes decorated with lotus roots ($16), Egyptian sesame chicken is bright with local vegetables over couscous,  ($15) and Asian Emerald salmon swims in green curry ($16), served with the black ‘Forbidden Rice’ once reserved only for emperors.

Some dishes meld Vigne’s trove of Egyptian recipes with Holwell’s Thai signatures. Mummy Wrap ($6), for example, can be had Egyptian style with hummus, baba ghanoush and falafel wrapped in lavosh with tahini sauce; or Asian style, as rice paper stuffed with purple cabbage (purple is Isis’ royal color, Vigne notes), carrot, watercress, mint, lettuce and peanut sauce.

Then, there’s the ostrich patty with sliced eggplant on a toasted bun ($14), Tom Ka Gai soup ($5), vegan Egyptian stew with couscous ($12), and red pumpkin chicken curry ($12, lunch/$14, dinner). Wrap things up with“Mummy Yummys” like homemade coconut “isis cream” with seasonal fruit ($5).

Mummy’s Kitchen is open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Look for longer hours and an expanded menu sometime later in the year.

Mummy’s Kitchen: in the Isis Oasis Sanctuary, 20889 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville; (707) 857-4747 or isisoasis.org.

It’s a one-pot wonder, even if that pot is the size of a wading pool. For professional paella chefs, it seems, the larger the pan, the better the dish.

You can check out that theory at the 18th Annual Catalan Festival being held July 24 and 25 at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards on Hwy. 121 in Sonoma.

That’s when some of the North Bay’s most talented chefs will gather to create a paella feast, stirring and simmering the Spanish rice wafting in enticing aromas of seafood, chicken and sausage steamed with deeply fragrant spices. In most cases, the pan will dwarf any traditional skillet you’ve ever seen, showcasing that this is a dish best enjoyed with lots and lots of friends.

While paella is classic, the recipes are open to a chef’s personal interpretation, often based on what’s available seasonally, in an everything-but-the-kitchen sink mélange. The only must? A healthy pinch of precious saffron.

Showing that individual style will be Jose Castaneda El Toro Market in Healdsburg and Castaneda’s Market in Windsor, a chef who is known for his bolder, bigger flavors, including spicy homemade chorizo. It’s a “New World” approach for an “Old World” food that was born long ago as a rustic meal for vineyard workers in Spain and designed to be scooped by hungry hands directly from the pan.

Also cooking: Sabor of Spain, B44 Catalan Bistro, and Barlata.

As a celebration of Gloria Ferrer’s Spanish roots, there will be plenty of Carneros wine, too – in sparkling and still – plus live classical guitar and flamenco dance.

Details: Taste of Spain, The 18th annual Catalan Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 24-25, at Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards, 23555 Highway 121, Sonoma.

Cost: $50 adults; $42.50 for guests under 21, kids under 5 free. Visit gloriaferrer.com or call 707-933-1999.

By January, however, Bousquet and his wife Bryan (she’s also the restaurant’s wine director and general manager), were back to making everyone happy, with the opening of Bistro M. The eatery took over the former Langley’s on The Green space just around the corner from Mirepoix, and its menu is laden with reasonably priced signature favorites at lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

Familiar belly-fillers are in abundance, like coq au vin ($15) and steak au poivre ($20), crepes Suzette ($11), Caesar salad strewn with real anchovies ($9), and a hamburger ($9). It’s also one of my favorite destinations for expertly done staples like boeuf bourguignon ($18), cassoulet ($19), mussels in white wine broth with frites ($12), and sole meuniere ($17) atop fingerling potatoes and spinach.

Flash forward to summer. A recent re-visit to Bistro M reminded me that, amid all the comfort fare, this café brims with big city dishes that would be at home in any stylish Parisian neighborhood.

Nicely chewy escargot swimming in garlic butter ($12)? Bien sur. French onion soup ($9)? But of course, all sweet and rich and hot and gooey, draped in bubbling cheese. I picked frog’s legs ($14) clean, pleased with the tender meat reminiscent of chicken or catfish.

The Gallic mood starts at the foyer, with its French-pane doors and windows hung with sheer embroidered curtains. You can relax with a cocktail at the six-seat bar, or vie for one of the coveted five seats overlooking the peek-a-boo exposition kitchen, where you’re mere inches away from the cooks.

The bar is also a great place for a cocktail and charcuterie ($12), presented in displays of house-cured salmon, artisan salami, pork pate, trout rillettes, duck liver mousse and prosciutto. For the freshest seafood, check the olive green shutter-framed chalkboard listing oysters-of-the-day ($1.75 each).

If you crave authentic sweetbreads, chef Ben Davies has you covered. The original talent of Mirepoix, he had left two years ago to take sous-chef positions with The Restaurant at Meadowood and Murray Circle at Cavallo Point. But he’s now back in the kitchen at Bistro M, and he has a skilled hand with the savory thymus glands, offering them au natural with frites ($11), and as a creative brunch dish, fashioned into a Benedict ($16).

Digging into a platter of lamb neck ($12) may not seem immediately appealing, but it’s extremely tender, flavorful meat thanks to collagen that dissolves into silky texture and sauce. For a more approachable meal, lamb shank ($19) arrives in fall-apart chunks over caper-olive risotto, tomato confit and Swiss chard; it’s one of the best renditions I’ve had in the North Bay.

A Sunday special of bouillabaisse is a great tribute to the seafood mélange and a bargain at $17, while duck confit ($17) gets some welcome crunch from walnuts, plated with spinach, dainty mushrooms, P’tit Basque cheese and picked onions.

If you’re in the mood for butter, meanwhile, you’ve hit the jackpot. A Croque Madame ($10) tastes nearly fried after its turn on the grill, the long, slender slab of toast stuffed with tangy cheese, buried under Mornay sauce and a fried egg. Interestingly, the sandwich I got one afternoon was stuffed with shaved roast beef instead of the expected ham, but either way, it’s a filling meal, paired with a crisp salad and a generous pile of thin-cut herbed frites alongside aioli for dunking.

When Mirepoix changed its concept, Bryan promised that some cherished dishes would be resurrected at Bistro M, and indeed, the butterscotch pudding ($6) is back in all its buttery-brown sugar glory.

For another dessert pick, “saddened” chocolate cake ($6) is actually a joy. As my cheerful server explained, the confection gets its cute name from the fact that that the round is depressed in the middle, where the rich, crusty exterior collapses to a warm center of molten fudge.

At Mirepoix, the Bousquet family wows with remarkable culinary tricks like goat cheese foam poufed atop onion tart layered with beets and arugula and drizzled in balsamic. The multi-course tasting menu changes nearly every night – though ingredients may remain similar, Bousquet switches how he presents them – lobster and pork belly as a thick slice of braised pig with a small lobster tail one night, for example, and as lobster-truffle ravioli with lardons the next.

And that’s magical.

Yet sometimes, you’ve just got to have a simpler, soul-satisfying chicken paillard ($12), quiche Florentine ($12) or tuna Nicoise ($13).

For that, you’ll be hard pressed to find any better piece of Paris than Bistro M.

Details: Bistro M, 610 McClelland Drive, Windsor, 707-838-3118, thebistrom.com. Restaurant Mirepoix, 275 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707-838-0162, restaurantmirepoix.com.

Guests enjoying The Days of Wine & Lavender.

their minds last month than just late bud break for their grape vines.

When, they wondered, would their lavender bushes blossom?

With hundreds of shrubs, and the upcoming 14th Annual Days of Wine and Lavender event being held on the estate this Saturday, June 26, there was a lot at stake. Not only are the pretty plants a tourist attraction, but their blossoms are the backbone of a cottage industry for the 1,500 acre Bennett Valley estate, harvested from its terraced hillside entry garden flowing in an ocean of brilliant purple.

Lavender lined entrance to Matanzas Creek.

From lotions, potions, soaps, and plenty of would-be potpourri crafted in an on-property lavender barn, the bushes are big business. In fact, Matanzas harvests more than two millions stems each year.

Yet as I toured the fields with them in late May, barely a hint of purple peeked through.

Fortunately, Mother Nature appears to have cooperated at the last minute, and the festival will go on as planned this weekend. From 1 to 4 p.m. you can wander the gardens, sample wines from new and library bottlings, listen to live music, and indulge in another highlight of the blossom-y byproduct: a rainbow of dishes showcasing lavender as a culinary ingredient.

Winery chef Constantino “Taki” Laliotitis has prepared a substantial feast of flowers this season. There will be lavender coconut rock shrimp ceviche, lavender roasted pork shoulder with creamy coleslaw, and chocolate-lavender infused Pot de Creme with summer berry salad.

In my sneak preview tasting, the ceviche was particularly surprising for its success. While ceviche is traditionally citrus-based, Taki added coconut milk, poaching the seafood then spritzing it in lime, so that the lavender added just the slightest tropical-floral finish.

For those in lavender overload, other dishes will include butter lettuce salad with horseradish and fine herb vinaigrette; Matanzas Creek spice rubbed hanger steak with frites, Sausalito farms watercress and Cabernet ketchup; and Rancho Gordo three bean salad with sun-dried tomato dressing and fresh basil.

Naturally, you’ll be able to buy lavender for your own cooking pleasure. Get it in dried buds, and in grilling sticks to infuse floral flavors into poultry, lamb and vegetables. If you do, however, take a tip from chef Taki: less lavender is more. Just the tiniest pinch can flavor a whole dish; too much can have your food smelling like grandmother’s closet and tasting like soap.

“It’s difficult, because you want to use every last bit (of lavender), Taki agrees. “But you just have to let it go, otherwise the flavor will be too strong.”

This event sells out every year so buy your tickets now ($95 per person).

Details: Matanzas Creek Winery, 6097 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, 707-528-6464, matanzascreek.com

One of the best grilled cheese you will ever have. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Chef John Ash was looking for something different when he planned his brand new booth for the Windsor Farmer’s Market. And he found it in a most ordinary food.

At his new Hot Cheese, debuted last Thursday, grilled cheese sandwiches take center stage. As in that molten, melty classic of everyone’s childhood, buttered bread and cheese slapped on a grill.

This being John Ash, however, these aren’t everyday grilled cheeses.  Certainly not the Velveeta-margarine-bargain bread beasts my mother cooked for me when I was a child, plopping the things on a pancake griddle then pressing the heavy lid, meaning the sandwiches emerged flat and brittle enough to slip under a door, and burned nearly black.

And certainly not the horrors my childhood friend endured from her Midwestern-born mother. This cruel woman fried flabby sheets of bologna, then stuck it between slices of squishy Wonder Bread slathered in Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, sweet relish and ketchup. She doused the mess in clouds of aerosol can cheese, wrapped the monstrosity in tin foil, and set it under a clothes iron to steam.

No, with Ash as a renowned chef, author, and food and wine educator, these sandwiches are special, crafted of Petaluma’s Springhill cheeses on Penngrove’s Full Circle Baking Co. bread.

The set-up sits in a simple white vinyl tent, tucked along the main drag of Windsor’s enormously popular (read, packed to the gills) market. You’ll pay a bit more for the honor of munching an artisan melt – a classic cheese is $7 and a specialty sandwich is $9. And you’ll wait a

Clare Dunleavy at the Windsor Farmers Market for some hot cheese. Photo by Carey Sweet.

while – when I visited, the line was deep, and Ash, assisted by chef Ian Christopher, was scrambling. It took perhaps ten minutes from ordering to eating, with the

Grilled cheese shares the stage with a delicious reuben. Photo by Carey Sweet.

chefs assembling ingredients, carefully tending the flat metal sheets resting atop portable grills, then cutting the sandwiches into artistic triangles.

“Did they forget about us?” asked one puzzled customer, brightening when, in the next second, Ash handed her the food.

But prepare to be pleased. The classic is packed so thick that it oozes thick puddles onto the paper plate. It’s a blend of six cheeses, and not only will Ash not divulge the mix, he swears he doesn’t know what it is. True? Doubtful. Though he has partnered with Santa Rosa Junior College instructor Mei Ibach and Park Avenue Catering owner Bruce Riezenman, Ash is in control of his kitchen.

He smiled, beaming beneath his baseball cap and smoothing his Hawaiian shirt over his blue jeans. “Okay. I say that so no can torture the secret out of me.”

The classic comes with a small cup of heirloom tomato soup that’s thick and rich and spicy and topped with a swirl of salsa verde, plus a side of pickled vegetables and some fresh orange. You get a spoon, but Ash said seriously, as he passed me the plate, “You do know to dunk the sandwich in the soup, right?”

Head to the Windsor Farmers Market for a taste of Hot Cheese. Photo by Carey Sweet.

For a sweeter bite, Ash spreads creamy Bellwether Carmody with quince paste and tops it with crunchy applewood smoked bacon. A Reuben is rich, layered with shaved pastrami, Jack, a bit of sauerkraut and a drenching of butter, so the bread sizzles to a crunchy edge finished in whole grain mustard.

Then, there’s a quesadilla ($8.50), the corn tortilla stuffed with cheese, roasted vegetables and avocado salsa. On the side: orange jicama slaw ($3), and a dessert of Bruce’s Famous Brownies ($3), enormously chocolately, fudgy and soft like cake.

Wash it down with Mei’s fresh tamarind-citrus punch, cucumber water ($3), or wine and beer from the market’s vendors.

Details: Hot Cheese is served at the Thursday night market at Windsor Town Green through August 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. Ash is also experimenting with other venues, including the Gravenstein Apple Fair at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol, being held August 14 and 15, plus local jazz festivals. Check his website for details, at thebestgrilledcheese.com.

This is not because I am masochistic. It’s because so often, I’ve been stunned by a chef’s successful creativity. There’s a reason professional cooks are professional cooks – like great artists, they have vision for food that mere mortals often don’t.

The latest culinary canvas I’m swooning over is Chinois Asian Bistro in Windsor. The menu at this stylish little eatery tucked on the Town Green is lengthy, and nearly every dish requires a double take for inventiveness. Owner Debbie Shu is thinking outside the wok for this mélange of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Filipino, Hong Kong-style and Malaysian specialties, and the result is often delectable.

Every Asian menu must have egg rolls, because nearly everyone craves the crispy nibbles. Yet Shu mixes taro root in among the shredded cabbage and carrots, then sweetens things up with pineapple-citrus dip ($5). Another classic, spring rolls, come plump with crispy roast duck and cool cucumber ($8). While my table had to get our favorite of predictable panko prawns ($10), I was pleased to discover that the beautifully firm, crunchy-coated creatures arrived with a gripping wasabi-honey dip.

Debbie’s sister Kelly Shu and partner-chef Chang Liow also own Ume Japanese Bistro nearby on Old Redwood Highway, and their respect for pristine seafood shows in the ahi tartare ($12), the ruby red cubes of fish jewel-brilliant, glistening in sesame ponzu and scattered in paper-thin taro chips.

Open for two-and-a-half years, the space itself doesn’t excite so much. It’s quietly sexy with red column lanterns and a long row of charcoal banquettes, but stark with bistro seating and a bar in the entry. Service is polite if perfunctory. Yet who is going to look away from their plate, anyway, when the Thai green mango salad ($12) arrives? It’s a portrait of color and zing, tumbling julienne vegetable curls, cilantro, scallions, sprouts, peanuts, and more of those perfect prawns. Even the Chinois house salad ($6) is no afterthought, thanks to add-ins of Asian pears and taro root chips amid the organic field greens, and a splash of gutsy soy vinaigrette.

Chinois is one of the few Sonoma restaurants to offer dim sum, and the small bites hold some surprises. If you’ve had Day Break Radish Cake ($5) elsewhere, it likely wasn’t like this – four fluffy slabs make me think of crisp-edged French toast, peppery-sharp with radish and tamed with a thick, sweet soy syrup. Pot stickers ($6), meanwhile, get an intriguing boost from balsamic-citrus-soy sauce and a generous sprinkle of toasted chile flakes.

For an Indian treat, try the roti prata ($7). Most other versions bring chewy flatbread or doughy pancake. But at Chinois, the starch is feather light, presented in fat, deliciously greasy curls like croissants, to be dunked in thick, creamy, mildly spiced yellow curry.

And when was the last time you had a taste of Peru in Wine Country? Chifa ($15) is a mild introduction, layering chewy beef, tomatoes, onion and potatoes in a kind of wok-tossed casserole. Ladle it over jasmine rice and let the savory sauce soak in.

For all the very good plates at Chinois, the miso escolar ($16) is a standout. Chunks of sashimi grade butterfish are pan-seared to a golden finish and the silky, fatty meat gets sturdy support from crunchy bok choy. Another entrée of Cambodian glass noodles ($12) caused dueling chopsticks at our table, spearing shards of chicken and sliced prawn among the slippery, savory sauce.

As I studied the drinks menu, I couldn’t help but smile. There are imported beers, and a deep wine list from sommelier Liow (check out the funky glassed-in wine cellar in the alcove off the bar). But leave it to Shu and Liow to create a compelling cocktail collection based on soju rice-barley spirits. Somewhat familiar is the Tai Chi ($5), like an Asian mojito of soju, chilled sake, mint, fresh lemon juice and seltzer. Completely new is the Orange Creamsicle ($5), blending chilled unfiltered sake with orange juice and a dash of cream.

I zeroed in on the Asian Blonde ($5), a blend of soju, chilled sake, mint and what was called “capiscan.” Surely they meant capsaicin, the potent component that gives chiles their heat, but instead it was a clear salmon-colored concoction, floating in confetti of minced bell pepper and herb.

The drink was somehow reminiscent of salad dressing, in an eclectically delicious way, but more: a superb example of a culinary artist’s creative license.

Details: Chinois Asian Bistro, 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707-838-4667.

Food, glorious food.

In a new twist, the annual winefest weekend being held June 4-6 emphasizes how vital edibles are for celebrating special wines.

First up is a brand new activity, a lavish “kick-off” supper gala Friday night at Alexander’s Crown Vineyard Estate in Healdsburg. Set in high style on a private, 66-acre vineyard hilltop overlooking Alexander Valley, the party showcases reserve and library wines from premium Northern California properties, and jumpin’ R&B music from Stompy Jones. To pair with it all: a gourmet meal from Tim Vallery, chef-owner of Healdsburg’s Peloton Catering, in bites like braised Sonoma lamb and strozzapreti pasta, marscapone polenta with exotic mushroom sauté, and Liberty duck ravioli.

Starting the next morning, festivities get even fancier, with three dozen wineries rolling out the stops for the two days of wine tasting and more food.

Forget typical cheese and crackers; a sneak preview of the menus shows some serious cuisine in the works. Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, for example, is partnering with Santa Rosa’s acclaimed Rosso Pizzeria for traditional Neapolitan wood fired pizzas matched with barrel samplings.

Franchetti making his famous pizza at Rosso's.

Sausal Winery in Healdsburg will uncork their 2007 Private Reserve Zinfandel, to pour with pork cheek sliders and sour cherry mostarda from chef-owners Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Zazu and Bovolo restaurants. The good people at Stuhlmuller Vineyards, meanwhile, have lured Healdsburg’s Bistro Ralph out for the weekend, serving up grilled lamb burgers and tuna sliders alongside 2008 Estate Zinfandel.

Over at Geyserville Inn, The Outlaw 7 (a group of small artisan Anderson Valley producers) plans to tempt guests with chilled white and rosé wines alongside chilled sea bass and bay scallop ceviche, plus red wines paired with slow braised pork shoulder slathered in sweet chile-garlic barbecue sauce and a side of fresh mango-ginger salad.

Also in Geyserville, the new Mercury Wine has formed a delectable partnership with Diavola chef-owner Dino Bugica for Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and ink-dark Cabernet Franc, all offered with wine-infused editions of Dino’s handmade salumi and artisan cheeses.

Don’t make dinner plans. Some wineries are actually turning their gatherings into virtual full meals, such as Asti Winery, which is pairing 2007 Winemaker’s Reserve Chardonnay with chilled corn and sundried tomato chowder; 2005 Wine Makers Reserve Merlot with braised veal over cremini mushrooms and celery root; 2007 Buchignani Vineyard Zinfandel with penne pasta, Italian sausage, porcini and Portobello mushroom and Zinfandel wine sauce; and 2006 dessert Syrah with chocolate and orange brownies.

You definitely won’t want to miss Stonestreet Winery, either. The chefs are putting in overtime, presenting Estate Chardonnay with a wild mushroom tart; Red Point Chardonnay with roasted shrimp with saffron aioli roasted fennel salad; Fifth Ridge Red Wine and Legacy Bordeaux Style Red Wine with short rib arancini; 2000 Black Cougar Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon with a Chocolate Coupe of bitter chocolate, coffee and molasses ganache topped with Scharffen Berger Cocoa nibs.

Here’s just a tiny taste of what other deliciousness the Taste weekend has in store for you:

Alexander Valley Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon with a Sangio Slider, a pulled pork sandwich made with Estate Sangiovese.

deLorimier Winery – Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled rib-eye steak and Sonoma-fresh picnic fare.

Field Stone Winery & Vineyard – Family Reserve Viognier with cool, sweet melon soup; Estate Merlot with a kabob of local cheeses, sausages, peppers and vegetables; and Petite Sirah with handmade chocolate truffles.

Garden Creek Ranch Vineyard Winery – The private winery opens its doors to the public just once a year, celebrating with a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a Sonoma County barbecue of herbed boar sausage tossed with grilled summer vegetables from the ranch, plus 2008 Chardonnay poured alongside local artisan cheeses and grilled prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. For dessert, it’s goat cheese and saba panna cotta.

Hanna Winery – A rainbow of wines paired with BLT brioche of local cherry tomatoes, smoked bacon, micro greens and aioli.

Hart’s Desire Wines – The release of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, punched up with French oak-smoked pork infused with Merlot and a dab of Mediterranean grilling sauce.

J. Rickards Winery – Sauvignon Blanc sparkles alongside grilled prawns with seasonal chutney and saffron aioli; Zinfandel adds a zap to grilled steak sauced in Gorgonzola or chimichurri; Petite Sirah sings with a Manchego canape dolloped in quince paste; and Cabernet Sauvignon complements dense chocolate cake rolled with pecan praline.

Medlock Ames – Estate grown Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon make merry with slices of fresh-from-the-oven pies brimming with the best from Medlock’s organic gardens.

Palmeri Wines and Terroirs Artisan Tasting Room – 2005 Palmeri Van Ness Syrah is sumptuous with slow roasted Kahlua pork wontons drizzled with guava-Syrah barbeque sauce and garnished with green onions, plus smoked gouda blinis, heirloom beet salad and toasted hazelnuts.

Silver Oak Cellars – A selection of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignons coupled with chef Dominic Orsini’s Sonoma County beef and shiitake mushroom skewers atop Thai coleslaw.

White Oak Vineyards & Winery – Chardonnay with gooey mac-n-cheese; velvety Merlot with blue cheese burgers; Syrah and barbecue baby back ribs.

Details: Taste Alexander Valley opening night gala, Friday, June 4 at 5 p.m. Gala tickets are $90 per person and must be purchased in advance. Winery passes (valid for both days June 5 & 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) are $65 per person in advance or $75 per person the day of event. Both Gala and winery passes are available here or by calling 1-888-463-0207.  Use Promo Code: FBOOK when ordering tickets for a discount.

Homemade pickles and canned peppers. Photo by Carey Sweet.

That, and an increasingly ambitious design plan, including a pair of custom-made, high-style refrigerators that stand like sentinels in the tasting room of the new Medlock Ames Alexander Valley Store and Bar.

Yet despite torrents that pelted the Sonoma County landscape throughout the winter, the space debuted May 15, just a few months behind schedule. By next week, a speakeasy will open next to the tasting room, followed quickly by the launch of a mini farmer’s market, and all flanked by lush organic gardens that cover nearly every inch of the two-acre property on Alexander Valley Road at Highway 128.

As Medlock Ames general manager Kenny Rochford leaned on the gray metal bar that anchors the center of the tasting room, he looked around the modern-looking space that still feels – if you know the property’s history – just a bit like the century-old retail grocery and bar that winery entrepreneurs Chris Medlock James and Ames Morison shuttered last March.

“It’s really evolved,” he said, pointing out the recycled miner’s lanterns hanging over the antique school desk seats. “We’re wine, cocktails, maybe just a place to enjoy a wee pint.”

Wine tasting in the new tasting room. Photo by Carey Sweet.

The idea started as just a tasting room to showcase Medlock-Ames’ wines, which are famously produced from sustainable, organic and biodynamic grapes. Their actual winery, close by on Chalk Hill Road, is closed to the public.

There would be some snacks – nibbles like olives, cheeses, pickles, breads and such. “All the amazing stuff Sonoma produces,” says Rochford. “So good it breaks my heart.”

Yet as the architects looked at the well-loved but rundown historic property, they came up with bigger ideas. The store had been a neighborhood fixture since the early 1900s, and when a bar was added in the 1960s, the rough, dark building turned into a haven for bikers and folks who liked to hoist a few no matter the time of day.

So in the reinvention, there are now cocktails, served in a small speakeasy for imbibers who are savvy enough to know where the bar is, despite a hidden door and nothing so tacky as a sign. Framed by windows that roll up into doors, and furnished with an old factory table anchored with metal swivel stools, the room hints of its past with bits of rusted metal peeking through weathered wood walls.

Where gas pumps used to stand soon will be a farmer’s market, brimming with the organic goodies that Medlock Ames grows at their Bell Mountain Ranch nearby.

For heartier fare like sandwiches, folks will be directed to Jimtown Store just up the road, but Rochford soon will unveil some signature treats. “Full picnic baskets,” he says. “And pie. Pie seems to

Entrance to great wine tasting at Medlock Ames. Photo by Carey Sweet.

come up a lot in what people really want.”

Through it all is woven a green theme, from the reclaimed building itself, to the recycled materials used for new construction, to the elaborate gardens and meadow planted with indigenous flora.

That garden, by the way, is more than just a lovely-to-look-at salute to environmental preservation. It will grow ingredients for the speakeasy cocktails, planted with licorice, cassis, and other fresh, edible mix-ins.

Drinks may be garnished with sweet Jimmy Nardello peppers and olives, accented with Buddha’s Hand lime or ollaliberries, and muddled with kumquats, blood orange, Lisbon lemon and kaffir lime.

A line of pineapple guava bushes rims a length of the garden, and Rochford anticipates a prolific harvest.

“I think pretty much every cocktail is going to have pineapple guava for a while,” he laughs.

Details: Alexander Valley Store and Bar, 6487 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-431-8845. medlockames.com.
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Two beers.

Now, thanks to brew guru Dean Biersch, we in Sonoma County will have just that — twice as many cold, refreshing mugs to lift, just in time for summer. That’s because Biersch is opening a second Hopmonk Tavern in the town of Sonoma, showcasing small-batch seasonal domestic and international specialty beers, drawn from at least 16 draughts on tap.

Taking over the former Deuce/Emmy’s Restaurant location at 691 Broadway, about a half mile south of Sonoma Plaza, the new Hopmonk will feature an outdoor beer garden similar to its original location in Sebastopol. Live music has been key to the west county bar’s success, and the Sonoma spot will include a band shell for acoustical performances.

Hopmonk II will also feature food, though, to be fair, the edible menu has never been the big draw for its crowd, which would rather focus on the beer that’s in the batter for fish and chips than the often lackluster cuisine itself.

Food faults aside, Biersch’s timing for expanding his concept couldn’t be better. Biersch knows a thing or two about brew – he helped create the micro-brewing boom with his Gordon Biersch brand, when he and partner Dan Gordon opened their first brewery restaurant in downtown Palo Alto in 1988. Yet it’s only been recently that the sudsy stuff has hit the limelight, with craft beer experts changing the landscape through boutique ingredients, limited productions, and such skilled finessing of water, malt, hops, and yeast that the beverage is now celebrated as art.

Witness: More and more beer-centric menus are popping up at restaurants nationwide, with even fine dining establishments offering beer-themed dinners, and the National Restaurant Association listing food-beer pairings in its top five alcohol trends for 2010.

The stats don’t lie, either. National sales of craft beer grew 10.3 percent in 2009 despite the fact that overall beer sales in the United States fell by 2.2 percent, according to figures released in March by the Brewers Association, a craft-brewing industry trade group.

Why the sudden obsession? People, it seems, have discovered that in the right hands, beer can be as deeply individual and nuanced as a fine wine. In fact, last spring, PBS put together a special called “Craft Beer: The New Wine.” The humble brew now enjoys a rightful place at a sophisticated dining table, and a new term has started popping up – cicerone, a term minted in 2007 to mean beer sommelier.

It turns out, too, that Sonoma has serious history in the craft beer scene, a fact not lost on Biersch. It’s credited with housing the first microbrewery in the United States, when Jack McAuliffe and Don Barkley starting the (now closed) New Albion Brewery in 1978 on East 8th Street.

In good news for the menu-minded, Biersch promises an intensified emphasis on the varied flavors of beer, and how well it works with food. Planned pairings include fresh Bodega mussels and Tavern fries with a citrusy Ommegang Farmhouse Saison; grilled salmon alongside the floral and piney Russian River Pliny the Elder; and crispy calamari savored with Hopmonk’s own unfiltered Pilsner.

It likely won’t take anyone much past a first few bites to see that food-brew pairing is so, so right. With craft beer having so many different potential ingredients, it naturally offers an enormous range of flavors to complement dishes, be it the light, lemony lilt of ale, to the chocolately depths of stout. Cicerones will suggest that beer is actually better than wine, since the carbonation scrubs the palate, lifting away oils and fats and resetting taste buds for the next bite.

Even more delicious, Biersch, a Sonoma resident, is said to be personally selecting each and every beer found on the constantly changing lineup. Want to sip a specific brew from a rare backyard talent? Just shout it out, and Biersch himself may track it down for you.

Details of the 1st Hopmonk Tavern:
230 Petaluma Avenue
Sebastopol, CA
707-829-7300
hopmonk.com

Get a piece of heaven. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Yet leave it to those wacky kids at Zazu Restaurant + Farm, Bovolo, and Black Pig Meat Co. to take the idea to a delicious new level. Chef-owners Duskie Estes and John Stewart are introducing their first annual U GROW BLT this Sunday, May 2, in a party held at Flatland Farms in Sebastopol.

Indeed, BLT means bacon, lettuce and tomato, as in the sandwich that, when properly made, can make even the most jaded taste buds swoon with its magical marriage of crunchy, salty meat, crisp greens, and ruby red fruit dripping juices down your chin.

Fair warning: while the concept is charmingly clever, these home grown sandwiches will take a bit of patience. The lettuce and tomato are being sold as starter plants in pots, the bacon comes in packages waiting to be cooked, and you’ll need to provide your own bread, pepper and mayonnaise. But it’s all part of a creative way to promote Flatland’s once-a-year plant sale, and to move a bit of the Stewart’s heritage Black Pig bacon, to boot.

And as you shop and dream up the perfect BLT recipe from your first harvest later this summer, you can groove to hillbilly music by The Easy Leaves, plus snack on the Stewarts’ outrageously delicious pork sandwiches, vegetarian chili, and cornbread muffins.

The Stewarts, who run their own boutique, certified organic mini-farm behind their Santa Rosa restaurant, buy some of their vegetable and herb starts from Flatland. Flatland, meanwhile, sells apples and plant starts at Bay Area farmers markets (Alice Waters is a preferred customer), plus grows a jaw dropping rainbow of flowers and an array of unusual herbs.

Garden in full bloom. Photo by Carey Sweet

The small nursery, owned by Dan Lehrer and his wife, Joanne Krueger, started out as a backyard business in the Berkeley flatlands in 1995 — thus the name — then expanded to two, then three, then four friendly backyards, until it moved to larger grounds in Sebastopol in 1999.

It’s a private operation, so this party, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is a once-a-year opportunity to tour the gardens, and fill your recycled grocery bags with peppers, squash, kale, chard, herbs and much more.

More — that means heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon, natch.

Details: U GROW BLT and Plant Sale Party, Sunday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Flatland Flower Farm, 580 Tilton Road, Sebastopol, 707-823-3453.

Mateo and team before dinner. Photo by Carey Sweet.

caliber food.

But forget luxe taco trucks or alleyway shacks – Sonoma chef Mateo Granados has created a “pop-up,” operating a full-scale roving restaurant out of a warehouse in a remote vineyard in southwest Healdsburg.

In true restaurant fashion, diners make reservations, sit at a table, enjoy professional service, and tuck into a world-class meal complete with wine. The difference with this destination is that twice a week, Granados and Co. set up the show for the 5 p.m. start time, and at the end of service after dusk, they break it all down and drive away.

The idea is as common sense as it is economically clever for the acclaimed chef. The space is an unused wine production facility tucked between a winding country road and expanses of vineyards. Granados, meanwhile, known for his white jacketed presence at Sonoma’s major farmer’s markets, has catering trucks sitting at the ready, plus a skilled crew and even a professional Wolf range outfitted with wheels.

And so, on Wednesday and Thursday nights, the two come together in a most delicious way:  to present exquisite modern Yucatan-California cuisine, in an experience called Tendejon de la Calle, or “taste of the street.” Literally, Granados backs his truck up to the door of the cavernous barn and rolls out his range, plus long picnic tables draped in brightly colored oil cloths that make a striking contrast against patchwork walls crudely lettered with “tool room” and “shop.”

Dining ambiance at Mateo's "restaurant" . Photo by Carey Sweet.

No matter that his kitchen sits on a concrete floor, beneath a galvanized steel roof and directly under a large “biohazard” sign left from the facility’s functioning days.

At the premier dinner last week, Granados and his partner, Randy Tweedle, pulled out the stops, putting out sensational a la carte selections like a silky Tierra Vegetable celery root soup dolloped with thick fava bean pesto ($8), and Manuel’s warm asparagus salad dotted with Cara Cara oranges and Redwood Hill raw milk feta ($9). (Manuel’s produce comes from his farm across the street from the warehouse, and he often helps in the Calle kitchen).

The star starter was Preston Vineyard goat head cheese tossed with Middleton Farm pickled rhubarb and White Crane spring greens ($10). As Granados explained, the cheese was a labor of love, in peeling the goat head, braising the brain for three hours, then pressing it with the cheeks, tongue and bay leaf for three weeks until it achieved the perfect buttery tender consistency. For each order, he crisped the cheese with a coating of cornmeal and a quick turn with duck fat in a sizzling pan.

“It tastes goat-y,” he said proudly to his enthusiastic guests, but this diner found it to be more exquisitely rich, deeply savory and creamy.

While the menu changes frequently, expect high-end fare like a Salmon Creek Ranch duck breast entree, the juicy meat slathered in Middleton Farm rhubarb sauce and showered in Manuel’s pea and fava tendril salad ($18). An opening night special was Jones Rabbit Farm rabbit paired with Angelo’s quail marinated in Granados Familia secret spices alongside a scoop of baked calabasparra rice and sauce escabeche ($19). The rabbit and quail were fresh-caught that morning, Granados explained, dancing their caramel-colored carcasses across a grill to show off the freshness.

Mateo cooking before the feast. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Free with each meal: a stunning wine education. Service is BYOB, meaning every good guest brings a bottle of extraordinary wine to put on the long picnic table and share. Just remember to bring a corkscrew and glasses, too, otherwise you’ll be drinking your Preston Vineyards Zinfandel out of a biodegradable cup intended for seasonal agua fresca ($3).

Just don’t expect formality: Throughout the dinner, guests “popped up” themselves, leaving the table between courses to visit the kitchen, tour the vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see, and pausing to play with a visiting dog.

Good to Know If You Go: Periodically, Granados will invite guest chefs, such as Franco Dunn, who appeared April 21. Walk-ins are welcome, thought it’s best to call ahead and ensure a seat, at 707.623.5474. Payment is cash or local check only.

Details: Tendejon de la Calle, on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to dusk. 9607 Eastside Road, Healdsburg, 707.623.5474, mateogranados.com.

P30 bar. Photo by Ethan Izzarelli

In January, the Tafoyas took over what was the former Café St. Rose, and if the Rose had difficulty luring customers to this out-of-the-way outpost on a quiet country road, now, the challenge is opposite. On a recent Sunday night, I scooted in to snag a table just seconds before other parties behind me were told they could expect a 45-minute wait.

Another weekday evening, guests were politely advised they might want to come another time, as overflow spilled out the front screen door and into the dirt parking lot. Yet one group was not to be dissuaded, and ended up perched on ottomans near the hostess counter, balancing their plates on their laps and jostling for their glasses of Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout ($5) amid the floral centerpieces on a coffee table. Despite the awkwardness, they seemed to be having a great time.

So what were they working so hard to eat? Hamburgers.

If it seems like a lot of fuss over what’s basically value-priced comfort food, think again. In a nod to these recessionary times, P30 keeps its prices under $15, and the dishes on its short menu are indeed quite simple. Except that chef Patrick is putting his stamp on everyday dishes like mac-n-cheese (dressed in high-end St. George from Santa Rosa’s Joe Matos Cheese Factory, $7) and flatbread pizza (buried in truffled arugula, $8).

That means those burgers ($11) are well-decorated with homemade pickles, aioli, and a choice of boutique cheeses atop a homemade butter roll, then paired with Kennebec fries.

P30 brings the Southern tradition of Chicken & Waffles to Sonoma County. Photo by Ethan Izzarelli

It means there’s Candy Cap mushroom ice cream. The fanciful fungus, plentiful across California’s north coast, has a distinctive fragrance of maple syrup and is delicious in desserts, but is rarely seen on menus. Here, the ice cream becomes a sensuous accent to carrot cake ($7), adding an interesting riff to an otherwise traditional cake topped in sculpted cream cheese, sprinkled in candied walnuts, and sitting on a swath of rum raisin sauce.

And it means that part of the attraction to dinner is the crowds. Though most of the food isn’t much more challenging than what a good home-cook could prepare, the idea is for diners to celebrate the low prices by ordering multiple plates, sharing, sampling, and lingering in a loud, happy space.

Tafoya, formerly of Bodega’s Duck Club, does his best when he’s feeling creative.  “Breakfast for dinner” is both filling and fun, in a silky bake of eggs, pancetta and cream over fingerling potatoes, the richness cut by a mound of peppery arugula ($12). Goat cheese gnocchi ($11) arrive stained red from a toss with roasted beets and showered in warm pea shoots with a splash of brown butter vinaigrette, while a mixed baby lettuce salad ($7) gets a sexy kick from the pickled watermelon radishes nestled among the feta and Meyer lemon vinaigrette-dressed leaves.

I liked the humble lamb pot roast ($14) in savory gravy studded with potatoes, glazed carrots and caramelized onions, though I could easily have eaten twice as much as the small plate provided. Seafood stew ($15), too, suffered from stinginess, bringing with just one tiny chunk of black cod amid a handful of clams, mussels and marble potatoes in a spoon-worthy tomato-fennel broth.

The lamb pot roast. Photo by Ethan Izzarelli

The top seller, if the plates piled on neighboring tables during my visits are any indication, is the Gleason Ranch fried chicken that comes paired with fluffy brown butter waffles and terrific homemade strawberry jam ($14). But even better is a petite chicken potpie ($12) that poses the question of which is the best part: the creamy, savory gravy, or the crunchy-edged biscuit topping that you pick off and eat with your fingers.

Warmth is another draw. If St. Rose was shoestring charming, P/30 shines in saucy sophistication, from the antler chandeliers, to the moss-draped oak branches draped in white Christmas lights, to the hot pink flowers pinned in waitress’ hair. The details are thanks to Christine, a graphic artist who adds even more color to the setting as she greets customers, dressed in stylish clothes and sporting a chic bob.

Customers can try their own artistic hands, drawing on white butcher paper table covers with crayons, and fashioning s’mores of brownies and marshmallow fluff ($10, serving two).

For its apparent success, P/30 has one challenge looming in its future. The “P” in its name actually stands for Patrick, and the “30” stands for the chef-owner’s age. I asked my server what would happen when his next birthday rolled around.

“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I guess we’re evolving.”

Details: P/30, 9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol, 707-861-9030, restaurantp30.com.

Likely, it’s not your typical VIP tour of an internationally renowned culinary center when the host says, and I quote, “we like to have an un-sterile room with lovely mold and bacteria floating around.”

And it’s not just an everyday food festival when attendees are seen wearing giant, plastic wedges of Cheddar on their heads, and heard gushing about the most “gorgeous, squeaky curds” they’d ever seen.

That is, unless you’re at the 4th California Artisan Cheese Festival, which was held this past weekend at the Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma and at several Sonoma-area farms. Then, it’s just another few days in the lives of people obsessed with cheese.

It turns out that there are many, many fromage fanatics out there, and that many of them came from all across the country to celebrate the fine thing that Sonoma’s dairy artisans do so well.

Over four days, dedicated cheeseheads made their way through a myriad of Sonoma chevres, goudas and jacks. They downed blue, brie, Bellwether, and oozy-rich burrata, and feasted on the food as

A sample during Curds, Cooks, & Cuvees. Photo by Robin Mckee-Kant.

fondue, rolled with fruit, swallowed in slabs, and slathered on crostini.

Between it all, they delved into serious stuff, with seminars on such things as demystifying the difference between raw and pasteurized cheeses. They also had quite a bit of fun, such as a program on cheese and beer pairings from CIA Greystone instructor chef Andy Wild, who has such a love for suds that he named his new son Porter.

Did you go? Is so, then you know. But if you missed it, here are just a few highlights of what went on:

·       In a new activity for 2010, organizers hosted an opening night Barn Dance and Cheesemaker Mixer at Petaluma’s Green String Farm, featuring barbecue and beer in an old-fashioned hoedown. Men and women dressed in their prairie finest, their fringe suede jackets shimmying and cowboy boats clomping to live music from the Green String Farm band. Who knew there were so many chic handlebar mustaches in Sonoma – fortunately, on the men only – though some designer-breed Silky chickens mingling about had some spectacular facial fluff going on, too.

·       During Saturday’s VIP tour of the Cowgirl Creamery plant in Petaluma, visitors learned that one CC bigwig, Eric Patterson, holds the official title of chief affineur, which is a French term for a specialist in maturing and ripening cheese. Cool. And that while the boutique facility looks (and is) sparkling clean, Patterson actually harbors as much mold as he can, cultivating “tasty” penicillium candidum and geotrichum, speaking of its rainbow colors like an artist swooning over stained glass, and showing off the fuzzy, delicious development of his moldy cheese rinds as they “fur-up” over two, ten and 14 day cycles. Truly delightful.

·       As a next stop, the tour group descended on the Marin French Cheese Company, Petaluma’s historic 1865 creamery on the country road to Pt. Reyes. Did you know that blue cheese has to be kept in isolation from other cheeses, as its powerful mold will try to invade whatever dairy it can? Or that Marin French’s distinctive flavors can’t really be duplicated by any other creamery, since part of the charm comes from the original aging basements, where mold cultures have propagated in the wooden beams and walls for nearly 150 years? Or that one of its most popular cheeses – its Mélange brie – came from a mistake of mixing goat and cow milk in the same fermenting tank, to unexpectedly delicious results?

·       In another new event for the festival, the Saturday night Curds, Cooks, & Cuvees brought together eight top chefs teamed with eight cheesemakers and eight vintners to create an eight-course, cheese-inspired walk-around tasting. A zoo? It could have been. Yet consulting chef chairperson John Ash came up with clever solution, blocking guests into one-hour visits with stamped passports, keeping things lively and moving as we stuffed ourselves silly on delicacies like risotto of Marin French triple crème brie, wild mushrooms and rock shrimp from Santa Rosa’s Jackson’s Bar and Oven, alongside a stunning, paler-than-coral-pink Grenache rose from Healdsburg’s Kokomo Winery.

·       Other good things about the Saturday feast: Healdsburg’s Lambert Bridge Winery introduced its new Viognier alongside cauliflower soup spiked with Redwood Hill Cheddar from Zazu and Bovolo, while chef Mark Stark (Willi’s, Monti’s, Stark’s Steak House) kept the lines moving, playfully insisting people “Grab! Eat! Go!” with his sumptuous Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel pot de crème studded with chorizo, roof-dried cherry tomatoes and fennel pollen sofrito.

·       The Sunday Artisan Marketplace Tents were bigger and better than ever, and still barely able to contain the crowds. People, it seems, truly love cheese, in what seemed like hundreds of varieties offered from dozens of top local cheesemakers. Yet there was a great mix of other distractions, too, like nibbles (Zazu’s divine Black Pig bacon and Fiscalini Cheddar cornbread served piping hot), arts-and-crafts, and unexpected cheese-inspired creations like Cici’s creamy-tangy jewel of Pt. Reyes bleu cheese gelato. Wine? There was plenty of that, too, splashed into logo’d glasses.

In the end, however, it took a visit to the Sweets Lounge, set upstairs from the Curds, Cooks, & Cuvees, to summarize the true magic of Sonoma’s dairy evolution. As fancy as artisan cheeses have become, what really matters is that it’s still all about the animals – the cows, the sheep, and the goats.

In this lavish event finale of desserts, music, and champagne, two well dressed, finely coiffed women stood chatting, and one paused from her sip of Trentadue Chocolate Amore port. “What kind of cow are you going to get?” she asked her friend, in complete seriousness.

“Ah, I’m forgetting the name,” the other replied, nibbling on a cheese-infused truffle from Sonoma Chocolatiers. “But something European, I know. And it has the softest, most beautiful eyes.”

Details: California Artisan Cheese Festival, artisancheesefestival.com.

The liquor gods alighted just in time to celebrate another addition to the tiny gem of a restaurant that’s tucked along the edge of the parking lot of the Cinema 9 movie complex in downtown Sebastopol.

Walls.

When BBQ Smokehouse first opened last June, part of the charm of the 26-seat eatery was that it was essentially a fancy porch. The kitchen was enclosed, yet the remaining space was railings, capped with wagon wheels and shaded by towering trees.

Now, the porch charm remains, yet wayward rain and cold is kept solidly at bay, thanks to a tight wrap of handsome red canvas with huge, clear liner windows. On beautiful days, the walls roll up, and at night, they’re dropped, with heaters turning the space into a cozy cocoon.

As for libations, customers were “clamoring for wine and beer,” explains Vito.

The list includes ten bottled brews as well as draft on tap, such as Lagunitas IPA, Great White and Anchor Porter. Wine choices span 14 barbecue-friendly and well-priced labels, which you can browse via the colorful bottle display set up on the café’s ordering counter.

Cristalino Prosecco, for example, enhances caramelized five-spice Chinese chicken wings, andouille sausage, rib tips, and Vito’s signature of new potatoes stuffed with asiago souffle.

For Southern-seasoned barbecue chicken, try Angeline Russian River Sauvignon Blanc, or Amphora Chardonnay. Memphis style pork spare ribs love Pedroncelli Sangiovese, while 14-hour brisket gets a boost from Trentadue Old Patch Red, and North Carolina-style pulled pork sings with Hahn Pinot Noir.

Vito also recently added beef short ribs to his menu, the meaty monsters weighing in at nearly ¾-a-pound each, mahogany-hued and deeply flavored from apple, oak and nut woods.

In honor of the achievements, Vito is introducing wine and barbecue tastings on Sunday afternoons, offering six wines paired with six dishes.

“It will be a classroom format with a discussion about how the right wine can enhance the flavors of barbecue,” Vito says. “We will explore my claim that the sum of the whole is greater then the parts.”

The first tasting will be on Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m. Cost for each event is $18 per person, and with just over two dozen seats to fill, the gatherings should sell out quickly.

As Vito says, “Our customers are discovering that, with barbecue, wine really is even better than beer.”

Details: Smokehouse BBQ, 6811 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol, 707-575-3277, bbqsmokehousecatering.com.

Bellwhether Farms table during the Marketplace

At a chef’s cook-off competition two weeks ago, the organizers set out an elaborate spread of shellfish, cocktails and cheeses to keep attendees occupied while they set up the main event.

As the reception stretched past an hour, my companion and I did the natural thing: we stuffed ourselves silly on Hog Island oysters, potent concoctions of apple cider-jalapeno vodka, and a myriad of Sonoma chevres, goudas and jacks.

We downed blue, brie, Bellwether, and oozy-rich burrata. We feasted on the fine food as fondue, rolled with fruit, swallowed in slabs, and slathered on crostini. We ate so much cheese, in fact, that we made ourselves ill, and both swore we’d never touch the stuff again.

Ah, what a difference a day makes. By the next morning, we were both back at it, raiding our refrigerators for the fine thing that our local dairy artisans do so well: fromage.

Still, I’m vowing to play a little smarter at my next cheesy smorgasbord, which will be a an enormous one, in the form of the California Artisan Cheese Festival, being held Mar. 26 through Mar. 29 at the Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma and at several Sonoma-area farms.

If you’re wondering how to possibly celebrate four non-stop days of cheese, you’re not alone. And it’s true that the first-ever Cheese Festival was a little rough in its inaugural year of 2007 – parts felt a bit like a cheese-centric, hectic Swap Meet, with too many guests jostling in too tight spaces, and a bit of overload on the pure cheese-snacking theme.

Yet subsequent years found it evolved into an entirely elegant, well-rounded event, and this year’s organizers have promised even better, saying they’re “reinventing the wheel” (a cheese joke, get it?).

A highlight remains the Sunday Artisan Marketplace Tent, wherein a small culinary city comes to life, populated by 24 cheese makers, 20 wineries and breweries, and 20 purveyors of handcrafted foods offering samples and selling their wares. New this year will be a wood-burning pizza oven cranking out crusty hot flatbreads oozing with cheese, and in a brilliant move, admission has been divided into two sessions, to alleviate the crowding that’s hindered past Marketplaces.

Cheese and wine pairing seminar during the 2009 festival.

Other new activities for 2010 include a Friday Night Barn Dance and Cheesemaker Mixer at Petaluma’s Green String Farm, featuring barbecue plus bites from Valley Ford’s Rocker Oysterfeller’s alongside brews from Petaluma’s Lagunitas Brewing Company and live music from the Green String Farm band.

The Saturday night party deserves kudos based on its name alone: Curds, Cooks, & Cuvees. In this new event, eight top chefs will team up with eight cheesemakers and eight vintners to create an eight-course, cheese-inspired tasting dinner, followed a visit to the Sweets Lounge for lavish desserts, music, and champagne.

For some of the most popular events, you’re already out of luck. Tours of Cowgirl Creamery and Marin French Cheese Company are sold out, as are programs hosted by local European-heritage California cheesemakers, sharing their secrets on their Basque-, Dutch-, and Swiss-inspired creations.

Yet you can still snap up tickets for programs on cheese and wine pairing, demystifying the difference between raw and pasteurized cheeses (yes, raw cheese is safe to eat, and incomparably delicious), and cheese and beer pairings, from CIA Greystone instructor chef Andy Wild, who has such a passion for brews and cheese that he named his new son Porter.

But diehard fromage fans, there’s also a session on Home Cheesemaking, with Mary Karlin from Sonoma’s Ramekins Culinary School. Step one: Buy a cow, goat or sheep.

Details: California Artisan Cheese Festival, artisancheesefestival.com.

Yet as good as the wings are, most of the patrons of the Petaluma hotspot aren’t really there for chicken. They’re there to get their dogs on, as in hot dogs, which is the culinary theme to the fun, funky watering hole that’s drawing crowds to Old Town, in a Cheers-like wood-paneled and brick space beneath the historic Petaluma Hotel.

And they’re there for beer, because what goes better together than hotdogs and hops, brats and brewskis, suds and sausages? The wiener-beer combo is a classic that dates back to the first prehistoric caveman football game.

Diners can dig into eight types of hotdogs and four kinds of bratwurst and sausages alongside 30 craft, micro-brewed and Belgian beers on tap, plus a wide array of domestic and imported canned and bottled beers, with new varieties posted weekly on chalkboards.

Because we know that a good dog comes from good breeding, Taps owner Eric Lafranchi uses all-beef Miller’s brand, then goes to town with recipes that elevate these basic bites to haute dogs.

A Reuben is a delight of flavors and textures, the wiener piled with pastrami, Swiss, sauerkraut and Thousand Island. For the BLT, we were kind of hoping to get the whole beast deep-fried, yet the chef wisely just wraps the foot-long hot dog in bacon and deep fries that, before loading it onto a squishy roll with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

Tie on your bib for a messy meal. There’s a Mushroom Swiss model, and a Seattle Dog loading sauerkraut topped with cream cheese and spicy mustard (it’s way better than it sounds). To be sure, fans of the Chicago-style hot dogs won’t be disappointed in this pretty creation of yellow mustard, sport peppers, neon green relish, onions, tomatoes, a Dill pickle spear and a kick of celery salt.

One of our friends has set a goal of trying at least one new type of beer every week, and Taps is where he goes to meet the challenge. Gutsy guzzlers can get into 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood strong dark ale, while rowdier guests can be discovered quaffing Speakeasy Brewer’s Reserve Old Godfather at a whopping 13.7% alcohol.

Because the list changes constantly, there’s always something unexpected to tempt. Though in an ironic twist, when we ordered the Moonlight Death and Taxes beer, we were told the bar was temporarily out. What, aren’t D&T the only sure things in life?

While there may be suds-a-sloshing at the giant wooden bar that spans the length of the room, Taps is family-friendly. Our above-mentioned friend happily brings along his toddler daughter, filling her up on her favorite salt-and-pepper French fries, from a list of five fry flavors served in portions big enough to feed a party of four.

If you don’t dig dogs, that’s a sad thing, but Taps has you taken care of, too. Other choices on the short menu include seven kinds of Italian beefs, a recent line-up of salads like a “chef” with pastrami, and yes, even more chicken.

After multiple experiments, this is one of our Taps favorites, in fact: chicken sausage boasting a bit of tangy artichoke, smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions and roasted peppers. It’s delicious paired with New Belgium Lips of Faith Dandelion ale that’s made with, yep, dandelion greens.

Details: 205 Kentucky St., Petaluma. 707-763-6700. petalumataps.com.

Yet that’s essentially what Sonoma celeb chefs John Stewart and Duskie Estes will be doing next Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Cochon 555 U.S. Tour Kick-Off. With their special ingredient, a 125-pound

Black Pig Meat Co. Mangalitsa Pig eating Redwood Hill Yogurt

whole pig, the chef-owners of Santa Rosa’s beloved Zazu Restaurant are taking on four other North Bay chefs to show who’s boss when it comes to heavenly hog recipes.

They plan on kicking some tail as they take on competing talent from Napa and San Francisco. Nose-to-tail, actually, as each chef’s assignment is to create a feast utilizing every last bit of the oinker.

According to event spokesperson Carolina Uribe, chefs keep their menus secret until the day of the event. “Sometime the chefs have an idea of what they want to do,” she said. “And then they receive the pig, bond with it, and their menu changes.”

That’s a type of bonding we’ll pass on, personally, but we did get Stewart to squeal a little about what he plans to make Sonoma shine.

“When I see the pig, I’ll make all the final decisions,” he explained. “But tentatively, I will make a terrine or soup out of the head, and pig heart sliders, as well as possibly pork cheek sandwiches with kimchee.”

For a snack, he and Estes may whip up some popcorn popped in bacon fat and drizzled in maple sugar and bacon salt. There may be that joyous guilty nibble of corn dogs, too. It all depends on how the porker, er, speaks to them.

“The pigs are on the small side at 125 pounds,” Stewart mused about the Heritage breed animals being provided by Devils Gulch Ranch of Nicasio. “I would normally work with pigs twice that size or bigger.”

With a theme of “5 Pigs, 5 Chefs, 5 Winemakers,” the second annual Cochon 555 claims to be the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. Upcoming cities include New York, Washington D.C. and Seattle, though the kickoff event at Napa’s Silverado Resort promises to be extra-special, held as it is on the eve of National Pig Day.

Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on utilization, presentation and overall best flavor, and when Stewart and Estes win (as they will), they’ll have the opportunity to compete with other national winning chefs at the Grand Cochon during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 18-20.

Other competitors include the very worthy chefs Christopher Kostow (Meadowood Resort), Devin Knell (French Laundry), Peter Pahk (Silverado Resort), and Dennis Lee (Namu Restaurant, San Francisco). Jeremy Fox, meanwhile, recently departed from the vegetable-friendly Ubuntu, will prepare local produce in delicious incarnations.

To wash down all that fine pig, five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines, including Wind Gap Wines of Forestville, while Magnolia Brewing will be slopping suds.

And though we don’t recommend actually attempting such a feat at home, you can indeed learn how to conduct a whole pig breakdown, as demonstrated by Ryan Farr of San Francisco’s 4505 Meats.

Details: Cochon 555, Sunday, Feb. 28th, 4:30 p.m. (VIP Reception at 3 p.m. with RSVP required). Tickets $110 per person, advance purchase required.

There’s pizza in a starring role at the downtown Sebastopol restaurant, the thin-crust pies wood-fired and topped with locally sourced ingredients.

There’s 707, which is the area code from whence those local ingredients come.

And there’s wine, in approachable California- and Italy-centric varieties.

Yet now, partner Stephen Singer (formerly Chez Panisse, West County Grill), Gayle Pirie and John Clark (Foreign Cinema in San Francisco), have upped the wine bar. Literally.

They’ve introduced the Sonoma County Wine Collective, a virtual tasting room and retail store inside the restaurant. Here, you can sample wines from Sonoma’s small, artisan wineries, and when you fall in love with a sip, purchase a bottle or 12.

Kickback as can be, the Collective is set up in a cozy space between PizzaVino’s cocktail bar and its eat-in counter flanking the kitchen and glowing-hot pizza oven. The labels are just a few right now, but the membership is growing, including Atascadero Creek Winery, Baker Lane, Claypool Cellars, County Line Vineyards, Lattanzio Wines, Radio-Coteau, and Scherrer Winery.

The idea is to keep things interesting and affordable, such as Atascadero’s Di Ricco Sauvignon Blanc (2008 Lake County) for $26, or Claypool Cellars’ Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir (2007, Russian River) for $54. Want just a glass? You can get that, too, like a Scherrer Old & Mature Vines Zinfandel (2004, Alexander Valley) for $9.75.

Whether you’re tasting, shopping or supping, it makes for an interesting mix for your visit.

Through a recent dinner, we found ourselves well-served and well-entertained, quizzing our waiter about the wineries as he did double duty delivering our pizzas and describing the Collective grapes. What, we wondered, would match with PizzaVino’s stinging nettles pie, dotted with creamy crescenza, mozzarella, garlic and thyme?

Pinot Noir, he suggested.

He was right – nettles are a herbaceous plant from the Urtica species, a name derived from the Latin word “uro,” which translates as “I burn.” As in poison ivy-type villains, with vicious stinging hairs swimming in natural chemicals that inflame human skin like nobody’s business.

Yum.

Except that after removing nettles’ prickly armor (wearing the imperative gloves), and carefully cooking them, the result is a mild-flavored, nutrient-packed green that’s really pretty delicious.

The garlic adds oomph, the cheese tame things down, and the velvety texture and deep black cherry flavors of the Pinot sweeten the whole sensation.

About those pies, by the way – For thin-crust pizza fans that crave crackly crunch and char-edged blisters, be forewarned that this is a gentler, softer model. But zesty toppings steal the show, like a pepper pie of jalapenos, fingerling potatoes, mozzarella, capers and pecorino.

Rounding things out are salads, such as shaved Savoy cabbage with arugula, mustard vinaigrette, walnuts and pecorino, and a few entrees, notably a curry-scented roast chicken or handkerchief pasta in pork sugo.

To get a taste of PizzaVino 707, at an incredible bargain, here’s a tip: mark your calendar for the first-ever Sonoma County Restaurant Week being held from Feb. 22-28. That’s when dozens of Sonoma’s top eateries are banding together in an extravaganza of all things edible, and incredibly affordable, with each restaurant offering a three-course prix-fixe menu at $19, $29, or $39.

PizzaVino is participating in grand style, with a $19 feast including a starter of soup of the day or a mixed green salad, a main course of five-spice scented grilled chicken or housemade Italian sausage pizza, and dessert of housemade gelato or sorbetto.

Details: PizzaVino 707, 6948 Sebastopol Avenue, Sebastopol, (707) 829-9500, pizzavino707.com.

Details: SonomaCountyRestaurantWeek.org

Naturally, there’s also a bit of the “vin” going on, with pours from more than 50 Sonoma Valley wineries. There’s even a new, great, grapey highlight this year: the VinOlivo Winemaker’s Salon, a VIP area where guests can lounge with the winemakers themselves in the hotel’s Piano Bar and sip extra-premium selections.

Yet curious palates may wonder, how well do olives pair with wine? It seems like the match would pose a challenge – the salty-sour orbs against often acidic, tannic grapes.

But indeed they do, especially if there’s a little something else going on in the recipe, according to the respected olive professionals we know. And plenty of restaurants will be on-hand at VinOlivo, to prove just that. Serving up tasty bites are stellar spots like Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar, El Dorado Kitchen, ESTATE, the girl & the fig, BlueGrass Bar & Grill, Maya Restaurant, and Garden Court Café.

At center stage will be another delicious diversion – a pommes frites and sparkling wine bar, plus a lavish display of Port wines.

Look, too, for olive-type treats from Big 3 at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, The Epicurean Connection, The Olive Press, Olive & Vine, Ramekins Culinary School, The Red Grape, Sonoma Sausage, Sonoma-Meritage Martini & Oyster Bar, The Swiss Hotel, The Vineyards Inn, Whole Foods Market, Wild Thyme Events and Wine Country Chocolates.

While the VinOlivio event is sure to be sensational, the party doesn’t have to stop there, either. This is a great opportunity to stock up on Sonoma olives and olive-related ideas for your own kitchen. Grab some bottles of your favorite Sonoma wine, and you’re good to go with these easy recipes, courtesy of www.delallo.com:

·       One delicious classic is blue cheese-stuffed olives with sliced pears and a glass of sherry, delightful for the sweet liquor’s contrast against the pungent cheese and cool pear.

·       All on its own, a violet and cedar-toned Cabernet Sauvignon smoothes the snappish olive, yet the experience is even better with a bit of milky ricotta salata cheese to tame the bitterness.

·       Picante chile-stuffed green olives are divine with warm, creamy, extra sharp Cheddar and herbal Cabernet Franc.

·       The fleshy, tartness of pitted kalamata olives and tangy, wet feta partners beautifully with spicy Pinot Noir.

·       Try a crisp, flinty Chardonnay with a medley of California green, jumbo kalamata and Mammoth Black Greek olives topped with shavings of crystal-crunchy Parmigiano-Reggiano.

·       For big, lusty Zinfandel, you’ll love buttery jumbo Sicilian green olives with creamy soft Fontinella cheese.

·       Tuck into this toss: a colorful mix of hot banana peppers, crunchy cauliflower, crisp carrots, and zesty olives tumbled with creamy cuts of mild Colby. Add a glass of Riesling, and wow.

·       Merlot, pulsing with plum, takes on a dessert finish when paired with garlic-stuffed olives and tangy aged Taleggio cheese.

·       A gently-oaked Sauvignon Blanc, imbued with sweet vanilla and wood, is a pretty partner to sun-dried tomato-stuffed olives smeared with soft, young goat cheese.

Details: VinOlivo, Friday, February 12, from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Lodge at Sonoma, 1325 Broadway, Sonoma. Tickets are $65 ($75 at the door).  To purchase, call 1-800-914-7511 or http://travel.sonomacounty.com/1390_attraction-info_a724.html.

The bad news is that it’s taken over the space that used to house Nit’s Thai Creations, that amazing outpost of unbelievably delicious and elegant Southeast Asian cooking in the most unlikely setting of the back of a river-rat bar called Rios.

Yet if it’s sad that chef-owner Nit Bynum has packed up her tom kha pak and trout sam rod, it’s happy that it’s been to make way for Jumelles’ homemade, diner-style favorites.

There’s a near cult-following for the Café’s breakfasts. The loyal crowds tuck into enormous omelets, corned beef hash with eggs, huevos rancheros, crispy hash browns, eggs Benedict, and biscuits and gravy with rabid abandon.

Through the rest of the day, regulars rave about the crunchy garlic-rosemary fries kissed with real rosemary, the homemade pickles, hamburgers, grilled ham and cheese, and honest ice cream milkshakes. Between a good-size menu and daily specials, it’s a firm bet that nearly any diner can find something to love. Perhaps Cajun popcorn shrimp, spicy wings, or chicken Caesar? Maybe almond-encrusted pork, seafood pasta in buttery wine sauce, or baked pork stuffed with blue cheese and herbs and a sweet potato- apple pancake on the side?

For dessert, banana splits are legendary.

Just don’t come in a rush. As well known as Café Les Jumelles is for its tasty home cooking, it’s no secret, either, than pacing can be sloooow and easy. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful views of the Russian River from the deck.

Details: Café les Jumelles, 15025 River Road, Guerneville, 707-869-9511.

Mother’s in the kitchen washing out the jugs,

Sister’s in the pantry bottling the suds,

Father’s in the cellar mixin’ up the hops,

Johnny’s on the front porch watchin’ for the cops.

We here in Sonoma know a little something about Prohibition, don’t we? And the fact that it doesn’t exist anymore is just another reason to lift a glass in a toast, every single day.

Wine is wonderful, but why not make it a beer? Sonoma craft-brews an amazing array of handsome hops, and many of them can be found at our own shrine to suds, HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol. The friendly pub offers 18 premier American craft and international draft beers, including two on cask, and focuses on handcrafted lots from small, independently owned brewers.

On Sunday, Feb. 7, the idea gets even more delicious. You can bend an elbow with two legends of lager, live-and-in-person. Dean Biersch, proprietor of HopMonk, has snagged a sitting with the godfather of craft beer, Fritz Maytag, and is inviting the public for a four course lunch paired with Maytag’s Anchor Brewing favorites.

Biersch, a Sonoma resident and a consummate beer crafter himself, promises an entertaining afternoon, with Maytag regaling guests about life in the brewing business and his many other unique ventures (in fact, Maytag won the 2008 James Beard Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award for his work at Anchor Brewing, so you know there are at least a couple of good stories there).

The party gets underway at 1 p.m., and costs just $45. Reservations are recommended, at 707-829-7300.

As if you needed any more incentive to join the lunch, let’s just keep this in mind. The more support we show our independent brewers, the better beer there is for all of us. Hum along, won’t you, with this wise old Irish toast:

You guys came by to have some fun,

You’ll come and stay all night, I fear.

But I know how to make you run,

I’ll serve you all generic beer.

Details: HopMonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol, 707-829-7300, hopmonk.com.

***Extra Extra***

And while we’re on the HopMonk subject, make plans to visit the Tavern again during the first-ever Sonoma County Restaurant Week. That’s when, from Feb. 22-28, dozens of Sonoma’s top eateries band together in an extravaganza of all things edible, and incredibly affordable, with each restaurant offering a three-course prix-fixe menu at $19, $29, or $39.

HopMonk is serving up a delicious $29 meal with several choices. There’s potato leek soup or Tavern salad to start, then an entrée of BBQ’d half Rocky chicken over warm potato salad, or a couscous stuffed pepper over black bean succotash. For dessert, it’s sweet potato tartlets.

You can check out the details, plus menus of the more than four-dozen participating Restaurant Week eateries at SonomaCountyRestaurantWeek.org.

Come February, Sonoma will also be celebrated for its wonderful restaurant deals. Because that’s when the first-ever Sonoma County Restaurant Week takes place. From Feb. 22-28, dozens of Sonoma’s top eateries will band together in an extravaganza of all things edible, and incredibly affordable, with each restaurant offering a three-course prix-fixe menu at $19, $29, or $39.

The timing couldn’t be better. Just the other day, a San Francisco friend of mine visiting my Sebastopol home gushed about her city’s “Dine About Town” promotion that begins Jan. 15 with almost 100 of San Francisco’s notable restaurants offering three-course meals for $17.95 (lunch) or $34.95 (dinner) per person.

When, she wondered, was our deal, so she could reserve my guest room for an extended-stay feast-a-thon in my neighborhood?

Dine-arounds are brilliant promotions, increasingly occurring in big cities across the country. Basically, loads of top restaurants offer a fixed price meal at the same time to help boost exposure of and drive traffic to an area’s dining destinations.

The idea is that people who might perhaps be intimidated by higher-end, usually independently owned restaurants will venture out for the specials, love the experience and become regular customers.

The restaurants maintain control in that they can limit the bargains to fixed menus and can elect to participate only during lunch service if need be.

If nothing else, the events are great ways for cities to promote themselves as exciting culinary centers and spread the word about the wealth of restaurants available.

My San Francisco friend had already compiled a calendar of restaurants she was going to hit in her city – places she’d been dying to try, but had worried about whether she’d really like and the wallop to her wallet.

At the Sonoma County Restaurant Week website she can start coordinating another schedule.  Indeed, I’ve got friends in other states who actually plan vacation time around such events, taking time off work and traveling to indulge in exceptional lunches and dinners every day through the promotion.

By my calculation, I’ll need to eat at least 5.7 meals a day through the Sonoma County Week just to keep up. Even in its inaugural year, some 40 Sonoma restaurants have signed up, with many more expected. A list of the eateries and theirs special deals so far are detailed on the site, and I’ll post further juicy tidbits here as they’re unveiled.

Yet in the meantime, how’s this for a delicious start? Just a few of the top temptations includes John Ash & Co., Syrah, Zazu, the girl & the fig, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar, Bistro Des Copains, Pizzavino 707, and Ume Bistro.

And to my San Francisco friend, might I add: our Sonoma County Restaurant Week will be even much more of a bargain than her beloved neighborhood’s. Here, in our friendly, chic countryside, there’s no bridge toll, and the parking is almost always free.

Details: SonomaCountyRestaurantWeek.org

Yet if mycelia appeal to you less as a scientific study than as something magical in your mouth, you’ll still want to sign up right away.

Besides hunting for truffles, there are demonstrations on how to cook with the tasty fruiting delicacies – featuring topics like “MycoChef’s Secret Ingredient: Porcini Powder,” and recipes such as forest and farm nettle soup, mushroom mu shu and New Wave tamales.

Presumably, the instructors will be detailed in pointing out which of sometimes similar looking mushrooms are good to eat (fresh, young, well-cooked shaggy parasols, yes) and which are not (chlorophyllum molybdite green-spored parasols, no).

Yet the most delicious highlight – and reason enough to sign up for at least the Sunday, Jan. 17 session – is the celebratory feast of all things mushroom. The SOMA Culinary Group has coordinated with MycoChef Patrick Hamilton to create a most extraordinary supper, in an Asian theme ranging from Indonesia, to China, to Thailand, to Korea.

The party starts with hors d’oeuvres of pickled mushrooms, porcini chapati, spicy sambal, jalapeno and lime pickles, and Korean kimchi with mushrooms.

For an appetizer, it’s mieng kum, where you fill lettuce leaves with wondrous little bits and dunk them in a savory sauce.

Main plates, meanwhile, marry mushrooms in a nasi goreng Indonesian fried rice of bean sprouts, cabbage, chiles, mint, basil, and peanuts; tuck them in spring rolls with rice noodles, shrimp, carrot, cabbage, scallions and cilantro; and nestle them in egg rolls with pork, scallions, garlic, ginger and egg.

Next up are satays of shrimp, chicken, beef and mushroom, followed by Korean garlicky spinach and warm mushroom salad.

Even dessert gets the ‘shroom action, featuring Candy Cap fortune cookies, sticky rice cakes with tangerine peel infused red bean sauce, and poached pear in five-spice wine syrup. Candy Caps are distinctively fragrant mushrooms, perfumed uncommonly like maple syrup.

The dinner is open only to official campers, but you can register for either single-day or full-weekend options, with prices ranging from $110 for Saturday only to $300 for the full weekend including lodging in a cabin set amongst 225 acres of tan oak, madrone, redwood, and Douglas fir, plus, likely, plenty of mushroom patches. The Sunday session is $135.

But hurry – mushrooms are a popular passion, and registrations are requested received/postmarked by Wednesday, January 6, 2010.

Details: somamushrooms.org.

Whatever the inspiration, when the Santi crew hosts its New Year’s Eve celebration this year, it’s also taking the opportunity to clean out its kitchen.

As in, completely.

The gala marks the last night the decade-old restaurant will operate out of the tiny town of Geyserville, since it’s relocating to Fountaingrove Village in Santa Rosa, and the former Santi space is turning into another Italian restaurant called Catelli’s.

And so Santi’s special Eve feast is all-you-can-eat, in a near-endless orgy of chef Liza Hinman’s rustic-chic Italian specialties.

Rather than a formal fete, guests will mingle in an open-house style affair, carousing through the entire restaurant and the tented patio out back and stuffing themselves on platters of savory and sweet delights. A sneak preview of just a few of the dishes include Santi’s handcrafted salumi, crab crepes, fritto misto, roasted loin of beef with red wine truffle sauce, New Year’s cotechino sausage with lentils, braised pork with white polenta, beef tortellini in brodo, lasagna bolognese, tiramisu and much more.

It’s the deal of the decade, too. The ticket price of $100 per person includes unlimited food, red and white wine, and a Prosecco toast at midnight (just beware: when staff hands out the party favors, they may also slip you a packing box or two to fill).

There will also be live music by the Susan Comstock Swingtet, showcasing classic late 1940’2 pre-bebop jazz and blues.

The night starts with appetizers at 8 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing at 9 p.m. Cocktails aren’t included in the ticket price, but Santi owner Doug Swett wants a clean bar, too, so is offering New Year’s specials that, as he says, “are lighter on your wallet.”

As for the new Fountaingrove digs, they will join Traverso’s gourmet Italian market in the upscale shopping center at Fountaingrove Parkway and Stagecoach Road. Swett says he’s keeping his existing menu, focusing on seasonal, local ingredients, but is also adding a pizza oven, and will host special events along with Traverso’s.

Look for a March 1 opening.

As for Geyserville, there will still be plenty of reasons to keep it on the dining map. The original owners of the Santi building, the Catelli family from the property’s previous incarnation as Catelli’s The Rex, are installing a restaurant of their own in the historic structure.

Called Catelli’s, the concept will be healthy, locally-inspired Italian, with a “community-friendly price point,” according to owner Nicholas Catelli. It’s scheduled to open by late February.

Nicholas’ sister and business partner Domenica Catelli is stepping in as executive chef, bringing back family classics including patriarch Richard Catelli’s signature ravioli and meat sauce, and their Nonni’s minestrone.

The wine list will emphasize Alexander Valley, Dry Creek and Russian River appellations plus a nod to “a few family friends who make wines but have vineyards outside the area,” says Nicholas.

While no drastic architectural changes are planned for the signature high-style property, the interior will be lightened, brightened, opened up a bit and returned to a look that Nicolas calls “similar to the way it was when our family retained the space.”

Details: Santi, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-1790, tavernasanti.com.

There’s no news yet on the official revamped menu (watch this space!), though Malicki is sure to put his signature touch on the traditional French offerings. He’s a welcome breath of fresh cooking for the restaurant, which, despite being supported by one of Sonoma’s best organic gardens (run by restaurant and farm owner Dan Smith), hasn’t had much luck in finding a chef worthy of the ingredients since opening in 2006.

Malicki is the fourth chef in less than three years, the most recent of whom came on in May.

The big question is, however, will Malicki be able to showcase his eclectic, artsy style that diners have come to know and love? French Garden is a big operation, and Malicki will be hard-pressed to fire up his impromptu, sometimes off-the-wall menus while catering to the Garden’s more traditional clientele.

Here’s hoping, because if anyone can turn things up a notch, it’s this talented chef. Stay tuned for more news and reviews soon.

Details: French Garden, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, 707-824-2030, frenchgardenrestaurant.com.

In fact, his menu sports a chocolate brownie sundae, and a fiery red, “damn good” sauce for the chilled prawn cocktail. There are plenty of briny-fresh oysters to slurp — on the half-shell in tart-sweet mignonette, perhaps, chased with a citrusy, hoppy beer. And sugar? How about a novel Nutella pizza sprinkled in hazelnut chunks?

But the heart and soul of the eatery, which opened Sunday night in the former Mixx space at Railroad Square, is simple brick. That would be the wood-burning oven, which turns out artisan pizzas, roasted squid in smoky paprika vinaigrette, and roasted whole sardines bathed in olive oil, garlic, oregano and lemon.

For Silvers, who also owns the high-end Syrah Bistro just a block away, the oven is “the key to Jackson’s casual, sexy feel.” It’s an anchor, its crackling flames viewable from the eat-in bar where guests can watch the chef at work while they nibble on wood-fired mac-n-cheese topped with Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor cheese.

The chefs aren’t afraid to have fun, notes Silvers. They turn out elegant oven-roasted oysters Rockefeller, and pan-seared Pacific bass over a wintery bed of couscous, roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and lemon vinaigrette.

Yet another signature is a Miller’s hot dog from chef Les Goodman (formerly of Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen) on a fresh-baked bun by sous chef and baker Scott Noll (John Ash, Barndiva), paired with low-fat chips. You can wrap that dog in bacon, smother it in chili and cheese, and bury it in fennel slaw and Jardinière peppers.

“Neoclassic” buffalo wings are another addictive nibble, dunked in Point Reyes blue cheese dip. Or maybe you’re in the mood to stab your fork into a gooey mound of little ear pasta, prosciutto, garlic, cream and a bit of crunchy cabbage.

The kitchen makes its own sausage, and puts out a precious artisan pizza topped with prosciutto, mascarpone, pear and arugula. The bartenders craft fresh mixes and squeeze fresh juices for the cocktails like the clever Ginger Not Mary Ann of Charbay Meyer Lemon, galangal, lemon grass syrup, soda and fresh lemon.

But comfort rules, like a grilled pork chop paired with cheesy grits, bacon braised greens and cider-grain mustard sauce, or oven-roasted chicken partnered with potato gratin and honey glazed carrots. At dessert, it’s all about warm chocolate chip cookies and milk.

“I’m a big fan of juxtaposition,” Silvers says. “It’s what keeps things interesting.”

And undeniably delicious.

Details: Jackson’s Bar & Oven, 35 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-6900, jacksonsbarandoven.com.