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Posts from the ‘Best of Sonoma County Line’ Category

Feb 17

SONOMA = HAPPY

Well what do you know?! A usa today poll that came out this week showed sonoma county may in fact be the 5th happiest place to live in the US. No big surprise for those of us already living here, but it’s always fun to be on the top of the list rather than say, modesto’s ranking. Not a big surprise there either (and I mean come on. Sonoma? Modesto?…is this even a question?).

You can read the full article *here* and also see where your own city ranks. Sonoma County. Highly recommended. Current temp: 70 and sunny. We heart you Sonoma!

Feb 11

THE UNDERWOOD BAR & BISTRO

UnderwoodLocated on an obscure road in obscure Graton (near Sebastapol), there is a salad that haunts me. That brings me back, time and time again. Shall I list the ingredients?

Frisee. Pancetta lardons. Poached egg. Parmesan. And a touch of bliss.

Frisee aux Lardon Salad. An absolute gem. Eating lunch at the Underwood Bar & Bistro is one of my favorite excuses to conduct   some wine related business. The european bistro-like atmosphere is enough to make you want to linger over the small tapas lunch menu with some manchego cheese, serrano ham and a glass of Merry Edwards Pinot Noir for the rest of the afternoon hours. Or if you’ve brought a bit of a larger appetite, go for the regular lunch menu featuring aforementioned salad, herb lemon risotto or moroccan lamb sandwich. Just be sure not to pass up on the frites.

Graton is a quaint little strip, dare I say town?, that once was apple-cannery central to the area. Now more like winemaker central, the restaurants in the area have grown with the region’s winemaking, offering delicious european-inspired, but still california-fresh, creations that pair quite beautifully with the region’s wine. The Underwood is the sister restaurant to Willow Wood Cafe, located across the street, another favorite spot offering divine polenta dishes. Both are highly SCL recommended.

A local’s favorite – the kind where if you go enough times, the bartender greets you by name and starts making your drink right on cue – the Underwood is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday and they also feature a late night menu on weekends. Belly up to the vintage bar, order that bliss of a salad and rub elbows with the winemaking crews from the area, quite possibly the exact crew who made that wine you’re sipping alongside the manchego.

Mmmm…The Underwood – have you been yet? If not, go. Go soon.

The Underwood Bar & Bistro: 9113 Graton Road, Graton. 707.823.7023. Open Tues-Sat, 11:30-2:30 for lunch, 5-10 for dinner. Bar remains open between lunch and dinner. Late night menu available after 10 on Friday/Saturday.

Aug 31

romano beans 2

BOUNTY OF PHOTOS: PETALUMA FARMERS MARKET

Hello Petaluma Farmer’s market! Good-bye Petaluma Farmer’s market. Our time together was good, but oh so fleeting.

I was able to (finally) make the Wednesday night farmer’s market in Petaluma this last week. My first of the season, their last of the season. *Le sigh* I must clearly work on my timing next year.

  1. Petaluma Farmers Market

Those of us that live in the Bay area know how lucky we are to have access to such wonderfully fresh and local produce, practically year-round. Sonoma County is home to many incredible summer-only markets, that in my opinion, end all too soon (usually just when things are getting going out in the fields). And although a permanent produce stand is a close runner up to the quintessential farmer’s market (Green String Farms: thank you!), there’s just something about a lively weeknight market that a produce stand, no matter how good, can’t fully replicate. Live music, food stands, dee-lish kettle corn, samples upon samples, face painting and a community gathering together – something that seems to be a lost art in these social media-centric times.

Click on the link below to view SCL’s photo celebration of the summer farmer’s market season. Almost all produce and vendors you see are Sonoma County based. Until next year…

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Aug 27

FOUND! YEAR ROUND ‘FARMERS MARKET’

Green String Farms

This is a story about a girl and her produce.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, a small town girl went to college in a much bigger small town and lived on her own for the very first time. One summer day she stumbled upon a year-round produce stand and before you could say zucchini, she was smitten in love with all things farmer’s market-esque. She visited the produce stand on a weekly basis and missed it very much when she had to finally leave (read: graduate).

After a few moves, a few years and a few cities – all without nearby farmer’s markets (goodbye Chicago!) – then a few more moves, a few more years and a few more cities – most with summer only farmer’s market (um, thanks Petaluma?) – she finally stopped at something in Sonoma County called Green String Farms, if only because the hand painted signs piqued her curiosity. See, she likes hand-painted signs. You can imagine her delight when she realized she’d stumbled upon a year-round, permanent, grown right-on-site produce stand, 3 times as big and 500 times as fresh as the original college town stand she fell in love with so long ago.

So she quickly loaded her bags with ultra-fresh, seasonal, organically grown produce like tomatoes, zucchinis, strawberries and figs. She bought farm fresh eggs with dirt left on, still warm from the field. She tasted samples of strawberries that smelled like summers gone by, purchased a jar of hand-made tomato sauce and salivated over the sign that read ‘grass fed beef available now’ (she walked away from that tempation…for now). The farmer was out checking on the produce and he took her Visa with a smile, as he must have sensed a fellow lover of fresh produce. And off she went with one of her own (a smile that is, not a new farmer), for she was once again in love with a produce stand and all signs (hand painted of course) pointed to happily ever after.

The End.

Green String Farms: 3571 Old Adobe Road, Petaluma; 707-778-7500; open 10-5 daily

SCL Insider Tip: The Green String crew is hella cool with their own ‘pesticide free’ band and an entertaining blog which is great to follow for tips on how to use the season’s produce. You may also find Green String Farm’s produce listed on Bay area who’s-who of restaurants, like Chez Panisse.

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