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Posts from the ‘Eat’ Category

Jul 6

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A NIGHT AT THE MARKET

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to make the Wednesday night Petaluma Farmers Market. The stars aligned just right today (barely) and I was hightailing it downtown early this evening with the little man. The weather here has been gorgeous lately – a tad hot, but just right for this southern girl – so I loaded little man into his stroller and decided to make an evening of it, texting the boy on my way in hopes he might be able to meet us there for dinner. Our texts went like this:

{me} Farmers Market! Tonight! Meet us there?

{him} Indeed!

{me} Crepes!

{him} Sunshine!

{me} Cranky Baby!

Two of us were clearly excited to renew this weekly tradition now that our incessant travels have come to a standstill for the moment. The third was just along for the cranky ride.

And the market was lovely. Petaluma competes with Santa Rosa’s Wednesday night market – which draws a much larger crowd – so sometimes I am a little bummed at the lack of quantity and quality of vendors at P-Town’s market. But those vendors that do show up are passionate and wonderful and I’m so thankful to live somewhere that I even have access to something such as this. Whenever we entertain thoughts of moving somewhere where pizza doesn’t cost $8 (see below), I always remember evenings like this and come back to the ultimate realization that we are living our dream, right now, right here.

Our market night in photos:

1st up: wood-fired Margherita pizza from Pizza Politana. Absolutely finger-licking delicious.

The Amy Hogan Trio was on stage tonight and she was absolutely lovely. Little man and I even contributed to the tip jar after sitting and watching for a while. Loved them!

Market Schwag for the evening. Clockwise from left:

Lavendar Honey from Hector’s Honey of Fulton, CA. A bit of a splurge, I plan to drizzle this on fresh figs that have been dolloped with goat cheese. Nom nom nom nom…

Kale from Petaluma Bounty, picked fresh just this morning. Organic, of course. My favorite way to prepare Kale is a la Alice Waters: saute wet, chopped kale leaves in olive oil until wilted. Salt and cover to steam for a few minutes. Uncover and let excess water evaporate. Push kale to side of pan and drizzle a spot with olive oil. Add chopped garlic and pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant. Toss all together with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, S&P. Devour.

Loaf of Daily Bread from Full Circle Baking Co. (Penngrove, CA). A favorite for the teething little man.

Organic mixed salad greens from Green String Farm.

Olive Oil Cake from Napa’s La Saison. Not a huge fan of olive oil cake, I LOVED this one after tasting a sample. I can’t wait to dollop it with some Bellweather’s Creme Fraiche, perhaps lightly toasted and paired with a morning coffee?

Mix of summer squash and zucchini from Petaluma Bounty – freshly picked this morning and organic. Destined to be little man’s next batch of squash-potato-cheese puree. Yum!

Dad and son reunite. Aren’t those little toes delicious? Not for sale ladies, sorry.

A flight of wine from La Dolce Vita Wine Bar. We opted for the Petaluma Gap flight which featured a 2007 Chardonnay from Stubbs Estate, a 2007 Pinot Noir from Ridgeway (Two Pisces) and a 2009 Pinot Noir from Cazar (second label for Chasseur). All were lovely, but the Ridgeway took the prize. Delightful.

And not pictured is the grand finale: 1 scoop of Laloo’s Goat Milk Chocolate ice cream for the walk home, where little man promptly passed out.

I love this county.

Guess we won’t be moving any time soon, pricey pizzas be damned.

xo, e

Jul 1

MOO-COW GOODNESS

Nothing quite says Sonoma County grown like Cowgirl Creamery Cheese. Artisanal and organic creamy goodness, it pretty much exemplifies all the things we love about Sonoma County.

I first fell in love with this brand years ago at a fancy wine auction in Napa. Part of a multi-course meal, their Mt. Tam cheese was the cheese course star, served at perfect room temperature and crusted in crushed pistachios. I’d never tasted cheese so divine. From that day forward, my love affair with Cowgirl only grew. Our love affair low point: my 9 month pregnancy-can’t eat rind cheese horror. Our love affair high point: my first taste of Mt. Tam post-baby. Almost as good as that pistachio-crusted Mt. Tam I remember so well.

A few years ago, Cowgirl Creamery cheese moved their production facilities to little ‘ole Petaluma. I wanted to tour their creamery for years now, but was never able to find the time. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that they were opening their doors to the public on the same night as Petaluma’s Wednesday night farmers market opening night. Add in the fact that they were partnering with their neighbor, Three Twins Organic Ice Cream – my new ice cream LOVE – and enough temptation already. There was no way I was missing out on free tours and free samples of my two moo-cow loves.

We packed up the little guy and hightailed it downtown before the market, following the trail of happy ice cream eating customers. The tour was lovely, as were all the Cowgirl Creamery gals and most especially, the cheese samples. There was a curds and whey demonstration, cheese aging examples (see collage below) and I even learned what the born on dates mean on their packages (best eaten 40-60 days after). At the end of the tour, Three Twins gave away samples of their delectable ice cream which little dude tried his hardest to confiscate from us.

If you’re not in the area, be sure to check out Cowgirl’s web page. You can order their cheese online anytime or perhaps join their Artisan cheese club. If you are local and find yourself in Petaluma or Point Reyes, be sure to book a reservation online for their “Milk to Cheese” tour. Delectable free samples included of course!


Jun 1

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WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOUNTY

Tonight was a treat. It was the first night of Petaluma’s Wednesday night Farmers markets, a tradition for the boy and me. When I was pregnant last summer with the little guy, we started going to this fun market every Wednesday night where I would quickly devour a butter-lemon-sugar crepe from the crepe stand and the little guy would dance in-utero to the band playing. We always had a great time and I’ve been eagerly looking forward to the 2011 season to start again. So after a long day of being out and about with work appointments, it was a treat to have the boy home early so that we could all go together before little man’s bedtime. AND!! To celebrate the kick-off night, Cowgirl Creamery had an open house at their warehouse and they partnered with their neighbors Three Twins Ice Cream – can you say nomnomnomnomnom to free samples from 2 of my favorite places?? I had no idea Three Twins was SoCo based. Longer post on the open house to come later, but in the meantime, the Petaluma Farmers Market is alive and well and I for one and am very excited about it. Here are some snippets of what we saw. xo -e

May 29

DID YOU SAY PIE??

Last weekend, in the midst of 104 degree fevers (his, not mine), midnight pharmacy runs and many a sleepless night, I got an email about this wonderful pie making class coming up in mid-June. Tempting. Verrrrrrry tempting since baking is not quite my forte and I’ve always thought that there simply must be an inner Joy within. But I haven’t pulled the trigger on the class as I haven’t decided yet if the evening hours will work with the little guy. But all that pie contemplation last weekend built up quite the craving for some pie of my own. So during our one expedition outside of the house last weekend, I made a beeline to an absolute Sonoma County gem: Petaluma Pie Company.

This place exemplifies so much of what I adore about living in Sonoma County: artisanal food products extraordinaire, crafted from local and organic ingredients by edgy entrepreneurs with the chutzpah to live their dream.

Let’s break that down in Petaluma Pie Company terms: Two local Petalumans (Graphic Designer/Pie Maker meets Documentary Maker/Farmer) baking delectable pies (Fromage Blanc and Organic Pink Lady Apple to name just two) from local and/or organic ingredients (Cowgirl Creamery & Petaluma Bounty Farm to name another two), changing up their menu daily and offering all this sweet and savoriness in an adorable little nook in Petaluma’s downtown plaza.

Petaluma Pie Company offers both sweet and savory pies and I can’t decide which I like better. Good thing I don’t have to decide. And since we’re being honest here, many times I simply can’t decide on which, so I opt to take both types home with me. A sampling of their menu today: Mushroom and Goat Gouda Hand Pie, Salmon Fromage Blanc ‘n’ Egg Brunch Pie (great for sharing!), Organic Pink Lady Apple Mini Pies and the quintessential Lemon Meringue Pie. They also offer side salads, Lagunitas brews and local wine. All this served up in a cozy little space decorated with mason jar lanterns and vintage hand mixers hanging in the windows. The best part besides the crust: watching them make the pies right behind the counter while you eat your Jamaican Curry Hand Pie.

And for the record: yes, it’s all about the crust. Petaluma Pie Company’s? Flaky. Rich. Buttery Goodness. One of best. Highly SCL recommended.

(PS – these guys do catering, full-sized pies, mini-pies, vegan pies, gluten-free pies, sugar-free pies and more. Check out their details here.)

May 18

‘TIS THE SEASON


Farmers market season!

Around this time of year, I start to get a little giddy. Holiday songs start playing in my head with lyrics like ‘it’s the most wonderful time of the year…’, but rather than visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I see piles of romano beans, stacks of tomatoes and rows of artisan Sonoma County food products. I adore farmers market season in Sonoma County! Showcasing all the most wonderful things about this county, these markets hands down will remind you why you choose to live here. We were going to kick off the season last night with a little market action in Sonoma with friends (probably my favorite market out there), but we got rained out and will try again next week. Se la vie.

In the meantime, here’s a roundup of a few of my favorite Sonoma County markets. You can also find a full listing here. I’ll be featuring regular updates from the markets in the coming season and highlighting favorite purveyors here on SCL. So grab your basket and get out there to support our farmers! They’ll make your heart go pitter-pat. Promise swear.

Where you might find me, overflowing basket in hand while I wait in line for a butter-lemon-crepe:

Petaluma Farmers Market: Wednesdays – 4:30-8, starts June 1

Sonoma Farmers Market: Tuesdays – 5:30-dusk

Healdsburg Farmers Market: Saturdays 9-12

Sebastopol Farmers Market: Sundays 10-1:30

Santa Rosa Farmers Market: Saturday 8:30-12

(Many of these farmers markets occur multiple days during the week, so be sure to check them out online if you aren’t able to make these days/times listed. These just happen to be the days/times I like them best, i.e. more stands and/or entertainment.)

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.

Feb 2

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SONOMA COUNTY RESTAURANT WEEK

Well, it’s about time.

Sonoma County finally has its own restaurant week! Coming up later this month, select restaurants throughout Sonoma County will be offering 3-course prix fixe dinners at $19, $29 or $39, from Feb. 22-28. A few SCL favorites are on the list, such as Bovolo, Girl & The Fig, Willi’s Wine Bar, Hopmonk and more. I’m all over Cafe Zazu and Cafe La Haye, two places I’m actually embarrassed to admit I haven’t yet been. What better reason than a reduced prix fixe?? No tickets or passes needed – just show up with the right amount of money and eat away. Super exciting!!Hope to see you there!

Nov 23

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SAD NEWS: ELOISE CLOSING

Well, it finally took sad, sad news to rouse me out of my blogging stupor/catatonic immobile typing state of mind. Restaurant Eloise is slated to close next Sunday night – a real tragedy for the western Sonoma County culinary scene. You can read the sad news *here*.

You might remember my mention of Eloise’s chef, Ginevra, from the Flowers Winery luncheon – mmmm, remember that decadent Bittersweet Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Sea Salt?? A tragedy indeed. I’ve been eagerly waiting to take advantage of Eloise’s $35 Recession special (3 courses, $35, no corkage), but have been on a traveling whirlwind of epic proportions that only recently came to an end. I’m still catching my breath, but apparently not with enough time to catch the Recession special.

This economy blows by the way.

Alas, the boy and I are already planning to partake one last time at Eloise this weekend before it closes for good. Last regular dining night will be this Sunday, Nov. 30, so if you don’t have any pre or post Turkey day plans, I highly urge you to run, not walk, to Eloise for a last supper.

And you can be sure we’ll be intently watching where Ginevra Iverson & Eric Korsh land next. The news is so bumming, I can’t even think of a witty ending. Or maybe that’s just my blogging block. So cheers to people who have the courage to follow their dreams. And cheers to Ginevra. Hope to see you again soon.

Over and out.

Oct 19

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A WORTHY STOP: DRY CREEK GENERAL STORE

Dry Creek General Store‘Tis the season for work travel for me (hence the lack of posts and lack of personal Sonoma County time period), but a little later this week you will find me back in one of my favorite parts of Sonoma County: Dry Creek Valley.

Only 16 miles long and  2 miles wide, Dry Creek Valley is quite small for having its own AVA distinction. But take the Dry Creek Road exit off of Highway 101 and you’ll quickly see why, although small, Dry Creek Valley has all you’ll need for a full day of wine country rapture: acres of rolling vineyards, small and large wineries, gorgeous blue-gray mountains that hug the valley floor and a plethora of Sonoma County backroad lanes on which to get lost. Dry Creek’s wine reputation corners the market on California’s own, bold and spicy Zinfandel, but be sure to take time to explore their equally good Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

I particularly enjoy visiting Dry Creek Valley throughout the seasons because the enclosed valley floor can give you a distinct sense of the changing seasons – something we don’t always get here in Nor Cal: rolling fields of bright yellow mustard in the spring, vistas of green vines bursting with juicy black fruit in the summer, white fog tendrils over autumnal-colored vines in the fall and slumbering, quiet vines in the winter.

About 1/2 way down the valley strip, you’ll find one of my favorite stops: the Dry Creek General Store. Built in 1881, this quintessential general store has all your needs for lunch, a picnic to go, refreshments on the patio and even a locals-favorite dive bar for refreshing your wined-out palate with some cold cerveza.

Schedule some time here so you’re not rushed. Believe me, it’s time well spent.

A gourmet deli dominates the main portion of the store, whipping up made-to-order sandwiches, deviled eggs and more. Refrigerators are full of vintage sodas, shelves are stacked with Kettle chips and the cash register is surrounded by irresistible post-lunch treats (Chocolate covered grahams and freshly-made rice krispy treats to name a few. Yum!). You won’t leave hungry, to say the least.

Take some time to browse the rest of the store and you’ll find all things wine country affiliated: books, local wines, gourmet cheese, picnic essentials, local artisan housewares and even some tasteful chotchke souvenirs. If you’re camping in the area for the evening (Lake Sonoma has some great sites), you’ll also find everything you need for your night of campfire living.

But, attached to the General Store and just past the vintage leather seats (perfect for perusing your newly purchased wine books), you’ll find my favorite reason for stopping at the General Store: the dive bar whose name I do not know. In fact, I’m not even sure it has a name. It’s just…the bar. Attached to the DCGS. That one. Everyone will know which one you’re talking about when you ask.

With even creakier wooden floors, a country music-laden jukebox and so many dust covered bar ‘artifacts’ your eyes won’t be able to take it all in on one visit, this is a definite locals-favorite bar where you can refresh your palate with a Corona and meet some of the local winemaking talent. Or take your frosty brew outside to the sunshine-covered Adirondack chairs and rub elbows with the bike crowd, both leather-clad and spandex-clad. Sip your frosty brew, watch the valley’s traffic pass by and contemplate your next viniferous stop.

Just be sure to allot your self time for another beer – you’ll probably be in no rush to leave.

Dry Creek General Store:  Intersection of Dry Creek Road & Lambert Bridge Rd. Mon-Sat 6am – 6:30pm; Sun 7am – 6:30 pm. Bar hours: Mon-Thur open at 3pm; Fri-Sun open at noon.

Oct 8

HIDDEN GEM: MAI VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Pho

Ok, I confess. It’s not just the pig with which I have a hang-up. Or true thin crust pizza. Or seductive wine. There’s actually another.

Surprising, right?*

Hangup #4 & #4.5: Vietnamese Pho and Spring Rolls.

My love for Vietnamese cuisine began in college when a Vietnamese friend of mine invited me to his family dinner. I barely noticed that no one spoke English to me as my friend (thankfully) directed me how to eat each delectable dish. My Vietnamese cuisine love affair quickly began with a plate of fresh spring rolls that was accompanied by peanut dipping sauce. Then came my lifelong obsession with Srichaha chili sauce, only quickly followed by the star of the show that night, Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup)**. An oversized, steaming bowl of noodle soup was brought to my table and like all pho lovers before and after me, one sip of the seductive broth and I was forever devoted to all that is Pho.

All this in one 45-minute meal.

Located in a newer (read: eerily clean) strip mall in Cotati, just off Highway 101, Mai Vietnamese Restaurant does an excellent job in furthering my pho devotion.

A dish of shelled and salted peanuts greets you when you sit down to peruse the menu and as you gaze around the 10-table room, you’ll notice antique Vietnamese guitars decorating the mustard-colored walls, white linen table cloths and pristinely cleaned condiment bottles. Sign #1 this isn’t your typical sticky strip mall Vietnamese diner. But never fear, the prices are on par with the rest.

An order of Pho Tai (beef noodle soup) and Shrimp Spring Rolls comes fully SCL recommended. The spring rolls feature plump shrimp, thin slices of pork, rice noodles and cilantro, all wrapped in fresh rice paper. These aren’t refrigerated-made-the-day-before spring rolls, a sad (and soggy) experience, all too common.

The pho comes in various sizes, from X-Small to X-Large, and showcases an excellently executed beef broth: rich and complex with hints of onion, cilantro and anise. Thinly sliced beef, rare, but quickly cooking, rests on top of a thick bed of rice noodles and a plate of exceedingly fresh accoutrements is served bowl-side (including lime, jalapenos, Vietnamese basil and crispy fresh bean sprouts).

Decorating your soup to your discretion is half the pho fun. SCL’s tried and true combo: one circle of Srichaha chili sauce, 2 circles of plum sauce, a fresh lime squeeze and liberally top with bean sprouts. Grab your chopsticks and dig into a restorative bowl of culinary goodness.

Don’t fight the love affair. It has a life of its own.

Mai Vietnamese Restaurant: 8492 Gravenstein Hwy., Cotati, Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-8pm. 707.665.9628.

*2nd confession time: I might have more than 4.5 gastronomic hang-ups. It’s true. I had to really reign that list in for the sake of (spectacular?) blogging flow. And you foodie reader, well, I trust you understand that there might be more food hang-up confessions down the road. Some might call that high maintenance. I like to think of it as wonderfully selective. And you should feel warm and fuzzy acting on my recommendations.

** And yes, I eventually graduated from Pho Ga. But only to Tai. And there was a close call with tendon involved somewhere in my NYC days. Not recommended. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

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