Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Petaluma’

Jul 6

1 Comment

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

1 Comment

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.)

Oct 1

SLOW COOKED GOODNESS: CENTRAL MARKET RESTAURANT

Central Market

Words such as ‘sustainable’, ‘locally-sourced’ and ‘slow food’ might be buzz words du jour for all that is wonderful in the food world right now (and we hope they stay around longer than du jour), but Tony Najiola was already ahead of the pack when he opened his restaurant Central Market in 2003.

Upon moving here, it didn’t take long to find out this was THE local’s preferred dining spot and after the first bite of braised short ribs, it took even less time to find out why.

Set in bucolic downtown Petaluma, Tony transformed the 1920 MacLay brick building into a wonderfully intimate loft-like space with exposed brick walls, soaring ceilings, an open kitchen complete with wood fired stove, candlelit tables and large windows looking out onto Petaluma Boulevard.

It’s a romantic spot that bustles with energy à la big city dining and with Chef Tony’s experience at some of the top restaurants in New York City and San Francisco, this makes sense. Central Market impeccably blends these two culinary worlds with slower-paced Petaluma.

Partnering with local purveyors, Central Market’s menu changes often depending on market seasonality and local growers are the highlight of the menu: Greenstring Farms (Petaluma), Liberty Ducks (Penngrove) and Sonoma Direct (Sebastapol) are just a few of Central Market’s partners. The cuisine is fresh, yet rustic, and wonderfully deceptive in its slow-cooked simplicity.

Start your meal off with some local Hog Island oysters, but if you pair them with bubbles, don’t be surprised when Tony (who roams the room regularly to chat with diners) proceeds to bring out a complimentary taste of late-harvest Chardonnay in order to ‘enlighten your palate’. This comes from a guy who spends every birthday morning out at Hog Island Oyster Co. doing that exact thing, so come prepared to be amazed at the interplay of salty sea and luscious fruit on your palate.

After that lesson, I’d pretty much follow Tony anywhere on the proverbial culinary cliff.

Move on to one (or three) of his delicious starters, such as the House Smoked Salmon over Crispy Potato Latke (pictured above) or my favorite, Fried Liberty Farms Duck Liver over Watercress Salad and Persimmons.

His wood fired stove creates delectable entreé delights such as Baked Cannelloni or White Pizzettas, but the dish that always has me unabashedly licking my plate for more is his Red Wine Braised Black Angus Short Ribs with Horseradish Potatoes and Root Vegetables. Pair it with a Cabernet Franc from his equally seasonal (and highly affordable) wine list and settle back for a delight of a culinary evening.

Oh. And don’t forget to save room at the end for one of the seasonal desserts, such as Hazlenut Parisian Macaroons (photographed above). Perhaps paired with a 10-year Tawny Port?

Don’t worry. You’ll make room.

A couple of SCL insider tips for you: Party of 2? Snag one of the high tables along the front windows and pretend you’re back in the big city. (Reservations in advance will help your mission because apparently there are many of us in Petaluma fighting for that experience.)

Party of 4? Reserve the cozy booth along the front windows, nestled in its own private corner. I’ll admit. I lust after this seat every time I go, but have yet to snag it. Please invite me over if you get there first.

Thursday Night? Get there early for oyster happy hour which gifts your culinary world with $1 oysters. Remember the aforementioned wine pairing? Bring your own Sauternes and pay the $14 corkage fee. You won’t want to leave.

Central Market: 42 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma; 707-778-9900; Open 7 days a week 5:30-9 and 5:30-10 Friday/Saturday.

Sep 21

1 Comment

TAPS: A CRAFT BEER BAR ARRIVES

Taps Petaluma

Ponder the following words: Abita. Deschutes. Bison Brewing.

Or perhaps try these: Chocolate Stout. XXXX IPA. Karmeliet.

Ok, how about these: Chicago Dog, Bratwurst, Garlic Fries.

Sold yet? If you’re a beer fan, I probably had you at Abita.

Petaluma has new bar in town and SCL’s vote is in: Bravo. Focusing on craft beers (both tap and bottle) and the food that goes best with such libations, TAPS is welcome addition to Petaluma’s (lacking of quality, not quantity) bar scene.

My curiosity was piqued last week when I swung by Bank of America to make a little financial transaction (which usually consists of more take than give, unfortunately). Across the street I spied a sign hanging  below the Petaluma Hotel that read something to the effect of: ‘Coming Soon – TAPS! 30+ Craft Beers on tap!‘; subtext: ‘Serving gourmet dogs, brats and more!‘.

A bar with mostly craft beers? On tap? And gourmet brats? In Petaluma? I could barely wait for the weekend to find out more.

Eric Lafanchi is the face behind Taps, along with his wife, Wendy and his brother. Together, they’ve managed to take what used to be the old outdoor courtyard for Petaluma Hotel (now enclosed) and transform it into a classy atmosphere, with even classier beer and most excellently executed gourmet dogs.

With 30+ craft beers on tap, 30+ more in bottle, 6 flat screen televisions and a streamlined – yet not lacking in the least – menu, TAPS should become a local favorite in no time. It’s the kind of place you might stop in for just one and find yourself still there 4 hours later. Knock back a few microbrews (served in properly corresponding glassware), see what they have on cask for the week (unveiled on Wednesdays), order a BLT dog (deep-fried dog with bacon, lettuce, tomato) and watch your day of Saturday sports unfold.

TAPS is located on Kentucky street across from the Bank of America, so it’s easily accessible to downtowners and a perfect hideaway for men with downtown shopping wives – at least, I’ll know where to find my beer-loving father next visit.

Cheers.

TAPS Petaluma: 205 Kentucky Street Petaluma; 707-763-6700; 11:30-10pm (Mon-Sat) and 9:30-10pm (Sun).

SCL Insider Tip: Join TAPS Facebook page and be in-the-know for their daily secret passwords which will score you specials on beer. Words such as ‘Jimmy’ might get you $3 pint of Abita Purple Haze. Don’t you just love being part of the cool crowd?

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…

Read more

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.

Aug 25

HIDDEN GEM: LOMBARDI’S BBQ

Lombardi's BBQ

Head up Petaluma Boulevard North on a weekend and you might be tempted to call the fire department when you spot plumes of smoke near the outlet malls. No need to fear. That’s not Banana Republic’s fall line going up in flames, but something much, much better. It’s Lombardi’s BBQ & Gourmet Delicatessen grilling and serving as fast as they can.

Right before you pull into the parking lot, you’ll know you’re in the right place by the rows of over-sized barbeque pits and the aromas of grilling goodness. There’s something about those mysterious black beasts, billowing with smoke and enticing aromas, that gets this Texas girl excited for a cold beverage (most likely not the virginal kind) and a full day of BBQ cook-offs. At least, that’s always the sensation I get when pulling into Lombardi’s parking lot full of trucks and motorcycles, equally fitting of the southern nostalgia. Ahhhh, the mysteries of the olfactory memory bank…

Lombardi’s, a family owned business that also does catering, opened their original Cotati location back in 1999. Although never having been to the original location (definitely on the SCL-to-do list), I can wholeheartedly attest to the Petaluma location which has now become a regular summer weekend lunch stop.

Climb up the wooden steps (past the pool supply store owned by a surely well-fed Herb), stake out your favorite table on the outdoor patio and you’ll soon find yourself in a normal looking, yet very busy, deli with loads of local wine for sale. Rows of it in fact. Head left to the end of the line which wraps around refrigerated cases filled with vintage soda selections, local microbrews and an enormous selection of potato salads. Then finally pony up to the shoulder-high counter to place your order, when the real decisions begin.

Full or half rack baby back ribs? Grilled salmon or BBQ oysters? Pulled pork or grilled chicken? Sandwich, salad or  à la carte à la Atkins? The SCL favorite: Lagunitas Sausage Sandwich on a soft roll. Everything, please.

After ordering your protein of choice, be sure to peruse the deli case in front of you which includes delectable sides such as deviled eggs, garlic mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Food can be packaged to go for both picnics and home (they even have a to-go dinner for 6 including all the sides, for those too-lazy-to-cook nights), but experience Lombardi’s the SCL recommended way:  grab a frosty microbrew with your sausage sandwich and enjoy both on the outdoor patio while watching the grill masters wield their craft.

Maybe one day they’ll have a cook-off.

Lombardi’s BBQ & Gourmet Delicatessen: 3413 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma; 707-773-1271 (M-S: 10-8; Sun: 11-7). Cotati location: 101 E. Cotati Ave.

Aug 17

2 Comments

LAGUNITAS TAPROOM

lagunitas

For all you Lagunitas Maximus fans, your day has finally arrived. The famed 16-year old Lagunitas Brewery has finally opened their doors for the general public in the version of an outdoor tap room. They call it their beer sanctuary. Others call it a TapRoom (no space). Whatever its name, it’s SCL approved.

Lagunitas Brewery, producer of 80,000+ barrels of beer per year, is located in Petaluma (it moved from its original Lagunitas location in 2004) and up until this last month, you were limited to taking a 3pm tour of the brewery to get an inside taste of the biz. That would be weekdays only. Hard to make, isn’t it? I could never figure out why such a cool and hip microbrewery didn’t have its own place to imbibe on its wares. And talk about disappointment when my home-brewing/huge Lagunitas fan of a father came to town on a weekend…they must have finally gotten the message.

Freshly opened, (they don’t even have tap room information up on their website yet), this 3,500 square foot biergarten meets tap room is a Sonoman good time that boasts large communal wooden tables, bright red Adirondack chairs, an outdoor music stage for acoustic tunes & numerous beers on tap and in bottle.

A pretty fun spot that exhibits Tony the Owner’s eclectic creativity (as he was affectionately called by a Lagunitas worker having a post-shift brew while I was there), the Lagunitas Beer Sanctuary feels like hanging out at a friend’s super-cool backyard to drink some frosty brews -  be sure to take note of the steel screw & lug nut pillars that decorate the surrounding fence. Both dogs and children are welcome and although there is no food service yet (paninis, soups & small dishes to come in 3-4 weeks), you’re welcome to bring your own bite to eat outdoors.

The economy is harsh right now; this we know. But now at Lagunitas, you can drink a few tasty microbrews on tap, bring a burrito to go, listen to some acoustic tunes and watch the sun set on the horizon for less than $10. Now that’s a smashing (and economic) SCL good time.

Say “LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS”.

Lagunitas TapRoom: 1280 North McDowell Blvd Petaluma, CA; open Wed-Fri 3-9 pm; Weekends 1-7 p.m.; live music every evening.

SCL tip: Google map the directions before driving. The signs aren’t too prominent and don’t let the industrial warehouse driveway and parking deter you. There’s a beer oasis at the end of the yellow brick road. Bonus tip: you’ll probably run into Tony the Owner and his dogs while there – his fascinating story consists not only of a great reputation in beer brewing, but also acoustic bluesgrass and being a widely read author. Check it out here. Or follow his cryptic, yet always intriguing, Twitter. Cheers!

« Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.