James Hahn, new owner of Sunflower Caffé, acquired the business in August.
Ryan Lely/ Sonoma Valley Sun
James Hahn likes “being a great host,” making people feel comfortable and putting smiles on their faces.
That’s a big reason Hahn and his wife, Mila Chanamé, are the new owners of the Sunflower Caffé, on the west side of the Plaza. After running his own cleaning business, then selling for several telephone companies in the North Bay, he took over from the Mellon family in August.
Hahn’s cooked good food since he started living on his own as an adult. “Sonoma country cuisine” is his term for the comfort food – sandwiches, omelets, soups, salads, bread pudding – prepared by Curtis Dorsett, who was known as the “singing chef” when he cooked at the old Peterberrys Café on East Napa Street. The menu includes items such as a Sonoma Saveurs smoked duck breast sandwich with caramelized onions and melted Gruyère and a roasted vegetable sandwich with homemade hummus. With more freedom in the kitchen, Dorsett has been making treats like blueberry pie and baklava, with a focus on fresh, local ingredients. The café’s bread comes from Basque Boulangerie, and its pastries from Artisan Bakers.
To improve the coffee, Hahn hired John Falcon as a full-time barista. Falcon worked with café regulars and Ecco Caffè, a coffee roaster in Santa Rosa, to develop a custom blend that’s rich enough stand up to cream and sugar. Sunflower serves tea from Harney & Sons.
Hahn also expanded the wine list from four to 27 vintages, priced between from $4 to $17 a glass. To support local winemakers, the café waives the corkage fee for customers who bring their own, as long as it was produced in Sonoma County.
In other improvements, the café now serves alcohol at sidewalk tables, with gas heaters during cold weather. Hahn plans to add a gallery space with regular art shows and offer various types of acoustic music several times a month.
Sunflower Caffé, 421 First St. W.
707.996.6645. sonomasunflower.com.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday
