Exploring the Barlow: Sebastopol’s new foodie fantasy

Continuing the theme of shamelessly throwing myself into summer before it sadly comes to an end, I declared a recent Sunday to be filled with nothing more than cruising Wine Country backroads with the top down, golden sunshine on our faces, finding yummy things to eat and drink, simply indulging in Sonoma County’s beauty and deliciousness.

It is with intense jealously that I have been following a years-long foodie-filled project in Sebastopol, the redevelopment of a now defunct apple packing plant.  Finally nearing completion, the old, monstrous, tin-sided building and several accompanying new structures are now home to a dizzying array of Sonoma County food and beverage artisans.  A handful of the first businesses were slated to open this past week and I thought how fun it would be to go check it out, top down and appetite large, of course.

The Barlow, named after the original apple packing facility, was utterly a-buzz with a laid back looking crowd, all leisurely strolling the grounds, also out searching for tasty ways to enjoy the pristine summer weather.  Spread out over 13 acres, the Barlow is amazingly more of a small town than shopping complex.  A mix of new construction, buildings modeled after the original packing plant, all tin siding and wooden beams, are intertwined with interesting old industrial structures.  Fire pits offer warm spots for evening wine sipping, while bocce courts and grassy patches allow for warm weather picnics and the inevitable post-food and drink napping.  Each building is a thoughtful mix of retail or tasting space, with the unique addition of larger facilities for the manufacturing of products that already include wine, spirits, and even the roasting of coffee beans.

Many West County wineries are moving in, including La Follette, MacPhail, and Kosta Browne, all of which are already open.  Duskie Estes and John Stewart’s über popular restaurant Zazu is also opening this week, a much-anticipated relocation from its slightly ramshackle River Road location to a bright, soaring, modern new space here.  Taylor Maid Farms roasts their coffee beans right here and serves their stellar coffee in a contemporary, high-ceilinged shop where barista lessons and roasting tours will soon take place.  Spirit Works Distillery houses a three-story high copper still where artisan vodka and gin are handcrafted using California-grown grain that is milled, mashed, fermented, distilled, and finally bottled, entirely onsite.

Thirsty, and most certainly hungry, we bellied up to the shiny wooden-topped bar at Woodfour Brewing Company.  Having only been opened for two days, the bustling staff was surprisingly all smiles as our menus and a very cold, super refreshing, Imperial Saison — brewed right there — were quickly placed in front of us.  We casually ordered a platter of charcuterie and were happily entertained by the beer-making process, happening right then, through large glass windows directly behind the bar.

I was sort of feeling ho-hum about the possibility of yet another Wine Country charcuterie platter.  Oh sure, I love me some cured pig products, but was not expecting to be wowed by more boring sliced meat on a board.  Well, what I didn’t know was that there was some serious skill happening in this kitchen and that this simple-sounding beer pub menu was not quite as simple as it sounded.

And, what I also didn’t know was that Chef Jamil Peden is no mere pub chef.  His classical training and utter precision shine in subtle ways here.  A duck liver mousse was an elegant addition to the beautifully presented platter of meats that renounced the sometimes tiresome credo of localism in lieu of deliciousness, a beautiful pile of pale pink, paper thin slices of Benton’s famous Tennessee ham and an unctuous, fat-filled, wonderfully gamey, Oregon-made salame.  ‘Meatballs’ of meatless eggplant were delicate, practically floating on a vibrant, fresh pool of pureed, ruby-hued summer tomatoes, dainty blobs of cucumber yogurt brightening the whole pretty dish.  A petite canning jar of homemade pickles were the ideal snack, washed down with my Session Ale, amazingly brewed with 100% grown-right-here Sebastopol hops.

Not surprisingly I wanted more food.  I longed to have been there for dinner, the menu boasting beautiful sounding dishes such as oxtail and semolina gnocchi and summer squash with nasturtium and white corn, or crispy pork belly with apricot mustard.  Finally, a brave brewery.  A brew pub willing to elevate the food-beer pairing.

Oh boy, I simply cannot wait for the Barlow to fill in the many empty spaces with more Sonoma County deliciousness.  While sipping what may have been the most perfectly prepared Taylor Maid Farms latte, I envisioned the future of this ‘Disney-esque’ foodie theme park.  I envisioned tourists able to explore a week’s worth of what our area has to offer in hand-crafted wines, spirits, olive oil, and more by simply meandering the lanes of the Barlow one afternoon.  I sat sipping my slow-roasted, shade-grown, organic latte and thought for possibly the zillionth time… how very lucky I am to live in this amazingly delicious place.

For extensive information on the Barlow, including directions, hours, and tenants please visit thebarlow.net.

Eggplant Meatballs

Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine, inspired by the Woodfour Brewing Company

• 1 large eggplant (1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• Boiling water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• Two 28-ounce cans imported whole Italian tomatoes, seeded and pureed with their juices
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil, plus leaves for garnish
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups fresh bread crumbs (from 6 ounces crustless country bread)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• All-purpose flour, for coating
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork and set it on a baking sheet. Roast in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until very soft and collapsed. Let cool slightly, then scrape the eggplant flesh into a large bowl and let cool completely. Discard the skin. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and let stand until softened, 30 minutes; drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse the porcini to remove any grit. Finely chop the porcini. In an enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and half of the garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and pour in the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before reaching the grit; bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, 1 hour. Add half of the chopped basil and season with salt and pepper. Fold the chopped porcini, bread crumbs, eggs, 2 ounces of cheese, parsley and the remaining garlic and chopped basil into the eggplant. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Form the eggplant mixture into twenty 1 3/4-inch balls, rolling tightly. Dust the balls with flour and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Add half of the meatballs at a time and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish the meatballs with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread and grated cheese.

Kristin Jorgensen is one of Sonoma’s most passionate, food obsessed residents. In this weekly column, she covers all the delicious happenings, foodie events and restaurants in Sonoma, the rest of Wine Country and beyond.  Email her with comments, questions, or your food related events at [email protected].