Hot Box Grill: new owner, same comfy fare

I have great respect, love even, for a restaurant that serves a twice-baked potato.  The simple combination of fluffy potato innards combined with a luxurious amount of butter and cheese, and often bacon and green onions, will always be adored, and will always endure through more elaborate potato-ey trends.  If for only that one reason, I will always crave the Hot Box Grill.  Although, twice-baked potato aside, the Hot Box will always be a cozy, locals mostly, spot to settle into the snug little dining room with a comforting meal, lovely big glass of wine, and charming, smiley service.

There is some new love happening here since Daniel Ebrahemi took over the reigns.  He has a real passion for hospitality that shows as he meanders though the quaint space greeting favorite customers and new faces all as if they were longtime friends arriving to a dinner party in his home.  After falling in love with Sonoma, Daniel was determined to find a place that would allow him to stay in town, all while putting his vast experience in the restaurant business to work.  Lucky us.

The menu and general homey vibe of the place remain.  Local ingredients always shine here.  Greens from Paul’s are pretty.  Beets are almost artwork on a plate; little drops of creamy feta, herbal fennel, and the toasted crunch of bright green pistachios are all drizzled in a bright, lemony vinaigrette.  The southern gal in me can seriously never resist a deviled egg, particularly when someone else is doing the tedious chore of peeling the shells.  The decadent version here has a super smooth, mayonnaise-rich filling, sprinkled generously with meaty, ultra crispy bits of smokey bacon, slivers of fresh chive, and lacey little shreds of parmesan frico.  The eggs were yummy while nibbled with my perfect, chilly glass of Pinot Gris; a wonderfully generous pour.  The wine even more lovely when sipped between nibbles of the house-made, perfectly yeasty, salt-topped Parkerhouse-style rolls, smeared with a big pat of cold, sweet butter.

As the Sonoma weather begins to turn chilly and drizzly, the Hot Box is an ideal restaurant to while away a long, dark evening tucking into the very hearty fare.  My favorite choices are served on massive wooden boards; food meant to be shared, food that will fill your belly so happily that there won’t be much choice but to crawl out into the icky weather and straight into a warm bed.  Happy.  A fried Cornish hen is massive for a supposed little bird; big juicy hunks of meat wrapped in a think layer of crunchy shards of batter.  The half is easily enough for two, particularly after digging into the three accompanying sides: warm cornbread pudding sporting a slab of honey butter melting naughtily on top, a sweet-tart crisp coleslaw, and a decadent bowl of mac and cheese, which just may be the thing to possibility push you over the top into a wonderful food coma.

More big food follows.  Beef ribs are Flintstone-sized bones, with tender, super slow-cooked meat practically falling from the thick bones.  A dry rub offers nice, warming spices while a side of vinegar-laden sauce offers something juicy for dipping.  Potato salad is old-fashioned, reminiscent of the grocery store deli variety of our youth.  I am a sucker for sides cooked and served in a cast iron skillet and the Brussels sprouts generously scattered with meaty strips of bacon are not only cute, but tasty too.

I may have heard angels sing as my twice-baked potato was set before me.  I began to wonder why I order anything else, a favorite dinner of mine being nothing more than a huge loaded potato and even huger glass of good red wine.  A nice sized potato had been baked until the insides were fluffy and scoopable.  Everything then mixed together until a state of ridiculous creamy-cheesy-bacony goodness had been reached.  A copious layer of melted cheddar graces the top.  Sticking my fork through the gooey layer of cheese and into the soft, buttery potato, and finally into the gorgeous, brittle skin is an almost religious experience, or maybe one best had in private.

The Hot Box Grill is located in the Springs at 18350 Sonoma Highway.  Find more information or make a reservation at hotboxgrill.com or by calling 939.8383.

In season now

There is simply nothing more heavenly than being lost in the branches of a 100-year-old fig tree.  The scent is indescribable, almost magical.  Many a chilly morning while figs are at their peak — like right now! — I bundle up and venture out to my handful of fig picking spots to glean a basketful of those enchanting little green or black beauties.  Although entirely delicious eaten unadorned while still standing under the tree, there is no more decadent preparation for the fresh fig than stuffed with salty blue cheese, wrapped in prosciutto, roasted in the oven and finished with a generous drizzling of honey and scattering of thyme; a sublime combination of salty, sweet and cheesy.  Find my recipe here.  Really any ham, bacon or prosciutto will do, but whenever possible I choose La Quercia; see below.

 Figs wrapped in Prosciutto

Serves 4 as an appetizer

•  12 black or green figs
• 6 slices of Prosciutto la Quercia, sliced very thin and cut in half
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 3 T. honey
• 2 T. fresh thyme leaves
• Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to broil.  Cut the very top off of each fig and make an X-shaped slit in each.  Divide the blue cheese between each fig and stuff into the slit.  Wrap each fig with a piece of prosciutto and secure with a small toothpick.  Place figs in a small cast iron pan or a small low-sided casserole dish and place under the broiler.  When cheese is beginning to melt and the prosciutto is beginning to crisp, remove figs from oven, approximately eight minutes.  Drizzle with honey and scatter the thyme leaves over.  Serve immediately with a quick grind of black pepper.

Favorite foodie find

La Quercia (La Kwair-cha) is artisan produced, organic prosciutto from Iowa.  Yes, Iowa, and it’s as good, if not better, than many imported brands, I promise.  After several years spent investigating the process and interning in Italy, pioneering producers, Herb and Kathy Eckhouse, seek out the very best possible, lovingly raised pork from their neighboring Iowa farms.  Using the very best artisanal Italian methods, the result is a rich, meaty tasting ham with a delicate, salty crystal crunch on the finish.  It is simply one of my favorite year-round treats, but find myself craving it this time of year paired with fresh figs, roasted hazelnuts, hearty breads, and rustic, aged cheeses.  Find Prosciutto la Quercia locally at Whole Foods.

Deep “foodie” thoughts 

Sometimes you just need to let it go. Life.  It isn’t always easy, is it?  There are times when being good, being healthy, sticking to your diet, abiding by the rules is simply overrated.  That’s when I believe it’s okay, almost a requirement, to go ahead and indulge.  The world won’t stop spinning if, on the rare occasion, you fall off the wagon.  I have never been regretful of a single morning that I blew off the gym while cuddling in bed instead.  We all go through rough patches when you should just go ahead and polish off the whole bottle or lick all the batter off the spoon.  There are the days when you need to finish the whole stinking pint.  Order that twice baked, loaded potato and why not get an extra side of load?  Just deep fry that fish and why not eschew the skim milk and add a good glug of cream instead?  When the going get tough, never ever feel guilty for having that bigger piece of birthday cake and whatever you do, just go ahead and dig into the bread basket, slather on the butter, order the pasta, don’t forget dessert, and be sure to eat it all. Then, naturally, you must lick the bowl.