Food + Drink News Bites
The New Year has brought a lot of exciting food and wine news in Sonoma Valley. Here’s a brief of what’s been happening and what will be happening! Email me your news at [email protected].
Sonoma Grille is open! Taking over the old Meritage location, Sonoma Grille opened just before the New Year. They’re offering a similar fare as Meritage, so seafood lovers rejoice.
Menu offerings include a raw bar, pastas and salads. The wine list is reasonably priced and includes special reserve bottles. Full bar available and soon they will be serving their in-house made Avalanche Ale. Read more on our website. 938-7542 | 165 W. Napa St., Sonoma
Envolve Winery sells to the Stewart Family, the folks behind the new (or old?) Madrone Vineyard Estate (coincidentally featured in this issue) and Lake Sonoma Wines.
The Benziger’s have handed management over to the Stewart Family and Danny Fay has left as winemaker. Lake Sonoma’s winemaker Kat Adams will take over his duties. A new tasting room located at 134 Church St., Sonoma (behind Sign of the Bear), now sells Lake Sonoma and Envolve wines. Read more at the sonomasun.com. envolvewinery.com
Sonoma-Loeb tasting room to open on the square. Just as one closes, another opens. As Envolve Winery moves to it’s new Church St. location, Sonoma-Loeb will be moving into the old Envolve location in Vine Alley at 27 E. Napa St., Sonoma.
No word on when the Chappellet family owned brand will start pouring, but, most likely by spring. Taste their viognier at girl & the fig right now by the glass. sonoma-loeb.com
Community Cafe now open for dinner – kids welcome – on Thursdays and Fridays. Owner and Chef Margie Brooke will be serving her famous fried chicken ($15 for adults, $10 for kids) on Thursdays and burgers ($10 for adults, $3.95 for kids) on Fridays. Kids are welcome.
The Annex remains 21+ and will be serving the same menu each nights. Dinner is served 6PM-9PM. 938-7779 | 875 W. Napa St., Sonoma | communitycafesonoma.com
Tasca Tasca’s sign is up, with a paint job and any day now Chef Manuel Azevedo (of LaSalette) will open his Portuguese tapas bar in the former Epicurean Connection site in downtown Sonoma. Goat stew anyone? 122 W. Napa St., Sonoma | tascatasca.com
Sweet Scoop’s introduces booze-infused ice cream and sorbets. Don’t worry parents: the alcohol content is little to none after going through the finishing process.
They’re offering a Pangloss Cherry Chip, which stars cherries soaked in Pangloss Cellars’ 2010 Red Blend; a Strawberry Champagne Sorbet, which is vegan and uses fruit from the legendary Watmaugh strawberry farm; and a Red Wine Cheesecake, which uses port made by TAJ Cellars. I tried the latter today and it’s divine. Go get some! 721-1187 | 408 1st St., Sonoma | sweetscoopsicecream.com
Corner 103 introducing new tasting menu starting this month. You’ll now be able to pair their many Sonoma County wines with cheeses from Vella Cheese Company.
The new pairing was designed by Corner 103 in partnership with sommelier Chris Sawyer. This marks the first new food pairing being introduced since the tasting room’s opening earlier in 2015. 931-6141 | 103 W. Napa St., Sonoma | corner103.com
