While celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary, let’s remember that most of our forebears were immigrants who brought different ideas and goals, and sometimes traditional foods and festivals, from their countries of origin.
Many of them also brought hopes of taking advantage of new opportunities to succeed at some enterprise. A few of those meant cooking their traditional foods or making their home-style beverages.
Fast forward to today when food costs and rents are up, alcohol consumption is down, and some wineries and restaurants are closing, selling, or limiting hours.
But in our adventurous American spirit, there seems always to be someone willing to take a chance and try to “make it” with their best new idea.
Michelin winners
Congratulations to all of them, and to many other excellent Sonoma Valley restaurants that provide great and interesting food.
Enclos attained a new rating of three Michelin stars, while Santé, at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, was actually the first Sonoma restaurant to win a Michelin star. Dinner at Enclos starts at around $300 without wine.
In Michelin’s Bib Gourmand category, Valley Bar + Bottle on First St. East was recognized along with perennials El Molino and Glen Ellen Star.
St. Francis monthly breakfast
There will be no first Sunday hot breakfast at Father Roberts Hall on July 5. But there will be free donuts and coffee outside the Hall, all sponsored by the Valley of the Moon Knights of Columbus, according to Chef Mara Roche (Aunt Momo) who leads the breakfast kitchen crew.
Openings and Closings
Dead Letter: The newest of Sondra Bernstein and John Toulze’s girl & the fig restaurants is expected to open in July. A few people have been invited to what I call “practice dinners.” Maya closed at that First St. East and East Napa Street location many months ago, and local permit processes have delayed the new opening. Watch for Sondra Bernstein’s fabulous artwork in her “gallery.”
Namaste Broadway: A woman named Shanti has taken over Deli Belly and has apparently changed it to Namaste Broadway, serving “authentic Indian food.” The menu button on her website doesn’t work, but try it anyway. 522 Broadway, Sonoma. (707) 231-1106. Namastebroadway.com. Sam’s General Store, also new, is right next door.
Sonoma Eats: Efrain Balmes plans to open over this weekend at his newest Sonoma location in the shopping center across Fifth St. West from Safeway – the location of La Hacienda’s previous downtown restaurant.
WingStop: A national chain of chicken wings and fixin’s will open sometime soon just around the building’s corner from the new Big 5 sporting goods entrance, which replaced our popular multiplex movie theater. It comes with a triangular parking lot and its own entrance facing Siesta Way. Loads of varieties of chicken wings with or without bones, five fries variations, and even non-fried vegetable sticks. No opening date set yet.
Abbott’s Passage: Regrettably, Katie Bundschu has decided to close her wine tasting room at what some of us remember as Valley of the Moon Winery, once run by Harry Parducci. Just a lack of visitor traffic and downturn in wine consumption contributed to her decision. What’s next, Katie?
Palooza Brewery and Gastropub: Suzette and Jeff Tyler started with a hot dog cart in 2010, added a second hot dog cart, and opened their Kenwood restaurant in 2014. Their website currently shows only Jeff as owner and executive chef, while both Tylers signed a sad letter to friends saying they were closing – no reasons or future plans given. These are the same people who erected a chain link fence around a state-owned parking lot trying unsuccessfully to force Matthew Nathan to sell Schellville Grill to them. They own Cascade Basecamp Hotel & Eatery in Cascade, ID.
La Prenda winery: La Prenda will soon close its tasting room across the breezeway from The Red Grape. Co-owner Ned Hill, of La Prenda Vineyard Management and immediate past president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance, manages 30 vineyards and currently spends thousands more dollars daily for diesel fuel to run eight tractors, a sign of current inflation.
Be First to Comment