Wild West … County. Every now and then I get the urge to head west. I guess that’s how I ended up in California in the first place. I recently packed up my visiting mother and headed out for a day of exploring the food scene in the West County. Because my Asian pantry was dangerously bare – Why don’t we have an Asian market in Sonoma? – our first stop was the tiny, but well-stocked Asiana Market on Old Redwood Highway in Cotati. Chang Sop Yu, the eager to please owner, helped me easily locate my favorite brand of fiery Thai red curry, the dried bird chiles I’ve yet to find in the Bay Area, the correct brand of coconut milk that’s not too sweet, not to mention some beautifully packaged organic Japanese buckwheat noodles and miso. En route to Sebastopol, we made a quick stop at the 22-year-old Matos Cheese Factory. This time I found the dusty, ramshackle farm deftly, thanks to a shiny new sign on Llano Road. We’re there for a hunk of the sole cheese, the fifth generation Portuguese cheese maker Joe Matos produces, named St. George. The straw colored, raw cow’s milk cheese is buttery, supple and a steal at $7 a pound. In my opinion, it’s never too early for sparkling wine, so at not quite 10:30 a.m., we merrily headed towards one of my all-time favorites, Iron Horse Vineyards. We veered off Highway 116 north of Sebastopol, meandered past majestic Gravenstein orchards, literally journeyed over the hills and through the woods, crested the ridge, and as always was awestruck by the winery’s stunning views. Cozying up to the outdoor tasting bar, we thoroughly enjoyed the estate grown and bottled sparklers while gazing over the 350 acres of vineyards and Mount St. Helena in the distance. My mom’s giggling made me think it was time for food and when in the area, I always think of the convivial Underwood Bar and Bistro, located in the minuscule town of Graton. The local gathering spot for the West County winery elite, the Underwood is strangely chic and immeasurably satisfying. A super cold and crisp bottle of Preston Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect accompaniment to my marvelous duck confit over lentils and mom’s blue cheese topped burger. Because one lunch is never enough, we rolled ourselves into the car and headed a bit south to another favorite of mine, the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol. The ultra-cool, indoor-outdoor space is the same concept Sonoma resident Dean Biersch will bring to our Valley this summer. Over addictive sweet potato fries and Indian samosas, the amiable restaurateur-mad-scientist-meets-surfer-dude, generously chatted with us about his plans for the beer-centric spot. His obvious enthusiasm was infectious as he spoke of the renovations: I’m sure no expense will be spared. The music: an ideal selection of indie, jazz and acoustic. The food: modern and sustainable. The outdoor space: a band shell with plenty of comfy seating. His apparent loyalty to Sonoma: his children are in school here and his girlfriend possibly on the hunt for her own spot to open a business. With the sun beginning its descent and mom quite saturated, we headed home to Sonoma … still the tastiest town in the West.
Green with Envy. As I approached the Green String Farm Store, a mountain of perfect, baby artichokes loomed before me. Located just over the hill from Sonoma, in Petaluma and opened in 2006, the Farm Store was a natural extension of the sustainable and naturally farmed 140-acre Green String Farm, a joint effort between eco-farming philosophers Fred Cline and Bob Cannard. A seasonal selection of spring goodies are always on display in the rustic, open-air store, including the farm’s own all-natural beef, grass-fed beef from their ranch in Red Bluff and Hylla’s gorgeous100 percent pastured chicken eggs. Although several favorite Valley restaurants use Green String’s all-natural products – Harvest Moon Café, Murphy’s Irish Pub, the Fremont Diner to name a few – Green String’s deliveries to Chez Panisse are the farm’s most famous. A respect for the natural process is evident here whether chatting with a farmer or wandering around, visiting with the chickens. Beautiful food crops share space with crops grown to improve the soil and the charming little wooly weeders, are nature’s lawn mower. This weekend’s Plant Sale is a perfect opportunity to visit the Farm Store if you haven’t already done so … go for the dirt-cheap vegetable and herb starts, perennials, ornamentals and trees and stay for a picnic or a tour of the farm. Green String Farm Plant Sale, May 22, 3571 Old Adobe Road, Petaluma. greenstringfarm.com
Hui-What? While working my way through a bowl of perfectly prepared pasta and fresh English peas – Fresh peas! – at Harvest Moon last week, I spotted Bay Area foodie celebrity and Rotissuer Thomas Odermatt and his lovely family. The son of a Swiss Master Butcher, Odermatt is a leading authority on rotisserie meats and organic farming, and owner of RōliRōtí Gourmet Rotisserie. Based in Berkeley, RōliRōtí is the country’s first and finest mobile rotisserie, serving only sustainably farmed meats and organic produce. The company gained nationwide notoriety while peddling at the Saturday Ferry Building Farmer’s Market in San Francisco, an über chic food truck where glistening meats spin around on the spit, succulent juices dripping onto tiny red bliss potatoes on the griddle below. The specialty: an over sized, herb-stuffed porchetta sandwich the likes of which you will not soon forget. A beautiful, thick slice of pork belly wrapped pork loin with seriously crispy skin, generous pile of caramelized onions and peppery arugula on a juice-soaked Acme bun, finished with an additional sprinkling of cracklings and crunchy salt for good measure. Seriously. Be still my beating heart! Why might you ask am I telling you about this wonderment of porky goodness which is found more than an hour away? Well, I was happily informed that Odermatt’s mobile RōliRōtí truck will bring the joy of their rotisserie meats to Sonoma during Gundlach Bundschu’s first annual Huichica Music Festival! Additional food vendors have yet to be confirmed, but will surely be tasty, too. Even though the all-day festival’s real draw is the high-caliber selection of six independent music acts on the winery’s beautiful outdoor amphitheater, I’ll be there for the porchetta! Huichica Music Festival, Saturday, June 5. gunbun.com
Small Bites: For anyone who hasn’t indulged in Lokal’s awesome super crispy, hand-cut French fries, what are you waiting for? Accompanied by a trio of dipping sauces, they just may be some of the yummiest around! Enjoy them this weekend in the name of art as Lokal participates in Wine and Song Around the Plaza in conjunction with the Sonoma Jazz+ festival. On both Saturday and Sunday, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. experience great live jazz, new menu additions, cold beer and don’t forget the fries! Great news for fans of the Fremont Diner and the rest of you who should be! The hard-working crew at the roadside Carneros eatery has plans to open for Friday and Saturday night dinners in the next few weeks. Now, let’s just keep our fingers crossed they are granted their beer and wine license sometime soon. Speaking of the Fremont Diner, recently spotted on the menu: chicken and waffles! Enough said. Having serious sushi withdrawals since Ed Metcalf closed Shiso late last year? For me, the sushi yearning is sometimes so great I am almost unable to accomplish any serious thought until it’s been satisfied. Thankfully Metcalf has been making appearances all over the Valley with his mobile sushi cooler. On Saturday, May 29, you’ll find him at the Valley Wine Shack preparing unlimited sushi, nigiri and rolls for a mere $35 – they obviously have no idea how much sushi this girl can eat! The Shack will offer an interesting assortment of sake, purchased by the glass or bottle. Reservations are extremely limited and can be made by calling 938.7218. info@shisorestaurant.com Murphy’s Irish Pub throws their annual Barbequed Music & Live Oyster Fest this weekend, cracking open more than 2,500 oysters, tapping 20 kegs of beer and putting out more than 17 hours of rockin’ good music. 935.0660. sonomapub.com
