Let Love Rule: Valentine’s Day in Sonoma Valley

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who celebrate Valentine’s Day and plan to have a fancy dinner with their beloved and those who mutter “Hallmark Holiday” under their breath and are 8 out of 10 times single. All right, I... Continue

Worth the Drive: Nomad Series at spoonbar, Healdsburg

[caption id="attachment_46704" align="alignright" width="200"] Sashimi with warmed rice, nori, fermented chili, and herbs from spoonbar’s Asian Nomad Dinner.[/caption] Suggestions that are worth the drive outside of Sonoma Valley. Last year, Chef Louis Maldonado introduced spoonbar’s Nomad Dinner, a series of Monday-Tuesday dinners that bring diners... Continue

2015 Award Season has begun

Food and drink award season has started. Just like Hollywood, we have our own best of - ranging from international wine competitions to the James Beard Awards to homegrown Sonoma Valley Best of 2014, as sponsored by the Sun. Here are some of the highlights... Continue

Hail, hail! 14th Annual Olive Festival celebrates tiny, powerful fruit

We’re lucky here in Sonoma Valley: we live in a Mediterranean climate and with that comes not only great weather, but a plentiful amount of wine and olives. While the grape is dormant, the olive comes out to play - it’s olive season and the... Continue

Food + Drink bites

Sonoma says farewell to Chef Andrew Wilson, who has left the Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar to become Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer’s legendary Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. Chef Joshua Murray takes over as Executive Chef at Carneros. Gloria Ferrer is getting a facelift -... Continue

Delicious gifting

Often, a present is opened, consumed or played with, enjoyed briefly and then quickly forgotten. If you hope to give a gift that will remain in your friends and family’s memories for years, give the gift of an experience. A gift certificate for a cooking... Continue

A delicious, thankful Thanksgiving

On this holiday that is completely centered on the idea of being thankful for the things each of us have in our lives, we’re meant to stop and take a moment to remember those things. I even believe that most of our traditions, no matter... Continue

Cider: the quintessential autumn sipper

It might be something about the crunchy rust-colored leaves littering the yard, the nostalgic scent of wood smoke drifting in the crisp autumn air, something about the memories of childhood hay rides and picking apples in my aunt’s North Carolina orchard, but during the... Continue

Williams-Sonoma is cooking up some fun

I stumbled around the new Williams-Sonoma store in a hazy fog of culinary lust, my desire for everything near blinding. The just opened -- reopened, I might say -- compact shop is utterly packed with swoon-inducing cookware, stunning dishware, and delectable looking gourmet goods. I longed... Continue

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... Continue

Food & Wine