Cheese Lovers Unite: Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference Feb 21-25

[caption id="attachment_18538" align="alignnone" width="420"] Supervisor Susan Gorin (center) and Sonoma City Councilwoman Laurie Gallan (right) unleash the cheese in the 2014 rolling of the cheeses.[/caption] Hundreds of cheesemakers, cheesemongers, and cheese lovers will take over Sonoma for the 12th Annual Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference (SVCC),... Continue

Crash Course: Suite D

Since 2012, Sondra Bernstein’s Suite D has been serving up family style “pop-up” dinners after securing over $30,000 through the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. The space still remains a mystery to many: with a cult following, tickets for exclusive themed and winemaker dinners often sell out... Continue

Beyond Pizza: Red Grape’s artisanal Italian fare

For years, the Red Grape has served great New Haven-style pizza and the best tomato soup in town, satisfying Sonomans and tourists at an affordable price. During a recent dinner at the Grape, I was stopped in my foodie tracks by a new menu addition:... Continue

All Organic – All the Time: The Divewalk Cafe

You can’t miss it: a big yellow and white tent in the warehouse/office complex at the intersection of Petaluma Avenue and Riverside Drive. An arrow-shaped hand painted wooden sign hangs on a fence and points towards the tent with “open” painted in big black letters.... Continue

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

Food & Wine