Happy foodie Fourth of July

The Fourth of July, for me, typically conjures happy thoughts of sketchy Southern roadside stands hawking cheap fireworks, late night bonfires at my family’s rustic mountain barn, the little - and not so little - kids running crazy with sparklers, writing our names in the... Continue

Fire up the grill Sonoma

It’s that time of year again, grilling season! I cannot say there is a more festive way to ring in the summer than with a Fourth of July barbecue. The Southern gal in me looks forward to this time of year when we get to... Continue

A peach is not always a peach

With my first bite, I gasped. I sat still and lowered the nectarine so I could take a good, long look at it. I rolled it over, unhurriedly, wondering what was this stunning piece of fruit? It seemed a normal nectarine, maybe a wee bit... Continue

Glen Ellen Star heats up the Sonoma dining scene

I had been looking forward to eating at Glen Ellen Star for weeks and this past, very warm Sunday, I finally got in for a wine-filled, slightly sweaty dinner with friends. The restaurant’s pretty, white tile-lined, wood-burning oven cranks out some serious heat, not to... Continue

Sonoma screams for ice cream

There isn’t much that screams summer more than ice cream. Childhood summer days of mine were often spent splashing around my grandparents’ swimming pool, and there was always a much-anticipated outing to the Carvel on the corner. My cousins and I always opted for the... Continue

Craving a yerba mate latte?

A couple of months ago my best friend Megan called and asked if I would be interested in visiting the Guayaki company headquarters in Sebastopol. I responded, “Sure! What’s a Guayaki?” The first thing you need to know about Megan is that she is truly... Continue

What’s cookin’ Sonoma?

Summer, summer, summertime. I love summer in Sonoma, packed as it can be with outdoor movies and festive concerts at wineries, town bashes in the Plaza, plenty of farmer’s marketing, pig-filled barbecues and decadent lobster boils, and backyard dinner parties with close friends and plenty... Continue

Three great local farm stands, three great spring treats

Local, first of the season, strawberries are here! Oh, what a long, fruitless winter it has seemed! It is always right about the day that I am thinking, “Not one more orange. Not one more banana. Please!” That is exactly the time when, thank heavens,... Continue

Going hog wild through Wine Country

My boyfriend has a Harley. Yes, grandma, we wear helmets. It’s a sleek, black, monster of a motorcycle and there is no more spectacular way to experience Wine Country than from the back of that thing. As we wind around the little country roads the... Continue

It’s that time of year! The Tuesday Night Farmers Market begins

It was nearly four and a half years ago, a strangely warm October evening, that I stood in the Plaza flabbergasted by the beauty of a table stacked magnificently with old wooden crates overflowing with colorful heirloom tomatoes. I, simultaneously, felt positively woozy from the... Continue

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