Articles

Fairmont to buy SVHS Ag hogs; VinOlivo gets bigger; Big “0” birthdays; Nibs & Sips

January 30, 2012

Michelle Heston of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that the Fairmont San Francisco and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn will purchase two student-raised hogs from Sonoma Valley High School Agriculture Department this year. The hogs “will be proudly served in the hotels’ signature restaurants, cafés and employee cafeterias,” according to Heston.  Heston has also offered [...]

Olive Season seasons; Santé dinner to benefit High School Ag and School Garden; Benziger’s new winemaker; SVVGA Gingerbread results

January 16, 2012

While Sonoma Valley Visitors’ Bureau and Saddles’ “Martini Madness” is sold out for tonight, Olive Season fans have an opportunity to sample fine foods at the Feast of the Olive dinner on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Ramekins Culinary School.  Guests can look forward to many courses prepared by 18 of Sonoma Valley’s top chefs including [...]

Donum Estate sold; Domino’s falls; Cary’s Sports Grill to open; Moore’s Landing changes

January 2, 2012

Late breaking: The German Racke Group has sold The Donum Estate to the Danish Winside Inc., a group of five friends who met Anne-Moller Racke when they purchased a Donum Estate lot “at a Hospice of Sonoma auction” four years ago.  According to North Bay Business Journal, the sale includes the Donum and Stemmler brands, [...]

Crab boats are in; Fiorini bakes at Sonoma Market; Horse ****; Fat Pilgrim; Dangerous nibbles; Food and wine happenings

December 10, 2011

Finally we can enjoy that west coast delicacy of the sea, Dungeness crab. While those of us who grew up around San Francisco think Dungeness is our proprietary brand of crab, you should try its sweetness from off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  Crabbers compromised with distributors about 10 days ago [...]

Occupy Spann Vineyards; Local college students pack bars on break; Blessing of the Olives; SVVGA Wine Market; McDonald’s skirts S.F. law

December 4, 2011

Betsy and Peter Spann’s “political belief” is that “Great wines should be available to all, and not just to the one percent.  Both the Left and the Right are welcome to ‘camp’” at their new Spann Vineyards tasting room on East Napa Street in the space shared with Saret Gallery Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 [...]

Pat Kuleto selling ranch and vineyards; Sonoma Thanksgiving outings

November 21, 2011

We hate to see any local business have troubles, which some are these days. But the well known family of Tony and Alina, who have been the most recent owners of the historic Little Switzerland in El Verano, need the community’s support, and they deserve it.  The Garcia family has made great contributions to Sonoma [...]

Fairmont pledges $10K and more to High School ag garden

November 16, 2011

Fairmont CARES, a charitable foundation of Fairmont Hotels, including the Sonoma Mission Inn, has committed to “partnering” to the tune of $10,000 to Sonoma Valley High School’s Agriculture Department for development of the school’s agricultural programs, including the vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard, and animal husbandry programs.  The money will be paid over the next two [...]

Fairmont pledges $10K and more to High School ag garden; Arnold Drive diner attracts new hopeful; Sunflower’s new yummies; Holiday in Carneros

November 16, 2011

 Fairmont CARES, a charitable foundation of Fairmont Hotels, including the Sonoma Mission Inn, has committed to “partnering” to the tune of $10,000 to Sonoma Valley High School’s Agriculture Department for development of the school’s agricultural programs, including the vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard, and animal husbandry programs.  The money will be paid over the next two [...]

Benziger group buys Saffron; Michelin Wine Country results; Flowery turkeys and Soroptimists’ lobsters; Nibs & Sips

November 8, 2011

 Mike Benziger and a group of family members, including son-in-law Ari Weiswasser, have purchased the Saffron restaurant site at the corner of Arnold Drive and Warms Springs Road in Glen Ellen.  Married to Mike and Mary Benziger’s daughter Erinn, Weiswasser will be chef at the new Glen Ellen Star, having a great cooking and business [...]

Happy Halloween and Sugar Day; Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomato recipe; Café 522

October 30, 2011

 Some of us live in neighborhoods where vans of kids arrive to trick-or-treat on Halloween, some of us live remotely and drive kids to those neighborhoods, and some of us live in places where no one shows up at all. Unfortunately it is no longer cool to make cupcakes or popcorn balls for visiting Darth [...]

Mondavi home to be auctioned; Battle of Bartenders results; Don Sebastiani & Sons win; Nibs & Sips

October 15, 2011

If you are interested, or even if you aren’t, join me and the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation at Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club today at 11 a.m. for a fun time with kitchen history, including old radio food commercials assembled by radio host and crooner Jeff Gilbert. Free. 574 First St. East, Sonoma. (Thanks to [...]

Engagement City; Harvest Fair results; B. R. Cohn breaks fundraising record; The Weekend That Was

October 5, 2011

During some recent shopping therapy we ran into Catherine Venturini (family name of Catherine Driggers) of Olive & Vine restaurant and catering, who proudly waved her new sparkling diamond engagement ring from musician, sommelier and restaurant manager John Burdick.  There they were on Moon Mountain, having ventured to their “favorite secret spot” when John pulled [...]

Sonomans take over Chronicle; Deep fried Twinkies at Infineon; New carnicerias tour; New chef at The Red Grape; Artisan Bakers originals resurface

September 3, 2011

Sonoma seemed to have taken over last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle’s Sunday “Food & Wine” front page featured Morgan Twain-Peterson in full color in jeans with a stylish brown t-shirt to match his brown curly locks. A Vassar graduate and son of Ravenswood Winery founder Joel Peterson, Twain-Peterson owns Bedrock Wine Co. and [...]

Goat cheese

August 10, 2011

            Goat milk cheese is one of the oldest dairy products in the world and Laura Chenel’s Chèvre is one of the oldest goat milk cheeses in the United States. Now Sonoma County enjoys several artisinal goat cheese producers, with a few springing forth in Marin and Napa as well.             At the risk of [...]

Speedy Shirley Muldowney slow cooks; Dueling Zucchini Races; Larson Family Winery gives and gives; Food Truck Friday at Sebastiani

July 30, 2011

Shirley Muldowney, the First Lady of Drag Racing, is in Sonoma this weekend, but without her pink speedster. She’s here to boost the NHRA races at Infineon and to help raise funds for Speedway Children’s Charities, which gives thousands of dollars to local non-profits, and will speak Saturday night at the Sebastiani Theatre.  A natural [...]

Shirley Muldowney races in; Catalan Festival at Gloria Ferrer; Film Festival food hopeful; Breakaway Beltane Burger back; Bronco buys Carmenet; Rumor Dept.

July 24, 2011

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards celebrates its 25th Anniversary Catalan Festival Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24. Travel to Catalonia with heart stomping Flamenco dancers, Eric Symons’ classical Spanish guitar, Spanish foods and paella, pottery, gourmet delights, and Gloria Ferrer’s sparkling and still wines.  Alsina Station Grill will grill beef, chicken and sausage sandwiches [...]

Story on Altimira Middle School Garden and inventive horticulture class

May 20, 2011

Check it out in the Sonoma Index-Tribune: http://www.sonomanews.com/News-2011/Garden-spawns-horticulture-class/

2010 Food & Wine News Wrap-up

December 31, 2010

Sonoma Valley has seen lots of changes in its food and wine worlds, but actually very few compared to other wine and tourism areas, including Napa. High rents, especially during tough economic times, can separate the curds from the whey and make running a reasonably priced restaurant nearly impossible. We saw millions of eggs (not [...]

Sonoma Olive Season

December 10, 2010

Sonoma Olive Season

Scientific fact: As with peanuts and potato chips it’s impossible to eat one olive. Who can stop? Olives are seductive, sensuous, sexy, colorful, tasty, shriveled beyond their age and, for heaven’s sake, even healthy. Such a deal. California has been way ahead of the New World olive curve thanks to King Carlos III of Spain, [...]

Where the chicken and the egg came first

November 2, 2010

kathleen hill sonoma writer boston globe food wine news leisure lifestyle recipes

PETALUMA, Calif. — This Sonoma County town has done a lot right. In its heyday, it was known for its grain mills, dairies, racehorse stables, potato farms, and fruit orchards. That commercial activity and the population both waned in the late 1800s. Then the residents decided to raise chickens. One hour north of San Francisco, [...]

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