BiteClub Eats

Four chefs, one winner. Who will reign supreme at this weekend’s Steel Chef competition? Check out the trash-talkin’ smackdown videos where Zin’s Jeff Mall, Sonoma Meritage’s Carlo Cavallo, Carneros Bistro’s Janine Falvo and new kid on the block Thomas Schmidt get serious about their craft. Let’s just say there’s some serious produce-abuse involved. And meat [...]

Best place for beer!Imbibe magazine has named The Black Rose Irish Pub in Santa Rosa one of its “Best Irish Pubs” in America. That’s a huge honor for the neighborhood watering hole owned by Will Roll. Cheers to one of our favorite spots for pub grub and pints. Black Rose Irish Pub, 20074 Armory Dr., [...]

Food made with hate can leave a nasty taste in your mouth. Especially eggs, according to Joshua Norwitt of the recently opened Humble Pie in Penngrove. It’s a sort of mantra that he and fiance Miriam Lee Donaldson (the chef) have repeated to themselves for the six weeks or so since opening the homestyle eatery [...]

Couple opens homestyle eatery in Penngrove attached to the popular Black Cat Bar

The first annual Taste of Railroad Square happens Saturday, Aug. 23 from 12-4pm in, uh, you guessed it, Railroad Square. What exactly does the square taste like? For $40 (this is a benefit for the 6th Street Playhouse), you can find out by stuffing your face with gourmet goodies from the likes of Syrah, Stark’s [...]

Just a quick heads up today on a fab find that came in from a BiteClubber about Alcatraz Seafoods. The fish market on Sebastopol Road is now offering made-to-order seafood sandwiches, fish ‘n chips and chowder as well as BBQ oysters, bacon-wrapped tuna skewers, shrimp and salmon kabobs on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

It’s hardly news to the carnivorous-set that Mike’s at the Crossroads is probably the best place to dive into a nice half-pounder in the North Bay. Count me among the converted, having recently refreshed my tastebuds with a classic Mike burger ($6.50). Maybe its the tomato relish, the soft buns, the pristine lettuce or the [...]

Sonoma’s Most Famously Infamous Burger Joint

When someone says cheap and Indian food in the same breath, it’s usually a recipe for indigestion, if not worse. You just don’t want to play roulette with bargain-basement goat meat and lamb slathered with curry sauce. Hence my slight trepidation when BiteClubbers turned me onto Masala Jack’s which recently opened in Cotati, featuring a menu full of curries under $7–many under $5

A little bit country. A little bit rock and roll. Barndiva is the hipster hangout in Wine Country, with its organic sensibilities, minimalist barn decor and swanky cocktails.

Despite some tough economic times, there’s no reason to go hungry. BiteClub’s putting together a big fat list of cheap eats for Wine Country. Here’s your chance to add your .02 for the best, yummiest and most satisfying meals on a budget. Have at it…And stay tuned for the results.

Your favorite Chinese Restaurants

Shout out: Fave cheap eats? Despite some tough economic times, there’s no reason to go hungry. BiteClub’s putting together a big fat list of cheap eats for Wine Country. Here’s your chance to add your .02 for the best, yummiest and most satisfying meals on a budget. Have at it…And stay tuned for the results.

When talking about a restaurant as well-worn as Juanita, Juanita I tend to gird my loins a bit. Folks who’ve been eating there for years either come out in rousing support or, uh, start hurling rotten eggs at me for daring to mention it. (Don’t believe me? Check out my riff on Hank’s Creekside). All [...]

Located well off the main square, Juanita, Juanita is everything a divey little spot should be: Ramshackle, weird, a little dusty around the edges, un-air conditioned and with politely detached wait staff.

Raise your forked-filled fist in the air and wave it around like you actually care. The Slow Food Nation converges on San Francisco August 29 through Sept. 1, 2008 for an inaugural gathering at the altars of Pollan, Petrini and Waters — a sort of latter day organic movement headed up by this farm-to-table triumvirate. [...]

Farmhouse Inn: Intimate almost to a fault, the restaurant is cozy and homey, with snappy service and a Michelin-rated Cal-French menu that plays to the flavors of many regional wines on their extraordinary list.

Another juicy bit of gossip just came my way regarding The General’s Daughter in Sonoma. I recently lamented the departure of Chef Preston Dishman, but it turns out that he’s not the only one headed out. The current owners have leased the restaurant to the Girl of The Girl and the Fig, Sondra Bernstein. She [...]

BiteClub is sad to pass along the news that Gohan chef and co-owner Steve Tam died on Sunday, August 3, 2008 from a cerebral hemorrhage. Tam was a fixture at the popular Petaluma sushi spot and several BiteClubbers have emailed me with the news of his death. I talked to his wife, Linh, at the [...]

Roasted bone marrow. Sweetbreads. Head cheese charcuterie. You’re either following along with a dribble of drool or I’ve lost you altogether. Hey, you’re either a fan of Fergus or you’re not. I’m talking about nose-to-tail eating, the waste-not, want-not food movement recently popularized by Fergus Henderson and adopted by a new generation of chefs (and [...]

Showing their passion for oft-overlooked cuts (as well as more everyday eats) into their French-Mediterranean menu, young husband-and-wife chefs Eric Korsh and Ginevra Iverson have created a comforting mix of old-meets-new school dishes at the recently opened Restaurant Eloise in Sebastopol.

BiteClub’s been hearing news of West County Grill’s demise for a few weeks now (a few employees have been buzzing around saying the restaurant was about to be shuttered), but I’ve gotten final confirmation that the restaurant is, in fact, kaput. It’s been a hard road for what many of us hoped would be a [...]

Cozy Santa Rosa bistro continues to create crowd pleasers and small plates with Wine Country flair

Saigon Bistro has closed