Jeffrey's Hillside Cafe: Though it may seem a strange sidestep to go from foie gras to Huevos Rancheros, the whole thing actually works in our favor: Rib-sticking comfort food with the know-how of a Wine Country chef. In late September, Madura quietly opened Jeffrey's Hillside Cafe (attached to the Hillside Inn on Route 12) for breakfast, lunch and brunch. And while many of the menu items sound familiar, you'll need to readjust your expectations when the plates hit the table.
In these tough economic times, its time to lose your squeamishness and learn to embrace what nearly every other culture has known to be good eats since the dawn of time -- offal. Sometimes called nose-to-tail eating, this waste-not, want-not...
Here's the recipe for the Caramel Corn BiteClub handed out at the Handcar Regatta. The recipe is from the incredible chefs at Kendall Jackson Winery (who actually made the corn for me).Mama Frischkorn's Double Gold Caramel Corn Serve with Kendall-Jackson Late...
The Great West End and Railroad Square Hand Regatta 2009: Imagine Jules Verne meets Moulin Rouge in a scrapyard populated by mad scientists and engineers with blow torches. But, in a family-friendly sort of way.
Fourth Annual Taste of Petaluma (Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009)If you don't get down to P-town nearly as often as you should, call this a perfect opportunity to see what you're missing in the dining department. If you're a local, consider...
Hello Cello Limoncello: Made in Sonoma Limoncello
Sonoma County Harvest Fair, the annual event that signals the start of gold-medal boasting season (as well as fall), is upon us. The grape-stomping, scarecrow-stuffing fun will run from October 2-4 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. For...
Black Pig Bacon: Bacon Fest
Upper Fourth suddenly shutters
P/30: Chef Patrick Tafoya, the young chef who's garnered some serious buzz at the Duck Club Restaurant over the last year, will be opening a new restaurant in Sebastopol in November
BiteClub has just been informed that Starlight Cafe's Chef Thaddeus Palmese is fighting for his life and needs our help. According to family and friends, he was rushed to the hospital last week and is facing an uncertain future with...
Another casualty on Windsor's Town Green, Green Grocer, will close Sept. 30.
With the publication of the 2010 Michelin Guides (including the Bay Area/Wine Country version) on the cusp, Michelin is shining a spotlight on its mysterious crew of professional food critics. Not so much to reveal them, but to drum up excitement about these "famously anonymous" eaters whose yay or nay is cause for apoplectic fits in the food world.
AppleAtion Gravenstein Brandy: Guy Davis is distilling several varieties of the historic apples from the ranch into an ultra-premium apple brandy called Apple-Ation (a play on the term for distinct grape-growing regions).
Hookah: The North Bay has finally latched on to the hookah lounge craze, though at a rather unlikely spot. Flipper's Gourmet Burgers in Petaluma rents hookah pipes at their West side location (54 E Washington St., 773-3200) on Saturday nights for around $12.
Cafes in Sonoma County: Check out a few local cafes, coffee shops and wine bars -- most of which are open well into the evening -- offering a well-marked exit ramp from the rat race.
Tex Wasabi's closed for renovation
Boon Eat + Drink: Follow the apre-swim, kayak, festival-going and cruising crowd to boon eat + drink (in the former burger & boy). New to the oft-shifting main street lineup, what the dime-sized boon lacks in diameter, it makes up for in taste -- both in its pared-down decor and simply done menu of spot-on eats.
Kendall Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival
Slow Food: On Sept. 7, 2009, Slow Food conviviums around the nation will hold "eat in" potlucks to mark the kick off of their campaigns. Santa Rosa's Eat-In will be at Bayer Farm.
Tomi Thai: Attentive, thoughtful service and mostly reasonable prices ($8.95 for most entrees, $10-$15 for specialties; $4 for soup) make Tomi Thai a solid contender in Thai-scarce Windsor. But it's all about details if they're to overcome stiff competition from neighboring Asian kitchens Chinois, Truc-Linh, Sunju and Ume.
Wine Country Weekend: Win Free Tickets
Cheap eats & Budget bites in Sonoma and Napa for the cost-conscious diner.
