Top Chef in Healdsburg

Halloween Candy Bar Pie: Recycle candy into something sure to get your holiday pudge started off on the right foot: Candy Bar Pie. Using handfuls of chocolate minis, its a crafty reuse of all that free loot in a pillowy bed of marshmallows and whipped cream.

A few of my favorite Halloween treats for 2009...Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Santa Rosa Plaza): Creepy eyeballs, Heathbar and caramel apples so gourmet you'll scream with delight. Plus chocolate-covered Twinkies.Michelle Marie's Patisserie: Hand-painted sugar cookies in holiday shapes, pumpkin whoopie...

Botany of Desire: Pollan documentary

Halloween: Spooky Eats & Events for 2009

Roy's Chicago Doggery: Invent the BiteClub Dog and you could win a $25 Gift Certificate

Risibisi Italian Restaurant in Petaluma gets a new chef

Pumpkin Pie: Where to find great pumpkin pies in Sonoma County

The good news: Your tikka is now mobile. Downtown Indian eatery Sizzling Tandoor has opened a pared-down food court eatery in the Santa Rosa Plaza. The large space which was originally built for a Mongolian BBQ restaurant was a difficult...

Pinot on the River: Everything's popping up pinot. This weekend (October 23-25, 2009), is the annual gathering of pinot noir enthusiasts at Pinot on the River.

2010 Michelin Bay Area Wine Country Restaurants

Viola Boutique and Cafe: With a menu and cozy cafe vibe as familiar as an old quilt, Viola Pastry Boutique and Cafe is That Place.

Slow Food: Sonoma Meat Buying Club's Range to Plate Event

Michelin 2010 Bib Gourmand: Slightly dampening my interest in what stars the 2010 Michelin Guide may soon bestow on Bay Area restaurants on Oct. 20, the company has done an early announcement of 62 Bib Gourmet dining establishments -- places that "inspectors" call "good values" under $40 per person. There are few new surprises...

Taps: If for no other reason than the 30-plus beers on tap and their heart-stopping fried bacon dog (with mayo), this Petaluma newcomer gets a howl-out.

Oktoberfest 2009: Where to go

Affronti opens: Chef Jude Affronti is both top toque and owner of what he describes as a "true wine bar" serving dozens of unique and small-production wines by the glass along with Mediterranean-style tapas.

You know you raid the kids' bag with the elaborate ruse of "looking for razorblades", pilfering handfuls of your favorite stuff. Just admit it.Not to mention buying the jumbo bag of candy weeks before Halloween, having it magically disappear, and...

Charlie's Serious Chili Dogs: Charlie Timmsen and his dogs have found a new home in Santa Rosa. The doggery re-opened this week at the south end of Santa Rosa Avenue, giving the Friedmans-set a snappy new lunch spot

Patisserie Angelica: Patisserie Angelica's walk-in retails shop is closing October 10, 2009. But it isn't the end of the line for Sebastopol's haute local bakery and (breathe) you'll still be able to get your Buche de Noel and pumpkin cakes.

Gourmet Magazine: According to published reports, Conde Nast plans to cease publication of Gourmet magazine. Though rumors of an impending demise of one of the company's two food magazines, Gourmet and Bon Appetit, had been circulating for some time, bets were on the latter.

Join Slow Food Northern California Good Eats & Music Event on October 11th at noon on the Sonoma State campus, hosted by the Sonoma State Slow Food on Campus Chapter. The purpose of this event is to celebrate life's...

Top Thai & Lao Eats in Sonoma County: Aroon Thai Market, Baan Thai, Van Vieng Khan, Sea Thai, Thai Taste, California Thai, Banyan Tree