Santa Rosa institution, Sassafras has closed, possibly for good. The restaurant, located at 1229 North Dutton Ave. in Santa Rosa shuttered after its New Year’s Eve bash, according to chef-proprietor Jack Mitchell, and is currently in limbo.
The longtime local chef says he is considering several different possibilities for moving the restaurant forward, including its potential sale to outside investors or partnering with other investors to rethink its format. Or just leaving it closed.
“The rent has gone up and the business went down last year,” Mitchell told BiteClub. “We’ve been around for seven and a half years as Sassafras and the concept may have run its course. I’m hopeful for things, but it may not work out,” he said.
The restaurant is the creation of Mitchell and local restaurant legend, Michael Hirschberg. Hirschberg made his mark on Sonoma County with restaurants like Mezzaluna Bakery, Mistral, Mandala Cafe and Restaurant Matisse.
For now, Mitchell’s focus will remain on his other restaurant, Jack and Tony’s Whiskey Bar (115 4th Street, in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square), which opened to much fanfare last year. He says the recent opening of Jackson’s Bar and Oven (by Syrah chef Josh Silvers) has been a boon to the area, bringing a new draw to the culinarily-evolving neighborhood.
(BiteClub Aside: Please consider your comments. A closure is a difficult thing for owners and former staff members. Many have told me how hurtful this blog’s comments can be during/after a closure. And while I defend honesty from my readers, some of the comments are ungrounded anonymous jabs that don’t contribute to the dialogue. I ask that you consider how you’d feel if your business shuttered. Be honest, but be fair.)
I can’t believe the property owners would be stupid enough to raise the rent on them. That whole office park is a ghost town! Sassafras was the only attraction of the place and now they’re gone, too! Sad.
I’m going to miss Sassafras! I just took my visiting Mother-in-Law there for lunch the last week of ’09 because I knew it would be perfect…and I wasn’t disappointed. It occurred to me at the time that they had to be negatively affected by so many vacancies in office complex. Too bad
Jack and Staff,
Sorry to hear it – haven’t been in a bit but always had a great experience in your establishment…
Hope you all “land right”.
Rena
I am so sorry to hear that Sassafras is closing/closed. We loved the place and the service. The shrimp louie was so delicious and what was even more amazing was that the chef was always willing to split it onto two plates for us. When last in, I worried that the with the liquer license transferred to Jack and Tony’s it might trigger a loss of patrons. I am so very sorry that it is now closed. We like Jack and Tony’s and will have to make that our favorite place now, I guess.
Oh I am sorry; my daughter and I went there several times; we used to belong to Parkpoint across the street. Always enjoyed ourselves, good menu, nice ambiance.
This is a loss to Sonoma County. I’ve eaten there many times over the years and always enjoyed it. It was a great place for special occasion celebrations. It’s too bad it’s gone.
I had never been, but had heard only good things about the food.
To the blog owner: While I completely agree that people should be civil online, you can and should delete any comments you think are unfair or over the line. It’s your blog.
Jack ~
Thanks for many years of great food, beverage, and consistant service. You were always willing to go off the menu for me, like my grilled asparagus with shaved parmesean, and for that I say thank you! We always used Sassafras for an “after work on Friday” spot for company gatherings. Would love to see you and Michael do something new together. Jack & Tony’s is good, but NOT YET great . . . . . thanks again!
Funny that Bite Club would ask one to rein in your criticisms, when the whole format of the blog is instant feedback and of the moment commentary… Sassafrass went so dramatically and completely downhill after the sale by Michael Hirschberg that its closing has been a foregone closure for years. A tough thing indeed to lose one’s business, but when the product on offer is so subpar, what can you say…?
So sorry to hear this fine restaurant has closed. My husband and I ate there often: it was our favorite for place for special dinners, and out of town guests enjoyed it muchly. The wait staff were fantastic and the food was always delish. Will have to try J&T’s–hope the owner was able to preserve jobs there for the Sassafras staff.
I have been to Sassafras but a handful of times for lunch. All four times I had a great experience. Sadly I never got to take my wife there for dinner. the staff there always made the experience that much better! You will be missed. Good luck to all.
I’m very sorry to hear that you are closing. I have been going for many years for lunch and rave to everyone about your shrimp louise. My favorite.
Last summer I went for dinner for the first time and really enjoyed that also. We were four and all enjoyed it.
I hope that possibly you will re-open and there will be enough fanfare so that we will know about it. Best of luck
What a shame. I looked at their menu and was planning to go. I heard of some winemaker dinners that were held there. It took me months to find where it was located since I really never sought it out. Next on the closing list is Josef’s. The lease is up in April and I was told by staff last weekend that he is not renewing due to his rent increase. Landlords should appreciate what they have. I’ll miss the Friday night Maine lobster.
This is the downward spiral in action. Rents are going up along with taxes and prices of goods. Business owners and employees need more wages to buy things. Someone’s going to feel the squeeze and, at this point, Sassafras is sadly squeezed out. This is the direct result of out of control government spending and the subsequent over taxation of an underemployed populace.
Interesting, the fact that Jack and Tony’s came up. I occasionally eat at Sassafrass for business lunch. Nothing spectactular, nothing bad, just convenient because it is in the business park.
On the other hand, I have never had a bad experience at Jack and Tony’s and wonder why the number of negative comments. I find the food at J&T as good as Stark’s at half the price, and the service very friendly. I wish J&T had a more social-oriented bar, but that is a small negative compared to the value I feel I receive at Jack and Tony’s for food and drink.
@Jeff you don’t know what you’re talking about. Food poisoning can come on VERY quickly. I’ve had it more than once, and I had it every time I went to a particular restaurant. Not Sassafras but another restaurant. I had a violent reaction every time I went to said restaurant – pretty horrible stuff. I believe that the guy and his gf got food poisoning from Sassafras. And yes it’s a pretty quick onset to it.
Sorry to hear about this closing. Frankly, Sassafras’ food was better than Jack and Tony’s. I’ll miss the truffled french fries and the special ketchup. As for Jack and Tony’s? Ill-conceived menu, derivative dishes without much care and preparation…wonderful bar and great oysters. If RR Square is really going to become a foodie destination, Jackson’s and J&T’s need to kick it up a notch. Jackson’s staff needs a prep course in how to cook everything properly, and not rush dishes. Might be good to talk to John from Rosso for a pointer or two on pizza.
@Jeff,
Wow, lot’s of hostility; I’m betting you don’t like people to contradict you?
I didn’t diagnose Bob’s girlfriend. I suggested that S. aureus food poisoning symptoms sounded a lot like what she experienced. That was in response to your assertion that food poisoning takes 6 to 18 hours and that “…there is no way that you got food poisoning from what you had for lunch or dinner [at Sassafras]“. The NIH (a reputable source, I believe) flatly contradicts your assertion and says that onset of S. aureus illness is 1-6 hours, very close to what Bob described. I know that it can happen faster because as an undergraduate I had a similar experience: I was barfing almost before I got out of the dorm cafeteria, no more than half an hour after eating. Because I was taking microbiology at the time, I was able to culture the bug that got me, and it turned out to be S. aureus.
You also imply that S. aureus only happens in large outbreaks. I’d be interested in seeing your evidence for that. Most *reported* outbreaks involve several people, because no one investigates one person with the “stomach flu” — it takes a relatively large number of people sick at the same time with the same symptoms to trigger an investigation that might reveal the cause and the source.
Always had WONDERFUL meals there and ate there quite a few times. I will miss it terribly!
Always had WONDERFUL meals there and ate their quite a few times. I will miss it terribly!
massspecgeek,
You must be the worlds greatest doctor… Really, you diagnosed what Bob T’s girlfriend had by just reading a blog, amazing. And you were sure enough to go out on a limb based upon what you could google or wikipedia…. I must have missed the massive TV coverage that said a “concentrated outbreak” Bob’s girlfriend, was stricken by illness that usually sickens many people…
Jeff/Zimma/Chris Hanson:
I’m afraid you’re the one’s who are ill-informed (yeah, pun). Staphylococcus aureus is a common form of food poisoning whose onset can be very rapid. The NIH (here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000227.htm) lists 1-6 hours, but I know from personal experience that it can be less than that. The reason for the rapid action is that the illness is caused largely by a toxin produced by the bacteria while they are in the food, not in your gut. If contaminated food is handled improperly, the toxin levels can build up and cause illness shortly after ingestion. The bacteria don’t have to grow in your GI tract as is the case with most food poisoning orgainisms. If you’ve ever had rapid onset of nausea/vomiting, cramps and diarrhea that lasted a few hours and then disappeared with no other symptoms, you may well have eaten S. aureus contaminated food.
Sounds a lot like Bob T’s description of his girlfriends illness, huh? Maybe we shouldn’t trot out the liar accusations quite so quickly.
My wife and I will miss Sassafras. I first ate there in 1994. Good food, comfortable setting, strong wine list, and a great staff including bartender Eros. Best of luck.
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm071342.htm
the link above will connect you with the FDA’s “Bad Bug Book” and details all food born illness symptoms and time tables.
Food poisoning in 30 min. to an hour? There is only one type of food poisoning that will affect you at the restaurant. it’s histamine, and it kills you. everything else takes at min 6 hours most longer. So maybe consilder what you had for lunch. I have enjoyed sassafras a few times, and so have friends. None of us ever had to go throw up in the bathroom either. Jack and Tony’s is great by the way, the whiskey and scotch selection is huge.
bob t ur a liar
Bob T,
Unless you and your girlfriend hung around Sassafras for 6 to 18 hours after you ate, there is no way that you got food poisoning from what you had for lunch or dinner. Maybe you should look at where you had lunch or breakfast that day. Food poisoning is not immediate onset. Feel free to some research on you own and get the facts on foodbourne illness…
I’m really sorry to see them go. The place holds a very special place in my heart for an encounter there that resulted in my future with a wonderful man. Good luck to all involved, may your future be as bright as mine is now.
I ate there three times, and had three bad meals, the last of which envolved my girlfriend getting food poisoning and throwing up in their bathroom.
The closing brings me no joy, but I cannot say I am surprised either.
I only ate at Sassafras once and I really enjoyed it. The location wasn’t in a convenient place for anyone who didn’t work in the area. It would be great for them to open up the same concept, food, happy hour, etc., but just in a different location. I am always sorry to hear about a business closing, especially when I haven’t heard anything negative about them.