Recently in News and gossip Category

Former Bistro V chef/owners Rick Vargas and Meekk Shelef are returning to their former Sebastopol stomping grounds, but in a whole new context.

Sonoma County Fairgrounds Farm Market: Be careful what you wish for, cause it just might happen. Twice. It was announced yesterday that a private developer is proposing a $10 million year-round(ish) public market a la Pike Place Market for the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. According to the Press Democrat, the MarketHall is proposing 70,000 square feet of space, 140 vendors and 100 permanent jobs. The man behind it is a former developer for Harrod's food hall. Nice.

Oscar Menu for 2010 Governor's Ball: Wolfgang Puck on the menu?

Chronicle Hires Eater Editor: How long will it last?

h2hotel: Rudy Mihal and Scott Beattie Big news from the Healdsburg grapevine: Chef Rudy Mihal (formerly of Odyssey) will head the kitchen of the forthcoming h2hotel and bartending superstar Scott Beattie (Cyrus, Scopa) will be behind the bar.

Sonoma Farm Market tussle: In a months-long drama with as much cat-fighting and name-calling as a sweet sixteen slumber party, the leadership of the Sonoma Farmer's Market has officially been declared.

Josef's calls it quits: After 30 years in the local restaurant biz, Santa Rosa Chef Josef Keller is hanging up his toque.

Fancy Food Show 2010: 10 Food Trends To Watch

Proposed Denny's causing Windsor outrage

Rock. Paper. Tractor? Naomi Brilliant, owner of Roshambo Winery, tells BiteClub she's trading in grapes for greens.

Sassafras closes its doors

Casting Call for Master Chef

Confirmed: Top Chef Finale at Cyrus

There are some serious greens in a knot over in Sonoma.In a whirlwind of "he said, she said", city leaders are in the process of potentially showing the long-time managers of Sonoma's weekly farm market the door. Meanwhile, the managers...

iWinemaker released

French Garden, Mark Malicki

Copia Scuttle: FN Out

OPENING: Jackson's Bar and Oven on the way...

Copia to become Food Network West?

Risibisi Italian Restaurant in Petaluma gets a new chef

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...

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.

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.

Tex Wasabi's closed for renovation

Stark's Steakhouse: $2 martinis

Franco's & Chrome Lotus: Franco Fabiani, the former owner of Fabiani's in Santa Rosa will be opening a new Italian pizzeria/trattoria-style restaurant in half of the space. The other half will be occupied by a new nightclub called Chrome Lotus, backed by Gianni Messmer, who was one of the founding partners of Seven Ultralounge (he was later bought out by former Los Robles Lodge owners Andy and Joy Kalia) and who purchased the Round Robin in 2006.

In-N-Out Burger in Santa Rosa? (Please!)

Kitchen Secrets: Ever wonder what happens behind the kitchen doors at your favorite restaurant? Confused about tipping protocol or whether it's okay to ask for something off-menu? Kitchen Secrets: How do you know if a restaurant is sanitary or what to do if you find a bug in your food? BiteClub gets the down and dirty from local chefs on what's really happening behind the scenes.

Sam Sifton named to New York Times Dining critic post

Morimoto opening in Napa

Like golden ticket winners to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the ten remaining candidates for Murphy Goode winery's much-talked-about $10,000 a month social-networking gig are headed to Healsburg on June 18. Over four wine-soaked days, they'll take part in a final round of interviews, meet winemaker David Ready, Jr., and experience "hi-jinks, excursions, poker, Liar's dice, food and, of course, wine drinking," according the winery.

Guess who's cooking at Bohemian Grove?

West County Grill reopens

Former John Ash & Co. chef to open a breakfast and lunch spot in Santa Rosa

Food, Inc.: Whether you're a hard-core food purist or merely interested in hearing the other side of gloriously choreographed commercials for cheaper-than-dirt burgers, chips and soda, it's worth considering the less-glamorous side of the food industry and making up your own mind.

UPDATE from RUDY...I heard from a very upset Rudy Mihal this morning who wanted to set the record straight on what was recently printed in the Chronicle. Here's what he told me:"The Chronicle switched my words around and tried to...

Closures, chef shuffle, olive oil on frozen yogurt and Petaluma's Vegilantes

Josh Silvers of Syrah Bistro in Santa Rosa is Wine Spectator's "Zinfandel" issue cover-boy (actually, it's his rack of lamb, but he makes several appearances inside) for the upcoming June 30 issue. Wait, what?Never one to be too constrained by...

Bruni stepping down from times

Star sighting: Guy Fieri

Rosso Pizzeria, French Garden, Restaurant Eloise, Jackie's Sports Bar

Syrah mourns a loss, French Garden, Emmy's Spaghetti Shack