Best Mexican Food in Healdsburg

I met Nista at the music in the plaza series that plays after the Farmer’s Market on Tuesday evenings. I’m just wandering around looking for a good picture and I stumble (almost literally) over Ronald (a friend I know from snowboarding). I laugh and ask if I can crash his blanket.

He introduces me to his colleagues. He’s a winemaker at Jordan Winery and everybody on the blanket was somehow connected to Jordan. I felt a bit out of place. One girl asks where did I work? And I answer that I am an independent. I don’t work at any winery–nor in the wine business in general. She grabs my shoulders with both hands and exclaims: “Wow. I’ve heard about people like you, but I didn’t really believe you existed.”

We both laugh.

Ronald eventually introduces me to Nitsa. She’s bubbly and smiley and I like her immediately. When she asks what I am doing, I tell her about this website and what I’m trying to do here. She thrilled and her reaction gives me some confidence. She starts talking: “If you want to know anything about the restaurants here, talk to me.” She uses her thumbs and points at herself. “I’ve been out and about with my husband for two or three years. WE KNOW what’s what on the menus.”

I ask her to clarify.

“Mexican, for examle,” she says. “Mexican. If you want a good taco, you have to try the Al Pastor taco at El Sombrero. If you want the best enchilada, Taqueria Santa Rosa for sure. The cheese enchilada. And they have THE BEST salsa. THE BEST salsa in town.

She’s animated and continues: “And El Taco Grande (and motions in the direction of the Longs Plaza), you have to try the Wet Willi at El Taco Grande.

I raise an eyebrow and question: “Uh…what is a Wet Willi?” I’m not sure if I actually want to hear the answer.

“Oh.” she laughs. “It’s a burrito. Actually, it’s a chili relleno, fried and rolled into a burrito. And it’s big enough for two people. For the entire day! That’s all you need to eat,” she emphasizes. “ALL DAY!”

On Being Chardonnay

[I saw the film Bottle Shock yesterday. I quite liked it. I'll probably see it again today and take my notebook so I can take notes and say something intelligent about it. It did remind me, however, of this entry I wrote on YukonJen.com a few years ago...On Being Chardonnay.]

A friend and neighbour Paul Brasset has been a winemaker in Sonoma County for over thirty years. Over those thirty years, he has won the Sonoma County Sweepstakes award for his Chardonnay (more than once). He has recently started selling wines from his own cellars (Bluenose Wines), but has started with only Syrah and Zinfandel. I asked him why he doesn’t sell a Chardonnay?

According to Paul, Chardonnay takes more. It takes more to grow the grapes. It takes more to harvest the grapes correctly. It takes more to process the grapes and create the wine. Chardonnay takes more energy. Chardonnay takes more refrigeration. Chardonnay takes more attention. It simply takes more to create a good Chardonnay. His Chardonnay leaves a clean, fresh, crisp palette. Unlike the robust, meaty, lingering palette of a Zinfandel, it takes more to be less.

When I heard this explanation, I decided that I was going to be Chardonnay. I was going to do more. I was going to be more. I was going to ask more (of myself and of other people). I was going to be a good Chardonnay. Clean. Crisp. Now.

When I tried this theory out on a few people, one person mentioned in an email:

>”…I wish you all the best with your quest to become
> chardonnay. When all you drink is fine wine it may
> seem as common as tapwater. Some prefer water to
> kool-aid. Some crave pure glacier water much more
> than kool-aid, or the finest of wines, chardonnay and
> champagne included…”

So, then I started thinking about my experiences with glaciers and glacier water. Now, I’ve been thinking I might aspire to be glacier water instead of Chardonnay. Here is what I think when I think about glacier water (based on specific visuals of the Dyea River, Skagway Alaska, the Yukon River, and the Kluane River in the Yukon Territory): Pure. Natural. Rich in minerals and nutrients (substantial but crystal clear). Earthy. Honest. Firm but fluid. Flexible. Travelling. Moving. Independent. Enduring. Essential. Real.

I tried my glacial water theory out on a few people. Yet another person considered that, effectively, I should be Chardonnay made from glacier water. Who makes wine in the Yukon?

[Picture of a glacier feeding the Dyea River, Skagway Alaska. Originally Published 22 May 2005 on YukonJen.com]

Bottle Shock: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, the Raven Theater

Co-producers Marc and Brenda Lhormer will take questions from this weekend’s showings at the Raven Film Center, 415 Center St., Healdsburg. Film shows at 4:00, 6:45 and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (29, 30, and 31 August).

J. Howell Fine Art: Fact and Fiction: Art Opening

J. Howell Fine Art presents “Fact and Fiction” featuring artists, Pamela Carroll and Robert Bradshaw. September 5th through September 21st. The opening is reception is on Friday, September 5th from 5-7 p.m.

Robert Bradshaw has developed an unusual style of painting utilizing both ink and acrylic paint. He describes his work as ‘Figurative Expressionism’. Because the ink dissolves itself, his paintings are subtractive works, creating beautiful layers and textures. He introduces characters whose spirits are bared primarily through their poses. Although he claims he never has a story to tell, his aim is to engage the viewer and to impose the image on their imagination.

Pamela Carroll embraces the traditional focus of realism and pictorial illusionism. Her painting style has been greatly influenced by the early Dutch masters and the American realists from the Second School of Philadelphia. The objects she chooses to paint have personal meaning and their placement and visual relationships are strategically planned and set up in her studio where they catch light, create shadows and reveal their natural wear and tear. She loves old things with their rust and age and histories written all over them.

Where: J. Howell Fine Arts Gallery, 101A Plaza Street (map).
Date: Friday, 5 Sept 2008
Time: 5-7 PM

Take a break from your labors at Bella!

Saturday, August 30th and Sunday, August 31st, 11-4:30

We hope to see you this weekend at Bella winery. Quit toiling, come on up to the winery and enjoy the lawn, wine, food and music. In the caves we’ll have a barrel taste, current and new release zinfandel, syrah and petite sirah. Food bites will be paired with our juicy red wines. Homemade macaroni and cheese with a crispy crust goes great with our big red wines and our Late Harvest zin will go up against dark chocolate cupcakes. Yum!

Throw a blanket on the lawn, enjoy the view and listen to the rock-a-boogie sounds of Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s. Tasting, food pairing and music is on Saturday and Sunday and is $10 per person. Wine club members and up to four friends are free!

You may also view our entire website calendar for the latest information on Bella events and wine club shipments.

See you soon,

The Bella Crew
866.572.3552
www.bellawinery.com

Tierra Vegetables: Meal in the Field 2008

Join Tierra Vegetables and Chef Mateo Granados for their annual fall gathering in the field. Tour the garden, pick veggies from the field, create salsa, and enjoy a “meal in the field.” Chef Mateo Granados will create a dinner from Tierra’s bounty, including sausage made from Lee’s lambs.

WHEN: Sunday, 21 September 2008
The event will begin at 3 pm with harvesting from the field, making salsa, and preparing the meal. Dinner will be at 5 pm, more or less.

WHERE:
Tierra Vegetables, Airport Boulevard between 101 and Fulton Road, just east of 101.

COST:
$40 per person

REGISTER:
Space is limited to the first 50 people who sign up. If you wish to attend or have questions, please e-mail Marcia Silver at SILVERAH@aol.com and send a check for $40 per person to Slow Food Sonoma County, P.O. Box 1494, Healdsburg 95448.

BRING:

• Plates, utensils, wine/water glass, napkins
• A bottle of wine or other beverage to share
• A hat for the sun and a jacket for after sundown
• A pad to cover the hay bale seat (if you wish)
• A knife, cutting board, and medium bowl (if you would like to make salsa)
• Wear comfortable shoes to walk through the field to the “dining room”

Roy Rodgers & The Delta Rhythm Kings

It’s the last concert from the series Tuesdays in the Plaza. Join Roy Rodgers & The Delta Rhythm Kings. Go on up and say hello - and pass the word on to your friends. Their fans are the best at spreading the word.

What’s Happening Healdburg: 22 August 2008

I spent last weekend in San Francisco. I was at a conference on Saturday, then just spent some time trying new things on Sunday. Nice. But, as a result, am now a bit late with the What’s Happening Healdsburg column for this week.

At least I’m on time for this weekend. Here’s a few things to start.

Friday, 21 August 2008, 9PM-whenever. Pa Bobo Jobarteh, Gambian Kora Wizard, and Griot is returning to Healdsburg. Steve Pile will join in on guitar and kora. Palette-Art Cafe. 235 Healdsburg Ave (map).

Friday, Saturday, Sunday 21, 22, 23 August 2008. All day. This weekend is the Downtown Healdsburg Merchant Sidewalk Sale event. Start Saturday at the Farmer’s Market, then stroll about and seek out tangible bargains from the sidewalk sales.

Saturday, 22 August 2008, 11AM-4PM. The Sonoma County YWCA will be holding its annual cycling event: ‘Break the Cycle‘. Come out to the Windsor Town Green for the summer jam following the ride. A family day on the green with a BBQ lunch, beer/wine garden, live music and kids’ activities. Everyone is invited - bring family and friends! Free admission. (map)

Saturday, 23 August 2008, 11PM - whenever. The MC Dublin’s Hip Hop Medicine Show from San Francisco performs at the Ravenous After Hours. It’s a solo set over Elon’s beats with some vocal effects thrown in to add some flavor. The interesting part is trying to make an entertaining set with just a guy rapping. (map)

Sunday, 23 August 2008, 1PM-4PM. Music, Wine: Cary Pierce at C. Donatiello Winery. Enjoy C. Donatiello wines with their live music series! The cafe style seating is first come first served. Pleasant Sunday afternoon recovery before you have to organize yourself for next week. (map)

Less frustration and more fun

During the summer, I was busy with my remodel and busy with work, and–well–just busy in general. I didn’t feel like I’d had a summer at all. I just wanted to have at least one day that felt like summer. I decided to plan a day on the river.

I’d originally been planning a bonfire at the coast–except I couldn’t find any beach that would let me have a fire–for fun. (I’ve now organized a camp out at Bodega Bay Dunes campground in September because they have fire pits and that’s the most I could do in between organizing my Lithuanian contractors–but I digress).

It turned out that Sunday, I’d finally organized a day out kayaking on the Russian River with a few friends. I went with a local river company in Healdsburg: Soar Inflatables (www.soar1.com). You can see in their pictures that their kayaks are two and three person rubber rafts. Not exactly what I’m used to, but I thought it would be fun just to paddle and float big rubber bumper boats down the river for a day.

There were six of us total: Quebec-Martin, Cindy, Marta, Pasquale, Humberto, and me. We divided up into the boats exactly like that. Martin and Cindy were relatively experienced paddlers. Pasquale and Marta were beginners. Humberto was a beginner and I was–stubborn.

The guide said: steering in the back and power in the front. So I took the back seat–because it doesn’t matter how much experience I have, I certainly don’t have the upper body of my friend Humberto. The other two guys in the other two boats took the back seats. We went along for a while, and I thought we were doing well. EXCEPT…Humberto (my boat partner) didn’t want to be “the guy in the front”. He wanted to be the guy and paddle the girl along the river…whatever–sigh.

We did eventually trade places (because that’s fair–don’t you think?). I took the front and he took the back. We struggled for a bit and I became frustrated at his inexperienced steering (zig zag back and forth, back and forth across the river). Also, I became frustrated at the amount of his effort he was making. He was taking three strokes for my one. I’m more than positive that he was frustrated at me too–but he was more gracious than I was about it all.

However, I remembered something Mike Hatfield (currently of cyanoptics.com) once told me about leadership: Have a plan. Communicate the plan. Let people make their own decisions on how to get there–because basically, if people have good information, they make good decisions. I eventually just let Humberto paddle. We would decide on the path down the river and I just let him figure out how. We got to where we needed to go with less frustration and more fun.

My lesson learned is just because I might know how, doesn’t mean I know best. And–effectively communicate the plan. We’ll get there eventually–with less frustration and more fun!

[Originally published on YukonJen.com, 19 Sept 2007]

Invitation from the Bacigalupi Vineyards and John Tyler Wines

Hi, my name is Nicole Bacigalupi and I am the third generation in a grape growing and winemaking family here in Healdsburg, California. My grandparents—Charles and Helen Bacigalupi—founded our vineyards in Russian River Valley in 1956, and were pioneers in the wine industry. Since then, they have been growing and providing wineries with world class fruit. In 1973, our vineyard provided some of the Chardonnay fruit that went into the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris tasting in 1976, and put the California wine region on the map.

We are excited to announce that our vineyards and new wine label (John Tyler Wines) will be open to the public for the FIRST and ONLY time this August 15th-17th as part of the Grapes to Glass event in the Russian River Valley. Our label, John Tyler Wines, specializes in the production of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel wines with the fruit from the Bacigalupi vineyards. We will be able to share the history of our vineyards, our newest wines, as well as selections of our library wines.

The name John Tyler represents the union of our two families who have been involved more than five decades in winemaking and grape-growing tradition in Sonoma County. My father, John Bacigalupi, is the skilled farmer of our historic Bacigalupi vineyards. My cousin, Tyler Heck, is our winemaker and comes from a well known wine making family. His grandfather Paul Heck was the late owner of Korbel Champagne Cellars.

On behalf of The Bacigalupi Family and John Tyler Wines please come join us for a historic day of wine tasting under the oak trees.

Who: Bacigalupi Vineyards and John Tyler Wines
Where: 4375 Westside Road; Healdsburg, Ca 95448 (map)
When: 10:00AM – 4:30PM
Visit us online at: johntylerwines.com

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