Spend Some Time in Dry Creek Valley

A few nights ago, I went out for After Hours at the Ravenous Restaurant here in Healdsburg. That is, I went just to hang out and get a bit of conversation and meet some interesting people before I turned in myself. Ravenous is a local restaurant in an old house on Center Street. The entire backyard is the backyard patio and bar. It’s a pretty cool atmosphere. I like showing up later–you meet more locals (everybody who’s getting off of their shifts from somewhere else).

I ended up talking to two out-of-town gentlemen who’d met one another at law school in London, England. One was living in Hong Kong now, the other–still in London. They were both here on holiday getting a bit of the California sun.

You couldn’t ask for a better outdoor evening than that night. It was warm enough to sit outside in sleeveless tops. (And I know you’re thinking: “Well it is California after all!”), but we often get fog here late at night, and it cools everything off and adds some humidity to the air–so bare arms are often chilly late at night. But, that night was a perfectly warm summer evening.

I said hello to KC Mosso, the bartender, and talked to him about sending me the listings for his events he books over there. And once I’m seated at the bar, I turned around and started talking to these two gentlemen.

They’d made it to Healdsburg after a few days in San Francisco. They were a bit tired, but they did ask where I could recommend they should go visit the next day. I asked KC for a piece of paper and a pen. He handed me an extra menu from behind the bar and took a pen from his pocket. Thanks KC!

They were only planning half a day or so in the area before they headed over to Carneros. I gave them a full day itinerary–just in case. There really is a lot to see here and it’s better to enjoy an entire day than just rush in and out. Anyway, I thought I would write up the route I gave them and post it here. It’s pretty useful information if you don’t really have much time to spend in the area and it’s got a bit of variety.

BREAKFAST and MORNING

Start early. It’s important to have breakfast. There’s a number of places you can have breakfast in town, it all depends on what you’d like to eat. If you’re on a time line, like these guys were, you probably want to grab a breakfast sandwich (or something). I know that the Costeaux Bakery Cafe and the Palette-Art Cafe both offer breakfast sandwiches. You can usually just ask for a recommendation at the counter. The servers really do know best.

Take your breakfast to go and head on up to Lake Sonoma. Lake Sonoma’s about 20 minutes from the town of Healdsburg (at the top end of Dry Creek Road) and you don’t want your breakfast to get cold.

Find the lookout and enjoy your breakfast in the fresh air. Depending on how much time you have, you can hike around up there or just take goofy pictures of you and your friends.

BY THIS TIME, IT MIGHT BE 11AM OR SO

On the way back down, you can visit any winery that’s open along the way. Here’s a link to an interactive map. But, there are a few I like to note from my own preference and experiences. My friend Shana Ray, who helped promote the Day-in-the-Life event last month and also contributes articles to this magazine works at Kokomo on Fridays. You could always stop in and say hello to her. If you twitter, let her know you are coming: @ShaRayRay.

One day this winter, I had the fortune to try Papapietro Perry’s 2005 Pinot Noir and it made and impression on me. I don’t know much about wine, but I do know what I like. And I liked their 2005 Pinot enough for me to recommend trying their other tastings.

There are a few other wineries clustered in and about Kokomo and Papapietro Perry: Amphora, Collier Falls, Forth, and Peterson. I’ve never tried any of these wines (but I’m sure I will–eventually). You could always try them and comment below. That would be great.

A bit further south and across the road from this cluster is a vineyard and tasting room called UNTI. They weren’t even on my radar until one day I started talking to Mick Unti himself (at an After Hours at the Ravenous). He was full of opinions about life, the universe, and everything. And it’s just refreshing to meet somebody local who has a few interesting things to say.

Also, I like the back label on the 2006 UNTI rose. It’s not listed on their website, so I guess you can’t get it anymore, but it was a story–about rose. I like stories. I like to connect with people over stories. That’s just the way I am. Actually, I like the rose too. So there. I guess I tried the 2007 though. It’s refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. Mick is going to admonish me for publishing all this, if he ever finds out. But–whatever, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. You can just go in and try the wines yourself and see if you like them. That’s the best way.

BY THIS TIME, IT MIGHT BE 1:30 or 2:00PM

You’ll probably be hungry so stop for lunch out at the Dry Creek General Store (at the turn off for Lambert Bridge Road). Since Dry Creek Road and the Skaggs Springs Road are two of the most popular roads in the county for motorcycling, you’ll often see a gaggle of bikers stopped there too. Or–a gaggle of cyclists. And–most probably, a gaggle of other wine tasters. Stop and compare notes. It’s all about you experience. After lunch you can head across Lambert Bridge Road to West Dry Creek.

It’s probably best if you go on up to the north end of the road. You can wind your way back through any of the wineries. Everybody has an experience. Everybody has an opinion. You decide which ones you like.

Although, if you are out in Dry Creek, and it is a Friday afternoon, stop by Michel Schlumberger Winery or or Wilson Winery. They have a series of live music on Fridays. On Sunday afternoons, C. Donatiello Winery has music too. It’s nice just to hang out in the gardens and enjoy the afternoon. (Check the What’s Happening Healdsburg calendar for more details).

When you finally make your way back into Healdsburg and ask a local where they’d recommend you for dinner. AND don’t forget to ask what they like on the menu. There is a reason we live here. And we know what we like. And we’re definitely full of opinions!

Gelato? Sorbet? Ice Cream? Yoghurt?

Wee Johanna was running around her parent’s picnic blanket tonight at music in the square. I had to take this picture. So I do, then I show it to her.

“Messy!” she says. Her parents laugh. “Yes. Messy.”

Her father had taken her and her sister for a walk to look around at what was going on and they came back with ice cream from Powell’s Sweet Shoppe.

I happen to know though, there are THREE places on the square where you can get ice cream or some semblance thereof.

Powell’s Sweet Shop has quite a variety of gelatos.

SnowBunny serves up organic frozen yogurts. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but people are Yelping about it over here.

Bovolo’s over on the south side of the square also serves up Italian gelato. I think I’m going to have to get some more opinions about which one is the best.

Maybe I’ll organize a blind tasting.

Volunteers anyone?

Best Japanese Food in Healdsburg

I was visiting with my friend Ana today. We were talking about how our week was going. I ask what she did last night, she tells me she went out with a few friends for Japanese food. I ask her where she went. She says, “We went to that place in Windsor.”

“Hmm.” I’m thinking out loud. “How did you like it?” (Because I’m always thinking about content for this magazine.)

“Honestly? She pauses. “I like Sake ‘O better. I mean. I don’t really like the location of Sake ‘O in that strip mall thing. But I like their food better.”

Now, my interest is peaked, “What do you like?”

“Oooo.” She draws in her breath and her eyes light up. “The martini shimp. Definitely the martini shrimp.” I start searching the drawers in my kitchen for a pen an paper to write things down because I know I’m going to forget.

Now she starts thinking about her experiences at Sake O. “The vegetable tempura.”

I still can’t find a pen.

“Martini shrimp,” I repeat to commit it to my memory. “Martini shrimp. Vegetable tempura.”

“And the dragon roll,” she adds nodding her head. “Yep. The dragon roll” I can see the memory of her last dragon roll in her eyes.

“Ok. Martini shrimp. Vegetable Tempura. And the dragon roll.” I say it again because I can’t find a pen to write it down.

She starts to recite more items from the menu and I have to say, “Only three Ana. How am I supposed to remember any more than three.” But I’m impressed that she can almost recite the menu.

Trees and Figs and Surprises

You never know who you might be talking to when you’re in Healdsburg. The other day I was on my morning walk–just getting some exercise before I started my day and this big old truck pulled up to the side of the road. I looked through the windshield and saw Mike Mahoney’s face peering back at me. He leans over and winds down the passenger window. “Hey–I’m going over to trim some birch trees at Julie’s. Come watch!”

And I don’t think I have anything to lose, I might get a story. I climb in the rickety truck and we trundle over to Julie’s house. He meets his helper and they start assessing the trees he needs to trim. He tells me: “They’re dying. I told her a few years ago they’re going to have to come out. But she’s been watering and fertilizing..and they actually look pretty good. The tops just need to come off.”

They start to get busy, and I have a meeting downtown at 11:00 am. I walk back to my house, change, get my meeting things together, and head back downtown. I stop by Julie’s house to check on progress.

They’re all done. The trees are topped. The yard is cleaned up. Everything is chipped. I go round back to inspect the handiwork.

Mike points up to the top of a tree and shows me where he’s cut just above a bird hole. “I saved a blue jay’s home.”

His helper comes round to talk with us and brings a hand full of figs from Black Mission tree in the back yard. We peel the skin back and start munching on them.

“How can you get better than this?” I ask. “Fresh figs. Right from the tree.” I pry one in half and suck out the inside. Thinking you can’t really get a much tastier fig.

“Stuff it with a bit of goat cheese and wrap it in pancetta.” Mike’s helper says.

Turns out he used to be a chef at Bistro Ralph.

What Do You Like to Eat, Healdsburg?

My friend Sean told me the other day he’d visited each and every of the 53 eateries in town (not on one day–but over the course of the last few years). And I realized that every Healdsburgian probably has something to say about each and every one of these places.

You live here, my friends. Who knows better than you what you like to eat and where.

So, I just thought I would ask. What is your favorite menu item at any of our local restaurants?

Please leave a comment at the bottom of this article.

You can leave an anonymous comment if you aren’t comfortable using your name. Just fill out anonymous in the name field and something that resembles an email.

I do have some guidelines though. If you want to comment on somebody else’s comment, please respect their opinions and experiences. In other words, don’t dis another commenter. Talk to them as if they were in the same room as you…not a faceless person from the internet. Present your own perspective.

That’s it. What do you think Healdsburg? Where do you eat? What do you like on the menus?

The Healdsburg Community: Real and Virtual

I’ve spent some time over the weekend working on showcasing more local voices. I started an RSS aggregator for those who are already blogging (or if you have an RSS feed on your business website). Check it out: Local Blogs. Oh…and if you already have a blog and I am already feeding your RSS…I wouldn’t mind some link love (thank you very much).

If you don’t have a blog but want to start one…I recommend WordPress.com. If you’re intimated about starting, let me know–we can start a blogging circle.

Also, I’ve spent some time over the weekend and a few moments now creating some community forums for you. Check them out: Classifieds.

I was thinking you could start some interesting discussions (about local politics or about federal politics or about public schools–and, if you don’t start one about the local schools, I most definitely will!).

You can list your mommy groups and activities.

You can also list your business or service in the Services forum.

I added (upon request), Missed Connections and Personals (because that could lead to some fun reading.)

Personally, I’m looking forward to the impending rants in the discussion forum.

I’m probably missing categories, but if you let me know what you need, I’ll create it for you. Also, if something isn’t working…you have to let me know. Everything looks peachy-keen on my end.

Come on Healdsburg. Let’s get you online.

Healdsburg, Feed Me!

Hi again Healdsburg,

Do you have any favorite blogs you write or read? I’m working on updating my own blog site. I need to make it more Web 2.0 friendly. I guess that’s what happens though, when you’ve been online awhile–and you’ve been trying to help other people get online. My own site is static and outdated. And I have to give it an occasional makeover.

Regardless, send me your blogs. We’ll syndicate them here (HealdsburgMagazine.com/local-blogs).

The Best (or Worst) Public Restrooms in Healdsburg

Last week I went to hear Steve Pile and company play at the Palette Art Cafe. I met Lucinda and Margie and then Todd Reed came out too. (Todd — you still have to email your story of how you took the pictures for the Day-in-the-Life event (after your sculpture show…I know… it was a great story though).

It was a great show. Steve Pile is pretty talented and it’s great to see him live. It was good to see some friendly faces too. I also met Mike Mahoney (the tree guy). He told me a story about his bee experience that day. Then Todd piped in and told his story about bees–and I think there might be a whole story brewing about the bees.

But…I digress…this topic is supposed to be about public bathrooms. Public restrooms. Public toilets (for the international readership).

The last time I’d met Todd, we’d talked about creating a writing circle. And we talked again about the writing circle that night at Palette. Later, I sent him an email to say: I’m in when we organize it–and what do we need to do to organize it? He emailed me back saying he’s working on a few sculptures for some art shows and that we’d organize it once he wasn’t so crunched for time.

HE DID SAY though, a great topic for discussion on this website would be to ask people their opinion on public bathrooms in Healdsburg. So, readers…I would appreciate to know what you think of the Healdsburg’s public toilet facilities.

I vote for the public restrooms at the Police Station.

The Healdsburg Map

I’m working with Circe and Tegan at Hotel Healdsburg to make this map. We are trying to get people visitors out strolling and enjoying what we get to see every day. But I need your help. Here is our idea about what the cover of the map is going to look like. We’re promoting the historical perspective.

It is going to be an advertising map–and eventually–a website: HealdsburgMap.com. BUT–it’s also going to be so much more. My objective is to get visitors walking about town and to tell them interesting stories. I worked hard to incorporate the wineries and gift shops and the bike shop down on Front Street. They have a historic presence (the old Roma building), the Healdsburg Avenue Bridge, and apparently a historic fishing hole. And it would be nice to get some foot traffic down there too.

What historical sites do you think should be included? I’m going to ask Keith Power if he has a story about the Purity building.

On Bottle Shock, the Movie

This movie is just two stories in many about the Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976. I’m not going to recap the movie. There are reviews are all over the internet. You can either read them or just see the movie yourself and decide.

Personally, I liked the movie. Really. It was a feel-good movie. And what is entertainment if you don’t feel good about it? It also helps that there is a local history associated with the movie. I went on Saturday evening with a friend who is in the wine industry. He picked out things that I would never know (and for the life of me, I can’t remember now).

And two people in the audience last night introduced themselves as Charles and Helen Bacigalupi–who it turns out–own some vineyards over on Westside Road who supplied about 40% of the grapes to Chateau Montelena for their 1973 Chardonnay. They couldn’t stay around and talk later though, harvest had started and they needed to get back to it.

I tried to find out what the 1971 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay label looks like–to see if it had to reference the appellation. I don’t know what the regulations were in the 1970s. Regardless, I can’t find it on the internet. I might just have to go and pay a visit to the winery itself.

There were a few monologues that were a bit too much–for me. I mean really, do you know anybody who talks like that? “You have to grow up, with the soil underneath your nails.” If that is true, why isn’t growing hops as romanticized as growing grapes? What does a field of hops even look like? Or potatoes for that matter? Why aren’t there stories about the farmers who grow beets?

After the show, co-producers Marc and Brenda Lhormer talked to the audience a bit. They were excited to share their stories about making the movie, about taking creative license–in order to tell a movie story. But mainly, they were excited about making the Paris tasting a digestible historical event for the greater public. And filming it in the Napa and Sonoma Counties.

My favorite actor: Alan Rickman by far. I’m a fan of Alan Rickman. Maybe I’m just a fan of his British accent. His accent just added to his air of pomposity–especially when he speaks French.

My favorite quote–Jim Barrett saying to Steven Spurrier: “You’re a snob. It limits you.” My thoughts exactly. You might enjoy the finer things in life, but what those things are should be definitely be defined by the individual.

My favorite anachronism: the ice pack in the boxing ring. The friend I went with had a few more: “Merlot in the 70s? Nobody knew what that was then. They were only using it to blend.” I’ll have to look that up.

What did you think?

Next Page »