No French wine region aside from Alsace has been more in need of a shot in the arm in the American market in recent years than Beaujolais. Through the early 1980s Beaujolais was among the most popular European wines in the U.S. Most of it was in the form of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is quickly fermented, then bottled and released in short order—on the third Thursday of November, to be exact. Part of Nouveau’s appeal, aside from being cheap, fruity and downright gulpable, was that these bottles were always the first wines of a particular vintage to be released. READ MORE »
On my recent trip to visit wineries in Sonoma, I took advantage of the chance to have a couple of dinners in Oakland, which has a very convenient and efficient airport to use if you’re visiting North Coast wineries, by the way. They were two of the best meals I’ve had in some time, and they could not have been more different.
Bay Wolf is an East Bay institution that opened its doors back in 1975, not long after Chez Panisse, the Berkeley landmark to which it is inevitably compared. And comparisons are valid, as the menu, which changes monthly, is built around simply prepared, almost militantly (this is the East Bay, after all) seasonal and local fare, with a heavy emphasis on vegetables. READ MORE »
Most Sonoma wine tourists on Highway 101 blast by the car dealerships of Rohnert Park on their way north, which means that they’re missing some–don’t laugh—national-class sushi and sashimi. A destination spot for more than 20 years, Ken Tominaga’s Hana Japanese Restaurant puts out an array of fresh fish and noodle dishes that can be compared to the best sushi places I know anywhere in the U.S. By the way, Tominaga also oversees the menu at Go Fish, over on the Napa side in St. Helena, but the last half dozen or so times I’ve been to Hana, he’s been at the counter. Put yourself in Tominaga’s hands for omakase (he’s extremely friendly and chatty) but do not miss the soba and udon dishes. You can’t swing a wriggling unagi here without hitting a local winemaker and some of their wines are on Hana’s tight list, like Radio-Coteau, Lynmar and Rochioli. You can also BYO for $15 a bottle, and the beer and saké selections are excellent. READ MORE »
Visitors to Sonoma wine country have long been drawn to Healdsburg for its array of dining options, especially those on and around the charming plaza that serves as the town’s commercial hub. Through the 1990s, choices mostly ranged from taquerias to pizza parlors, Thai restaurants and casual Italian spots. But then renowned New York chef Charlie Palmer (Aureole) opened Dry Creek Kitchen in the Hotel Healdsburg in 2001. The trickle of ambitious new dining establishments that followed has more recently turned into a mini-flood of destination dining spots. While Dry Creek Kitchen still performs at a high level, it has plenty of company at the upper end of Healdsburg’s food scene, as my visit last month confirmed. READ MORE »
