Sonoma

Easter Sunday Food Drink Specials

For those who celebrate the holiday, Easter Sunday is a time to gather loved ones for brunch and, maybe, an afternoon egg hunt. If you're planning to host a celebration at home, there are purveyors and markets like Lindy & Grundy who offer a range of resources from traditional smoked hams and legs o ... More >>

Converting from Christian Rock to Indie Rock

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

5 California Winemakers On The Best "Ripe and Fleshy" Valentine's Chocolate Wine Pairings

Chocolate and wine. Could there be a more classic Valentine Day's pairing? There's one small problem: "The flavors of [dark] chocolate and wine aren't always that compatible," as a Food and Wine article summarized. Sure, there's that tannins on tannins thing, a double hit of bitter acidity in the c ... More >>

Ladyface Ale Companie Celebrates 3 Years as a Top L.A. Brewery

Though Ladyface Ale Companie will be celebrating its third anniversary this week, it was this time eight years ago -- during San Francisco Beer Week 2005 -- that salt-and-pepper-haired Cyrena Nouzille first thought about opening up a microbrewery in the unlikely L.A. suburb of Agoura Hills. Back t ... More >>

Naked Wines: Invest In A Winemaker (And Drink The Benefits)

If your resolutions include expanding your wine fridge offerings beyond Trader Joe's corporate specials, UK-based Naked Wines opened a Napa outpost last year with a wine program that, in theory at least, makes small-batch bottles straight from winemakers more affordable. The California winemaker's ... More >>

Top 3 Weekend Food Events: Barbershop Pop-Up, Bestia's Suckling Pig Float's Holiday Market

Barbershop Pop-Up Chef Walter el Nagar, most recently of Il Grano in Santa Monica, will launch a pop-up in the top floor of Il Covo, the soon-to-be new home of Suzanne Goin's A.O.C. It's run as a chef's table with a six-course menu of reimagined Italian classics and an optional wine pairing. RSVP b ... More >>

Top 4 Weekend Food Events: Josie's Beekeeper Release Tasting, Mashed Potatoes Pop-Up, Taste of LA at the Breeders' Cup Good Food Conference

Josie's Beekeeper Release Tasting Don't worry about flying insects at this dinner; it's actually a private release party for one of Sonoma's up-and-coming vineyards. Appetizers from chef Josie Le Balch will be paired with a selection of the cellar's newest wines. Reservations are strongly recommende ... More >>

Serious Drinking: Peel Me A Grape

Across the state, harvest is upon us. California winemakers either are readying their crush pads for what appears to be a fairly large crop, or are out among the vine rows, tasting fruit, rolling it around on their tongues or between their fingers to determine if it's ready to pick. Last week I was ... More >>

California C.H.E.F.S. Host Foie Gras Super Dinner

In protest of California's rapidly approaching foie gras ban, C.H.E.F.S. (the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards), an organization that sounds like an maniacal conglomerate out of a James Bond film, or perhaps a culinary-slanted take on the Avengers, announced yesterday that it will ... More >>

Top 5 Spirits for Beer Geeks: Belgian-Style Rum, Hoparitas and Moonshine IPA

The relationship between beer and spirits is closer than you think -- and not just for the growing beer cocktail trend or the "pint and a shot" special at your local dive. Mainly, the two crafts thrive on the same fermentation science with spirits beginning life as a fermented-sugar liquid similar ... More >>

Amelia Ceja of Ceja Vineyards on Wine With Mexican Food

You've picked out a good Cabernet. What should you serve with it? Beans -- Mexican beans. That's what Amelia Morán Ceja would do. Ceja is the first Mexican-American woman to head a wine production company, Ceja Vineyards. "People never thought to pair wine with Mexican food until we came along," s ... More >>

Michael's On Naples Foie Gras Dinner

When its start date rolls around in July, maybe the California foie gras ban will actually be welcome. Right now, restaurants seem to be saturating their menus with the controversial fatty duck liver. It's even stuffed into our jelly doughnuts. This Wednesday night, Mar. 14, Michael's on Naples in L ... More >>

Ben Flajnik: Winemaker First, TV's The Bachelor Second

Sonoma MagazineIn the vineyard with The Bachelor and partners​Most people dream of quitting their day job to be on TV. ABC's The Bachelor Ben Flajnik says his reality star turn is a means to an end: His heart is in winemaking. (He auditioned for The Bachelorette originally as a way to pursue ... More >>

Trees Of Antiquity: Where To Buy Your Heirloom Apple, Apricot, Peach Sure, "Flavor Grenade" Seedlings

flickr user thomitheosAn Apple-Filled Backyard​Most farmers market discoveries tend to involve a new way cook those black trumpet mushrooms or choose a Crenshaw melon. But some days, you just get lucky. Or perhaps it was our discussion with a few farmers about spaders (a device that tills the ... More >>

Cookbook Of The Week: Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food Is Really Good

amazon​If your New Year's resolution list includes something along the lines of eating more good food -- home cooked, farmers market-inspired, healthier or whatever your definition -- you're going to want to add Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food cookbook to your Amazon wish-list. If for no other ... More >>

Wine Gifts From The Other Guy, Courtesy Of Your Humble Grower

Ah, the holiday party wine gifting season. That time of year when you'll inevitably spot a bottle of Shafer Hillside Select sporting a shiny red bow among the hostess gifts -- right as you hand over a $19.99 Cabernet you snagged off the Ralph's weekly special list on the way to the boss' house (but ... More >>

Not Your Standard Thanksgiving Wine Pairings: Top Winemakers On The Tofurky Challenge

www.yrousseauwines.comTofurky! Let's Toast! (Center: Yannick Rousseau, Y Rousseau Winemaker)​The problem with those incessant Thanksgiving food and wine pairing write-ups in every food publication this time of year? They all presume the food on your table will most certainly be Saveur magazine ... More >>

Palate Food + Wine: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Support Your State: Drink California Wine During CA Wine Month

Kathy A. McDonaldLearn more about wine this month at a wine tasting seminar​These days, every foodstuff or drink gets a day in its honor. Did you know there's a National Pecan Cookie day (September 21)? One guess on how to observe either National Guacamole Day (September 16) or National Beer D ... More >>

Dry Creek Olive Company: Tim Bucher Knows How To Make His Olive Oils Rich

trattorewines.comSerial Entrepreneurs Make Pizza, Too​Among the benefits of being a "serial entrepreneur," as Tim Bucher, owner of Trattore Estate winery in Healdsburg, aptly describes himself, is having the financial chops to take advantage of those 150 year-old olive trees you happen to "dis ... More >>

Cookbook Review: Vegan Family Meals From Real Food Daily's Ann Gentry

​For the omnivore, the problem with so many vegan cookbooks is they can be so heavy with specialty vegan ingredients and/or laden with so many other health claims (gluten-free, low cholesterol), that they can read -- and taste -- more like a medical prescription than potential weekend palate e ... More >>

Census Data: Lesbians More Likely to Live in Norcal, Gay Men in SoCal

Patrick Range McDonaldDo WeHo gays scare the lesbians away?​Last week, NYC beat California to marriage equality. (Well, unless you count our fleeting sliver of justice in 2008.) So, for one honorary week, we'll refrain from calling it New York Shitty. Though that won't stop the Onion from pick ... More >>

Q & A With Amber Huffman: Bourbon Blunders, Derby Cocktails Cooking For Jess Jackson At His Kentucky Racehorse Farm

AHuffmanHuffman's Backyard View Yesterday (Literally)... Yeah, We're Jealous ​This weekend's Kentucky Derby may mark the beginning of summer mint julep season, but for Amber Huffman, the private chef at two Lexington, Kentucky thoroughbred racehorse farms, Saturday is all about wine. "Mint jul ... More >>

DJs, Sips and Apps: Second Glass Brings Wine Riot to L.A.

​ Who said wine tasting had to be full of stuffed shirts? Add a few DJs, a photo booth, and snacks from L.A.'s cool food trucks, and you've got Second Glass's Wine Riot, wine tasting for the iPhone generation. And, yes, there's an app for it, too. "The average wine event was in a stale borin ... More >>

Pinot Days 2011: Wine And Mushroom Bisque Sips At Barker Hangar

J. GarbeePinot Days 2010​Tasting through West Coast Pinot Noirs from nearly 100 producers typically requires a long drive up the I-5. But this Saturday, January 15th, you can taste through the offerings of 90 producers at Pinot Days, the second coming of the event at Santa Monica's Barker Han ... More >>

Where to Dine Out For Thanksgiving: 10 Restaurants For Traditionalists

Napa Valley Grille/Lisa Cohen​ Sitting in a restaurant for Thanksgiving might not be your tradition (yet), but remember that it's the really best of both worlds: You get to eat your turkey (and often cake, too), and someone else will clean up. In some cases, you'll even have leftovers for tha ... More >>

Cookbook Review: Avec Eric, A Culinary Travelogue Eric Ripert's Homemade Butter Recipe

​Ya, ya we all know not to judge a book by its cover. And then we do it anyway. Consider Avec Eric, the latest from Eric Ripert that looks like yet another food television show in hardcover form. And it is, complete with another hot-as-hell Top Chef judge as the star. But when you get into the ... More >>

2010 Grape Harvest: California Winemakers On Why Tricky Doesn't Always Mean Tragic

J. GarbeeThe Last Drops Of Harvest​To those of us who live in L.A. sans air conditioning, the mild California summer of 2010 was an unseasonably pleasant, food-truck friendly three months notably devoid of sweat-free nights other than the brief late-breaking heat wave. To the California wineri ... More >>

Meet Your Winemaker: Lynmar's Bibiana González Rave on Gut Feelings, Crushed Grapes and The 100 Degree Heat

Lynmar EstateBibiana González Rave​If you've been lucky enough to try a bottle of Lynmar Pinot Noir (or Chardonnay and Rosé), or hang out on their tasting room patio -- where $10 gets you a Robb Report-worthy luxury retreat and tastings, perhaps the best deal in the Russian River Valley -- y ... More >>

One Winemaker, One Viticulturist and Their Three Central Coast Wines

J.KoslowAlta Maria Wines​ When you hear about Napa and Sonoma, it's easy to forget that a three hour drive north can land Southern Californians in the lesser known wine regions within Santa Barbara County. However, lesser known does not mean inferior, as you will easily discover when tasting ... More >>

August Roundup of Restaurant Openings and Closures

As heavily blogged about spots boasting big name chefs (Test Kitchen) emerge on the scene, along with new restaurants atop luxury shopping centers (Santa Monica Place, we're also tracking the lesser-known eateries occupying and departing strip malls around town. While some spaces remain vacant, suc ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

SapphireBlue22stack of newspapers​What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free ... More >>

Photo Preview: Santa Monica Place Opens Friday

The dozens of shops may not be fully ready to open this week. The rooftop marketplace may not be ready until next year. But the six fine dining restaurants -- Richard Sandoval's La Sandia and Zengo; Ozumo; Pizza Antica; Sonoma Wine Garden, and Xino -- and the food court will be up and running tomorr ... More >>

Ravenswood Winery: Get A Tattoo, Get Free Wine For Life

Ravenswood WineryPosing Naked Among The Wine Barrels Is Not Required​ Getting a tattoo may not make you a chef, but get the right tattoo, and you can get free wine. For life. There is a catch or two, of course. The ink must be permanent and your body art must be the Ravenswood Winery logo. Pl ... More >>

The TastingRoom.com: A Whole New Kind of Boxed Wine

Travelpod.com user KlauridsenTastingRoom: The 1.67-Ounce Airport Security Solution​ Other than the occasional local tasting bar, generous sommelier, or wine country vacation, there are rarely test drinks for expensive wines. Enter TastingRoom.com, an emporium of sample flights of high-end wine ... More >>

Taste at the Wine House

Ben CalderwoodWine in a box​ It can be a strange, solitary exercise, consuming wine dispensed by a computer. Purchase your access card from the order desk at the rear of the shop, steal a glance at the Wine House's Old & Rare cellars where magnum prices climb into the five figures, and make y ... More >>

Belgian Beer Festival At The Libary Alehouse Starts Tonight

Flickr user EaganjLindsay Lohan May Be Wearing One Of These Next Week​You can pop just about anything, any time, any place, and call it a beer festival these days. Then there's a Belgian beer festival. And this one is local, at the Library Alehouse -- if Santa Monica still counts as local in L ... More >>

Wine & Dine: Sonoma in the City Arrives this Week

Flickr/tibchris​ Sonoma wineries will strut their stuff during a Sonoma in the City: Los Angeles promotion this Tuesday through Thursday, May 4th through 6th, that will offer tastes at every level, from free for the cash-strapped to a $150 wine dinner. The $150 dinner at Melisse on Wednesda ... More >>

Straight Out of Sonoma: Dish, in Pasadena

Pinot Days: Wine And Cheese, Of Course, But Irish Butter?

Jenn GarbeeNew Cheese Recruit: High School Senior Ben Moore​Sunday's Pinot Days festival in the Santa Monica Airport Hanger was teeming with local sommeliers comparing their sniff-and-swirl technique while Sideways fans crowded the Hitching Post table. That left plenty of room for the rest of ... More >>

Top 10 Wine Splits: The Thank You Gift That Keeps on Sipping

wine.comGift Baskets Are So Last Year​Ladies and gentlemen, a polite reminder. The quintessential dinner party dilemma is not whether to risk veering from Mapquest directions, but what to take as a host/hostess gift. If you regularly arrive at the door without a small token of thanks, such as ... More >>

Top 10 Private Dining Rooms For Your Holiday Party

The deeper we get into November, the more the mind reels with thoughts of the holidays, entertaining, and social obligations. If the idea of throwing a party appeals to you, but the idea of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up after a soiree gives you pause, we offer you this alphabetical list of Top ... More >>

The Theory of Relativity as it Relates to California Pinot Noir: How Much is 'Best Ever' Worth to You?

Blame it on the Rain. The current issue of Wine Spectator has the phrase "BEST EVER California Pinot Noir" splashed across the front page. The editors are referring not only to Sonoma, but as far north as Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and as close to home as Santa Barbara. The reason? Near per ... More >>

Backyard Unemployment Report: Cattle Herding Canines Face Job Cuts, Winery Dog Sector Holds Strong

It's been a rough year for cattle herding dogs.

Landmark Wining and Dining Downtown from Patina

Joachim Splichal's Patina Group presents prix-fixe dinners on its Tuesday-night Tasting Menu series at its Disney-Hall-adjacent flagship throughout the spring and summer. Tonight's California Wines dinner at Patina -- five courses with wine pairings -- costs $150 per diner (including wine, exclusiv ... More >>

Three Drunken Goats and the Reign of Spain

More tapas and wine, please

Ask Mr. Gold

Ask Mr. Gold

Fajita pitas, Octopus Tacos, and the Birth of California Cuisine

25 moments — over 25 years — in L.A. restaurants

The Grapes of L.A.

Winemaking can once again be local