#sonoma-county

#sonoma-county

Tontantzin Alcantar Bratt fiddled behind the counter of Newkirk's, and a customer across the room sneezed three times."Bless you," Alcantar Bratt said after each, smiling widely."Thanks," the woman said, beaming back.Tuesdays to Fridays customers at the Potrero Avenue Philly cheesesteak shop can count on Alcantar Bratt being behind the counter, arranging the restaurant's iconic jalapeño hot sauce in tiny containers or peeling carrots.

Although it wasn't part of the plan, 2022 was a big year for D.C. Looney and Lisa Costa, the couple and owners behind Oakland's the Punchdown.Not only was their natural wine bar and bottle shop nominated for Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation in February 2022, but a move from Oakland to Sebastopol with their newborn at the start of 2022 led to another big event: the opening of their second location of the Punchdown in May, this time at the Barlow market district in their new town.

It seems congrats are in order for chef Nico Pena, who has officially been named executive chef at the highly regarded Pacific Heights restaurant Octavia.By now, fans of the restaurant should be familiar with Pena's cooking.He's been chef de cuisine at Octavia for about two years, having stepped into the role in 2021 when the restaurant reopened for the first time after a year-long closure.

Much has been made about the Bay Area exodus, with thousands of residents empowered by the option to work remotely and fed up with high housing costs moving out of the region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Yet, as the interactive map below shows, our region is far from the only metro area in the U.S. experiencing similar flight from densely packed urban neighborhoods.

Despite the steep price tag associated with dinner at Cyrus, located just outside the town of Geyserville in Sonoma County, the Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant has become one of the hottest reservations in Wine Country.For nearly three hundred dollars a piece, just a dozen diners per service experience a multicourse tasting menu that involves moving through various spaces including a U-shaped bar with views into the kitchen and a lounge tricked out with a chocolate fountain.

Natural disasters are happening more and more, thanks to climate change and other factors.With these increases in frequency - and intensity - of natural disasters, researchers have noted some areas across the United States are more vulnerable to disastrous and somewhat inevitable events than others, and Forbes Advisor put it all together on an easy-to-read if disquieting map.

Since the 1960s, Sonoma County's Sea Ranch has been synonymous with distinctive homes conceptualized by visionary architects.Among them is Abalone Bay, a revitalized three-bedroom with multiple decks, floor-to-ceiling windows and a flowing floor plan.Owned by Donna and Jorge Martinez, the striking residence is also offered as a short term rental.

Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris Jonathan Paris San Marino, a small city south of Pasadena, is known for being home to the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, which has wide-ranging collections that include 15th-century illustrated manuscripts and William Morris textiles.

Home is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams.It is a feeling and not necessarily a physical location, but finding a place to live that can offer you comfort and community may benefit everything from your health to your ability to achieve personal goals to enhancing your overall quality of life.Have you found your ideal home yet?

By Leslie Sbrocco-
2014 Iron Horse Vineyards Stargazing Cuvée Brut Sparkling Wine, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($195 in magnum)  https://www.ironhorsevineyards.com/ Looking for an out-of-this-world wine experience?What better way to celebrate the holidays in style than by drinking stars.

The smorgasbord of food at Thanksgiving dinner can inspire fear in those tasked with choosing bottles of wine to uncork for the feast.We asked local wine shops for their tips on selecting a variety of excellent Turkey Day options.A little bit of sweetness can go a long way.Phil Bernstein from Addy Bassin's MacArthur Beverages in the Palisades recommends a low-alcohol, off-dry style of German Riesling (Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett $30) that has great acidity to match something like cranberry sauce and just enough sweetness to help liven up the other dishes on the table.

Randy Ullom, the man directly in charge of America's No. 1 selling Chardonnay, is widely admired for his diligence, patience and pure winemaking talent.No less important is his knack for mentoring younger winemakers during an exceptional 47-year career.As the senior vice president and winemaster for all Kendall-Jackson wines (the biggest division of Jackson Family Wines), he oversees a massive program of vineyards, winery facilities and employees from his base in Santa Rosa, California, while still handling some of the detailed quality control chores of a winemaker.