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Olympic Village dining

Murphy’s Irish Pub radio theatre hilarious; Stone Edge Farm helps schools again; Ramekins classes; Portuguese Festival

Purdue University’s head diving coach, Adam Soldati, who grew up in Sonoma and dove for Sonoma Valley High School, reports that the food in London’s Olympic Village is great. Soldati coaches David Boudia, who won bronze in the men’s synchronized diving with Nick McCrory.

  Soldati, 38, attended Santa Rosa Junior College and then got a full scholarship to dive for Indiana University.

  His mother, Carol Soldati said, “He was playing football, basketball and baseball at the high school.” Then someone installed a diving board at the then-high school pool. “When he came home and told us he was going to dive, we thought brain damage had set in. We have always told our boys we would stand behind them 100 percent in whatever they wanted to do. I looked at my husband and said there goes any scholarships. Boy was I wrong!”

  Adam bunked in the Olympic Village this time while his wife, Kimiko, and children stayed with friends in London.

  Adams says the food is “outstanding. Imagine that it is a cafeteria that can feed 10,000 people, so it is big! There are lots of choices … American, Asian, African and of course a big section of British specialties. I am trying not to gain 20 pounds so I eat pretty simple. Lots of salads and Greek yogurt with fruit. And I am a lover of pizza, so I sneak a piece of that in most of my meals. They have some outstanding sourdough pancakes that I have really enjoyed.”

  When I asked about the origins of his pizza passion, Adam admitted that he developed his taste at Mary’s Pizza Shack.

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  Try not to miss the next hilarious episode of live 1940s radio show “Duffy’s Tavern” to be performed at Murphy’s Irish Pub Sunday and Monday, Aug. 26 and 27. Bill O’Neal, Chris Mueller and Tom Wright and I went to the last show and it was pound-the-table funny, whether you remember the original show or not.

  Sharron Simpson directs Julia Maffei Holsworth, Rich Holsworth, Sherril Peterson, Jeremy Berrick and Carson Campbell with perfect accents and use of stand-up mics.  According to Chris Mueller, most of the show was recorded in Puerto Rico where writer Ed Gardner had fled from taxes. San Quentin inmates voted “Duffy’s Tavern” their favorite radio show. Glen Ellen opera singer Jill Wagoner hammed it up during “intermission.”

  The $35 admission includes dinner with salad and a glass of wine or beer. Such a deal. Reserve at 815-6159 or sharronsimpson@comcast.net.

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  Ramekins Culinary School has a few openings for upcoming classes including Chocolate Sourcing and Pairing with chief chocolate-maker Brad Kintzer from San Francisco’s fabulous TCHO New American Chocolate on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Enjoy pairings of chocolate with whiskey, wine and beer. $60. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

  On Friday, Aug. 24, try Dare to Pair Cocktails features artisinal HelloCello pre-prohibition cocktails with a Wine Country twist by Fred and Amy Groth and small bites from Ramekins chefs. Learn to make Watmaugh Strawberry Smash, Cucumber and Basil Julep, Whiskey Cherry Sour and Fig Punch. $85. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Both classes at 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. 721-8837 or ramekins.com.

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  Instead of his usual pre-release party, Dave Homewood will host a Garden Party tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 11, pairing appetizers by Steve and Susan Stone of Yucatan Sunset Catering with his wines. Expect chicken salad tea sandwiches, salmon salad sliders, eggplant and tomato crostini and marinara meatball lollipops – all served with Homewood’s Odmann Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, Los Carneros Pinot Noir and Dry Creek Merlot, Flying Wizzbanger and Dry Creek Hoskin Zinfandel, and his cabernet sauvignon and El Dorado Petite Sirah. Free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 23120 Burndale Road, at Highway 121, Sonoma. 996-6353. Homewood@vom.com.

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  Deborah and Dr. John Emery have been tapped as the Boys & Girls Clubs Sonoma Valley “Sweethearts” for next February’s Sweetheart fundraiser. Deborah served as board president for a few years, succeeded by her good friend and fellow ChaCha, Marchelle Carleton, who is in her third year as president.

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  Many locals attended the terrific lobster boil hosted by the Boys & Girls Club recently beside the lake at Les and Judy Vadasz’s home. A beautiful setting, perfect weather and great food made us all notice how lucky we are to live here. Guests feasted on this year’s surprisingly soft-shell lobsters being caught off the Maine coast.

  Among the giving guests were Annie and Bill Paynter, Carole Downing and Charlie Terzian, Cathy Cellepis and Jim Ledwith, CeeCee and Darryl Ponicsan, Colin Turek, Javier Lema, Michele Jernigan, Tanya and Patrick Baker, Denise Kalos and Julius Schillinger, Ed and Susan Lowe, Erin Riley and Dale Downing, Ethel Daly, George and Karen Rathman, Judy and Chuck Young (longtime UCLA chancellor), Kristee Andrade, Larry and Ginny Krieger, Manuel Merjil and Paul Curreri, Michael and Jette Franks, Norm and Marty Cuckhart, Rebecca and Gary Rosenberg (she’s working on a novel), Robert Jarvis and Cheryl Widdis, Sandy and Dick Drew, Tom and Lisa Duryea, Toni and Chuck Casamento, Valerie Pistole and Jeff Walter, Whitney and Jeanette Evans, Windee Smith and Jeff Christianson, the Carletons and Emerys, and four generations of the always supportive Vadasz family.

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  Irene Cunha-Morgan will host a “Portugese Festa” at the corner of West MacArthur and Fifth Street West, where she lives and grows corn, on Saturday, Aug. 11. Irene promises “food according to the tradition of Queen Elizabeth of Portugal.” Several of her cousins will arrive from Merced as Queen Elizabeth and Festa Queen. 3 p.m.

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  Sign of the Bear hosts three Japanese master knife makers from Sakai, Japan, on Sunday, Aug. 12, to demonstrate “Spirit of the Samurai.” Masters Oe, Enami and Tani will turn raw iron into an engraved finished blade, which Oe will engrave for anyone who purchases one. Owners Laura and Steve Havlek’s 13-year-old son, Cole, just visited these knife-makers’ plant in Sakai with his aunt, Kimberly Nicholas. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 435 First St. W., Sonoma. 996-3722.

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  Also on Sunday, Larson Family Winery teams up with Brenda Hawkes-Bicco of Hawkes Photography for a photo day for dogs, resulting in a portrait of your pet for $35. Proceeds from sales of Larson’s Three Lab Cab and photos will go to Pets Lifeline and Save Our Sports Foundation. Reservations required. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 23355 Millerick Road, Sonoma. Call or email Jennifer Russo at 938-3031, ext. 25, or jennifer@larsonfamilywinery.com.

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  John McReynolds and Stone Edge Farm have made another substantial gift to enable the Sonoma School Garden Project to help a leading teacher circulate to all schools to help garden coordinators improve each school’s garden and teaching practices. Now we want to bring cooking into the program to teach students what to do with the healthy food they are growing.

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  The Cellar Door at The Lodge at Sonoma, representing Chandelle, Guerrero Fernandez and Mayo wineries, now offers a free three-wine tasting flight for Sonoma locals and Lodge guests, with an option of $5 to “Pick 6” from 15 medal winning wines.  938-5862.

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  The owners of the successful Yeti restaurant in Glen Ellen’s Jack London Village have just reopened their Grist Mill enterprise for dinner after four months’ closure. They expect to resume serving lunches in a couple of weeks.

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  Robledo Family Winery and Mamma Tanino’s will pair up for a great sounding winemaker dinner on Wednesday, Aug 22, starting with crustaceans in aqua pazza, heirloom tomato tart with gorgonzola foam, taglioline pasta with wild boar ragu, white sea bass baked in parchment, medallions of filet mignon with black truffle Madeira glaze and Bavarian chocolate cream, all served with Robledo’s finest wines from Sonoma and Lake counties. $75 plus tax and gratuity. 6:30 p.m. 500 W. Napa St., Sonoma. Reserve at 933-8826.

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  Historic Sonoma Plaza Liquors will be closed for a couple of weeks since the jubilant owners, Christian and Rebecca Gosselin Chotkowski, just got permission to create an innovative liquor store with beer and wine tasting and beer and wine by the glass, to be called Proof’D. 

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  Winemaker and developer Steve Ledson and Centre du Vin chef Anthony Schumaker plan a winemaker dinner on Thursday, Aug. 23, with Ledson telling his wine growing and making secrets, while serving wines from both his Ledson and Zina Hyde Cunningham wineries. Schumaker will create a menu of butter lettuce salad with avocado and roasted cherry tomatoes, pan-seared langoustine, duck confit ravioli, filet mignon with fingerling potatoes and asparagus, and chocolate mousse. We look forward to trying the new chef’s specialties. Wine club members $100, non-members $125. 5 to 9 p.m.  Reservations at 996-9779.

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  Following La Luz’s Noche de Casbah coming up Saturday at Hanna Boys’Center, the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation’s Red and White Ball Saturday, Aug. 18, in Sonoma Plaza, Rotary brings its “Applause Sonoma” to Hanna on Saturday,

Aug. 25.

  According to organizers, there will be tons of entertainment in a flash mob sort of format to include Sheila Whitney, Jill Wagoner, Vox Populi, Max Simonet and performances from “A Chorus Line,” “Defying Gravity,” “Grease,” “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Silver Moon Kids Theatre and Murphy’s Mellow-Drama Players, all to benefit the Andrews Hall Theatre Renovation Project (air conditioning).

  Sue and David Crockett “bought” the chance to invite friends to sample the evening’s menu at the home of Jeanne and Chip Allen last Sunday evening. The Crocketts’ guests, Bob and Debby Kweller, Pat and Bobbie Collins and Jim and Wendy Mitchell, sampled Matt and Ron Lawson’s green salad with Matt’s dressing, penne pasta with marinara sauce, braised short ribs, rosemary red potatoes, chicken thighs, roasted asparagus and a mystery dessert. Margie Brooke of Community Café will coordinate food preparation at the event. $120. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Tickets at Sonoma Community Center Box Office or 938-4626.

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  Apparently Samuel Adams brewing company is planning to bring back Jack McAuliffe’s New Albion Ale after 30 years’ absence. McAuliffe had to close the brewery in 1976 after six years in business, according to Shanken News Daily.

  The new pale ale will be produced by the Boston Beer Company and will be available at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver in October, with nationwide distribution to begin in January 2013.

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  Sonoma GayDar had a jolly third anniversary party Sunday afternoon at Estate restaurant.

  Among the guests enjoying the warm afternoon were Brian Sebastian, Jerome Smith and Jose Antonio Luciano Dristas, Kim Ficera, Mary Elyse and Melissa Stone, Manuel Merjil and Paul Curreri, Tom Laughlin and Bob Holloway, Dan Gallagher and Ron Moser, Dan Cassabone, Gary Saperstein, Ryan Lely and Jude Cameron.

  Just in case the membership missed it, the San Francisco Chronicle listed 2012 London Olympics tennis results in last Monday’s sports section (page B8), including “Men’s Mixed Doubles.”