Driver bangs into EDK wall, thinks he escapes; Quickie hot breakfasts; Rocky chickens at Safeway? Angelo’s Meats burns; Mac & Cheese results; Nibs & Sips

In case you saw the yellow police taping, a gardener, and other crafts people around the El Dorado Hotel, it wasn’t just for new landscaping construction.

Omar Nonato, 20, attempting a left turn in his Kia from Spain Street onto First Street West late last Wednesday night, plowed right through the upright supporting the Eldorado’s upstairs balcony, through the large hefty clay pot planter, and then into the hotel’s outer wall. And he went home. The only trouble was that he left his front bumper at the hotel.

A local policeman remembered stopping a young man in a Kia weeks ago, went to Nonato’s house and found the Kia minus its front bumper. Apparently Nonato told police he thought maybe he hit something.

Someone with a sense of humor at EDK posted a sign in front saying the special of the day was a Harvey Wall Banger.

HHH

I learned about the incident last Friday morning while I was at the stop sign on First Street West and Spain Street. A Sonoma friend was crossing First Street in the crosswalk, with all traffic obeying rules and waiting for her to cross. Suddenly a black SUV bolted around the corner, turning left from Spain, and nearly mowed her down. She put up her hand, yelled and backed up. The driver treated her as if it was all her fault and kept going.

While I am sure local businesses enjoy the uptick in visitors from everywhere, tourists need to learn that Sonoma’s Plaza-surrounding streets are not a mall for them to drive me-first and walk and cross anywhere they want to as if they own it. Please, folks, as Ellen DeGeneres says, “Be kind to one another.”

HHH

Sonoma Valley now has at least three quickie hot breakfast opportunities, the latest being Sonoma Market’s individually cooked omelets made by house chef Mario at Joyce Parsons’ sample table. Well-thought-out choices include ham, bacon, onion and cheese; mushroom, spinach, tomatoes and cheese; or chorizo, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions. Customers and Parsons all agree that at $5.99 a pound they average about $4 each, a real bargain. Sonoma Market already has its early morning hot bar with scrambled cheese or plain eggs, bagels, biscuits and meats.

Lorene Reed’s Planet Organics, in the old Nicholas Turkey office building at Riverside Drive and Petaluma Avenue, offers super filling, relatively healthy crepes with a wide variety of fillings and mixtures, all made before your eyes. And the cute coffee cart at the gas station at West Napa Street and Second Street West makes quickie breakfast burritos along with good coffee drinks and picnic tables for a little outdoor “dining.”

HHH

Boncora Biscotti will continue under the loving guidance of the late Bonnie Tempesta’s daughter, Daniela Tempesta, thank heavens. A busy San Francisco psychotherapist, Daniela decided to see what the biscotti dough felt like between her fingers and immediately felt a connection to her mother and grandmother, who developed the business twice with Bonnie’s aunt’s recipe.

Saying ”I felt my mother’s presence all around me and my heart expanded,” Daniela told her husband, “I’ve got to do this!”

HHH

In what appeared to be a special localized Safeway flier that showed up in mailboxes wrapped around their normal mailer, the bottom half of the page advertised free-range Rocky whole chickens “locally raised in and around Sonoma County, CA” at only $1.99 per pound, drumsticks at $2.99 a pound, and boneless skinless breasts or thighs at $5.99.

Sonoma Market is selling Rocky chix for $1.99 a pound, but they look quite large.

So Sunday I went to Safeway to check out the new offering. Not only were there no Rocky chickens in any form, but I couldn’t find one staffer or checker who had any idea what I was talking about. Interesting.

HHH

Sondra Bernstein’s Suite D will host a “Girl & The Deep Blue Sea Pop-up” on Sunday, March 1, starting with bouillabaisse and crab chowder shooters along with bite-size oyster po’ boys. The main course will feature fried smelt and fried calamari, shrimp Louie salad, pan-seared black cod with baby shrimp fried rice, and housemade sorbet as a “palate cleanser.” $58. BYOW, no corkage. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 21800 Schellville Road, Sonoma. Tickets at Eventbrite.com.

HHH

TripAdvisor named Ledson Hotel the “Number One” hotel in Sonoma recently. Interestingly, Ledson’s Centre du Vin has closed for good. Apparently Steve Ledson is planning ”something big.” I know he has wanted to attract a well-known chef for his elegant European-style cafe.

HHH

Angelo’s Meats on Adobe Road in Petaluma suffered a fire that damaged container cars loaded with owner Angelo Ibleto’s sauces. Known for its beef jerky, the shop, thousands of pounds of meat, and the Ibleto family were all safe after the blaze, apparently started by a spark from a knife sharpener Ibleto was using minutes before.

Support the family and their operation at Angelo’s meats on Arnold Drive/Highway 121 south of Sonoma.

HHH

On Sunday, the only day Sheana Davis’ cheese conference was open to the public, Ramekins’ large room was loaded with samples from artisan cheesemakers, bread, pastries, wine, beer, and restaurant chefs who had made competition mac & cheese. The tie for first went to Kendall-Jackson Winery with their bacon, kale and onion mac & cheese (quite salty) and Ramekins’ executive chef Doug MacFarland’s creative bacon-wrapped mac & cheese with Valley Ford Estero Gold cheese and a Romesco sauce.

Wild Thyme chef Keith Filipello’s rendition of Ig Vella’s (mother’s) original mac & cheese tied for second with Murphy’s Irish Pub’s version loaded with Rogue stout.

HHH

Sons of Italy Valley of the Moon Lodge #1959 throws its annual scholarship dinner and dance loaded with appetizers, great roast beef, pasta and more on Saturday, March 7, at the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building. Dance to Showcase after dinner. Amazingly, the food is still organized by Chef Phyllis Serafini, so it should be good. $40. No host bar and appetizers at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Dancing 8 to 11 p.m. 126 First St. W., Sonoma. Reservations required. Call Phyllis Serafini at 938-5691 or Karen Carroll at 938-1295.

HHH

If you followed Travels with Henri or would just like to hear about this year’s Chateau Sonoma trip to France, come to meet Lizzie, owner of Chateau Dumas where we stayed and based our fabulous culinary and antiques trip. Lizzie will only be here briefly, so come to Sarah Anderson’s Chateau Sonoma on Sunday, March 8, to ask Lizzie questions, sip champagne, nibble macarons, and hear all about this September’s fresh and exciting itinerary. There were several people on the waiting list from last year, so hurry. Free. Noon to 5 p.m. 153 W. Napa St., Sonoma. Call 935-8553 for more information or to sign up or go to chateausonoma.com.

HHH

Larson Family Winery is calling all entries for its annual Limerick Contest for ages 21 and up. Submit your entries to the “I Got Lucky at Larson Limerick Contest” at the winery through Saturday, March 9. Send entries to joe@larsonfamilywinery.com or take them in person to the winery. Grand prize is a Larson Family Winery Circle M Wine club membership for a year. Free. Rules at larsonfamilywinery.com. 23355 Millerick Road, Sonoma. 938-3031, ext. 15.

HHH

Marchelle and Curt Carleton recently hosted a small dinner to christen their new kitchen, more than doubling the size of the previous version with lots of artistic painting around the walls and a mosaic version of the Chianti rooster over the stove. They even have a raised “dining table” niche for their dog so it doesn’t have to bend over too far to reach the food bowl.

A chef named Peaches, a large man with a delicate touch, crafted the meal for his Touche Mobile Chefs Company. Peaches’ business partner is named Chay Woerz, hence the name, apparently.

Larry and Ginny Krieger, Marchelle’s mother Barbara Adams, Deborah and John Emery (just returned from India), and Lars Asbjornsen and Cindy Frank enjoyed perfect deviled eggs with prosciutto crisps and foie gras on toasted broiche with apricot apple butter; tomato bisque full of fresh Dungeness crab; black truffle Parmesan risotto with two Diver scallops; steak Florentine or salmon; and a trio of sorbets with raspberries and Valrhona dark chocolate drizzle.

Among the guests were two former, one current, and one future president of the Boys & Girls Club board of directors – a great group of dedicated community servants from our business community.

Touche will serve as executive chefs of the late March Sonoma International Film Festival.

HHH

Apparently the members of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, which will host its second annual Sonoma Salmon Celebration Dinner and Fundraiser on Friday, March 13, at Ramekins Culinary School, have had enough salmon for a night.

Chef Doug MacFarland will prepare a dinner of wild arugula salad with pickled strawberries and goat cheese crostini; grilled fillet with Bordelaise sauce and 5th Street Farms kale, roasted fingerling potatoes and crispy leeks, with spring risotto as a vegetarian option. Dessert will be almond financier with lime curd and a coconut tuile.

Attendees get to trade fish stories, nibble hors d’oeuvres, sip cocktails and Benziger Family wines and contribute through silent and open auctions. All funds go to the GGSA’s salmon restoration projects.

According to spokesperson Michael Coats, The GGSA is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fisherman, businesses, restaurants, tribes, environmentalists, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. $125. 5:30 p.m. 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. Tickets at 855-251-4472 or goldengatesalmonassociation.com.

HHH

Roll Global, the holding company of Stewart and Lynda Resnick of Los Angeles and owner of Kenwood’s Landmark Winery, has purchased the American part of Mercier Group, making Roll Global the largest grower of grapevines in the U.S. Mercier owns vine nurseries, and Roll Global already owned Vintage Nurseries. Roll also owns Teleflora, POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, fruit and nut companies, Paramount Citrus, Neptune Pacific Line, Justin Vineyards & Winery, and Suterra, a pest control company.

HHH

Nibs & Sips:

Guy Fieri decided not to appeal his rejected winery development plan near Santa Rosa ... Jean Arnold Sessions is now director at Patz & Hall Winery. ... Meg McConahey of Glen Ellen wrote a fabulous story about Sonoma novelist and fellow France traveler Tony Eglin and his newest novel, “The Alcatraz Rose” in the Press Democrat. ... Joshua Murray has ascended to executive chef of The Lodge at Sonoma and soon will also take over as chef at the hotel’s Carneros Bistro, following Andrew Wilson’s migration to Dry Creek Kitchen. ... Robert O’Maoilriain has morphed his Eric K. James tasting room into Sonoma Speakeasy, with loads of great music including his own all-body bluesie vocals.

HHH

The recent lovely celebration of Carole “Kitty” MacKay’s life at Trinity Episcopal Church was packed with friends from England to Richmond and Sonoma. Husband, Bruce MacKay, and Kitty met at Fairchild Semiconductor years ago, and he eventually managed several elegant wine tasting rooms while she dealt in antiques.

Bruce arranged for Margie Brooke’s Community Cafe to prepare Kitty’s favorite meal, which several of us enjoyed with them on New Year’s Days. Everyone who sampled the food agreed that the red beans and rice, gumbo, fried chicken and corn bread were perfect. In fact the gumbo went so fast that Bruce never even got a taste. I wish Margie Brook served this menu at her restaurant.

Bruce also flew in gospel singer Anthony Whigham, who got his start opening for Little Richard.

HHH

Today is both National Strawberry Day and National Kahlua Day. Enjoy!

HHH

Next week: A second taste of Oso.

Today is both National Strawberry Day

and National Kahlua Day. Enjoy!