Taking out the Laundry
If you have a few extra dollars sitting around and need a celebrity kitchen, Thomas Keller is selling his French Laundry’s temporary kitchen made of four shipping containers that add up to 1,120 square feet. The containers fed lots of people during the French Laundry’s long remodel in Yountville. In the package the purchaser gets Chef Keller’s five brass stars, a “Sense of Urgency” plaque and a blue apron. The price is available to people seriously interested by emailing tempkitchen@frenchlaundry.com.
Bubbles, blooms and more
Gloria Ferrer’s first Bubbles & Blooms Festival will attract fans of Gloria Ferrer bubbles fans and beautiful gardens on Sunday, April 9. Experts from Flower magazine will demo floral arranging, displays, wreaths and flower art installations, and give advice on spring flower and vegetable gardens and outdoor living spaces. And of course they will have plants for sale.
As guests arrive they will receive a glass of Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine and watch a floral arranging presentation at 12:15 p.m. by Kiana Underwood and editor Margot Shaw.
Johanna Silver, senior garden editor of Sunset magazine will update progress on Sunset’s test gardens to grow across Highway 12 at Cornerstone.
At 2:45 p.m. Deborah Thomas of Sonoma Mission Gardens will impart tips on how to create fun flower filled baskets and containers. See seed planting demos at 12:30, 1:30 and 3 p.m., and Mike Crumly will lead walks through the Gloria Ferrer vineyards at 12:15 and 1:15 p.m.
Beth Sogaard will serve lobster stuffed mini potatoes, duck and vegetable spring rolls, scallop skewers, curries, and “deconstructed samosas.” $95. Noon to 4 p.m. 23555 Highway 121, Sonoma. 933-1917.
Easter fun, no waiting...
Larson Family Winery suggests you bring the family down for a photo and an egg hunt for kids 12 and under with the Easter Bunny at 11 a.m. The Easter Bunny will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for photos. RSVP for the egg hunt, or make a table reservation and bring your own picnic (or choose items from their deli case) by visiting larsonfamilywinery.com. 23355 Millerick Road, Sonoma. Contact Joe Ohman at joe@larsonfamilywinery.com, or 938-3031 Ext. 25.
El Dorado Kitchen will serve a prix fixe meal for $45 per person.
Moon breakfast waning
Harvest Moon Café has closed its breakfast attempt, sorry to say. Jen Demarest’s breakfast pastries were superb, and even the decaf coffee was fabulous. Harvest Moon is trying to get the appropriate license to sell at the Friday Farmers Market in the Depot/Arnold Field parking lot. Stay tuned. For other pastry options try Crisp Bakeshop’s at its West Napa Street baking location or on weekends at Sonoma’s Best. And there is always Scandia Bakery and the Basque Boulangerie.
Liquid Moon breakfast waning
Thousands homeless, as the Blue Moon Saloon fades into the sunset. Word is that Rossi’s 1906 will pick up the slack and offer its stage for local bands, and maybe even karaoke to go with its historic bar and barbecue.
The new owners of the Blue Moon, to be reborn as the Starling, hope their farm-to-glass version will remain the “neighborhood bar.”
Raise your hand if you remember Pasali’s cardroom and bar at the same location, same building. The sign used to profess “legal poker,” with only an occasional bar fight and shooting.
