Food & wine news around Sonoma Valley from Kathleen Hill

Late breaking: Delhi Belly, the long anticipated new Indian restaurant on Broadway, opens Saturday, Nov. 21 at 11 a.m. Go if you are eager to try something new. I always wait to let new restaurants get the kinks out.

Mary's Pizza Shack will soon expand its Plaza location westward into the space now occupied by Fleurtique, the little shop that always has pajamas out in front. Raise your hand if you remember Marioni's and its fabulous wood carving décor done by the Lely family before Mary's took over the space, once the school district offices.

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Sarah Anderson's new Chateau Sonoma will celebrate its opening at Cornerstone this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22. All are welcome. You might have noticed her old Chateau Sonoma on West Napa Street is gone, closed, shuttered, fermé. The new one will be loaded with newly acquired French antiques and collectibles and other fun things.

Apparently Nomad Chic, an always interesting clothing store that held 'pop up' sales on East Napa Street, will also open at Cornerstone this weekend.

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Rocket will make and sell Moosetta's-style piroshki next Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They will also reprise brunch on Sunday, Nov. 29 and on New Year's Day, both from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Watch for creative Huevos Benedict, sausage and apricot pancake balls, biscuits and gravy, chilaquiles with two fried eggs, fried chicken and buttermilk waffles, shrimp and grits and Astro Toast with avocado, roasted tomato, arugula, scrambled eggs and lemon chive aioli. ($8 to $16.)

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Sonoma Plaza Kiwanis is selling 'Kiwanis Wine Bags.' Here's how it works: You buy a padded, insulated bag that holds exactly one bottle of wine at Bank of Marin for $30. Then you take the bag with a bottle of wine in it to the Red Grape, the Swiss Hotel, or Saddles Steakhouse and, in return, you get free corkage.

According to Kiwanis President Susan Campbell, the whole $30 goes to Kiwanis' community projects which include clubs at Adele Harrison Middle School and Sonoma Valley High School, scholarships, and even an automated external defibrillator for the Boys & Girls Club. 136 W. Napa St., Sonoma.

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Sam Sebastiani might be 75 years old now (hard to believe), but he is still scoring big. His La Chertosa 2013 Sonoma Valley Reserve Chardonnay just received 91 points from Wine Enthusiast ($25). Sonoma artist Patti Britton designed the label.

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Peter Spann announced on my KSVY radio show last Friday that he and his wife Betsy have opened their new Spann Vineyards tasting room at Sonoma Speakeasy, down a little alley between the Chocolate Cow and La Salette in the Mercado off First Street East.

Sonoma Speakeasy proprietor Robert O'Maoilriain, who has revamped both his professional and personal spaces, will operate the Spann tasting room during the day and magically transform it into his fun music and wine bar venue each evening.

Spann Vineyards closed their tasting room shared with Saret Gallery on East Napa Street a year ago. Since then, Peter Spann has been out selling wine, while Betsy Spann makes the Yin-Yang Chardonnay-Viognier blend (great for Thanksgiving, according to Spann), as well as their Bordeaux varietals cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, and cabernet sauvignon.

Peter will be in the tasting room occasionally, while winemaker Betsy 'does the heavy lifting,' competing as reigning World Powerlifting Champion, having set two new records she held previously in Las Vegas last weekend. Spann tasting $15 for 5 wines, refunded with purchase of two bottles or more. Open 1 p.m. on, depending on day, with music until 10:30 or 11 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. 452 First St. W., Sonoma. 933-8343.

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Wild Thyme will cater the reception to honor Sonoma Treasure artist Barbara White Perry at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art on Thursday, Dec. 3. White Perry has created a fabulous service to Sonoma with her drawings of all of Sonoma's important historic structures, which she has now assembled into an attractive book. (Great gift.).

Her husband, Fred 'The Cookie King' Perry, will whip up a full array of his famous cookies to complement Wild Thyme's food. 5:30 to 7 p.m. 551 Broadway, Sonoma. Reserve your spot by Nov. 24 at 933-2218. $20. Make checks payable to City of Sonoma, No. 1, The Plaza, Sonoma 95476.

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On Saturday afternoon, Dec. 5, I will bring some of the most interesting and newly acquired pieces from my Kathleen Hill Culinary Collection of antique kitchen utensils to Sonoma's Williams-Sonoma. We'll make holiday appetizer recipes from the new 'Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home' cookbook from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The whole event is free, with some tastes included.

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Saturday evening, Dec. 5, Hamel Family Wines at Highway 12 and Madrone Road will celebrate the holidays with their second annual 'Lighting of the Vines,' loaded with snacks, crafts, desserts and wine. The actual lighting of the vines will be at dark, around 5:45 p.m. Hamel asks for a donation of $25 for adults, with all funds going to the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. The Hamel family will match admission proceeds dollar-for-dollar. The fun and spectacular event is for a great cause, the education of our children. 4 p.m. Reserve at 996-5800.

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Mayo Family Winery has hired a new young chef, Sam Frumkin, alum of the Culinary Institute of America, Olivia in Austin, Texas, Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan, and at Santé restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn for their Reserve Room on Arnold Drive at Highway 12.

Check out the seven-course tasting menus. Through December you might enjoy roasted fennel vichyssoise, yellow Thai curry, goat cheese and Wintergreen Kale ravioli, Chinese five-spice brisket, a lamb kebab, a sweet and a cheese. $40 public, $25 wine club. Reserve at 833-5504.

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Nibs & Sips: We await the openings of both Sonoma Grille and Tasca Tasca on West Napa Street, and Delhi Belly on Broadway. Well-liked Cucina Paradiso in Petaluma plans to open a branch in Santa Rosa sometime this month…. Chris Ludwick, owner of Earth's Bounty Kitchen & Wine Bar and Grapevine Catering, has also become executive chef at Monte Rio's Village Inn. Tips Tri-Tip Trolley will now deliver lunch of a half-pound of tri-tip per person, cole slaw, rolls, green salad, grilled vegetables, and disposable utensils and plates, for a minimum of eight people ($120 plus $15 for additional person or $280 for 20 people. info@tipstritip.com, 509-0078.

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Crisp Bakeshop on West Napa Street now serves wines by the glass and bottle, including sparkling and still wines from Gloria Ferrer, plus some of the best from Beltane Ranch, Sojourn Cellars, Muscardini, Bump Cellars, Tin Barn, Annadel Estate, and Anaba.

Andrea Koweek has also added housemade pizza, Spanish tortillas (potato), mini quiches, sandwiches, smoked pork and pork pâté Banh Mi, mushroom vegetarian pâté Banh Mi, pickled egg salad, tuna, and smoked turkey with bourbon Applewood smoked bacon jam sandwiches. Until the end of 2015 purchasers of a glass of wine and a sandwich will get a chocolate chunk cookie for free. 120 W. Napa St., Sonoma. 933-9999.

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Next week: Carol Doda in Sonoma and Thoughts on Paris.

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Have a happy Thanksgiving. Remember to share with others.