Rossi’s new menu, Gloria Ferrer does tapas and more foodie news from around the Valley

Food news from around the Valley|

Rossi's 1906 owner Max Young has made over his menu for broader appeal, emphasizing 'more farm to table menu items' and opening for lunch Wednesday through Sunday.

Rossi's will keep its barbecue staples such as St. Louis cut ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken, fried chicken over Texas toast and burgers. Check out the new seasonal salads, a shiitake mushroom plate with forbidden rice, braised pork cheeks over polenta, broccoli and farro salad or a spring pea salad with house bacon, farm egg (aren't they all?) and spring onions.

Young cites local purveyors such as Marin-Sonoma Produce Co., definitely local Flatbed Farms, Rancho Gordo and Sweetwater Spectrum's farm.

Great to see they are offering lighter fare.

And thanks to Rossi's for being 'home' for many important local humanitarian fundraisers for everything from new Latino businesses to cancer medical care needs. Last weekend they held one for Bryan Byrd's chemo expenses. (We are still the only industrialized nation in the world where people have to hold fundraisers and sell cupcakes to pay for life-saving medical treatment.)

Bryan and his wife Penny (a.k.a. Popo the Clown) have a fundraising site. If you can help, go to https://www.gofundme.com/e5uwk3ck. Rossi's hours: 11:30 a.m. to midnight Wednesday, until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. 401 Grove St. 343-0044. Rossis1906.com.

Escrow closes on Sonoma Market

'Sonoma Market will close in two ways at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, May 31. The escrow on the sale will close, and at 7 p.m. Nuggett officials will go into the store to do inventory. On Wednesday, June 1, the store will reopen at 5 a.m. under new ownership, according to manager Al Minero.

Gloria Ferrer offers tapas series

To honor the winery's Sonoma location's 30th anniversary, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards will host a series of yummy sounding tapas tastings on the first Thursday of each month, June through August. Each evening will highlight a Spanish specialty and performer, starting with Tip-Top Tapas and the Barrio Manouche Band on June 2. Sounds lovely. $35 public, $30 wine club members. 23555 Highway 121. Tickets at gloriaferrer.com or 933-1917.

Bottle Rock food vendors and star chefs

The only Sonoma Valley food truck to brave this weekend's sold-out BottleRock's crowds will be the Pryfogles' Tips Tri-Tips Trolley, which will join many Napa Valley food sources to feed those of you with tickets who like big crowds and big music. And some very big-name food.

Watch for booths from Morimoto, Bouchon Bakery, Meadowood, Oenotri, La Toque, Ca' Momi, Mustards, Angèle, Hurley's, Bounty Hunter, Cole's Chop House, Redd, Bistro Don Giovanni, Fumé, Allegria, Eight Noodle Shop, Smoke, Gerard's Paella, El Porteño, Bacon, Bacon, Sweetie Pies, Three Twins Ice cream, Kara's Cupcakes, Sage Vegan Bistro, and lots of pizza and Indian food.

Ari Weisswasser is the only Sonoma Valley chef who will actually cook to music along with a star-studded line-up of Napa and national television chefs. Michael Mina will join Seattle's Pike Place fish throwers and former 49er Dwight Clark, who will try to catch the fish. Gordon Ramsay will be his irreverent self, drummers Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters will drum to the mixing of Chef Michael Voltagio.

Napa's revered Masaharu Morimoto and others who will cook to the music include Chris Cosentino, Tyler Florence, Mei Lin, Charles Phan, Ken Frank, and Mourad Lahlou. Liam Mayclem will ham it up at the mic.

Divewalk expands hours

Divewalk Café, the slightly funky cool pho spot next to Sonoma Springs Brewery in the old Nicholas Turkey Farms headquarters building, is closed through Sunday, May 29 and is also hiring lots of positions to expand its hours.

Mixing cultures, Divewalk offers full-meal savory and sweet crêpes, pho, a wonderful curry soup, Hanoi tacos, bánh mi sandwiches made on Basque soft rolls, salads and coffees. And occasionally you might be treated to creative performances by home-schooled high school students.

Hill, Stornetta 'ecstatic'

Ned Hill and Matt Stornetta sign with the Henry Wine Group

Old Sonoma farm and wine growing family members Ned Hill and Matt Stornetta, who created a new winery called Sonoma Collection District 3 a couple of years ago, have announced that they and their wines have joined the huge international wine distribution company, the Henry Wine Group.

Stornetta said in a press release, 'We are ecstatic to be working with THWG. Aside from our dirty jeans and their sharp slacks we both desire to offer great wines at value prices… We look forward to sharing our story with THWG team and clients.'

Sonoma Collection District 3 2013 Red Blend was named a '2015 Top 10 Hot Brands' by Wine Business Monthly. Their chardonnays have received scores of 90 and 91 from various wine blogs. Hill owns La Prenda Vineyards Management, where Matt Stornetta serves as operations manager.

Young gardeners

High school ag students grow and plant veggies for Sonoma Raceway

In a truly aw-shucks full-circle move, Sonoma Valley High School agriculture students grew veggie starts in their school garden's greenhouse this spring under the guidance of ag teacher Karling Skoglund.

Students Jarrett Jacobson, Nick Vides, Alondra Sanchez, Cielo Pena, and Kelsey Evans presented several flats of starter plants to Sonoma Raceway president Steve Page in thanks for the raceway's gift of 90 fruit trees to our Sonoma School Garden Project, NASCAR's Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program, UPS and the Arbor Day Foundation.

They were joined in planting in the raceway's garden - originated by former culinary director Victoria Campbell, Jere Starks and myself - by Levy Restaurant's Sonoma Raceway chef Will Quesada, who grows vegetables at home, and has expanded the size of the garden and is excited to use these veggies in the raceway's food service.

June 4 local fundraisers

Teen Services Sonoma holds its super important Cowboy Cab fundraiser at Sonoma's historic Barracks on Saturday, June 4 featuring 'stick to your ribs cowboy grub' from Rocket with help from Lovin' Oven, a whole lot of fun and cowboy hats and boots, Diamond Jim Corbett & the Country All-Stars, a live auction, wine from Nacimento Vineyards & Winery and 3 Badge Beverage, and Lagunitas beer included. $75. 6 to 10 p.m. 36 E. Spain St., Sonoma. Tickets at teensrvicessonoma.org.

Rotary, Moose team up

Sonoma Valley Rotary and Sonoma Moose Lodge combine efforts Saturday, June 4 to raise funds to upgrade the Moose Lodge's kitchen. Roger Declercq of Sonoma Gourmet will serve as chief chef turning out a whole roast pig, lamb meatballs, slow smoked beef brisket, salads, vegetables and other side dishes.

Best of all, you might just get to expose yourself to the sight of the lovely Ron Lawson and Sam Morphy in their famous hula skirts, plus a silent auction, raffle prizes and dancing to the Scallywags. $40 4 to 11 p.m. 20580 Broadway, Sonoma. Tickets at 996-3877 or sonomamoose.org.

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