Kathleen Hill: Pancakes, breakfasts and the ‘next Andrea Bocelli’

Firehouse ?Pancakes Sunday Our Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Open House & Pancake Breakfast rolls into town again this Sunday, Oct.|

Firehouse ?Pancakes Sunday

Our Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Open House & Pancake Breakfast rolls into town again this Sunday, Oct. 23 to the delight of kids, parents and grandparents of all ages, shapes and sizes at the Al Mazza Fire House on Second Street West.

Besides half the town showing up for a substantial breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, milk and coffee, firefighters and spouses hold a Halloween Costume Contest, give rides on old fire engines, offer face painting and balloons, a jumpy house, demonstrations, information booths and lots more. $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 children age 5 to 12, and free for kids 4 and under. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information in Spanish and English at svfra.org/open-house, or 996-2102. Coloring contest online. 620 Second St. W., Sonoma. svfra@svfra.org.

Breakfasts ?over-easy at Readers’

Katie Sullivan Morford, author of “Rise and Shine – Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings” from Ten Speed Press and a Berkeley resident, will present her book next Wednesday, Oct. 26 at our Last Wednesday Food Group at Readers’ Books.

The book offers 75 fun, quick and easy breakfast recipes to appeal to families. Morford is a nutritionist with three children, so she should know.

The books are already at Readers’ so go in and get your copy at our LWFG 15 percent discount, make something to share if you wish, and see you next Wednesday. Free. 7 to 8:30 p.m. 130 E. Napa St., Sonoma. 939-1779.

Rossi’s 1906 to close after Halloween party and regroup

Max Young, owner of Rossi’s 1906, formerly the Little Switzerland, will close the historic bar and restaurant for two months after its Halloween party on Saturday, Oct. 29 with VooDoo Dolly, which plays covers of Siouxie and the Banshees.

Young says that he almost has a local chef lined up to take over (rumors abound) to become a managing partner and start over with a new concept and fresh start for the location after some remodeling in 2017.

Young owns several bars in San Francisco and Oakland and admits sadly that the concept he tried just didn’t work at Rossi’s. He said it was especially hard living in San Francisco with his kids in San Francisco schools and coming to Sonoma.

In the meantime, check James Marshall Berry’s column for the next two weeks’ music lineups and give the place a great sendoff.

Burger joint coming ?to El Primo Taqueria

Watch for a simple burger joint to show up after substantial remodel of the former El Primo Taqueria on Highway 12 in Boyes Hot Springs. Apparently the organizers of the outdoor white pop-ups are behind it.

Glorious Bites winner

Chera Little of Leander, Texas won this year’s nationwide Glorious Bites Competition hosted by Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards last weekend with her “Miso-Maple Glazed Cod Wonton-Cho’s with Crispy Bok Choy Slaw.”

Little, who lost her husband just three months ago to brain cancer, said he encouraged her to enter the competition. “My late husband was my biggest cheerleader. He loved won tons, he loved cream cheese and he loved fish. This dish was inspired by him,” said Little. “I am very excited and very humbled. This has been an incredible experience.”

1920s Murder Mystery Dinner to Die For

Grab your fedoras, pin stripe suits and flapper dresses if you can find them, for this fun Murder Mystery dinner just before Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 29. Put on by Suite D and Corner 103, the meal will include passed hors d’oeuvres of blinis and mussels, followed by a dinner of Dayboat scallops, smoked short ribs with squash and kale, cheeses and chocolate tarts, all paired with Lloyd Davis’s Corner 103 wines. Help solve the mystery throughout the evening. $115 general; 13 percent discount for Fig social club and Corner 103 wine club members. Reserve at figsuited.com.

Speaking of Suite D, a group of us who attended this past Sunday’s Supper concluded that this was their best Sunday feast ever. The roasted beet salad with Laura Chanel’s Herb Chèvre Crema was divine, as were the crispy chicken with fall squash and bacon hash, followed by small chocolate orange eclairs with crème Anglaise. Suite D Sunday Supper menus available online at figsuited.com.

Harvest Dinner & ?Barn & Zin Release Party

The Beltane Ranch family invites us to join in their Zinfandel Release Harvest Dinner & Barn Party featuring music by Twang Ditty in Beltane’s slightly modified horse barn on Saturday, Nov. 5.

This is always one heck of a party, all done in good taste at certified sustainable Beltane Ranch with hors d’oeuvres, estate wines, a ranch-to-table dinner, dancing, fireside desserts and roping lessons, the latter being my favorite part.

The evening’s menu by Beltane Chef Lauren Kershner will include lots of appetizers, cream of heirloom tomato soup with a pimento cheese brioche sandwich; grilled peppercorn-crusted filet of beef with zinfandel beurre rouge, seared scallops, fennel-beet salad, and root vegetable purée; followed by warm dark chocolate brownie with fig balsamic ice cream. Beltane winemaker Kevin Holt will introduce his wines. $185 public; $115 wine club members. 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets at wine@beltaneranch.com or 833-4233, ext. 102.

Vintners & Growers Gingerbread Competition

Winery tasting room staffs are officially challenged to construct food-based gingerbread houses that may resemble their wineries for this annual contest that runs throughout December. The public goes around to tasting rooms to vote on each display.

Materials might include gingerbread, graham crackers and handmade edible decorations. It’s also legit to invite a local baker to help bake. More info at sonomavalleywine.com.

Speaking of the SVVGA, its executive director, Maureen Cottingham, just gave birth last Thursday to baby number two, Cash Stephen Lamb Cottingham who surfaced at 19 inches, 7 pounds, 14 ounces with blue eyes and brown hair. Quincey is a proud “big” sister and Adam is a doting father, of course. Congratulations to all Cottinghams and their newest version, whose name sounds like a country singer for sure.

Maysonnave House fundraiser wows in the rain

The Sonoma League for Historic Preservation’s Sunday fundraising luncheon, sponsored by Gene and Ethel Daly, brought Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito to entertain. Bruce Riezenman of Park Avenue Catering and his crew somehow served a warm lunch while running it from their outdoor cooking tent to the dining tent in pouring rain.

Guests enjoyed panzella salad, slow roasted pork shoulder with Romano beans, followed by apple cake with mascarpone cream. Buena Vista donated their 2014 Founder’s Red Blend and Isaac Jenkins gave his Clarbec 2012 Greggarious Carneros Chardonnay.

Then came the stunner. Gene Daly, who might tell an occasional puffy story, introduced Pasquale Esposito as the “next Andrea Bocelli.” Daly sat down, the musicians returned to the stage, and then in walked a gorgeous big Italian, impeccably dressed in tapered jeans, tweed jacket bulging with muscles in the sleeves, and a smile to light up the sky.

And then the voice. Gene Daly was absolutely right. One of those singers you can understand in any language, and he sang in Italian and Spanish. He told how he learned Spanish working with Mexicans in the back room of a Starbuck’s. I sat next to Pasquale’s wife and manager, Samira (who met him at the Palo Alto Starbuck’s where he was working), his voice coach Joseph Frank and Councilmember Madolyn Agrimonti.

Bottom line, the fundraiser made about $20,000 for maintenance of Maysonnave House, thanks to Ethel and Gene Daly’s vow to match everything raised that day.

Watch for Pasquale Esposito’s second PBS special, expected to air in March 2017.

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