Kathleen Hill: Umbria closes; Sweet Pea to open

Umbria Glen Ellen gone

After a couple of months of protestations about the local restaurant scene, Giulio Tempesta suddenly closed his Umbria Glen Ellen restaurant in downtown Glen Ellen last Monday.

A friend went into the Jack London Saloon and was surprised to be handed a new and inviting version of the pre-Umbria Jack London Saloon menu.

Tempesta's answering service said he had just closed and would no longer take reservations. A check with the reservations button on the Umbria website went to Open Table, which stated that the restaurant is, 'not in the reservation network.'

This after saying that he was not going to renew his lease after the end of 2018.

Umbria did have some problems with its ambiance, although we did find the salmon to be quite good. Some people loved the pizza and the 'Da Mayor' combo of lasagna and eggplant parmigiana. Tempesta also spruced up the patio and dining room substantially.

If any restaurateur might be interested in leasing the restaurant itself, contact the Jack London Lodge office at 938-8510.

Back to basics menu at Jack London Saloon

Florentino, the same chef who cooked for the Jack London Saloon and all through Umbria's tenure, is back at the kitchen helm and has created a new menu with some of the old favorites.

Guests will find the good old London Burger with a half-pound of Angus beef, the works and a Cognac sweet relish dressing with cheddar or Swiss cheese served with fries or green salad at $12.50, a barbecue bacon cheese burger, the Sonoma Burger with crisp onion strings, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms and Sonoma Pepper Jack cheese a $15, a BLT for $10, grilled salmon sandwich at $16, or flank steak sando with truffle aioli at $17.

We have not tried the truffled mac & cheese for $13 or the half rack baby back ribs with bourbon sauce. The menu now also includes garlic fries, crispy onion strings, fried calamari, three soft tacos, a baguette with sliced apple and brie cheese, Buffalo or garlic chicken wings, Caesar salads, and an apple and Point Reyes Blue Cheese salad, to which grilled chicken, salmon or flank steak can be added. Fish and chips are missing, but the dish originated elsewhere anyway. $15 corkage. 11 a.m. to closing. At the Jack London Lodge, 13740 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. 938-8510.

McEvoy Ranch food tastings

The Cook Vineyard Management Store for professional and amateur winemakers has slowly morphed into a small food center and mercantile as well.

On Friday, Nov. 30, chef Darnell O. White will demonstrate CVM's new line of McEvoy Ranch specialty food products as a free customer appreciation event, complete with wine tasting.

Other food lines CVM carries include Whidbey Tea, Dick Taylor Chocolate, Soberdough Beer Bread, Dardiman's Dried Fruit, Harry Barker Dog Products, two candle producers, and more, all with complimentary gift wrapping. Event 1 to 3 p.m. 19629 Eighth St. E., Sonoma. 938-7917. Cvmgrapes.com.

Sweet Pea to open Dec. 1

Mystery solved.

Chefs Albert and Zaclyn Rivera will open Sweet Pea Bake Shop & Café on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the former location of Crisp Bakeshop and, briefly, Honey & the Moon, which has moved to Mint and Liberty, formerly the Breakaway Café. They see opening Sweet Pea in Sonoma as their dream and a job for which they have been training for their whole careers.

Watch for the Riveras to prepare pastries, breakfast sandwiches, a variety of cakes, coffee and espresso and 'signature desserts.'

Among the breakfast treats we might expect will be ham and cheese on a pretzel croissant to which you can add an egg; a BLAT with bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato on housemade sourdough English muffins to which you can also add on egg; a housemade bagel with smoked salmon, fromage blanc, red onions and capers and a seasonal frittata.

Check out some croissant variations such as churro and pretzel; Rice Krispies treats with eggnog and gingerbread flavors; sourdough English muffins; cannoli, seasonal scones such as persimmon, almond and pear chai. Canneles baked in traditional copper molds coated in a beeswax butter mixture baked until caramelized outside and custard center - flavors include classic vanilla rum, elderflower, Thai tea, and mocha; French macarons such as birthday cake, raspberry, German chocolate, eggnog (for the season) and more; Kougin Amman like croissants but finished with two layers of sugar, with a crispy caramel crunch.

After working in the Google kitchens, Albert and Zaclyn started baking in their home kitchen two years ago and got their retail start at the Napa Valley Farmers Market, soon selling their goodies at Oakville Grocery, Boon Fly Café and La Toque restaurant. This is their first brick-and-mortar bake shop.

The first 50 customers to show up for the grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2 will receive a mini pretzel croissant. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Tuesday. 702 W. Napa St., Sonoma.

Dungeness crab season opens

Commercial crab season started last Thursday, Nov. 15, while recreational crabbing began on Saturday, Nov. 3.

This means that if your Thanksgiving or other holiday feast tradition includes Dungeness crab, you are in luck.

Broadway Market's Dungeness crab is $8.99 a pound, cracked and cleaned. It starts at $9.99 a pound, cracked and cleaned, at Sonoma Market as of Sunday and their price usually climbs upward during the season. Currently crabbers are receiving $3.50 a pound for their work.

Glen Ellen Village Market's crab supply had not come in as expected on Monday; staff in the meat department said crab will be $10.98 a pound. If size does indeed matter, some crabbers are catching small ones, which they have to put back, while claiming that speaks well for next year's crop.

Recent crab seasons have been delayed due to an overload of domoic acid, which can make crabs or crab-filled humans sick.

I double checked and was told at Sonoma Market that their Dungeness crab is all from Half Moon Bay, which is within the safe zone, south of Bodega Bay, according to the San Francisco Community Fishing Association.

The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations filed a suit last Wednesday on behalf of crabbers from California and Oregon claiming that '30 fossil fuel companies are responsible for warming oceans that are believed to be responsible for the delayed seasons and subsequent economic losses,' according to the complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court.

Sherpas spread restaurant wings

First Pemba Salaka and his 'cuisine brother' Pasang Temba Sherpa bought La Casa Mexican restaurant here in Sonoma. Locals were a little skeptical about Sherpas running a Mexican restaurant, but the Sherpas fooled everyone and hired Mexican chefs. Many people believe the food at La Casa has improved tremendously.

Being hard working and penny-wise, the duo opened Yak & Yeti in Napa in 2017. Yak & Yeti offers Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan food and has become popular among Napa locals. Their goal in Napa has been to prepare the 'dishes fed to trekkers on their way to the Everest base camp,' according to their website – things like kabobs, chicken tikka masala, momos and vegetables pakor -- all at reasonable prices.

Pemba is also lead owner of Sonoma Taxi in his spare time.

And now they spread their culinary delights to Petaluma and plan to take over what has been called Everest Indian restaurant during the first week in December, renaming the restaurant simply Everest Restaurant where they will serve a menu similar to theirs at Yak & Yeti in Napa. 56 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 781-9131.

Meanwhile, back at Sonoma Grille, Nima Sherpa is casually looking for a second location. He wants to silence the rumor that he is buying Schellville Grill.

Long timers thankful for…

With more and more changes coming to the business community, we have lots of new entities showing up. But many locals long for what was and find change difficult.

Recently locals have reminisced about those changes and the businesses they replaced, much of the talk prompted by the end of the Breakaway Café and the beginning of Mint and Liberty at the onetime Lyon's restaurant in Maxwell Village shopping center. Many Sonomans who can afford to go out are trying M&L, as they often do new restaurants, but lots of people have decided to still call it 'the Breakaway.' Then everyone knows what you mean.

Same with Wine Country Garden Center, which will always be 'Wedekinds' to many. Or Friedman's will always be Farrell's, and Jalisco Tortilleria is still identified as PDQ hamburgers. Chico's was Simmons Drug Store, and Sbragia tasting room was Friedman's Drug Store. The bike shop is still the L&N donut shop and greasy spoon. Sonoma Market by Nugget will always be Sonoma Market under its former ownership, or even Valley Mart to some. Sweet Pea (not yet open) will still be Crisp Bakeshop, even though the Hahns' Honey & the Moon Bakeshop moved to Mint and Liberty. And then the Feed Store, now Corner 103 and the Red Grape.

Food news with a twist

Jenny-O Turkey products are being recalled, including packages of ground turkey, due to a salmonella outbreak. The 1-pound packages of raw ground turkey are sold nationwide.

Their dates might have expired by now, but if you have any, throw it away. Do not consume.

Mary's Pizza Cookbook signings

Mary's Pizza Shack owners, the Fazio family, will sign copies of 'Mary's Italian Family Cookbook' next week at their two Sonoma restaurants. It's a chance to purchase and get dedications on the first edition of a local cookbook loaded with lots of Mary's Pizza Shack recipes.

Catch them at the Sonoma Plaza Mary's on Thursday, Nov. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m., and at the Boyes Hot Springs restaurant on Friday, Nov 30 from noon to 2 p.m.

Bedrock, Cline and Landmark make Top 100

Wine Spectator just released its Top 100 wines in the world for 2018, and three Sonoma Valley wineries made the prestigious list.

The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Valley 2016 vintage ($46) placed 10th, a real achievement for sure.

Cline Cellar's Zinfandel Contra Costa County Ancient Vines from 2016 ($15) came in 40th, and Landmark Vineyard's Overlook Chardonnay from 2016 ($25) achieved a proud 78th.