Kathleen Hill: Bites and lights, Fig Cafe opens, Salt & Stone closes (for the week)

It all started years ago lighting a large tree in the southwest corner of Sonoma Plaza in memory of a community member who had passed away.

Now it includes lighting of thousands of lights throughout the plaza with a big community celebration and a happy chance to get together again, sensibly spaced, of course.

This year performances will include Transcendence Theatre Company, the fabulous Grupo Folklorico Quezalán, and the Sonoma All Stars. 5 to 8 p.m.

And there will be lots of food in the horseshoe with choices from the Black Piglet food truck, Tips Tri-Tips Trolley and Di Filippo Pizza.

Across Napa Street, Miranda Ives wants people to come to her Sausage Emporium for new cocktails including the “Grinch Cocktail,” local wines, flatbreads, a “Kalamata compound butter garlic loaf,” their regular sausage-centric menu including warming mac ‘n’ cheese, plus $5 mulled wine for adults (my mother used to make the best mulled wine), $5 hot dogs for kids and $3 hot chocolate for kids as well.

Sausage Emporium will also give out free candy canes and guests will be greeted by “Emporium Elves” at the door of their “Crown Bar” and “Christmas Garden.”

Fig Café & Wine Bar reopens in Glen Ellen

As promised, the Fig Café & Wine Bar in Glen Ellen re-opened last Friday, Nov. 12 and is already sold out for Thanksgiving dinner. Their five-month closure was brought on by COVID-19, which prompted John Toulze and staff decided to focus on the Girl & the Fig in downtown Sonoma.

But you have lots of other chances now to enjoy their signature fig and arugula salad with or without pancetta, chèvre cheese, toasted pecans and a fig and port vinaigrette; bacon and sausage pizza with garlic confit, Kalamata olives, arugula and four cheeses; their famous beef bourguignon with baby carrots, Cipollini onions, Cremini mushrooms and roasted potatoes; pan-seared shrimp with grilled kale, capers, lemon and creamy polenta; as well as a roasted root vegetable ragout with strozzapeti pasta and Parmesan. Free corkage through only through Dec. 31. Free corkage will end in January.

Fig Café & Wine Bar’s new hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Step toward “normal” at Reel & Brand

Kevin Kress announced a step toward normalcy by bringing back both Reel & Brand’s beef chili in a sourdough bread bowl and their abundant clam chowder that used to have at least two whole clams in the shell in it, also in a sourdough bread bowl. Both are $12 each.

Fans of their “rolls” will be happy as well with the return of their flaming Lip Roll and the Mac Roll. Flaming lips sound intriguing but consists of salmon, cream cheese, jalapeno and spicy sauce. The Mac Roll is not mac ‘n’ cheese but spicy tempura Ahi tuna with macadamia nuts and sweet and spicy sauce. $16 each as appetizers. Plus their regular menu. 401 Grove St., Sonoma. 938-7204.

Salt & Stone closed this week

Fans of Salt & Stone or those just driving up or down Highway 12 might have noticed it is closed.

Their website says, “We will be closed for renovations Nov. 1 through 21. We look forward to seeing everyone when we reopen on Nov. 22.” They also encourage everyone to make reservations for Thanksgiving with some additions to their regular menu such as Diestel Ranch turkey with sourdough stuffing, roasted root vegetables Yukon Gold mashers, red wine cranberry compote and turkey velouté. $49.

Other entrées include salt crusted Angus beef prime rib, porchetta, crispy skin salmon, duck confit with white bean ragout and roasted spaette squash. ($43 to $60). It looks as if the entire Thanksgiving dinner is determined by the entrée price with appetizers and dessert included. 9900 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood. 833-6326.

Darling and Sweet Scoops ice cream give thanks

Darling and Sweet Scoops ice cream shops owners Joe and Ramie are giving a portion of every sale in the month of November to Cancer Support of Sonoma, as they promised before opening.

Cancer Support Sonoma is an effort by Sonoma Valley Hospital foundation and North Bay Cancer Alliance to offer integrative therapies for people undergoing or surviving cancer treatments. As part of their work they offer classes in yoga, pilates, Qi Gong and mindful meditation. Darling is named for their Auntie Dar who died too young of cancer.

Thank you Sweet Scoops and Darling!

GunBun gratitude and peeled garlic

Jeff Bundschu, president of Gundlach Bundschu winery, posted what he and GunBun are grateful for, every day.

In his order of priorities, Bundschu said the things he is grateful for include family, friends, health, hot water, pre-peeled garlic and podcasts.”

He continued in his message, “Seriously, there is so much to appreciate wherever I look, I guess I’m most grateful for the ability to notice. For us, being grateful on a daily basis is at the core of who we are, and we’d be grateful if our wines could be part of your holiday celebrations.” Clever.

Ovello asks for alcohol permit

Dr. Doreen Marino of Salumeria Ovello asked the Planning Commission last night to “amend the existing Use Permit to allow alcohol sales for a restaurant (Ovello) located at 248 W. Napa St.

More specifically, the Planning Commission’s amendment would allow “food and beverage manufacturing.” They already manufacture fabulous salumi, focaccia, soups, and much more.

Planning staff recommended approval of the permit, although the decision was made too late for this column.

Let’s hope they grant it. 248 W. Napa St., Sonoma.

Jessica Fudim’s fundraiser for Food for All/Comida para Todos

Through a pilates class on Zoom with participants from all over the U.S. and Canada, Jessica Fudim and participating donors raised $1,720.73 for the Maité Iturri-led Food for All/Comida para Todos effort to deliver food and other necessities to local families in need. Pilates participants (including me) were asked to write checks to Fudim and she would write one to FFA/CPT. Congratulations to all.

Sonoma Pizza Wars- Do they exist?

Apparently Il Fuoco’s recent popularity for excellent pizza has caused some so-called “pizza wars” around Sonoma Valley.

Why does just plain competition have to become a “war.”

One pizza maker started to lower his prices to compete. Perhaps just making a better pizza would do better.

It seems as if most restaurants in Sonoma Valley serve pizzas or flatbreads, all somewhat different and worth trying.

Kitchen Gizmos & Gadgets exhibit extended

My exhibit of “Kitchen Gizmos & Gadgets” at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville has been extended until Jan. 2. 2022 I am happy to announce.

The exhibit includes 77 of my “What Is Its?” that some of you have enjoyed trying to identify on Facebook. And you can giggle at the video made by Russ and Pat Meier-Johnson during my exhibit a few years ago at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.

Masks are requited, but proof of vaccination is not at this time. Temperatures are taken at the kiosk on your way to the museum on the Veterans Home grounds. Check the Napa Valley Museum’s website for museum hours and admissions: napavalleymuseum.org.

More local Thanksgiving opportunities

Sonoma Community Center

Showing abundant thanks every year, Sonoma Community Center and Vintage House will welcome anyone who doesn’t feel like cooking, needs a meal or just likes Gary Edwards,’ Rotary’s, and friends’ cooking is welcome to the free drive-thru Thanksgiving dinner on a first-come, first-served basis.

Edwards gives lots of credit to chef Daniel Quejada, Scott at Sonoma Market, Paul’s Produce and Joanne Romanini Produce. The meal will include natural turkeys, Caggiano sausages and ham, squash, mashed potatoes and assorted greens. Paul and Joanne deliver vegetables the day before Thanksgiving, which is when the kitchen team learns what vegetables they get to cook.

Edwards adds that, “We will also have a great salad with a touch of (his) Sonoma Valley Olive Oil in every dish.”

Follow directions into, around and through the Community Center parking lot and get yours. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma.

Depot Hotel

Now owned by the Mattson developers, the Depot Hotel menu and Thanksgiving dinner offerings have changed.

When I called to ask the price of the Thanksgiving dinner I was told that it is on the menu online. I was looking straight at the menu online for the third time, as well as my printout of it, and no price. The man finally stopped insisting and told me it costs $75.

Guests will get “Ribollita” of Tuscan kale bread and white bean stew; a harvest salad of chicories, pickled Pink Lady apples, Point Reyes blue cheese crumbles, almonds and champagne vinaigrette.

Then there is an entrée choice of Willie Bird turkey roulade with focaccia stuffing, gravy and cranberry; pork osso bucco with creamy polenta and parsley gremolata; or eggplant lasagna.

Their daily menu now shows a $3.50 per person cakeage charge.

Dessert offers tiramisu or pumpkin pie with vanilla bean whipped cream. 241 First St., W., Sonoma. 938-2980.

Sunshine Radtke of Suncraft Foods

Caterer Sunshine offers to make Thanksgiving dinner “easy and delivered to your door” in Oakmont, Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma.

She offers three basic holiday dinners.

The turkey dinner includes a combo of breast and dark meat, savory herb bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, green beans with shallots and creamy mushroom sauce, cranberry relish and dinner rolls. Dinner for two $100, for four $200, for six $300.

The stuffed Cornish game hen version includes one hen and features apple cranberry stuffing, roasted vegetables, baked yams with apples, and cranberry relish. Dinner for two $65, two hens for four $125.

Vegetarians might enjoy the acorn squash stuffed with faro, sautéed vegetables, Parmesan and Balsamic drizzle; mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, green beans with shallots and creamy mushroom sauce and cranberry relish. Dinner for two $65, four $125. To order call or text Sunshine at 343-6016 today.

Wit & Wisdom

Wit & Wisdom offers a Take-and-Bake Thanksgiving dinner to include citrus-brined ready-to-roast whole turkey with sides such a sweet potato soup with pepitas, wedge salad with Persimmon, Green Goddess Dressing, and Cotija Cheese whipped potatoes, green bean casserole with organic mushrooms and sauces and pumpkin pie for dessert. Serves up to six, according to the PR agency. $248. Pick up Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. 1320 Broadway, Sonoma. Order at witandwisdomsonoma.com. 931-3405.

A different giving of thanks

Nikita Ducarroz just won the BMX European Championship in Moscow, Russia last weekend. She competes for Switzerland due to her dual citizenship with her father’s native country.

As her Glen Ellen parents, Nicole and Jean-François Ducarroz posted for Nikita, “Pretty unreal to finish the year taking the win and grabbing the European Championships jersey. Such a treat to visit Russia for the first time and be back with the BMX family. Thanks to those who continue to support me to make these moments possible.”

Nikita’s European championship is in BMX Freestyle Park, which means more like an obstacle course such as we saw on her way to a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics, as opposed to a flat BMX course. The “Park” course makes tricky tricks much trickier. Congratulations.