Kathleen Hill: Father’s Day menus and more

Father’s Day Sunday

Should we admit that we spend lots of love and energy around Mother’s Day? Those of us who are mothers are most grateful to have been treated specially (hopefully) on that day. Hallmark and the flower industry are especially grateful.

So let’s pay a little attention to Dad, or any special man in your life, if there is one. If there isn’t that’s OK – treat yourself to something a little special, whether it’s a trip to the beach, a trip to the nursery for a new plant or two, great takeout food, or staying in to cook something special – at least special to you.

Here’s the info of Father’s Day restaurant meals, most offering big slabs of beef. Many restaurants are just too busy trying to adjust to being open wider and trying to figure out how to balance the number of people and tables they can serve while being short staffed.

Wit & Wisdom at the Lodge at Sonoma

The Michael Mina-led restaurant offers a three-course meal that starts with all of the following served for the table: Parker House rolls, shrimp cocktail with gin-spiked sauce, a BLT wedge salad with blue cheese, bacon, egg, and buttermilk dressing, and a white sturgeon caviar parfait with a potato cake, smoked salmon and whipped crème fraîche.

For the second course you choose between a 12-ounce New York strip steak or a 16-ounce prime cowboy rib eye steak ($25 extra), roasted King salmon, or grilled spatchcock chicken to which you can add a lobster tail for $45.

To accompany all of this several sauces will be served with sides of duck fat fried potatoes, roasted mushrooms, creamed spinach and black truffle mac & cheese.

Dessert offers choices of “The Chocolate Bar” of Caramelia milk chocolate and peanut butter crumble, or a Bourbon Basque cheesecake with roasted strawberries, honey sesame crunch and micro mint. $89 per person. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma. 931-3405.

Tips Roadside

Lots of good guy food that many will like in their Bottomless BBQ.

It all starts with a mixed green salad followed by smoked meats and lots of sides. Meats include 14-hour smoked brisket, baby back ribs, smoked chicken wings and smoked cheddar hot links. The sides include Hawaiian-style macaroni salad, barbecued baked beans, Granny Apple coleslaw, street corn salad and white cheddar cornbread. Dessert for everyone is an apple turnover with caramel sauce. Live music, too. Bottomless draft beer for $15. Whole meal $55 per person, $20 kids 12 and under, and 5 and under are free. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 8445 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood. 509-0078 or Tipsroadside.com.

Tips Test Kitchen dinner comes up again on Tuesday, June 22 when chef Tony Calderon plays with new recipes to create a four-course meal. This time Fred Groth of Prohibition Spirits will offer a spirits pairing as well. The menu is always a surprise. $48, extra $28 for spirit or wine pairings. 6 p.m. 8445 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood. Reservations at 509-0078 or at tipsroadside.com.

Layla launches new brunch menu

Trying for a quick recovery from the pandemic closure, Layla’s Food & Beverage Director Spencer Wolff and crew have created new dishes and cocktails that they will start to serve for brunch tomorrow, Saturday, June 19.

Check out the olive oil pancakes with cinnamon toast crunch and whipped cream, strawberry or cocoa nibs served with whipped butter and vanilla syrup; biscuits and sausage gravy with two eggs any style; short rib hash and eggs with peppers and onions, and a multi-grain and arugula bowl with heirloom tomato, olive oil béarnaise and hash browns ($13 to $19, with added smoked salmon for $7. Served Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 29 E. MacArthur St., Sonoma. Reserve at opentable.com.

Las Jaras winemaker dinner at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn

The first ever al fresco plant-based winemaker dinner that I know of will feature Las Jaras wines from Sebastopol at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn on Wednesday, June 30.

For this creative culinary adventure, Las Jaras owners/winemakers Joel Burt and Eric Wareheim combine pairing efforts with Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s chef Jared Reeves for the four-course dinner that starts with grilled watermelon, roasted cherry tomato, mozzarella, smoked soy and nasturtium served with Las Jaras 2020 Superbloom “Love Ranch” from the Sierra foothills.

The second course brings maple glazed heirloom carrots, green garlic tofu, Dukkah spice and crispy quinoa, paired with 2019 chenin blanc. Then comes confit of King Oyster mushroom, truffled grits, roast sunchoke and dandelion with a 2019 pinot noir from Willamette Valley.

The dinner climaxes with a coconut and chocolate mousse with summer berry coulis and candied pistachio paired with their 2019 Sweet Berry Wine, a red blend from Mendocino grapes. $120, Reception at 6:30, dinner at 7 p.m. For more info and reservations contact Megan Hill-Trowbridge@Fairmont.com or call 939-2410.

Oak Hill Farm tours

What a treat!

Learn about some of Sonoma Valley’s finest farming methods and all the lore of Oak Hill Farm on the first Saturday of every month, right across from B.R. Cohn winery on Highway 12.

Meet at the Red Barn store for a 30- to 40-minute farm walk. Bring the kids but not the dogs.

It’s free and you end up at the Red Barn store again and the chance to purchase just-picked vegetables, flowers, and some of the best items to add to your cooking prowess. 15101 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen.

Sonoma Valley wines score gold

The Press Democrat’s North Coast Wine Challenge this year highlighted gold medal winners in various varietals and regions. The mystery remains – why more Sonoma Valley wineries aren’t among the gold medal winners: Many local wineries choose not to enter their wines in contests, and some apparently just don’t score the rating numbers required.

Here are some results, including scores, for Sonoma Valley wineries, shown alphabetically:

Auteur Wines: 2018 Chardonnay, 92.

Bartholomew Estate: 2019 Bart’s Calling Cabernet Sauvignon, 93.

Benziger Family winery: 2018 Sunny Slope Cabernet Sauvignon, 90; 2018 La Reyna Pinot Noir, 96; 2019 de Coelo Quintus Pinot Noir, 93; 2018 Oonapais, 91; 2017 Tribute, 91; 2019 Joaquin’s Inferno, 93; 2019 West Rows Chardonnay, 94; 2020 de Coelo Pinot Noir Rosé, 91.

Eco Terreno Wines & Vineyards: 2018 Cuvée Tierra Red Wine, 98.

Enkidu Wine: 2017 Steiner Vineyard Syrah, 92.

Imagery Estate Winery: 2018 Barbera, 92; 2018 Cabernet 94; 2018 Upper Ridge Vineyard Malbec, 97; 2018 Merlot, 92; 2018 Petit Verdot, 92; 2018 Sangiovese, Suisun Valley, 95.

La Chertosa Old World Wines: 2018 Don Silvio Sangiovese, 93; 2018 Fra Paolo Zinfandel, 91.

La Prenda: 2019 Pinot Grigio, 90.

Laurel Glen: 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 94;.

Ledson Winery & Vineyards: 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 97; 2018 Menecini Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel; 91.

Little Vineyard: 2018 Center Stage Red Wine, 93; 2019 Syrah-Zinfandel, 91.

Mathis Wine: 2020 Rosé de Grenache, 97.

Roche Winery: 2018 Longford Vineyard Los Carneros, 91; 2018 Tipperary Vineyard Pinot Noir, 90; 2018 Zinfandel 93; 2019 French Oak Chardonnay, 97; 2019 American Oak Chardonnay, 92.

St. Anne’s Crossing: 2018 The Ranch Zinfandel, 98; 2018 Back Oak Zinfandel, 91; 2018 Ripi Zinfandel, 91; 2018 Angelo Zinfandel, 90; 2018 Hammertown Zinfandel, 90; 2018 Zinfandel 90; 2018 Estate Chardonnay, 93.

St. Francis Winery: 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Moon Mountain, 93; 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockpile, 93; 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, 93; 2018 Lagomarsino Russian River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 91; 2018 Pinot Noir, 96; 2019 Pinot Noir, 92; 2018 Caro Santo Sangiovese, 92; 2018 Bacchi Vineyard Zinfandel, 92.

Sangiacomo Family Wines: 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 97; 2018 Robert’s Road Vineyard Chardonnay, 92.

Sonoma Collection: 2020 Sparkline Rosé, 93.

Three Sticks: 2020 Castenada Rosé, 90.

New Lonely Planet foodie travel guides

Lonely Planet travel guides has just launched a series of “Eat” guides with “Eat Italy,” “Eat Japan,” and “Eat Vietnam.”

The publishers say each book “covers all aspects of that country’s vibrant food and drink culture from regional specialties to etiquette and essential phrases.” The books apparently are enticing whether you actually go to the country or indulge in a little armchair travel, equipped with your own imagination. Readers’ Books has them. Shop locally, please.

My late husband Jerry and I were once on a panel at Book Passage bookstore in Corte Madera with the founder of Lonely Planet armed with a few of our “food and wine lovers guidebooks,” which lasted for about five editions each. Lonely Planet claims they “have printed over 145 million guidebooks.”

They are always looking for writers and rarely pay advances or royalties, although they have been known to provide limited travel expenses.

Palooza expands to Idaho

Suzette and Jeff Tyler, owners of Palooza in Kenwood, have bought a restaurant space and a small old hotel in Cascade, Idaho. These are the same folks who tried to buy Schellville Grill from Matt Nagan, which Jordan Kivelstadt eventually purchased.

Their selfie on Facebook Tuesday shows Jeff dangling a set of keys in front of the Chief Hotel Restaurant & Bar, which can seat 60 people, has a pool table in the bar, some rooms upstairs, and the possibility of great recreation traffic since the town of 800 is near Lake Cascade and the McCall, Idaho, recreation center.

Their new restaurant will be called Palooza Basecamp & Eatery.