Kathleen Hill: New wine releases, reopenings and more

Hountalas and Ned Hill release new wine

Yes, that is Mary and Dan Hountalas, the Sonoma residents who ran the iconic Cliff House restaurant hanging over the cliff at Ocean Beach in San Francisco for 47 years.

In the end they were unable to negotiate a new lease with the National Park Service under the previous administration and the whole enterprise came to an abrupt halt at the end of 2020.

But for much of the time they ran that popular San Francisco restaurant, they also grew grapes here in Sonoma Valley and live right in Sonoma, where they have attended many charitable and wine-centric events.

For more than 20 years Ned Hill and his La Prenda Vineyard management team have farmed the Hountalas’ Hi Vista Vineyard, knowing the land, the soil, the terrain and each other all that time. Always, the goal has been to “produce grapes that require little intervention in the winery,” according to Ned Hill, whose umbrella company is called Sonoma Collection.

La Prenda Vineyard Management also farms its own 100 acres and 900 acres on 30 other properties around Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley while producing wine for its own Fifth Hill, La Prenda, Happy Wife, Quarantine Wife and 95476 labels.

On the La Prenda website, Hill states, “We are proud to farm for estate wineries such as Schug, Nicholson Ranch, Roche Family, Bartholomew Estate, Bennett Valley Cellars, Parmelee-Hill and Fifth Hill, where we get to focus on quality and follow the entire process from grapes to bottle.“

In the meantime, Mary and Dan Hountalas are happy to focus on their vineyard and new wine, released as Pét-Nat, an abbreviation for pétillant-naturel, a French style of sparkling wine.

This must be much more fun than enduring a robbery of historic memorabilia from the Cliff House, which occurred Jan. 26. And then, after the stolen items were recovered by police, watching all of its contents sold as part of a planned online auction of Cliff House memorabilia the following month - although they were delighted to see most of it go to a San Francisco neighborhood group recently formed to preserve Cliff House and other Ocean Beach area history.

Spread Catering sells all at Friday farmers market

Cristina Topham’s Spread Catering’s popularity is spreading fast and fans or first timers can see what’s on offer at the Friday morning farmers market near Depot Park, or order from her online.

Topham advises that those who have been picking up her foods at The Panel either ask for delivery when you order or purchase a bottle of wine at The Panel, since it is small and can’t handle all of Spread’s spread of coolers.

Her dips include muhammara - roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate; Lebneh - a spreadable yogurt cheese with mint and preserved lemon; baba ganoush - smoked eggplant dip; and Beiruti-style hummus - lots of lemon, garlic, cumin, sumac and parsley. Spreadcatering.com.

Meanwhile, due to a special arrangement with the Sonoma International Film Festival this weekend, you can order Spread Catering’s Lebanese-style food to eat while watching “Wine and War,” a documentary about Lebanese wine and war.

Topham says that she can offer a discount code of $2 off the movie’s ticket and 10 percent off Spread food that you order via spreadcatering.com.

Epicurean Connection adds in-person classes

While Sheana Davis and friends have been offering virtual classes on the second Saturday of every month at 4:30 p.m., they have just added weekly in-person classes, limited to six guests, each Thursday and Saturday at 1 p.m. All of the class dates are on the website thepicureanconnection.com.

In the meantime, the Epicurean Connection supports local farmers and buys vegetables primarily locally from the following: Ross Cannard Family Farm, Little Paradise Farm, James Cannard Farm, Landerosa Harley Farms and William Henpenn Farm.

Microsoft and Delicious Dish extend donations

For several years, one of Delicious Dish owner Lauren Cotner’s major clients was the San Francisco office of Microsoft, for which she prepared lunch regularly.

When Microsoft closed the office due to the pandemic, they decided to pay Delicious Dish to cook to help feed the hungry people of Sonoma Valley which, in total, will amount to 8,000 meals, according to Cotner. She adds that she and her crew will prepare another 2,500 meals to give to the hungry over the next three months. As well, in what Cotner calls “subsidized meals,” in the next three months the Microsoft donation will enable Delicious Dish to provide 840 free meals to Sonoma Overnight Support and 980 meals to them basically at half of Cotner’s normal dinner price per person, plus what they will give to Vintage House, Comida Para Todos, and 350 meals for four (1,400 total) to the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley.

Microsoft’s gesture is a great way to help Delicious Dish keep loyal staff working, feed the hungry, and help Microsoft while it helps others. In total, Microsoft will have donated $120,000 worth of meals and supplies, according to Cotner.

Meanwhile, Cotner said she is decorating the restroom “with various themes including vintage Jack LaLanne photos, handmade crazy art and Bigfoot paintings” with the intent of launching “a bathroom decorating war with some other local businesses in hopes that the Index-Tribune will include ‘Best Bathroom’ in their next ‘best of’ issue.”

Might be hilarious. Think of the pink-themed Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo where many people, especially women, stop to sneak in for a peek at the men’s restroom.

Sonoma Mission Inn hires new executive chef

Edward Roe, general manager of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, just announced promotion of Jared Reeves to the position of executive chef.

Reeves began his culinary career at the Marriott in Kansas City in 2005 and soon moved to Australia to work at the Marriott in Sydney. He moved on to a top Italian restaurant as chef de partie and then to Ms. G’s in Potts Point, Australia. Moving right along, Reeves progressed to sous chef at Blancmange Bouchon in Petersham, and then to head chef of The Wood’s Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, back to the Four Seasons in New York Downtown as chef de cuisine, and then to Sonoma Mission Inn as executive sous chef in 2018.

Reeves is excited by the local availability of vegetables grown nearby, Dungeness crab and salmon, and local cheeses – heaven for any chef. He and his wife, Renée Jeong, live right here in Sonoma Valley.

The inn’s former executive chef, Marcellus Coleman, moved on to the Fairmont Olympic in Seattle.

Park Avenue Catering launches ‘Dine & Donate’

Ari Weisswasser of Glen Ellen Star, Park Avenue Catering and Stellar Catering, and Bruce Riezenman of Park Avenue Catering and Stellar Catering are offering a Dine & Donate program. The deal is that when you host a dinner for $60 or more per person, Park Avenue Catering will donate $10 to $15 per person to an organization of your choice.

Such recent events supporting nonprofits have benefitted Jack London State Historic Park, Sonoma International Film Festival, the Luther Burbank Center, Sonoma County Humane Society, Lifeworks and the Santa Rosa Symphony.

For example, the menu that benefitted Jack London state park included a mixed green salad and a choice of entrée among boneless braised beef short rib with vegetables and chèvre whipped potatoes; bone in chicken breast with olives, capers, garlic and plus with risotto cakes; or a chanterelle and fava bean tart, followed by a vanilla layered mousse with angel cake.

To make reservations for the program contact Sales@parkavecater.com.

Mary’s Pizza Shacks wide open now

Mary’s Pizza Shacks throughout Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties and in Novato are open for limited indoor seating, as well as on their outdoor patios and for curbside pickup and contactless delivery.

While they now have a heated and lighted parklet on Spain Street in Sonoma, I miss the café ambiance of their temporary café seating in the alley just west of the restaurant.

But they still have happy hours from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and late night happy hours where they have full bars, like on Spain Street, from 8 p.m. to closing. Mary’s HH means $4 draft beers, discounted appetizers and $7 signature cocktails.

Mary’s says, ”Bring your appetites, your masks and your friends.”

Kivelstadt Cellars opens inside with new menu

Kivelstadt Cellars opens April 1 inside for the first time since it was last called Schellville Grill. Since the pandemic closed everything just as new owner Jordan Kivelstadt finished remodeling, this is a big deal to be able to add indoor tables, even with limited capacity.

Chef Oscar Bendeckhas adds to the menu crispy Brussels sprouts with maple balsamic, bacon, and crispy onion; walnut gazpacho with green grapes and sweet onion; a grilled Caesar with anchovy dressing; steak frites of flatiron steak and chimi butter, and a “wine country cheesesteak” with smoked tri tip, white cheddar, arugula, garlic aioli and focaccia ($8 to $28). The new wood-fired oven will turn out all sorts of flatbreads and a wood-fired artichoke with a Meyer lemon and saffron aioli. Open Monday for tastings by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday and Friday by appointment only from 10 to 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Reserve at kivelstadtcellars.com.

Canada loves the Sonoma International Film Festival

Monday I received information from the Canadian Studies Department at U.C. Berkeley about Canadian independent films being shown this weekend at the Sonoma International Film Festival, which includes one of the food films. The Canadian films are: “Death of a Ladies' Man”; “Nadia, Butterfly”; “Escape from Extinction”; “First We Eat”; and “The New Corporation.” All films will be available to stream online. View the entire film program and order tickets at sonomafilmfest.org. Full disclosure: I serve on the Advisory Board of the Canadian Studies department at U.C. Berkeley.