Kathleen Hill: Friday the 13th, more Vintage soup, Lucky remodel and more

Happy Friday the 13th

Some people actually stay home, in bed, and with their heads under their pillow on Friday the 13th. This Friday also brings a full harvest moon.

But let's take charge, folks.

Go out and celebrate your favorite Friday the 13th with a special meal, whether that is in a diner or elegant restaurant – whatever works for you. Even celebrate with a special beverage, which might range from a chocolate milkshake to shots of scotch or tequila.

Oh – that's right we are in Sonoma. So splurge on your favorite local wine, sparkling or still. But don't let this special day intimidate you.

New tempura class at Vintage House

Dianne Aoki will teach a class on the delicate art of making all things tempura, always meant to enhance flavor of anything from shrimp to asparagus. Aoki will also teach how to make a savory seaweed salad at Vintage House, on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Members $35, others $50. 4 to 6 p.m. 264 First St. E., Sonoma. Register at Vintagehouse.org/events.

Vintage House adds second soup day

Vintage House, aka the Jerry Casson Senior Center, has been serving soup every Friday to around 80 people for free, and has now added a free soup meal for seniors at Teen Services in Boyes Hot Springs on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mara Roche of Aunt Momo's Catering will be soup chef for the month of September, with Bruce Yelner picking up the ladle to make the soup in October.

This is just one of the services Vintage House provides. The senior center will host its annual fundraiser, 'The New Vintage 2019 – an extraordinary affair,' at Gundlach Bundschu Winery's barn on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The entire fundraiser will double as a tribute to the late Randy Derwingson who was a devoted supporter of Vintage House and many other nonprofits.

The afternoon will include a sip and savor celebration from 3 to 4:30 p.m., a memorial to Derwingson at 4:30 p.m., a live auction and fund-a-need from 5 to 5:30 p.m., followed by dessert and coffee from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Ed Metcalfe of Sushimoto and chef Keo Xayavong will offer 'fruits de mer' and nigari with sea trout and bluefin tuna with smoked paprika aioli at a raw bar in the VIP area for larger donors.

The rest of the guests will enjoy individual pizzas from chef Austin Perkins and Stuart Sager's Outdora of Sonoma, which will bring its mobile pizza oven, as well as chef Austin's appetizers of king salmon on corn cakes with black beans and Calabrian chili, Liberty Farms duck meatballs with pasilla crème fraîche, and marinated beet Napoleons with chèvre, chives and poppy seeds.

Perkins' individual pizzas will include fennel, pancetta, roasted tomato and ricotta; heirloom tomato, garlic and mozzarella; and prosciutto, chèvre, honey and arugula. There will also be 'stationed appetizers at donkey bar' of local cheeses and charcuterie, seasonal preserves, crudités, and Della Fattoria breads.

'Wine country attire.' $200. RSVP by Sept. 16 to 996-0311 or send checks to Vintage House, 264 First St. E., Sonoma.

East Napa stores closing

After the former Saret Gallery storefront has remained vacant for what seems like a year, now Scott Lyall will close his Sonoma clothing store soon, with a date uncertain. Of course he suggests his loyal customers venture over the hill to his Napa store, close to his mother, Helen Lyall, and her store on lower Main Street, and I am sure they will.

Lyall thanked his landlord, his staff and his customers, but gave no reason for the departure that will leave several Sonoma men of a certain set without their favorite colorful and slightly loud shirts. There has almost been a style competition on who could have the most outstanding Scott Lyall shirts.

And then the jewelry store across the street at 126 E. Napa St. is also closing. Apparently another business that holds the master lease wants to move back into the space.

Will we lose other businesses as winter months approach?

Lucky remodel

Lucky market looks terrific with new attractive fake wood floors, greater supply of fresh vegetables, a huge sign on the back wall that says 'California Republic,' and a small salad bar that looks as if it came from a salad bar in the sky. Ribbon cutting was Wednesday.

Hare & Hatter-Sausage Emporium update

Miranda Ives and family have served their last sausage and breakfast board at their old Hare & Hatter in El Paseo and will focus now on their 'wine and charcuterie club, our marketing consultancy, and getting our blue prints ready to press on with our new improved much larger location,' according to Ives.

Said location will replace the former Kane men's clothing store next to Pangloss Cellars' glam tasting room on the corner of Napa Street and First Street East. Interesting that Kane left and now Scott Lyall is also closing. Eraldi's lasts forever with classic brands and leather-bound paper receipt books.

Ives and her mother, Linda, started Hare & Hatter with the coffee cart at Friedman's. With great success they moved into the El Paseo space that once housed a retail outlet for Sonoma Sausage Company.

As they approach their move to Napa Street, they are changing their name to Sausage Emporium and are still 'conceptualizing our menu, demoing equipment with our chef and Meyers kitchen consultants to nail down what's best. The menu will still be sausage-centric with a lot more breakfast and lunch items and evening hours on weekends to include a bar menu.'

The bar will offer beer, wine, bubbles, coffee and port, according to Ives.

Harvey's Gourmet Donuts in El Paseo

As Hare & Hatter moves out, Harvey's Gourmet Donuts is moving in to the same El Paseo storefront.

Harvey Cohen, whom many Sonomans recognize by his black suit and top hat at farmers markets and private events, has taken the lease at the tiny three-time sausage outlet.

At the same time, Harvey wants everyone to know that he is continuing his Friday night donut events at his Railroad Avenue kitchen, longtime previous home of Wild Thyme Catering & Events. Many locals miss Wild Thyme's Dining Club Rive Gauche dinners there that often featured the music of Norton Buffalo, Tommy Thomsen and the 'Queen of Boogie Woogie' Wendy DeWitt. Cohen offers his kitchen and courtyard space for all sorts of dinners and events.

It will take a while to adapt the Hare & Hatter space to a donut shop and more, so we will keep you posted. Harvey's has added gluten-free donuts made with rice flower, which are quite tasty and covered with sugary sprinkles. He also caters massive parties and weddings since the family now has several donut machines, including one that can make 'regular size' donuts.

But the mini donuts carry a much lower guilt quotient. 19030 Railroad Ave., Sonoma. 935-5908. harveysdonuts@yahoo.com.

Clo's 50th birthday billboard winner

For decades locals and passers-through Sonoma County have enjoyed a chuckle with Clover Stornetta's (now Clover Sonoma) hilarious Clo the Cow billboards.

This year Janet of Petaluma won the $5,000 grand prize for her 'Cows Just Wanna Have Puns,' which will be featured on the company's 2020 billboards to celebrate Clo's 50th birthday. Runners-up were Danielle from Petaluma with 'Little Clo Peep' and Anne from Santa Rosa for 'Double Clo Seven.'

According to Danielle Cantrell and Clover Sonoma CEO Marcus Benedetti, third generation leader of the family company, they are going to start celebrating Clo's 50th birthday 'partying until the cows come home.'

The Petaluma-based company received thousands of entries from punsters, a trend started by founder Gene Benedetti and Lee Levinger, owner of Sonoma County's first advertising agency.

When Levinger proposed the humorous Clo theme for advertising, 'the board of directors thought it was udder nonsense, but they came around,' he said, and Bill Nellor, Levinger's artist, drew the first Clo billboard as 'Support Your Local Cow' went up on Highway 101 in Rohnert Park in 1972.

Eventually Jim Benefield took over the billboards and 'kept the puns rolling for over 25 years.' Anne Vernon of VeVa Communications followed Benefield and now illustrates Clo and Clo's witty puns, according to Benedetti.

To wind up Clo's year-long birthday celebration, Clover Sonoma will publish a children's book called 'Pasture Bedtime' in time for Christmas giving. Put it on my list. All proceeds will go toward a charity in support of children's literacy as part of the Benedetti family's Clover Cares program. Cloversonoma.com.

Napa Valley Wine Train turns 30

Hard to believe that the controversial Napa Valley Wine Train has been poking up and down the Napa Valley for 30 years. If you are a fan, you might want to attend an anniversary reception to celebrate its original launch at the downtown Napa train station on Monday, Sept. 16, exactly 30 years from its inaugural trip.

Guests will enjoy hors d'oeuvre by chef Donald Young, live outdoor music, and a tour of the newly renovated train cars.

All proceeds go to the Children's Museum of Napa Valley. $25. 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 brings a 1980s-themed Murder Mystery dinner on the train's restored Pullman cars with a four-course dinner that will include a prawn cocktail, a mixed green salad with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, a filet of beef with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and wild mushroom cabernet reduction sauce followed by a warm chocolate molten lava cake with raspberry coulis. Cost starts at $250. Tickets at winetrain.com/events.

FFA Agricultural Education fundraiser fun

Sonoma Valley's Foundation for Agriculture, which has been known as Future Farmers of America agricultural education, will host its always-fun 11th annual Agriculture Dinner and Auction on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the private vineyard estate of Denmark Street Vineyards.

Train Wreck Junction will provide music for dancing (or not) and Sonoma-owned Lombardi's of Petaluma will cater the abundant dinner. Appetizers will include oysters and pork sausage from FFA-raised pigs.

Proceeds raised will go to support the AgriTechnology Academy at Sonoma Valley High School hands-on classes, SVHS's school farm, and students' AgriTechnology projects. Tickets $50 to $1,000. 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. 1700 Denmark St., Sonoma.