Kathleen Hill: The year in restaurant news

Restaurants going and coming

In California the average life of a new restaurant is less than one year. That unhappy statistic caught up with Sonoma in the last couple of years.

Life has been tough on everyone since the 2017 wildfires, but restaurants and food businesses also have suffered from increasing rents, increased food and labor costs and a decreased labor pool.

In 2018 Sonoma lost eight restaurants, and in 2019 we lost 11 and a couple of wine tasting rooms, and gained 11 hopeful food enterprises and one tasting room.

In 2018 we lost Fremont Diner, Community Café, Pearl's, Aventine Glen Ellen, Shiso Sushi, Umbria Glen Ellen, Crisp Bakeshop, Breakaway Café and CocoaPlanet chocolate factory, plus other food and wine related businesses.

Closed in 2019:

Baskin-Robbins

After decades of selling ice cream cones and ice cream cakes to Sonomans, locals noticed that only two freezers were working and suddenly Baskin-Robbins closed. The relatively new owners also closed their Napa location. Sweet Scoops will open in the Sonoma Marketplace space in 2019.

Boxcar Fried Chicken

Erika and Chad Harris closed their Fremont Diner suddenly in 2018 and eventually reopened it as Box Car Fried Chicken in 2019. It closed as well, and they have redefined it recently as Lou's Luncheonette. They also own Jack's Filling Station at Broadway and MacArthur.

Bram

Shelly and Ashrf Almasri developed a solid online business and closed their clay pot cookware shop on First Street West. Clay pots give special flavor to food, but each home cook only has so much space to store these classic objects. The shop is still vacant.

Public Kitchen/Park 121

Palooza owner Jeff Tyler took over the restaurant space occupied by Public Kitchen in August. Public Kitchen had only been in the space since February of this year, having taken over following a seven-year run at Cornerstone by the restaurant Park 121.

Harvest Moon Café

Nick and Jenn Demarest just plain wanted to move on after 13 years of the Harvest Moon to spend more time with their daughter, practically born in the restaurant and now 13. Jen, an accomplished Bay Area pastry chef and baker, has opened Baker & Cook, with a little culinary help from Nick in the former Rocket location in Boyes Hot Springs.

La Morenita #2

La Morenita #2 opened with loads of Mexican specialties, their classic chips made in Napa, and a small meat counter. It closed in 2019 to be replaced by a skateboard shop and kombucha stand. La Morenita #1 is in Napa and La Morenita #3 has a strong following and wall of spices, also on Highway 12 in the Springs.

Mint & Liberty

The Sunflower Group, owners of the successful Sunflower Caffé on First Street West, took over the Breakaway Café space on Highway 12, painted it bright white, and offered a complicated menu of relatively small plates. It failed to catch on and they closed within a few months. The space is now Picazo Kitchen & Bar.

Rhone Room

Girl & the Fig owner Sondra Bernstein has always been devoted to and featured Rhone wine varietals and Rhone-style cheeses in her restaurants. So she opened the Rhone Room next to Harvest Home on Broadway, hired people to farm the back garden to supply fresh foods for her restaurants, and served Rhone and local Rhone style wines. It just didn't attract enough people. Knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, Bernstein closed it. Her farm is still there and Three Fat Guys Wines and West Wine Tours share the space.

Shanghai Restaurant

After 40 years of cooking, Jimmy Ling and family received an offer they couldn't refuse and closed the Shanghai Chinese restaurant on Fifth Street West one weekend, soon to be replaced by Pho Ha Vietnamese restaurant. Many local fans who either dined at the Shanghai or took its food home are still suffering severe withdrawal.

Sonoma Cheese Factory

Sonoma Cheese Factory closed Dec. 31, 2018, and owners the Viviani Trust announced they would re-open in April of 2019. Multiple proposals for a new use permit, needed for a planned expansion of the business, stalled in the planning process. The Cheese Factory opened for three days in December, selling packaged sandwiches and sodas, then closed again.

West Handmade Burgers

Garret Sathre's concept of clean food and burgers and high quality ingredients couldn't attract enough business, partly due to lack of parking, partly due to costs, and some pellet shots through the front window last spring couldn't have helped. Their classic wall sign of an enlarged Boyes Springs Mineral Water ad instantly became famous, along with his handmade burgers and homemade ketchup. Sathre and Nicole Benjamin also own West Handmade Events and West Wine Tours.

Chain link fence at Schellville Grill

Jeff Tyler of Palooza Brewery & Gastropub in Kenwood tried to buy Matthew Nagan's Schellville Grill and, following a disagreement between the two over parking, erected a chain link fence around the parking lot adjoining the restaurant. After one month the chain link fence came down and the restaurant reopened for breakfast and lunch still under Nagan's ownership.

Victor Hill Wines tasting room

Vic McWilliams and Tom Hill announced last week that they would close permanently New Year's Eve with a blowout celebration. McWilliams owned Castle Vineyards previously and makes superb wines, while Hill brings experience from living in Germany and France. On New Year's Eve they sold wine by the glass and by the bottle at big discounts and offered Ovello charcuterie and even some of their personal wine collections.

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New and hopeful

Baker & Cook

Jen Demarest opened her Baker & Cook this year after installing a brand new kitchen, serving pastries and coffee, breads, breakfast from biscuits and gravy with eggs to Niman Ranch bacon, and lunch ranging from a BLT to hummus plates.

La Hacienda downtown

La Hacienda Mexican Grill, the downtown version of the La Hacienda Bar & Grill in Boyes Hot Springs, opened with principals from both La Hacienda and Maya restaurants, who completely remodeled and decorated and installed a new kitchen in the former Pearl's Diner. Right next to the new Pho Ha in the strip mall on Fifth Street West.

Las Diablitas Taco Shop

Wendy Ruiz gave up her career job at Exchange Bank to create her dream business, Las Diablitas Taco Shop.

Las Diablitas occupies what used to be Moosetta's Piroshky, then a Chinese restaurant and a succession of Mexican cafes just north of McDonald's. Lots of tacos, burritos, tortas (sandwiches) from Cuban to jamón (ham) and much more.

Layla

Layla arrived in what had long been Suzanne Brangham's Saddles Steakhouse at MacArthur Place, under guidance of resort general manager Rueben Cambero and new owners IMH Financial of Scottsdale. Dining room is open and airy, bar is cozy and darker and preferred by many locals. Some Mediterranean touches to the menu by executive chef Cole Dickenson.

Lou's Luncheonette

The latest incarnation by Erika and Chad Harris at their former Fremont Diner/Boxcar Fried Chicken location on Fremont Drive. Many of the same fried foods, burgers, salads and must-have milkshakes made with Straus organic milk and ice cream. The Harrises also own Jack's Filling Station at Broadway and MacArthur.

Salumeria Ovello

Doreen and Andrea Marino, a Michelin-star chef, opened Salumeria Ovello on West Napa Street in September after enormous investment in imported salumi production and aging rooms. Everything is made in house except for some rare Spanish ham and jarred foods. Choices from salami to duck breast prosciutto, porchetta, focaccia, panini, to salads and sweets.

Palooza Cornerstone

Suzette and Jeff Tyler launched their Palooza Beer Garden at Cornerstone in the space where Public Kitchen closed down after a brief six-month stint. Also owners of Palooza Brewery and Gastropub in Kenwood, the Tylers try to attract locals and tourists to enjoy Brussels sprouts, 'Hippie Toast' (avocado), lots of sandwiches, deviled eggs, and healthy salads, plus smoked ribs and burgers.

Pho Ha

The Ha family took over the Ling family's Shanghai space in the strip mall on Fifth Street West across from Safeway and quickly opened their Vietnamese restaurant serving a wide variety of pho bowls made with beef cuts or chicken, noodle dishes, and appetizers such as spring rolls and coconut shrimp, plus vegetarian dishes, curries, and rice plates. Kids menu as well.

Picazo Kitchen & Bar

Kina and Sal Chavez expanded their restaurant repertoire when they added Picazo Kitchen & Bar to their Picazo Café on Arnold Drive and their food truck. They relieved Mint & Liberty from its Maxwell Village spot, previously occupied by the Breakaway Café and even Lyons before that. Big burgers, fish sandwiches and tacos, salads, breakfast and lunch, happy hour and dinner with lots of Mexi-cal twists on American and Mexican comfort food.

Reel & Brand

Kevin Kress and Jeff Spencer converted Reel Fish Shop Grill to Reel & Brand at the old Little Switzerland, adding a larger band stage, new booths, a tent over the remodeled deck and fixed-up restrooms. Throw in some good food and bands and huge breakfasts (salmon veggie omelet) and their version of Canadian poutine.

Three Fat Guys Wines tasting room

Tony Moll and his Three Fat Guys Wines tasting room took over what had been Sondra Bernstein's Rhone Room in the little building next to Harvest Home on lower Broadway. Moll serves wine and occasional food treats and beefy dinners. The former Green Bay Packer with a big heart knows from fun and shares his space with West Wine Tours.

Ramen delights

Sondra Bernstein's experimental Noodle Spring pop-up last weekend at the former West Handmade Burgers location was apparently a huge success.

Bernstein said they sold more than 150 servings of ramen alone, with 75 percent of them to go. 'We had a packed house and ran out at 7 p.m.'

Her Ramen Nights at Suite D start up again Wednesday night, Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. for the same menu: four ramen selections with a cucumber salad ($15), one nightly special, and desserts additional.

Next up at Suite D will be fried chicken to go on Friday nights starting Jan. 10, which you can order ahead and pick up starting at 5 p.m. The takeout includes five pieces of buttermilk fried chicken, biscuits and honey butter, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cole slaw for two people. $25. Five pieces of chicken only $17.50. 21800 Schellville Road, Sonoma.

Sunday, Jan. 12, will start a new series of conversations on stage with Sondra Bernstein, Santé sommelier Brian Casey, along with Alison Kilmer of Sisterhood of Tea, and Miyoko vegan cheeses and butter, plus an all vegan dinner menu.

Expect golden beet hummus with pomegranate, radishes and cheese, mushroom scallion tartine with poblano yogurt, a big green lentil salad, miso sesame winter squash and banana cream pie. Corkage $8, two bottle maximum per person (one should hope!). Wine by the glass or bottle available for purchase. $45 public, $38.25 club members.