Kathleen Hill: North Coast wine fest, Farmer’s Wife is back and ‘The Biggest Little Farm’

Food news from around the Valley.|

North Coast Wine & Food Festival

Check out the North Coast Wine & Food Festival to be presented Saturday, June 8 featuring winning wines from the North Coast Wine Challenge Competition.

Billed as featuring 'over 90 gold medal wines and 25 of the area's top chefs,' only one Sonoma Valley chef will be represented: Armando Navarro of El Dorado Kitchen. EDK is Navarro's home base, but he also oversees cuisine at many other Moana Group resorts and restaurants in the U.S. and Mexico. On the good side of all that, you will be able to taste foods of many other celebrated Sonoma County chefs.

But many more Sonoma Valley wines will be poured by B.R. Cohn, Benziger, Imagery, Buena Vista, Dane Cellars, Gloria Ferrer, Highway 12, Roche, Sebastiani, Kunde, Laurel Glen, Muscardini, St. Francis and Viansa. Only a few of these are still owned by founding families. $50 to $135. VIP access at 12:30, public 1 to 4 p.m. SOMO Village, Rohnert Park. Tickets at northcoastwineandfood.com.

The North Coast Wine & Food Festival is sponsored by the Press Democrat and Redwood Credit Union.

Farmer's Wife reopens

Kendra Kolling reopened her Farmer's Wife tasty sandwich place at the Barlow in Sebastopol on Saturday, June 1, after a long clean up and recovery from a hopefully once-in-a-lifetime flood of the center. Kolling is a double-whammy victim, having also lost her home in the 2017 wildfires.

But 'victim' she will not be. The Kenwood resident always fights back and feeds her best-in-the-world sandwiches with local organic ingredients to as many people as possible.

Sandwiches and their variations on grilled cheese, tartines, soups, salads and breakfast run $4 to $16, and cookies and gallettes $3 to $7. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. except Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 6760 McKinley, Unit 120, Sebastopol. 827-3306.

Teen Services' fab Cowboy Cab

Sunday, June 9 also brings the annual Cowboy Cab dinner and dance to benefit Teen Services of Sonoma Valley, an organization that teaches ready-to-work skills to teenagers and young adults as well as connections to real work experience.

TSS offers internships through Lovin' Oven for skills in culinary, event and hospitality; a community bike shop through its Operation Bicycle, which provides bike maintenance and repair services for the public; and a whole list of businesses and organizations that offer apprenticeships and, sometimes, employment after the TSS programs.

So join the fun crowd at Cornerstone's Tyge William Cellars Barn for cocktails and wine with appetizers by Lovin' Oven teens, and 'buy-a-spot' for experiences from baby goat cuddling to ceramics and art lessons and more. The live auction brings chances on date nights, amusement park hopping, dinner at London Ranch, a 'date' with a congressman, and a drag race with the chief of police.

All that plus a Ramekins dinner served outside facing the vineyard, to include Little Gem and hearts of Romaine salad, brined roasted pork with barbecue sauce on the side; grilled barbecue chicken, 5th Street Farm summer vegetables; truffle potato chips; and jalapeno cornbread with whipped honey butter. Dessert of Lovin' Oven lemon tarts with berries, almond sesame shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, and mini brownies will be back in the barn with coffee, tea and dancing. $125. 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets at 939-1452 or teenservicessonoma.org.

Frenchie first anniversary

Experienced chefs Sarah Pinkin and Liz Payne opened their Frenchie Picnics & Provisions deli and food emporium on upper Broadway about one year ago. Hence they will celebrate their first anniversary with a party on Thursday, June 13. Watch for their perfect-looking little grey Deux Cheveaux Citroën out in front.

Known for their French baguette sandwiches and lots of imports, the duo will offer sparkling wine, snacks, raffle prizes, face painting and balloons. Frenchie fun for the whole family. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. 521b Broadway, Sonoma. Frenchiesonoma.com.

Pre-Father's Day cheese pairing class

Sheana Davis is back from giving cheese classes in Dubai and will give a pre-Father's Day cheese and craft beer pairing class on Sunday, June 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma Community Center. $75, one child free with two paying adults.

Park 101 Mobile Kitchen

Bruce Riezenman held a series of introductory tasting launches at wineries around Sonoma County last week, so I checked out the chance at Cline Cellars.

This is not your favorite food truck. It is an experience unto itself. Chef Riesenman also calls it an 'interactive show kitchen.'

The owner of Park Avenue Catering, co-owner of Stellar Catering with Ari Weisswasser, and former owner of Park 121 restaurant at Cornerstone (now Public Kitchen), Riezenman dreamed up and designed this mobile kitchen that folds all four of its exterior counters into itself. It contains, a stove, grill, hand washing (non-potable) water stand, pizza oven, three chefs and more.

The launch inside Cline's barrel room astonished most guests; no noise, no smoke, and two 10-foot buffets.

The trailer runs completely on batteries, needs a 30-by-30-foot place to park, works within 30 miles of Cotati, and can serve up to 200 guests per hour. It is designed to sit in the middle of a party with 360-degree access. Not sure where the interactive part comes in except that guests can chat with the chefs while they cook. They served pizzas, chipotle shrimp, paella rice and asparagus with arugula.

The Park 101 crew makes five varieties of pizzas with several add-on choices, and four other themed meals including the Marrakesh with leg of lamb tabbouleh salad, hummus and more; Tuscan Kitchen with brick chicken, polenta and vegetable succotash salad; Carne with tri-tip or flat iron steak, tomatoes, and mixed greens; East meets West with Korean-style pork loin, grilled peaches and oven-roasted Delicata squash; and the Petaluma Pollo with Lagunitas IPA barbecued chicken with roasted Shishito peppers, Jalapeno slaw or Dijon-buttermilk slaw, and potato salad and cast iron-cooked saucy barbecue beans. Lots of add-ons available for all options. For more into email sales@park101mk.com.

'The Biggest Little Farm' must see

If you are interested in healthy eating, growing vegetables or fantasize about starting your own farm, whether acres in France, a small patch in your backyard or in a pot on your balcony or patio, see 'The Biggest Little Farm,' now at the Sebastiani Theatre. Much to learn here, but few of us have the money that was supposedly raised and definitely spent on this 'little' 200-acre farm.

Many in the audience here noticed Sonoma Valley Worm Farm in the movie's credits. Check it out.

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