9 upcoming Petaluma foodie events: Restaurant Week, beer and wine paired meals and more
Join the world-wide movement to 'Open That Bottle' of special wine this Saturday, Feb. 23. Started nearly 20 years ago by Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, the two hoped to encourage wine lovers worldwide to crack 'open that bottle' and celebrate with friends and family, instead of letting those wines go un-enjoyed in the back of the cellar. 'Open That Bottle' is now celebrated on the last Saturday of February every year, so pull out that special bottle of Petaluma Gap wine and show off the age-ability of our older vintages, like those prior to 2012. If you send a photo to the Petaluma Gap, they'll post it to their Facebook page.
Mario & John's will hold its five year anniversary party on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 5-10 p.m. M&J's will team up with Heaven Hill Distillery to offer special cocktails. Visit Mario & John's Facebook page for more info.
The Shabbat 100 dinner is a Shabbat dinner for 100 organized by Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma. Spearheaded by Rabbi Dovid Bush and wife Devorah, who also does all the cooking, this communal dinner will be hosted in the ballroom at the Hotel Petaluma. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, which is the seventh day of the Jewish week, and in strict terms starts at sundown on Friday night. (It is also known as the Sabbath.) Shabbat 100 is a chance for 100 like-minded Petalumans, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to come together and celebrate community. On Friday, March 1, pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres and wine (or juice) will start at 5 p.m., followed by appetizers of challah, the traditional Jewish braided bread; fire-roasted tomato dip; olive tapenade; Asian pasta salad, roasted sweet potato and kale salad; and tomato basil gefilte fish. The main menu includes chicken soup with matzo balls, wild rice medley, rabbi's favorite chicken, butternut squash kugel, roasted baby potatoes and garlic green beans. The meal's finishing sweets will include three types of bundt cakes (cinnamon, citrus and mocha), zebra cookies, blueberry muffins, chocolate chip sticks and assorted fruit. For tickets visit JewishPetaluma.com/Shabbat100.
Sip Petaluma Wine Tasting will be held on Saturday, March 2, at the Keller Street CoWork space. Along with a dozen wineries, from as close as the Petaluma Gap to as far away as France, there will be live music and a display of work from local artists. Running from 2 to 5 p.m., guest can enjoy wine from Keller Estate, Paul Mathews, Cline, Fogline Vineyards, Leghorn Wines, Two Shepherds, Silver Oak, Singer Cellars, Tonti Family Wines, Champagne LeLarge, Brooks Note, Pax Mahle, La Pitchoune and La Follette, just to name the ones I'm aware of at the time of this printing. Ananviv Catering will provide appetizers, Clay Bell will handle music, and art will be on display from the likes of Jonny Hirschmugl, Deanne Williamson, Alex Cole and Sons of Salvage. The purpose of the event is to showcase local wineries, artist and music in partnership with the Keller Street location. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Special Lift organization, which offers fitness programs for people with special needs. More info and tickets can be found at SipPetaluma.com.
Stockhome and Bucher Wines are joining forces to offer a winemaker dinner on Tuesday, March 5, at the Western Avenue restaurant. The evening will start with a welcome reception from 6:30 to 7 p.m. with the first of the evening's bright Nordic flavors from Chef Roberth Sundell, paired with Flaunt Brut sparkling wine, made by Dianne Novy Lee, wife of Bucher Wines winemaker Adam Lee. Guests will sit down to a four-course meal at 7 p.m., starting with Alaskan halibut ceviche with citrus, chili, pineapple and lavage crackers, paired with Bucher's 2017 unoaked chardonnay. The second course is Dungeness crab with squid ink pasta, cherry bouillabaisse and sourdough, paired with Bucher's 2015 Russian River pinot noir. The third course is the very unique licorice braised beef cheek with raspberry sofrito and Wrångebäck cheese, paired with Bucher's 2017 OPA's Block pinot noir. The dessert course will be milk chocolate bodini with caramel, salt and orange cotton candy, along with Bucher's 2018 late harvest sauvignon blanc. This is a 21 and older event and because there will be a photographer on-site, guests may be included in future Stockhome promo materials. Tickets are $75 per person for the prix fixe menu, including wine pairing, at stockhomerestaurant.com.
During a recent visit to Stockhome, we ordered one of the best French onion soups I can remember ever tasting. I am told that without the Swedish cheese this dish is vegan, but you vegans will have to double check for yourselves. While ordering, we learned two new things about Stockhome. First, they are no longer offering brunch, instead simply keeping a breakfast item on the menu through their weekend lunches. We also learned that Stockhome now offers a frequent buyer plan. For every $30 or more spent on your bill, you earn 1 point. If I recall correctly, at 10 points, you get $30 off your next meal.
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