Tip of My Tongue: Restaurant restructuring

Flamez Grill, a Petaluma favorite for over a decade now, recently announced they will be closing temporarily to remodel and rebrand their restaurant.

Always keeping the Petaluma Foodies page on Facebook in the loop, they posted this past week their last meal service will be Sept. 18.

After that, “we are looking forward to returning with a new energy, a completely new look, a new menu, new hours, and a new name! We’re excited about the time we have left to see you and serve you so please come enjoy your favorite meal and visit with us, your friends here at Flamez. As always, it’s been our pleasure and we’ve appreciated each and every one of you. So…. It’s just see you later – Your Flamez Family.” When asked, co-owner (and past recipient of the Petaluma People’s Choice Award for Best Server) Kim Shatnawi confirmed that the restaurant has not been sold and that it will remain family run, just with a rebranding.

Spring Thai also announced, although their Cotati location will be closed until at least December due to power issues, their former Petaluma chef, who had moved over to Cotati, is now back in Petaluma helping this location stay open seven days a week.

Agri-CULTURED Community Tasting

The current exhibition at the Petaluma Art Center, Agri-CULTURED, has been getting rave reviews as have the plethora of related events, like architectural walking tours, poetry reads and panel discussions.

This weekend’s Architectural Walking Tour with Katherine J. Rinehart is sold out, but the closing event, the Community Tasting, still has tickets available. This event is 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Hotel Petaluma and celebrates our local food and the artisans who produce them. Tickets are available at petalumaartcenter.org for $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

Participants include Joe Matos Cheese Co., Lala's Jam Bar and Urban Farmstand, Maison Porcella, Ronda's Fine Foods, Sedition Brews, Sonoma Spice Queen, Kiss the Flower Honey and many more.

Huge restaurant gift certificate raffle

The big yearly Committee on the Shelterless restaurant raffle is back, with tickets available until Oct. 12.

Sponsored by Century 21 Epic Petaluma and Bundesen Property Management, tickets are $20 and are available at both these businesses, 616 and 522 Petaluma Blvd. S., respectively.

There are 10 chances to win, with the total prize pool consisting of $10,000 worth of restaurant gift certificates. However, my understanding is that unlike most raffles, for this one Century 21 and Bundesen Property Management have foot the entire bill to buy these gift certificates, meaning the restaurants are also winning, and 100% of the proceeds from the raffle can go to benefit COTS and their mission to end homelessness.

The list is a who’s who of Petaluma eateries, with gift certificates being raffled off in packages each worth hundreds of dollars, with the top prizes worth over a thousand dollars, including to Lunchette, Pearl, Wicked Slush, Sax’s Joint, Quinua Cocina Peruana, Washoe House, and more.

Last year’s event raised $33,000 and this year they are looking to raise $35,000.

A dairy tale

Few have had the positive and long-lasting impact on Petaluma’s agrarian character as Ellen Straus, of the Straus Family Creamery, affectionately referred to as Dairy Godmother in the tagline of the upcoming play in her honor, “After I’m Dead, You’ll Have to Feed Everyone – The Rollicking Tale of Ellen Straus, Dairy Godmother.”

Written and performed by Vivien Straus, Ellen’s daughter, this is “a daughter’s love letter to her immigrant mother, a European city kid who finds love on a California dairy and emerges as one of West Marin’s iconic environmental pioneers.

“It's funny, it's sad, it's ridiculous, it's performed in a barn at a farm.”

The show will be held from Oct. 21 through Nov. 13, on Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday matinees at Straus Home Ranch in Marshall. Friday night will host food trucks while the matinees are bring-your-own-picnics.

The show is directed by Elly Lichenstein, long-time executive director at Cinnabar Theater, and quite the thespian in her own right.

Email houston@avantlard.com with questions/comments.