8 foodie events to eat your way through Petaluma this summer

Although not specifically a food event, this Sunday’s Art & Garden Festival (July 14) in Walnut Park just goes to show that no local event is complete without a good bite to eat. Petaluma has great food so why not show it off? A huge list of local food and drink vendors is available at petalumadowntown.com but some highlights include our new favorite barbecue vendor, War Wagon BBQ, ice cream from Mariposa, plus Gator’s, Brasil BBQ, Penngrove Market and Wine by the Slice. And that doesn’t even get into the booze, which includes Petaluma-area favorites from Sonoma Coast Spirits to HenHouse to Griffo Distillery.

Due to a planned PG&E outage in the downtown area on the Stockhome/Keller Estate Wine Dinner has been rescheduled to Monday, July 15, the night prior to its original date, with tickets available at exploretock.com (search “Stockhome”). Tickets are $85.

This is great news because it no longer conflicts with the Shuckery’s HenHouse Dinner, which is still scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, starting at 6:30 p.m., with tickets available at eventbrite.com, also for $85. This five-course meal will highlight HenHouse’s beers alongside a menu created and prepared by Thistle Meats’ owner Chef Travis Day and guided by certified Cicerone Sayre Piotrowski.

If you are looking for something a bit more casual, Brews and Bites for Bounty is also on Tuesday, July 16, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lagunitas for $25 a ticket. There will be live music by Petaluma favorites, the Highway Poets, plus food from Red H Farm Salad and Three Twins ice cream, as well as plenty of great beer and wine available for an additional fee. Proceeds help support Petaluma Bounty, whose motto is “Healthy Food for Everyone.” More info at petalumabounty.org.

The Block – Petaluma will host the first of what they hope are many “Friday Night Pop Up” events on July 19, from 4 to 9 p.m. It will feature live music as well as a special variety of new food trucks to try, in addition to the regular favorites. Visit theblockpetaluma.com for all their upcoming events as well as an updated food vendor list as we get closer to July 19.

This year’s Farmer’s Guild Summer Soiree farm-to-table feast is Sunday, July 28, with happy hour starting at 4 p.m. followed by dinner at 5 p.m. This year’s theme is “Voices From the Field” and will be hosted at 5 Springs Farm on Adobe Road. Included will be a silent auction, drinks and dinner, as well as the opportunity to “tour the historic retrofitted solar-powered farmstead, visit the lambs, wander the gardens, and even try your hand at the lasso. Then enjoy a seasonal feast cooked up by some of our finest local chefs,” according to the website. For more info, visit farmersguild.org.

The Petaluma Oyster Fest just announced ticket sales for the Saturday, Aug. 17, event and will likely sell out as fast. The event is put on by the Petaluma Sunrise Rotary Club in collaboration with HenHouse Brewing and is hosted by Bodega Bay Oyster Company at 12830 Valley Ford Road, also known to many simply as Bodega Highway, just past Bloomfield. $60 for adults and $45 for kids. Tickets and info are available at eventbrite.com.

Although not in Petaluma, Taste West Sonoma will showcase our local Petaluma and coastal wines on Saturday, July 13, at the “Vintage Roots” wine tasting at the historic Presidio Officers’ Club - Ortega Ballroom in San Francisco. The event highlights small-production wines alongside gourmet local cheeses and charcuterie. Guest will get to visit with the makers as well as order bottles that are rarely seen outside of the tasting rooms. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. for VIPs and 6:30 p.m. for general admission and will run until 8:30 p.m. VIPs will also be treated to exclusive library and large format wines that won’t be available to the general public. Tickets and the long list of exclusive wineries are available at tastewestsonoma.com/events.

Restaurant News

During a recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon, when asked about economic development, new City Manager Peggy Flynn told the packed crowd at Cattlemen’s that the city had been “working on” helping Oliver’s Market find a Petaluma location. So far they have been unsuccessful in finding the right fit here in town.

Although everyone seems to love Oliver’s, I am concerned that they could put the pinch on our two other locally owned and operated markets – Petaluma Market and Penngrove Market. It is unlikely that Oliver’s will pull customers away from Safeway, Lucky’s or Raley’s, which all benefit from being part of much bigger chains. There are only so many grocery dollars to go around, and the margins are thinner for our independent markets. Remember when G&G was a local chain until it eventually sold to Safeway? Let’s hope that Oliver’s doesn’t put a squeeze on single-location markets like Petaluma Market and Penngrove Market.

In other rumors, an ABC license has appeared on the window of the former Chicken Pharm. The rumor that the owners of Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, a tiki bar in Healdsburg, are coming to Petaluma appear to be true. There is no word yet if they will run the new operation with the same tropical theme or customize it to Petaluma.

Oyama Sushi is the newest sushi restaurant to open in Petaluma, next to Acre in the Plaza North (Kmart) Shopping Center. As with all the sushi places in town, I am hearing good things, but have to wonder if we are reaching a saturation point. However, maybe this location, along with Fuji just across the parking lot, is what central east-siders need. Clearly, the south east-siders are enjoying Kinka, with Gohan and O! Sushi on the north end of McDowell. Maybe, because they are so spread out, Petaluma can support eight sushi restaurants, which is how many I can count off the top of my head.

Trattoria Roma’s website announced a grand opening slated for Friday, July 5, but I have yet to see any reviews so am unsure on whether they actually opened its doors. The former owners of Caffé Giostra, this father and son team is rumored to have many of those same recipes on the menu downtown.

Sunny Mediterranean Market’s stay in the Plaza North Shopping Center (next to CVS Pharmacy) appears to have been short lived as they recently put everything on sale and closed the doors at the end of June.

The Bagel Mill seems to be a huge success so far, having sold out of bagels early each day in its first week of operations. Because making authentic New York style bagels takes time, ramping up production is not as immediate as throwing a few more in the oven. However, owner Glenda Dougherty told me she is working diligently to up production. This seems like a good problem to have and shows how badly downtown needed a place to hang out and enjoy great bagels and coffee.

Whisper Sisters’ Coffee & Provisions is now open from 7 to 11 a.m. offering Equator coffee and assorted house-made fresh goods at their Kentucky Street window, at the corner of Kentucky and Washington.

Have a foodie event, food tip or a note for Houston Porter? Email it to food@arguscourier.com.