Seared ‘wild dinner,’ Mariposa ice cream sale, Ethic Ciders dinner, Griffo Distillery mixology,

Tip of my Tongue: Houston Porter’s regular wrap up of food news|

Eat spaghetti, give back

Friday, Oct. 19, I will be calling the auction at the Petaluma Woman's Club's annual Scholarship Fundraising Spaghetti Feed. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and includes a spaghetti dinner, drinks and dessert. For those looking to help add to the PWC's scholarship fund, you can bid on homemade baked goods during the auction at the end of the meal. This event helps sponsor three Petaluma area high school students as they start their college careers. Tickets are $20 ($10 for kids under 11) and are available from Linda Karr (778-0833) or Debbie Payne (763-5398.)

We all scream for ice cream

Mariposa Ice Creamery's factory sale is this Friday, Oct. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m, and Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 431 Payran St. This is your chance to load up your freezer with fall specialty flavors, as well as some of the tried and true favorites. Check their Facebook page for updates and definitely show up early, and with a cooler, because they sell out quickly and you'll likely want one of everything. Additionally, Bariadelli Pizza is offering Mariposa's ice cream bars at the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze through Halloween.

Honey harvest

Keller Estates and Planet Bee Foundation will hold the first-annual Bees, Wine and Honey fundraising event family day at Keller Estate vineyard on Sunday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests, including children, will be able to suit up and collect honey from the hives, as well as spin the honey to be jarred. Along with wine, cheese and honey, there will be a silent auction of bee-related goodies. Money raised will support nonprofit Planet Bee's educational program, which includes visits to over 5,000 youth in schools and at public events each year. Special guests include Dr. John Hafernik, nationally acclaimed entomologist and San Francisco State University professor emeritus and renowned wine expert and Wilfred Wong, chief storyteller at wine.com. Tickets are available at kellerestate.com - $50 for adults and $12 for kids, which includes a light, healthy, kid-friendly lunch.

Whiskey in the wild

Mark Twain said that “too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” Seared plans to honor that philosophy on Monday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. with a four-course “wild” meal, pairing duck, venison and bison with craft cocktails featuring Jack Daniel's whiskeys. First up will be Liberty Farm duck charcuterie (pate, pastrami and sausage), served with pickles, bourbon mustard, house bread and paired with Jack's single barrel, mixed with aperol, wild blackberries and lemon. Second up is an arugula gnocchi, covered in a wild mushroom and venison ragu, topped with aged cheddar and basil, all paired with a blend of Jack, medjool date, coconut and egg whites. Third in line is a bison ribeye with Brussels sprout and bacon hash, black trumpets, bourbon and green peppercorn demi-glaze, paired with barrel-aged Jack rye Sazerac, complete with burnt orange and chartreuse. For dessert they will offer doughnuts with bourbon-maple glaze, paired with Irish coffee, although I'll bet it's spike with Jack Daniel's, instead of the normal shot, which is technically Irish whiskey. At $65 a ticket, this an event that even this non-whiskey drinker wouldn't want to miss. Reservations required by calling 762-5997.

Wine and food

Barber Cellars has announced the menu for their Friday, Oct. 26, wine release party. Chef Matt Elias and partner Laine Ayre's very popular Bodega – CA food truck will pair Barber's “La Lune” (sauvignon blanc) with caramelized delicata squash and bellwether fromage blanc tart. Barber's “Il Grosso Piccolo” (sangiovese) pairs with homemade Liberty Duck and pistachio sausage, with creamy Golden State Pickle Works mustard sauce. And finally, Barber's “Mr. Beast” (zinfandel) is matched with Stemple Creek brisket, heirloom cornmeal cornbread and late season tomato passata. The cost is $55 at barbercellars.com.

Wizards of Elixirs

Griffo Distillery is sponsoring a cocktail competition, which used to be called “The Dead Man's Cup,” but is now called “The Wizards of Elixirs.” The competition is Monday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Napa's Archer Hotel, where guest will vote for their favorite cocktails from Wine County's top bartenders. There will also be Judges' Awards, voted on by celebrity judges Virginie Boone (Wine Enthusiast and Press Democrat), John Codd (renowned San Francisco bartender) and Danny Ojinaga (founder of Good Time Bros). Ticket and raffle sales help the nonprofit Stand for Kindness, which supports local families directly impacted by wildfires (standforkindness.org). There will be live music by PRVLGS and plenty of raffles items, including donations from Brewsters, the Drawing Board, Perch & Plow, Harvest Table, Goose & Gander, and many, many more. Guest must be at least 21 years old. Tickets are $35 at griffodistillery.com.

In the business

Petaluma food sleuths noticed a sign announcing a Mediterranean Market, opening soon on the north end of the Kmart shopping center. There is also rumor of a bagel place opening on Western Avenue, between Kitaru and the new Stockhome restaurants. With few bagel options in town, this would be a welcome addition. Finally, the proprietor of the old Sonic Drive-In location on the corner of Petaluma Boulevard North and Payran has been working hard spiffy up the old joint, by enclosing the outdoor patio and replace the weathered awnings. Whether this means they have a tenant signed to a lease is unknown at this time, but it sure would be nice to see that old space get some new life.

Beer news

It has come to my attention that my all-time favorite beer, Firestone Walker's Nitro Merlin, has a permanent tap handle at Penngrove's Twin Oaks. Although available widely in cans, nothing really compares to Nitro Merlin on tap. During an informal taste test we held during a St. Patty's Day dinner last year, Nitro Merlin beat out all competitors, which included both Guinness's and Murphy's sweet stouts, which came as quite a surprise to this Guinness faithful.

Advance preview

Petaluma's Ethic Ciders will join forces with Healdsburg's SHED on Sunday, Nov. 4, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. to offer a Modern Grange Event of cider and food pairings. Regenerative agriculture is one of the most exciting sustainable agriculture practices taking root in Sonoma County and this event will highlight those practices with guest speakers from True Grass Farms, Hog Island Oyster Co., Red H Farm, and Point Blue Conservation Science. Tickets are $75 at ethicciders.com.

Griffo Distillery is offering a unique opportunity on Friday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., to learn mixology from Elemental Spirits creator Kat Valentina. Guests will get to play with various ingredients, including spirits and bitters, in order to create their own signature cocktail. Tickets are $45 at griffodistillery.com.

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