3 new eateries, 1 closure, tons of food events in Petaluma
Wicked Slush is coming to Petaluma. A Boston transplant, Amy Covin opened Wicked Slush in Healdsburg a few years back and became an instant success. People travel from as far away as San Francisco to sample her frozen treats. Well known locals Juliet and Dave Pokorny, and their daughters Miranda and Alexis, hope to open a Petaluma location by May, and look forward to “serving happiness,” as Juliet puts it. They plan to serve a rotating 10 flavors of soft serve and 10 of slushies daily. Knowing the Pokorny family well, I cannot think of a better match of people to product.
Tony’s Seafood has reopened in Marshall and is already receiving rave reviews. First opened in 1948, Hog Island Oysters purchased Tony’s in 2017, but closed it down shortly thereafter so that renovations could take place. Because they wanted to keep its spirit alive, they opted to remodel instead of demolish and rebuild. This meant pulling down all the old wood paneling to restore and refresh it, and put it back in place, instead of the much less costly option of replacing it. They have even kept the old crab cooker out front, although currently it is not operational. With so few dining choices along Tomales Bay, coupled with Hog Island’s hard-earned reputation for quality local food, I predict Tony’s is destine to become a Bay Area favorite again.
Thai Essence will go into the Orchard Supply Hardware shopping center, although I guess we need to come up with a new name for that too as OSH is now closed. Then again, most of us still call River Plaza by its original name of the Golden Eagle Shopping Center, and refer to the Lucky’s on Lakeville as the “new Lucky’s” even though it has been there for a couple of decades now. I guess old habits, and monikers, die hard.
Anyway, Thai Essence is taking over the spot where Lunn Yar Moe just closed down, and promises “mainly organic” and gluten free “healthy delicious Bangkok food.” I am not sure if Petaluma needs another Thai place, what with five already, but as a huge fan of this cuisine, I’ll definitely give them a try.
That leads us into restaurant closings, which obviously includes Lunn Yar Moe. I had heard mixed reviews, with many loving it and others finding it so-so, but I understand the woman who ran it was a real gem, so we wish her the best of luck.
Crocodile will close at the end of this month so get the French-American cuisine while you can. Although crocs have been around for 200 million years, pre-dating even the dinosaurs, Crocodile restaurant lasted roughly 2.5 years. This seems to be a pattern with Theater Square, so I hope the new tenants took a long, hard look at their lease before signing. Rumor has it that an Italian restaurant will take Crocodile’s space, although pulling customers from the downtown’s four excellent Italian options, which include Sugo, Cucina, Risibisi and Volpi’s, will be a tall order.
Part of the same reptilian order, called Crocodylia, it can be noted that all gators are crocs, but not all crocs are gators. I mention this because as soon as Crocodile made their closing announcement, rumors started to spread that Gator’s was also closing, but this simply is not true. So, although Yelp has Gator’s Rustic Burgers food truck listed as closed, his restaurant – Gator’s Rustic Burgers and His Creole Friends – is still alive and kicking with great Louisiana cuisine, and music and dancing if you are lucky to be there at the right time. However, Glenn “Gator” Thompson did report that the restaurant’s name will soon change to Gator’s Bayou and His Creole Friends, in an effort to alleviate some of the confusion.
Foodie events
Pearl has been wowing Petaluma foodies with Eastern Mediterranean breakfasts and lunches, which has fans hungrily curious about what dinner might include. Regulars have asked for it, so owners Annette and Brian, in conjunction with Sonoma County Restaurant Week, will offer dinner for a very limited time. This Thursday through Sunday, March 7 to 10, dinner is served from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The three-course, prix fixe menu is $45, which includes all service fees, so there is no tip on top of that amount. In an effort to minimize waste, it is strongly recommended that guests make advance reservations, including selecting menu items.
Choices for the first course are chopped Israeli salad with radishes, pickled fennel and sumac vinaigrette; or warm za’atar pita, green hummus and beet tzatziki. The second course includes spring vegetable cassoulet, heirloom beans and poached egg; chicken tagine, stewed apricots, couscous and herbed yogurt; Zhoug marinated trout, Agassi rice with red pepper and walnut sauce; or a lamb burger with feta and sweet potato gratin. Dessert is either Moroccan rice pudding, figs and toasted almonds; or spiced ginger cake with poached blood orange, topped with whipped cream.
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