food: Boho Beat, North Bay Bohemian

Jan. 17: Battle of the Baristas Final Showdown at Taylor Maid

Leilani Clark — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:50:00 -0800

I spent years behind coffeehouse counters, steaming up foamy lattes with glum despair before learning how to make a proper coffee drink. It took training by a boss who viewed coffee as an art form to change my ways.…

July 17: Brews and Bites at Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Catherine Zaw — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:34:00 -0700

Chill at Lagunitas’ Beer Sanctuary for some Brews and Bites. Enjoy Lagunitas beer and wine with Rosso’s brick-oven pizza, and some fresh picked community grown salad from the Bounty Farm.…

June 9-10: Novato Festival of Arts, Wine, and Music at Grant Avenue in Novato

Jay Scherf — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:42:00 -0700

Novato. Land of abandoned airport hangars and ’80s suburban sprawl . . .…

April 28: Pastapalooza for Parks at Santa Rosa Vets Building

Gabe Meline — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:36:41 -0700

People do crazy things when they’re in love—leave voicemails at 3am, show up at the other person’s house unannounced, and maybe participate in things they wouldn’t admit being proud of later on. But if you’re in love with county and state parks, there’s no way you’re going to let them be taken away without a fight—or, in this case, a feast.…

Dec. 21: SRJC Culinary Arts Holiday Fundraiser

Gabe Meline — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:41:31 -0800

One of the worst-kept secrets for lunch in Santa Rosa is the SRJC’s Culinary Arts Center, which offers delicious creations, courtesy of students, for cheap. The place fills up quickly, which for late-coming, bill-savvy diners means dejection.…

Oct. 23: 'Chocolate & Wine' at Westin Verasa

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:18:38 -0700

I have never been as ashamed as I was the day my roommate came home to find me sprawled on the couch surrounded by an empty box of See’s candy and an even emptier bottle of wine. I lied—I said I had help in the gluttony that had ensued, when in actuality I was the only guilty party involved.…

Sept. 4: Oyster & Fog Festival at Rocker Oysterfeller's

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:15:13 -0700

Hopefully the sun will come out for bit—just in time for the solid lineup of Americana bands set to play the Oyster & Fog Festival 2011. Tiny Television, Easy Leaves, Stratospheres and others provide the entertainment, while one of Valley Ford’s most charming dining establishments knocks out barbecue oysters straight off the grill, fried green tomatoes, shrimp po’ boys and other delicious treats.…

Aug. 27: Taste of Petaluma in Downtown Petaluma

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:03:44 -0700

Can someone become an official patron of the arts, a food connoisseur and a wine junkie all in the same day? Taste of Petaluma offers the possibility, with samples from over 40 of the town’s finest chefs and wineries.…

December 22: Polly Lappetito at the Culinary Institute of America

Gabe Meline — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:14:05 -0800

After the rush of decorating, shopping, organizing, shuffling relatives, fielding RSVPs and wrapping presents, who the hell wants to cook? One could take a cursory flip-though of the Larousse Gastronomique as inspiration—or opt for a cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America with none other than in-house Greystone Restaurant chef Polly Lappetito.…

May 24: Firefighter Barbecues

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:47:17 -0700

While firefighters spend their time on the clock putting out flames, this weekend brings two separate events involving firefighters making things hot, hot, hot—and keeping them glowing for hours on end with community barbecues. In Jenner, the local volunteer firefighters go head to head in an all-out chili cook-off and salsa contest, complete with barbecued oysters, local brews, a dunk tank and more on Sunday, May 24, at the Jenner Community Center (10398 Hwy. 1, Jenner.…