Sonoma Country Life

Party Like it's 1982! Petaluma Educational Foundation's Celebratory 30th Anniversary Dine, Dance and Donate at Graziano's Ristorante this Saturday

Click here to reserve a table for dinner this Saturday, February 25th, 2012, in celebration of Petaluma Educational Foundation’s 30th Anniversary

Join friends and neighbors as we fill one of our favorite downtown dining and dancing destinations for a delicious kick-off to Petaluma Educational Foundation's big anniversary year. Over 13,000 kids attend Petaluma area schools and PEF is more committed than ever to raising the bar on our community’s support of education.

Gather friends and family for dinner Saturday evening and long-time supporter, Graziano will donate 20% of your total bar and dinner bill to PEF.

And that’s not where the evening ends. From 9pm to midnight, join a special after-party upstairs at Graziano’s where local live band, the H.O.T.S will play all of your favorite rock and roll dance hits. Donate $20 for admission to this fun after party.

 

The BEE RAYS in Concert at Aqus Cafe at Foundry Wharf, Saturday, Feb 25th 2012

Top Pick for Belated Valentine's!

There's probably only one day of the week less preferable than a Tuesday upon which to celebrate Valentine's - and that's a Monday. Still, with a Monday, clever cupids are able to get ahead with cupcakes, roses and romance the day before!

If yesterday's Tuesday Valentine didn't quite make the mark, here's as fine a date night as could be for belated wine and dine points with that special someone in your life.

Southern Sonoma County Life loves a little foray over the county border, out West. Look for a feature article with photos with all the latest from a visit to Nick's Cove, coming soon.

 

 

Artisan Cheese Festival Returns for 6th Annual Sonoma County Spectacular, March 23rd to 25th, 2012

Cheese lovers of the Western world, experts, gourmands and aficionados from farther afield are counting down the days on their calendars until they reconvene for the 6th Annual Artisan Cheese Festival, centered right here in our Southern Sonoma County cheese heartlands of Petaluma from March 23rd through March 25th, 2012. 

If you are planning to attended tours, seminars or the festival's grand marketplace during the three day extravaganza, you'd best get on with booking tickets today.

These are some of the artisan food scene's most sought after tickets, with places on tours and seats in cutting-edge seminars extremely limited. Yes, it does sell out. Every year.

I love that the Artisan Cheese Festival draws lots of the country's most respected food writers, too. No wonder our little corner of wine & cheese country is getting so much national press these days. The secret's out.

In case you can't make it to the festival yourself, I am pleased to say that I will be reporting here from select tours and seminars, this Spring. 

Petaluma-Based Lagunitas Pils Makes Full-Bodied Brew Pick in March Issue of Martha Stewart Living

It's starting to seem quite commonplace for a Petaluma handcrafted product to appear in the glossy pages of one of the country's most discerning lifestyle magazines.

For Martha Stewart Living is no stranger to the quality wares of Sonoma County and Petaluma-made makes the mark seemingly every month!

March 2012 issue of the magazine's page 69 feature photo and tasting feature: Rhapsody in Brew picks out Petaluma's Lagunitas Brewery's Pils as its fuller-bodied light beer of choice with its crisp finish.

The article suggests to organize beer tasting selections into three flights - light, amber and dark, poured into small glasses so that one bottle might be split by three beer loving buddies at a time. 

Here in Petaluma, portions tend to be on the more generous side - with home region handcrafted beers from Northern Cal fast reaching cult status.

New boys on the block here in Petaluma are HenHouse, whose brand new brews have flown off shelves at downtown's Petaluma Market like nobody's business.

Celebrations Start for Petaluma Educational Foundation's 30th Anniversary

Petaluma Educational Foundation's 30th Year Celebrations start this month with a wonderful evening of festivities at Graziano's Ristorante, downtown.

Everyone is invited - all you have to do to honor three decades and a vital future for this unique, all-local non-profit, supporting every school in Petaluma, is make a reservation for dinner on February 25th, 2012, by calling 707 762 5997.

PEF has been very busy this month and last, visiting multiple schools around the city for exciting 2012 Major Impact Grant presentations (full story to follow, once all of the grants have been received).

Did you know that the foundation has funded a whopping $2 million in grants to schools over the past 30 years? And that's not all. This Spring, a further $2 million will have been awarded in annual PEF scholarships since the non-profit was formed back in 1982.

As Petaluma Educational Foundation continues to expand its reach to further fund the future of over 13,000 students, the development of even more community involvement and corporate partnerships are of particular paramount importance in this current economic climate of state wide cuts.  

Take time to get to know PEF and its invaluable work during this, its 30th anniversary  year. Shop and donate at the foundation's dedicated benefit thrift store, Alphabet Soup, check out the PEF Website & Blog, like the foundation on Facebook and make a date for the 25th!

 

 

Big-Hearted Birthday Boy Rallies for Less Fortunate

Soon-to-be 7-year-old, Memphis Roetter's not like most boys his age. Instead of asking for a skateboard, new bike, or gaming consul for his upcoming birthday on February 26th,  this sweet young Southern Sonoma County philanthropist is making the rounds for his third annual food drive for the Redwood Empire Food Bank, in lieu of gifts. 

Last year's efforts supplied Sonoma county residents with nothing less than 5,342 meals.  According to his dad, Chuck Roetter, Memphis has set the bar substantially higher, with a goal of 7,735 meals for 2012.

Check out Memphis Roetter's wonderful website to see where you can drop off non-perishable food donations during the month of February. I'm opting for brunch time drop off at The Redwood Cafe in Cotati.

Did you know that one single dollar is enough to provide three meals for the hungry in our community? If you can't make it to any of the donation station businesses before the end of February, click on links for Crowdrise or Redwood Empire Food Bank if you'd like to donate a dollar or two in Memphis' name. 

The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), Sonoma County’s largest hunger-relief organization, has been in operation since 1987, providing food to over 78,000 people every month through its own three Hunger Initiatives and a network of 149 charitable organizations throughout Sonoma County. The REFB also helps smaller food banks and charitable organizations acquire food in Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Over 13 million pounds of food is distributed annually, the equivalent of 28,000 meals each day.

Get Your Hands on the Dough with Wood Fired Pizza Making - First in a Series of Cooking Classes at Pizza Politana Kitchen, Petaluma

Always wanted to learn how to make the best, wood fired pizza? Never quite figured out the secrets of how to make and stretch the tastiest pizza dough, different sorts of sauces, prepare different toppings, and cook to perfection?

Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 18th, 2012 and book yourself in for the first date in a new series of monthly cooking classes taking place at Petaluma-based, roving artisan pizza maker's Pizza Politano's pro kitchen at 434 Payran Street, Suite A. 

The class starts at 11:30am and wraps up around 1:30pm. This hands-on class with Pizza Politano's expert crew will even send you home with extra dough and tips on how to make pizzas in your home oven.

Cost for this class is $75 per person, including lunch. We will enjoy the pizzas we make, local libations, and each other’s company of course!," says Pizza Politano proprietress, Naomi Crawford.

Download the Registration Form here and send it in, fast. If they fill up first, the folks at Pizza Politano will contact you to let you know and will add your name to a wait list. "We are hoping to accommodate everyone but would still like to keep it intimate so everyone gets a chance to get their hands in the dough," says Crawford.

Madmen Attire for Straight UP! A Vodka Cocktail Competition and Tasting Fundraiser for Literacyworks

Don't Miss Straight Up - a Vodka Cocktail Competition & Tasting, a Fundraiser for Petaluma-based Literacyworks

Thursday, MARCH 8th, 2012
6:00 – 9:00 PM

Petaluma Sheraton’s Ball Room

“Madmen” costume optional– cocktail attire

Literacyworks, a nationally recognized leader for literacy, has established a fund to “keep the lights on” for North Bay organizations dedicated to literacy. Library programs, literacy focused non-profits, and educational programs will directly benefit from this fun competition. Let’s turn this evening into a successful fundraiser for important programs we all care about!

The $20.00 guest ticket price includes admission, appetizers, live entertainment, and two drink tasting tickets. You will be asked to cast you ballot for your two favorite cocktails.

Additional drink tasting tickets are $5 & full size drink tickets are $10.

Sponsors: Petaluma Sonoma County Sheraton, Charbay Winery And Distillery, North Bay Bohemian

RSVP to: Elizabeth Howland,
Proprietor Clementine Eco Events
Elizabeth@clementineecoevents.com
707.364.4567

Sneak Preview Tasting of Petaluma's New Henhouse Brews

Lagunitas is on fire with popularity as Petaluma's premium bewery and haven of 'hopitality', so now's just about the best timing for the all-local, new HenHouse Brewing Company start-up to enter the scene.

Taste samplings were savored along with a private birthday party pub-grub spread at the home of one our favorite West Petaluma family's this past weekend, in which guests gave a unanimous thumbs up to the newest brew boys in town.

Newly licensed HenHouse is now available on the well-stocked beer shelves at Petaluma Market, the first local store to get behind the start-up with its robust Osyter Stout.

Handcrafted in Petaluma, HenHouse Brews Golden Ale, Imperial Stout and Saison are set to officially launch at a party at TAPS next month.

We're hoping to get a behind the scenes look at HenHouse in the making some time in the near future, but for now, we recommend you hit the market for a bottle or two of the ultimate in locavore's libation!

Pictured top left (next to fellow Brit and pal Mark S - who'd scored himself the tiniest taster glass imaginable) is his mother-in-law Kath C's outrageously delicious, traditional English, homemade Pork Pie. Just about the best possible food pairing with HenHouse beers.