BiteClubEats: July 2008 Archives

Two former Napa chefs are stocking their new eatery, Green Grocer in Windsor, almost exclusively with food caught or harvested within 150 miles. Joe and Susanna Rueter opened the gourmet market in late July 2008 with 95% of their inventory coming from local sources. Currently they're working with folks like Gary Blasi, Sayre, Amstrong, Golden Nectar and Bernier Farms. Joe almost apologies for the fact that some of his pork is from 167 miles away. And the coffee (duh) isn't local, but its fair-trade. You get the idea.

BiteClub hits the Restaurant at Meadowood's tasting menu. It was a dinner that cost as much as a flat screen television. A single meal for two at the Michelin-rated Meadowood Restaurant cost more than my monthly car payment, more than I spend on clothes, as much as a flight to New York City and more than many people earn in a week. Let's be honest, it's more than many people earn in a month

If you know anything about Dan Smith, the owner of Sebastopol's French Garden Restaurant & Brasserie, you know that local boy-turned-entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist- turned-restauranteur doesn't go down without a fight. Though he's struggled to attain his ambitious vision of a Michelin-starred farm-to-table eatery after two chef departures and mixed reviews of the cuisine since opening in 2006, he's far from throwing in the towel. In fact, he seems more excited about the restaurant than ever

The Donut Cafe has recently opened on Montgomery Drive (near Lepe's Taqueria) to fulfill your early-morning pastry needs. These little pillows of sugary goodness are made fresh each day and they throw open the doors at 5am every day of the week, spurning eager-beaver joggers and health-nuts. Or maybe rewarding them

Historic Italian deli, Traverso's is packing up the pepperoni and pinot; the mozzarella and tortellini and leaving downtown Santa Rosa for good. After more than 30 years in its B Street location, Michael Traverso tells BiteClub that they've officially inked the deal and will be headed for Fountain Grove Village at the end of the year

Located just steps from Santi, Diavola (which means devilish in Italian) serves a selection of antipasti (a seafood plate with squid, shrimp, mussels and clams; house made burrata; local tomatoes with gorgonzola and a vegetable plate) along with nine wood-fired pizzas that range from a simple zucchini flower and buffalo mozzarella 'Margherita' to a Ligurian clam and herb pizza or caper, anchovy and hot pepper pizza. The aptly-named Diavola pizza is topped with N'duja (a spicy Calabrian salami), arugula an Stracchino cheese.