(This is Part 2 of my Taste of Petaluma series.)

One of the rare benefits of being a food blogger is that I sometimes get invited to taste and write about food events.  For the past several years I have been invited to attend and write about Taste of Petaluma.  Taste of Petaluma is in its 6^th year and is more popular than ever.  It is your best chance to try Petaluma’s best – which may mean visiting some old favorites to see what is new on the menu, or visiting some new places that you have been meaning to try.  The organizer of Taste of Petaluma invites food writers to pick three or four participating locations from the list of 35+ locations (and 70+ participants), and then they join her for what she has dubbed “mini-Tastes.”  So, you can imagine my excited when I was invited to attend these “mini-Tastes” and write about this great event.

But I am more than just a food blogger.  Five years ago I emailed the organizer of Taste of Petaluma to make a few suggestions on how the event might be improved.  The ever friendly and always inclusive Laura Sunday emailed back asking if I had any interest in helping out.  She had me at “Will you work for free food?” …and I have been involved ever since.  This eventually led to my invitation to the board of directors of Cinnabar Theater, where I currently serve as the president.  Let this be a cautionary tale to all of you who want to make suggestions on how things could be done better …but I digress.

So, the benefit of being a food blogger is that Laura invites me on her “mini-Tastes.”  The benefit of helping her organize the event is that I get to partake in ALL the “Mini Tastes.”  As an ambassador of Cinnabar Theater and of Taste of Petaluma, I get to meet a lot of great food writers, tell them about the event and how it benefits Cinnabar, and see and taste many of the new menu items at some of my favorite restaurants.  Since different writers pick different restaurants to visit, this means that my waistline has already expanded, and we are still days away from the event.  Living downtown, it is a rare restaurant that I haven’t visited, but it is nice to visit as a writer.  We get the proprietor’s undivided attention, which gives us a chance to ask questions you normally wouldn’t as a regular patron.  It also helps that I know most of the business owners’ downtown because it means I can fill in the gaps and backstories for some of the writers who are not as familiar with our downtown, and don’t have all day to visit with our gracious hosts.

Part two of my 2011 mini-Taste season found me joining Laura and several other food writers for another round of “mini-tastes.”  Among these writers is a long-time Petaluma favorite, Frances Rivetti, who runs the very popular online magazines Southern Sonoma Country Lifeand West Petaluma Living.  It is always a pleasure to dine with Frances because she knows her food, and she knows Petaluma.  I know all the restaurant owners in town but that doesn’t mean they all know me.  But when you sit at a table with Frances Rivetti, everyone stops in to say ‘hi.’

Our “mini-taste” started at TAPS, which is at 205 Kentucky Street, at the base of the Petaluma Hotel.  TAPS opened its doors prior to its grand opening in order to give Taste of Petaluma visitors a sneak peak at what they had to offer, and has been participating ever since.  Apparently, people liked what they saw, ate, and drank and have kept TAPS busy ever since.  Eric and Wendy LaFranchi have done a great job in turning their establishment into one of Petaluma’s “must visit” locations.

Being an old home brewer, I have an appreciation for the care that TAPS puts into their selections.  This isn’t just a bar with a bunch of beer.  TAPS does a great job of pairing excellent beer with better than pub fare.  And some of their beer is one of a kind.  It is not uncommon to see specialty beers on tap that you will see nowhere else.  And due to TAPS strong relationship with Lagunitas, there are times when you can get a seasonal or cask conditioned Lagunitas that isn’t even available at the brewery.  I haven’t confirmed it, but I think that TAPS is the only location in town with a hand pump, which is the method used to serve cask conditioned beer.  This style of beer, and beer pulling, is the way they did it before the age of CO2 canisters and overly carbonated beer.  The beer is usually cellar temperature, as opposed to fridge temp, and is finished off (part of the brewing process) in a way that gives it a lot more flavor.  My suggestion to anyone who enters a bar that has a hand pump is to order whatever they are pulling.  You have never tasted beer are smooth, well rounded, and flavorful as something that is cask conditioned and pulled from a hand pump.  TAPS cask conditioned is so popular that fans of their Facebook page and followers of their Tweets wait with baited breath to see what TAPS is serving next on the hand pump.  They also post food specials through their social media sites.

During our visit we were treated to TAPS ever popular Rueben dog, buffalo wings, garlic fries, and two of their specialty beers.  The Rueben Dog is the best in the business and the wings are available in three different heat levels.  There is a fourth heat level but that is only when Abe (TAPS chef extraordinaire) can get a rare pepper that is grown in the central valley.  I have never been a fan of garlic fries, which is okay with Abe because unlike everyone else who only serves regular, and maybe garlic fries, TAPS has many fries options on the menu.  My favorite is the salt and pepper fries, with the celery salt fries coming in a close second.  But if you are a fan of garlic fries, TAPS piles it on high.  And the beers we had complimented our grub well.  Both beers were from Lagunitas and were aged in bourbon barrels, which is quite rare and added some very interesting flavors to the beer.  One was a cappuccino infused stout and the other was an imperial stout, which Eric told us has been used for their ice cream floats.  Both were delicious!

Our second stop of the day was at Petaluma Pie Company.  Angelo and Lina haven’t even had their doors open for a year and have already earned a stellar reputation for serving great pies, both savory and sweet, and they do it for a great price.  Their menu has expanded since my first visit, as have the number of photos and stories on their “pie story” wall.  The flavor combinations, as well as the pie crusts, have come a long ways since they opened their doors with a big “free pie party” back in December of 2010.  Talking with Lina during our visit, we found out that they actually have special pie crust formulas, learned through trial and error that they use, depending on what is going into the pie.

This is a must visit location during this year’s Taste of Petaluma.  Pie shops are fairly new to our area and a lot of people aren’t quite sure what to expect.  Well, you can expect great pies, with incredibly flavorful and wholesome ingredients.  In fact, Petaluma Pie Company even has a list of their local suppliers posted on the wall for all to see.  Words like “organic,” and “locally sourced” really mean something to Lina and Angelo, and you can taste the difference in their food.

Personally, I am a huge fan of their hand pies, but you can order most items on their menu as a regular pie and take it home for the family.  In fact, Lina told us that they have a fairly steady take-out business.  I can see why.  Their pies make for a great meal and are much more affordable than making your own at home…and in my case, much more tasty and creative.  But if you are a sweet pie connoisseur, as opposed to a fan of savory pies, Petaluma Pie Company has you covered too.  They have every type of sweet pie you could think of, along with some you might not have considered.  But it is their chocolate cream hand pie that is so popular it is hard for them to keep up with the demand.  Thankfully, the size and pricing of these hand pies means that you can try several without breaking the bank.  But at Taste of Petaluma it will only cost you one tasting ticket.

This year’s offering will be a choice between their cheeseburger hand pie or the chocolate cream pie.  For your ticket, you will also get to try beer from Kona Brewing Company.  I can’t think of anything that goes better with a cheeseburger hand pie than a nice cool glass of Kona beer.  If you are a true fan of pie, you might even consider making two stops into Petaluma Pie Company – try the cheeseburger pie and beer early on during your tour of Petaluma, and then return later for chocolate cream pie for ZERT.  Petaluma Pie is located in the back corner of Putnam Plaza and some great outdoor seating for when the weather is nice.

Our third stop was at Viva Cocolat, located on the downtown block of Petaluma Blvd, across from Vine & Barrel.  Lynn offers every kind of chocolate you could ask for, from bars to truffles to pasta.  Yes, I saw chocolate pasta on her shelf.  Many of the items are handmade in the store, while others are sourced from top chocolate confectionists.  And I should mention that few people in town have a commitment to the Petaluma community like Lynn.  In these tough economic times, non-profits like Cinnabar Theater could not survive without the help of local business and Lynn does more than her share to help.  Even if she didn’t sell chocolate, I would visit her shop just to show my appreciation for her commitment to the community…but luckily, she sells chocolate, so visits are a necessity.  (see the Taste of Petaluma Facebook page for a T-shirt and ticket special that is being offered exclusively through Viva Cocolat.)

Viva Cocolat is always a Taste of Petaluma favorite, but this year Lynn has really pulled out all the stops.  She is offering fondue.  This was my first ever fondue experience, and I have to say that I am now a big fan.  But, I am sure that has a lot to do with the quality of chocolate that Lynn is using.  This isn’t melted Herseys – this is top quality chocolate.  I am usually not a fan of milk or white chocolate, preferring dark chocolate, but Lynn’s fondue may have changed all that.  The white chocolate was so good that I may have abandoned the dipping materials (apples, bananas, strawberries, sweet pretzels, pound cake, and spicy chips) and eaten it straight from the spoon…but don’t worry, my co-tasters were already finished.

And if this wasn’t enough, Lynn has again paired her Taste of Petaluma offering with Valley of the Moon Port.  There are a lot of great ports in the world, most coming from Portugal and Australia, but I have never tasted an American port as good as Valley of the Moon’s…and my last name isn’t Porter for nothing.  In fact, Valley of the Moon Port is so popular that at last check, it is only sold at the vineyard and sells out faster then they can produce it.

BUT…HEAR MY WORDS OF WARNING.  Viva Cocolat is a VERY popular Taste of Petaluma location so DO NOT wait until the last minute to visit them.  Chocolate fondue is more than just ZERT so you may want to include it towards the early part of your tasting plans.  With the dipping materials including several fruits, you could almost call it breakfast.  There are several other ZERT locations that should not be missed (Bovine Bakery, Petaluma Pie Company, Sugo, and Vine & Barrel) so don’t pin all your hopes and desires on a late stop by Viva.

Because of its popularity, we made another visit to Bovine Bakery to visit with Carolyn and see what was new on the menu.  As always, they prepare whatever fresh “catch of the day” their farmers bring them, so their menu is ever changing…but always delicious.  As always, the food was fantastic, as was the atmosphere.  It is hard to beat Bovine Bakery for fresh handmade baked goods, as well as pizzas, eggy pies (quiche), salads, sandwiches, and soup.  And no, this is not the same picture that the other food bloggers are using; I took my own…Carolyn is ALWAYS smiling and happy, which adds to the charm, and likely the success, of Bovine Bakery.

If you want to hear about more Taste of Petaluma food options list to KSRO’s 1350AM from 4pm-5pm on Thursday, August 25 (that’s today!) Laura Sunday, Elly Lichtenstein (Cinnabar Theater’s artistic director) and yours truly will bring Steve Jaxon all sorts of great food from Petaluma’s best eateries.

Petaluma’s moment to shine is fast approaching, which means your chance to try Petaluma’s best culinary offerings while strolling through downtown is also right around the corner.  Taste of Petaluma is a culinary walking tour of downtown Petaluma’s best restaurants, shops, and galleries, coupled with a great selection of regional wines and beers from the boutiques to the powerhouses.

If you feel like Taste of Petaluma (TOP) has snuck up on you this year, you might be right. TOP has advanced from late September to Saturday, August 27 from 11:30am-4pm.  Basically, you buy a strip of 10 tickets, which you then trade in at TOP locations for a sample, or “taste” of their food and drink.  Many people print out their map the night before the event so they can formulate a plan of attack that will bring them the most for their tickets.  (If you run out of tickets, extras can be purchased at the ticket sale locations.)  The list of restaurants is a who’s-who of Petaluma eats…Everest, Sugo, McNear’s, Maguire’s, Bovine Bakery, Riverside Bistro, Petaluma Pie Company, TAPS, Tres Hombres, Wild Goat Bistro, Hiro’s Sushi, Viva Cocolat, Vine & Barrel, Jacqueline’s High Tea, Velasco’s, Mi Pueblo, Petaluma Market…just to name a few.  And for those restaurants that don’t have a downtown location, TOP finds a gallery or shop to host them, so this is truly a Petaluma wide event (DeSmire – at Sienna; Roy’s Dogs – at Starstruck Boutique).  This is where you will find many of our area’s finest artisan cheese producers serving their latest-greatest selections.  So strap on your strolling shoes, cinch up your eatin’ britches, and head downtown for a deep and diverse selection of the best that Petaluma has to offer.  It will be a delight to all your senses, but most importantly, your taste buds.

Taste of Petaluma is the brainchild of the Queen of Cuisine herself, Laura Sunday (also known as the “Chili Empress” when the Great Petaluma Chili Cookoff rolls around every spring.)  After attending “Taste of (insert city/town name here)” events all over the country, Laura felt that Petaluma not only deserved better, but could offer the best of Sonoma County through a better experience than just throwing a bunch of random food at you from cold and sterile tables inside a county fair pavilion.  As a fundraiser for Petaluma’s Cinnabar Theater, Laura wanted to help the theater out, and also give the businesses of Petaluma a chance to show visitors more than a quant downtown.  By allowing businesses to serve food directly to TOPguests from right inside their own restaurant, they are better situated to serve fresh food and showcase their menu, location, service, and ambiance.  Moving into its 6^th year, the event has been a huge success for participants serving their food, as well as those of us who want to try a lot of our town’s best restaurants, without having to risk the cost and time of a full meal.

My personal involvement comes on several levels.  When I first moved back to Petaluma after a 20 year absence, there were lots of new restaurants I wanted to try, as well as some old favorites that I want visit again.  TOP gave me an opportunity to try them all out in one afternoon, without killing my pocketbook and without committing months and months of Friday nights out.  Many of those first year “tastes” are still family favorites to this day.

So, when Laura contacted me about doing a pre-event “Mini-Taste,” I was thrilled…and immediately removed the batteries from my bathroom scale.  To promote the event Laura invites local food writers and bloggers to join her at our choice of three or four of the over 35 TOP participating locations.

On a sunny and warm Thursday, I met Laura, along with several other food bloggers for the first of four stops on our own “mini” culinary walking tour of downtown.  We began our tasting journey atCordoza’s Deli on Petaluma Boulevard near Peets, a two-year old business born out of Bonnie Cordoza’s passion for food, and energized by her bubbly and warm-hearted personality and love for what she does.  Bonnie treated us to what I can only describe as the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had.  If you know anything about me, you know that my likings lean deep into the realm of meats.  If I am not shying away from veggies, it is because I have broken out in a full blown sprint in the opposite direction.  Meat is my thing, and I don’t take it lightly.  Although I am a true foodie, I enjoy trying ALL foods, not just the fancy expensive stuff.  But don’t be fooled into believing I don’t know great food when I sink my teeth into something special.  Bonnie not only slow cooks her small batches of hot food, but she knows how to season them perfectly.  If you are at all familiar with her specials, you know that her food is so good that showing up at noon on say, Chili Thursdays, does not guarantee there will be any left for you.  She hesitates to make large batches because she doesn’t want to lose control of the quality or the well balanced flavors.

Well, Bonnie hit another home run with her pulled pork sliders.  The majority of pulled pork I have eaten is shamelessly drowned in BBQ sauce, overriding the pork’s naturally flavorful tendencies.  When I saw these sliders hit the table, the first thing I noticed was the subtle absence of BBQ sauce.  This had me excited because any chef worth their salt tastes their food while preparing it, and if Bonnie decided her pulled pork didn’t need a lot of sauce, that is because the flavor of the meat was good enough to carry the day all on its own.  The natural flavor of the meat is complemented by her dry rub spices, and then perfectly melded together through hours of slow cooking.  And her coleslaw is the perfect cool and crisp counterpart to the pork’s suppleness.  Thankfully, my reputation sometimes precedes me and after Bonnie served the rest of the table, she brought an extra “sandie” and placed it next to me, telling us all … “just in case ‘anyone else’ shows up” … wink wink, nudge nudge.  Yup, I ate that one too…  And yes, I know that ‘slaw is a veggie.  If only I could ask Bonnie to prepare all the veggies the GF is trying to sneak into my meals…  Bonnie will also be holding a raffle for a $25 gift card, so make sure to stop by and get your name into the mix.

Our next stop was at Wild Goat Bistro.  Nancy served us what has quickly become my favorite thin crust pizza.  Her flavors are simple, because as she points out, nothing more is needed and anything more would run the risk of overriding the exquisite flavor combos she has created.  I have never eaten pizza that is so light yet flavorful.  And I didn’t even need to buckle out another notch on my belt when I was finished.  We tried all three pizzas that will be offered at TOP.  There was the “Perfect Pear”, “That’s a Meatball”, and my nemesis, the “Mediterranean”.  How could my nemesis be a Neapolitan style pizza?  It is VEGETARIAN!  Oh Gad!  Yes, for all my belly-aching about liking meat and disliking veggies, Nancy has pulled off the ultimate coup.  Not only did she create a flavorful veggie pizza that doesn’t turn my stomach…but she created one that ranks as my favorite on the menu.  And yes, she does have meat pizzas; pizzas that I love.  But it is the Mediterranean that I covet, although as a meat lover it does cause me to slightly hang my head in shame.  Although not offered forTOP, Nancy had us sample several of her salads.  As a true foodie, I tried them all and was pleasantly surprised with their flavors.  This ain’t no Sizzler salad bar.  Using locally sourced ingredients, Nancy’s salads change with the seasons but are always crowd pleasers.  The big surprise was her tuna salad, which is made without mayonnaise.  Combined with sundried tomatoes, capers, olives, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice, there is none of the annoying fishy flavor that usually turns me away from anything having to do with fish (which in my book is just a floating vegetable.)

Sugo Trattoria would next fill our need for sweets after two great meals at Cordoza’s and WGB.  You don’t have to read very deep into my blogs to find numerous references to Sugo.  As my favorite restaurant in all of the bay area (and a constant supporter of community events and causes), I cannot say enough about them and their food.  I will consider toning it down once you have all tried them for yourselves, but until then, I feel it is my duty to praise them endlessly.  Unlike years past, when Sugo offered various lunch and dinner items atTOP, this year Sugo will be offering one of their newly created ZERTS.  For those of you who don’t know…the only reason I eat any meal is to get to the ZERT.  Yes, I am an adult, so I should be able to eat ZERT whenever I want…but I still feel a twinge of guilt if I haven’t finished my dinner first.  And when it comes to ZERT, Sugo pushes the envelope of flavor and innovation.  My favorite ZERT of all time is their lemon raspberry panna cotta.  Unlike many, who over-fruit a fruit flavored ZERT, Sugo’s panna cotta is a perfect blend of fruit and cream flavors.  It has the flavor of a warm July night I spent sitting on at a café eating and drinking the evening away while visiting the incredible fishing villages of Italy’s Cinque Terre. (Speaking of Italian eateries, although this may sidetrack your taste buds from the previously described ZERT, Sugo’s Pete White is also a noted “charcuterer” in his own right.  Although not on the menu, he shared with us his latest in-house creation, a skillfully crafted coppa, which is a super fancy type of Italian Salume.  If you are Sugo and see coppa used in one of their dishes, you can stop right then and there and place your order.  It will be the best meal you have ever eaten.)

And just in case we hadn’t eaten enough, our next stop was Jacqueline’s High Tea (JHT.) Jacqueline’s is located on Western Ave, across from Petaluma Market.  It is run by Jacqueline and Frank, who have a true passion for what they are doing.  And what are they doing?  They serve the best tea and scones in town.  If you were wonder which whiskey or crappy cannedAmerican beer this cowboy goes to for comfort, you may be surprised to hear that tea is my drink of choice (…well, unless there is port available, and even then, I am likely to “port infuse” my tea.)  There are two things that are truly incredible about Jacqueline’s, in addition to Jacqueline and Frank themselves, and that is their scones and their almond cream…oh ya, and some sort of lemon curd stuff.  So there are three things…  I have never been a fan of scones, partially because I prefer Donuts to all other breakfast breads, save one (…which you will read about shortly) and I find most scones to look, feel, and taste like hockey pucks.  Friends had ranted and raved about JHT’s scones, but I was skeptical.  When I finally had one several years ago, I argued that it shouldn’t dirty its reputation by using the same name that all those other scones do.  Not that it needed it but as a fan of butter and whipped cream and anything that looks or tastes remotely like either, I topped the JHT scone with their almond cream.  I don’t know what the perfect food tastes like, but JHT’s almond cream has to be close to the top of the list.

I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of tea that we were offered.  Although I drink a lot of tea, I don’t drink black, green, or white tea.  I don’t handle caffeine well, even in small doses.  Frank brought us two different teas, and low and behold, they were the two types of tea that I drink on a regular basis.  The first was a Vanilla infused Yerba Mate, one of the oldest tea varietals in the world, and a very popular tea in South American.  (There is strong debate whether the “stimulant” in yerba mate is caffeine or not – all I know is that it doesn’t leave me jittery like caffeine, and I don’t get headaches if I don’t have it.)  The second was a double chocolate infused “red” tea, called Rooibos.  It is brewed from a bush, specific to South Africa, and the name is pronounced any number of ways, depending on who you ask.  Wikipedia claims it is “roy-bos”, while Republic of Tea lists it as “roy-boss.”  Around our house, we call it “roy-bus.”  No matter how you pronounce the name of either tea, they each have a great flavor, unique from any other drink.  And the health benefits of both are too numerous to count…although I am a skeptic, so I just drink it for the taste (and the weight management benefits one finds from drinking vast quantities of liquids…well, liquids other than alcohol and soda.)  Both teas complement JHT’s scones and almond crème perfectly.

And not to be outdone by the rest, our final stop found us at Bovine Bakery.  Bovineopened its Petaluma location just in time to participate in last year’s TOP, and has quickly filled a baking need that has been sorely missing from Petaluma.  Caroline runs the Petaluma incarnation of the Point Reyes Station bakery her mother started years ago, which is a staple for any foodie visiting Tomales Bay.  If you aren’t greeted by Caroline’s warm and inviting smile (she starts pretty early in the morning), you will be greeted by one of her numerous happy and helpful employees.  The care they put into their food, and their service, will make you swear they have been waiting just for you.  The whole place feels like a big warm hug…and their food will make you wish you could call it “comfort food”… except your mom never made it this good.  Their gluten-free chocolate cherry chews were the star of this year’s Rivertown Revival.   And as hinted about above, their “Morning Bun” leaves all other breakfast breads sugary with jealousy.  I wish I could tell you what we tried, but that would be like trying to describe heaven.  Honestly, I wasn’t listening to any of the descriptions that Caroline was giving us, partially because I was neck deep in incredible food, and partially because it doesn’t matter what I try – it is all good.  There were things like a chocolate filled croissant, almond and poppy seed pastry, and a ham and cheese croissant that almost makes me abandon lunch time sandwiches all together.  They have recently expanded their menu to include more substantial lunch fare too.  Whether you want freshly baked pizza, eggy pies (quiche), or sandwiches and salads, Bovine Bakery has it all.  I even noticed two ladies enjoy a bowl of split pea soup.  I ask them how it was, wondering who the heck partakes in hot soup on a warm day.  They told me it was so good that they didn’t even think twice about ordering it at any time of day, warm or otherwise.  That pretty much says it all about Bovine’s food.

Advanced tickets for Taste of Petaluma are available at www.tasteofpetaluma.org, as well as by phone through Cinnabar Theater (707) 763-8920.  The price increases to $40 on the day of the event, still well worth the adventure you will experience in what is quickly becoming known as Northern California’s hottest culinary destination.

Stay tuned for Part 2…