SONOMA COUNTY

Wine & Food ‘Crush’ returns

The 23rd Annual Wine & Food (formerly Affair) “Crush” will return on the weekend of November 5-7 at over 40 wineries in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys.

On November 5th, there will be intimate winegrowers’ dinners and late-night wine receptions. On November 6 and 7, customers can visit up to five wineries each day during time slots at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Reservations are required for each winery throughout the weekend. Tickets cost $ 75 per day on November 6 and 7 and $ 20 for designated drivers. Tickets for the Friday reception and dinner vary by location and can be purchased directly from the wineries.

Each participating winery will serve a food and wine pairing. For details on each winery’s menu and reservations, visit wineroad.com. (November 6 is already full.)

Once booked, reservations cannot be changed. Additionally, a person must purchase all tickets and book all reservations for their group. Groups are limited to six people.

MARSHALL

Javelins and jack-o ‘lanterns at Nick’s Cove

It’s scary season at Tomales Bay, where the Nick’s Cove team will meet from 2 p.m. until sunset Sunday for a Javelins and Jack-o’-Lanterns event.

Bring your eye for pumpkin carving and sample seasonal dishes and cocktails from Nick’s Cove to inspire your creativity.

Nick’s Cove will provide the pumpkins and carving tools, but if you’d rather bring your own, don’t hesitate. Don’t forget your fall sweater. The community event is free, but food and drinks are extra.

Nick’s Cove is located at 23240 Highway 1.

SONOMA

Larman trades a smokehouse for a wood-fired oven

Rob Larman, chef at the Flying Pig BBQ Smoke House who started his career in Sonoma 30 years ago with Rob’s Rib Shack, hangs up his barbecue tongs and switches to a pizza peel.

Larman replaced his J&R Texas Smoker with a Forno Bravo wood-fired oven as the centerpiece of Il Fuoco, a new Italian pizzeria.

“As much as I love barbecue, it’s no longer a sustainable business model, neither financially nor environmentally,” Larman said. “With Il Fuoco, I can focus my creativity on local ingredients, when they are in season. “

The Il Fuoco team will include Mike Zakowski, also known as Mike the Bejkr, who develops a signature pizza dough from organic flour grown and ground in California sourced from Central Milling Co. in Petaluma.

The menu will feature classic and contemporary Italian style pizzas, including the WTF pizza with homemade smoked pork belly and shoulder, sausage and maple bacon.

There will be a wide range of antipasto options, such as meatballs, shrimp frito misto, salumi, and wood-roasted artichokes. The dessert menu will include the famous large tarts of Larman, among other sweets.

Fans of Larman’s Breast can still enjoy it from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, when Larman will fire up his smoker for a pop-up barbecue, with on-site and take-out dining options.

Il Fuoco will open to the public on October 28. It will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday to Monday. 18350 Sonoma Highway. ilfuocopizza.com

SANTA ROSA

Golden hour at the Flamingo Lazeaway Club

The Flamingo Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort now offers a Golden Hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday with a special menu. There will be live music on Thursday.

The restaurant specializing in Cal-Pacific cuisine is open for dinner seven days a week and offers a new weekend brunch menu.

Breakfast is served from 7 am to 10 am Monday to Friday; brunch hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; lunch is served from noon to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday; and dinner hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Flamingo Resort is located at 2777 Fourth St.

Editor-in-Chief Diane Peterson can be reached at 707-521-5287 or [email protected] On Twitter @ dianepete56.