Lifestyle

With the closures and limitations of the pandemic fading into memory, restaurant dining has regained its position as one of Sonoma County’s most popular, close-to-home recreations.

Agave Restaurant in Healdsburg has reopened with a new 250-year-old redwood bar, a new mole menu, and a renewed focus on Oaxacan flavors and personal service.

Now when most winemakers talk about “clones,” they’re talking about varietals selected for specific qualities, such as flavor, color or intensity. The Dijon clones of pinot noir or chardonnay are well known; but the canine clone of a winery dog is a new thing entirely.

"White walls reaching for an impossibly high ceiling, a haven that appeared like some Xanadu on the west side of the city square just when we needed to hide. Why we needed to hide is another matter," writes Daedalus Howell about finding a place to slake his dark thirst when he discovered Marine Layer Wines. ..

When asked how Watch Duty stands out from other wildfire apps, John C. Mills’ answer was simple: accuracy and immediacy. “We don’t speculate,” he said. “We disseminate information directly from professionals. If a first responder says a fire will reach a community in 17 minutes, we relay that information without delay. That’s our commitment to transparency.”

Inside the Healdsburg Community Center near the north end of town, formerly the home of Foss Creek Elementary, two of the school’s old classrooms are newly renovated and filled with children again—this time, even younger. The rooms are bustling with the sounds of cooing babies, giggling toddlers and active preschoolers...

The annual Giro Vigneti, started in 1986 and formerly known as the Healdsburg Century, will return to Sonoma County’s Wine Country on Saturday, May 17. Registration is still open for this historic bicycle tour, starting and ending at Bacchus Landing...

With the onset of spring last week—despite the cold and rain—Healdsburg is beginning to wake up from its sleepy winter months and get back in gear as the food/wine/music destination city it has become, with five significant celebrations coming to town in the coming months.

Much has been written about the awarding of culinary stars, ratings of 90-point wines and the ascendancy of the million-dollar, two-bedroom home. But one award made to a Healdsburg business should not slip through the cracks—the naming of the Healdsburg’s location as North America’s “World Gym of the Year.”

Chef Douglas Keane has now written a revealing and insightful memoir, 'Culinary Leverage.' Last week we spoke with the 53-year-old chef about the book, his interest in dog rescue, his opinion of social media, trendy restaurants and even induction cooking.